bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagenetic related flat spots within the Paleogene Sotbakken Group in the vicinity of the Senja Ridge, Barents Sea
Authors: Fawad Manzar , Mondol Nazmul Haque , Baig Irfan , Jahren Jens
Published: June 2019

Rock physics analyses of data from a wildcat well 7117/9-1 drilled in the Senja Ridge area, located in the Norwegian Barents Sea, reveal changes in stiffness within the fine-grained Paleogene Sotbakken Group sediments, caused by the transformation of opal-A to opal-CT, and opal-CT to quartz. These changes manifest as flat spots on 2D seismic profiles. These flat spots were mistaken as hydrocarbon–water contacts, which led to the drilling of well 7117/9-1. Rock physics analyses on this well combined with a second well (7117/9-2) drilled further NW and updip on the Senja Ridge indicate overpressure within the opal-CT-rich zones overlying the opal-CT to quartz transformation zones in the two wells. The absence of opal-A–opal-CT and opal-CT–quartz flat spots on seismic in the second well is attributed to differences in the temperature and timing of uplift. Amplitude v. angle (AVA) modelling indicates both the opal-A–opal-CT and opal-CT–quartz interface points plot on the wet trend, whereas modelled gas–brine, oil–brine and gas–oil contacts fall within quadrant-I. These findings will be useful in understanding the nature of compaction of biogenic silica-rich sediments where flat spots could be misinterpreted as hydrocarbon-related contacts in oil and gas exploration.
Description of chalk microporosity via automated mathematical morphology on scanning electron microphotographs
Authors: Meyer Aurelien G. , Nourani Meysam , Stemmerik Lars
Published: June 2019

The spatial geometry of microporosity influences fluid flow through chalk reservoirs and aquifers, and, hence, numerous geological processes. Analysing porosity is thus often critical in geological studies. Techniques such as mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) are expensive, and hence often inapplicable to many geological studies, which often necessitate the analysis of large numbers (hundreds) of samples.

However, scanning electron microscopes (SEM) have become widely available, and SEM imagery analysis, therefore, is cheaper and faster. However, extracting meaningful porosity descriptors from SEM images can be difficult, in part because of the difficulty in digitally separating pores in laterally continuous pore networks. Moreover, mathematical morphology can be automated to collect porosity parameters from hundreds of images in a short time frame. The technique also quantifies the shape complexity of porosity. Considering the influence of pore geometry on fluid flow, the capacity of image analysis to deconstruct the pore network by pore shapes is crucial when building flow models. This study concludes that mathematical morphology constitutes an alternative to other techniques in geological studies of microporosity. Lithologies dominated by micro- and nanoporosity, such as shales and tight sandstones, could also benefit from this technique.
Uncertainty-based False Information Propagation in Social Networks
Authors: Cho Jin-Hee , Rager Scott , O’Donovan John , Adali Sibel , Horne Benjamin D.
Published: June 2019

Many network scientists have investigated the problem of mitigating or removing false information propagated in social networks. False information falls into two broad categories: disinformation and misinformation. Disinformation represents false information that is knowingly shared and distributed with malicious intent. Misinformation in contrast is false information shared unwittingly, without any malicious intent. Many existing methods to mitigate or remove false information in networks concentrate on methods to find a set of seeding nodes (or agents) based on their network characteristics (e.g., centrality features) to treat. The aim of these methods is to disseminate correct information in the most efficient way. However, little work has focused on the role of uncertainty as a factor in the formulation of agents’ opinions. Uncertainty-aware agents can form different opinions and eventual beliefs about true or false information resulting in different patterns of information diffusion in networks.

In this work, we leverage an opinion model, called
Subjective Logic
(SL), which explicitly deals with a level of uncertainty in an opinion where the opinion is defined as a combination of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty, and the level of uncertainty is easily interpreted as a person’s confidence in the given belief or disbelief. However, SL considers the dimension of uncertainty only derived from a lack of information (i.e., ignorance), not from other causes, such as conflicting evidence. In the era of Big Data, where we are flooded with information, conflicting information can increase uncertainty (or ambiguity) and have a greater effect on opinions than a lack of information (or ignorance). To enhance the capability of SL to deal with ambiguity as well as ignorance, we propose an SL-based opinion model that includes a level of uncertainty derived from both causes. By developing a variant of the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered epidemic model that can change an agent’s status based on the state of their opinions, we capture the evolution of agents’ opinions over time. We present an analysis and discussion of critical changes in network outcomes under varying values of key design parameters, including the frequency ratio of true or false information propagation, centrality metrics used for selecting seeding false informers and true informers, an opinion decay factor, the degree of agents’ prior belief, and the percentage of true informers. We validated our proposed opinion model using both the synthetic network environments and realistic network environments considering a real network topology, user behaviors, and the quality of news articles. The proposed agent’s opinion model and corresponding strategies to deal with false information can be applicable to combat the spread of fake news in various social media platforms (e.g., Facebook).
SORT
Authors: Namazi Alireza , Safari Saeed , Mohammadi Siamak , Abdollahi Meisam
Published: June 2019

This article proposes a Semi Online Reliable Task (SORT) mapping approach to many-core platforms divided into two sections: offline and online. The offline section is a twofolded approach. It maintains the reliability of the mapped task graph against soft errors considering the reliability threshold defined by designers. As wear-out mechanisms decrease the lifetime of the system, our proposed approach increases the lifetime of the system using task migration scenarios. It specifies task migration plans with the minimum overhead using a novel heuristic approach. SORT maintains the required level of reliability of the task graph in the whole lifetime of the system using a replication technique with minimum replica overhead, maximum achievable performance, and minimum temperature increase. The online segment uses migration plans obtained in the offline segment to increase the lifetime and also permanently maintains the reliability threshold for the task graph during runtime. Results show that the effectiveness of SORT improves on bigger mesh sizes and higher reliability thresholds. Simulation results obtained from real benchmarks show that the proposed approach decreases design-time calculation up to 4,371% compared to exhaustive exploration while achieving a lifetime negligibly lower than the exhaustive solution (up to 5.83%).
A Conceptual Framework and Content Model for Next Generation Presentation Solutions
Authors: Roels Reinout , Signer Beat
Published: June 2019

Mainstream presentation tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint were originally built to mimic physical media like photographic slides and still exhibit the same characteristics. However, the state of the art in presentation tools shows that more recent solutions start to go beyond the classic presentation paradigms. For instance, presentations are becoming increasingly non-linear, content is quickly evolving beyond simple text and images and the way we author our presentations is becoming more collaborative. Nevertheless, existing presentation content models are often based on assumptions that do not apply to the current state of presentations any more, making them incompatible for some use cases and limiting the potential of end-user presentation solutions. In order to support state-of-the-art presentation functionality, we rethink the concept of a presentation and introduce a conceptual framework for presentation content. We then present a new content model for presentation solutions based on the Resource-Selector-Link (RSL) hypermedia metamodel. We further discuss an implementation of our model and show some example use cases. We conclude by outlining how design choices in the model address currently unmet needs with regards to extensibility, content reuse, collaboration, semantics, user access management, non-linearity, and context awareness, resulting in better support for the corresponding end-user functionality in presentation tools.
Behavioral Petri Net Mining and Automated Analysis for Human-Computer Interaction Recommendations in Multi-Application Environments
Authors: Theis Julian , Darabi Houshang
Published: June 2019

Process Mining is a famous technique which is frequently applied to Software Development Processes, while being neglected in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) recommendation applications. Organizations usually train employees to interact with required IT systems. Often, employees, or users in general, develop their own strategies for solving repetitive tasks and processes. However, organizations find it hard to detect whether employees interact efficiently with IT systems or not. Hence, we have developed a method which detects inefficient behavior assuming that at least one optimal HCI strategy is known. This method provides recommendations to gradually adapt users' behavior towards the optimal way of interaction considering satisfaction of users. Based on users' behavior logs tracked by a Java application suitable for multi-application and multi-instance environments, we demonstrate the applicability for a specific task in a common Windows environment utilizing realistic simulated behaviors of users.
Life-Tags
Authors: Aiordachioae Adrian , Vatavu Radu-Daniel
Published: June 2019

We introduce "Life-Tags," a wearable, smartglasses-based system for abstracting life in the form of clouds of tags and concepts automatically extracted from snapshots of the visual reality recorded by wearable video cameras. Life-Tags summarizes users' life experiences using word clouds, highlighting the "executive summary" of what the visual experience felt like for the smartglasses user during some period of time, such as a specific day, week, month, or the last hour. In this paper, we focus on (i) design criteria and principles of operation for Life-Tags, such as its first-person, eye-level perspective for recording life, passive logging mode, and privacy-oriented operation, as well as on (ii) technical and engineering aspects for implementing Life-Tags, such as the block architecture diagram highlighting devices, software modules, third-party services, and dataflows. We also conduct a technical evaluation of Life-Tags and report results from a controlled experiment that generated 21,600 full HD snapshots from six indoor and outdoor scenarios, representative of everyday life activities, such as walking, eating, traveling, etc., with a total of 180 minutes of recorded life to abstract with tag clouds. Our experimental results and Life-Tags prototype inform design and engineering of future life abstracting systems based on smartglasses and wearable video cameras to ensure effective generation of rich clouds of concepts, reflective of the visual experience of the smartglasses user.
GestureCards
Authors: Hesenius Marc , Gruhn Volker
Published: June 2019

Describing gestures in detail has various advantages for project teams: communication is simplified, interaction concepts are documented, and technical decisions are supported. Common gesture notations focus on textual or graphical elements only, but we argue that hybrid approaches have various advantages, especially because some gesture traits are easier to describe with text and others with arrows or icons. We present GestureCards, a hybrid gesture notation mixing graphical and textual elements we developed to describe multi-touch gestures. To evaluate our approach, we compared how users perceive and are affected by different notations. First, we compared GestureCards with a textual notation and observed advantages in terms of speed, correctness, and confidence. Second, we asked participants to compare GestureCards, a textual, and a graphical notation and rate them. The results indicate that the participants' perception depends on the gesture, but GestureCards received consistently good ratings. Third, we monitored several participants working with GestureCards solving practical development tasks for gesture-based applications and they felt well supported by GestureCards.
Unusual Etiology for Transaminitis
Authors: Zakharia Kais , Klair Jagpal Singh , Murali Arvind R.
Published: June 2019

An infection with Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) commonly affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The ectopic localization of an enterobius infectious is rare, especially in the liver. We report the case of a 37-year-old man who presented to the gastroenterology clinic with abdominal pain and was found to have elevated transaminases. Workup for acute/chronic liver disease was unrevealing. He underwent endoscopic evaluation showing a live pinworm in the colon. He was treated with albendazole with improvement in GI symptoms and resolution of his transaminitis. There are scarce reports in the literature describing pathognomonic, clinical, imaging, and laboratory findings for pinworm infection. Here, we attempt to review the literature for hepatic involvement with an enterobius infection and discuss the findings via this case.
Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1-Induced Protein in Age-Related Atrial Fibrillation and Its Association with Circulating Fibrosis Biomarkers
Authors: Zhang Gege , Abuduoufu Asiyanmu , Zhou Xianhui , Li Yaodong , Zhang Ling , Lu Yanmai , Zhang Jianghua , Xin Qiang , Tang Bao-Peng
Published: June 2019

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF), for which age is an independent risk factor, is the most common persistent arrhythmia. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-induced protein (MCPIP), a transcription factor that induces a series of inflammation and cell death procedures, has been indicated to cause cardiomyocyte death in ischemic cardiomyopathy. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between age-related AF and MCPIP. Methods: A total of 1,084 participants were included in this study, including 542 AF patients and 542 non-AF controls. Their medical histories were collected and analyzed. Moreover, blood samples were collected, and ELISA tests for expression of the inflammatory factor MCPIP and the fibrosis biomarkers pro-collagen type III N-terminal peptide (PIIINP) and type I collagen C-terminal telopeptide (ICTP) were conducted. Finally, a correlation analysis of these inflammatory factors and biomarkers was performed based on the ELISA results. Results: We compared the echocardiography results of AF patients and found that the left ventricular ejection fraction and left atrial appendage velocity decreased with age (p < 0.05). Moreover, ELISA analysis of these samples showed that the expression of MCPIP was the highest in elderly patients with AF (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in expression between adult AF patients and elderly controls (p > 0.05). Finally, the correlation analysis demonstrated that the expressions of MCPIP, PIIINP, and ICTP were positively correlated in the elderly AF patient group, the adult AF group, and the elderly control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: MCPIP expression was higher in age-related AF than in the other patient groups and it was associated with AF-induced fibrosis.
School Programs in Austria: A Combined Behavioral and Environmental Intervention to Promote Healthy Hydration
Authors: Schätzer Manuel , Schätzer Julia , Hoppichler Friedrich
Published: June 2019

Founded in 2005, the Austrian Special Institute for Preventive Cardiology and Nutrition (SIPCAN) has established the goal of improving nutrition education, behavior, and environment (e.g., beverages offered at vending machines). Due to the existing infrastructure, school staff, facilities, policies, and environments, the school setting provides a logical choice as a context for implementing interventions to promote healthy hydration practices. Thus SIPCAN specializes in developing and implementing school programs focusing on the target group of 10–18-year-old pupils. The education is delivered by an on-staff teacher with whom the school children are familiar, and it is aimed to reach the school children’s parents, to reinforce healthier hydration in the home environment. Therefore, no specially trained professionals are required. Additionally, such interventions require a minimum of money, effort, school time, and contain practical lessons regarding healthy nutrition and physical activity. Using achievable goals, the food and drink offered in school cafeterias and vending machines is changed, in a way that the target group is reached in the best possible way and the healthier choice clearly becomes the easier choice. Last year, every third school of the target group attended at least one of these programs. In the school year of 2017/18, SIPCAN influenced 153,000 students (21% of the target group) through various health promoting programs.
Genetics of Atopic Dermatitis: From DNA Sequence to Clinical Relevance
Authors: Løset Mari , Brown Sara J. , Saunes Marit , Hveem Kristian
Published: June 2019

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex disease that is thought to be triggered by environmental factors in genetically susceptible individuals. Twin studies have estimated the heritability of AD to be approximately 75%, with the null (loss-of-function) mutations of the gene encoding filaggrin (FLG) (chromosome 1q21.3) as the strongest known genetic risk factor. The discovery of the filaggrin gene was important in the emerging model for AD pathogenesis, combining skin barrier function with adaptive and innate immunity. Assisted by the recent development of large-scale high-throughput genomics, more than 30 genetic loci have been linked to AD across different populations. Identification of these loci, together with functional studies, has already provided new insights into disease biology and identified novel drug targets. Further, these susceptibility loci are laying the groundwork for phenome-wide association studies to test their multiple phenotype relationships and application of Mendelian randomization to investigate causal relationships. Despite many known genes, a majority of the genetic risk for AD is yet unexplored. Therefore, studies investigating refined phenotype groups, low-frequency and rare genetic variation, gene-gene and/or gene-environment interactions, epigenetic mechanisms and data from multi-omics technologies are warranted. In this review, we describe genetic discoveries for AD, including results from candidate gene studies, studies of AD-like genetic diseases, genome-wide association studies and genetic sequencing studies. We explain how some of these genetic discoveries have unraveled new mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of AD and exemplify how personal genetic data could be used for preventive strategies and a tailored treatment regimen (i.e., precision medicine).
Type 1 Autoimmune Pancreatitis with Imaging Appearance Similar to That of Malignant Cystic Tumor
Authors: Ezaki Takeshi , Masuda Atsuhiro , Shiomi Hideyuki , Nakagawa Takashi , Sofue Keitaro , Toyama Hirochika , Zen Yoh , Kodama Yuzo
Published: June 2019

A 79-year-old man was admitted with asymptomatic elevation of liver enzymes and tumor markers. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated swelling of the pancreatic head, and additional blood test showed raised IgG4 levels. Histological examination by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration for pancreatic head mass revealed storiform fibrosis and IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration. We diagnosed this case as type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). In addition, there was a cystic lesion in the pancreatic body apart from the pancreatic head mass. A mural nodule in the multilocular cyst was detected by EUS, and there was positive uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose in positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging. The preoperative diagnosis of this cystic lesion was intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma, and distal pancreatomy was performed. Histopathological findings showed various sizes of retention cysts caused by IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration around the pancreatic branch ducts. The mural nodule was a fibrotic mass with diffuse infiltration of IgG4-positive cells. This cystic lesion mimicking malignant cystic neoplasm occurred in relation to AIP. This case provided important information helping to understand the mechanism of formation of mural nodules in multilocular cysts in patients with type 1 AIP.
Generalized and Prolonged Use of Gentamicin-Lock Therapy Reduces Hemodialysis Catheter-Related Infections Due to Gram Negatives
Authors: Padilla-Orozco Magaly , Mendoza-Flores Lidia , Herrera-Alonso Alicia , Garza González Elvira , Gutiérrez Ferman Jessica Lizeth , Rodríguez-López Juan Manuel , Bocanegra-Ibarias Paola , Camacho-Ortiz Adrián
Published: June 2019

Introduction: The incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) ranges from 2.2 to 5.5 episodes per 1,000 catheter-days. Our aim was to evaluate the utility of a generalized and prolonged gentamicin-lock therapy in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) in a third-level hospital for the reduction in CRBSI. Methods: A prospective cohort analyzed before and after intervention. During intervention periods after each HD-session, the catheter lumens were locked with gentamicin/heparin for all patients compared to nonintervention periods were the same procedure was performed without gentamicin. Active surveillance was performed for HD CRBSI. Microbiologic assessment and epidemiological data were gathered. Continuous hand hygiene and water quality monitoring were performed. Results: The rates of CRBSI were reduced from 1.28 to 0.2 cases per 1,000 catheter-days when the lock therapy was employed (p = 0.001) The greatest reduction was for CRBSI caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were no cases were recorded during the intervention periods (p = 0.001). There was a significant reduction in the total number of isolates; Gram-negative bacterial species (–97.2%) and Gram-positive bacterial species (–61.5%) although only the former reached statistical significance (p = 0.0001). The difference in the absolute risk reduction was 20.56% (95% CI 14.46–26.66%), the calculated Number Needed to Treat was 5 (95% CI 3.8–6.9). No adverse effects were noted. Conclusion: In the current study, gentamicin-lock therapy was associated with a significant reduction in CRBSI specially with P. aeruginosa and other Gram-negative bacteria. It proved to be safe and effective intervention when applied to the entire population of HD patients.
Contemporary Trends in Clinical Outcomes among Dialysis Patients with Medicare Coverage
Authors: Weinhandl Eric D. , Ray Debabrata , Kubisiak Kristine M. , Collins Allan J.
Published: June 2019

Background: The dialysis patient population in the United States continues to grow. Trends in rates of death and hospitalization among dialysis patients have important consequences for outpatient dialysis capacity and Medicare spending. Objectives: To estimate contemporary trends in rates of death and hospitalization among dialysis patients in the United States, overall and within subgroups. Methods: We used Medicare Limited Data Sets (100% sample) in 2014–2017 to estimate trends in rates of death and hospitalization among dialysis patients with Medicare Parts A and B enrollment. We used seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models to identify secular trends in the incidence of outcomes. Results: There were 631,075 unique patients; 222,924 deaths; and 1,876,779 hospital admissions. Weekly risks of both death and hospitalization exhibited strong seasonality. However, overall weekly risks of death were 34.9, 35.4, 35.2, and 35.7 deaths per 10,000 patients in 2014–2017, respectively (p = 0.47, from a likelihood ratio test of secular trend). The overall weekly risk of hospitalization was 3.08, 3.05, 3.11, and 3.11% in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively (p = 0.30). There were significant secular trends in risk of death in subgroups defined by black race and residency in South Atlantic states (p < 0.05). There were also secular trends in risk of hospitalization in subgroups defined by age 20–44 years, concurrent enrollment in Medicaid, and residency in South Central states. Conclusion: For the first time since the beginning of this century, rates of both death and hospitalization among dialysis patients with Medicare fee-for-service coverage have stagnated. The reasons for this change are unknown and require detailed assessment. Persistent lack of change in clinical outcomes may alter the future expectations about dialysis patient population growth.
Validation of Asia-Pacific Colorectal Screening Score for Asymptomatic Participants and Outpatients in Northwest District of China
Authors: Jiang Wei , Li Wenyan , Li Qianqian , Liu Aiqin , Huang Wenyu , Hao Qian , Zhai Huihong
Published: June 2019

Introduction: Asia-Pacific Colorectal Screening (APCS) score has been implemented for colorectal cancer screening in asymptomatic cohort in many regions. However, no study has validated its efficiency in Asian outpatients with mild-self-limited gastrointestinal symptoms yet. The purpose of this study was to validate its efficiency in asymptomatic subjects and outpatients in Ningxia. Methods: The records of 329 asymptomatic participants and 300 outpatients were collected and analyzed from database in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from September 2017 to April 2018. These 2 main groups were divided into 3 tiers based on the scores calculated by the category of APCS score. The detection rates of advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACRN) were further compared according to histopathological classifications of tissues acquired during colonoscopy. Results: Among the 329 participants screened in the asymptomatic cohort, 78 subjects (23.7%) were in the low-risk (LR) tier, 187 subjects (56.8%) in the moderate-risk (MR) tier, and 64 subjects (19.5%) in the high-risk (HR) tier. The percentage of ACRN in the LR, MR, and HR groups was 1.3, 8.6, and 20.3%, respectively. In the 300 outpatient cohorts, 78 patients (26%) were in the LR tier, 140 patients (46.7%) in the MR tier, and 82 patients (27.3%) in the HR tier. The detection rates of ACRN in the LR, MR, and HR groups were 0, 10, and 39%, respectively. Conclusion: APCS score is an effective method for ACRN screening in asymptomatic and also the outpatient subjects. Individuals with HR scores should be given priority for colonoscopy.
Prevalence and Socioeconomic Status of Patients with Genetic Myopathy in Korea: A Nationwide, Population-Based Study
Authors: Hong Ji-Man , Choi Young-Chul , Shin Seohee , Lee Jung Hwan , Shin Ha Young , Kim Seung Min , Lee Myung Jun , Park Hyung Jun
Published: June 2019

Background: Genetic myopathy is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of genetic disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of skeletal muscles. Epidemiological studies of genetic myopathy have not yet been performed in Korea. Objectives: This study used data from the national health insurance claims database to determine the prevalence and socioeconomic status of patients with genetic myopathy in Korea. Methods: We analyzed the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database from 2007 to 2011. Patients with genetic myopathy were defined based on diagnostic and procedure codes. We then evaluated the prevalence, types of health insurances, and medical expenses of these patients. Results: During the 11-year study period, 2,988 patients with genetic myopathy were enrolled. Among them, 1,762 were men and 1,226 were women. The prevalence per 100,000 population in 2017 was 3.09 (3.94 for men and 2.24 for women). The prevalence of genetic myopathy among men <35 years old (8.33 per 100,000 population) was approximately twice that among women <35 years old (4.06 per 100,000 population). However, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of genetic myopathy among those ≥35 years old according to sex. The ratio of patients using medical aid among all genetic myopathy patients was approximately 4 times than that among the general population in Korea. The medical expenses per person for genetic myopathy increased from USD 2,027 in 2007 to USD 4,810 in 2017. Conclusions: Our study was the first nationwide epidemiologic study of the prevalence and socioeconomic status of patients with genetic myopathy in Korea. Our results confirmed a sex divergence in a younger population and those with low socioeconomic status among patients with genetic myopathy.
Early Clinical Impact of Cerebral Embolic Protection in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Kroon Herbert G. , van der Werf Hindrik W. , Hoeks Sanne E. , van Gils Lennart , van den Berge Fauve R. , El Faquir Nahid , Rahhab Zouhair , Daemen Joost , Poelman Janny , Schurer Remco A.J. , van den Heuvel Ad , de Jaegere Peter , van der Harst Pim , Van Mieghem Nicolas M.
Published: June 2019

Background:

We aimed to compare the rate of neurological events in patients with or without cerebral embolic protection (CEP) during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods and Results:

Data on clinical end points including neurological events ≤30 days post-TAVR were collected for all patients who underwent transfemoral TAVR in 2 academic tertiary care institutions. Patients were matched through propensity scoring, which resulted in 333 pairs of patients with versus without CEP out of a total of 831 consecutive patients. The median age was 81 (76–85) years, and the median logistic EuroScore was 14% (9%–20%). The CEP group experienced less neurological events at 24 hours (1% versus 4%;
P
=0.035) and at 30 days (3% versus 7%;
P
=0.029). There were significantly more disabling strokes in unprotected patients at 30 days (1% versus 4%;
P
=0.039). CEP was associated with significantly fewer neurological events at 24 hours after TAVR (odds ratio, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.06–0.73;
P
=0.015) by multiple regression analysis, while age and valve type did not contribute significantly. Overall, 67% (2 of 3) in the CEP versus 83% (10 of 12) in the non-CEP cohort experienced neurological events in protected areas (ie, not dependent on the left vertebral artery).

Conclusions:

The use of filter-based CEP during TAVR was associated with less neurological events, especially in CEP-protected brain territories.
Identification of Celastramycin as a Novel Therapeutic Agent for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Kurosawa Ryo , Satoh Kimio , Kikuchi Nobuhiro , Kikuchi Haruhisa , Saigusa Daisuke , Al-Mamun Md. Elias , Siddique Mohammad A.H. , Omura Junichi , Satoh Taijyu , Sunamura Shinichiro , Nogi Masamichi , Numano Kazuhiko , Miyata Satoshi , Uruno Akira , Kano Kuniyuki , Matsumoto Yotaro , Doi Takayuki , Aoki Junken , Oshima Yoshiteru , Yamamoto Masayuki , Shimokawa Hiroaki
Published: June 2019

Rationale:

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by enhanced proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) accompanying increased production of inflammatory factors and adaptation of the mitochondrial metabolism to a hyperproliferative state. However, all the drugs in clinical use target pulmonary vascular dilatation, which may not be effective for patients with advanced PAH.

Objective:

We aimed to discover a novel drug for PAH that inhibits PASMC proliferation.

Methods and Results:

We screened 5562 compounds from original library using high-throughput screening system to discover compounds which inhibit proliferation of PASMCs from patients with PAH (PAH-PASMCs). We found that celastramycin, a benzoyl pyrrole–type compound originally found in a bacteria extract, inhibited the proliferation of PAH-PASMCs in a dose-dependent manner with relatively small effects on PASMCs from healthy donors. Then, we made 25 analogs of celastramycin and selected the lead compound, which significantly inhibited cell proliferation of PAH-PASMCs and reduced cytosolic reactive oxygen species levels. Mechanistic analysis demonstrated that celastramycin reduced the protein levels of HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor 1α), which impairs aerobic metabolism, and κB (nuclear factor-κB), which induces proinflammatory signals, in PAH-PASMCs, leading to reduced secretion of inflammatory cytokine. Importantly, celastramycin treatment reduced reactive oxygen species levels in PAH-PASMCs with increased protein levels of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), a master regulator of cellular response against oxidative stress. Furthermore, celastramycin treatment improved mitochondrial energy metabolism with recovered mitochondrial network formation in PAH-PASMCs. Moreover, these celastramycin-mediated effects were regulated by ZFC3H1 (zinc finger C3H1 domain-containing protein), a binding partner of celastramycin. Finally, celastramycin treatment ameliorated pulmonary hypertension in 3 experimental animal models, accompanied by reduced inflammatory changes in the lungs.

Conclusions:

These results indicate that celastramycin ameliorates pulmonary hypertension, reducing excessive proliferation of PAH-PASMCs with less inflammation and reactive oxygen species levels, and recovered mitochondrial energy metabolism. Thus, celastramycin is a novel drug for PAH that targets antiproliferative effects on PAH-PASMCs.
A new species of Rhynchosia (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) from Bahia State, Brazil
Authors: BEZERRA LUÍSA MARIA DE PAULA ALVES , OLIVEIRA ANA CARLA DA SILVA , SANTOS SILVA JULIANA , VARGAS WANDERLEIA DE , CÂNDIDO ELISA SILVA , MONTEIRO THIAGO COBRA E , VATANPARAST MOHAMMAD , FORTUNA PEREZ ANA PAULA
Published: June 2019

During a taxonomic study of Rhynchosia in Brazil and intensive field work, a new species from Bahia, R. lewisii, was discovered. The new species is herein described, illustrated and its morphological affinities with related species are presented. Additionally, the conservation status of the new species is discussed, and a key to the taxa of Rhynchosia that occur in the Bahia is provided.
Introducing Arthrinium phyllostachium sp. nov. (Apiosporaceae, Xylariales) on Phyllostachys heteroclada from Sichuan Province, China
Authors: YANG CHUN-LIN , XU XIU-LAN , DONG WEI , WANASINGHE DHANUSHKA N. , LIU YING-GAO , HYDE KEVIN D.
Published: June 2019

Arthrinium phyllostachium sp. nov. collected in Sichuan Province is described and illustrated from decaying culms of Phyllostachys heteroclada. Its phylogenetic placement is explored with a combined ITS, LSU, TUB2 and TEF 1-α dataset. It is introduced as a new novelty mainly based on phylogeny, and phylogenetic close to A. euphorbiae, A. malaysianum and A. vietnamensis, however it can be split from other taxa with a distinct clade and base pair differences. It is characterized by uni-loculate conidiomata with a slit-like opening, holoblastic conidiogenous cells and olive to dark brown conidia usually with a longitudinal germ-slit. An updated phylogram for Arthrinium based on multi-loci analysis is also provided.
A new species of Amphinemura (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from China
Authors: LI WEIHAI , YANG DING
Published: June 2019

A new species of the subfamily Amphinemurinae, Amphinemura hainana sp. nov., is described based on several collections from Palaearctic and Oriental China. The species is diagnosed by a pair of large dorsolateral projections on male tenth tergum, terminal costal crossveins reduced or absent, and a pair of vaginal lobes with a thickened inner portion of the female subgenital plate. The new species is compared with other Amphinemura.
Supplement of the genus Diestramima Storozhenko, 1990 (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae) from China
Authors: WANG PING , ZHU QIDI , SHI FUMING
Published: June 2019

This paper describes two new species of the genus Diestramima from China, i.e. Diestramima arbora sp. nov. and Diestramima lamina sp. nov. The morphological photographs of the two species are provided. All specimens are preserved in the Museum of Hebei University.
Two new species of Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till (Acari: Laelapidae) from Sri Lanka
Authors: JOHARCHI OMID , KHAUSTOV ALEXANDER A. , ERMILOV SERGEY G.
Published: June 2019

Two new mite species of the genus Gaeolaelaps (Laelapidae), G. lankaensis sp. nov. and G. setillus sp. nov., collected from soil-litter in Sri Lanka, are described and illustrated based on morphological characters of the adult females. Both species have the unusual character state of a three-tined palp tarsal claw. The genus Gaeolaelaps is reported for the first time from Sri Lanka. An updated key to the species with a three-tined palp tarsal claw is presented.
Multifunctional A7R Peptide-Modified Hollow Mesoporous Silica@Ag2S Nanotheranostics for Photoacoustic/Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging-Guided Tumor-Targeted Chemo-Photothermal Therapy
Authors: Wu Jianrong , Bremner David H. , Niu Shiwei , Li Dejian , Tang Ranran , Zhu Li-Min
Published: June 2019

The fabrication of theranostic nanoplatforms which combine diagnostic and therapeutic functions have become an emerging approach for personal nanomedicine. Herein, a multifunctional nanoplatform consisting of A7R peptide (ATWLPPR) conjugated hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles decorated
with Ag2S nanodots (Ag2S@HMSs-A7R) has been developed as an efficient theranostic agent for simultaneous photoacoustic (PA) imaging and near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF)-guided targeted chemotherapy and photothermal therapy against human breast cancer MDA-MB-231
cells. The design of Ag2S doped HMSs by in situ controlled growth of ultrasmall Ag2S nanodots in the mesopores of HMSs. The synthesized multifunctional nanoplatform exhibits high doxorubicin (DOX) loading capability (451 mg/g) and can be precisely controlled by
glutathione (GSH), acidic environment and external laser irradiation. Thanks to the strong tunable NIR absorbance of Ag2S, the nanoplatform produce effective photoacoustic capacity and superb photothermal conversion under light irradiation, thereby exhibiting sufficient in vivo
fluorescence and photoacoustic signals as well as desirable photothermal therapeutic performance. Importantly, A7R peptide can selectively bind the Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) receptor which overexpressed by the MDA-MB-231 cells. The achieved Ag2S@HMSs-A7R possess ideal imaging capability
for both PA and NIRF imaging in vivo, and the anti-tumor effect of Ag2S@HMSs(DOX)-A7R was studied in vitro and in vivo, showing remarkable synergistic chemo-photothermal effect (combination index, CI < 1). Over all, the strategy of utilizing triple-responsive
nanocarriers presents a highly promising potential as an efficient method for cancer theranostics.
Nano-Porous Silica Aerogels as Promising Biomaterials for Oral Drug Delivery of Paclitaxel
Authors: Wang Xiaoxiao , Wang Jinmei , Feng Sishen , Zhang Zhian , Wu Chao , Zhang Xuxu , Kang Feiyu
Published: June 2019

Not only dose oral administration have the highest safety, convenience and patient compliance, but also can improve patients' quality of life and reduce health care costs in many cases when compared to the parenteral route. However, many drugs, especially most anticancer drugs such
as paclitaxel (PTX), are not orally bioavailable, which is attributed to low aqueous solubility, poor intestinal permeability, and the high level of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux. In this study, we developed a nano-porous silica aerogel delivery system for oral administration of PTX that improved
the bioavailability, reduced the side effects of the drug and inhibited tumor growth. The advantages of nano-porous silica aerogel include very high porosities, vast specific surface areas, high drug-loading rate, high biological safety, excellent biocompatibility, and biological inertia,
which can also be applied to a variety of drugs. The aerogel delivery system is a universal pharmaceutical system that has huge potential in the field of pharmacy.
Development of the iCubate Molecular Diagnostic Platform Utilizing Amplicon Rescue Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Liu Hongna , Heflin Kathryn , Han Jian , Conover Matt , Wagner Leslie , Bertrand Jeff , Ewing Phillip , Lu Stanley , Clemmons Scott , Watts John , Li Song
Published: June 2019

We utilized Amplicon-Rescue Multiplex PCR (ARM-PCR) and microarray hybridization to develop and validate the iC-GPC Assay, a multiplexed, in vitro diagnostic test that identifies five of the most common gram positive bacteria and three clinically relevant resistance markers associated
with bloodstream infections (BSI). The iC-GPC Assay is designed for use with the iC-System™, which automates sample preparation, ARM-PCR, and microarray detection within a closed cassette. Herein, we determined the limit of detection for each of the iC-GPC Assay targets to be between
3.0 × 105–1.7 × 107 CFU/mL, well below clinically relevant bacterial levels for positive blood cultures. Additionally, we tested 106 strains for assay inclusivity and observed a target performance of 99.4%. 95 of 96 non-target organisms tested negative
for cross-reactivity, thereby assuring a high level of assay specificity. Overall performance above 99% was observed for iC-GPC Assay reproducibility studies across multiple sites, operators and cassette lots. In conclusion, the iC-GPC Assay is capable of accurately and rapidly identifying
bacterial species and resistance determinants present in blood cultures containing gram positive bacteria. Utilizing molecular diagnostics like the iC-GPC Assay will decrease time to treatment, healthcare costs, and BSI-related mortality.
Bioinspired Drug Delivery Carrier for Enhanced Tumor-Targeting in Melanoma Mice Model
Authors: Wang Xu , Liang Gao-Feng , Hao Xue-Qin , Feng Shu-Ying , Dai Lu , An Jun-Ling , Li Jing-Hua , Shi Hao , Feng Wen-Po , Zhang Xin
Published: June 2019

As a widely used first-line chemotherapy drug for tumor, Doxorubicin (DOX) can induce various side effects on normal tissues because of its non-specific distribution in the body. Emerging evidence has shown that platelets have the capability to recognize and interact with tumor cells.
Inspired by this, the platelet-based drug delivery system was constructed by loading of DOX in platelet cytoplasm and modification of transferrin on the surface of platelet (Tf-P-DOX). The encapsulation efficiency of DOX in platelet was the highest at the DOX concentration of 0.05 mM, and
reached to 64.9%. Fluorescence microscopy showed that the Tf-P-DOX facilitated cell uptakes and enhanced intracellular drug accumulation in B16F10 cells. Compared with free DOX, Tf-P-DOX exhibited an enhanced effect on cell apoptosis at the same concentration of DOX. In vivo imaging
system showed that the near-infrared fluorescence of B16F10 tumor-bearing mice was mainly accumulated in the tumor site, which caused the inhibition of tumor growth in mice. The morphological changes of tumor tissue in Tf-P-DOX group was significant in comparison with those of the control
group, including the small nucleus, the insufficiency of cancerous nest, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells, while Tf-P-DOX did not show significant adverse effects on normal tissues. Compared with the control group, the levels of caspase 9 and caspase 3 protein expressions were increased
significantly in Tf-P-DOX group. Our studies suggest platelets can be repurposed as promising carriers for efficient targeting and treatment of solid tumors.
eIF6 Promotes Colorectal Cancer Proliferation and Invasion by Regulating AKT-Related Signaling Pathways
Authors: Lin Jinxin , Yu Xihu , Xie Liping , Wang Puning , Li Tuoyang , Xiao Yuanlv , Zhou Jiaming , Peng Shaoyong , Huang Jun , Luo Yanxin , Huang Meijin , Wang Jianping
Published: June 2019

Although abnormal expression of eukaryotic initiation factor 6 (eIF6) has been found in several human solid tumors, the functions and underlying mechanisms of eIF6 in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) still needs further elucidation. In the present study, large-scale gene analysis
based on Oncomine and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database revealed significantly higher baseline expression of eIF6 in colorectal cancer than in normal tissues. Furthermore, our Chinese cohort study revealed that high expression of eIF6 was correlated with aggressive characteristics and
poor survival in CRC patients. Functional studies using magnetic nanoparticle extraction indicated that eIF6 was an oncogene in CRC cells. Regarding its mechanism, through Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analysis based on TCGA RNAseq database, we found that eIF6 can activate multiple AKT-related
cancer signaling pathways, such as p-AKT\MMP1\cyclinD1\Bcl2-related signaling, to regulate cell proliferation, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis in CRC. Collectively, these findings suggested that eIF6 can positively regulate AKT-related cancer signaling and enhance tumorigenicity in CRC,
and may serve as a potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target in CRC.
Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Biosensor for Circulating Tumor Cells Detection via Dual-Aptamer Capture and Rolling Circle Amplification Strategy
Authors: Wang Yang , Chang Kai , Yang Cheng , Li Shujing , Wang Lixin , Xu Huan , Zhou Lin , Zhang Wenqing , Tang Xiaoqi , Wang Yunxia , Chen Ming
Published: June 2019

A fast and simple strategy for early detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is urgently required because of cancer metastasis. In this work, we assembled an electrochemical biosensor by two aptamers that could form hairpin and specifically recognize K562 cells. The thiolated capture
aptamer was fixed on the gold electrode surface. The detection aptamer was linked with a primer at 3 end which could trigger rolling circle amplification to prolong the sequence of aptamer. The dual-aptamer model was fabricated to improve the capture specificity and efficiency for K562 cells.
The rolling circle amplification improved the detection sensitivity by inhibiting electron transfer of [Fe(CN)6]3–/4– which could be measured by differential pulse voltammetry. The detection limit of 25 cells mL–1 and linear ranges of 1 ×
10 2 to 1 × 105 cells mL–1 were obtained under optimal experimental conditions. Our work exhibited a label-free and simple method for detecting CTCs using cell-specific aptasensor, showing an expected possibility for further CTCs-related study and
clinical applications of this novel method.