bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrating environmental justice into applied ecology research: Somebody else’s problem?
Authors: Bowser Gillian , Cid Carmen R.
Published: November 2020

Environmental injustice can be expressed through lack of access to resources, unequal exposure to toxins, and limited access to knowledge about the unsustainable environmental practices that impact communities (Bullard 2018). The ecological processes that contribute to the “perfect storm” of conditions that create environmental injustices are well documented in applied ecology scholarship; yet the human dimension or the co‐production of research on those impacts seem to fall into the range of “somebody else’s problem.” In a literature review of the last 15 years of research published in the Ecological Society of America’s family of journals, we explored the intersections of environmental processes and social justice issues, searching for themes, gaps, and opportunities. The resultant is a collection of articles on environmental justice topics that includes issues on access to resources and unequal exposure to environmental hazards and pollutants. This collection highlights gaps in the integration of natural science with social justice topics along with the need for stronger integration of interdisciplinary knowledge that is co‐produced with community stakeholders and researchers to build a robust interdisciplinary field of climate justice and global environmental sustainability.
Biventricular pacemaker and defibrillator implantation in patients with chronic heart failure in China
Authors: Huang Dejia , Hua Wei , Fang Quan , Yan Ji , Su Yangang , Liu Bing , Xu Yuanning , Peng Yong ,   POSCD‐China Investigators
Published: November 2020

Aims

This study aims to investigate the current status of biventricular pacemaker and defibrillator implantation in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with indications for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in China and the effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)‐pacemaker (P) and CRT‐defibrillator (D) implantation on the clinical prognosis of CHF among patients undergoing CRT.

Methods and results

Overall, 798 consecutive patients who had devices implanted (implantable cardioverter defibrillator: 199, CRT‐D: 362, and CRT‐P: 237) from May 2012 to July 2013 in POSCD‐China, a multicentric prospective cohort study, were enrolled. The primary endpoint was all‐cause death, and the secondary endpoint was SCD. In total, 71.3% of patients had non‐ischaemic CHF. The mean follow‐up time was 27.7 ± 12.0 months, and death occurred in 158 cases, with 35 cases of SCD. CHF was the main cause of death (68.4%), followed by sudden death (22.2%). In the CRT‐P group, the SCD rate was 8.0%, which was much higher than that in the CRT‐D (3.3%) and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (2.0%) groups. No significant differences were identified in the all‐cause death rate between the CRT‐D and CRT‐P groups (CRT‐D vs. CRT‐P, 20.4% vs. 19.4%, P = 0.840).

Conclusions

In China, among CHF patients with indications for primary prevention of SCD who received device implantation, non‐ischaemic CHF was the main aetiology, and the most important cause of death was heart failure. No differences in all‐cause death were observed between the CRT‐D and CRT‐P groups, but the CRT‐D group had a lower SCD rate than the CRT‐P group.
Sensory and pain modulation profiles of ongoing central neuropathic extremity pain in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Srotova Iva , Kocica Jan , Vollert Jan , Kolcava Jan , Hulova Monika , Jarkovsky Jiří , Dusek Ladislav , Bednarik Josef , Vlckova Eva
Published: November 2020

Background

Central neuropathic extremity pain (CNEP) is the most frequent type of pain in multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate sensory and pain modulation profiles in MS patients with CNEP.

Methods

In a single‐centre observational study, a group of 56 CNEP MS patients was compared with 63 pain‐free MS patients and with a sex‐ and age‐adjusted control group. Standardized quantitative sensory testing (QST) and dynamic QST (dQST) protocols comprising temporal summation and conditioned pain modulation tests were used to compare sensory profiles.

Results

Loss‐type QST abnormalities in both thermal and mechanical QST modalities prevailed in both MS subgroups and correlated significantly with higher degree of disability expressed as Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Comparison of sensory phenotypes disclosed a higher frequency of the ‘sensory loss’ prototypic sensory phenotype in the CNEP subgroup (30%) compared with pain‐free MS patients (6%; p = .003).

Conclusion

The role of aging process and higher lesion load in the spinothalamocortical pathway might be possible explanation for pain development in this particular ‘deafferentation’ subtype of central neuropathic pain in MS. We were unable to support the role of central sensitization or endogenous facilitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in the development of CNEP in MS.

Significance

This article presents higher prevalence of the ‘sensory loss’ prototypic sensory phenotype in multiple sclerosis patients with central extremity neuropathic pain compared to pain‐free patients. Higher degree of disability underlines the possible role of higher lesion load in the somatosensory pathways in this particular ‘deafferentation’ type of central neuropathic pain.
A novel method of high‐purity extracellular vesicle enrichment from microliter‐scale human serum for proteomic analysis
Authors: Ji Xiaohui , Huang Sisi , Zhang Jie , Bruce Terri F. , Tan Zhijing , Wang Donglin , Zhu Jianhui , Marcus R. Kenneth , Lubman David M.
Published: November 2020

We have developed a rapid, low‐cost, and simple separation strategy to separate extracellular vesicles (EVs) from a small amount of serum (i.e.,<100 μL) with minimal contamination by serum proteins and lipoprotein particles to meet the high purity requirement for EV proteome analysis. EVs were separated by a novel polyester capillary channel polymer (PET C‐CP) fiber phase/hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) method which is rapid and can process small size samples. The collected EV fractions were subjected to a post‐column cleanup protocol using a centrifugal filter to perform buffer exchange and eliminate potential coeluting non‐EV proteins while minimizing EV sample loss. Downstream characterization demonstrated that our current strategy can separate EVs with the anticipated exosome‐like particle size distribution and high yield (∼1 × 1011EV particles per mL of serum) in approximately 15 min. Proteome profiling of the EVs reveals that a group of genuine EV components were identified that have significantly less high‐abundance blood proteins and lipoprotein particle contamination in comparison to traditional separation methods. The use of this methodology appears to address the major challenges facing EV separation for proteomics analysis. In addition, the EV post‐column cleanup protocol proposed in the current work has the potential to be combined with other separation methods, such as ultracentrifugation (UC), to further purify the separated EV samples.
Review on Pore Structure Characterization and Microscopic Flow Mechanism of CO2 Flooding in Porous Media
Authors: Tang Yong , Hou Chengxi , He Youwei , Wang Yong , Chen Yulin , Rui Zhenhua
Published: November 2020

Understanding of pore structure and microscopic flow mechanism at pore‐scale is significant for enhancing oil recovery by carbon dioxide (CO2) flooding. Herein, the pore structure characterization and the microscopic flow mechanism of CO2 flooding are analyzed and compared. The pore structure can be captured using experimental analysis, image analysis, and digital core technique. The digital core approach shows broad applications for pore structure characterization as it is reusable and visible. Pore‐scale flow can be directly observed using visual models; however, the pressure and temperature that visual models can withstand need to be improved. Use of X‐ray computed tomography (CT) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is preferred to monitor the fluid transport and distribution during CO2 displacement in actual cores. The flow in porous media can be also modeled by molecular dynamics (MD) and the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The LBM is efficient in simulating multiphase fluid flow in porous media because it achieves parallel computing and can deal with complex boundaries. Herein, detailed analysis for pore structure characterization and of the microscopic flow mechanism of CO2 flooding in porous media is presented, which can further help to design and optimize CO2 flooding schemes to improve oil recovery.
Mixed Lagrangian formalism for dynamic analysis of self‐centering systems
Authors: Marzok Ameer , Lavan Oren
Published: November 2020

This paper presents two models for the analysis of self‐centering concentrically braced frames (SC‐CBFs) with multiple rocking sections. Both models are developed within the mixed Lagrangian formalism (MLF). For these models, MLF leads to a quadratic optimization problem at each time step where the internal forces at the end of the time step are the design variables. The first model is more general and explicitly models the truss elements. The second model is simplified and utilizes a macromodel. This model is easier to implement for initial designs, optimization, and parametric studies. For the purpose of formulating the simplified model, a new rotational contact element is developed and added to the MLF to describe the behavior of the rocking sections. Both models are compared to results obtained using the finite‐element method. Although the comparison shows a good agreement, MLF is shown to allow much larger time increments for convergence. This considerably reduces the computational effort and central processing unit time. The simplified model is extended for three‐dimensional analysis of SC‐CBFs. This shows that the proposed models can be easily extended using relatively simple transformation matrices.
Empirical nonergodic shaking scenarios based on spatial correlation models: An application to central Italy
Authors: Sgobba Sara , Lanzano Giovanni , Pacor Francesca
Published: November 2020

This paper provides a new methodological framework to generate empirical ground shaking scenarios, designed for engineering applications and civil protection planning. The methodology is useful both to reconstruct the ground motion pattern of past events and to generate future shaking scenarios, in regions where strong‐motion datasets from multiple events and multiple stations are available. The proposed methodology combines (1) an ad‐hoc nonergodic ground motion model (GMM) with (2) a spatial correlation model for the source region‐, site‐, and path‐systematic residual terms, and (3) a model of the remaining aleatory error to take into account for directivity effects. The associated variability is a function of the type of scenario generated (bedrock or site, past or future event) and it is minimal for source areas where several events have occurred and for sites where recordings are available. In order to develop the region‐specific fully nonergodic GMM and to compute robust estimation of the residual terms, the approach is calibrated on a highly dense dataset compiled for the area of central Italy. Example tests demonstrate the validity of the approach, which allows to simulate acceleration response spectra at unsampled sites, as well as to capture peculiar physical features of ground motion patterns in the region. The proposed approach could be usefully adopted for data‐driven simulations of ground shaking maps, as alternative or complementary tool to physic‐based and stochastic‐based approaches.
Design and experimental analysis of a dual‐cavity high‐concentration adaptive passive micro direct methanol fuel cell
Authors: Zuo Kaiyuan , Yuan Zhenyu
Published: November 2020

In this article, a high concentration adaptive direct methanol fuel cell based on a dual‐cavity structure is presented. The performance of the cell is investigated experimentally under different supply concentrations of methanol solution to detect the optimal working conditions. The advantages of the anode double‐cavity structure in high concentration and high energy density fuel supply are proved. The effects of stainless steel metal felt, plastic porous barrier layer, hydrophilic and hydrophobic filter membrane on cell performance are experimentally investigated.
Optimal energy management strategy for a renewable‐based microgrid considering sizing of battery energy storage with control policies
Authors: Quynh Nguyen Vu , Ali Ziad M. , Alhaider Mohammed M. , Rezvani Alireza , Suzuki Kengo
Published: November 2020

Microgrids (MGs) are known as suitable options to accommodatethe high penetration of renewable energies, like solar and wind. MGs have provided the requirements of controlling and adjusting these sources. In addition, batteries are becoming indispensable components of MGs because of their capabilities in addressing the renewable energies' power output intermittency. In MGs, the problem of smart energymanagement along with battery sizing has been introduced as the necessity to ensure the efficient use of renewable sources and decrease traditional fossil‐fuel‐based generation technology penetration level in power systems. Accordingly, a novel method is presented in this paper to effectively address the above‐mentioned requirements, utilizing the modified shuffled frog leaping algorithm (MSFLA), applied to different case studies. The results, obtained from the numerical simulation, are compared to several well‐established optimization approaches to verify the performance of MSFLA. In terms of computational efficiency and quality of the obtained solution, the MSFLA has demonstrated promising outcomes, together with superior performance in comparison with other algorithms. The results show that the presented framework, including the battery sizing, would be very beneficial to minimize the operating cost of MGs.
A brain tumor detection system using gradient based watershed marked active contours and curvelet transform
Authors: Görgel Pelin
Published: November 2020

Computer aided brain tumor detection is an efficient research area in brain image processing. In this study, a methodology called GWMAC‐CT (gradient based watershed marked active contours and curvelet transform) is proposed to detect the brain tumors in magnetic resonance (MR) images. The implemented system is based on skull removing, segmentation of region of interest (ROI), feature extraction, and ROI classification as tumor or nontumor. The proposed GWMAC is a two‐stage segmentation method which includes gradient based watershed transform (GWT) and improved active contours. The rough ROIs obtained with GWT are utilized as initial contours for the improved active contours method instead of marking initial contours manually. Curvelet transform‐based features of the exact ROI contours are classified via well‐known classification methods such as support vector machine (SVM), K‐nearest neighbors, random forest tree, and Naïve Bayes. Experiments are carried out on a set of brain MR images from BRATS database to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The performance evaluators such as accuracy, kappa statistics, false positive rate, precision, F1‐measure, and area under ROC curve are calculated as 96.81%, 0.927, 0.046, 0.905, 0.95, and 0.977, respectively with SVM.
Information transmission under increasing political tensions—Evidence from the Berlin Produce Exchange 1887–1896
Authors: Bohl Martin T. , Pütz Alexander , Siklos Pierre L. , Sulewski Christoph
Published: November 2020

This article studies the effects of increasing political uncertainty on the functioning of German futures markets. We examine a unique event, namely the discussions around and the final coming into force of the German Exchange Act of 1896. Using static and time‐varying vector error correction models, the empirical analysis shows that, although early futures markets exhibit a high degree of operational efficiency, increasing political tensions were related to a declining dominance of the futures market in the price discovery process. In summary, we provide a strong illustration of the negative consequences of misplaced regulatory attempts stemming from powerful political interests.
The impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on people with mild cognitive impairment/dementia and on their caregivers
Authors: Tsapanou Angeliki , Papatriantafyllou John D. , Yiannopoulou Konstantina , Sali Dimitra , Kalligerou Fedra , Ntanasi Eva , Zoi Panagiota , Margioti Eleni , Kamtsadeli Vasiliki , Hatzopoulou Maria , Koustimpi Maria , Zagka Athina , Papageorgiou Sokratis G. , Sakka Paraskeui
Published: November 2020

Background

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) was first detected in Mainland China in December 2019, and soon it spread throughout the world, with multiple physical and psychological consequences across the affected populations.

Aims

The aim of the current study was to analyze the impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/dementia and their caregivers as well.

Materials and Methods

Two hundred and four caregivers took part in the study, completing a self‐reported questionnaire about the person with MCI/dementia and their own, since the lockdown period which started in February and ended in May of 2020 in Greece.

Results

Results indicated a significant overall decline of the people with MCI/dementia. Further, the domains in which people with MCI/dementia were mostly affected were: communication, mood, movement and compliance with the new measures. Caregivers also reported a great increase in their psychological and physical burden during this period, where the available support sources were limited.

Discussion

The pandemic threatens to disrupt the basic routines that promote mental and physical health of both people with MCI/dementia and t heir caregivers.

Conclusion

Further measures to protect and provide support to people who suffer and their families are needed.
Hemodynamic response varies across tactile stimuli with different temporal structures
Authors: Wang Luyao , Li Chunlin , Chen Duanduan , Lv Xiaoyu , Go Ritsu , Wu Jinglong , Yan Tianyi
Published: November 2020

Tactile stimuli can be distinguished based on their temporal features (e.g., duration, local frequency, and number of pulses), which are fundamental for vibrotactile frequency perception. Characterizing how the hemodynamic response changes in shape across experimental conditions is important for designing and interpreting fMRI studies on tactile information processing. In this study, we focused on periodic tactile stimuli with different temporal structures and explored the hemodynamic response function (HRF) induced by these stimuli. We found that HRFs were stimulus‐dependent in tactile‐related brain areas. Continuous stimuli induced a greater area of activation and a stronger and narrower hemodynamic response than intermittent stimuli with the same duration. The magnitude of the HRF increased with increasing stimulus duration. By normalizing the characteristics into topographic matrix, nonlinearity was obvious. These results suggested that stimulation patterns and duration within a cycle may be key characters for distinguishing different stimuli. We conclude that different temporal structures of tactile stimuli induced different HRFs, which are essential for vibrotactile perception and should be considered in fMRI experimental designs and analyses.
Intermolecular interactions of the extended recognition site of VIM‐2 metallo‐β‐lactamase with 1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐thione inhibitors. Validations of a polarizable molecular mechanics potential by ab initio QC
Authors: Kwapien Karolina , Gavara Laurent , Docquier Jean‐Denis , Berthomieu Dorothée , Hernandez Jean‐François , Gresh Nohad
Published: November 2020

Molecular dynamics on the complexes of inhibitors with Zn‐metalloproteins are a privileged area of applications of polarizable molecular mechanics potentials. With which accuracy could these reproduce the QC intermolecular interaction energies in the two mono‐zinc cores and in the dizinc core, toward full‐fledged MD simulations on the entire protein complexes? We considered the complexes of the extended recognition site of a Zn‐dependent metallo‐β‐lactamase, VIM‐2, produced by bacteria responsible for nosocomial infections, with five newly synthesized inhibitors sharing an original dizinc binding group, 1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐thione (TZT). We considered the energy‐minimized structures of each of the five VIM‐2 complexes obtained with the SIBFA potential. Energy decomposition analyses (EDA) at the HF level enabled to compare the QC and the SIBFA ΔE values and their contributions in the zinc cores, with and without TZT, totaling 30 complexes. With one exception, the ΔE(QC) values were reproduced with relative errors <1.5%. We next considered the complex of the entire inhibitors with an extended model of VIM‐2 recognition site, totaling up to 280 atoms. ΔE(SIBFA) could closely reproduce ΔE(QC). EDA analyses were resumed on the complexes of each inhibitor arm with its interacting VIM‐2 residues. As a last step, EDA results at correlated levels were analyzed for the mono‐ and dizinc sites enabling comparisons with dispersion‐augmented ΔE(SIBFA) and correlated multipoles and polarizabilities. Closely reproducing ΔE(QC) and the contrasting trends of its individual contributions should enable for dependable free energy perturbation studies and comparisons to recent experimental ΔG values, limiting as much as possible the reliance on error compensations.
Efficacy of cobalt‐incorporated mesoporous silica toward photodegradation of Alizarin Red S and its kinetic study
Authors: Guru Tharividi Venkata Siva Parvathi Veera Satya , Krishna Vaddadi , Rajesh Ella
Published: November 2020

Cobalt‐incorporated mesoporous silica (Co‐MCM‐41) has been synthesized along with MCM‐41. The materials were characterized using powder X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption study techniques. The surface area (SBET, m2/g), pore size (Å), and pore volume (cc/g) have been found to be reduced in the Co‐MCM‐41 compared with MCM‐41. Furthermore, the Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X‐Ray spectroscopy (SEM‐EDAX) analysis has clearly shown the presence of the respective elements in the materials. The bandgap (eV) was also significantly reduced in the Co‐MCM‐41 compared with its parent template, observed by applying the Kubelka‐Munk function to the results of UV–Vis DRS. The materials were successfully used as photocatalysts in the photodegradation studies of the Alizarin Red S dye, and pseudo‐first‐order kinetics was performed using the Langmuir‐Hinshelwood kinetic model. All the required experimental conditions were optimized.
Catalytic transfer hydrogenation of 4‐O‐5 models in lignin‐derived compounds to cycloalkanes over Ni‐based catalysts
Authors: Chen Changzhou , Liu Peng , Xia Haihong , Zhou Minghao , Jiang Jianchun
Published: November 2020

There is an urgent need to develop a selective hydrogenolysis of Caryl‐O bonds in lignin to produce valued‐added chemicals and fuels. Recently, hydrogen has been used in the hydrogenation reaction, which hides inevitable danger and is not economical. Therefore, isopropanol, as a hydrogen‐donor solvent, is employed for aryl ether hydrogenolysis in lignin models over nickel supported on a carbon nanotube (CNT). Except for aromatic ether (4‐O‐5), the Ni/CNT catalyst is also found to be suitable for alkyl‐aryl ether (α‐O‐4 and β‐O‐4) cleavage in control experiments. The physicochemical characterizations were carried out by means of H2‐temperature‐programmed reduction, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The catalyst can be magnetically recovered and efficiently reused for five consecutive recycling tests in the transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ethers. A mechanism study indicated that the hydrogenolysis cleavage of the ether bond is the first step in the reaction process, and hydrogenation of aromatic rings is only a successive step in which phenol and benzene are intermediate states and are then further hydrogenated. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that aryl groups play an important role in the hydrogenation of phenol in the competitive catalytic hydrogenation reaction of phenol.
Differentially expressed microRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of non‐segmental vitiligo and their clinical significance
Authors: Zhang Zhibin , Yang Xinyue , Liu Ougen , Cao Xianwei , Tong Jianbo , Xie Ting , Zhang Jie , Peng Yating
Published: November 2020

Background

Vitiligo is a frequent acquired depigmentation skin disease due to a loss of melanocytes. This study sought to characterize the expression pattern of microRNA (miRNA) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of non‐segmental vitiligo (NSV) patients. We also screened for molecular markers that can be used to evaluate the clinical stages of NSV.

Methods

The miRNA expression profile in the PBMCs of four patients with progressive NSV and four healthy controls was determined using high‐throughput RNA sequencing. The divergently expressed miRNA was verified via qRT‐PCR in 26 progression, 26 stable NSV, and 26 healthy controls.

Results

Our findings posited that 323 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the PBMCs of NSV patients. The top 10 up‐regulated miRNAs in patients were hsa‐miR‐335‐5p, hsa‐miR‐20a‐5p, hsa‐miR‐514a‐3p, hsa‐miR‐144‐5p, hsa‐miR‐450b‐5p, hsa‐miR‐369‐3p, hsa‐miR‐101‐3p, hsa‐miR‐142‐5p, hsa‐miR‐19b‐3p, and hsa‐miR‐340‐5p. The top 10 down‐regulated miRNAs in patients were hsa‐miR‐4443, hsa‐miR‐1248, hsa‐miR‐6859‐3p, hsa‐miR‐668‐3p, hsa‐miR‐7704, hsa‐miR‐323a‐5p, hsa‐miR‐1237‐3p, hsa‐miR‐3127‐3p, hsa‐miR‐6735‐3p, and hsa‐miR‐127‐3p. The expressions of hsa‐miR‐20a‐5p in PBMCs of progressive and stable NSV were remarkably elevated relative to the healthy controls. In the characteristics curve analysis of hsa‐miR‐20a‐5p for differentiating progressive and stable NSV from normal subjects in PBMCs, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.92 and 0.81. Compared with patients in stable NSV, the hsa‐miR‐20a‐5p was markedly increased in PBMCs of progressive NSV patients, and the AUC was 0.81.

Conclusion

Our results showed that divergently expressed miRNAs contribute to the pathogenesis of NSV and that hsa‐miR‐20a‐5p can be applied as a biosignature for stage assessment in PBMCs of patients with NSV.
The severity of hepatic disorder is related to vertebral microstructure deterioration in cadaveric donors with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Jadzic Jelena , Cvetkovic Danica , Tomanovic Nada , Zivkovic Vladimir , Nikolic Slobodan , Milovanovic Petar , Djuric Marija , Djonic Danijela
Published: November 2020

Patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) commonly suffer from osteoporosis and vertebral fracture, but data about their vertebral micro‐architectural changes are still limited. This study aimed to evaluate the potential differences in trabecular micro‐architecture of lumbar vertebrae between male LC patients and healthy controls, in relation to etiology and pathohistological scoring of the liver disorder. After pathohistological examination of liver tissue, micro‐computed tomography was performed on the vertebral samples included into: alcoholic liver cirrhosis group (ALC; n = 16; age: 59 ± 8 years), non‐alcoholic liver cirrhosis group (non‐ALC; n = 15; age: 69 ± 10 years) and control group (n = 16; age: 58 ± 6 years). Our data showed significant impairment of the trabecular microstructure in the lumbar vertebrae from LC donors, regardless of the alcoholic/non‐alcoholic origin of liver disorder, as illustrated by lower BV/TV, Tb.Th, and Tb.N compared with controls (p < .05). Moreover, depredation in trabecular micro‐architecture was inversely associated with pathohistological scores (p < .05), indicating that severity of liver disorder could be an important predictor of reduced vertebral strength in LC. We noticed significant micro‐architectural deterioration in the trabecular compartment of the lumbar vertebrae of male individuals with alcoholic and non‐alcoholic LC, which was associated with the severity of the liver disease. Thus, clinical assessment of fracture risk should be advised for all LC patients, regardless of the alcoholic origin of liver cirrhosis. Additionally, adequate and timely treatment of liver disorder may decelerate the progression of bone impairment in LC patients.
A case of juvenile eosinophilic cholangitis: Rapid peripheral blood hypereosinophilia after admission leading to diagnosis
Authors: Fukatsu Shusaku , Kitamura Katsuya , Asai Yasutsugu , Nagai Kazumasa , Kikuchi Miho , Asano Kyoko , Tadokoro Kenichi , Yamanishi Fumito , Tomita Yusuke , Abe Masakazu , Wada Takuya , Matsue Yubu , Nutahara Daisuke , Taira Junichi , Nakamura Hironori , Itoi Takao
Published: November 2020

A 15‐year‐old boy was referred to our hospital with elevated hepatobiliary enzyme levels and jaundice. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography performed at the previous medical facility revealed a stricture of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct. Computed tomography showed dilatation and wall thickness of the intrahepatic bile ducts. Primary sclerosing cholangitis or cholangiocarcinoma was suspected. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed stricture in the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct. On admission, the eosinophil count in the peripheral blood was normal; however, rapid hypereosinophilia in the peripheral blood was observed after admission, leading us to suspect eosinophilic cholangitis (EC). A bile duct biopsy showed inflammatory cells and eosinophil infiltration during a second ERCP. The patient was diagnosed with EC based on histopathology.
Prognostic impact of lung adenocarcinoma second predominant pattern from a large European database
Authors: Bertoglio Pietro , Querzoli Giulia , Ventura Luigi , Aprile Vittorio , Cattoni Maria A. , Nachira Dania , Lococo Filippo , Rodriguez Perez Maria , Guerrera Francesco , Minervini Fabrizio , Gnetti Letizia , Bacchin Diana , Franzi Francesca , Rindi Guido , Bellafiore Salvatore , Femia Federico , Viti Andrea , Bogina Giuseppe S. , Kestenholz Peter , Ruffini Enrico , Paci Massimiliano , Margaritora Stefano , Imperatori Andrea S. , Lucchi Marco , Ampollini Luca , Terzi Alberto C.
Published: November 2020

Background and Objectives

Adenocarcinoma patterns could be grouped based on clinical behaviors: low‐ (lepidic), intermediate‐ (papillary or acinar), and high‐grade (micropapillary and solid). We analyzed the impact of the second predominant pattern (SPP) on disease‐free survival (DFS).

Methods

We retrospectively collected data of surgically resected stage I and II adenocarcinoma. Selection criteria: anatomical resection with lymphadenectomy and pathological N0. Pure adenocarcinomas and mucinous subtypes were excluded. Recurrence rate and factors affecting DFS were analyzed according to the SPP focusing on intermediate‐grade predominant pattern adenocarcinomas.

Results

Among 270 patients, 55% were male. The mean age was 68.3 years. SPP pattern appeared as follows: lepidic 43.0%, papillary 23.0%, solid 14.4%, acinar 11.9%, and micropapillary 7.8%. The recurrence rate was 21.5% and 5‐year DFS was 71.1%. No difference in DFS was found according to SPP (p = .522).

In patients with high‐grade SPP, the percentage of SPP, age, and tumor size significantly influenced DFS (p = .016). In patients with lepidic SPP, size, male gender, and lymph‐node sampling (p = .005; p = .014; p = .038, respectively) significantly influenced DFS.

Conclusions

The impact of SPP on DFS is not homogeneous in a subset of patients with the intermediate‐grade predominant patterns. The influence of high‐grade SPP on DFS is related to its proportion in the tumor.
Maximizing pleasure in day tours: Utility theory approach
Authors: Jana Rabin K. , Mitra Subrata K.
Published: November 2020

A personalized day tour planning problem is studied to maximize the total pleasure gained from the tour. The concept of utility theory is employed for this purpose. Considering the uniform and diminishing marginal pleasure intensities, two zero–one mixed integer nonlinear programming models are proposed. Both the models can accommodate preferred time slots, visits to specific spots, and spots diversity. A branch‐and‐bound algorithm is used to solve the proposed models. Finally, they are applied to solve the day tour problem for Delhi, India. The tour plan obtained using the diminishing marginal pleasure intensity offers an improved value of total pleasure.
Auditory Feedback Control of Vocal Pitch in Spasmodic Dysphonia
Authors: Thomas Arthur , Mirza Natasha , Eliades Steven J.
Published: November 2020

Objectives/Hypothesis

Hearing plays an important role in the maintenance of vocal control in normal individuals. In patients with spasmodic dysphonia (SD), however, the ability to maintain sustained control of phonation is impaired. The origins of SD are unknown, and it is unclear whether auditory feedback‐dependent vocal control is compromised in these patients.

Study Design

Prospective case‐control study.

Methods

We tested 15 SD patients and 11 age‐matched controls. Voice recordings were performed while subjects repeated the vowel /e/ and auditory feedback of their vocal sounds was altered in real‐time to introduce a pitch‐shift (±2 semitones), presented back to subjects using headphones. Recordings were analyzed to determine voice changes following the pitch‐shifted feedback. Results were further compared with patient demographics and subjective measures of dysphonia, including the Voice Handicap Index (VHI).

Results

Despite considerable pitch variability and vocal breaks, SD patients exhibited significantly higher average vocal pitch compensation than control subjects. SD patients also exhibited greater variability than controls. However, there were no significant correlations between vocal compensation and patient demographics, although there was a significant inverse correlation with VHI.

Conclusions

In this pilot study, patients with SD exhibited increased sensitivity to altered auditory feedback during sustained phonation. These results are consistent with recent theories of SD as a disorder of sensory‐motor feedback processing, and suggest possible avenues for future investigation.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 131:2070–2075, 2021
Multi‐Wavelength Photo‐Magnetic Imaging System for Photothermal Therapy Guidance
Authors: Algarawi Maha , Erkol Hakan , Luk Alex , Ha Seunghoon , Burcin Unlu Mehmet , Gulsen Gultekin , Nouizi Farouk
Published: November 2020

Background and Objectives

In photothermal therapy, cancerous tissue is treated by the heat generated from absorbed light energy. For effective photothermal therapy, the parameters affecting the induced temperature should be determined before the treatment by modeling the increase in temperature via numerical simulations. However, accurate simulations can only be achieved when utilizing the accurate optical, thermal, and physiological properties of the treated tissue. Here, we propose a multi‐wavelength photo‐magnetic imaging (PMI) technique that provides quantitative and spatially resolved tissue optical absorption maps at any wavelength within the near‐infrared (NIR) window to assist accurate photothermal therapy planning.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

The study was conducted using our recently developed multi‐wavelength PMI system, which operates at four laser wavelengths (760, 808, 860, and 980 nm). An agar tissue‐simulating phantom containing water, lipid, and ink was illuminated using these wavelengths, and the slight internal laser‐induced temperature rise was measured using magnetic resonance thermometry (MRT). The phantom optical absorption was recovered at the used wavelengths using our dedicated PMI image reconstruction algorithm. These absorption maps were then used to resolve the concentration of the tissue chromophores, and thus deduce its optical absorption spectrum in the NIR region based on the Beer–Lambert law.

Results

The optical absorption of the phantom was successfully recovered at the used four wavelengths with an average error of ~1.9%. The recovered absorption coefficient was then used to simulate temperature variations inside the phantom. A comparison between the modeled temperature maps and the MRT measured ones showed that these maps are in a good agreement with an average pseudo R2 statistic of 0.992. These absorption values were used to successfully recover the concentration of the used chromophores. Finally, these concentrations are used to accurately calculate the total absorption spectrum of the phantom in the NIR spectral window with an average error as low as ~2.3%.

Conclusions

Multi‐wavelength PMI demonstrated a great ability to assess the distribution of tissue chromophores, thus providing its total absorption at any wavelength within the NIR spectral range. Therefore, applications of photothermal therapy applied at NIR wavelengths can benefit from the absorption spectrum recovered by PMI to determine important parameters such as laser power as well as the laser exposure time needed to attain a specific increase in temperature prior to treatment. Lasers Surg. Med. 00:00–00, 2020. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC
High Molecular Weight Poly(methyl methacrylate) Synthesis Using Recyclable and Reusable Zeolitic Imidazole Framework‐8 Catalyst
Authors: Abdur Rahaman M. , Mousavi Bibimaryam , Shahadat Hossain M. , Akther Nishat , Chaemchuen Somboon , Verpoort Francis
Published: November 2020

Here, one‐step synthesis of high molecular weight poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA; 1000–1650 kg mol−1) is reported by using zeolitic imidazole framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) catalyst without any co‐catalyst in the absence of a solvent. This type of high molecular weight PMMA has different applications, mainly in gel polymer electrolyte and bone cement. Zwitterionic type mechanism is proposed where the active acid site of the catalyst dominates for initiation of polymerization. Without any significance loss of structural morphology and catalytic activity, ZIF‐8 can easily be recycled for further uses. ZIF‐8 exhibits superior activities for the synthesis of high molecular weight PMMA compared to the heterogeneous catalysts mentioned earlier.
Biostable highly aligned polyurethane fibres for the potential application of small calibre vascular grafting
Authors: Tan C.J. , Ang B.C. , Andriyana A. , Chagnon G.
Published: November 2020

Synthetic vascular grafting is necessarily when the autografting is not possible in some cases. Conventional polyethylene terephthalate and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene vascular grafts are found to be effective for diameter bigger than 6 mm but not for the diameter smaller than 4 mm due to the compliance mismatch and thrombogenicity. Endothelization on the surface of the graft can reduce the risks of compliance mismatch and thrombogenicity. In order to catalyst the endothelization process, fibrous morphology similar to the extracellular matrix of our body is preferable in the vascular grafts. Apart from that, the biostability of the grafts is also an essential element to be considered as the biodegradation may reduce the efficiency of the grafts. Many polyurethanes have been recognised as biostable materials. Hence, in this study, highly aligned polyurethane fibres are fabricated using a facile dry spinning technique in the view of providing effective sites for endothelization process to occur. These fibres are immersed into the simulated body fluid for as long as 24 weeks before conducting the biostability characterisations. The biostability is assessed in three aspects, physical, mechanical and chemical properties. Results show that the fibres do not have observable or significant deteriorations in all the three aspects mentioned.
Design and development of engineering component using natural rubber biocomposites
Authors: Patmanathan T. , Chai A.B. , Kamaruddin S.
Published: November 2020

The potential usage of natural rubber biocomposites in engineering products was investigated. The engineering product fabricated is a rubber bush which is widely used in the automobile industry. Three different types of rubber: 25 % mol epoxidised natural rubber, 50 % mol epoxidised natural rubber and deproteinised natural rubber reinforced with eggshell powder and oil palm fibres hybrid biofillers were studied. The mould flow simulation was carried out to study the flow of the rubber in an existing mould cavity. A thermogravimetric analysis was carried out on both the eggshell powder and oil palm fibres and it was observed that the eggshell powder is more stable thermally compared to the oil palm fibres. Static test was conducted to study the static stiffness properties. Dynamic test was also conducted to study the dynamic stiffness and the loss angle. The results of the tests showed promising mechanical properties of the 25 % mol epoxidised natural rubber biocomposites. Further research should be conducted on other biofillers that is capable of improving the properties of the rubber to replace the use of carbon black in the 25 % mol epoxidised natural rubber biocomposite.
Intraoperative vasopressors in head and neck free flap reconstruction
Authors: Taylor Robert J. , Patel Rusha , Wolf Bethany J. , Stoll William D. , Hornig Joshua D. , Skoner Judith M. , Hand William R. , Day Terry A.
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Historically, there were concerns vasopressors impair free flap outcomes, but recent studies suggest vasopressors are safe. Here we investigate this controversy by (1) evaluating vasopressors' effect on head and neck free‐flap survival and surgical complications, and (2) performing soft tissue and bony subset analysis.

Patients and methods

Post hoc analysis was performed of a single‐blinded, prospective, randomized clinical trial at a tertiary care academic medical center involving patients ≥18 years old undergoing head and neck free flap reconstruction over a 16‐month period. Patients were excluded if factors prevented accurate FloTrac™ use. Patients were randomized to traditional volume‐based support, or goal‐directed support including vasopressor use. Primary data was obtained by study personnel through intraoperative data recording and postoperative medical record review.

Results

Forty‐one and 38 patients were randomized to traditional and pressor‐based algorithms, respectively. Flap survival was 95% (75/79). There was no significant difference between the pressor‐based and traditional protocols' flap failure (1/38 [3%] vs. 3/41 [7%], RR 0.36, 95% CI of RR 0.04–3.31, p = .63) or flap‐related complications (12/38 [32%] vs. 18/41 [44%], RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.40–1.29, p = .36) Soft tissue flaps had surgical complication rates of 12/30 (40%) and 9/27 (33%) for traditional and pressor‐based protocols, respectively. Bony flaps had surgical complication rates of 6/11 (55%), and 3/11 (27%) for traditional and pressor‐based protocols, respectively.

Conclusions

Intraoperative goal‐directed vasopressor administration during head and neck free flap reconstruction does not appear to increase the rate of flap complications or failures.
Vitamin A and D Absorption in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome versus Healthy Controls: A Pilot Study Utilizing Targeted and Untargeted LC–MS Lipidomics
Authors: Chatelaine Haley , Dey Priyankar , Mo Xiaokui , Mah Eunice , Bruno Richard S. , Kopec Rachel E.
Published: November 2020

Scope

Persons with metabolic syndrome (MetS) absorb less vitamin E than healthy controls. It is hypothesized that absorption of fat‐soluble vitamins (FSV) A and D2 would also decrease with MetS status and that trends would be reflected in lipidomic responses between groups.

Methods and Results

Following soymilk consumption (501 IU vitamin A, 119 IU vitamin D2), the triglyceride‐rich lipoprotein fractions (TRL) from MetS and healthy subjects (n = 10 age‐ and gender‐matched subjects/group) are assessed using LC–MS/MS. Absorption is calculated using area under the time‐concentration curves (AUC) from samples collected at 0, 3, and 6 h post‐ingestion. MetS subjects have ≈6.4‐fold higher median vitamin A AUC (retinyl palmitate) versus healthy controls (P = 0.07). Vitamin D2 AUC is unaffected by MetS status (P = 0.48). Untargeted LC‐MS lipidomics reveals six phospholipids and one cholesterol ester with concentrations correlating (r = 0.53–0.68; P < 0.001) with vitamin A concentration.

Conclusions

The vitamin A‐phospholipid association suggests increased hydrolysis by PLB, PLRP2, and/or PLA2IB may be involved in the trend in higher vitamin A bioavailability in MetS subjects. Previously observed differences in circulating levels of these vitamins are likely not due to absorption. Alternate strategies should be investigated to improve FSV status in MetS.
Investigation and design of enhanced decoupled UWB MIMO antenna for wearable applications
Authors: Dey Amit Baran , Pattanayak Soumya Sundar , Mitra Debasis , Arif Wasim
Published: November 2020

A lightweight multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO) two‐element wearable ultra‐wideband (UWB) antenna having a port isolation of greater than 21 dB is introduced in this communication. The proposed structure includes wearable jeans cloth as a substrate, wherein two inverted u‐formed stubs are mounted in the middle position located on the backside of antenna and attached to the partially etched ground for enhancing the characteristics of port isolation. The developed UWB MIMO antenna has a size of 50 x 35 mm2 and covers the frequency range operating from 1.83 to 13.82 GHz (~153.2%). The suggested MIMO antenna is inexpensive and functions across a broad frequency range of applications including WLAN (2.4‐2.484 GHz/5.15‐5.35 GHz/5.72‐5.825 GHz), Downlink‐uplink WiMAX (3.2‐3.85 GHz), and C‐band (3.7‐4.2 GHz/5.925‐6.425 GHz). The diversity gain (DG) is found to be greater than 9.9 along with envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) to be less than 0.059 across the entire operating bandwidth. The proposed MIMO antenna's channel power loss is bestowed to be less than 0.35 bit/s/Hz. The SAR results of the proposed UWB MIMO design admits that the antenna performs satisfactorily and is suitable for wearable applications. Simulation and testing fairly proved the output of the proposed antenna as a righteous candidate applicable for UWB MIMO applications.
Theoretical analysis of thulium‐doped fiber amplifier based on in‐band pumping scheme
Authors: Mukhtar Sani , Aliyu Kabiru N. , Magam Musab G. , Qureshi Khurram Karim
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a rigorous theoretical analysis of a thulium doped fiber amplifier (TDFA) operating at around 1900 nm. The performance of the amplifier is analyzed based on the concentration of Tm3+ ions, TDF length, and the pumping power, respectively. A broadband gain of around 41 dB is demonstrated for a Tm3+ doped fiber length of 10 m, and an optimized pump power of 400 mW, while employing an in‐band pumping scheme. The minimum noise figure of 4.15 dB is achieved within a broad bandwidth of around 120 nm.