bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of life in advanced renal disease managed either by haemodialysis or conservative care in older patients
Authors: McKeaveney Clare , Witham Miles , Alamrani Abrar O , Maxwell Alexander Peter , Mullan Robert , Noble Helen , Shields Joanne , Reid Joanne
Published: September 2020

Objective

Consideration of quality of life (QoL) in people with end-stage renal disease has become an important part of treatment decision-making. The aim of this study was to report on QoL and other functional outcomes in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Method

This was a cross-sectional study. Two samples of older patients (>60 years old) either conservatively managed (CM) or receiving hospital-based haemodialysis (HD), compared Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQoL-36) outcomes.

Results

Data from 263 CM patients (CKD 4 n=188, mean age 73.6 years, 48 women; CKD 5 n=75, mean age 74.4 years, 26 women) and 74 patients on HD (mean age 73.8 years, 24 women) were analysed. Significant group differences were identified for two subscales of KDQoL-36. Symptoms/Problems List subscale was significantly better for those receiving HD compared with those CM with CKD 5 (p=<0.001). Symptom/Problem List scores of CM CKD stage 4 patients were not significantly different compared with HD patients but were significantly better than CM CKD stage 5 patients (p<0.001). Burden of Kidney Disease subscale was significantly better for both CKD 4 (p<0.001) and CKD 5 (p<0.001) CM patients when compared with those receiving HD.

Conclusion

Symptoms of advanced CKD significantly impact QoL for patients CM with CKD stage 5. Conversely, QoL is significantly impacted for those in receipt of HD due to the burden of treatment. These findings provide evidence for the use of QoL tools to help with clinical prognostication in advanced CKD. Using QoL tools will ensure specialist support is available for appropriate management of patients with CKD.
Body composition and dietary intake in patients with head and neck cancer during radiotherapy: a longitudinal study
Authors: Zhuang Bing , Zhang Lichuan , Wang Yujie , Cao Yiwei , Shih Yian , Jin Sanli , Li Hongmei , Gong Liqing , Wang Yanli , Jin Shuai , Lu Qian
Published: September 2020

Objectives

To investigate the body composition and dietary intake in the patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) during radiotherapy (RT), and explore the relationship between them.

Methods

This was a prospective, longitudinal observational study. Adult patients with HNC undergoing RT between March 2017 and August 2018 were recruited. Patients’ body compositions were evaluated by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and dietary intake was recorded by 24-hour dietary recall at three time points, including baseline (T1), mid-treatment (T2) and post-treatment (T3). Patients were divided into low, middle and high energy intake groups based on the average daily energy intake (DEI). Changes in body weight (BW), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) among these three groups were compared.

Results

From T1 to T3, the median loss of patients’ BW, FM, FFM and SMM was 4.60, 1.90, 2.60 and 1.50 kg, respectively. The loss of BW was more dramatic from T2 to T3 than that from T1 to T2. BW loss was mainly contributed by SMM loss from T1 to T2 and by FM loss from T2 to T3. Meanwhile, patients’ dietary intake reduced during treatment. High DEI group had a significantly attenuated loss of patients’ BW, FFM, SMM and FM compared with the low DEI group.

Conclusion

Patients’ BW, FM, FFM and SMM all significantly reduced, especially from T2 to T3, with decreased DEI during RT, which stresses the importance of nutrition intervention during the whole course of RT.
Home parenteral nutrition in neuroendocrine tumour intestinal failure: improved quality of life and longevity
Authors: Sagar Vandana M , Shah Tahir , Malhi Hardip , Parkinson Sharmalie , Shetty Shishir , Cooper Sheldon C
Published: September 2020

Background

Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are neoplastic yet behave differently to typical cancers. Despite often being slow growing, they can lead to significant gastrointestinal complications including intestinal failure (IF). The use of home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in neoplastic conditions is rising, primarily for palliation and bridging through treatments for cancer, but remains a challenging decision with a paucity of high-grade evidence-based guidance.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of patients with NET on HPN was performed. Data collected included the cause of IF, complications encountered with HPN and changes in nutritional assessments.

Results

Eight patients were identified, all with metastatic NET. Median weight improved following HPN commencement and line sepsis was the sole complication. All patients had stabilisation and optimisation of nutritional and hydration status.

Conclusions

HPN is commenced to improve or maintain patients’ nutritional status during often lifelong treatment. The principle aim in providing HPN was to improve survival and quality of life. While NETs are cancers, our case series demonstrates the potential of HPN to actively support longer term survival in the subgroup of patients who develop IF.
Clinical course of patients with low back pain following an emergency department presentation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Coombs Danielle M , Machado Gustavo C , Richards Bethan , Oliveira Crystian B , Herbert Robert D , Maher Chris G
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Low back pain, and especially non-specific low back pain, is a common cause of presentation to the emergency department (ED). Although these patients typically report relatively high pain intensity, the clinical course of their pain and disability remains unclear. Our objective was to review the literature and describe the clinical course of non-specific low back pain after an ED visit.

Methods

Electronic searches were conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE from inception to March 2019. We screened for cohort studies or randomised trials investigating pain or disability in patients with non-specific low back pain presenting to EDs. We excluded studies that enrolled participants with minimal pain or disability scores at baseline. Two reviewers independently screened the full texts, extracted the data and assessed risk of bias and quality of evidence. Estimates of pain and disability were converted to a common 0–100 scale. We estimated pooled means and 95% CIs of pain and disability as a function of time since ED presentation.

Results

Eight studies (nine publications) with a total of 1994 patients provided moderate overall quality evidence of the expected clinical course of low back pain after an ED visit. Seven of the eight studies were assessed to have a low risk of bias. At the time of the ED presentation, the pooled estimate of the mean pain score on a 0–100 scale was 71.0 (95% CI 64.2–77.9). This reduced to 46.1 (95% CI 37.2–55.0) after 1 day, 41.8 (95% CI 34.7 to 49.0) after 1 week and 13.5 (95% CI 5.8–21.3) after 26 weeks. The course of disability followed a similar pattern.

Conclusions

Patients presenting to EDs with non-specific low back pain experience rapid reductions in pain intensity, but on average symptoms persisted 6 months later. This review can be used to educate patients so they can have realistic expectations of their recovery.
Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibition to prevent progression of calcific aortic stenosis
Authors: Lee Sahmin , Lee Seung-Ah , Choi Bongkun , Kim Ye-Jee , Oh Soo Jin , Choi Hong-Mi , Kim Eun Kyoung , Kim Dae-Hee , Cho Goo-Yeong , Song Jong-Min , Park Seung Woo , Kang Duk-Hyun , Song Jae-Kwan
Published: September 2020

Objective

To evaluate whether the use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and their cardiac tissue distribution profile and anticalcification abilities are associated with risk of aortic stenosis (AS) progression.

Methods

Out of the five different classes of DPP-4 inhibitors, two had relatively favourable heart to plasma concentration ratios and anticalcification ability in murine and in vitro experiments and were thus categorised as ‘favourable’. We reviewed the medical records of 212 patients (72±8 years, 111 men) with diabetes and mild-to-moderate AS who underwent echocardiographic follow-up and classified them into those who received favourable DPP-4 inhibitors (n=28, 13%), unfavourable DPP-4 inhibitors (n=69, 33%) and those who did not receive DPP-4 inhibitors (n=115, 54%).

Results

Maximal transaortic velocity (Vmax) increased from 2.9±0.3 to 3.5±0.7 m/s during follow-up (median, 3.7 years), and the changes were not different between DPP-4 users as a whole and non-users (p=0.143). However, the favourable group showed significantly lower Vmax increase than the unfavourable or non-user group (p=0.018). Severe AS progression was less frequent in the favourable group (7.1%) than in the unfavourable (29.0%; p=0.03) or the non-user (29.6%; p=0.01) group. In Cox regression analysis after adjusting for age, baseline renal function and AS severity, the favourable group showed a significantly lower risk of severe AS progression (HR 0.116, 95% CI 0.024 to 0.551, p=0.007).

Conclusions

DPP-4 inhibitors with favourable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties were associated with lower risk of AS progression. These results should be considered in the preparation of randomised clinical trials on the repositioning of DPP-4 inhibitors.
Role of the consent form in UK veterinary practice
Authors: Gray Carol
Published: September 2020

Background

Informed consent from the client is required before veterinary professionals may administer treatment or perform surgery on an animal patient, except in an emergency. This study investigates the potential role(s) of the consent form in the consent process in the UK.

Methods

Thematic analysis was carried out on the text contained in 39 blank consent forms sourced from veterinary practices in the UK. Analysis was conducted at the levels of topical survey and thematic summary.

Results

Consent forms were used to authorise procedures, to define proposed treatment, to offer or recommend additional procedures, to convey the risks of treatment and to document the client's financial obligations. None of the forms analysed provided sufficient space to document the accompanying conversation. Notable omissions from the submitted forms included options for treatment and benefits of treatment.

Conclusions

The consent form acts as a record of the procedure to be performed, the associated costs and the status of the person giving consent. However, from this analysis, it often fails to record the detail of the consent discussion, an essential part of the consent process. A proposal for an improved version of a veterinary consent form is provided.
Reliability of a beef cattle locomotion scoring system for use in clinical practice
Authors: Tunstall Jay , Mueller Karin , Sinfield Oscar , Higgins Helen Mary
Published: September 2020

Background

Locomotion (lameness) scoring has been used and studied in the dairy industry; however, to the authors’ knowledge, there are no studies assessing the reliability of locomotion scoring systems when used with beef cattle.

Methods

A four‐point scoring system was developed and beef cattle filmed walking on a firm surface. Eight veterinary researchers, eight clinicians and eight veterinary students were shown written descriptors of the scoring system and four video clips for training purposes, before being asked to score 40 video clips in a random order. Participants repeated this task 4 days later.

Results

The intra‐observer agreement (the same person scoring on different days) was acceptable with weighted mean Kappa values of 0.84, 0.81 and 0.84 respectively for researchers, clinicians and students. The inter‐observer agreement (different people scoring the same animal) was acceptable with weighted Gwet's Agreement Coefficient values of 0.70, 0.69 and 0.64 for researchers, clinicians and students. Most disagreement occurred over scores one (not lame but imperfect locomotion) and two (lame, but not severe).

Conclusion

This scoring system has the potential to reliably score lameness in beef cattle and help facilitate lameness treatment and control; however, some disagreements will occur especially over scores one and two.
Risk-based surveillance for bluetongue virus in cattle on the south coast of England in 2017 and 2018
Authors: Grace Katherine Elinor Felicity , Papadopoulou Christina , Floyd Tobias , Avigad Rachelle , Collins Steve , White Elizabeth , Batten Carrie , Flannery John , Gubbins Simon , Carpenter Simon T
Published: September 2020

Background

Bluetongue (BT) is a viral disease of ruminants and camelids which can have a significant impact on animal health and welfare and cause severe economic loss. The UK has been officially free of bluetongue virus (BTV) since 2011. In 2015, BTV-8 re-emerged in France and since then BTV has been spreading throughout Europe. In response to this outbreak, risk-based active surveillance was carried out at the end of the vector seasons in 2017 and 2018 to assess the risk of incursion of BTV into Great Britain.

Method

Atmospheric dispersion modelling identified counties on the south coast of England at higher risk of an incursion. Blood samples were collected from cattle in five counties based on a sample size designed to detect at least one positive if the prevalence was 5 per cent or greater, with 95 per cent confidence.

Results

No virus was detected in the 478 samples collected from 32 farms at the end of the 2017 vector season or in the 646 samples collected from 43 farms at the end of the 2018 vector season, when tested by RT-qPCR.

Conclusion

The negative results from this risk-based survey provided evidence to support the continuation of the UK’s official BTV-free status.
Early detection of influenza outbreak using time derivative of incidence
Authors: Son Woo-Sik , Park Ji-Eun , Kwon Okyu
Published: September 2020

For mitigation strategies of an influenza outbreak, it can be helpful to understand the characteristics of regional and age-group-specific spread. In South Korea, however, there has been no official statistic related to it. In this study, we extract the time series of influenza incidence from National Health Insurance Service claims database, which consists of all medical and prescription drug-claim records for all South Korean population. The extracted time series contains the number of new patients by region (250 city-county-districts) and age-group (0–4, 5–19, 20–64, 65+) within a week. The number of cases of influenza (2009–2017) is 12,282,356. For computing an onset of influenza outbreak by region and age-group, we propose a novel method for early outbreak detection, in which the onset of outbreak is detected as a sudden change in the time derivative of incidence. The advantage of it over the cumulative sum and the exponentially weighted moving average control charts, which have been widely used for the early outbreak detection of infectious diseases, is that information on the previous non-epidemic periods are not necessary. Then, we show that the metro area and 5–19 age-group are earlier than the rural area and other age-groups for the start of the influenza outbreak. Also, the metro area and 5–19 age-group peak earlier than the rural area and other age-groups. These results would be helpful to design a surveillance system for timely early warning of an influenza outbreak in South Korea.
A conformal array of microfabricated optically-pumped first-order gradiometers for magnetoencephalography
Authors: Nardelli N. V. , Perry A. R. , Krzyzewski S. P. , Knappe S. A.
Published: September 2020

An array of 21 first-order gradiometers based on zero-field optically-pumped magnetometers is demonstrated for use in magnetoencephalography. Sensors are oriented radially with respect to the head and housed in a helmet with moveable holders which conform to the shape of a scalp. Our axial gradiometers have a baseline of 2 cm and reject laser and vibrational noise as well as common-mode environmental magnetic noise. The median sensitivity of the array is 15.4 fT/Hz1/2, measured in a human-sized magnetic shield. All magnetometers are operated independently with negative feedback to maintain atoms at zero magnetic field. This yields higher signal linearity and operating range than open-loop operation and a measurement system that is less sensitive to systematic and ambient magnetic fields. All of the system electronics and lasers are compacted into one equipment rack which offers a favorable outlook for use in clinical settings.
PLACENTAL HEMODYNAMIC ASSESSMENT IN WOMEN WITH SEVERE PREECLAMPSIA IN SECOND- AND THIRD-TRIMESTER PREGNANCY BY 3D POWER QUANTITATIVE DOPPLER ULTRASOUND
Authors: ZHOU SUFEN , AN PENG , LIAN KAI , GAN LING , FENG WEI , SONG JUAN , WANG YU , LIU XINYI , LI MENGXUE , ZHANG YANTING , ZHANG XIANYA , ZHANG SHUNYU , CHEN YUTING , WAN SHUYA
Published: September 2020

Objective: The present study analyzed the fetal–placental hemodynamic parameters in women with severe preeclampsia in second- and third-trimester pregnancy with a view to developing effective predictive indicators for preeclampsia and providing support for the prenatal clinical treatment of preeclampsia. Materials and Methods: From January 2015 to January 2019, 160 pregnant women diagnosed with severe preeclampsia at Xiangyang First People’s Hospital were recruited as the study group. The diagnostic criteria for preeclampsia were in accordance with the guidelines of the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy (ISSHP). A sample of 160 healthy pregnant women with normal blood pressure were selected as the control group. The GE Voluson E8 and E10 four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonic diagnostic instruments and the three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler in angio-quantitative mode were used to measure the hemodynamic parameters of the placenta, left uterine artery (LUA), right uterine artery (RUA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), umbilical artery (UA), and ductus venosus (DV) in the two groups. The above parameters were analyzed statistically using SPSS 22.0. Results: The systolic/diastolic velocity ratio (S/D), pulsatility index (PI), and resistance index (RI) of the MCA in the study group were lower than those of normal subjects of the same gestational age (P < 0.05). These parameters in the UA were higher in the study group than those in normal subjects (P < 0.05). The ratios between the peak ventricular systolic velocity and the peak atrial systolic velocity (S/A), pulsatility index for the vein (PIV), pre-load index (PLI), and peak velocity index for the vein (PVIV) in the DV were significantly different between the study and normal groups (P < 0.05). The placental vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), and vascularization flow index (VFI) were lower in the study group than those in normal subjects of the same gestational age (P < 0.05). There were good correlations between VI, VFI and RUA, PI, with correlation coefficients of −0.697 and −0.702, respectively. FI was the indicator that had the highest diagnostic efficacy for severe preeclampsia. The predictive sensitivity of the FI with a cut-off value of 34.92 was 96.3%, and the corresponding specificity was 86.9%. Conclusions: Placental FI had the highest predictive efficacy for severe preeclampsia and provides a reliable quantitative indicator and data support for preeclampsia management. 3D power quantitative Doppler ultrasound provides a novel avenue for the study of severe preeclampsia.
COMPARISON OF STATIC POSTURAL BALANCE IN PATIENTS WITH SWEDDS AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Authors: KWON DO-YOUNG , CHOI YOON-HYEOK , KWON YU-RI , EOM GWANG-MOON , KIM JI-WON
Published: September 2020

Differentiating scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficits (SWEDDs) from Parkinson’s disease (PD) is very important to avoid costly and inappropriate interventions. The postural balance strategy patients with SWEDDs are not clear. This study investigates the difference in static postural balance between patients with SWEDDs and PD. Twenty-two patients (11 SWEDDs and 11 PD groups) and 11 control groups were instructed to quietly stand on a custom-made force platform. The outcome measures were, mean distance, 95% confidence ellipse area, mean velocity, mean frequency, peak frequency and peak power derived from the center of pressure (COP) data in overall, medio-lateral (ML) and anterio-posterior (AP) directions. As statistical analysis, ANOVA and post hoc tests were conducted for comparison of patients with SWEDDs and PD. SWEDDs patients presented a smaller postural sway size and a more frequent postural sway mainly in the ML direction ([Formula: see text]). On the contrary, there were no significant differences in mean velocity and peak power. Also, no significant differences existed between SWEDDs and normal subjects ([Formula: see text]). The results reflect that a few COP-based outcome variables might be useful to distinguish SWEDDs patients from PD patients. This study suggests that a static postural balance test can be used for clinical screening and identification of potential SWEDDs.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ji Wentao , Xie Fang , Bo Lulong
Published: September 2020

Since December 2019, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic has become a once-in-a-century pandemic sweeping across the whole world. While countries around the world are working together to combat the pandemic, the world still faces serious threats. Current experience shows that prevention is more important than treatment, especially for healthcare workers (HCWs), the infection of whom is tantamount to in-hospital secondary transmission to other HCWs and inpatients. Anesthesia providers, emergency physicians, and healthcare workers in the ICU are at an enhanced risk of contamination; hence, we give some advice derived from clinical practice and other guidance on how to protect HCWs from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite high-quality evidence regarding the association between transmission of COVID-19 among the HCWs and aerosol-generating procedures, such as endotracheal intubation, being inadequate, HCWs should raise their vigilance in these procedures and more evidence should be generated.
Linking surface and subsurface volcanic stratigraphy in the Turkana Depression of the East African Rift system
Authors: Schofield Nick , Newton Richard , Thackrey Scott , Watson Douglas , Jolley David , Morley Chris
Published: September 2020

The Northern Kenya Rift is an important natural laboratory for understanding continental rifting processes. However, much of the current understanding of its geological evolution is based on surface outcrops within footwall highs due to a lack of subsurface geological constraints. In this paper, we present an investigation of the Cenozoic stratigraphy and volcano-tectonic relationship of the volcanic sequences within the Turkana Depression (namely the North Lokichar, North Kerio and Turkana Basins). We integrate regional seismic reflection data collected as part of ongoing petroleum exploration in the area with lithological and biostratigraphic data from new wells that were drilled in 2014 and 2015 (Epir-1 and Emesek-1). This has allowed linking and extrapolation of the detailed stratigraphy of the paleontologically important Lothagam site to the volcanic sequences within the Napedet Hills, North Lokichar, North Kerio and Turkana Basins. The site of the Plio-Pleistocene-age Turkana Fault, which separates the North Lokichar Basin from the Turkana and North Kerio Basins, appears previously to have acted as a focus of Middle Miocene volcanism
c
. 5 Ma prior to the main period of movement on the fault. Our study highlights how subsurface and outcrop information can be combined to give a more in-depth knowledge of the magmatic history within rift basins.
UNILOGIC
Authors: Ioannou Aggelos D. , Georgopoulos Konstantinos , Malakonakis Pavlos , Pnevmatikatos Dionisios N. , Papaefstathiou Vassilis D. , Papaefstathiou Ioannis , Mavroidis Iakovos
Published: September 2020

One of the main characteristics of High-performance Computing (HPC) applications is that they become increasingly performance and power demanding, pushing HPC systems to their limits. Existing HPC systems have not yet reached exascale performance mainly due to power limitations. Extrapolating from today’s top HPC systems, about 100–200 MWatts would be required to sustain an exaflop-level of performance. A promising solution for tackling power limitations is the deployment of energy-efficient reconfigurable resources (in the form of Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)) tightly integrated with conventional CPUs. However, current FPGA tools and programming environments are optimized for accelerating a single application or even task on a single FPGA device. In this work, we present UNILOGIC (Unified Logic), a novel HPC-tailored parallel architecture that efficiently incorporates FPGAs. UNILOGIC adopts the Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) model and extends it to include hardware accelerators, i.e., tasks implemented on the reconfigurable resources. The main advantages of UNILOGIC are that (i) the hardware accelerators can be accessed directly by any processor in the system, and (ii) the hardware accelerators can access any memory location in the system. In this way, the proposed architecture offers a unified environment where all the reconfigurable resources can be seamlessly used by any processor/operating system. The UNILOGIC architecture also provides hardware virtualization of the reconfigurable logic so that the hardware accelerators can be shared among multiple applications or tasks. The FPGA layer of the architecture is implemented by splitting its reconfigurable resources into (i) a static partition, which provides the PGAS-related communication infrastructure, and (ii) fixed-size and dynamically reconfigurable slots that can be programmed and accessed independently or combined together to support both fine and coarse grain reconfiguration.
1
Finally, the UNILOGIC architecture has been evaluated on a custom prototype that consists of two 1U chassis, each of which includes eight interconnected daughter boards, called Quad-FPGA Daughter Boards (QFDBs); each QFDB supports four tightly coupled Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoCs as well as 64 Gigabytes of DDR4 memory, and thus, the prototype features a total of 64 Zynq MPSoCs and 1 Terabyte of memory. We tuned and evaluated the UNILOGIC prototype using both low-level (baremetal) performance tests, as well as two popular real-world HPC applications, one compute-intensive and one data-intensive. Our evaluation shows that UNILOGIC offers impressive performance that ranges from being 2.5 to 400 times faster and 46 to 300 times more energy efficient compared to conventional parallel systems utilizing only high-end CPUs, while it also outperforms GPUs by a factor ranging from 3 to 6 times in terms of time to solution, and from 10 to 20 times in terms of energy to solution.
Lowering the cost of computation
Authors: Pallickara Shrideep , Fox Geoffrey
Published: September 2020

Efficient support for sophisticated interactions between entities in distributed brokering systems
Review of "Spinning the semantic web: Bringing the world wide web to its full potential" edited by Dieter Fensel, James Hendler, Henry Lieberman, and Wolfgang Wahlster, The MIT press
Authors: Bedingfield Carl
Published: September 2020

Are you looking for a method for managing Web data in a useful and orderly format? Your search is over. This handbook is both a good introduction for the metadata neophyte and a useful reference for the semantically hip.
Genocide, Mass Atrocity, and Theories of Crime: Unlocking Criminology's Potential
Authors: Karstedt Susanne , Nyseth Brehm Hollie , Frizzell Laura C.
Published: September 2020

Surprisingly, scholars studying mass atrocity and genocide have frequently sidelined criminological theories and concepts. Other disciplines have addressed these crimes while mostly ignoring criminological insights and theories. In this review, we assess the potential of criminological theories to contribute to explaining and preventing mass atrocities and genocide, highlight criminological insights from the study of these crimes, and unlock the existing criminological knowledge base for application in the context of these crimes. We begin by outlining how mass atrocities and genocide are similar to other crimes that criminologists have routinely studied. We then turn toward frameworks of structural causation, focusing on the state and community levels. Subsequently, we address microlevel theories that inform why individuals commit such violence, ranging from theories of choice, the life course, and techniques of neutralization to social learning theory and theories of desistance from crime. Finally, we address the victims of genocide and mass atrocity, including the factors associated with victim labels and victimhood itself.
A Data Fusion Fault Diagnosis Method Based on LSTM and DWT for Satellite Reaction Flywheel
Authors: Long Dizhi , Wen Xin , Wang Junhong , Wei Bingyi
Published: September 2020

This paper presents a novel fault diagnosis method based on data fusion for a reaction flywheel of the satellite attitude system. Different from most traditional fault diagnosis techniques, the proposed solution simultaneously accomplishes fault detection and identification within parallel fusion blocks. The core of this method is independent fusion block, which uses a generalized ordered weighted average (GOWA) operator to complement the characteristics of output data from long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) so as to enhance the reliability and rapidity of decision-making. Moreover, minibatch normalization is selected to address the problem of covariate shift, realize the adaptive processing of the dynamic information in the original data, and improve the convergence speed of the network. With the high-fidelity model of the reaction flywheel, three common faults are, respectively, injected to collect experimental data. Extensive experiment results show the efficacy of the proposed method and the excellent performance achieved by LSTM and DWT.
Vehicle Transport Security System Based on the Self-Security Intelligence of Radioactive Material
Authors: Zeng Tiejun , Yang Xiaohua , Wan Yaping , Mao Yu , Liu Zhenghai
Published: September 2020

This paper proposes to design security measures based on the radioactive material package as the basic unit. The principle of four-layer defense in depth is put forward. Based on the concept of self-security intelligence, combined with out-of-vehicle monitoring, in-vehicle monitoring, and Beidou positioning technology, a security system for transport of radioactive materials was designed. It realized the perception, early warning, delay, and alarm functions and greatly improved the security.
Effect of N : P : K (15 : 15 : 15) on the Growth of Punica granatum L. Seedlings
Authors: Mensah Steven T. , Ochekwu Edache B. , Mgbedo Uchechukwu G. , Uzoma Miracle C.
Published: September 2020

This study was conducted to determine the effect of NPK (15 : 15 : 15) fertilizer on some growth parameters of Punica granatum seedlings towards establishing the fertilizer amount optimal for the growth of P. granatum. Planting bags containing 23.3 kg of soil were used for planting the seeds of Punica granatum, and the soil was treated with different amounts of NPK 15 : 15 : 15 fertilizer (T1 = 0 g, T2 = 1 g, T3 = 2 g, T4 = 3 g, and T5 = 4 g) and watered daily with borehole water. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with four replicates. Data were taken on the number of leaves (NOL), height of plant (HOP), and area of leaves (AOL) every three weeks for fifteen (15) weeks after planting. Results obtained using the Ochekwu Comparative Treatment Average (OCTA) trend showed that all the parameters under investigation increased significantly with an increase in fertilizer amount compared to the control. The optimum growth was observed to range between T3 and T4 for the number of leaves, height of plant, and area of leaves parameters studied. It was also observed that the increment of fertilizer amounts beyond this optimum point reduced biological yield previously obtained. Hence, for the optimum growth of P. granatum seedlings, NPK (15 : 15 : 15) fertilizer should be applied within the range of T3 and T4 or any other measurement that falls within the concentration range of T3 (0.09 g NPK kg−1 soil) and T4 (0.13 g NPK kg−1 soil) in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.
Chinese Herbal Formula Xuefu Zhuyu for Tension‐Type Headache with Qi‐Stagnation and Blood‐Stasis Pattern (CheruXTH): Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Zhou Li , Zhang Zhe , Li Geng , Liao Shaojun , Zhou Hongfei , Wang Pengqin , Liu Guanghui , Bai Li , Wen Zehuai
Published: September 2020

Background. Tension‐type headache (TTH) is the most common headache disorder. Current treatments for TTH have been reported to be associated with insufficient long‐term benefits and unwanted adverse events (AEs). The Chinese herbal formula Xuefu Zhuyu (XFZY) has been utilized in TTH treatment, but the evidence supporting its efficacy remains unclear. This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of XFZY for TTH. Methods. This multicenter, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial will be undertaken in China. A total of 174 eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either an XFZY group or a placebo group (20 ml each dose, three times daily for 4 weeks) at a ratio of 1 : 1. The primary outcome is the change in mean headache intensity measured by a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes include the area‐under‐the headache curve (AUC), headache frequency, rescue medication use, qi-stagnation and blood-stasis pattern measurement, quality of life measured by the EuroQol‐5‐Dimensions‐5‐Level (EQ‐5D‐5L), global evaluation of medication, and health economic indexes. Discussion. The results of the study are expected to provide evidence of high methodological and reporting quality on the efficacy and safety of XFZY for TTH. This trail is registered with ChiCTR1900026716 (registered on 19 October, 2019).
Experimental Study on Deformation and Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Arch Roadway under Different Unloading Rates
Authors: Hou Gongyu , Liang Jinping , Jing Haoyong , Tan Jinxin , Zhang Yongkang , Yang Xi
Published: September 2020

The essence of roadway excavation is a process of unloading at the periphery, and the influence of unloading paths on surrounding rock damage is directly related to the selection of support design and construction technology. The real stress state of surrounding rock is often affected by different excavation conditions in the actual construction process. Therefore, a testing system of excavation and unloading model was developed to simulate the unloading process of the arch roadway under different excavation conditions. Small hollow cylindrical specimens used in this experiment were made of cement mortar. The load at the inner cavity of specimens was removed under the constant action of external pressure and axial force to simulate the real excavation unloading process. The deformation, the failure modes, and the acoustic emission evolution characteristics at the inner of specimens were obtained under unloading conditions using the strain and acoustic emission monitoring systems. The experimental results indicate that deformation laws of surrounding rock were similar under different unloading rates and initial geostresses, but failure modes and acoustic emission characteristics were quite different. Compared with that of slow unloading, the damage of surrounding rock under rapid unloading mainly accumulated after unloading, and it is easier to induce rockburst after unloading. As initial geostress increased, the occurring time of the main fracture may be delayed relatively, and the phenomenon that the distribution range of peak frequency expanded and the amplitude rose gradually can be regarded as the precursor information of the main fracture occurring. This study can be used to provide experimental support for the failure and supporting design of surrounding rock in deep underground engineering.
Data Analysis for Predictive Maintenance of Servo Motors
Authors: Girit Oguz , Atakok Gurcan , Ersoy Sezgin
Published: September 2020

Vibration and temperature data of a servo motor are analyzed with PLC which is widely used in the industry. With this system, power supply can be detected on the servo motors. In this way, undesirable situations such as disruptions in production and productivity loss can be prevented from occurring. It is an important problem for businesses to detect malfunctions that may occur in servo motor dysfunction. Previously, methods such as ultrasonic sound measurements, thermal cameras, endoscopy equipment, and energy analysis have been used and discussed in the literature. Our study offers a PLC-based vibration and temperature measurement system designed as a solution of this problem. In this system, vibration and temperature measurements were made while the servo motor was kept running. These measurements were measured with or without load, considering the operating ranges of the servo motor, and the compatibility of the data was evaluated.
Antimalarial Activity of Ethyl Acetate Extract and Fraction of Bidens pilosa against Plasmodium berghei (ANKA)
Authors: Nadia Noumedem Anangmo Christelle , Cédric Yamssi , Raoul Simeni Njonnou Sylvain , Christian Ngongang Ouankou , Azizi Mounvera Abdel , Diane Gangueu Djape Clotilde , Nkouayep Vanessa Rosine , Jeanette Yondo , Gabriel Tsila Henri , Mbida Mpoame
Published: September 2020

Background. Malaria is one of the most critical diseases causing about 219 million cases worldwide in developing countries. The spread and development of resistance against chemical antimalarial drugs is one of the major problems associated with malaria control. The present study was to investigate the antimalarial efficacy of ethyl acetate extract and one fraction of Bidens pilosa in vivo in order to support the usage of this plant by traditional healers to treat malaria. Methods. The extracts were prepared by maceration of B. pilosa leaf powder in ethyl acetate. The liquid filtrate of the extract and the best in vitro antiplasmodial fraction using HPLC were concentrated and evaporated using a rotavapor under vacuum to dryness. The antimalarial activity of B. pilosa plant products were evaluated in vivo against Plasmodium berghei infected mice according to the Peter and Rane test. The antimalarial efficacy of the a selected crude extract (ethyl acetate extract) was evaluated at 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg, while a selected fraction from ethyl acetate extract (fraction 12) was evaluated at 62.5 and 125 mg/kg. Blood from experimental animals was collected to assess hematological parameters. Results. The crude extract of ethyl acetate and fraction 12 demonstrated 100% in vivo parasite suppressive activity at doses of 500 mg/kg and 125 mg/kg, respectively, for the crude extract and fraction 12. The mice treated with 250 and 500 mg/kg had their parasitemia (intraerythrocytic phase of P. Berghei) drop considerably, disappearing by the 8th day in mice receiving 500 mg/kg. The ethyl acetate extract of B. pilosa, fraction 12 showed an even higher antiplasmodial activity. By the 5th day of the experiment, the treatment led to a modification of hematological parameters in mice. The chloroquine (5 mg/kg), fraction 12 (125 mg/kg), and the crude extract (500 mg/kg) groups all survived the 30 days of the experiment, while the negative control group registered 100% of the deaths. Conclusion. This study scientifically supports the use of Bidens pilosa leaves in the traditional treatment of malaria. However, the mode of action and in vivo toxicity of the plant still need to be assessed.
Vibration‐Based Damage Detection of a Steel‐Concrete Composite Slab Using Non‐Model‐Based and Model‐Based Methods
Authors: Fang Liang , Zhou Yun , Jiang Yunzhong , Pei Yilin , Yi Weijian
Published: September 2020

This paper presents vibration‐based damage detection (VBDD) for testing a steel‐concrete composite bridge deck in a laboratory using both model‐based and non‐model‐based methods. Damage that appears on a composite bridge deck may occur either in the service condition or in the loading condition. To verify the efficiency of the dynamic test methods for assessing different damage scenarios, two defect cases were designed in the service condition by removing the connection bolts along half of a steel girder and replacing the boundary conditions, while three damage cases were introduced in the loading condition by increasing the applied load. A static test and a multiple reference impact test (MRIT) were conducted in each case to obtain the corresponding deflection and modal data. For the non‐model‐based method, modal flexibility and modal flexibility displacement (MFD) were used to detect the location and extent of the damage. The test results showed that the appearance and location of the damage in defect cases and loading conditions can be successfully identified by the MFD values. A finite element (FE) model was rationally selected to represent the dynamic characteristics of the physical model, while four highly sensitive physical parameters were rationally selected using sensitivity analysis. The model updating technique was used to assess the condition of the whole deck in the service condition, including the boundary conditions, connectors, and slab. Using damage functions, Strand7 software was used to conduct FE analysis coupled with the MATLAB application programming interface to update multiple physical parameters. Of the three different FE models used to simulate the behavior of the composite slab, the calculated MFD of the shell‐solid FE model was almost identical to the test results, indicating that the performance of the tested composite structure could be accurately predicted by this type of FE model.
Active Disturbance Rejection Control of Valve-Controlled Cylinder Servo Systems Based on MATLAB-AMESim Cosimulation
Authors: Guo Wenxiao , Zhao Yanbin , Li Ruiqin , Ding Haigang , Zhang Jianwei
Published: September 2020

The valve-controlled cylinder position servo system has the advantages of large output force and large power. As characteristics of nonlinearity and uncertainty exist in the hydraulic servo system, it is difficult for the traditional PID control to meet the requirements of high precision and control. The active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) considers the uncertainty of the system and external disturbances as the total disturbance. In this paper, the valve-controlled cylinder servo system is designed based on ADRC, its working principle is described, and its mathematical model and cosimulation model based on MATLAB-AMESim are established. In the case of constant load, variable load, and long pipeline, the comparative simulation of ADRC and PID is carried out. The simulation results show that the ADRC can effectively suppress the disturbance of the internal parameter changes and external load changes of the hydraulic system and has strong robustness and high control accuracy. This study provides a reference for the application of ADRC in electrohydraulic servo systems.
Inflammation Modulation by Vitamin D and Calcium in the Morphologically Normal Colorectal Mucosa of Patients with Colorectal Adenoma in a Clinical Trial
Authors: Gibbs David Corley , Fedirko Veronika , Baron John A. , Barry Elizabeth L. , Flanders W. Dana , McCullough Marjorie L. , Yacoub Rami , Raavi Tapasya , Rutherford Robin E. , Seabrook March E. , Bostick Roberd M.
Published: September 2020

Increased COX-2 and decreased 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-HPGD) expression promote prostaglandin-mediated inflammation and colorectal carcinogenesis. Experimental studies suggest that vitamin D and calcium may inhibit these pathways, but their effects on colorectal tissue COX-2 and 15-HPGD expression in humans are unknown. We tested the effects of supplemental vitamin D (1,000 IU/day) and/or calcium (1,200 mg/day) on COX-2 and 15-HPGD expression in the morphologically normal rectal mucosa from 62 paients with colorectal adenoma in a placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial. We measured biomarker expression using automated IHC and quantitative image analysis at baseline and 1-year follow-up, and assessed treatment effects using mixed linear models. The primary outcome was the COX-2/15-HPGD expression ratio, because these enzymes function as physiologic antagonists. After 1 year of treatment, the mean COX-2/15-HPGD expression ratio in full-length crypts proportionately decreased 47% in the vitamin D group (P = 0.001), 46% in the calcium group (P = 0.002), and 34% in the calcium + vitamin D group (P = 0.03), relative to the placebo group. Among individuals with the functional vitamin D–binding protein isoform DBP2 (GC rs4588*A), the COX-2/15-HPDG ratio decreased 70% (P = 0.0006), 75% (P = 0.0002), and 60% (P = 0.006) in the vitamin D, calcium, and combined supplementation groups, respectively, relative to placebo. These results show that vitamin D and calcium favorably modulate the balance of expression of COX-2 and 15-HPGD—biomarkers of inflammation that are strongly linked to colorectal carcinogenesis—in the normal-appearing colorectal mucosa of patients with colorectal adenoma (perhaps especially those with the DBP2 isoform).

Prevention Relevance:

Supplemental calcium and vitamin D reduce indicators of cancer-promoting inflammation in normal colorectal tissue in humans, thus furthering our understanding of how they may help prevent colorectal cancer.
Tumor-Derived IL33 Promotes Tissue-Resident CD8+ T Cells and Is Required for Checkpoint Blockade Tumor Immunotherapy
Authors: Chen Lujun , Sun Runzi , Xu Junchi , Zhai Wensi , Zhang Dachuan , Yang Min , Yue Cuihua , Chen Yichao , Li Song , Turnquist Heth , Jiang Jingting , Lu Binfeng
Published: September 2020

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment by prolonging overall survival of patients with cancer. Despite advances in the clinical setting, the immune cellular network in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that mediates such therapy is not well understood. IL33 is highly expressed in normal epithelial cells but downregulated in tumor cells in advanced carcinoma. Here, we showed that IL33 was induced in tumor cells after treatment with ICB such as CTL antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) mAbs. ST2 signaling in nontumor cells, particularly CD8+ T cells, was critical for the antitumor efficacy of ICB immunotherapy. We demonstrated that tumor-derived IL33 was crucial for the antitumor efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors. Mechanistically, IL33 increased the accumulation and effector function of tumor-resident CD103+CD8+ T cells, and CD103 expression on CD8+ T cells was required for the antitumor efficacy of IL33. In addition, IL33 also increased the numbers of CD103+ dendritic cells (DC) in the TME and CD103+ DC were required for the antitumor effect of IL33 and accumulation of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells. Combination of IL33 with CTLA-4 and PD-1 ICB further prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice. Our study established that the “danger signal” IL33 was crucial for mediating ICB cancer therapy by promoting tumor-resident adaptive immune responses.