bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-Port Laparoscopic Surgery Is Feasible and Safe for Hepatic Left Lateral Sectionectomy for Benign Liver Lesions
Authors: Cheng Yuan , Jiang Ze-sheng , Xu Xiao-ping , Huang Wen-fa , He Guo-lin , Zhou Chen-jie , Qin Jia-sheng , Gao Yi , Pan Ming-xin
Published: July 2019

Background and Objectives. The feasibility and safety of single-port laparoscopic surgery for left lateral liver lobectomy are largely unknown. This study is aimed at comparing the effectiveness and safety between single-port laparoscopic (SPL) and conventional multiport laparoscopic (CL) surgeries for hepatic left lateral sectionectomy. Methods. A total of 65 patients receiving laparoscopic hepatic left lateral sectionectomy between January 2008 and July 2015 were included and divided into the SPL group (n=40) and the CL group (n=25). Results. There was no significant difference in the operative time, estimated intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, and incidences of postoperative complications (biliary leakage, hemorrhage, and contusion at incision) between groups (all P>0.05). However, the SPL group had a significantly lower VAS pain score (at 24 h but not 7 days postoperation) and higher cosmetic satisfaction scores (at both 2 months and 6 months postoperation) than the CL group (all P<0.01). Moreover, multivariate linear regression analysis further confirmed the superior pain score and cosmetic outcome in the SPL group. Conclusions. Single-port laparoscopic hepatic left lateral sectionectomy is a safe and feasible treatment for patients with lesions in the left hepatic lobe. Patients with benign lesions in the left hepatic lobe are more suitable to receive single-port laparoscopic hepatic left lateral sectionectomy than those with malignancies.
Investigation on Lubrication State of Sliding Bearings in Low-Speed Rotor System Subjected to Torque Load
Authors: Pang Xinyu , Jiang Wangwang , Jin Xiaowu
Published: July 2019

In order to study the influence of torque load on the lubrication and wear of the sliding bearing of the rigid rotor system, the theoretical and experimental researches on the single-span rotor system with low speed were carried out. A special force sensor was used to measure the bearing load under different torque excitations, and the oil film pressure was calculated. The oil film pressure and thickness of sliding bearing under low speed (210r/min) were simulated by combining the lubrication theory. Based on the film thickness ratio theory, the corresponding relationship between the lubrication state and the torque load value was deduced. In addition, the wear rate and abrasive grain morphology of sliding bearing with different torque values were analyzed by means of oil sample preparation to verify this correspondence. The results show that the film thickness ratio has a logarithmic function relationship with the constant torque load, and the film thickness ratio curve can be used to determine the corresponding torque values under different lubrication states. The wear rate under mixed lubrication state increases exponentially with the torque load, and the main wear mechanism is adhesive wear and abrasive wear. The research results have certain guiding significance to the adjustment of the actual running condition of sliding bearing and its life prediction.
Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Contact Lens Used in Trabeculectomy
Authors: Li Bin , Zhang Miaomiao , Yang Zhen
Published: July 2019

Purpose. To investigate the efficacy and safety of soft bandage contact lens used in trabeculectomy.Methods. This was a prospective, randomized study which enrolled 200 glaucoma patients (200 eyes). Patients were randomized into Group 1, using contact lens after trabeculectomy, and Group 2, without contact lens. The primary outcome measurement was the comparison of success rates at 12 months after surgery. Qualified surgical success was defined as a postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) value of 6–21 mmHg with or without topical antiglaucoma medication use at the last follow-up visit. Complete success was defined as the IOP between 6 and 21 mmHg without any antiglaucoma medication at the last follow-up visit. Postoperative data included IOP values, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), number of antiglaucoma medications, complications related to surgery, and bleb characteristics.Results. There were statistically significant differences between Groups 1 and 2 in mean IOP values at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery (P<0.05). The 12-month life table rates for qualified surgical success were 94.7% and 86.3% in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P=0.045). The 12-month life table rates for complete surgical success were 89.6% and 80.0% in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P=0.042). At 12 months after surgery, the mean numbers of antiglaucoma medications were 0.3 ± 0.4 and 0.5 ± 0.6, respectively. (P=0.001). At the 12-month visit, the maximal bleb area was significantly different between groups (P=0.044), with Group 1 exhibiting a more diffused bleb area. Encysted blebs were observed in 7 (7%) eyes in Group 1 and 17 (17%) eyes in Group 2, with statistically significant differences (P=0.030). The 12-month life table rates for qualified surgical success were 94.7% (91 eyes) and 86.3% (82 eyes) in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P=0.045).Conclusions. Bandage contact lens is a safe and effective device after fornix-based trabeculectomy.
Experiment on the Breakup of Liquid Jets in Different Cross-Airflows
Authors: Deng Tian , Chen Wei , Ren Xing-ming , Jiang Shuai , Yuan Chao-hua
Published: July 2019

The experiment is conducted with a high-speed camera to investigate the breakup processes of liquid jets in uniform, shear-laden, and swirling cross-airflows. The liquid used in the test is water, the nozzle diameter is 2 mm, and the liquid-to-air momentum flux ratio q ranges from 5 to 3408.5. The results indicate that liquid jets break up to form small droplets in the uniform cross-airflow. There is an exponential relation between the broken position and q. In the shear-laden cross-airflow, the penetration depth of the jet is similar to that of the uniform case, both of which increase with the increase of q. When q and the mean Weber number are the same as the uniform case, the penetration depth of the jet increases by 25% when the velocity ratio of the upper and lower inlets is UR=5; the jet penetration depth decreases by 47.2% when the ratio of UR=0.2 and the jet breaks up quickly and the atomization effect will be better. In the swirling cross-airflow, the jet trajectory is similar to the uniform case and also satisfies the exponential property. When the swirl is weak (swirling number SN=0.49), the jet penetration depth increases compared to the uniform case; when the swirl is strong (SN=0.82), the cross-swirling airflow restrains the jet penetration depth.
Involvement of Male Partners in Skilled Birth Care in the North Dayi District, Ghana
Authors: Saah Farrukh Ishaque , Tarkang Elvis Enowbeyang , Komesuor Joyce , Osei Eric , Acquah Evelyn , Amu Hubert
Published: July 2019

Background. With more than half of the global maternal deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, skilled attendance during childbirth is essential in achieving safer births and lower maternal mortalities. Given that societal ascriptions of gender roles strongly influence the utilisation of skilled care by women, male partner involvement in skilled birth is essential. We explored male partner involvement in skilled birth at the North Dayi District of Ghana. Methods. This qualitative study interviewed 14 mothers and their male partners, together with two health professionals. The participants were purposively recruited using in-depth interviews. Data collected were analysed manually, but thematically. Result. Male partners had inadequate knowledge of childbirth and the skilled birth process as well as possible complications arising during delivery. Even though the male partners demonstrated positive perception towards skilled birth and their involvement in the process, their actual involvement in skilled birth care was generally low. Factors which inhibited most of the male partners from getting involved in skilled birth care were health facility nonconduciveness and occupation. However, motivations to do so were marital commitment and sense of responsibility, past experience, nearness to health facility, and safety and survival of partner and baby. Conclusion. These findings imply that Ghana may not be able to meet the Sustainable Development Goal Three target of reducing its maternal mortality ratio from 216 to below 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Stakeholders in Ghana’s health industry need to develop male accommodating skilled birth policies and approaches to promote male involvement in skilled birth care.
Differences between the Influence of Observing One’s Own Movements and Those of Others in Patients with Stroke
Authors: Fuchigami Takeshi , Morioka Shu
Published: July 2019

We aimed to investigate differences between the influence of observing one’s own actions and those of others in patients with stroke with hemiplegia. Thirty-four patients with stroke who had experienced a right or left hemispheric lesion (RHL: n = 17; LHL: n = 17) participated in this study. Participants viewed video clips (0.5× speed) of their own stepping movements (SO) as well as those of others (OO). After viewing the video clips, participants were asked to evaluate the vividness of the mental image of the observed stepping movement using a five-point scale, in accordance with that utilized in the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ). We also examined changes in imagery and execution times following action observation. When all patients were considered, there were no significant differences between SO and OO conditions. However, in the RHL subgroup, KVIQ kinesthetic subscore and changes in imagery and execution times were greater in the OO condition than in the SO condition. In the LHL subgroup, changes in imagery times were greater in the SO condition than in the OO condition. These findings indicated that viewing the movements of others led to more vivid imagery and alteration in performance in patients with right-sided stroke, when compared to viewing one’s own movements. Therefore, the present study suggests that clinicians should consider the side of the damaged hemisphere when implementing action observation therapy for patients with stroke.
Comparative Study on the Test Method for Tensile Elastic Modulus of Rock Materials
Authors: Zhang Yan , Yu Dawei
Published: July 2019

Rock material has different mechanical behaviors under compressive and tensile loading. Correspondingly, there are two types of elastic modulus: compressive elastic modulus Ec and tensile elastic modulus Et, respectively. To distinguish which indirect test methodology, including three‐points bending test and Brazilian disc test, is more suitable to measure the tensile elastic modulus Et of rock materials, a series of uniaxial compressive test (UCT), direct tensile test (DTT), three‐points bending test, and Brazilian disc test are performed for three typical types of rock: marble, granite, and sandstone. Comparative investigation on the reliability of measurement results of tensile elastic modulus Et is systematically conducted. Finally, it is found that Brazilian disc test could be a suitable method to measure tensile elastic modulus of rock materials, due to the excellent agreement with that measured by DTT and the simplicity of sample preparation, as well as test operation.
Clinical Significance of Prothrombin Time in Cholangiocarcinoma Patients with Surgeries
Authors: Wang Hui-shan , Ge Xian-xiu , Li Quan-peng , Nie Jun-jie , Miao Lin
Published: July 2019

Background. Prothrombin time (PT) can predict survival in several types of malignancies. This study aims to investigate the predictive values of PT levels in patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the PT from 86 CCA patients who underwent curative resection in our hospital from December 2008 to August 2017. The relationship between PT and survival times was analyzed through univariate and multivariate analyses (Cox proportional hazards model). Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank test were used to assess the effects of PT on overall survival (OS) and tumor recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results. Increased PT level was an effective predictor for OS (P = 0.021; hazard ratio (HR), 1.799) and RFS (P = 0.016; HR, 1.871) in CCA patients, independent of age, tumor differentiation, and TNM stage. In the low PT level group (PT < 12.3 s), patients showed a higher mean OS (23.03 m vs. 14.38 m, P = 0.0250) and RFS (17.78 m vs. 8.30 m, P = 0.0511) than those with high PT levels (PT ≥ 12.3 s). A highly significant association was observed between high PT level and shortened OS (P = 0.0373) and worse RFS (P = 0.0151). Conclusion. Preoperative increase in PT can serve as a simple but effective predictor of poor survival in CCA patients who undergo curative surgeries.
Toxicological Characterization of Six Plants of the Beninese Pharmacopoeia Used in the Treatment of Salmonellosis
Authors: Legba Boris , Dougnon Victorien , Deguenon Esther , Agbankpe Jerrold , Senou Maximin , Aniambossou Alidah , Gbaguidi Carène , Sintondji Kevin , Baba-Moussa Lamine , Dougnon Jacques
Published: July 2019

Recent studies reported interesting ethnopharmacological, antibacterial, and phytochemical data on some medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of salmonellosis in Benin. Unfortunately, very little data exists on the toxicity of these species. This study aims to evaluate chemical characteristic of six Benin pharmacopoeial plants used in the traditional treatment of salmonellosis in Benin. The acute toxicity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts ofPsidium guajava,Vernonia amygdalina,Cajanus cajan,Phyllanthus amarus,Uvaria chamae, andLantana camarawas evaluated according to OECD Guideline 423 at a single dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight on Wistar rats. Histological sections were performed on the liver and kidneys to confirm hematological and biochemical data. The content of aluminum, chromium, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, zinc, arsenic, selenium, and manganese was measured in 10 mg of each extract by the inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICPOES) method. The results of our study generally show the absence of significant effect of the extracts on the hematological and biochemical parameters of the rats. However, with the exception of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts ofPsidium guajavaroot and the ethanolic extract ofPhyllanthus amarus(P>0.05), all the extracts have a significant effect on the aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) level, with a variable threshold of significance (0.0001< P ≤ 0.05). No mortalities and no renal histological conditions were recorded in the treated rats. In general, the heavy metal contents of the extracts do not exceed the standards set by the WHO/FDA except for a few extracts. Arsenic was not detected in any extract, while aluminum and chromium were detected at levels above the WHO/FDA standards. On the basis of these data, it appears that the six plants studied do not show any toxicity. In view of the pharmacological and chemical data previously available, these plants are good candidates for the development of improved traditional medicines with antibacterial and particularly anti-Salmonellaproperties.
Is There Association between Risky Sexual Behaviors and Depression Symptoms among Youth? A Case of Jimma University Students, Ethiopia
Authors: Tesfaye Yonas , Negash Alemayehu , Gebrehiwot Tsegaye Tewelde , Tessema Worknesh , Anand Susan , Ahmed Gutema , Alemu Daniel
Published: July 2019

Background. Risky Sexual Behaviors (RSB) and Depression symptoms expose young people to various reproductive health problems including sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. To date the link between these two major public health problems lacks empirical evidence in the context of higher education institutions in Ethiopia. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess association between risky sexual behavior and depression symptoms among Jimma University main campus students, Jimma, Ethiopia, 2016. Methods. An institution based quantitative cross sectional study was conducted. A pre-tested questionnaire and modified Beck Depression Inventory II were administered to 700 students, selected by multi-stage stratified sampling, from the main campus of Jimma University. Descriptive statistics, simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze possible confounders. Presence of crude association between the dependent and independent variables was detected by bivariate logistic regression analysis. Variables with p value < 0.25 in bivariate analysis were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression to exclude the confounders. Adjusted odd ratios with 95%CI were computed to examine depression symptoms and other independent variables as predictors of RSB. Results. RSB were reported by 30.2% students. Out of 222 (33.6%) students with depression symptoms 105 (47.3%) reported RSB. Students with moderate depression symptoms are nearly two times more likely to experience risky sexual behavior than students with no depression symptoms (AOR 1.9, 95% CI: 1-3.1). Students with severe depression symptoms are nearly two and half times more likely to experience RSB than students with no depression symptoms counterparts (AOR 2.6, 95%CI: 1.3- 5.1). Conclusion. RSB were high among students with depression symptoms in the main campus of Jimma University. To help students overcome the challenges, recommendation was given for concerted action from the University, governmental and NGO, and the surrounding community to establish support services and various reproductive and mental health awareness programs within the campus.
Overexpression of SlGRAS7 Affects Multiple Behaviors Leading to Confer Abiotic Stresses Tolerance and Impacts Gibberellin and Auxin Signaling in Tomato
Authors: Habib Sidra , Waseem Muhammad , Li Ning , Yang Lu , Li Zhengguo
Published: July 2019

Abiotic stresses remain the key environmental issues that reduce plant development and therefore affect crop production. Transcription factors, such as the GRAS family, are involved in various functions of abiotic stresses and plant growth. The GRAS family of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), SlGRAS7, is described in this study. We produced overexpressing SlGARS7 plants to learn more about the GRAS transcription factors. Plants overexpressing SlGARS7 (SlGRAS7-OE) showed multiple phenotypes related to many behaviors, including plant height, root and shoot length, and flowering time. We observed that many genes in the SlGRAS7-OE seedlings that are associated with auxin and gibberellin (GA) are downregulated and have altered sensitivity to GA3/IAA. SlGRAS7 was upregulated during abiotic stresses following treatment with sodium chloride (NaCl) and D-mannitol in the wild-type (WT) tomato. Tomato plants overexpressing SlGRAS7 showed more resistance to drought and salt stress comparison with WT. Our study of SlGRAS7 in tomato demonstrates how GRAS showed an integrative role, improving resistance to abiotic stresses and enhancing gibberellin/auxin signaling through reproductive as well as vegetative processes.
The Use of Catheter Mount Will Result in More Reliable Carbon Dioxide Monitoring under Fluid Exposing Conditions
Authors: Cho Yongil , Kim Wonhee , Lim Tae Ho , Choi Hyuk Joong , Oh Jaehoon , Kang Bossng , Kim Youjin , Kim In Young
Published: July 2019

Introduction. Capnometer can be readily malfunctioned by fluid exposure during treatment of critically ill patients. This study aimed to determine whether placing capnometer distant from the endotracheal tube by connecting direct connect catheter mount (DCCM) is effective in yielding reliable end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) by reducing capnometer malfunctioning caused by water exposure. Methods. In 25 healthy adults, a prospective, open label, crossover study was conducted to examine the effect of DCCM in mainstream and microstream capnometers under water exposing conditions. The primary endpoint was the comparison of ETCO2 between proximal DCCM (pDCCM) and distal DCCM (dDCCM). Results. For mainstream capnometers, mean ETCO2 was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in dDCCM compared to pDCCM under water exposing conditions (29.5 vs. 19.0 with 5 ml; 33.8 vs. 21.2 with 10 ml; mmHg). Likewise, for microstream capnometers, ETCO2 was greatly higher (p < 0.001) in dDCCM compared to pDCCM (30.5 vs. 13.9 with 5 ml; 29.9 vs.11.4 with 10 mL; mmHg). ETCO2 measured by dDCCM was reliable in microstream settings, whereas it was unreliable in mainstream (correlation coefficient 0.88 vs. 0.27). Conclusions. Application of DCCM onto the capnometer setting seems to be effective in reducing capnometer malfunctioning under fluid exposing conditions, which is obvious in microstream capnometer by producing more reliable ETCO2.
Ecotype-Level Genetic Biodiversity of Five Italian Traditional Crops
Authors: Guarino Francesco , Castiglione Stefano , Improta Giovanni , Triassi Maria , Cicatelli Angela
Published: July 2019

Italy displays a high level of agrobiodiversity due to its diversified pedoclimatic zones. The Administrative Region of Campania includes several and divergent biomes, occurring close to each other. In fact, the distance between a sea level environment and that of high mountains can be less than 20 km. These environmental conditions allow the cultivation of many different crops and vegetables, represented by diverse ecotypes and varieties that are well adapted to the distribution range where they have been selected and grown. Efforts to maintain and further increase biodiversity in farming systems require a better understanding of the existing diversity created by traditional farming practices. The aim of our study was to identify and molecularly characterize several ecotypes belonging to five horticultural species commonly cultivated in Campania. In particular, we analysed five ecotypes of maize, two of garlic, four of onion, one of escarole, and two of courgette by means of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in order to evaluate their level of genetic biodiversity. The results reveal, for the first time, the high genetic biodiversity of horticultural ecotypes of the Campania Region. This feature is very important to improve the quality and productivity of agroecosystems.
Kupffer Cells Promote the Differentiation of Adult Liver Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells into Lymphocytes via ICAM-1 and LFA-1 Interaction
Authors: Meng Deping , Qin Yuhong , Lu Nan , Fang Keke , Hu Yuan , Tian Zhigang , Zhang Cai
Published: July 2019

It has been reported that the adult liver contains hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), which are associated with long-term hematopoietic reconstitution activity. Hepatic hematopoiesis plays an important role in the generation of cells involved in liver diseases. However, how the progenitors differentiate into functional myeloid cells and lymphocytes in the liver microenvironment remains unknown. In the present study, HSPC transplantation experiments were used to confirm that adult murine liver HSPCs differentiate into both myeloid cells and lymphocytes (preferentially T cells) compared with bone marrow HSPCs. Using a coculture system comprised of kupffer cells and HSPCs, we found that kupffer cells promote adult liver HSPCs to primarily generate T cells and B cells. We then demonstrated that kupffer cells can also promote HSPC expansion. A blockade of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in a liver HSPC and kupffer cell coculture system impaired the adhesion, expansion, and differentiation of HSPCs. These results suggest a critical role of kupffer cells in the maintenance and promotion of adult mouse liver hematopoiesis. These findings provide important insight into understanding liver extramedullary hematopoiesis and its significance, particularly under the state of some liver diseases, such as hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Bond Behavior of CRACFST Columns after Exposure to Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Hu Peng , Liang Jiong-Feng
Published: July 2019

The bond behavior of post‐heated circular recycled aggregate concrete‐filled steel tube (CRACFST) columns is experimentally investigated in this paper. A total of 24 heated push‐out CRACFST specimens are prepared; at the same time, 3 unheated specimens are also prepared and tested for comparison. This paper investigates the effects of five variable parameters, namely, temperature, exposure period, recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) replacement ratio, concrete strength, and interface length‐to‐diameter ratio, on the bond stress‐slip curves and bond strength. The results show that the push‐out CRACFST specimens exhibit some differences in bond stress‐slip curves at both ambient and high temperature. The bond strength increases with increasing temperature. Other parameters also have influence to some extent. On the basis of a regression analysis of the experimental data, a revised bond strength model is proposed to predict the post‐heated bond behavior between recycled aggregate concrete and circular steel tube.
Extreme Environment Streptomyces: Potential Sources for New Antibacterial and Anticancer Drug Leads?
Authors: Sivalingam Periyasamy , Hong Kui , Pote John , Prabakar Kandasamy
Published: July 2019

Antimicrobial resistance (AR) is recognized as one of the greatest threats to public health and in global concern. Consequently, the increased morbidity and mortality, which are associated with multidrug resistance bacteria, urgently require the discovery of novel and more efficient drugs. Conversely, cancer is a growing complex human disease that demands new drugs with no or fewer side effects. Most of the drugs currently used in the health care systems were of Streptomyces origin or their synthetic forms. Natural product researches from Streptomyces have been genuinely spectacular over the recent years from extreme environments. It is because of technical advances in isolation, fermentation, spectroscopy, and genomic studies which led to the efficient recovering of Streptomyces and their new chemical compounds with distinct activities. Expanding the use of the last line of antibiotics and demand for new drugs will continue to play an essential role for the potent Streptomyces from previously unexplored environmental sources. In this context, deep-sea, desert, cryo, and volcanic environments have proven to be a unique habitat of more extreme, and of their adaptation to extreme living, environments attribute to novel antibiotics. Extreme Streptomyces have been an excellent source of a new class of compounds which include alkaloids, angucycline, macrolide, and peptides. This review covers novel drug leads with antibacterial and cytotoxic activities isolated from deep-sea, desert, cryo, and volcanic environment Streptomyces from 2009 to 2019. The structure and chemical classes of the compounds, their relevant bioactivities, and the sources of organisms are presented.
Psychosocial Distress Scores and Needs among Newly Diagnosed Sarcoma Patients: A Provincial Experience
Authors: Srikanthan Amirrtha , Leung Bonnie , Shokoohi Aria , Smrke Alannah , Bates Alan , Ho Cheryl
Published: July 2019

Introduction. Information on the psychosocial distress and needs of sarcoma patients at diagnosis is sparse. The Canadian Problem Checklist (CPC) and Psychosocial Screen for Cancer-Revised (PSSCAN-R) are validated tools to identify cancer patients’ distress and are administered to all new patients referred to BC Cancer prior to their consultation. We used the CPC and PSSCAN-R to understand sarcoma patients’ needs at the initial oncology consultation in British Columbia, Canada. Materials and Methods. All sarcoma patients who completed the CPC and PSSCAN-R within 6 months of diagnosis between 2011 and 2016 were included. The retrospective chart review identified baseline demographics: age, performance status, disease location, resectability, and histology. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, and Kaplan–Meier method. Results. 413 sarcoma patients were identified. The majority of patients were over the age of 40 (83.3%) with ECOG performance status 0-1 (82.6%) and lower extremity tumors (55.4%). The most common diagnoses were liposarcoma 21.3%, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma 12.1%, and myxofibrosarcoma 11.1%. At the initial consultation, 42.6% of patients were deemed resectable, 8.5% unresectable/metastatic, and 48.9% required further staging investigations. The top three patient-reported distress symptoms were feeling tense and unable to relax (50%), feeling nervous and shaky (48%), and experiencing repetitive and scary thoughts (42%). 38% of patients had subclinical/clinical anxiety symptoms, and 21% of patients had subclinical/clinical depression symptoms. 5% of patients expressed suicidal ideation. The top three concerns/needs were understanding of illness/treatment (45.5%), fear/worries (45.3%), and worry about family (23%). No differences in overall survival were identified for patients displaying symptoms of depression or anxiety versus no symptoms. Discussion. Up to 45% of sarcoma patients experience some form of psychological distress at disease presentation. Patients desire information about their diagnosis and treatment. Tailored interventions to individual psychological comorbidity and improved patient education resources would be beneficial.
A DBN-Based Deep Neural Network Model with Multitask Learning for Online Air Quality Prediction
Authors: Li Jiangeng , Shao Xingyang , Sun Rihui
Published: July 2019

To avoid the adverse effects of severe air pollution on human health, we need accurate real-time air quality prediction. In this paper, for the purpose of improve prediction accuracy of air pollutant concentration, a deep neural network model with multitask learning (MTL-DBN-DNN), pretrained by a deep belief network (DBN), is proposed for forecasting of nonlinear systems and tested on the forecast of air quality time series. MTL-DBN-DNN model can solve several related prediction tasks at the same time by using shared information contained in the training data of different tasks. In the model, DBN is used to learn feature representations. Each unit in the output layer is connected to only a subset of units in the last hidden layer of DBN. Such connection effectively avoids the problem that fully connected networks need to juggle the learning of each task while being trained, so that the trained networks cannot get optimal prediction accuracy for each task. The sliding window is used to take the recent data to dynamically adjust the parameters of the MTL-DBN-DNN model. The MTL-DBN-DNN model is evaluated with a dataset from Microsoft Research. Comparison with multiple baseline models shows that the proposed MTL-DBN-DNN achieve state-of-art performance on air pollutant concentration forecasting.
Toxicological Evaluation of a Mixture of Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng Root Extracts (InnoSlim®)
Authors: Murbach Timothy S. , Glávits Róbert , Endres John R. , Hirka Gábor , Vértesi Adél , Béres Erzsébet , Szakonyiné Ilona Pasics
Published: July 2019

Astragalus spp. and Panax spp. have a long history of traditional human use. A blend, InnoSlim®, of highly purified and fractionated root extracts from Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng has now been developed for human consumption; however, the unique constituent content of this blend has not been specifically evaluated with respect to safety. Therefore, the toxicological potential of the blend was formally investigated in a series of studies—genetic toxicity was evaluated in a bacterial reverse mutation test followed by an in vivo mammalian micronucleus test, and general toxicity was evaluated in a 28-day repeated-dose oral toxicity study in rats. No evidence of mutagenicity was observed in the bacterial tester strains used, and no evidence of in vivo chromosomal damage resulting in increased frequency of micronucleated cells was observed in male Crl:NMRI BR mice. No mortality or toxic effects were observed, and no target organs were identified, in male and female Han:WIST rats exposed to 0, 400, 800, or 1200 mg/kg bw/day of the blend by gavage for 28 consecutive days. The highest dose—1200 mg/kg bw/day—was determined to be the NOAEL. Based on these results, extrapolation towards a safe human consumption level can be explored.
Traffic Data Imputation Algorithm Based on Improved Low-Rank Matrix Decomposition
Authors: Luo Xianglong , Meng Xue , Gan Wenjuan , Chen Yonghong
Published: July 2019

Traffic data plays a very important role in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). ITS requires complete traffic data in transportation control, management, guidance, and evaluation. However, the traffic data collected from many different types of sensors often includes missing data due to sensor damage or data transmission error, which affects the effectiveness and reliability of ITS. In order to ensure the quality and integrity of traffic flow data, it is very important to propose a satisfying data imputation method. However, most of the existing imputation methods cannot fully consider the impact of sensor data with data missing and the spatiotemporal correlation characteristics of traffic flow on imputation results. In this paper, a traffic data imputation method is proposed based on improved low-rank matrix decomposition (ILRMD), which fully considers the influence of missing data and effectively utilizes the spatiotemporal correlation characteristics among traffic data. The proposed method uses not only the traffic data around the sensor including missing data, but also the sensor data with data missing. The information of missing data is reflected into the coefficient matrix, and the spatiotemporal correlation characteristics are applied in order to obtain more accurate imputation results. The real traffic data collected from the Caltrans Performance Measurement System (PeMS) are used to evaluate the imputation performance of the proposed method. Experiment results show that the average imputation accuracy with proposed method can be improved 87.07% compared with the SVR, ARIMA, KNN, DBN-SVR, WNN, and traditional MC methods, and it is an effective method for data imputation.
Experimental Study on Reynolds Number Evolution of Gas-Filled Coal
Authors: Liu Chao , Li Minghui , Zhao Honggang
Published: July 2019

The flow state of gas in coals is very complicated. We should pay attention to whether the permeability calculated by Darcy’s law is in accordance with the actual situation. We conducted an experiment on coal permeability and deformation under fixing confining pressure and increasing axial stress conditions. The objective is to investigate the variation of Reynolds number Re. In this study, the dynamic evolution of the Reynolds number is calculated under the relevant assumptions. The Reynolds number increases with an increase in the axial stress. In addition, the larger the value of initial Reynolds numbers, the greater the value of Re in the postpeak, and the possibility of nonlinear flow state is higher. Further, if the mass density (ρ) and fluid viscosity (μ) are constant, the decrease in the amplitudes of the flow rate is less than the increase in the equivalent diameter of the seepage path. Moreover, the tensile stress generated around the pores and fractures parallel or nearly parallel to the axial stress direction with increase in the axial stress results in an increase in the Reynolds numbers and equivalent diameter of the seepage path increase due to the development, expansion, and penetration of the cracks.
Potential Role of HMGCS2 in Tumor Angiogenesis in Colorectal Cancer and Its Potential Use as a Diagnostic Marker
Authors: Zou Kejian , Hu Yan , Li Musheng , Wang Hongli , Zhang Yuhua , Huang Ling , Xie Yuanwen , Li Songyu , Dai Xingui , Xu Wanfu , Ke Zhiyong , Gong Sitang , Wang Yaodong
Published: July 2019

Objective. HMGCS2 is the rate-limiting enzyme of ketogenesis, which is vital for tumor initiation or metastasis. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between HMGCS2 and tumor angiogenesis.Materials and Methods. The study consisted of 100 cases with colorectal cancer and healthy control, the expression of HMGCS2 and the microvessel density (MVD) (marker: CD31) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and tube formation, and the centration ofβ-hydroxybutyrate in serum was assessed by biochemical analysis.Results. The results showed that HMGCS2 expression is significantly reduced in colorectal cancer compared with healthy control, which is inversely correlated with MVD in colorectal cancer by IHC analysis. What is more, knockdown HMGCS2 expression in HT-29 cells significantly contributed endothelial cell tube formation.Conclusion. These findings implying HMGCS2 may have a negative regulation of tumor angiogenesis and provide an approach to inhibit tumor angiogenesis.
Reliability of a Test for Assessment of Isometric Trunk Muscle Strength in Elderly Women
Authors: Mesquita Marceli M. A. , Santos Marta S. , Vasconcelos Alan B. S. , de Sá Clodoaldo A. , Pereira Luana C. D. , Silva-Santos Ínea B. M. da , da Silva Junior Walderi M. , de Matos Dihogo G. , Fontes Alan dos S. , Oliveira Paulo M. P. , Aidar Felipe J. , DeSantana Josimari M. , Fernandes Iohanna G. S. , Da Silva-Grigoletto Marzo E.
Published: July 2019

Objective. The aim of this study was to analyze the reproducibility of a protocol using the maximal isometric strength test of the trunk in elderly women aged above 60 years, without low back pain. Methods. Twenty-one physically inactive elderly women, who had not engaged in any activity or exercise program in the past three months, participated in the cross-sectional study that consisted of two days of evaluations for the maximal isometric strength of the extensor and flexor muscles of the trunk, with a 48 h interval between the sessions. A platform with fixed seating was used, which allowed the fixation of the hip and lower limbs, with a load cell connected to a linear encoder. To verify the reliability of the test, the interclass correlation coefficient, variation coefficient, minimum detectable difference (MDD), standard error of measurement, and Bland–Altman graphs were calculated. Results. No statistical difference was observed between the first and second evaluation, which indicates that there was no learning effect. Interclass correlation coefficient values were classified as very high and high for extensor (0.98) and flexor (0.86) muscles, respectively, besides low variation (9% for both muscle groups) and acceptable values for minimum detectable difference (extensors = 51.1 N, flexors = 48.9 N). In addition, the Bland–Altman analysis revealed low bias and values within the limits of agreement. Conclusion. It is concluded that the test of maximum isometric strength of the trunk in healthy and trained elderly people presents high reliability. These values proved to be reliable if performed in at least two evaluation sessions, which confirms the hypothesis of the authors by the consistency of the measurement test.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Associated Necrotizing Pneumonia With Adjunctive Corticosteroid Therapy
Authors: Nguyen Ho Lam , Duong Thanh Huyen , Le Thuong Vu , Tran Van Ngoc
Published: July 2019

Necrotizing pneumonia induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a rare but severe condition. It is difficult to distinguish between M. tuberculosis-associated and bacterial necrotizing pneumonia. The optimal treatment for this condition is controversial. Here, we report a case of M. tuberculosis-associated necrotizing pneumonia treated with the adjunctive corticosteroid and the antituberculosis drugs.
Improving Access and Utilization of Maternal Healthcare Services through Focused Antenatal Care in Rural Ghana: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Haruna Umar , Dandeebo Gordon , Galaa Sylvester Z.
Published: July 2019

Improved access to and utilization of various maternal healthcare services have been seen as the panacea to poor maternal and child health outcomes characterizing many developing countries. Focused Antenatal Care (FANC) replaced the regular antenatal care model about a decade and a half ago. This study sought to document empirical outcomes of how the FANC approach translates access and utilization of maternal health services into positive maternal health outcomes. We utilized a descriptive qualitative design and analysis. We applied key informant interviewing to collect data from 206 respondents consisting of 140 women in their fertility age and 66 health workers across 14 communities in the study district. We found that FANC has been widely implemented across the district with most of the required services integrated into the existing healthcare delivery system. Overall, there has been successful implementation of FANC in the district, resulting in several benefits including the increased utilization of maternal healthcare services, acceptance of family planning, increased skilled delivery, and utilization of postnatal care (PNC) services. This notwithstanding, a number of issues need to be addressed to improve FANC services. These include provision of adequate infrastructure, essential supplies, communication and transportation systems, and manpower and adoption of positive sociocultural practices. No effort should be spared in providing these to sustain the successes and ensure sustainability of FANC.
Atmospheric Muon Charge Ratio Analysis at the INO-ICAL Detector
Authors: Singh Jaydip , Singh Jyotsna
Published: July 2019

The proposed Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector at Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO) will be a large (50 kt) magnetized detector located 1270 m underground at Bodi West Hills in Tamilnadu. ICAL is capable of identifying the charge of the particles. In this paper its potential for the measurement of the muon charge ratio is explored by means of a detailed simulation-based study, first using the CORSIKA code and then comparing it with an analytical model (the pika model). The simulated muon charge ratio is in agreement with the existing experimental observations; its measure can be extended by INO-ICAL up to 10.50 TeV and up to 60 degrees.
A Review on Fall Prediction and Prevention System for Personal Devices: Evaluation and Experimental Results
Authors: Hemmatpour Masoud , Ferrero Renato , Montrucchio Bartolomeo , Rebaudengo Maurizio
Published: July 2019

Injuries due to unintentional falls cause high social cost in which several systems have been developed to reduce them. Recently, two trends can be recognized. Firstly, the market is dominated by fall detection systems, which activate an alarm after a fall occurrence, but the focus is moving towards predicting and preventing a fall, as it is the most promising approach to avoid a fall injury. Secondly, personal devices, such as smartphones, are being exploited for implementing fall systems, because they are commonly carried by the user most of the day. This paper reviews various fall prediction and prevention systems, with a particular interest to the ones that can rely on the sensors embedded in a smartphone, i.e., accelerometer and gyroscope. Kinematic features obtained from the data collected from accelerometer and gyroscope have been evaluated in combination with different machine learning algorithms. An experimental analysis compares the evaluated approaches by evaluating their accuracy and ability to predict and prevent a fall. Results show that tilt features in combination with a decision tree algorithm present the best performance.
Percepción de los estudiantes de kinesiología sobre la incorporación de la metodología b-learning y uso de dispositivos móviles en el curso de Análisis del Movimiento
Authors: Delgado Bravo Mauricio Antonio , Cerda Vega Enrique , Villagrán Gutiérrez Ignacio , Fuentes López Eduardo
Published: July 2019

Introducción: el aumento del número de estudiantes en carreras de la salud hace necesario incluir nuevas metodologías de enseñanza-aprendizaje. La literatura avala el uso de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación (TICs) y el b-learning como recursos para abordar esta problemática. El propósito fue evaluar la percepción de los estudiantes universitarios de la carrera de kinesiología sobre la incorporación de TICs y b-learning en el curso Análisis del Movimiento. Material y Método: se aplicó un cuestionario a 94 estudiantes. Se determinó evidencia de validez de constructo a través de análisis confirmatorio de factores y confiabilidad mediante Alpha de Cronbach. Se estimó la mediana (Q1-Q3) de cada dimensión, determinando posibles diferencias mediante la prueba de Kruskal-Wallis. Resultados: se definió una encuesta con 5 dimensiones y 27 ítems. Los enunciados cargaron en las 5 dimensiones. El coeficiente de Alpha de Cronbach fue de α=0,83. Los resultados según la Mediana (Q1-Q3) por dimensión fueron: Percepción General de la Metodología 4,83 (4,67-5), Percepción de los materiales utilizados 4,75 (4,5-5), Percepción del Autoaprendizaje 4,09 (3,82-4,27), Interacción con los docentes y compañeros 4,75 (4,25-5), Evaluación 5 (4,67-5) y la nota global fue de 6 (6-7). Discusión: el cuestionario posee adecuada evidencia de validez y confiabilidad, hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre dimensiones, especialmente en Percepción del Autoaprendizaje.  Los estudiantes valoran positivamente la organización en los procesos de innovación en metodologías de enseñanza y evaluación, el uso de sistemas digitales como facilitadores de su aprendizaje y la oportunidad de aprendizaje autónomo.
Recorrer los 90 años de la Facultad de Medicina se hace con emoción y alegría
Authors: Heusser Felipe , Godoy Jaime
Published: July 2019

Cuesta imaginar que nuestros fundadores hubieran podido soñar  una Facultad  como la que hoy tenemos, llena de energía,  de inquietud creadora e innovadora, de fortaleza docente, y convertida en líder en Latinoamérica.  Esta ya larga y hermosa historia ha sido construida con el esfuerzo de muchas generaciones; con el aporte de personas reconocidas como emblemáticas,  pero principalmente de muchas personas que hoy parecen casi anónimas cuyo aporte ha sido crucial y ejemplo de entrega generosa.  Esperamos que este ejemplo siga siendo imitado no solo por todos quienes hoy hacemos Facultad sino también por  futuras generaciones.
Preweaning Paternal Deprivation Impacts Parental Responses to Pups and Alters the Serum Oxytocin and Corticosterone Levels and Oxytocin Receptor, Vasopressin 1A Receptor, Oestrogen Receptor, Dopamine Type I Receptor, Dopamine Type II Receptor Levels in Relevant Brain Regions in Adult Mandarin Voles
Authors: Yuan Wei , Li Laifu , Hou Wenjuan , He Zhixiong , Wang Limin , Zhang Jing , Yang Yang , Cai Wenqi , Guo Qianqian , Zhang Xueni , Jia Rui , Lian Zhenmin , Tai Fadao
Published: July 2019

Although maternal separation and neonatal paternal deprivation (PD) have been found to exert a profound and persistent effects on the physiological and behavioural development of offspring, whether preweaning PD (PPD; from PND 10 to 21) affects maternal and parental responses to pups and the underlying neuroendocrine mechanism are under-investigated. Using monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), the present study found that PPD increased the latency to approach a pup-containing ball, decreased the total durations of sniffing and contacting a pup-containing ball and walking and increased the total duration of inactivity in both sexes. Moreover, PPD decreased serum oxytocin levels and increased corticosterone levels, but only in females. Furthermore, in both males and females, PPD decreased the expression of oxytocin receptor mRNA and protein in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but increased it in the medial amygdala (MeA) and decreased the expression of oestrogen receptor mRNA and protein in the MPOA. PPD increased the expression of dopamine type I receptor in the NAcc, but decreased it in the mPFC. PPD decreased dopamine type II receptor (D2R) in the NAcc both in males and females, but increased D2R in the mPFC in females and decreased D2R protein expression in males. Moreover, PPD decreased vasopressin 1A receptor (V1AR) in the MPOA, MeA and mPFC, but only in males. Our results suggest that the reduction of parental responses to pups induced by PPD may be associated with the sex-specific alteration of several neuroendocrine parameters in relevant brain regions.