bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Improved Building Reconstruction Algorithm Based on Manhattan World Assumption and Line-Restricted Hypothetical Plane Fitting
Authors: Zhang Xiaoguo , Wang Guo , Gao Ye , Wang Huiqing , Wang Qing
Published: September 2020

An improved patch-based multiview stereo (PMVS) algorithm based on Manhattan world assumption and the line-restricted hypothetical plane fitting method according to buildings’ spatial characteristics is proposed. Different from the original PMVS algorithm, our approach generates seed points purely from 3D line segments instead of using those feature points. First, 3D line segments are extracted using the existing Line3D++ algorithm, and the 3D line segment clustering criterion of buildings is established based on Manhattan world assumption. Next, by using the normal direction obtained using the result of 3D line segment clustering, we propose a multihypothetical plane fitting algorithm based on the mean shift method. Then, through subdividing on the triangle mesh constructed based on the building hypothetical plane model, semidense point cloud can be quickly obtained, and it is used as seed points of the PMVS pipeline instead of the sparse and noisy seed points generated by PMVS itself. After that, dense point cloud can be obtained through the existing PMVS expansion pipeline. Finally, unit and integration experiments are designed; the test results show that the proposed algorithm is 15%∼23% faster than the original PMWS in running time, and at the same time, the reconstruction quality of buildings is improved as well by successfully removing many noise points in the buildings.
Role of TET1 and 5hmC in an Obesity-Linked Pathway Driving Cancer Stem Cells in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Bao Bin , Teslow Emily A. , Mitrea Cristina , Boerner Julie L. , Dyson Greg , Bollig-Fischer Aliccia
Published: September 2020

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer that lacks expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and the HER2 but is enriched with cancer stem cell–like cells (CSC). CSCs are the fraction of cancer cells recognized as the source of primary malignant tumors that also give rise to metastatic recurrence. 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is a DNA epigenetic feature derived from 5-methylcytosine by action of tet methylcytosine dioxygenase enzymes (e.g., TET1); and although TET1 and 5hmC are required to maintain embryonic stem cells, the mechanism and role in CSCs remain unknown. Data presented in this report support the conclusion that TET1 and TET1-dependent 5hmC mediate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)–dependent activation of a novel gene expression cascade driving self-renewal and expansion of CSCs in TNBC. Evidence presented also supports that the H2O2 affecting this pathway arises due to endogenous mechanisms—including downregulation of antioxidant enzyme catalase in TNBC cells—and by exogenous routes, such as systemic inflammation and oxidative stress coupled with obesity, a known risk factor for TNBC incidence and recurrence.

Implications:

This study elucidates a pathway dependent on H2O2 and linked to obesity-driven TNBC tumor-initiating CSCs; thus, it provides new understanding that may advance TNBC prevention and treatment strategies.
Erosive Tooth Wear and Erosive Esophagitis in Children: An Observational Study in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Authors: Sari Quoos Amanda Rodrigues , Noal Fernanda Coradini , Assunção Cristiane Meira , Rodrigues Jonas A. , da Silva Carolina Soares , Epifânio Matias , Casagrande Luciano , Ferreira Cristina Targa , de Araújo Fernando Borba
Published: September 2020

The aim of this study was to establish and compare the prevalence and severity of erosive tooth wear (ETW) in children with and without erosive esophagitis. Children aged 5–12 years, scheduled for upper digestive endoscopy at the Pediatric Gastroenterology Service of the Children’s Hospital Santo Antonio, Porto Alegre, Brazil, were eligible to participate in this study. Patients who presented erosive esophagitis at endoscopy were defined as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) carriers, and the severity was described according to the Los Angeles classification. The oral cavity examination was performed by a trained and calibrated dentist and ETW was classified using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) index. Parents/guardians answered a questionnaire about the patients’ diets and frequency of consumption of acidic foods and beverages. A total of 110 children were included in the study. Erosive esophagitis was observed in 24 patients (21.8%) and all of them (100%) presented ETW, showing a statistically significant association between these 2 conditions (p < 0.05). Among children who did not present with erosive esophagitis (n = 86), 54 (64.3%) had an ETW risk level of none according to their BEWE scores (0–2). The results of this study showed a statistically significant association between erosive esophagitis and ETW, thus it can be concluded that it is important to recognize groups at risk of ETW and act together with medical professionals to ensure adequate oral health for these patients.
A Case of Ring Chromosome 18 with Single Umbilical Artery Detected During Prenatal Period
Authors: Eras Nazan
Published: September 2020

Fetuses with a single umbilical artery have a risk of increased chromosomal anomalies and congenital malformations. Ring chromosomes are rare and the phenotypic and clinical characteristics of affected individuals show great variability depending on the quantity of the lost critical genes or gains during the formation of the ring or due to mitotic instability. Ring chromosome 18 [r(18)] is characterized by short stature, craniofacial dysmorphism, mental and motor retardation, autoimmune disorders, extremity anomalies, dermal lesions, structural heart malformations, and kidney abnormalities. In this study, the clinical findings of a female patient who had a single umbilical artery in the prenatal period and was diagnosed as de novo r(18) by molecular karyotype analysis were compared with those in the literature. A detailed ultrasonographic examination of the fetus with a single umbilical artery may enable the detection of additional anomalies and thus the early diagnosis of chromosomal anomalies may be possible with prenatal genetic analysis.
The Positive Rate of Pulmonary Embolism by CT Pulmonary Angiography Is High in an Emergency Department, Even in Low-Risk or Young Patients
Authors: Al-Zaher Nizam , Vitali Francesco , Neurath Markus F. , Goertz Ruediger S.
Published: September 2020

Objective: The clinical presentation of pulmonary embolism (PE) can be various and misleading. We analyzed patients with suspicion of PE and subsequently performed computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in an emergency department of Internal Medicine, focusing on patient groups in which PE might be underestimated in the emergency setting, such as young patients and patients with low clinical probability. Material and Methods: In 2016 and 2017, all patients receiving a CTPA for investigation of PE were retrospectively evaluated for clinical parameters (age, symptoms, and vital parameters) and D-dimers. The Wells score was calculated. Results: CTPA was performed in 323 patients (158 female and 165 male; mean age 62 years). The leading symptoms for admission were dyspnea or chest pain; 62% showed intermediate or high risk for PE, calculated by applying the Wells score. In 123 (38%) of all patients, a PE was proved and pathologic age-adjusted D-dimers were found in 97.6%. Thirty of 121 (25%) patients with low risk according to Wells score had a PE. Deep vein thrombosis was verified in 67/123 (55%) patients; 43% (15/35) of all suspicions for PE in patients <40 years were positive with 4/15 (26%), showing a central PE. Younger patients (<40 years) with PE presented more often with tachycardia or tachypnea and chest pain or dyspnea than elderly patients with PE. Conclusion: CTPA frequently proves a PE in patients with suspicion of PE in an emergency department of Internal Medicine. If PE is suspected and CTPA performed accordingly, the presence of PE is quite common even in low-risk patient groups (Wells score) or in young patients <40 years with chest pain or dyspnea.
Ellen Richards e as "Ciências Domésticas"
Authors: Amaral Junior José Carlos Do , Santos Alves Ana Elizabeth
Published: September 2020

Esse artigo pretendeu demonstrar como, longe de demarcar especificamente o surgimento da Economia Doméstica, a proposta de Ellen Richards e de suas companheiras indicou uma tentativa radical de dar status científico à área, aproximando-a da eugenia e promovendo uma reconceituação conservadora no sentido de cientificar os saberes e fazeres do mundo doméstico. Dessa forma, analisando especificamente os elementos de duas das mais importantes obras da autora, “The Cost Of Shelter” (1905) e “Euthenics” (1912), foi possível perceber como a proposta formulada pelas pioneiras do Lake Placid Club buscavam romper com as “artes mecânicas” e se aproximar do método científico das ciências exatas e biológicas, pela via da normatização e higienização dos espaços, sob a égide ideológica da eugenia. Reservadas as pontuais rupturas históricas dessa proposta, o artigo possibilitou perceber como os elementos centrais dessa área permaneceram inalterados por mais de um século, incluindo o modelo de Economia Doméstica implementado no Brasil e cuja extinção no sistema de ensino formal é evento recente.
¿Qué es ser cosmopolita? Pequeña contribución a la historia del concepto
Authors: Suzuki Marcio
Published: September 2020

Partiendo de la lectura de Pierre Hadot, este breve ensayo busca ayudar a entender la idea de cosmopolitismo desde sus fuentes antiguas hasta su reanudación en la modernidad. En él se tentará mostrar cómo Shaftesbury integró la figura del sabio cosmopolita estoico en su filosofía y cómo ella fue importante para la constitución de otras figuras como el extranjero exótico (Montesquieu), el hombre natural (Rousseau) y el critico en Kant – todas ellos resultantes de una misma conceptualización. De la perspectiva del estoicismo shatesburiano se puede entender mejor también el sentido de Bildung en la antropología alemana del siglo XVIII e de crítica en Kant, y como esta está relacionada con el cosmopolitismo de su antropología y de su filosofía de la historia.
Ciências Humanas: O que são, para que servem
Authors: Coggiola Osvaldo
Published: September 2020

As ciências do homem surgem no interior do processo de evolução econômica do capitalismo. A ideia de homem que constitui seu objeto provém da elaboração abstrata do conceito de trabalho em suas dimensões sociais e históricas. A crescente divisão social do trabalho, aliada à valorização das técnicas, conduziu à especialização crescente do trabalho científico que também afetou as ciências humanas. Isso se manifestou como processo de fragmentação do conhecimento que o segmenta profundamente da realidade e de si mesmo. Daí a necessidade de relativizar a divisão das ciências em exatas e humanas e a atualidade de recuperar a dialética materialista como uma perspectiva de unificação dos conhecimentos. Surgida como teoria no bojo da revolução cientifica associada ao desenvolvimento do capitalismo, ela contudo se apresentou como uma nova síntese superadora que, no mesmo momento em que se desenvolvia a fragmentação das ciências, propunha a unidade da ciência em nova base.
Calcific Plaque Modification by Acoustic Shock Waves
Authors: Karimi Galougahi Keyvan , Patel Sanjay , Shlofmitz Richard A. , Maehara Akiko , Kereiakes Dean J. , Hill Jonathan M. , Stone Gregg W. , Ali Ziad A.
Published: September 2020

Constituting a significant proportion of lesions treated with transcatheter interventions in the coronary arteries, moderate-to-severe calcification portends lower procedural success rates, increased periprocedural major adverse events, and unfavorable long-term clinical outcomes compared with noncalcific plaques. Adapted from the lithotripsy technology for treatment of nephrolithiasis, intravascular lithotripsy is a new technique for treatment of severely calcific lesions that uses acoustic shock waves in a balloon-based system to induce fracture in the calcium deposits to facilitate luminal gain and stent expansion. Herein, we summarize the physics and characteristics of the currently available intravascular lithotripsy system (Shockwave Medical, Santa Clara, CA), the clinical data on intravascular lithotripsy use in the coronary arteries, and future directions for adoption of the technique in percutaneous coronary intervention.
Analyzing academic mobility of U.S. professors based on ORCID data and the Carnegie Classification
Authors: Yan Erija , Zhu Yongjun , He Jiangen
Published: September 2020

This paper uses two open science data sources—ORCID and the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (CCIHE)—to identify tenure-track and tenured professors in the United States who have changed academic affiliations. Through a series of data cleaning and processing actions, 5,938 professors met the selection criteria of professorship and mobility. Using ORCID professor profiles and the Carnegie Classification, this paper reveals patterns of academic mobility in the United States from the aspects of institution types, locations, regions, funding mechanisms of institutions, and professors’ genders. We find that professors tended to move to institutions with higher research intensity, such as those with an R1 or R2 designation in the Carnegie Classification. They also tend to move from rural institutions to urban institutions. Additionally, this paper finds that female professors are more likely to move within the same geographic region than male professors and that when they move from a less research-intensive institution to a more research-intensive one, female professors are less likely to retain their rank or attain promotion.
Incorrect authorship assignments and repeated specific epithets: five cases of the use of homographs by Roewer in harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones)

Authors: KURY ADRIANO B.
Published: September 2020

In the context of making a Catalog of World Opiliones accessible online, five vexing cases of incorrect authorship, dating and presumption of misidentification are herein treated, all in the suborder Laniatores. Pachylicus gracilis comb. nov. is proposed for Cerroa gracilis Roewer, 1928.
Grammatical gender and corrections of the nomina of the species of Larifuga Loman, 1898 (Opiliones, Triaenonychidae)

Authors: KURY ADRIANO B. , MENDES AMANDA C.
Published: September 2020

The genus nomen Larifuga Loman, 1898 was originally published without stated grammatical gender. No possible indications of gender are provided by the specific epithets, as all of them are nouns in the genitive. This genus nomen has consistently been treated as feminine in the literature. However, as shown here, it is a masculine classical Latin word. Accordingly, several matches are herein made to comply with Latin grammar and the Code. The nomen Larifuga mantoni Lawrence, 1934 was subject to an unjustified emendation by Staręga as mantonae, and the original form is re-established here. This correction raised another issue concerning previous unjustified emendations of some nomina in Opiliones formed from personal names in the genitive case.
Molecular phylogeny of Diphtherophora de Man, 1880 (Nematoda: Diphtherophoridae), with description of a new species
Authors: GHADERI REZA , HESAR ABAS MOKARAM , KAREGAR AKBAR , PEREIRA TIAGO JOSÉ
Published: September 2020

The poorly-known nematodes of the genus Diphtherophora are soil inhabitants often found in the vicinity of plant roots. In the present study, we characterize a new species belonging to the genus Diphtherophora, named D. eldarica n. sp., from Iran using both morphological and molecular approaches. The new species is characterized by striated cuticle at the anterior end of the body, head offset from the body contour, spear 15–17 µm in length, rod-shaped sperm, overhanging cuticle on the anterior lip of the anus, and a conical tail bent dorsally near the terminus. Diphterophora eldarica n. sp. also lacks ventromedian neck papillae whereas male specimens bear two precloacal ventromedian supplements at the level of the spicules. Additionally, we provide morphological and molecular data for four known Diphtherophora species including D. geraerti, D. caudata, D. perplexans, and D. tenera collected from soils of different plants and localities in Iran. Using the D2–D3 expansion segments of the 28S ribosomal (rRNA) gene including D. eldarica n. sp. and additional known species from Iran, we explore for the first time species relationships in the genus Diphtherophora within a molecular phylogenetic framework. Our results support: 1) the monophyly of the genus Diphtherophora with respect to the outgroup taxa (Tylolaimophorus and representatives of Trichodoridae), 2) the existence of six strongly supported clades within Diphtherophora, and 3) a sister relationship between D. eldarica n. sp. and a clade formed by D. perplexans and Diphtherophora sp. from the USA. Finally, this study emphasizes the diversity of the genus Diphtherophora in Iran.
A new species of the genus Lamellitettigodes (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) from PR China, with taxonomic notes on the genus
Authors: LU YONG-ZHONG , ZHA LING-SHENG
Published: September 2020

Two species of the pygmy grasshopper genus Lamellitettigodes Günther are described: Lamellitettigodes diversifemoris Lu & Zha sp. n. from Hainan, and Lamellitettigodes sagittatus (Bolívar) from Hainan and Yunnan, PR China. Both species are photographed and compared with their allies. Taxonomic changes are proposed: Lamellitettigodes bimaculatus (Zheng) comb. nov. is transferred from Euparatettix bimaculatus Zheng, and Euparatettix tuberifemora Deng, Zheng & Wei syn. nov. is synonymized with Lamellitettigodes sagittatus. Lamellitettigodes and its allied genera, Euparatettix, Paratettix, Hedotettix, Tetrix and Ergatettix are compared with each other, and useful diagnostic characters for them are recommended. An updated species key for Lamellitettigodes is provided.
A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Phallangothelphusa Pretzmann, 1965, from Colombia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae), with a key to the species of the genus
Authors: CAMPOS MARTHA R. , ALEXANDER MOISES
Published: September 2020

A new species of Phallangothelphusa Pretzmann, 1965, is described from the foothills of the Serranía de San Lucas, Antioquia Department, Colombia. The number of the species increases to six: P. dispar (Zimmer, 1912), P. magdalenensis Campos, 1998, P. juansei Campos, 2010, P. martensis Cardona & Campos, 2012, P. tangerina Campos, Lasso & Arias, 2019, and P. zenuorum n. sp. The new species is distinguished from its congeners mainly by the length of the exopod of the third maxilliped and by the morphology of the first and second male gonopods, particularly on the first male gonopod the outline of apex, the shapes of the mesial and lateral processes, and on the second one the shape of the distal endopod. An updated key for the identification of the species of Phallangothelphusa is given.
6. Those Who Remain
Authors: Benn Khadija
Published: September 2020

Khadija Benn is among the few women photographers living in Guyana and choosing to forge an artistic practice. As a geospatial analyst, Benn often journeys across Guyana to remote places where most Guyanese rarely have access. These small villages are central to Benn’s stunning black and white portraits of the elder Amerindian women who call these communities home. However, as she emphatically notes in her portraiture essay, ‘Those Who Remain,’ these are not invisible women. Benn’s adjoining excerpts from her interviews with the Amerindian elders illustrate how essential they are to Guyana’s history and its migration stories. These women, whose dates of birth begin as early as the 1930s, have witnessed Guyana evolve from a colonized British territory, to an independent state, to a nation struggling to carve out its identity on the world stage, to a country now burdened by its citizens departing. They have also been the ones most impacted by serious economic downturns over the past decade where the decline of mining industries, coupled with very little access to education beyond primary school, have left these communities with few or no choices to thrive. These elder Amerindian women are mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers whose descendants have migrated to border countries like Venezuela and Brazil in South America, to North America, and to nearby Caribbean islands. Yet, these women have made the choice to stay. While their children go back and forth between Guyana and their newfound lands, many of these elders have never left Guyana, some have never left the villages they were born in, and some have no desire to leave.
13. A Daughter’s Journey from Indenture to Windrush
Authors: del Pilar Kaladeen Maria
Published: September 2020

Maria del Pilar Kaladeen opens her memoir-essay, ‘A Daughter’s Journey from Indenture to Windrush,’ with the passport portrait page of her father Paul Kaladeen. The black and white portrait is stamped in 1961, the year Paul left British Guiana for the United Kingdom. He would return some forty-five years later with his daughter. The passport photo is a document of agency, of one’s freedom, or lack thereof, to move about the world. The portrait of Kaladeen’s father, taken in a moment of great transition for a young man, is full of possibility and promise. Yet, for many decades after his migration, there was silence about his homeland. Without a sense of her family’s roots to ground her identity in, Kaladeen writes of the racism she endured growing up in the United Kingdom as a daughter of immigrants and the pressures, including from her parents, to shirk her cultural identity and be monolithically ‘British.’ It was Kaladeen’s desire to know the land of her father’s birth that served as the catalyst to end his four-decade estrangement from Guyana. Their intertwined story illustrates the fractures and fissures migration creates in relationships and simultaneously, the sheer willpower required to rebuild a bridge between two lands and between a father and daughter.
Optimization method of fatigue maintenance for cable-beam anchorage zone of suspension bridge
Authors: Tan Hongmei , Zeng Yong , Zhang Qianping
Published: September 2020

The cable-beam anchorage zone is the vital load-bearing component in suspension bridge. For maintenance of such structure, a method of probabilistic optimization was proposed by combining linear elastic fracture mechanics, structural reliability and life cycle cost analysis. In this method, the optimal maintenance time is obtained by determining the relative proportion between the costs under the condition that the structural reliability is higher than the minimum allowable reliability. While, the minimum total maintenance cost is obtained by determining the maintenance interval. Then, an example is presented to verify this method, with the following conclusions: the reliability index is inversely proportional to the failure probability, the change of maintenance cost and failure cost affects the optimal maintenance time, the optimal maintenance time will be ahead of time when consider the risk cost. And finally, when the maintenance time interval is determined, the optimal maintenance cost is affected by the maintenance probability and the failure probability.
Effect of 3D Manipulatives on Students with Visual Impairments Who Are Learning Chemistry Constructs: A Pilot Study
Authors: Smith Derrick W. , Lampley Sandra A. , Dolan Bob , Williams Greg , Schleppenbach David , Blair Morgan
Published: September 2020

Introduction:

The emerging technology of three-dimensional (3D) printing has the potential to provide unique 3D modeling to support specific content in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, particularly chemistry.

Method:

Seventeen ( n = 17) students with visual impairments were provided direct instruction on chemistry atomic orbital content and allowed to use either print or tactile graphics or 3D models in rotating order. Participants were asked specific content questions based upon the atomic orbitals.

Results:

The students were asked two sets of comprehension questions: general and specific. Overall, students’ responses for general questions increased per iteration regardless of which manipulative was used. For specific questions, the students answered more questions correctly when using the 3D model regardless of order. When asked about their perceptions toward the manipulatives, the students preferred the 3D model over print or tactile graphics.

Discussion:

The findings show the potential for 3D printed materials in learning complex STEM content. Although the students preferred the 3D models, they all mentioned that a combination of manipulatives helped them better understand the material.

Implications for practitioners:

Practitioners should consider the use of manipulatives that include 3D printed materials to support STEM education.
Resident Training in Transitioning Youth With Epilepsy Into Adult Care
Authors: Tirol Francis G. , Kumar Anagha
Published: September 2020

Objective:

To appraise the current training of Neurology (N), Pediatric (P), and Med-Peds (MP) residents at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) in providing care to patients with epilepsy who are transitioning from pediatric to adult care.

Methods:

Through an online questionnaire, we surveyed Neurology, Pediatric, and Med-Peds residents to assess their knowledge, confidence, and experience at transitioning youth with epilepsy to adult-oriented health care.

Results:

N, P, and MP residents generally rated their knowledge and confidence at providing transition care to youth with epilepsy to be poor; however, P and MP residents rated higher in limited measures of knowledge and experience.

Conclusion:

Our appraisal of resident training in transitions care for youth with epilepsy has highlighted training elements in our institution that require attention for both adult and pediatric providers, leading to the formulation of an educational intervention that will promote experiential and multimodal approaches in this area.
Feature Selection for Dimension Reduction of Financial Data for Detection of Financial Statement Frauds in Context to Indian Companies
Authors: Gupta Sonika , Mehta Sushil Kumar
Published: September 2020

The financial fraud detection problem involves analysis of the large financial datasets. Financial statement fraud detection process is concentrated on two major aspects: first, identification of the financial variables and ratios, also termed as features. Second, applying the data mining methods to classify the organizations into two broad categories: fraudulent and non-fraudulent organizations. If the input dataset contains large number of irrelevant and correlated features, the computational load of the machine learning technique increases and the effectiveness of the classification outcomes decreases. The feature selection process selects a subset of most significant attributes or variables that can be the representative of original data. This selected subset can help in learning the pattern in data at much less time and with accuracy, in order to produce useful information for decision-making. This article briefly states the methods applied in the prior studies for selecting the features for financial statement fraud detection. This article also presents an approach to feature selection using correlation-based filter selection methods in which feature selection is performed based on ensemble model, and tests the outcome of the approach by applying the mean ratio analysis on financial data of Indian companies.
Burden of migraine among Japanese patients: a cross-sectional National Health and Wellness Survey
Authors: Kikui Shoji , Chen Yirong , Todaka Hiroshi , Asao Keiko , Adachi Kenji , Takeshima Takao
Published: September 2020

Background

Limited studies have measured the burden of migraine in Japan. This study aimed at estimating the disease burden of migraine in Japan and identifying factors associated with the burden using the 2017 National Health and Wellness Survey.

Methods

Migraine patients were defined by ICHD-3 like criteria with ≥4 monthly headache days (MHDs), and non-migraine respondents were selected using 1:4 propensity score matching. Multivariate analyses were conducted to compare Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL), work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI), healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs between the two groups, and to identify factors associated with these outcomes in migraine patients.

Results

In 30,001 respondents, 378 migraine patients were identified. Compared to matched controls (N = 1512), migraine patients had lower physical (45.17 vs. 49.89), mental (42.28 vs. 47.71) and role/social (37.91 vs. 44.19) component summary scores (p < 0.001). Migraine patients had higher absenteeism (6.4% vs. 2.2%), presenteeism (40.2% vs. 22.5%), total work productivity impairment (44.3% vs. 24.5%), total activity impairment (45.0% vs. 23.9%), indirect costs (1,492,520 JPY vs. 808,320 JPY) and more visits to healthcare providers in the past 6 months (7.23 vs. 3.96) (p < 0.001). More MHDs was associated with worse HRQoL, and higher HRU and indirect costs.

Conclusions

Japanese migraine patients experience an incremental burden. This demonstrates the unmet needs among Japanese migraine patients.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Restored microRNA-133a-3p or Depleted PSAT1 Restrains Endothelial Cell Damage-Induced Intracranial Aneurysm Via Suppressing the GSK3β/β-Catenin Pathway
Authors: Jia Qiang , Yan Shixin , Huang Jie , Xu Shixin
Published: September 2020

It is unclear about the functional role of microRNA-133a-3p (miR-133a-3p) in intracranial aneurysm (IA). Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the regulatory role of miR-133a-3p on the regulation of vascular endothelial injury-induced IA through phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1)/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β)/β-catenin signaling pathway. Normal intracranial arteriole tissues and IA tissues were gathered from patients with brain trauma and IA. The expression of miR-133a-3p, PSAT1, GSK3β, and β-catenin in tissues was determined by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. The endothelial cells (ECs) of the human IA were cultured and treated with miR-133a-3p mimic and si-PSAT1 to determine their functions in endothelial cell migration, apoptosis, and proliferation. The expression of miR-133a-3p, PSAT1, GSK3β, β-catenin, Ki-67, CyclinD1, Bax, and Bcl-2 in ECs were tested by RT-qPCR or western blot analysis. Moreover, IA rat model was established to detect the pathological changes and the expression of miR-133a-3p, PSAT1, GSK3β, β-catenin, VEGF, and MMP-9 in IA tissues in vivo. Expression of miR-133a-3p was related to the number and size of IA. MiR-133a-3p expression was deceased and the PSAT1, GSK3β, and β-catenin expression was raised in IA. Restored miR-133a-3p and depleted PSAT1 alleviated the pathological change; reduced PSAT1, GSK3β, and β-catenin expression in IA; suppressed apoptosis and advanced proliferation and migration of IA ECs, as well as reduced VEGF and MMP-9 expression in IA tissues in vivo. Our study suggests that overexpression of miR-133a-3p or downregulation of PSAT1 restrains endothelial cell damage and advances endothelial cell proliferation via inhibiting the GSK3β/β-catenin pathway in IA. MiR-133a-3p might be a potential candidate marker and therapeutic target for IA.
The effects of varicocelectomy on the DNA fragmentation index and other sperm parameters: a meta-analysis
Authors: Birowo Ponco , Rahendra Wijaya J. , Atmoko Widi , Rasyid Nur
Published: September 2020

Background

Varicocele is one of the most common causes of reversible male infertility, and 15% of the varicocele patients with normal semen analysis are diagnosed as infertile. According to the current guidelines, varicocelectomy is indicated based on abnormal sperm parameters and not abnormal DNA fragmentation index (DFI) values. Thus, in this study, we performed a meta-analysis of the effects of varicocelectomy on the DFI and other conventional sperm parameters, and determined whether DFI could be used to indicate varicocelectomy for varicocele patients.

Results

Through an electronic search of the PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, and Cochrane databases, we included 7 prospective studies including a total of 289 patients in this meta-analysis. The results showed that varicocelectomy significantly reduced DNA fragmentation (mean difference: − 6.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: − 10.04, − 3.69; p < 0.00001) and improved sperm concentration (mean difference: 9.59; 95% CI: 7.80, 11.38; p < 0.00001), progressive motility (mean difference: 8.66; 95% CI: 6.96, 10.36; p < 0.00001), and morphology (mean difference: 2.73; 95% CI: 0,65, 4.80; p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Varicocelectomy reduced DNA fragmentation and improved sperm concentration, progressive motility, and morphology. Additionally, the analysis showed that an abnormal DFI measurement should be considered as an indication for varicocelectomy.
Analysis of two mechanisms of telomere maintenance based on the theory of g-Networks and stochastic automata networks
Authors: Lee Kyung Hyun , Kimmel Marek
Published: September 2020

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Background Telomeres, which are composed of repetitive nucleotide sequences at the end of chromosomes, behave as a division clock that measures replicative senescence. Under the normal physiological condition, telomeres shorten with each cell division, and cells use the telomere lengths to sense the number of divisions. Replicative senescence has been shown to occur at approximately 50–70 cell divisions, which is termed the Hayflick’s limit. However, in cancer cells telomere lengths are stabilized, thereby allowing continual cell replication by two known mechanisms: activation of telomerase and Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT). The connections between the two mechanisms are complicated and still poorly understood.

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Results In this research, we propose that two different approaches, G-Networks and Stochastic Automata Networks, which are stochastic models motivated by queueing theory, are useful to identify a set of genes that play an important role in the state of interest and to infer their previously unknown correlation by obtaining both stationary and joint transient distributions of the given system. Our analysis using G-Network detects five statistically significant genes (CEBPA, FOXM1, E2F1, c-MYC, hTERT) with either mechanism, contrasted to normal cells. A new algorithm is introduced to show how the correlation between two genes of interest varies in the transient state according not only to each mechanism but also to each cell condition.

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Conclusions This study expands our existing knowledge of genes associated with mechanisms of telomere maintenance and provides a platform to understand similarities and differences between telomerase and ALT in terms of the correlation between two genes in the system. This is particularly important because telomere dynamics plays a major role in many physiological and disease processes, including hematopoiesis.
Genotyping and plant-derived glycan utilization analysis of Bifidobacterium strains from mother-infant pairs
Authors: Kan Zeyu , Luo Baolong , Cai Jingjing , Zhang Yan , Tian Fengwei , Ni Yongqing
Published: September 2020

Background

Bifidobacteria are important probiotics; some of the beneficial effects of bifidobacteria are achieved by the hydrolysis of glycans in the human gut. However, because the diet of breastfed infants typically lacks plant-derived glycans, in the gut environment of mothers and their breastfed infants, the mother will intake a variety of plant-derived glycans, such as from onions and bananas, through her diet. Under this assumption, we are interested in whether the same species of bifidobacteria isolated from mother-infant pairs present a distinction in their hydrolysis of plant-derived carbohydrates.

Results

Among the 36 Bifidobacterium strains, bifidobacterial carbohydrate utilization showed two trends related to the intestinal environment where the bacteria lived. Compared with infant-type bifidobacterial strains, adult-type bifidobacterial strains preferred to use plant-derived glycans. Of these strains, 10 isolates, 2 Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum (B. pseudocatenulatum), 2 Bifidobacterium pseudolongum (B. pseudolongum), 2 Bifidobacterium bifidum (B. bifidum), 2 Bifidobacterium breve (B. breve), and 2 Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum), were shared between the mother-infant pairs. Moreover, the repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) results illustrated that B. pseudolongum and B. bifidum showed genotypic similarities of 95.3 and 98.2%, respectively. Combined with the carbohydrate fermentation study, these results indicated that the adult-type strains have a stronger ability to use plant-derived glycans than infant-type strains. Our work suggests that bifidobacterial carbohydrate metabolism differences resulted in the selective adaptation to the distinct intestinal environment of an adult or breastfed infant.

Conclusions

The present study revealed that the different gut environments can lead to the differences in the polysaccharide utilization in the same strains of bifidobacterial strains, suggesting a further goal of investigating the exact expression of certain enzymes in response to specific carbon sources.
Predictors of home births among rural women in Ghana: analysis of data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Budu Eugene
Published: September 2020

Background

Home births is one of the factors associated with maternal mortality. This study examined the predictors of home births among rural women in Ghana.

Methods

Data for this study was obtained from the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of Ghana. For the purpose of this study, a sample size of 2,101 women in the rural areas who had given birth within five years prior to the survey and had responses on variables was considered. Data processing, management and analysis were carried out using STATA version 14.0. This study carried out bivariate and multivariate analyses and results were tested at 95% confidence interval. The Adjusted odds ratios were used to present the results and the level of statistical significance was assessed using 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Home births was found to be high among women who resided in the Northern region compared to those in the Western region [AOR, 1.81 CI = 1.10–2.98]. Similarly, the likelihood of home birth was high among women with four or more births [AOR, 1.46 CI = 1.03–2.05] and Traditionalists [AOR, 2.50 CI = 1.54–4.06]. Conversely, giving birth at home was low among women with higher level of education [AOR = 0.58, CI = 0.43–0.78], those with rich wealth status [AOR = 0.19, CI = 0.10–0.38], those with four or more ANC visits [AOR = 0.11, CI = 0.15–0.23] and those who were covered by NHIS [AOR = 0.58, CI = 0.46–0.72].

Conclusions

Over the years, there have been efforts by governments in Ghana to make maternal health services free in the country. However, a substantial proportion of women still undergo home births. To reduce the utilization of home births in Ghana, it is essential that government and non-governmental organisations make the cost of delivery services part of the free maternal health care policy and take into consideration the factors associated with the high rates of home births among rural women in Ghana.
Associations between change in labour market policies and work stressors: a comparative longitudinal survey data analysis from 27 European countries
Authors: Lunau T. , Wahrendorf M. , Dragano N. , Siegrist J. , van der Wel K. A. , Rigó M.
Published: September 2020

Background

Many studies have shown that work stressors have a negative impact on health. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of how work stressors can be reduced. Recent studies have shown that employees in countries with high investments into labour market policies less often report exposure to work stressors. Although these studies are indicative of an influence of the political level on work stressors, they are based on cross-sectional cross-country analyses where causal assumptions are problematic. The aim of this study is to extend the existing evidence by longitudinally testing whether changes in labour market policies are related to changes in work stressors.

Methods

We used comparative longitudinal survey data from the European Working Conditions Survey (27 countries; for the years 2005, 2010, 2015). The measurement of work stressors is based on two established work stress models: effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and job demand-control (job strain). To measure labour market policies, we used information on active (ALMP) and passive labour market policies (PLMP). After excluding persons with missing data, 64,659 participants were eligible for the ERI and 67,114 for job strain analyses. Estimation results are provided by three-way multilevel models (individuals, country-years, country), which allow us to estimate longitudinal and cross-country macro-effects.

Results

An increase in ALMP leads to a decrease of ERI. The analyses for the subcomponents ‘effort’ and ‘reward’ showed that mainly the ‘reward’ component is positively associated with ALMP. The association between ALMP and ‘reward’ shows that an increase in ALMP investments is related to an increase in rewards. Yet, no significant longitudinal associations between ALMP and job strain, and between PLMP and the work stressors, were observed.

Conclusions

The study extends the current knowledge with longitudinal information by showing that an increase in ALMP is associated with an increase in rewards and a decrease of ERI. These longitudinal analyses may support a causal interpretation. The findings of this study have important policy implications. Our main result suggests that investments into ALMP can lead to better working conditions.
Minimally invasive dynamic screw stabilization using cortical bone trajectory
Authors: Chang Chih-Chang , Kuo Chao-Hung , Chang Hsuan-Kan , Tu Tsung-Hsi , Fay Li-Yu , Wu Jau-Ching , Cheng Henrich , Huang Wen-Cheng
Published: September 2020

Background

The conventional pedicle-screw-based dynamic stabilization process involves dissection of the Wiltse plane to cannulate the pedicles, which cannot be undertaken with minimal surgical invasion. Despite some reports having demonstrated satisfactory outcomes of dynamic stabilization in the management of low-grade spondylolisthesis, the extensive soft tissue dissection involved during pedicle screw insertion substantially compromises the designed rationale of motion (muscular) preservation. The authors report on a novel method for minimally invasive insertion of dynamic screws and a mini case series.

Methods

The authors describe innovations for inserting dynamic screws via the cortical bone trajectory (CBT) under spinal navigation. All the detailed surgical procedures and clinical data are demonstrated.

Results

A total of four (2 females) patients (mean age 64.75 years) with spinal stenosis at L4–5 were included. By a combination of microscopic decompression and image-guided CBT screw insertion, laminectomy and dynamic screw stabilization were achieved via one small skin incision (less than 3 cm). These patients’ back and leg pain improved significantly after the surgery.

Conclusion

This innovative dynamic screw stabilization via the CBT involved no discectomy (or removal of sequestrated fragment only), no interbody fusion, and little muscle dissection (not even of the Wiltse plane). As a minimally invasive surgery, CBT appeared to be a viable alternative to the conventional pedicle-screw-based dynamic stabilization approach.
Preliminary study of the production of metabolites from in vitro cultures of C. ensiformis
Authors: Saldarriaga Juan F. , Cruz Yuby , López Julián E.
Published: September 2020

Background

Canavalia ensiformisis a legume native to Central and South America that has historically been a source of protein. Its main proteins, urease, and lectin have been extensively studied and are examples of bioactive compounds. In this work, the effect of pH and light effects on the growth ofC. ensiformiswere analyzed. Also, the bioactive compounds such as phenols, carotenoids, chlorophyll a/b, and the growth of callus biomass ofC. ensiformisfrom the effect of different types of light treatments (red, blue and mixture) were evaluated. Likewise, the antioxidative activity ofC. ensiformisextracts were studied and related to the production of bioactive compounds. For this, a culture of calluses obtained from seeds were carried out. For the light experiments, polypropylene boxes with red, blue, combination (1/3, 3/1 and 1/1 R-B, respectively) lights and white LED were used as control. In each treatment, three glass containers with 25 ml of MS salts containing 0.25 g of fresh callus were seeded.

Results

The results have shown that the pH of the culture medium notably affects the increase in callogenic biomass. It shows that the pH of 5.5 shows better results in the callogenic growth ofC. ensiformiswith an average increase of 1.3051 g (198.04%), regarding the initial weight. It was found that the pH 5.5 and the 1/3 R-B LED combination had higher production of bioactive compounds and better antioxidant activity. At the same time, the red-light treatment was least effective.

Conclusions

It was possible to find the ideal conditions of important growth under conditions of pH and light ofC. ensiformis. Likewise, it is evaluated whether the production of compounds of interest, such as phenolic compounds and carotenoids, occurs under these conditions. The highest production of calluses occurs in the 1/3 R-B LED combined light treatment, which showed a significant increase in biomass, followed by B. From this study, it could be demonstrated thatC. ensiformisproduces compounds such as phenols and carotenoids in vitro culture that are essential for the antioxidant activity of the plant.
Infective endocarditis due to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in a dog – a case report
Authors: Cabrera-García Angela I. , Müller Franziska , Rödler Frauke S. , Traub Florian , Heilmann Romy M.
Published: September 2020

Background

Infective endocarditis is a rare but severe condition associated with a high mortality rate in small animal patients. This condition is caused by a microbial (most often bacterial) infection of the valvular portion of the endocardium, from which proliferative and/or erosive lesions on the cardiac valves or immediately adjacent structures develop. The two most commonly affected cardiac valves are the aortic and mitral valves.

Case presentation

We report the clinical case of a 4-year old male neutered Bull terrier, 27.6 kg, body condition score 4/9, that presented with a 3-months history of pyrexia and general weakness. The patient history also revealed a transient left hind limb lameness (grade 2/4), which coincided with the onset of clinical signs about 3 months before presentation. On physical examination, a left-sided systolic heart murmur (grade 3/6) with the same intensity at the left heart base and apex, and an irregularly irregular heart rhythm were noted. Electrocardiography showed ventricular premature complexes, and echocardiography revealed lesions consistent with endocarditis involving the aortic and mitral valve. Bacterial culture of blood yielded a positive result, and the organism isolated was identified as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. The extended patient history revealed that the dog lived close to a farm housing pigs and other livestock.

Conclusion

We report a rare case of the premortal diagnosis of infective bacterial endocarditis in a dog due to E. rhusiopathiae infection. Most reports about this condition are from necropsy series. This clinical case report emphasizes that E. rhusiopathiae infection and bacteremia should be considered as a differential diagnosis in dogs with suspected infective endocarditis, especially in dogs living in rural areas with access to livestock and particularly farm pigs. Also, particular emphasis should be placed on the zoonotic potential of this infectious disease.