bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Airway stenting: Technological advancements and its role in interventional pulmonology
Authors: Guibert Nicolas , Saka Hideo , Dutau Hervé
Published: March 2020

AS offers rapid and sustained relief of symptoms in most patients treated for malignant or benign CAO and can also be curative in itself in cases of benign tracheobronchial stenosis. In the past 30 years, this field has seen significant progress, from the misuse of vascular non‐covered metallic stents to the development of silicone airway stents with an increasingly large panel of shapes and of hybrid, partially or fully covered, SEMS customized to the airways. This study aims to offer an overview on: (i) the respective advantages and drawbacks of these two main categories of devices; (ii) the main indications for AS and the rationale behind the choice of stent in each situation; and (iii) the main promises borne from the progress made in the field in the past few years, including the development of drug‐eluting, biodegradable or patient‐specific customized AS.
A note on risk and value from an underutilized dataset: Consolidated disclosures
Authors: Scordis Nicos
Published: March 2020

This essay highlights an underutilized source of data in insurance research: The consolidated data insurance holding companies disclose in Form 10‐K to their investors. A reinsurance example demonstrates that using consolidated data, as a complement to individual company statutory data, has the potential to extend insights gleaned from statutory data alone. Consolidated data, however, is limited to publicly traded insurers.
Experimental studies on computed tomographic peritoneography. Peritoneal and residual renal function tolerance to iodinated contrast media injected into the peritoneal cavity
Authors: Bai Jiao , Dong Jing , Shu Jian , Xu Yang , Ding Wenfei , Chen Jing
Published: March 2020

Computed tomographic (CT) peritoneography has been widely used as reference standard to evaluate continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis‐related complications. However, given the varying CT peritoneography approaches used across different institutions, there is no standard value for non‐ionic iodinated contrast media (ICM) concentration. Few studies have currently investigated whether non‐ionic iodinated contrast media (non‐ionic ICM) affects peritoneal function or residual renal function (RRF). This study aimed to determine whether different non‐ionic ICM concentrations affect peritoneum and RRF and attempted to evaluate CT peritoneography images to identify the optimal non‐ionic ICM concentrations in animals. To this end, 25 male Sprague‐Dawley rats were used to establish uraemic models, after which they were injected with a 40‐mL mixture of peritoneal dialysate and iohexol at varying concentrations prior to CT peritoneography. Thereafter, two experienced radiologists blinded to the rat groupings evaluated image quality, peritoneal morphology and thickness were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining, and RRF was evaluated using serum creatinine levels hematoxylin and eosin staining of pathological kidney sections. Briefly, non‐ionic ICM had negligible effects on the peritoneum and RRF. Our results suggest that a mixture containing 50 mL (350 mgI/mL) iohexol/2 L peritoneal dialysate can be used as reference in rats.
Ethnic hair: Thermoanalytical and spectroscopic differences
Authors: Oliver Marc A. , Coderch Luisa , Carrer Victor , Barba Clara , Marti Meritxell
Published: March 2020

Background

The aim of this study is to characterize and detect the possible differences among the hair of three different ethnicities: African, Asiatic and Caucasian.

Materials and Methods

The differences in water adsorption/desorption behaviour of hairs were studied using a thermogravimetric balance and compared with the analysis of the lipid distribution and order using synchrotron‐based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy. Besides, the thermal thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses on human hair were executed.

Results

Differences in the diffusion coefficients were evidenced. African hair exhibited increased permeability. Caucasian hair displayed a higher water absorption capability with increasing humidity but with a slow diffusion rate. The Asian fibre appeared to be more resistant to hydration changes. The spectroscopic analysis showed notable differences in the cuticle lipids. The African cuticle exhibited more lipids with a lower order bilayer. The outmost layer of Caucasian fibres contained more ordered lipids, and the Asian fibres show a very low level of lipids on the cuticle region. The DSC results indicate no difference in the thermal stability and TG showed higher water content in the Caucasian fibre and a possible lower cysteine disulphide bond content in the African hair matrix.

Conclusion

The triple approach demonstrated the permeability differences among the ethnic fibres and their correlation with the properties of their cuticle lipids. These differences could have particular relevance to the hair care cosmetic market.
Aqueous tear assessment in dogs: Impact of cephalic conformation, inter‐test correlations, and test‐retest repeatability
Authors: Bolzanni Hellen , Oriá Arianne P. , Raposo Ana Claudia S. , Sebbag Lionel
Published: March 2020

Objective

To characterize diagnostic findings, test‐retest repeatability, and correlations among lacrimal tests in dogs of diverse cephalic conformations.

Animal studied

Fifty healthy dogs (25 brachycephalic, 25 nonbrachycephalic).

Procedures

A series of diagnostics were performed in each dog, allowing for a 10‐minute interval between tests and repeating each test 24 hours later under similar conditions: corneal tactile sensation (CTS), strip meniscometry test (SMT), phenol red thread test (PRTT), endodontic absorbent paper point tear test (EAPPTT), Schirmer tear test‐1 without (STT‐1) or with nasolacrimal stimulation (NL‐STT1), and Schirmer tear test‐2 (STT‐2).

Results

Mean ± SD test values were lower in brachycephalic vs. nonbrachycephalic dogs (except for SMT; 7.4 ± 2.0 mm/5 seconds vs 7.3 ± 2.4 mm/5 seconds), with statistically significant differences noted for CTS (1.8 ± 0.5 cm vs 3.4 ± 0.8 cm), PRTT (37.2 ± 4.0 mm/15 seconds vs 41.1 ± 5.5 mm/15 seconds), STT‐1 (20.1 ± 3.4 mm/min vs 23.3 ± 5.7 mm/min), STT‐2 (13.0 ± 3.4 mm/min vs 16.9 ± 3.9 mm/min), and NL‐STT1 (23.2 ± 3.6 mm/min vs 27.1 ± 5.4 mm/min), and nonsignificant differences for EAPPTT (16.6 ± 2.7 mm/15 seconds vs 17.5 ± 2.9 mm/15 seconds). Nasolacrimal stimulation increased STT‐1 values by 18% on average. Correlations among tests were generally weak to moderate (r < .70) except for a strong correlation between STT‐1 and NL‐STT1 (r = .83, P < .001). Test reliability was good although test‐retest repeatability was generally poor to moderate, as depicted by low intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC ≤ 0.75) and wide 95% limits of agreement, except for CTS (ICC = 0.91).

Conclusions

Corneal sensitivity and aqueous tear secretion are lower in brachycephalic dogs. A comprehensive assessment of the ocular surface requires the combination of several diagnostic tests. The nasolacrimal reflex may provide a useful diagnostic and therapeutic tool in dogs.
Causative factors influencing epizoochorous dispersal of weed seeds by sheep and associated carcass contamination in southern Australia
Authors: Kelly Jane E. , Quinn Jane C. , Nielsen Sharon G. , Weston Paul , Broster John C. , Weston Leslie A.
Published: March 2020

Hordeum spp. (barley grass) and Bromus spp. (brome grass) are annual weed species that achieve long‐distance seed dispersal via attachment to sheep, but also lead to sheep carcass damage due to the penetration of seeds into animal tissues. Range expansion of invasive weed populations predicted as a consequence of climate change may be associated with an increase in seed contamination incidence globally. An examination of Australian abattoir data (2006–2012), along with recent weed distribution patterns, indicates carcass contamination was associated with rainfall and abundance of key annual grass weeds, primarily Bromus spp. and Hordeum spp., although other factors may play a contributing role. Significant differences in seed contamination in slaughtered sheep were noted between states and regions, with widespread contamination occurring throughout all agro‐ecological zones. Abattoir, sheep age and sex significantly influenced incidence, with contamination highest in adult males. Incidence increased with mean monthly rainfall, but declined with mean elevation, and significant interactions were noted between mean monthly temperature and state, and between mean elevation and year. Results show the need for vigilant recording of seed injuries in sheep to enhance weed surveillance efforts and effective integrated weed management of contributing annual grass weeds.
Comparing Physical and Electrochemical Properties of Different Weave Patterns for Carbon Cloth Electrodes in Redox Flow Batteries
Authors: Tenny Kevin M. , Forner-Cuenca Antoni , Chiang Yet-Ming , Brushett Fikile R.
Published: March 2020

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are an emerging electrochemical technology suitable for energy-intensive grid storage, but further cost reductions are needed for broad deployment. Overcoming cell performance limitations through improvements in the design and engineering of constituent components represent a promising pathway to lower system costs. Of particular relevance, but limited in study, are the porous carbon electrodes whose surface composition and microstructure impact multiple aspects of cell behavior. Here, we systematically investigate woven carbon cloth electrodes based on identical carbon fibers but arranged into different weave patterns (plain, 8-harness satin, 2 × 2 basket) of different thicknesses to identify structure–function relations and generalizable descriptors. We first evaluate the physical properties of the electrodes using a suite of analytical methods to quantify structural characteristics, accessible surface area, and permeability. We then study the electrochemical performance in a diagnostic flow cell configuration to elucidate resistive losses through polarization and impedance analysis and to estimate mass transfer coefficients through limiting current measurements. Finally, we combine these findings to develop power law relations between relevant dimensional and dimensionless quantities and to calculate extensive mass transfer coefficients. These studies reveal nuanced relationships between the physical morphology of the electrode and its electrochemical and hydraulic performance and suggest that the plain weave pattern offers the best combination of these attributes. More generally, this study provides physical data and experimental insights that support the development of purpose-built electrodes using a woven materials platform.
Yes/no and two-interval forced-choice tasks with listener-based vs observer-based responses
Authors: Leibold Lori J. , Buss Emily
Published: March 2020

Observer-based procedures are used to assess auditory behavior in infants, often incorporating adaptive tracking algorithms. These procedures are reliable, but effects of modifications made to accommodate infant testing are not fully understood. One modification is that observation intervals are undefined for the listener, introducing signal-temporal uncertainty and increasing the likelihood that listener response bias will influence estimates of performance. The effect of these factors was evaluated by comparing threshold estimates obtained from adults using two tasks: (1) single-interval, yes/no and (2) two-interval, forced-choice. Detection thresholds were estimated adaptively for a 1000-Hz FM tone in quiet and for a word presented in two-talker speech masking. Trials were initiated and judged by the observer (observer-based) or the listener (listener-based). Thus, listening intervals were temporally uncertain in observer-based procedures and temporally defined in listener-based procedures. Thresholds were higher for observer-based relative to corresponding listener-based procedures. The magnitude of this difference was similar across the yes/no and two-interval tasks, and was larger for masked word detection than tone detection in quiet. Listeners adopted a conservative criterion when tested using the observer-based, yes/no procedure, but modeling results suggest that signal-temporal uncertainty accounts for the largest portion of the threshold difference between observer-based and listener-based procedures.
Do Members of a Winning Soccer Team Engage in More Communication Than a Losing Team? A Single-Game Study of Two Competing Teams
Authors: McLaren Colin D. , Spink Kevin S.
Published: March 2020

Emerging evidence suggests that team success is associated with communication among group members. This study built on those findings by examining the degree to which members on a winning (n = 13) and a losing (n = 13) men’s soccer team exchanged task-related information during a single head-to-head game. Social network analysis was used to compute athlete information exchange at the individual and team levels by asking players to identify the specific members with whom they exchanged information during the game. As hypothesized, athletes on the winning team had higher average individual degree centrality and higher network-density scores than athletes on the losing team. This indicates that individual members on the winning team exchanged task-related information with more of their teammates and, as a result, engaged in more collective information exchange as a team. While replication is necessary to increase generalizability, this study suggests a possible link between the degree that team members exchange information (at the individual and team level) and team performance outcome (i.e., win or loss).
Jump-Rope Training: Improved 3-km Time-Trial Performance in Endurance Runners via Enhanced Lower-Limb Reactivity and Foot-Arch Stiffness
Authors: García-Pinillos Felipe , Lago-Fuentes Carlos , Latorre-Román Pedro A. , Pantoja-Vallejo Antonio , Ramirez-Campillo Rodrigo
Published: March 2020

Context: Plyometric training promotes a highly effective neuromuscular stimulus to improve running performance. Jumping rope (JR) involves mainly foot muscles and joints, due to the quick rebounds, and it might be considered a type of plyometric training for improving power and stiffness, some of the key factors for endurance-running performance. Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of JR during the warm-up routine of amateur endurance runners on jumping performance, reactivity, arch stiffness, and 3-km time-trial performance. Methods: Athletes were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 51) or control (n = 45) group. Those from the control group were asked to maintain their training routines, while athletes from the experimental group had to modify their warm-up routines, including JR (2–4 sessions/wk, with a total time of 10–20 min/wk) for 10 weeks. Physical tests were performed before (pretest) and after (posttest) the intervention period and included jumping performance (countermovement-jump, squat-jump, and drop-jump tests), foot-arch stiffness, and 3-km time-trial performance. Reactive strength index (RSI) was calculated from a 30-cm drop jump. Results: The 2 × 2 analysis of variance showed significant pre–post differences in all dependent variables (P < .001) for the experimental group. No significant changes were reported in the control group (all P ≥ .05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between Δ3-km time trial and ΔRSI (r = −.481; P < .001) and ΔStiffness (r = −.336; P < .01). The linear-regression analysis showed that Δ3-km time trial was associated with ΔRSI and ΔStiffness (R2 = .394; P < .001). Conclusions: Compared with a control warm-up routine prior to endurance-running training, 10 weeks (2–4 times/wk) of JR training, in place of 5 minutes of regular warm-up activities, was effective in improving 3-km time-trial performance, jumping ability, RSI, and arch stiffness in amateur endurance runners. Improvements in RSI and arch stiffness were associated with improvements in 3-km time-trial performance.
Saving grace
Authors: Lesté-Lasserre Christa
Published: March 2020

Scientists are leading Notre Dame's restoration—and probing mysteries laid bare by a fire
Rare driver mutations in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas converge on NOTCH signaling
Authors: Loganathan Sampath K. , Schleicher Krista , Malik Ahmad , Quevedo Rene , Langille Ellen , Teng Katie , Oh Robin H. , Rathod Bhavisha , Tsai Ricky , Samavarchi-Tehrani Payman , Pugh Trevor J. , Gingras Anne-Claude , Schramek Daniel
Published: March 2020

Cancer drivers converge on NOTCH

Cancer genome–sequencing projects have emphasized the handful of genes mutated at high frequency in patients. Less attention has been directed to the hundreds of genes mutated in only a few patients—the so-called “long tail” mutations. Although rare, these mutations may nonetheless inform patient care. Loganathan
et al.
developed a reverse genetic CRISPR screen that allowed them to functionally assess in mice nearly 500 long tail gene mutations that occur in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). They identified 15 tumor-suppressor genes with activities that converged on the NOTCH signaling pathway. Given that NOTCH itself is mutated at high frequency in HNSCC, these results suggest that the growth of these tumors is largely driven by NOTCH inactivation.

Science
, this issue p.
1264
Type-II Ising pairing in few-layer stanene
Authors: Falson Joseph , Xu Yong , Liao Menghan , Zang Yunyi , Zhu Kejing , Wang Chong , Zhang Zetao , Liu Hongchao , Duan Wenhui , He Ke , Liu Haiwen , Smet Jurgen H. , Zhang Ding , Xue Qi-Kun
Published: March 2020

A resilient superconductor

Superconductivity typically does not fare well in the presence of magnetic fields, which tend to break the electron pairs that make a material superconducting. However, some materials, such as the recently discovered Ising superconductors, retain their properties in very high magnetic fields. Ising pairing was identified in transition metal dichalcogenides such as molybdenum disulfide and required the breaking of inversion symmetry. Falson
et al.
have now found a similar resilience to in-plane magnetic fields in another two-dimensional material, few-layer stanene. The band structure of stanene and the lack of inversion symmetry breaking in the system required a distinct theoretical model to explain this property, now dubbed type II Ising pairing.

Science
, this issue p.
1454
Treating sickle cell anemia
Authors: Tisdale John F. , Thein Swee Lay , Eaton William A.
Published: March 2020

New drugs, stem cell transplants, and gene therapy show promise in treating sickle cell anemia
Aging eyes and the immune system
Authors: Neves Joana
Published: March 2020

Reining in age-related inflammation may enhance stem cell therapies for retinal disease
Ubqln4 Facilitates Endoplasmic Reticulum-to-Cytosol Escape of a Nonenveloped Virus during Infection
Authors: Liu Xiaofang , Tsai Billy
Published: March 2020

How a nonenveloped virus escapes from a host membrane to promote infection remains enigmatic. In the case of the nonenveloped polyomavirus SV40, penetration of the ER membrane to reach the cytosol is a decisive virus infection step. In this study, we found a new host factor called Ubqln4 that facilitates escape of SV40 from the ER into the cytosol, thereby providing a path for the virus to enter the nucleus to cause infection.
Estimating misclassification error in a binary performance indicator: case study of low value care in Australian hospitals
Authors: Badgery-Parker Tim , Pearson Sallie-Anne , Elshaug Adam G
Published: March 2020

Objective

Indicators based on hospital administrative data have potential for misclassification error, especially if they rely on clinical detail that may not be well recorded in the data. We applied an approach using modified logistic regression models to assess the misclassification (false-positive and false-negative) rates of low-value care indicators.

Design and setting

We applied indicators involving 19 procedures to an extract from the New South Wales Admitted Patient Data Collection (1 January 2012 to 30 June 2015) to label episodes as low value. We fit four models (no misclassification, false-positive only, false-negative only, both false-positive and false-negative) for each indicator to estimate misclassification rates and used the posterior probabilities of the models to assess which model fit best.

Results

False-positive rates were low for most indicators—if the indicator labels care as low value, the care is most likely truly low value according to the relevant recommendation. False-negative rates were much higher but were poorly estimated (wide credible intervals). For most indicators, the models allowing no misclassification or allowing false-negatives but no false-positives had the highest posterior probability. The overall low-value care rate from the indicators was 12%. After adjusting for the estimated misclassification rates from the highest probability models, this increased to 35%.

Conclusion

Binary performance indicators have a potential for misclassification error, especially if they depend on clinical information extracted from administrative data. Indicators should be validated by chart review, but this is resource-intensive and costly. The modelling approach presented here can be used as an initial validation step to identify and revise indicators that may have issues before continuing to a full chart review validation.
Restless legs syndrome following the use of ziprasidone: a case report
Authors: Zhu Cuizhen , Bi Ran , Hu Yuliang , Zhou Hui , Zhu Daomin , Isaacson Brian , Li Qingwei , Lin Yezhe
Published: March 2020

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep-related movement disorder characterised by an uncomfortable urge to move the legs that occurs during periods of inactivity. Although there have been many case reports on antipsychotic-induced RLS, ziprasidone has never been reported as a cause of RLS. We present a case of a female patient with schizophrenia who presented with symptoms of RLS following the administration of high doses of ziprasidone added to quetiapine and valproate. The patient’s symptoms of RLS occurred following the administration and titration of ziprasidone to 160 mg, and were relieved upon reducing the dose to 120 mg/day. Other potential causative medications and differential diagnoses that could have caused similar symptoms were excluded. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for ziprasidone-induced RLS. Dopamine and serotonin interaction could be the mechanism underlying ziprasidone-induced RLS.
Nutritional and herbal supplements in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder
Authors: Kuygun Karcı Canan , Gül Celik Gonca
Published: March 2020

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterised by obsessions and compulsions. The recommended treatments for OCD are cognitive– behavioural therapy using exposure and response prevention and/or pharmacotherapy. On the other hand, some nutritional and herbal supplements may be effective in the treatment of OCD. Nutritional and herbal supplements in OCD treatment will be reviewed in this paper. PubMed (Medline), Cochrane Library and Google Scholar databases were reviewed for the topic. There are some supplements that have been researched in OCD treatment studies such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, trace elements, N-acetyl cysteine, glycine, myoinositol, St John’s wort, milk thistle, valerian root, curcumin and borage. The effectiveness of herbal and nutritional supplements in the treatment of OCD should be supported with more conclusive evidence.
Myasthenia gravis AChR antibodies inhibit function of rapsyn-clustered AChRs
Authors: Cetin Hakan , Webster Richard , Liu Wei Wei , Nagaishi Akiko , Koneczny Inga , Zimprich Fritz , Maxwell Susan , Cossins Judith , Beeson David , Vincent Angela
Published: March 2020

Objective

Direct inhibition of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) function by autoantibodies (Abs) is considered a rare pathogenic mechanism in myasthenia gravis (MG), but is usually studied on AChRs expressed in cell lines, rather than tightly clustered by the intracellular scaffolding protein, rapsyn, as at the intact neuromuscular junction. We hypothesised that clustered AChRs would provide a better target for investigating the functional effects of AChR-Abs.

Methods

Acetylcholine-induced currents were measured using whole-cell patch clamping and a fast perfusion system to assess fast (<2 min) functional effects of the serum samples. The sensitivity, specificity and rapidity of the system were first demonstrated by applying maternal AChR-Ab positive plasmas known to inhibit fetal AChR function in TE671 cells. Eleven previously untested AChR-Ab positive MG sera, 10 AChR-Ab negative MG sera and 5 healthy control sera were then applied to unclustered and rapsyn-clustered human adult AChRs in CN21 cells.

Results

The maternal AChR-Ab positive plasmas reduced fetal AChR currents, but not adult AChR currents, by >80% within 100 s. Only 2/11 AChR-Ab positive sera inhibited AChR currents in unclustered AChRs, but 6/11 AChR-Ab positive sera compared with none of the 10 AChR-Ab negative sera (p=0.0020) inhibited rapsyn-clustered AChR currents, and current inhibition by the AChR-Ab positive sera was greater when the AChRs were clustered (p=0.0385). None of the sera had detectable effects on desensitisation or recovery from desensitisation.

Conclusion

These results show that antibodies can inhibit AChR function rapidly and demonstrate the importance of clustering in exploring pathogenic disease mechanisms of MG Abs.
Developing a dental leadership programme to address global oral health challenges
Authors: Wordley Valerie , Bedi Raman
Published: March 2020

Dental leadership is essential in addressing the crisis of 21st century dentistry. The Senior Dental Leaders programme was established in 2006 and has since influenced global oral health policy. The programme demonstrates how collaborative leadership and an engaged alumni network can produce successful dental leaders, significantly impacting upon child oral health around the world. There is now a great need for leadership development programmes at every level of dental training.
A systematic review of educational interventions aiming to reduce prehospital delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Hoschar Sophia , Albarqouni Loai , Ladwig Karl-Heinz
Published: March 2020

Interventions aiming at reducing prehospital delay (PHD) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have yielded inconsistent findings. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review studies which investigated the impact of educational interventions on reducing PHD in patients with ACS. We searched four electronic databases (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane) from inception throughout December 2016 for studies that reported the impact of either mass-media or personalised intervention on PHD. Reporting quality was assessed with the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist for interventional trials. Two reviewers screened 12 184 abstracts and performed full-text screening on 86 articles, leading to 34 articles which met our inclusion criteria. We found 18 educational interventions with a total of 180 914 participants (range: n=100–125 161) and a median of 1342 participants. Among these educational interventions, 13 campaigns employed a mass-media approach and five a personalised approach. Ten studies yielded no significant effects on the primary outcome while the remaining interventions reported a significant reduction with a decrease between 17 and 324 min (median reduction: 40 min, n=5). The success was partly driven by an increase in emergency medical services use. Two studies reported an increase in acute myocardial infarction knowledge. We observed no superiority of the personalised over the mass-media approach. Although methodological shortcomings and the heterogeneity of included interventions still do not allow definite recommendations for future campaigns, it becomes evident that either mass media or personalised interventions can be successful in reducing PHD, especially those who address behavioural consequences and psychological barriers (eg, denial) and provide practical action plan considerations as part of their campaign messages. CRD42017055684 (PROSPERO registration number).
Comparison of the effectiveness of circumferential versus non-circumferential spread in median and ulnar nerve blocks. A double-blind randomized clinical trial
Authors: Dieguez-Garcia Paula , Lopez-Alvarez Servando , Juncal Jorge , Lopez Ana M , Sala-Blanch Xavier
Published: March 2020

Background and objectives

Circumferential (C) spread of local anesthetic around the nerve is recommended for a successful nerve block. We tested the hypothesis that C spread produces a more complete block than non-circumferential (NC) spread.

Methods

We randomized 124 patients undergoing open carpal tunnel syndrome surgery to receive C or NC spread ultrasound-guided median and ulnar nerve blocks. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who developed complete sensory block measured at 5, 15 and 30 min. The loss of cold sensation was graded as: 0 (complete block), 1 (incomplete block), or 2 (no block). Secondary outcomes included motor block, nerve swelling and adverse events.

Results

In group C, complete sensory block at 5 min was 2.4 (95% CI 1.0 to 5.7; p=0.04) times more frequent in the median nerve and 3.0 (95% CI 1.2 to 7.2; p=0.01) times more frequent in the ulnar nerve compared with group C. However, at 15 and 30 min, it was similar between groups. Complete motor block was more frequent in group C than in group NC for both the median nerve: 1.5 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.2; p<0.01) at 15 min, 1.1 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.2; p=0.02) at 30 min, and the ulnar nerve: 1.7 (95% CI 1.2 to 2.6; p<0.01) at 15 min, 1.2 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.4; p<0.01) at 30 min. The incidence of nerve swelling and adverse effects was similar between groups.

Conclusions

C spread around the median and ulnar nerves at the level of the antecubital fossa generates more complete sensory and motor blocks compared with NC spread.

Trial registration number

EudraCT 2011-002608-34 andNCT01603680
Cholesterol deficiency haplotype frequency and its impact on milk production and milk cholesterol content in Canadian Holstein cows
Authors: Wang Mengqi , Do Duy N. , Peignier Camille , Dudemaine Pier-Luc , Schenkel Flavio S. , Miglior Filippo , Zhao Xin , Ibeagha-Awemu Eveline M.
Published: March 2020

An autosomal recessive defect caused by a loss of function mutation in the bovine apolipoprotein B (APOB) gene causes cholesterol deficiency with strong effects on calf survival and development. This study examined the distribution of cholesterol deficiency haplotype (CDH) in the APOB gene in Canadian Holstein cows and its impacts on milk production and milk cholesterol content. The CDH in 917 cows from 29 herds was determined via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A longer insertion of approximately 7 kb potentially characterizing the mutation was amplified. The average carrier frequency of herds in Quebec based on PCR results was 14.6%. Cholesterol deficiency haplotype status had non-significant (P > 0.05) effects on milk cholesterol content, other milk components, and milk yield.
Mutation c.307G>A inFUT1gene has no effect on production performance of Yorkshire pigs in the tropics: the case of Vietnam
Authors: Luc Do Duc , Thinh Nguyen Hoang , Bo Ha Xuan , Vinh Nguyen Thi , Manh Tran Xuan , Hung Nguyen Van , Ton Vu Dinh , Farnir Frédéric
Published: March 2020

The alpha (1) fucosyltransferase gene (FUT1) is a candidate gene for controlling the adhesion of Escherichia coli F18 receptor. Indeed, a single-nucleotide polymorphism, c.307G>A, located in the gene is such that pigs with AA genotype are resistant to entero-toxigenic E. coli F18, whereas those with AG and GG genotypes are sensitive. An experiment was carried out in northern Vietnam from March 2016 to May 2017 to determine FUT1 genotype frequencies and the effect of these genotypes on production performance of Yorkshire pigs. A total of 613 animals were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction – restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The body weights at birth, weaning, initial fattening period, and final fattening period were collected from 611, 516, 479, and 418 animals, respectively, whereas backfat thickness, depth of longissimus dorsi, and lean meat percentage were recorded from 328 animals. The frequencies of FUT1 genotypes were found to be in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (P = 0.51). Effect of FUT1 genotype was not observed for all production traits (P > 0.05), whereas final body weight and depth of longissimus dorsi were significantly different between females and males (P < 0.05). These results suggest that selection of Yorkshire pigs resistant to entero-toxigenic E. coli F18 could be effective without adversely affecting average daily gain and lean meat.
Diastereoselective and regioselective synthesis of adenosine thionucleoside analogues using an acyclic approach
Authors: Cardinal-David Benoit , Labbé Marc-Olivier , Prévost Michel , Dostie Starr , Guindon Yvan
Published: March 2020

An acyclic approach to synthesize thiofuranoside N-glycosides bearing an adenine nucleobase is presented herein. This approach provides a significant improvement in terms of regio- and diastereoselectivity compared with the current paradigms used for their formation. Activation of acyclic dithioacetal substrates bearing either a C2′-alkoxy or fluoro group and coupling with purine nucleobases selectively generates 1′,2′-syn thioaminals. The regiochemistry of the nucleobase coupling (N7 or N9) can also be controlled by using either silylated or unsilylated purines. A subsequent SN2-like cyclization of these 1′,2′-syn acyclic thioaminals results in the desired 1′,2′-cis thionucleoside analogues.
New constraints on heavy neutral leptons from Super-Kamiokande data
Authors: Coloma P. , Hernández P. , Muñoz V. , Shoemaker I. M.
Published: March 2020

Heavy neutral leptons are predicted in many extensions of the Standard Model with massive neutrinos. If kinematically accessible, they can be copiously produced from kaon and pion decays in atmospheric showers, and subsequently decay inside large neutrino detectors. We perform a search for these long-lived particles using Super-Kamiokande multi-GeV neutrino data and derive stringent limits on the mixing with electron, muon and tau neutrinos as a function of the long-lived particle mass. We also present the limits on the branching ratio versus lifetime plane, which are helpful in determining the constraints in non-minimal models where the heavy neutral leptons have new interactions with the Standard Model.
Optimal Production-Inventory Policy for a Periodic-Review Energy Buy-Back System over an Infinite Planning Horizon
Authors: Chen Hong-Qiao , Ding Xiao-Song , Zhang Ji-Hong , Li Hua-Yi
Published: March 2020

This paper studies a periodic-review production-inventory control model under an energy buy-back program over an infinite planning horizon, in which a fixed setup cost and compensation levels corresponding to various market states are involved. The objective is to identify the manufacturer’s optimal production-inventory policy that can minimize his total discounted cost or long-run average cost. By using Veinott’s conditions, it is shown that such a state dependent optimal policy is of either an [Formula: see text], or partly an [Formula: see text] type.
Requirements Engineering in Cloud and Service-Oriented Systems: A Systematic Mapping Study
Authors: Ridha Samah , Senapathi Mali
Published: March 2020

The domain of Cloud and Service-oriented requirements engineering (SORE) focuses on modelling, specifying, and analysing requirements to enable software development in a service-oriented manner. Even though Cloud and SORE has received increasing attention over the past decade, there is no clear view of the current state of knowledge. Our goal is to gain insights into the current status of Cloud and SORE research published to date. To this end, we conducted a systematic mapping study to develop a map to classify relevant literature published between 2007 and 2018. Out of the 326 studies that were examined, we selected 24 studies as primary studies. The resulting map provides an overview of the existing work on Cloud and SORE and makes it possible to identify gaps and plan and position future research. Our findings suggest that Cloud and SORE as a research context needs specific attention. More evaluation and validation research is needed to better understand the implementation and impact of the various solutions (e.g. frameworks, tools) that are proposed in the Cloud and SORE context.
Outlier Detection in High Dimensional Data
Authors: Kamalov Firuz , Leung Ho Hon
Published: March 2020

High-dimensional data poses unique challenges in outlier detection process. Most of the existing algorithms fail to properly address the issues stemming from a large number of features. In particular, outlier detection algorithms perform poorly on dataset of small size with a large number of features. In this paper, we propose a novel outlier detection algorithm based on principal component analysis and kernel density estimation. The proposed method is designed to address the challenges of dealing with high-dimensional data by projecting the original data onto a smaller space and using the innate structure of the data to calculate anomaly scores for each data point. Numerical experiments on synthetic and real-life data show that our method performs well on high-dimensional data. In particular, the proposed method outperforms the benchmark methods as measured by [Formula: see text]-score. Our method also produces better-than-average execution times compared with the benchmark methods.
The Discontinuation of a Vicious Cycle? The Evolutionary Contour of China’s Central–Local Relations, 1978–2018
Authors: HSU S. PHILIP
Published: March 2020

As a retrospective exploration of China’s central–local relations over the past four decades of the reform era, this paper argues that since the mid-1990s, relations have evolved with a growing likelihood to break away from the vicious cycle of decentralization and recentralization since 1949. China’s post-reform era started in synchronization with a sweeping move toward decentralization, a trend which generated a myriad of systemic crises that threatened the legitimacy and survival of the regime. Thus, the mid-1990s saw a systematic rollback of decentralization. This rollback is to be understood as a comprehensive scheme of rebalancing rather than a mere replication of pre-reform recentralization. On the other hand, the rebalancing has still occurred in consistence with a cyclical pattern that had characterized the broadly conceived regularity of decentralization and recentralization. While the rebalancing has not been immune from various pathologies, the central state has selected to make contingent and marginal adaptations to cope with the problems instead of shattering the current framework of rebalancing and returning completely to decentralization. Instead of relying solely on original research, this paper will bolster its main argument by conducting a synthetic reasoning from a rich array of extant analyses to sketch out the contours of China’s central–local relations in fiscal, investment, and personnel management policy areas during the past four decades.
Oocyte Vitrification: A Comparative Analysis Between Fresh and Cryopreserved Oocytes in an Oocyte Donation Program
Authors: Talreja Deepa , Gupta Chirag , Pai Hrishikesh , Palshetkar Nandita
Published: March 2020

Background: Oocyte Cryopreservation has become an important part of infertility treatment for various reasons such as fertility preservation in women going for oncological treatment; in oocyte donation cycles; in eliminating several religious, ethical, and legal concerns of embryo freezing and in women who wish to delay childbirth. The newer ”vitrification” technique for freezing has further improved the success rates for actual conception than the earlier method of slow freezing. A successful oocyte freezing program can help in establishment of oocyte banks, which would help to provide compatible oocytes immediately, thus would eliminate the several problems of fresh donor cycles.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, total 60 oocyte donation cycles were included (38 were fresh and 22 were vitrified oocytes cycle, respectively). After a thorough screening, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for donors was performed using flexible antagonist protocol. All mature oocytes were allocated into “vitrified oocytes” and “fresh oocytes” groups. Vitrification technique using Cryotop method was used for oocyte freezing. Both clinical and laboratory outcomes of vitrified and fresh oocytes in donor cycles were compared.

Results: A total of 600 oocytes (226 “vitrified oocytes” and 374 fresh oocytes), were studied. After warming 218 oocytes survived resulting in survival rate of 96.4%. Fertilization rate and embryo formation rate was 86.2% and 93.6%, respectively. Results of frozen-thawed oocyte donor cycles were compared with fresh donation cycles. For fresh oocyte group, fertilization rate and embryo formation rate was 83.4% and 92.6%, respectively. On comparing clinical outcomes, clinical pregnancy rate was 60.5% in fresh group and 63.6% in vitrified group.

Conclusions: Both clinical and laboratory results obtained in the study suggest that oocyte cryopreservation can be performed with reproducible success, thus vitrification technique can be provided as a useful tool for achieving highly successful outcomes in an oocyte donor program.
Group-Based Recurrent Neural Networks for POI Recommendation
Authors: Li Guohui , Chen Qi , Zheng Bolong , Yin Hongzhi , Nguyen Quoc Viet Hung , Zhou Xiaofang
Published: March 2020

With the development of mobile Internet, many location-based services have accumulated a large amount of data that can be used for point-of-interest (POI) recommendation. However, there are still challenges in developing an unified framework to incorporate multiple factors associated with both POIs and users due to the heterogeneity and implicity of this information. To alleviate the problem, this work proposes a novel group-based method for POI recommendation jointly considering the reviews, categories, and geographical locations, called the
Group-based Temporal Sentiment-Aspect-Region Recurrent Neural Network
(GTSAR-RNN). We divide the users into different groups and then train an individual RNN for each group with the goal of improving its pertinence. In GTSAR-RNN, we consider not only the effects of temporal and geographical contexts but also the users’ sentimental opinions on locations. Experimental results show that GTSAR-RNN acquires significant improvements over the baseline methods on real datasets.
A Survey on Privacy in Social Media
Authors: Beigi Ghazaleh , Liu Huan
Published: March 2020

The increasing popularity of social media has attracted a huge number of people to participate in numerous activities on a daily basis. This results in tremendous amounts of rich user-generated data. These data provide opportunities for researchers and service providers to study and better understand users’ behaviors and further improve the quality of the personalized services. Publishing user-generated data risks exposing individuals’ privacy. Users privacy in social media is an emerging research area and has attracted increasing attention recently. These works study privacy issues in social media from the two different points of views: identification of vulnerabilities and mitigation of privacy risks. Recent research has shown the vulnerability of user-generated data against the two general types of attacks, identity disclosure and attribute disclosure. These privacy issues mandate social media data publishers to protect users’ privacy by sanitizing user-generated data before publishing it. Consequently, various protection techniques have been proposed to anonymize user-generated social media data. There is vast literature on privacy of users in social media from many perspectives. In this survey, we review the key achievements of user privacy in social media. In particular, we review and compare the state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of the privacy leakage attacks and anonymization algorithms. We overview the privacy risks from different aspects of social media and categorize the relevant works into five groups: (1) social graphs and privacy, (2) authors in social media and privacy, (3) profile attributes and privacy, (4) location and privacy, and (5) recommendation systems and privacy. We also discuss open problems and future research directions regarding user privacy issues in social media.
MobileTrust
Authors: Hatzivasilis George , Soultatos Othonas , Ioannidis Sotiris , Spanoudakis George , Katos Vasilios , Demetriou Giorgos
Published: March 2020

Vehicular Ad hoc NETworks (VANET) are becoming popular due to the emergence of the Internet of Things and ambient intelligence applications. In such networks, secure resource sharing functionality is accomplished by incorporating trust schemes. Current solutions adopt peer-to-peer technologies that can cover the large operational area. However, these systems fail to capture some inherent properties of VANETs, such as fast and ephemeral interaction, making robust trust evaluation of crowdsourcing challenging. In this article, we propose MobileTrust—a hybrid trust-based system for secure resource sharing in VANETs. The proposal is a breakthrough in centralized trust computing that utilizes cloud and upcoming 5G technologies to provide robust trust establishment with global scalability. The ad hoc communication is energy-efficient and protects the system against threats that are not countered by the current settings. To evaluate its performance and effectiveness, MobileTrust is modelled in the SUMO simulator and tested on the traffic features of the small-size German city of Eichstatt. Similar schemes are implemented in the same platform to provide a fair comparison. Moreover, MobileTrust is deployed on a typical embedded system platform and applied on a real smart car installation for monitoring traffic and road-state parameters of an urban application. The proposed system is developed under the EU-founded THREAT-ARREST project, to provide security, privacy, and trust in an intelligent and energy-aware transportation scenario, bringing closer the vision of sustainable circular economy.