bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of performance and validity limits of gas chromatography electron ionisation with Orbitrap detection for fatty acid methyl ester analyses
Authors: Merlier Franck , Octave Stéphane , Tse Sum Bui Bernadette , Thomasset Brigitte
Published: November 2019

Rationale

While the GC‐Orbitrap, marketed in 2015, represents a technological breakthrough in terms of sensitivity, resolution and mass stability, many studies have reported ion ratio modification in mass spectra using the standard 70 eV electron ionisation.

Methods

We studied the influence of the acquisition and sample parameters leading to these modifications on fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs).

Results

FAMEs showed that these variations in relative intensities of ions were related to the acquisition parameters such as the mass range and the offset values of the C‐TRAP, but also directly related to the column concentration of the sample, and especially that it was molecule‐dependent. Advantageously, it is possible to use this feature to promote the molecular ions of FAMEs sometimes not present in a spectrum under electron ionisation at 70 eV.

Conclusions

The 70 eV electron ionisation mass spectra from the GC‐Orbitrap were clearly molecule‐dependent and could be due to metastable ions during storage states in the C‐TRAP.
Quantitative analysis of 11‐dehydrocorticosterone and corticosterone for preclinical studies by liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry
Authors: Verma Manu , Sooy Karen , Just George , Nixon Mark , Morgan Ruth , Andrew Ruth , Chapman Karen E. , Homer Natalie Z.M.
Published: November 2019

Rationale

The activity of the glucocorticoid activating enzyme 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type‐1 (11βHSD1) is altered in diseases such as obesity, inflammation and psychiatric disorders. In rodents 11βHSD1 converts inert 11‐dehydrocorticosterone (11‐DHC) into the active form, corticosterone (CORT). A sensitive, specific liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was sought to simultaneously quantify total 11‐DHC and total and free CORT in murine plasma for simple assessment of 11βHSD1 activity in murine models.

Methods

Mass spectrometry parameters were optimised and a method for the chromatographic separation of CORT and 11‐DHC was developed. Murine plasma was prepared by 10:1 chloroform liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) for analysis. Limits of quantitation (LOQs), linearity and other method criteria were assessed, according to bioanalytical method validation guidelines.

Results

Reliable separation of 11‐DHC and CORT was achieved using an ACE Excel 2 C18‐AR (2.1 × 150 mm; 2 μm) fused core column at 25°C, with an acidified water/acetonitrile gradient over 10 min. Analytes were detected by multiple reaction monitoring after positive electrospray ionisation (m/z 345.1.1 ➔ 121.2, m/z 347.1 ➔ 121.1 for 11‐DHC and CORT, respectively). The LOQs were 0.25 and 0.20 ng/mL for 11‐DHC and CORT, respectively.

Conclusions

This LC/MS method is suitable for the reliable analysis of 11‐DHC and CORT following simple LLE of murine plasma, bringing preclinical analysis in line with recommendations for clinical endocrinology and biochemistry.
An inductively coupled plasma study and an ion cyclotron resonance matrix‐assisted laser/desorption study at high mass resolution of two ancient Maya greenstone artifacts from Pacbitun, Belize, and two decorative jade specimens
Authors: March Raymond E.
Published: November 2019

Rationale

Two Early Classic period (ca 250–600 CE) Maya carved, greenstone jade pendants, Specimens A and B, were recovered from the Pacbitun site in Belize in 1987. Mass scans of resolution ~600,000 were obtained for the jade pendants and two British Columbia jade ornaments.

Methods

Polyatomic ions from jade grit have been observed using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR‐MS), specifically the Bruker Daltonics, SolariX XR, combined with matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI); the matrix material was α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamicacid.

Results

Presented here is an interpretation of the mass spectrometric observations from multiplicities of silicate materials. Observation of novel polyatomic ion species of m/z 800–1400 indicate the ejection of charged ensembles composed of 60–180 atoms from jade grit. The charged ensembles represent minute regions of jade grit that have retained many of the spatial relationships of atoms within the jade; the required ejection energy is provided by laser photons accumulated in the matrix. Acid solutions of grit from Specimens A and ornament KMM were analyzed by inductively‐coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The novelty of this application of mass spectrometry to jade was reported in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

Conclusions

Isotopic fine structure analysis can yield elemental compositions for ions composed of base isotopes together with stable isotope intensities arising from ions with one and two additional neutrons. The analysis is challenging as jade is a multiplicity of similar solid solutions; thus, a multiple isotopic fine structure approach has been explored. Attempts to compose ensembles of atoms, of those elements found normally in coloured silicates, to match the observed ion mass/charge ratios were unsuccessful without the addition of multiple hydrogen atoms. The production of polyatomic ions of siliceous material may permit impinging fine glass coatings onto construction materials for protection against fire and weather.
Flowers of European pear release common and uncommon volatiles that can be detected by honey bee pollinators
Authors: Lukas Kathrin , Harig Tim , Schulz Stefan , Hadersdorfer Johannes , Dötterl Stefan
Published: November 2019

Floral scents are important pollinator attractants, but there is limited knowledge about the importance of single components in plant–pollinator interactions. This especially is true in crop pollination systems. The aim of this study is to identify floral volatiles of several European pear cultivars (Pyrus communis L.), and to determine their potential in eliciting physiological responses in antennae of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), the most important pollinators of pear. Volatiles were collected by dynamic headspace and analysed by (high resolution) gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Antennal responses were investigated by GC coupled to electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD). We trapped in the mean 256 ng of scent per flower and hour (flower−1 h−1) from the different cultivars with either linalool + methyl benzoate or methyl 2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanoate as most abundant compounds. Of the 108 detected pear floral scent components, 17 were electrophysiologically active in honey bee antennae. Among these compounds were (E)-N-(2-methylbutyl)- and (E)-N-(3-methylbutyl)-1-(pyridin-3-yl)methanimine, which were not known from nature before to the best of our knowledge. Most other compounds identified as flower scent in pear are widespread compounds, known from flowers of various other species. Our results provide new insights in the floral volatile chemistry of an important insect-pollinated crop and show for the first time that honey bees have the olfactory ability to detect several pear floral volatiles. These data are an important basis for more detailed studies of the olfactory communication between honey bees and European pear flowers and might in the long term be used to manipulate the attractiveness of pear to obtain optimal fruit set.
Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Alzheimer’s Disease are not Causal Factors of Bone Mineral Density: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Authors: Cui Zhiyong , Meng Xiangyu , Zhuang Siying , Liu Zhaorui , Zhou Fang , Tian Yun
Published: November 2019

Until recently, it remains unclear whether schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BD), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with bone mineral density (BMD). We aimed to investigate the causal effects of schizophrenia, BD and AD on BMD with Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) strongly associated with these three neuropsychiatric diseases as instrumental variables were selected from genome-wide association studies in the MR Base database. We analyzed the effects of these SNPs on the femoral neck BMD (FN-BMD), lumbar spine BMD (LS-BMD) and forearm BMD (FA-BMD), and evaluated the heterogeneities and pleiotropy of these genetic variants. We also evaluated the potential confounding factors in the association between these three neuropsychiatric diseases and the BMD level. It was found that none of these genetic variants were significantly associated with BMD or confounding factors. Using these genetic variants, we did not find statistically significant causal effects of per unit increase in the log-odds of having schizophrenia, BD or AD with FN-BMD, LS-BMD and FA-BMD changes (e.g. schizophrenia and FN-BMD, MR-Egger OR 0.9673, 95% CI 0.8382 to 1.1163, p = 0.6519). The MR results also revealed that directional pleiotropy was unlikely to bias the causality (e.g., schizophrenia and FN-BMD, intercept = 0.0023, p = 0.6887), and no evidence of heterogeneity was found between the genetic variants (e.g., schizophrenia and FN-BMD, MR-Egger Q = 46.1502, I2 = 0.0899, p = 0.3047). Our MR study did not support causal effects of increased risk of schizophrenia, BD and AD status with BMD level.
Application of a compositional rotatable plan in modeling the propylene content in a vinyl chloride/propylene copolymer
Authors: Wiener Marzena , Gawdzik Andrzej
Published: November 2019

Using a fractional rotatable plan, the effect of five input parameters of the conduct of the copolymerization process on the amount of propylene built into the copolymer, obtained as a result of free radical suspension copolymerization of vinyl chloride with propylene in a batch suspension polymerization reactor, was analyzed. Using the results obtained, the analysis of variance was carried out and the influence of particular factors and their interactions on the product properties was determined. Thus, it was determined that the greatest influence on the amount of the incorporated propylene in the copolymer is exerted by the amount of propylene introduced into the system, while the effect of the initiator on the product properties analyzed was found to be negligible. A mathematical model was also made, and then it was improved through the use of stepwise regression and verification with the results of laboratory experiments. The adequacy of the achieved model was confirmed using the Fisher–Snedecor test. It was obtained the conformity of the constructed model with the analysis of the influence of particular factors on the propylene content in the copolymer.
Computational study on the haemodynamic and mechanical performance of electrospun polyurethane dialysis grafts
Authors: Quicken Sjeng , de Bruin Yeshi , Mees Barend , Tordoir Jan , Delhaas Tammo , Huberts Wouter
Published: November 2019

Compliance mismatch between an arteriovenous dialysis graft (AVG) and the connected vein is believed to result in disturbed haemodynamics around the graft–vein anastomosis and increased mechanical loading of the vein. Both phenomena are associated with neointimal hyperplasia development, which is the main reason for AVG patency loss. In this study, we use a patient-specific fluid structure interaction AVG model to assess whether AVG haemodynamics and mechanical loading can be optimised by using novel electrospun polyurethane (ePU) grafts, since their compliance can be better tuned to match that of the native veins, compared to gold standard, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts. It was observed that the magnitude of flow disturbances in the vein and the size of anastomotic areas exposed to highly oscillatory shear ($$\hbox {OSI} >0.25$$OSI>0.25) and very high wall shear stress ($$>40 \hbox { Pa}$$>40Pa) were largest for the ePTFE graft. Median strain and von Mises stress in the vein were similar for both graft types, whereas highest stress and strain were observed in the anastomosis of the ePU graft. Since haemodynamics were most favourable for the ePU graft simulation, AVG longevity might be improved by the use of ePU grafts.
Specification-driven predictive business process monitoring
Authors: Santoso Ario , Felderer Michael
Published: November 2019

Predictive analysis in business process monitoring aims at forecasting the future information of a running business process. The prediction is typically made based on the model extracted from historical process execution logs (event logs). In practice, different business domains might require different kinds of predictions. Hence, it is important to have a means for properly specifying the desired prediction tasks, and a mechanism to deal with these various prediction tasks. Although there have been many studies in this area, they mostly focus on a specific prediction task. This work introduces a language for specifying the desired prediction tasks, and this language allows us to express various kinds of prediction tasks. This work also presents a mechanism for automatically creating the corresponding prediction model based on the given specification. Differently from previous studies, instead of focusing on a particular prediction task, we present an approach to deal with various prediction tasks based on the given specification of the desired prediction tasks. We also provide an implementation of the approach which is used to conduct experiments using real-life event logs.
Vessel co-option in glioblastoma: emerging insights and opportunities
Authors: Seano Giorgio , Jain Rakesh K.
Published: November 2019

Vessel co-option is the movement of cancer cells towards and along the pre-existing vasculature and is an alternative to angiogenesis to gain access to nutrients. Vessel co-option has been shown as a strategy employed by some glioblastoma (GBM) cells to invade further into the brain, leading to one of the greatest challenges in treating GBM. In GBM, vessel co-option may be an intrinsic feature or an acquired mechanism of resistance to anti-angiogenic treatment. Here, we describe the histological features and the dynamics visualized through intravital microscopy of vessel co-option in GBM, as well as the molecular players discovered until now. We also highlight key unanswered questions, as answering these is critical to improve understanding of GBM progression and for developing more effective approaches for GBM treatment.
Assessing the effects of land use on biodiversity in the world’s drylands and Mediterranean environments
Authors: García-Vega Diego , Newbold Tim
Published: November 2019

Biodiversity models make an important contribution to our understanding of global biodiversity changes. The effects of different land uses vary across ecosystem types, yet most broad-scale models have failed to account for this variation. The effects of land use may be different in systems characterized by low water availability because of the unusual conditions within these systems. Drylands are expanding, currently occupying over 40% of the terrestrial land, while Mediterranean systems are highly endangered biodiversity hotspots. However, the impact of land use on biodiversity in these biomes is yet to be assessed. Using a database of local biodiversity surveys, we assess the effects of land use on biodiversity in the world’s drylands and Mediterranean ecosystems. We compare the average species richness, total abundance, species diversity, ecological dominance, endemism rates, and compositional turnover across different land uses. In drylands, there was a strong turnover in species composition in disturbed land uses compared with undisturbed natural habitat (primary vegetation), but other measures of biodiversity did not respond significantly. However, it is important to note that the sample size for drylands was very low, a gap which should be filled promptly. Mediterranean environments showed a very high sensitivity of biodiversity to land uses. In this biome, even habitat recovering after past disturbance (secondary vegetation) had substantially reduced biodiversity and altered community composition compared with primary vegetation. In an effort to maintain original biodiversity and the ecosystem functions it supports within Mediterranean biomes, conservation measures should therefore prioritize the preservation of remaining primary vegetation.
The Information Role of Earnings Conference Call Tone: Evidence from Stock Price Crash Risk
Authors: Fu Xi , Wu Xiaoxi , Zhang Zhifang
Published: November 2019

This paper investigates whether and how the disclosure tone of earnings conference calls predicts future stock price crash risk. Using US public firms’ conference call transcripts from 2010 to 2015, we find that firms with less optimistic tone of year-end conference calls experience higher stock price crash risk in the following year. Additional analyses reveal that the predictive power of tone is more pronounced among firms with better information environment and lower managerial equity incentives, suggesting that extrinsic motivations for truthful disclosure partially explain the predictive power of conference call tone. Our results shed light on the long-term information role of conference call tone by exploring the setting of extreme future downside risk, when managers have conflicting incentives either to unethically manipulate disclosure tone to hide bad news or to engage in ethical and truthful communication.
Household Fire Protection Practices in Relation to Socio-demographic Characteristics: Evidence from a Swedish National Survey
Authors: Nilson Finn , Bonander Carl
Published: November 2019

The sociodemographic inequalities in the ownership of residential fire safety equipment, fire prevention practices and fire protection knowledge was studied using an inductive and data-driven approach based on the responses to a national Swedish survey containing individual-level data on several dimensions of home fire safety practices (n = 7507). Cluster analysis was used to summarise home fire safety data and sociodemographic characteristics of the sample were then regressed on the data ordinal regression analysis. The results showed significant correlations between the level of fire protection and a range of factors (sex, age, family composition, income, housing type and country of birth), suggesting a positive effect of socioeconomic success. Further, the results imply that having experienced a residential fire has a positive impact on future fire protection practices, and that higher levels of fire protection interest increases the probability of having a functional smoke detector.
Thermal analysis of halogenated rubber cured with a new cross-linking system
Authors: Dziemidkiewicz Anna , Maciejewska Magdalena , Pingot Martyna
Published: November 2019

The aim of this work was to examine the influence of new curing agents proposed for brominated butyl rubber (BIIR) on the cross-linking process of rubber compounds and the thermal behavior of the vulcanizates. Rubber blends that were filled with carbon black and contained acetylacetonates of different transition metals in the presence of triethanolamine (TEOA) as new cross-linking agents were prepared. The performed studies showed that metal acetylacetonates (Me(acac)) are effective cross-linking agents for BIIR, which was confirmed by high values of the torque increment (∆M) and significant cross-linking degree of the vulcanizates (α(T)). The most active curing agent seems to be iron acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)). Its application results in a shorter optimal vulcanization time, lower onset vulcanization temperature and similar vulcanization enthalpy compared to the BIIR cured with a sulfur curing system. The BIIR vulcanizates cured with Me(acac) reveal good mechanical properties with tensile strengths in the range of 9–14 MPa and better damping properties comparing to the sulfur-cured rubber. The proposed curing agents do not significantly affect the thermal stability of the BIIR vulcanizates.
The construct validity and responsiveness of the EQ-5D-5L, AQL-5D and a bespoke TTO in acute asthmatics
Authors: Crossman-Barnes Christina-Jane , Sach Tracey , Wilson Andrew , Barton Garry
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Measuring quality of life in acute asthmatics is challenging, especially when asthma attacks can occur sporadically. Several questionnaires can be used to measure quality of life in this patient group; however, psychometric testing is limited on questionnaires that can be used to estimate Quality Adjusted Life years. The objective of this study is to assess the construct validity (convergent and discriminative validity) and responsiveness of the EuroQol-5-Dimensions 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L), Asthma Quality of Life Utility Index-5 Dimensions (AQL-5D) and Time Trade-Off (TTO) in acute asthma patients.

Methods

Data from a prospective cohort study were used to test the validity and responsiveness of the EQ-5D-5L, AQL-5D and TTO in asthma patients who were recruited from UK accident & emergency departments or hospital wards. The spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, the Kruskal–Wallis test statistic and the standardized response mean were used to test for convergent validity, discriminative validity and responsiveness, respectively.

Results

One hundred and twenty-one participants were included in the available case analysis. The EQ-5D-5L and AQL-5D showed moderate to strong correlations for convergent validity at baseline, week 4 and week 8. The AQL-5D and TTO showed moderate correlations at week 4 and week 8. No statistical significance was observed for discriminative validity at baseline. Both the EQ-5D-5L and the AQL-5D also showed that they were sensitive to change for the recovery responses.

Conclusions

The EQ-5D-5L and AQL-5D showed stronger construct validity and responsiveness compared to the TTO. Therefore, both the EQ-5D-5L and AQL-5D should be considered for use in future economic evaluations.
Approximation and sampling of multivariate probability distributions in the tensor train decomposition
Authors: Dolgov Sergey , Anaya-Izquierdo Karim , Fox Colin , Scheichl Robert
Published: November 2019

General multivariate distributions are notoriously expensive to sample from, particularly the high-dimensional posterior distributions in PDE-constrained inverse problems. This paper develops a sampler for arbitrary continuous multivariate distributions that is based on low-rank surrogates in the tensor train format, a methodology that has been exploited for many years for scalable, high-dimensional density function approximation in quantum physics and chemistry. We build upon recent developments of the cross approximation algorithms in linear algebra to construct a tensor train approximation to the target probability density function using a small number of function evaluations. For sufficiently smooth distributions, the storage required for accurate tensor train approximations is moderate, scaling linearly with dimension. In turn, the structure of the tensor train surrogate allows sampling by an efficient conditional distribution method since marginal distributions are computable with linear complexity in dimension. Expected values of non-smooth quantities of interest, with respect to the surrogate distribution, can be estimated using transformed independent uniformly-random seeds that provide Monte Carlo quadrature or transformed points from a quasi-Monte Carlo lattice to give more efficient quasi-Monte Carlo quadrature. Unbiased estimates may be calculated by correcting the transformed random seeds using a Metropolis–Hastings accept/reject step, while the quasi-Monte Carlo quadrature may be corrected either by a control-variate strategy or by importance weighting. We show that the error in the tensor train approximation propagates linearly into the Metropolis–Hastings rejection rate and the integrated autocorrelation time of the resulting Markov chain; thus, the integrated autocorrelation time may be made arbitrarily close to 1, implying that, asymptotic in sample size, the cost per effectively independent sample is one target density evaluation plus the cheap tensor train surrogate proposal that has linear cost with dimension. These methods are demonstrated in three computed examples: fitting failure time of shock absorbers; a PDE-constrained inverse diffusion problem; and sampling from the Rosenbrock distribution. The delayed rejection adaptive Metropolis (DRAM) algorithm is used as a benchmark. In all computed examples, the importance weight-corrected quasi-Monte Carlo quadrature performs best and is more efficient than DRAM by orders of magnitude across a wide range of approximation accuracies and sample sizes. Indeed, all the methods developed here significantly outperform DRAM in all computed examples.
Detection of inflammation from finger temperature profile in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Pauk J. , Ihnatouski M. , Wasilewska A.
Published: November 2019

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory tissue disease that leads to cartilage, bone, and periarticular tissue damage. This study aimed to investigate whether the use of infrared thermography and measurement of temperature profiles along the hand fingers could detect the inflammation and improve the diagnostic accuracy of the cold provocation test (0 °C for 5 s) and rewarming test (23 °C for180 s) in RA patients. Thirty RA patients (mean age = 49.5 years, standard deviation = 13.0 years) and 22 controls (mean age = 49.8 years, standard deviation = 7.5 years) were studied. Outcomes were the minimal and maximal: baseline temperature (T1), the temperature post-cooling (T2), the temperature post-rewarming (T3), and the Tmax-Tmin along the axis of each finger. The statistical significance was observed for the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger post-cooling and post-rewarming. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to distinguish between the two groups revealed that for the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, the area under the ROC curve was statistically significantly (p < 0.05) post-cooling. The cold provocation test used in this study discriminates between RA patients and controls and detects an inflammation in RA patients by the measurement of temperature profiles along the fingers using an infrared camera.
Effect of natural and anthropogenic acidification on aluminium distribution in forest soils of two regions in the Czech Republic
Authors: Pavlů Lenka , Borůvka Luboš , Drábek Ondřej , Nikodem Antonín
Published: November 2019

To elucidate the dynamics of aluminium (Al), an element potentially toxic and strongly affected by acidification processes, in soils, we selected two regions that were similar in relief, soil types, and vegetation cover but differed markedly in their history of acid precipitation: the Jizerské Mountains (anthropogenically acidified) and the Novohradské Mountains (naturally acidified) in the Czech Republic. The levels of Al forms (exchangeable and organically bound) associated with different environmental impacts were measured and univalent, divalent and trivalent Al species were quantified using HPLC/IC. Exchangeable and organically bound Al concentrations were higher in the anthropogenically acidified area. Only the concentrations of the least-dangerous species, the univalent, in organic soil horizons were similar for both mountains. The concentrations of exchangeable Al forms were correlated with Ca concentrations and with pH in the organic horizon. The known relationship of Al with soil pH was stronger in the mineral horizons. Relationships of exchangeable Al forms concentrations with sulphur concentrations or even more with the sulphur calcium molar ratio were found only in the Jizerské Mountains, not in the Novohradské. Generally, the obtained results support the hypothesis that mechanisms differed between natural and anthropogenic acidification.
The shift towards entrepreneurial universities and the relevance of third-party funding of business and economics units in Austria: a research note
Authors: Wiener Melanie , Maresch Daniela , Breitenecker Robert J.
Published: November 2019

The importance of public and private third-party funding of universities has changed over the last decades. However, the knowledge about how universities finance their research are rather limited. We aim to fill this gap and investigate the funding structure of universities and how third-party funding has changed over time. In our explorative analysis, we use publicly available data of four Austrian universities. We analyze this data at university level as well as the level of the faculty of business and economics. We provide insight into the development and structure of third-party funding and conclude that universities’ funding structures differ and has developed over time.
Dexmedetomidine alleviates insulin resistance in hepatocytes by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Liu Fanfan , Zhu Shaojun , Ni Lifeng , Huang Ling’er , Wang Kuirong , Zhou Yanfeng
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) stabilizes intraoperative blood glucose levels and reduces insulin resistance (IR), a common perioperative complication. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Since endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is a mechanism of IR, this study sought to examine whether DEX can effectively alleviate IR by reducing ERS.

Methods

HepG2 and LO2 cells were treated with different concentrations of insulin. The glucose content assay and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) were then employed to determine the optimal insulin concentration capable of inducing IR without affecting cell viability. Insulin-resistant hepatocytes were cultured with different concentrations of DEX for 24 h, and the glucose concentration in the supernatant was measured. ERS was assessed by qPCR and western blotting. The latter was also used to quantify the expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and glucose 6 phosphatase (G6Pase), which are key proteins involved in the action of insulin.

Results

After 48-h of culturing with 10 μg/mL insulin, glucose consumption in hepatocytes was found to be reduced. IR hepatocytes cultured with 10, 100, or 1000 ng/ml DEX for 24 h showed a concentration-dependent increase in glucose consumption. Elevated mRNA and protein levels of ERS markers binding immunoglobulin protein (BIP) and ER protein 29 (ERp29), were reversed by DEX treatment. Moreover, reduced p-AKT and increased PEPCK and G6Pase protein levels in IR hepatocytes were also restored following DEX treatment.

Conclusion

DEX may alleviate IR in hepatocytes by reducing ERS serving to restore insulin action via the IRS-1/PI3K/AKT pathway.
Refugees, water balance, and water stress: Lessons learned from Lebanon
Authors: Jaafar Hadi , Ahmad Farah , Holtmeier Lauren , King-Okumu Caroline
Published: November 2019

The Syrian crisis caused a massive influx of displaced people into neighboring countries, with Lebanon hosting the highest per capita number of refugees (3:10). Water remains the most critical natural resource that influences the resilience of host and refugee communities. We provide a new GIS-based updated water balance and water scarcity analysis at the national and the watershed level in Lebanon by comparing current conditions to no-refugee levels. Results show a small (6%) increase in water stress in an average water year at the national level that masks hot spots of water scarcity at the local geography. While domestic water use increased by 20%, we find that refugees’ water use is only 10% of agricultural water use in summer. We also show that interventions to rehabilitate the water networks can reduce water stress to better than pre-conflict levels (3% less stress).
Structural assessment of remodelled shells of Heinz Isler
Authors: Baghdadi Abtin , Heristchian Mahmoud , Kloft Harald
Published: November 2019

Heinz Isler as the most famous contemporary shell designer has widely employed physical pre-modelling techniques for construction of many concrete shell structures. Through the physical approach to optimal form finding, Isler accomplished shell structures with robust performance. It would be interesting and beneficial to re-assess Isler’s shells, hence, this article attempts to study the structural performance of eight notable shells of Isler. Through reverse engineering and by the assistance of Rhino, MATLAB and Grasshopper, the precise geometry of Isler’s selected shells were modelled for the finite element analysis under their self-weight. The structural analysis was performed, with the parallel use of finite element software SAP2000 and Abaqus. The identical results of the two packages, further confirmed the accuracy of the analysis. The essential properties of various forms of the shells and their differences in behaviour were pinpointed and discussed within the calculations and the results were compared with the data of the genuine published references on Isler’s works. The internal forces, the amount of von Mises stresses, support reactions and the buckling loads of the shells are explored. The analyses revealed that, despite of their major membrane action, all the shells had negligible amount of bending moments, especially near the supports. However, in general, all the shells exhibited an appropriate performance under the applied actions. But, at the same time, they exhibited different buckling behaviour as a probable source of instability in them.
Exploring relationships between mechanical properties of marl core samples by a coupling of mutual information and predictive ensemble model
Authors: Salehin S. , Hadavandi E. , Chelgani S. Chehreh
Published: November 2019

Inappropriate evaluation of uniaxial compression indexes (E and UCS) of rocks in high seismic intensity areas such as dam regions can lead to underestimation of the load, and possible settlement of the structure. Indirect assessments of these rock mechanical indexes based on non-destructive experiments and by using intelligent models is a well-accepted method to overcome associated limitations with laboratory tests of E and UCS. This study introduces the mutual information (MI) method as a unique system for variable importance measurement (VIM) and feature selection. Conducting MI-VIM assessments between various analyses of marl core samples (depth, density, ultrasonic tests (νd, Vp and Vs), Brazilian test (σt), triaxial compression test (C and and ϕ) and point load test (Is(50)) indicated that Vs and σt had the highest importance for E and UCS prediction. adaptive boosting–neural network ensemble (Adaboost–NNE) was used for the prediction of E and UCS. Testing of the generated Adaboost–NNE indicated that this model could accurately predict UCS and E with correlations of determinations 0.98 and 0.92, respectively. These results showed that VIM of MI coupled with Adaboost–NNE could develop a robust model that can be used for the prediction and modeling of other indexes of rocks.
The SFU Opinion and Comments Corpus: A Corpus for the Analysis of Online News Comments
Authors: Kolhatkar Varada , Wu Hanhan , Cavasso Luca , Francis Emilie , Shukla Kavan , Taboada Maite
Published: November 2019

We present the SFU Opinion and Comments Corpus (SOCC ), a collection of opinion articles and the comments posted in response to the articles. The articles include all the opinion pieces published in the Canadian newspaperThe Globe and Mailin the 5-year period between 2012 and 2016, a total of 10,339 articles and 663,173 comments. SOCC is part of a project that investigates the linguistic characteristics of online comments. The corpus can be used to study a host of pragmatic phenomena. Among other aspects, researchers can explore: the connections between articles and comments; the connections of comments to each other; the types of topics discussed in comments; the nice (constructive) or mean (toxic) ways in which commenters respond to each other; how language is used to convey very specific types of evaluation; and how negation affects the interpretation of evaluative meaning in discourse. Our current focus is the study of constructiveness and evaluation in the comments. To that end, we have annotated a subset of the large corpus (1043 comments) with four layers of annotations: constructiveness, toxicity, negation and Appraisal (Martin and White, The language of evaluation, Palgrave, New York, 2005). This paper details our corpus, the data collection process, the characteristics of the corpus and describes the annotations. While our focus is comments posted in response to opinion news articles, the phenomena in this corpus are likely to be present in many commenting platforms: other news comments, comments and replies in fora such as Reddit, feedback on blogs, or YouTube comments.
Phytoestrogen coumestrol attenuates brain mitochondrial dysfunction and long‐term cognitive deficits following neonatal hypoxia–ischemia
Authors: Anastacio Janine Beatriz Ramos , Sanches Eduardo Farias , Nicola Fabrício , Odorcyk Felipe , Fabres Rafael Bandeira , Netto Carlos Alexandre
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Neonatal Hypoxia‐Ischemia (HI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and is frequently associated with short and long‐term neurologic and cognitive impairments. The HI injury causes mitochondrial damage leading to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Phytoestrogens are non‐steroidal plant substances structurally and functionally similar to estrogen. Coumestrol is a potent isoflavonoid with a protective effect against ischemic brain damage in adult rats. Our aim was to determine if coumestrol treatment following neonatal HI attenuates the long‐term cognitive deficits induced by neonatal HI, as well as to investigate one possible mechanism underlying its potential effect.

Methods

On the 7th postnatal day, male Wistar rats were submitted to the Levine‐Rice HI model. Intraperitoneal injections of 20 mg/kg of coumestrol, or vehicle, were administered immediately pre‐hypoxia or 3 h post‐hypoxia. At 12 h after HI the mitochondrial status and ROS levels were determined. At 60th postnatal day the cognitive deficits were revealed in the Morris water maze reference and working spatial memories. Following behavioral analysis, histological assessment was performed and reactive astrogliosis was measured by GFAP expression.

Results

Results demonstrate that both pre‐ and post‐HI administration of coumestrol were able to counteract the long‐term cognitive and morphological impairments caused by HI, as well as to block the late reactive astrogliosis. The pre‐HI administration of coumestrol was able to prevent the early mitochondrial dysfunction in the hippocampus of injured rat pups.

Conclusion

Present data suggest that coumestrol exerts protection against experimental neonatal brain hypoxia‐ischemia through, at least in part, early modulation of mitochondrial function.
A Framework for Digital Marketing Research: Investigating the Four Cultural Eras of Digital Marketing
Authors: Busca Laurent , Bertrandias Laurent
Published: November 2019

The digital marketing discipline is facing growing fragmentation; the proliferation of different subareas of research impedes the accumulation of knowledge. This fragmentation seems logically tied to the inherent complexity of the Internet, itself resulting from 50 years of evolution. Thus, our aim is to provide an integrative framework for research in digital marketing derived from the historical analysis of the Internet. Using practice theory and institutional theory, we outline a new type of institutional work: imprinting work. We apply this framework to the analysis of historical secondary sources. We find four cultural repertoires on the Internet (collaborative systems, traditional market systems, co-creation systems, and prosumption market systems) and describe the dynamics of imprinting work leading to their creation, showing how new systems are created by appropriating and assimilating existing cultural repertoires. We contribute to the digital marketing literature by providing a cultural framework and a theory explaining the dynamics of the creation of four cultural repertoires. Moreover, we outline three paths of potential evolution of the digital landscape. Our framework may help managers make sense of their digital strategy and navigate the various Internet systems.
Chagasic megacolon in Venezuela – case report
Authors: Dowling Enez Victoria , Izarra Henriquez Carla
Published: November 2019

Chagasic megacolon is the second most frequent cause of manifestation of the digestive forms of Chagas disease (trypanosoma cruzi parasitosis), characterized by progressive pseudo-occlusive symptoms or chronic constipation, caused by an alteration in the functioning of the colonic wall musculature. In Venezuela, cases of chagasic disease reported in the past are referred to chagasic heart disease, this being the first documented case of chagasic megacolon. We broach herein a case of chagasic megacolon in which early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment led to a successful outcome.
Trends in colorectal cancer incidence in western Kazakhstan through the first decade of the screening implementation, 2009‒2018
Authors: Balmagambetova Saule , Bhat Sajad Ahmad , Koyshybaev Arip , Gumarova Zhanna , Urazayev Olzhas , Tulyaeva Anar , Urazova Ainel , Taumova Arzhan
Published: November 2019

Introduction The study is aimed to outline the vector of colorectal cancer incidence in the industrial Aktobe province of western Kazakhstan through the first decade of the screening implementation, 2009–2018.

Methods Rough incidence rates and annual percent changes were estimated for each age group at diagnosis, ethnicities, gender, residences, the disease stages and anatomic subsites (total N 1128) via regression analysis.

Results Within 2009–2018 colorectal cancer rates increased from 14.74 to 23.19, with annual percent changes of 4.69%. The most significant growth was traced in men compared to women, up to 28.39 by 2018, with annual percent changes 6.64% vs. 2.64% (p = 0.0009). Annual percent changes in Kazakhs reached 8.7%, whereas Slavic groups showed decline in the incidence, annual percent changes −4.3% (p = 0.002). Declining in rates was also observed in urban population compared to rural one, annual percent changes −3.3% vs. 17.6%, respectively. Patients aged 60–69 made 31% of all cases and showed the largest annual percent changes 9.37% (p = 0.002). Patients at Stage II made 61% of all observations, but general trend evidenced sharp growth in the group of Stage I (annual percent changes 28.91%, p < 0.0001).

Conclusion Overall, during the last decade colorectal cancer incidence increased 1.5 fold with expected further rise. However, the increment of Stage I portion by 2018 vs. advanced stages at diagnosis and the trend to decrease in rates among urban population inspire a definite assurance in potential efficiency of the screening program in long run. The next researches on colorectal cancer should include scenarios to reveal the role of disadvantaged environment in the region and consuming unhealthy ultra-processed food.
Laser pilonidotomy — a new approach in management of complex pilonidal sinus disease: an exploratory study
Authors: Porwal Ashwin , Gandhi Paresh , Kulkarni Deepak
Published: November 2019

Background The treatment of pilonidal sinus disease still remains challenging mainly because of multiple factors responsible for wound healing and its recurrence. With recent advances in surgical field, use of laser found to be an effective technique in the destruction of a pilonidal cyst. Laser Piolonidotomy is a new promising technique.

Methodology An exploratory study was planned with the Aim, to evaluate a new technique for the excision of pilonidal sinus. Objectives were to investigate its effectiveness in terms of operation time, healing time, and the duration of hospitalization, resumption of normal activity the degree of postoperative complications and rate of recurrence and patient’s satisfaction. All the patients with pilonidal sinus were categorized and laser pilonidotomy was planned for patients satisfying inclusion criteria. Data collected in pre-structured, pre-tested proforma and analyzed using SPSS.

Results Mean duration of Procedure was 33 min (SD = 11), mean duration of Hospital Stay was 12 h (SD = 3), resumption of normal activity within 4 days (SD = 2), mean duration for Complete Wound Healing by secondary intention 6 Weeks (SD = 1.25). Among complications, infection reported in 1.08%. The difference between the mean pre and post-operative VAS score was statistically highly significant (p < 0.0001). Recurrence rate was 3.24%. Success rate was 96.75% and Overall patient’s satisfaction was 97.84%.

Conclusion Laser Pilonidotomy is effective in destruction of a pilonidal cyst with good success rate, fewer complications and with high patient’s satisfaction.
Examining the influence of shoulder to pin diameter ratio on corrosion behavior of friction stir LM25 aluminum alloy with 10% silicon carbide particles
Authors: Senthil V. , Balasubramanian E.
Published: November 2019

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a unique method that facilitates the generation of frictional heat between the tool and the workpiece. Stir casted LM 25 aluminum alloy-10% SiCp Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) consists of large aggregated strengthened particles and cast item dendrites. In FSP, a non-consumable instrument made of harder material plays a crucial part in changing the substrate material's surface. In the present study, an attempt has been made to analyze the impact of different ratio of shoulder diameters to pin diameter (D/d) on the immersion corrosion conduct of the LM25AA processed friction stir – 10% SiCp MMCs. The size and dispersion of SiC particles in friction stir processed (FSPed) MMC were studied. The microhardness and tensile characteristics of the FSPed material were assessed and associated with the micro and macro structures. The influence of D/d ratio on the microstructure, micro-hardness, and corrosion rate was analyzed and observed that the hardness and rate of corrosion increase with the decrease in grain size of the matrix and SiC particles.
Pacific Meridional Mode‐Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Linkage Explained by Tropical Pacific Quasi‐Decadal Variability
Authors: Liu Chao , Zhang Wenjun , Stuecker Malte F. , Jin Fei‐Fei
Published: November 2019

Previous studies argued that the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) impacts tropical cyclone (TC) genesis variability over the southeastern part of the western North Pacific (SE‐WNP). Here, we find that the statistical relationship between PMM and SE‐WNP TC genesis frequency is dominated by their co‐variability on decadal timescales. The decadal component of the PMM exhibits very similar temporal and spatial features to quasi‐decadal tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) variability. The latter can affect SE‐WNP TC activity via changes in both zonal vertical wind shear and low‐level vorticity. In contrast, the interannual component of the PMM exhibits no statistically significant correlation with SE‐WNP TC genesis. Furthermore, observations show that both interannual and decadal variability of SE‐WNP TC activity are well correlated with the commonly used Niño3.4 El Niño‐Southern Oscillation index. Thus, equatorial Pacific SST variability is the dominant source of SE‐WNP TC activity predictability on different timescales.