bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-Throughput Stool Metaproteomics: Method and Application to Human Specimens
Authors: Gonzalez Carlos G. , Wastyk Hannah C. , Topf Madeline , Gardner Christopher D. , Sonnenburg Justin L. , Elias Joshua E.
Published: June 2020

Widely available technologies based on DNA sequencing have been used to describe the kinds of microbes that might correlate with health and disease. However, mechanistic insights might be best achieved through careful study of the dynamic proteins at the interface between the foods we eat, our microbes, and ourselves. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of this complex system, but its application to clinical studies has been hampered by low-throughput and laborious experimentation pipelines. In response, we developed SHT-Pro, the first high-throughput pipeline designed to rapidly handle large stool sample sets. With it, a single researcher can process over one hundred stool samples per week for mass spectrometry analysis, conservatively approximately 10× to 100× faster than previous methods, depending on whether isobaric labeling is used or not. Since SHT-Pro is fairly simple to implement using commercially available reagents, it should be easily adaptable to large-scale clinical studies.
Metabolomics and Machine Learning Approaches Combined in Pursuit for More Accurate Paracoccidioidomycosis Diagnoses
Authors: Lima Estela de Oliveira , Navarro Luiz Claudio , Morishita Karen Noda , Kamikawa Camila Mika , Rodrigues Rafael Gustavo Martins , Dabaja Mohamed Ziad , de Oliveira Diogo Noin , Delafiori Jeany , Dias-Audibert Flávia Luísa , Ribeiro Marta da Silva , Vicentini Adriana Pardini , Rocha Anderson , Catharino Rodrigo Ramos
Published: June 2020

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a fungal infection typically found in Latin American countries, especially in Brazil. The identification of this disease is based on techniques that may fail sometimes. Intending to improve PCM detection in patient samples, this study used the combination of two of the newest technologies, artificial intelligence and metabolomics. This combination allowed PCM detection, independently of disease form, through identification of a set of molecules present in patients’ blood. The great difference in this research was the ability to detect disease with better confidence than the routine methods employed today. Another important point is that among the molecules, it was possible to identify some indicators of contamination and other infection that might worsen patients’ condition. Thus, the present work shows a great potential to improve PCM diagnosis and even disease management, considering the possibility to identify concomitant harmful factors.
Interindividual Variation in Dietary Carbohydrate Metabolism by Gut Bacteria Revealed with Droplet Microfluidic Culture
Authors: Villa Max M. , Bloom Rachael J. , Silverman Justin D. , Durand Heather K. , Jiang Sharon , Wu Anchi , Dallow Eric P. , Huang Shuqiang , You Lingchong , David Lawrence A.
Published: June 2020

Bacterial culture and assay are components of basic microbiological research, drug development, and diagnostic screening. However, community diversity can make it challenging to comprehensively perform experiments involving individual microbiota members. Here, we present a new microfluidic culture platform that makes it feasible to measure the growth and function of microbiota constituents in a single set of experiments. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate how the platform can be used to measure how hundreds of gut bacterial taxa drawn from different people metabolize dietary carbohydrates. Going forward, we expect this microfluidic technique to be adaptable to a range of other microbial assay needs.
Extensor pollicis longus tendon rupture from Dorsal Nail Plate distal radius fixation with concomitant myostatic atrophy
Authors: Rioux-Forker Dana , Shin Alexander Y
Published: June 2020

Distal radius fractures are one of the most common upper extremity injuries seen by hand surgeons each year. Many of these fractures require reduction and surgical fixation because of displacement, comminution or inherent fracture instability. New hardware is designed and introduced each year to help surgeons manage these injuries. We report a case of a major complication from the use of the Dorsal Nail Plate hardware. The patient presented to our clinic with an extensor pollicis longus attrition rupture, which required tendon transfer for treatment. Intraoperatively, we also found ongoing extensor digitorum communis tendon attrition, myostatic atrophy of the extensor pollicus longus and ultimately a large bony defect following complex hardware removal. This case serves as a reminder to consider the potential complication profile of any hardware or technique you are considering using in your patients and to evaluate donor muscles and tendons when performing grafting or transfers.
Assisted manual skills using a clinical surveyor device: disruptive invention for spatial location
Authors: Ramirez Aristeguieta Luis Miguel , Lafaurie Ponce Luis Gabriel , Ramirez Rueda Luis Miguel , Puerta Uribe Estefania
Published: June 2020

Background

Geometric and spatial relationships are essential for dental practice as a reference. Most manual procedures depend on the operator’s practice and ability, and they are non-assisted and non-controlled, depending on trial and error.

Aim

Describing the effectiveness of a disruptive innovation aimed at creating unwired technology (clinical surveyor device (CSD)) for assisting an operator’s manual skills/dexterity and controlling applications for training and clinical use in several areas of dentistry: rehabilitation, implants surgery and orthodontics.

Materials and methods

Testing the device involved 25 odontology specialists and 20 10th semester undergraduate students and postgraduate residents. A paired Student t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for comparison to ascertain whether there was a statistically significant difference when performing procedures with and without using a CSD. Biplot cluster analysis was used for understanding data structure and its variability, capturing variables and individuals’ inter-relationships.

Result

A significant difference was found when using a CSD, which rejected the null hypothesis. There was no significant difference (p value of >0.05 regarding operators (experienced maxillofacial, periodontics and rehabilitators, periodoncy and rehabilitation programme final-year residents and 10th semester undergraduate students).

Conclusion

The CSD’s advantages regarding accuracy would be related to controlling real hand position, enabling better-assisted operator skills and thereby creating confidence during rehabilitation/implant/orthodontic procedures.
Pain associated with psoriasis: systematic scoping review protocol
Authors: Sanader Vucemilovic Ana , Nujic Danijela , Puljak Livia
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Psoriasis is a common chronic skin inflammatory disease. Its presentation, apart from affected skin areas, involves other unpleasant symptoms, such as pain. Pain deteriorates the patient’s quality of life, impairing their daily behaviour and functioning. Therefore, the alleviation of pain in patients with psoriasis should be one of the most desired outcomes of successful treatment. The aim of this study is to summarise available evidence about pain in patients with psoriasis using systematic scoping review methodology in order to map the relevant literature.

Methods and analyses

Our scoping systematic review will provide evidence synthesis of the literature, both quantitative and qualitative, about the pain associated with psoriasis, including pain associated with psoriatic arthritis. Any types of studies will be eligible for inclusion, and we will not have any time, language or publication status restrictions. We will search MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO via OVID, as well as Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews via Cochrane Library, CINAHL via EBSCO, OpenGrey and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. All databases will be searched from the date of their inception. Retrieved bibliographic records and potentially relevant full texts will be screened by two authors independently. Two researchers will extract data independently. Any discrepancies will be resolved via discussion or consultation of the third author, if necessary. To appraise studies, we will use a Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, AMSTAR 2, Cochrane risk of bias tool and ROBINS. Our findings will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews.

Ethics and dissemination

The proposed study will not be conducted with human participants. We will only use published data and therefore ethics approval is not required. Our findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed manuscript and conference reports.
Patient, physiotherapist and surgeon endorsement of the core domain set for total hip and total knee replacement in Germany: a study protocol for an OMERACT initiative
Authors: Prill Robert , Singh Jasvinder A , Seeber Gesine H , Nielsen Sabrina Mai , Goodman Susan , Michel Sven , Kopkow Christian , Schulz Robert , Choong Peter , Hommel Hagen
Published: June 2020

Introduction

There is a lack of harmonising measures for clinical trials on total joint replacement (TJR) that would allow for results from TJR studies to be compared or pooled. The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) TJR core domain set is already endorsed among patients and physicians in the USA and Australia. Physiotherapists use different types of measurements compared to orthopaedic surgeons while both make substantial contributions to research in the field of TJR. To achieve consensus on core measurements sets, patients, physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons need to achieve consensus on the core domains for TJR trials.

Methods and analysis

For this multistage study, first, the OMERACT TJR core domain set survey will be translated to German and validated according to WHO guidelines. Next, the TJR core domain set will be considered for endorsement in different German stakeholder groups including patients, physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval for this protocol was given by the ethics committee of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus—Senftenberg (BTU—CS, EK 2019—2). This article is based on the protocol version 2.5 from 6 May 2020. Anonymous data will be presented only. We will publish the results in peer-reviewed publications and at international conferences.

Trial registration number

German Clinical Trials Registry (DRKS00016015).
Protocol for creating new warnings on cigarette packs and evaluating their efficacy in a randomised experimental setting
Authors: Ben Lakhdar Christian , Deplancke Antoine , Le Lec Fabrice , Massin Sophie , Piermatteo Anthony , Vaillant Nicolas
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Tobacco smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death. This is not inevitable as tobacco control tools have become more powerful and more effective. Among these, warnings on cigarette packs have proven to be somewhat effective. Our objective is to increase the efficacy of antismoking warnings by using innovative psychological approaches and to create an experimental setting for the evaluation of these new warnings based on behavioural indicators.

Methods and analysis

First, we created new warnings based on three categories of motivational leverage and on harm reduction. New warnings with innovative texts and pictures were designed for each category and inserted on plain packs. We will then use standard indicators to compare their effect to that of control packs: plain pack without warning, plain pack with conventional warning and branded pack with conventional warning. Second, the novelty of our approach will consist in designing an experimental protocol that uses monetary incentives to evaluate the effect of warnings. Subjects will be able to ‘sacrifice’ part of their participation defrayal to purchase a good whose subjective value is related to one’s attitude towards smoking. These monetarily incentivised measures are designed to assess smokers’ immediate/mid-term intention to quit and non-smokers’ aversion to smoking. In both cases, the monetary amounts individuals accept to sacrifice may be a more reliable measure than declarative responses, which may be distorted by several hypothetical biases. In the end, we should be able to robustly measure the impact of our new warnings between intervention and control groups by using both traditional indicators and our new monetarily incentivised measure.

Ethics and dissemination

The ethics committee of theGroupement des Hôpitaux de l’Institut Catholique de Lilleapproved the research protocol on 5 July 2019 (CIER 2019-22). Results will be presented at scientific meetings and published.
Development of a core outcome set to use in the research and assessment of malignant bowel obstruction: protocol for the RAMBO study
Authors: Baddeley Elin , Bravington Alison , Johnson Miriam , Currow David C , Murtagh Fliss EM , Boland Elaine , Obita George , Nelson Annmarie , Seddon Kathy , Oliver Alfred , Noble Simon , Boland Jason
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Studies regarding the management of malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) report conflicting findings. This is partly due to different outcome measures being used to evaluate severity of MBO and the response to treatments. Furthermore, current outcome measures focus mainly on measurable physiological parameters which may not correlate strongly with patient-defined quality of life. The development of core outcome sets allows a consistent approach to evaluating clinical conditions taking into consideration patient, healthcare professional and researcher viewpoints. It follows an internationally recognised standard methodology. We present a protocol for the development of a core outcome set for Research and Assessment of MBO (RAMBO).

Methods

RAMBO is a multicentre study, comprising of four phases: a systematic review to examine current scope of outcome measures associated with MBO (phase I). Interviews with patients, companions and healthcare professionals will explore priorities and preferences for care and outcomes (phase II). An expert panel meeting will collate the findings into a set of outcomes (phase III), refined by consensus through a Delphi survey with key stakeholders (phase IV). The final set of outcomes will be ratified at a consensus meeting. Each step will actively include patient partners. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics will be used to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, respectively.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained (Wales REC 5, REF: 19/LO/1876). Study participants and relevant stakeholders will be updated with newsletters and a lay summary at the end of the study. Abstracts will be submitted to national and international conferences, result papers will be submitted to peer-reviewed, open access journals.

Trial and PROSPERO registration numbers

Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (1402); Systematic Literature Review (CRD42019150648); Rapid Review (CRD42020176393).
Biomodex patient-specific brain aneurysm models: the value of simulation for first in-human experiences using new devices and robotics
Authors: Yamaki Vitor Nagai , Cancelliere Nicole Mariantonia , Nicholson Patrick , Rodrigues Marta , Radovanovic Ivan , Sungur John-Michael , Krings Timo , Pereira Vitor M
Published: June 2020

Background

With the recent advent of advanced technologies in the field, treatment of neurovascular diseases using endovascular techniques is rapidly evolving. Here we describe our experience with pre-surgical simulation using the Biomodex EVIAS patient-specific 3D-printed models to plan aneurysm treatment using endovascular robotics and novel flow diverter devices.

Methods

Pre-procedural rehearsals with 3D-printed patient-specific models of eight cases harboring brain aneurysms were performed before the first in-human experiences. To assess the reliability of the experimental model, the characteristics of the aneurysms were compared between the patient and 3D models. The rehearsals were used to define the patient treatment plan, including technique, device sizing, and operative working projections.

Results

The study included eight patients with their respective EVIAS 3D aneurysm models. Pre-operative simulation was performed for the first in-human robotic-assisted neurovascular interventions (n=2) and new generation flow-diverter stents (n=6). Aneurysms were located in both the anterior (n=5) and posterior (n=3) circulation and were on average 11.0±6.5 mm in size. We found reliable reproduction of the aneurysm features and similar dimensions of the parent vessel anatomy between the 3D models and patient anatomy. Information learned from pre-surgical in vitro simulation are described in detail, including an improved patient treatment plan, which contributed to successful first in-world procedures with no intraprocedural complications.

Conclusions

Pre-procedural rehearsal using patient-specific 3D models provides precise procedure planning, which can potentially lead to greater operator confidence, decreased radiation dose and improvements in patient safety, particularly in first in-human experiences.
The Standard Model particle content with complete gauge symmetries from the minimal ideals of two Clifford algebras
Authors: Gresnigt Niels G.
Published: June 2020

Building upon previous works, it is shown that two minimal left ideals of the complex Clifford algebra $$\mathbb {C}\ell (6)$$Cℓ(6) and two minimal right ideals of $$\mathbb {C}\ell (4)$$Cℓ(4) transform as one generation of leptons and quarks under the gauge symmetry $$SU(3)_C\times U(1)_{EM}$$SU(3)C×U(1)EM and $$SU(2)_L$$SU(2)L respectively. The $$SU(2)_L$$SU(2)L weak symmetries are naturally chiral. Combining the $$\mathbb {C}\ell (6)$$Cℓ(6) and $$\mathbb {C}\ell (4)$$Cℓ(4) ideals, all the gauge symmetries of the Standard Model, together with its lepton and quark content for a single generation are represented. The combined ideals can be written as minimal left ideals of $$\mathbb {C}\ell (6)\otimes \mathbb {C}\ell (4)\cong \mathbb {C}\ell (10)$$Cℓ(6)⊗Cℓ(4)≅Cℓ(10) in a way that preserves individually the $$\mathbb {C}\ell (6)$$Cℓ(6) structure and $$\mathbb {C}\ell (4)$$Cℓ(4) structure of physical states. This resulting model captures many of the attractive features of the Georgi and Glashow SU(5) Grand Unified Theory without introducing proton decay or other unobserved processes. Such processes are naturally excluded because they do not preserve the underlying algebraic structure.
Low energy pion–$$\Lambda _b$$ interaction
Authors: Nogueira-Santos M. G. L. , Barros C. C.
Published: June 2020

The low energy pion–$$\Lambda _b$$Λb interaction is study in this work, considering effective chiral Lagrangians that include pions, baryons and the corresponding resonances. Interactions mediated by a $$\sigma $$σ meson exchange are also considered. The scattering amplitudes are calculated and then we determine the angular distributions and polarizations.
The KO-valued spectral flow for skew-adjoint Fredholm operators
Authors: Bourne Chris , Carey Alan L. , Lesch Matthias , Rennie Adam
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we give a comprehensive treatment of a “Clifford module flow” along paths in the skew-adjoint Fredholm operators on a real Hilbert space that takes values in [Formula: see text] via the Clifford index of Atiyah–Bott–Shapiro. We develop its properties for both bounded and unbounded skew-adjoint operators including an axiomatic characterization. Our constructions and approach are motivated by the principle that [Formula: see text] That is, we show how the [Formula: see text]-valued spectral flow relates to a [Formula: see text]-valued index by proving a Robbin–Salamon type result. The Kasparov product is also used to establish a [Formula: see text] result at the level of bivariant [Formula: see text]-theory. We explain how our results incorporate previous applications of [Formula: see text]-valued spectral flow in the study of topological phases of matter.
Utility-Driven Mining of Trend Information for Intelligent System
Authors: Gan Wensheng , Lin Jerry Chun-Wei , Chao Han-Chieh , Fournier-Viger Philippe , Wang Xuan , Yu Philip S.
Published: June 2020

Useful knowledge, embedded in a database, is likely to change over time. Identifying the recent changes in temporal data can provide valuable up-to-date information to decision makers. Nevertheless, techniques for mining high-utility patterns (HUPs) seldom consider recency as a criterion to discover patterns. Thus, the traditional utility mining framework is inadequate for obtaining up-to-date insights about real-world data. In this article, we address this issue by introducing a novel framework, named utility-driven mining of recent/trend high-utility patterns (RUPs), in temporal databases for intelligent systems, based on user-specified minimum recency and minimum utility thresholds. The utility-driven RUP algorithm is based on novel global and conditional downward closure properties, and a recency-utility tree. Moreover, it adopts a vertical compact recency-utility list structure to store the information required by the mining process. The developed RUP algorithm recursively discovers recent high-utility patterns. It is also fast and consumes a small amount of memory due to its pattern discovery approach that does not generate candidates. Two improved versions of the algorithm with additional pruning strategies are also designed to speed up the discovery of patterns by reducing the search space. Results of a substantial experimental evaluation show that the proposed algorithm can efficiently identify all recent HUPs in large-scale databases, and that the improved algorithm performs best.
Reabsorption of bile acids regulated by FXR-OATP1A2 is the main factor for the formation of cholesterol gallstone
Authors: Cai Jingli , Wang Zhaowen , Chen Guiming , Li Dapeng , Liu Jun , Hu Hai , Qin Jian
Published: June 2020

For the first time, our results indicate that the axis of farnesoid X receptor-organic anion transporter polypeptide 1A2 that physiologically regulates the reabsorption of bile acids might play an important role in the regulation of the composition of bile acids and make contribution to the development of cholelithiasis.
Application of Big Data Fusion Based on Cloud Storage in Green Transportation: An Application of Healthcare
Authors: Hu Li Qin , Yadav Amit , Khan Asif , Liu Hong , Haq Amin Ul
Published: June 2020

In the 21st century, transportation brought great convenience to people, but at the same time, automobile transportation is the major factor causing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Movements of the world towards green environments, there is hike in use and production of electric vehicles (energy vehicles). However, with the continuous growth in the number of energy vehicles, it is necessary for the government to provide strong support in the construction of charging piles. Real-time and effective management has become a practical problem for the relevant departments which needs to be solved. This paper uses the information research method to fuse the huge amount of heterogeneous data generated by the charging pile resultant to the new energy electric vehicle in the vehicle network and introduces cloud computing as its storage module to facilitate the storage and related expansion of the big data. This paper proposes a system scheme of heterogeneous data fusion based on cloud computing for the acquisition, storage, and fusion of heterogeneous data in the vehicle network. After testing the results, it shows that the system is stable and effective in practical application, which can meet the design requirements of the system. What is the significance of analyzing big data of charging point? Considering from the supply side, obtaining the user’s charging behaviour data is helpful to build a digital map of the charging pile of new energy vehicles, connect the service information between the vehicle enterprises and the charging pile enterprises, and provide the most comprehensive and effective real-time charging information covering the widest range of vehicles, which can solve many problems of information asymmetry in the current charging information service.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Provincial Dwellers on Prevention and Control of Schistosomiasis: Evidence from a Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in the Gambia
Authors: Barrow Amadou , Badjie Mansour , Touray Jainaba , Kinteh Bakary , Nget Musa , Touray Ebrima , Kinteh Sambou L. S. , Sillah Saikou Omar , Darboe Lamin , Jallow Yunusa , Badjan Modou , Gaye Modou , Jatta Solomon P. S.
Published: June 2020

Background. Socioeconomically disadvantaged and neglected communities were found to be the most affected groups for schistosomiasis as a result of inadequate safe water and sanitation facilities. In order to inform policies and practices, the present study examined the influence of sociodemographic factors and attitudes on the knowledge and practice in the prevention and control of schistosomiasis in eighteen endemic rural communities in the Gambia. Methods. In January 2019, a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in which 383 household heads in rural communities across Kuntaur and Janjanbureh Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Central River Region were recruited. A structured interview questionnaire was developed to elicit information regarding residents’ knowledge, attitude, and practice on schistosomiasis prevention and control measures. Percentages, chi-square test, and binary and multiple logistic regression models were used to identify sociodemographic factors associated with the KAP variables. The significance level was set at p<0.05. Results. Among the 383 participants, only 14.9% had good knowledge, while 54.3% had poor knowledge, 96.9% had positive attitude, and 57.7% had good practice towards prevention and control of schistosomiasis. Older age (≥40 years), compared with residents aged 30–39 years (AOR = 0.331; 95% CI: 0.133, 0.825); ever heard of bilharziasis (AOR = 11.911; 95% CI: 3.452, 41.099); and risks of contact with the polluted river (AOR = 0.101; 95% CI: 0.042, 0.242) were more likely to have good knowledge on schistosomiasis prevention and control in the rural Gambia. Conversely, young people (≤30 years), compared with residents aged ≥40 years (AOR = 2.503; 95% CI = 1.539, 4.071); residents aged 30–39 years (AOR = 2.880; 95% CI = 1.559, 5.320); and male residents (AOR = 2.631; 95% CI = 1.703, 4.067) were more likely to have good practice towards schistosomiasis prevention and control in the rural Gambia. Conclusion. Despite the low knowledge, rural dwellers’ attitudes were found to be positive with slightly good practice towards schistosomiasis prevention and control measures. Thus, while maintaining health system improvement strategies, disease control efforts should focus on these factors as they may influence the knowledge and practices of rural dwellers in a given setting. The findings could prompt appropriate policy responses towards improving the knowledge and practices on schistosomiasis prevention and control in the Gambia.
Research Progress on Slit/Robo Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer: Emerging and Promising
Authors: Ding Cheng , Li Yatong , Xing Cheng , Zhang Hanyu , Wang Shunda , Dai Menghua
Published: June 2020

Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant digestive system tumor which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The basic and clinical research of pancreatic cancer has made great progress in recent years, and kinds of signaling pathways have been found in the tumorigenesis and progression in pancreatic cancer. The Slit glycoprotein (Slit) and Roundabout receptor (Robo) signaling pathway acts as a neural targeting factor with the axonal remnant, axon guidance, and inhibition of neuronal migration in the nervous system. In recent years, it has been found that the Slit/Robo signaling pathway has different degrees of expression changes in various tumor cells. In different tumor cells, the signaling pathway gene expression is different and regulates tumor angiogenesis, cell invasion, metastasis, and nerve infiltration. Herein, we summarize the mechanisms of the Slit/Robo pathway in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer, in order to have more understanding of the role of Slit/Robo in pancreatic cancer.
The Association between Serum Uric Acid and Bone Mineral Density in Older Adults
Authors: Yao Xiaocong , Chen Lin , Xu Huihui , Zhu Zhongxin
Published: June 2020

Objectives. Uric acid has been found to be potentially protective in bone metabolism. We investigated the relationship between serum uric acid (sUA) and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) among 4156 participants aged 60 years and over from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods. To estimate the association between sUA and lumbar BMD, multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Fitted smoothing curves and generalized additive models were also performed. Results. We found sUA positively correlated with lumbar BMD after adjusting for other confounders. On subgroup analyses, stratified by sex and race/ethnicity, the positive correlation of sUA with lumbar BMD remained in both men and women, as well as in whites and Mexican Americans, but not in blacks. In blacks, the association of sUA with lumbar BMD was an inverted U-shaped curve (inflection point: 7.5 mg/dL). Conclusions. Our study revealed a positive relationship between sUA and lumbar BMD among most old adults. This association followed an inverted U-shaped curve among blacks.
Algebraic Properties of Parikh Matrices of Binary Picture Arrays
Authors: Bera Somnath , Sriram Sastha , Nagar Atulya K. , Pan Linqiang , Subramanian K. G.
Published: June 2020

A word is a finite sequence of symbols. Parikh matrix of a word is an upper triangular matrix with ones in the main diagonal and nonnegative integers above the main diagonal which are counts of certain scattered subwords in the word. On the other hand, a picture array, which is a rectangular arrangement of symbols, is an extension of the notion of a word to two dimensions. Parikh matrices associated with a picture array have been introduced, and their properties have been studied. Here, we obtain certain algebraic properties of Parikh matrices of binary picture arrays based on the notions of power, fairness, and a restricted shuffle operator extending the corresponding notions studied in the case of words. We also obtain properties of Parikh matrices of arrays formed by certain geometric operations.
Meningiomas: An Overview of the Landscape of Copy Number Alterations in Samples from an Admixed Population
Authors: Silveira Michele Amaral da , Ferreira Wallax Augusto Silva , Amorim Carolina Koury Nassar , Brito José Reginaldo Nascimento , Kayath André Salim , Sagica Fernanda do Espirito Santo , de Oliveira Edivaldo Herculano Corrêa
Published: June 2020

Meningiomas are considered the most common intracranial tumors, affecting mainly women. Studies in mixed populations can be of great importance to clarify issues related to the genetic diversity of tumors and their development. Considering that data obtained from analyses of the profile of copy number alterations (CNA) have been a useful diagnostic indicator for many types of tumors and that meningiomas show a complex pattern of gains and losses in the number of copies, our objective was to analyze the CNA profile in 33 samples of meningiomas of different histological grades (WHO Grade I-III) from patients in a city located in the Amazon region of Brazil, using aCGH. We found that the female to male ratio was 3 : 1. The aCGH analysis revealed a total of 2304 CNA, with an average of 69.8 ± 57.4 per case, of which 1197 were gains (52%), 926 were losses (40.2%), 105 were amplifications (4. 5%), and 76 were deletions (3.3%). A significant relationship was observed between the type of CNA and the degree of the tumor (chi-square test: χ2 = 65,844; p<0.0001; contingency coefficient: C = 0.1772; p<0.0001). Evaluating the recurrent changes in at least 50% of the samples, we observe as the most frequent losses of the segments 22q13.1-q13.2 (82%), 1p35.3 (76%), and 14q13.1-q13.2 (67%), involving all histopathological grades. The analysis of these regions showed the inclusion of genes with functions such as regulation, maintenance of cell survival, reorganization of the cytoskeleton, cell signaling, and DNA repair, among others. However, overall, the profiles observed in meningiomas of this admixed population were very similar to the ones observed in Caucasian groups. An interesting finding was a recurrent gain of 8p22 observed only in grade I meningiomas, a region which includes DLC1, a suppressor candidate gene probably implicated in the developments or progression of meningiomas, usually found deleted, when related to CNAs.
Interfacial and Micellization Behavior of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) in Water and Methanol-Water Mixture at 298.15 to 323.15 K
Authors: Shah Sujit Kumar , Bhattarai Ajaya
Published: June 2020

The micellization behavior of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in water , 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 volume fractions of methanol at 298.15, 308.15, 318.15, and 323.15 K were investigated by surface tension measurements. The effect of methanol on values of critical micelle concentration (cmc), free energies of micellization ΔGmo, and surface properties viz. maximum surface excess concentration Γmax, area occupied by per surfactant molecule Amin, surface pressure πcmc, solution surface tension γcmc, solvent surface tension (γo), free energies of adsorption ΔGadso, the efficiency of adsorption (pC20), effective Gibbs free energy ΔGeffo, and free energy of surface at equilibrium (Gmin) were investigated using surface tension values. Other parameters such as the packing parameter (P), aggregation number (N), concentration of surfactant in the bulk phase (C20), relation between Amin and πcmc, and correlation of slopes dγ/d log C, γo/γcmc, Γ/Γmax, cmc/C20, ΔGadso/ΔGmo, and cmc/pC20 with the volume fraction of methanol are calculated and discussed in the light of the experiment done.
Data-Driven Decision-Support System for Speaker Identification Using E-Vector System
Authors: Ma He , Zuo Yi , Li Tieshan , Chen C. L. Philip
Published: June 2020

Recently, biometric authorizations using fingerprint, voiceprint, and facial features have garnered considerable attention from the public with the development of recognition techniques and popularization of the smartphone. Among such biometrics, voiceprint has a personal identity as high as that of fingerprint and also uses a noncontact mode to recognize similar faces. Speech signal-processing is one of the keys to accuracy in voice recognition. Most voice-identification systems still employ the mel-scale frequency cepstrum coefficient (MFCC) as the key vocal feature. The quality and accuracy of the MFCC are dependent on the prepared phrase, which belongs to text-dependent speaker identification. In contrast, several new features, such as d-vector, provide a black-box process in vocal feature learning. To address these aspects, a novel data-driven approach for vocal feature extraction based on a decision-support system (DSS) is proposed in this study. Each speech signal can be transformed into a vector representing the vocal features using this DSS. The establishment of this DSS involves three steps: (i) voice data preprocessing, (ii) hierarchical cluster analysis for the inverse discrete cosine transform cepstrum coefficient, and (iii) learning the E-vector through minimization of the Euclidean metric. We compare experiments to verify the E-vectors extracted by this DSS with other vocal features measures and apply them to both text-dependent and text-independent datasets. In the experiments containing one utterance of each speaker, the average accuracy of the E-vector is improved by approximately 1.5% over the MFCC. In the experiments containing multiple utterances of each speaker, the average micro-F1 score of the E-vector is also improved by approximately 2.1% over the MFCC. The results of the E-vector show remarkable advantages when applied to both the Texas Instruments/Massachusetts Institute of Technology corpus and LibriSpeech corpus. These improvements of the E-vector contribute to the capabilities of speaker identification and also enhance its usability for more real-world identification tasks.
Qingjie Fuzheng Granule Inhibited the Migration and Invasion of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Regulating the lncRNA ANRIL/let‐7a/TGF‐β1/Smad Axis
Authors: Zhang Ling , Liu Jianxin , Lin Shan , Tan Jingzhuang , Huang Bin , Lin Jiumao
Published: June 2020

Qingjie Fuzheng granule (QFG) promotes cancer cell apoptosis and ameliorates intestinal mucosal damage caused by 5‐fluorouracil. However, the antitumor role of QFG in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression remains unclear. In this study, the growth of HCT‐8 and HCT116 cells incubated with various concentrations of QFG for 24 and 48 h was evaluated using MTT assays; their abilities of migration and invasion were investigated through wound healing and Transwell assays. The expression of lncRNA ANRIL, let‐7a, and the TGF‐β1/Smad signaling pathway components was assessed using real‐time PCR and western blotting. The results elicited that QFG significantly suppressed the growth of HCT‐8 and HCT116 cells; the half‐maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of QFG for HCT‐8 and HCT116 cells for 48 h were 1.849 and 1.608 mg/mL, respectively. The abilities of wound healing, migration, and invasion of HCT‐8 and HCT116 cells were dose‐dependently decreased by QFG treatment for 24 h, respectively. QFG decreased the expression of lncRNA ANRIL, TGF‐β1, phosphorylated (p)‐Smad2/3, Smad4, and N‐cadherin and upregulated the expression of let‐7a in HCT‐8 and HCT116 cells. Collectively, our data demonstrated that QFG inhibited the metastasis of CRC cells by regulating the lncRNA ANRIL/let‐7a/TGF‐β1/Smad axis, indicating that they might serve as an adjunctive medicine for CRC treatment.
Finite-Time Attitude Control for Quadrotor with Input Constraints and Disturbances
Authors: Gao Zijun , Wang Jin , Tian Yaping
Published: June 2020

This paper investigates the adaptive output feedback attitude control of a quadrotor. First, a nonsingular terminal sliding-mode variable and auxiliary variable are introduced into a closed-loop structure. Meanwhile, a fuzzy logic system is incorporated into an adaptive algorithm to compensate for the adverse influence caused by lumped disturbances including system uncertainty and external disturbances on the attitude adjustment performance of a quadrotor. Then, a novel finite-time output feedback controller equipped with the saturation suppression algorithm is designed. Rigorous proof shows that the design control strategy ensures the closed-loop system stability and guarantees the attitude of the spacecraft to track desired command signals in finite time. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed control scheme.
Numerical Investigation of Water Film Evaporation with the Countercurrent Air in the Asymmetric Heating Rectangular Channel for Passive Containment Cooling System
Authors: Du Kashuai , Hu Po , Hu Zhen
Published: June 2020

Passive containment cooling system (PCCS) is an important passive safety facility in the large advanced pressurized water reactor. Using the physical laws, such as gravity and buoyancy, the water film/air countercurrent flow is formed in the external annular channel to keep inside temperature and pressure below the maximum design values. Due to the large curvature radius of the annular channel, one of the short arc segments is taken out, as a rectangular channel, to analyze the main water film evaporation heat transfer characteristics. Two numerical methods are used to predict the water film evaporative mass flow rate during the heat transfer process in the large-scale rectangular channel with asymmetric heating when the water film temperature is not saturated. At the same time, these numerical simulation results are validated by the experiment which is set up to study water film/air countercurrent flow heat transfer on a vertical back heating plate with 5 m in length and 1.2 m in width. It is shown that the maximum deviation between numerical simulation and experiment is 30%. In addition, the influences on these parameters, such as heat flux, evaporative mass flow rate, and water film thickness, are evaluated under the different tilted angles of the rectangular channel and horizontal plane, water/air inlet flow rates, water/air inlet temperatures, heating surface temperatures, and air inlet relative humidities. All these results can provide a good guidance for the design of PCCS in the future.
Kaempferol Addition Increases the Antimalarial Activity of Artesunate in Experimental Mice
Authors: Ounjaijean Sakaewan , Benjasak Nattida , Sae-lao Suchanan , Somsak Voravuth
Published: June 2020

Kaempferol (KMF) is a member of flavonol widely found in tea, broccoli, apples, strawberries, and beans. It has been demonstrated to present several pharmacological properties with potent antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Hence, the search for a safe and new antimalarial compound with combinations to delay the development of resistance was the aim of this study. Thus, the therapeutic effect of the combination of KMF and artesunate (ART) in P. berghei-infected mice was evaluated. Combination of KMF and ART in P. berghei ANKA- (PbANKA-) infected ICR mice in a fixed-ratio combination (1 : 1) and fractions of their median effective dose (ED50) was also investigated using the standard 4-day suppressive test. The ED50 levels of KMF and ART in mice infected with PbANKA were 20.06 ± 2.65 and 6.06 ± 1.33 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, KMF showed promising synergistic combination with ART at the doses of their ED50 and fixed-ratio combination (1 : 1) of their ED50 of 1/2 with combination index (CI) values of 0.86 and 0.47, respectively. Additionally, KMF, ART, and its combination at the doses of their ED50 and fixed-ratio combination (1 : 1) of their ED50 of 1/2 also presented significantly (P<0.001) prolonged mean survival time (MST). The findings of this study showed that a combination of KMF and ART enhanced the antimalarial activity of ART and prolonged MST. This study supports the basis for the selection of KMF as a prospective compound for further consideration as a partner drug for ART.
Continuous Hemofiltration Reduces Mortality in Severe Acute Pancreatitis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Guo Yulin , Cao Feng , Li Chen , Yang Huaxia , Xia Shaoyou , Li Fei
Published: June 2020

Background. Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a deadly condition, with a mortality rate ranging from 15% to 30%. Recently, blood purification therapy has been adopted in administrating SAP patients. The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of continuous hemofiltration therapy for SAP. Methods. A systematic search of Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase was carried out until October 1st, 2019. Prospective studies comparing outcomes for SAP patients between continuous hemofiltration and standard therapy were enrolled. Results. Continuous hemofiltration therapy was associated with lower level of PACHE II score (MD = −1.49; 95% CI: −2.69 to −0.29, P=0.02), CRP (MD = −1.56 mg/L; 95% CI: −2.64 to −0.47, P=0.005), Cr (MD = −3.57 umol/L; 95% CI: −5.50 to −1.65, P=0.003), and Bun (MD = −3.63 mmol/L; 95% CI: −6.07 to −1.20, P=0.003) at 72 h after onset of treatment. Continuous hemofiltration therapy was associated with shorter length of abdominal pain relief time (MD = −1.82 hours; 95% CI: −2.93 to −0.71, P=0.001), lower surgery rate (OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.78, P=0.02), and mortality rate (OR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.77, P=0.0007). Conclusions. continuous hemofiltration therapy could effectively alleviate SAP as early as 72 hours after onset of treatment, lowering the level of Bun, Cr, CRP, and APACHE II scores. Continuous hemofiltration therapy could confer SAP patients with lower mortality rates.
Pressure Control of High-Pressure Oil Pipe
Authors: Qu Wenrui , Liu Lei , Zhao Qun
Published: June 2020

In this paper, to realize the pressure stability control of high-pressure oil pipe, the dynamic differential equation of fuel oil inlet and outlet is established based on the theory of mass conservation. According to the change of the pressure in the high-pressure tubing, an optimization model is established to achieve precise control of the working time of each part of the high-pressure oil pipe.
The Potential of Virtual Reality for Inducing Neuroplasticity in Children with Amblyopia
Authors: Coco-Martin María B. , Piñero David P. , Leal-Vega Luis , Hernández-Rodríguez Carlos J. , Adiego Joaquin , Molina-Martín Ainhoa , de Fez Dolores , Arenillas Juan F.
Published: June 2020

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a new safe and effective tool for neurorehabilitation of different childhood and adulthood conditions. VR-based therapies can induce cortical reorganization and promote the activation of different neuronal connections over a wide range of ages, leading to contrasted improvements in motor and functional skills. The use of VR for the visual rehabilitation in amblyopia has been investigated in the last years, with the potential of using serious games combining perceptual learning and dichoptic stimulation. This combination of technologies allows the clinician to measure, treat, and control changes in interocular suppression, which is one of the factors leading to cortical alterations in amblyopia. Several clinical researches on this issue have been conducted, showing the potential of promoting visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and stereopsis improvement. Indeed, several systems have been evaluated for amblyopia treatment including the use of different commercially available types of head mounted displays (HMDs). These HMDs are mostly well tolerated by patients during short exposures and do not cause significant long-term side effects, although their use has been occasionally associated with some visual discomfort and other complications in certain types of subjects. More studies are needed to confirm these promising therapies in controlled randomized clinical trials, with special emphasis on the definition of the most adequate planning for obtaining an effective recovery of the visual and binocular function.