bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unnecessary wait hours: a novel ED system-level metric
Authors: Heaton Heather A , Nestler David M , Pasupathy Kalyan S , Wutthisirisart Phichet , Sir Mustafa Y , Hellmich Thomas R
Published: June 2020

Background

Emergency department (ED) operations leaders are under increasing pressure to make care delivery more efficient. Publicly reported ED efficiency metrics are traditionally patient centred and do not show situational or facility-based improvement opportunities. We propose the consideration of a novel metric, the ‘Number of Unnecessary Waits (NUW)’ and the corresponding ‘Unnecessary Wait Hours (UWH)’, to measure space efficiency, and we describe how we used NUW to evaluate operational changes in our ED.

Methods

UWH summarises the relationship between the number of available rooms and the number of patients waiting by returning a value equal to the number of unnecessary patient waits. We used this metric to evaluate reassigning a clinical technician assistant (CTA) to the new role of flow CTA.

Results

We retrospectively analysed 3.5 months of data from before and after creation of the flow CTA. NUW metric analysis suggested that the flow CTA decreased the amount of unnecessary wait hours, while higher patient volumes had the opposite effect.

Conclusions

Situational system-level metrics may provide a new dimension to evaluating ED operational efficiencies. Studies focussed on system-level metrics to evaluate an ED practice are needed to understand the role these metrics play in evaluation of a department’s operations.
Naturally occurring 5′ preS1 deletions markedly enhance replication and infectivity
of HBV genotype B and genotype C
Authors: Li Jing , Li Jisu , Chen Shiqi , Yuan Quan , Zhang Jing , Wu Jingwen , Jiang Qirong , Wang Qianru , Xia Ning-Shao , Zhang Jiming , Tong Shuping
Published: June 2020

Background and aims

Deletion of 15-nucleotide or 18-nucleotide (nt) covering preS1 ATG frequently
arises during chronic infection with HBV genotypes B and C. Since the second ATG is
33nt downstream, they truncate large (L) envelope protein by 11 residues like
wild-type genotype D. This study characterised their functional consequences.

Methods

HBV genomes with or without deletion were amplified from a patient with advanced
liver fibrosis and assembled into replication competent 1.1mer construct. Deletion,
insertion or point mutation was introduced to additional clones of different
genotypes. Viral particles concentrated from transfected HepG2 cells were inoculated
to sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP)-reconstituted HepG2
(HepG2/NTCP) cells or differentiated HepaRG cells, and HBV RNA, DNA, proteins were
monitored.

Results

From transfected HepG2 cells, the 15-nt and 18-nt deletions increased HBV RNA,
replicative DNA and extracellular virions. When same number of viral particles was
inoculated to HepG2/NTCP cells, the deletion mutants showed higher infectivity.
Conversely, HBV infectivity was diminished by putting back the 18nt into naturally
occurring genotype C deletion mutants and by adding 33nt to genotype D. Infectivity of
full-length genotype C clones was also enhanced by mutating the first ATG codon of the
preS1 region but diminished by mutating the second in-frame ATG. Removing N-terminal
11 residues from preS1 peptide 2–59 of genotype C potentiated inhibition of HBV
infection and enhanced binding to HepG2/NTCP cells.

Conclusions

The 15-nt and 18-nt deletions somehow increase HBV RNA, replicative DNA and
virion production. Shortened L protein is more efficient at mediating HBV
infection.
Association between neighbourhood characteristics and antidepressant use at older ages: a register-based study of urban areas in three European countries
Authors: Tarkiainen Lasse , Moustgaard Heta , Korhonen Kaarina , Noordzij J Mark , Beenackers Marielle A , Van Lenthe Frank J , Burstrom Bo , Martikainen Pekka
Published: June 2020

Background

Research evidence on the association between neighbourhood characteristics and individual mental health at older ages is inconsistent, possibly due to heterogeneity in the measurement of mental-health outcomes, neighbourhood characteristics and confounders. Register-based data enabled us to avoid these problems in this longitudinal study on the associations between socioeconomic and physical neighbourhood characteristics and individual antidepressant use in three national contexts.

Methods

We used register-based longitudinal data on the population aged 50+ from Turin (Italy), Stockholm (Sweden), and the nine largest cities in Finland linked to satellite-based land-cover data. This included individual-level information on sociodemographic factors and antidepressant use, and on neighbourhood socioeconomic characteristics, levels of urbanicity, green space and land-use mix (LUM). We assessed individual-level antidepressant use over 6 years in 2001–2017 using mixed-effects logistic regression.

Results

A higher neighbourhood proportion of low-educated individuals predicted lower odds for antidepressant use in Turin and Stockholm when individual-level sociodemographic factors were controlled for. Urbanicity predicted increased antidepressant use in Stockholm (OR=1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03) together with more LUM (OR=1.03; 1.01–1.05) and population density (OR=1.08; 1.05–1.10). The two latter characteristics also predicted increased antidepressant use in the Finnish cities (OR=1.05; 1.02–1.08 and OR=1.14; 1.02–1.28, respectively). After accounting for all studied neighbourhood and individual characteristics of the residents, the neighbourhoods still varied by odds of antidepressant use.

Conclusions

Overall, the associations of neighbourhood socioeconomic and physical characteristics with older people’s antidepressant use were small and inconsistent. However, we found modest evidence that dense physical urban environments predicted higher antidepressant use among older people in Stockholm and the Finnish cities.
Household disposable income and long-term survival after pulmonary resections for lung cancer
Authors: Sachs Erik , Jackson Veronica , Sartipy Ulrik
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Socioeconomic disparities have been linked to survival differences in patients with lung cancer. Swedish healthcare is tax-funded and provides equal access to care, therefore, survival following lung cancer surgery should be unrelated to household income. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between household disposable income and survival following surgery for lung cancer in Sweden.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study including all patients who underwent pulmonary resections for lung cancer in Sweden 2008–2017. Individual-level record linkages between national quality and health-data registers were performed to acquire information regarding socioeconomic status and medical history. Cox regression by quintiles of household disposable income was used to estimate the adjusted risk for all-cause mortality.

Results

We included 5500 patients and the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted incidence rate of death per 100 person-years was 15 and 9.4 in the lowest and highest income quintile, respectively (mean follow-up time 3.2 years). Deprived patients were older, had more comorbidities and were less likely to have preoperative positron emission tomography or minimally invasive surgery, compared with patients with higher income. The adjusted HR for death was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.62 to 0.96) for the highest income quintile compared with the lowest.

Conclusions

We found an association between household disposable income and survival in patients who underwent surgery for lung cancer in Sweden, despite tax-funded universal health coverage. The association remained after adjustment for differences in baseline characteristics.
MiR-27b-3p suppresses glioma development via targeting YAP1
Authors: Miao Wei , Li Ning , Gu Bin , Yi Guoqing , Su Zheng , Cheng Huilin
Published: June 2020

Previous studies have reported that miRNAs are involved in the progression of glioma, and that miR-27b-3p is involved in a variety of cancers. However, whether miR-27b-3p has a role in glioma is still unknown. Here, we demonstrated that miR-27b-3p is downregulated in glioma, and this is associated with the development of glioma. Overexpression of miR-27b-3p in glioma cells inhibits cell proliferation and migration, and induces cell apoptosis, which suppresses the progression of glioma. Furthermore, in our study, overexpression of miR-27b-3p also inhibited the growth of xenografted glioma tumors in-vivo. Finally, we verified that Yes Associated Protein 1 (YAP1) is the downstream target of miR-27b-3p, and that miR-27b-3p controls the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of glioma cells via regulating YAP1. Our study reveals a novel mechanism through which miR-27b-3p functions in the development of glioma, and thus provides a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of glioma.
On the Convergence Rate of Inexact Majorized sGS ADMM with Indefinite Proximal Terms for Convex Composite Programming
Authors: Li Min , Wu Zhongming
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we propose an inexact majorized symmetric Gauss–Seidel (sGS) alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) with indefinite proximal terms for multi-block convex composite programming. This method is a specific form of the inexact majorized ADMM which is further proposed to solve a general two-block separable optimization problem. The new methods adopt certain relative error criteria to solve the involving subproblems approximately, and the step-sizes allow to choose in the scope [Formula: see text]. Under more general conditions, we establish the global convergence and Q-linear convergence rate of the proposed methods.
Properties of a recent quantum extension of the Kruskal geometry
Authors: Ashtekar Abhay , Olmedo Javier
Published: June 2020

Recently, it was shown that, in an effective description motivated by loop quantum gravity, singularities of the Kruskal spacetime are naturally resolved [A. Ashtekar, J. Olmedo and P. Singh, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121 (2018) 241301; A. Ashtekar, J. Olmedo and P. Singh, Phys. Rev. D 98 (2018) 126003]. In this paper, we explore a few properties of this quantum corrected effective metric. In particular, we (i) calculate the Hawking temperature associated with the horizon of the effective geometry and show that the quantum correction to the temperature is completely negligible for macroscopic black holes, just as one would hope; (ii) discuss the subtleties associated with the asymptotic properties of the spacetime metric, and show that the metric is asymptotically flat in a precise sense; (iii) analyze the asymptotic fall-off of curvature; and, (iv) show that the ADM energy is well defined (and agrees with that determined by the horizon area), even though the curvature falls off less rapidly than in the standard asymptotically flat context.
Theoretical investigation of giant dipole resonance in 146−152Nd isotopes with QRPA
Authors: Demirci Saygı Nilufer , Ertuğral Yamaç Filiz , Kuliev Ali
Published: June 2020

We investigate the electric dipole ([Formula: see text]) structure properties of the deformed [Formula: see text]Nd nuclei in the giant dipole resonance (GDR) region within the framework of the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA). Translational and Galilean invariance (TGI) QRPA with separable isovector dipole–dipole residual interaction have been employed for the calculations. We have computed the photoabsorption cross-section and then we have compared with the experimental data. Our calculations revealed that while the photoabsorption cross-section shows a Lorentzian line in the neighborhood of spherical geometry, it starts to shift to an asymmetric shape by increasing deformation in [Formula: see text]Nd isotopes by increasing neutron number. In addition to this, we have also observed that the splitting of the [Formula: see text] strength distribution and the separation between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] branches are increasing. We have calculated the contribution of the electric and magnetic parts of total dipole strength up to 20[Formula: see text]MeV for the nuclei of interest. This calculation shows that the electric part dominates the total dipole strength and [Formula: see text] excitation dominates the electric part.
Knaster and friends II: The C-sequence number
Authors: Lambie-Hanson Chris , Rinot Assaf
Published: June 2020

Motivated by a characterization of weakly compact cardinals due to Todorcevic, we introduce a new cardinal characteristic, the [Formula: see text]-sequence number, which can be seen as a measure of the compactness of a regular uncountable cardinal. We prove a number of [Formula: see text] and independence results about the [Formula: see text]-sequence number and its relationship with large cardinals, stationary reflection, and square principles. We then introduce and study the more general [Formula: see text]-sequence spectrum and uncover some tight connections between the [Formula: see text]-sequence spectrum and the strong coloring principle [Formula: see text], introduced in Part I of this series.
Growth conditions and regularity, an optimal local boundedness result
Authors: Hirsch Jonas , Schäffner Mathias
Published: June 2020

We prove local boundedness of local minimizers of scalar integral functionals [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] where the integrand satisfies [Formula: see text]-growth of the form [Formula: see text] under the optimal relation [Formula: see text].
Semi-Analytical Solutions for the Uniformly Compressed Simply Supported Plate with Large Deflections
Authors: Nedelcu Mihai
Published: June 2020

The thin plane plates are largely used in practice as single elements or as components of the thin-walled structures, and their behavior under compression is characterized by large post-buckling load-carrying capacity. Various semi-analytical solutions of the uniformly compressed simply supported plate with large deflections were formulated almost a century ago, mainly solving the fundamental equations governing the deformation of thin plates, or using classic energy methods. Due to several shortcomings, none of these solutions were introduced in the design codes of thin-walled members. This paper presents new semi-analytical solutions based on classic energy methods. The main innovation is brought by the considered displacement field which is far more accurate than the ones used by the previous formulations. The initial geometric imperfections are considered, and the proposed solutions are validated against numerical solutions and experimental data. The validation is also supported by a publicly available software application.
Wilf’s conjecture for numerical semigroups with large second generator
Authors: Spirito Dario
Published: June 2020

We study Wilf’s conjecture for numerical semigroups [Formula: see text] such that the second least generator [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] satisfies [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the conductor and [Formula: see text] the multiplicity of [Formula: see text]. In particular, we show that for these semigroups Wilf’s conjecture holds when the multiplicity is bounded by a quadratic function of the embedding dimension.
The reduced ring order and lower semi-lattices II
Authors: Burgess W. D. , Raphael R.
Published: June 2020

This paper continues the study of the reduced ring order (rr-order) in reduced rings where [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text]. A reduced ring is called rr-good if it is a lower semi-lattice in the order. Examples include weakly Baer rings (wB or PP-rings) but many more. Localizations are examined relating to this order as well as the Pierce sheaf. Liftings of rr-orthogonal sets over surjections of reduced rings are studied. A known result about commutative power series rings over wB rings is extended, via methods developed here, to very general, not necessarily commutative, power series rings defined by an ordered monoid, showing that they are wB.
Representation of solutions to wave equations with profile functions
Authors: Lamacz Agnes , Schweizer Ben
Published: June 2020

In many applications, solutions to wave equations can be represented in Fourier space with the help of a dispersion function. Examples include wave equations on periodic lattices with spacing [Formula: see text], wave equations on [Formula: see text] with constant coefficients, and wave equations on [Formula: see text] with coefficients of periodicity [Formula: see text]. We characterize such solutions for large times [Formula: see text]. We establish a reconstruction formula that yields approximations for solutions in three steps: (1) From given initial data [Formula: see text], appropriate initial data for a profile equation are extracted. (2) The dispersion function determines a profile evolution equation, which, in turn, yields the shape of the profile at time [Formula: see text]. (3) A shell reconstruction operator transforms the profile to a function on [Formula: see text]. The resulting function is a good approximation of the solution [Formula: see text].
Aid for Trade Flows and Recipient-Countries’ Integration into the World Market for Services Exports: Do Merchandises Exports and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows Matter?
Authors: Gnangnon Sena Kimm , Ramirez Ramirez Susana Del Mar
Published: June 2020

An important literature on the recipient-countries’ export performance effect of Aid for Trade (AfT) flows has focused on the goods side. The few existing studies on the services exports effects of AfT interventions have reached mixed results, reflecting a positive or weak effect. This study aims to complement these few studies by examining the effect of AfT flows on recipient-countries’ share of services exports in the world services exports (‘services export integration’), including through two main channels: their share of merchandises exports in the world merchandises exports (‘merchandises export integration’) and the size of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows. The empirical analysis, based on a sample of 105 countries over the period 2002–2016, has shown that these two channels definitely matter for the effect of AfT flows on countries’ services export integration. Specifically, by fostering countries’ merchandises export integration, AfT flows can promote their services export integration. Furthermore, promoting FDI inflows enhances the positive effect of AfT flows on countries’ services export integration.
A void evolution-based damage model for ductile fracture of metallic materials
Authors: Gong He , Chen Changhong , Yao Yao
Published: June 2020

A modified damage model is developed for describing ductile fracture of metallic materials by introducing damage variables with respect to porosity. Based on the geometric characteristics of the void deformation process, modified governing equations of void evolution are proposed to reduce the dependence of micro parameters. A transformed variable is introduced to incorporate the porosity into continuum damage mechanics. The numerical predictions are compared with experimental results for AISI-1095, AISI-1090 and AISI-1045 steel.
Spatio-Temporal Deep Residual Network with Hierarchical Attentions for Video Event Recognition
Authors: Li Yonggang , Liu Chunping , Ji Yi , Gong Shengrong , Xu Haibao
Published: June 2020

Event recognition in surveillance video has gained extensive attention from the computer vision community. This process still faces enormous challenges due to the tiny inter-class variations that are caused by various facets, such as severe occlusion, cluttered backgrounds, and so forth. To address these issues, we propose a spatio-temporal deep residual network with hierarchical attentions (STDRN-HA) for video event recognition. In the first attention layer, the ResNet fully connected feature guides the Faster R-CNN feature to generate object-based attention (O-attention) for target objects. In the second attention layer, the O-attention further guides the ResNet convolutional feature to yield the holistic attention (H-attention) in order to perceive more details of the occluded objects and the global background. In the third attention layer, the attention maps use the deep features to obtain the attention-enhanced features. Then, the attention-enhanced features are input into a deep residual recurrent network, which is used to mine more event clues from videos. Furthermore, an optimized loss function named softmax-RC is designed, which embeds the residual block regularization and center loss to solve the vanishing gradient in a deep network and enlarge the distance between inter-classes. We also build a temporal branch to exploit the long- and short-term motion information. The final results are obtained by fusing the outputs of the spatial and temporal streams. Experiments on the four realistic video datasets, CCV, VIRAT 1.0, VIRAT 2.0, and HMDB51, demonstrate that the proposed method has good performance and achieves state-of-the-art results.
Learning Bayesian Networks with the Saiyan Algorithm
Authors: Constantinou Anthony C.
Published: June 2020

Some structure learning algorithms have proven to be effective in reconstructing hypothetical Bayesian Network graphs from synthetic data. However, in their mission to maximise a scoring function, many become conservative and minimise edges discovered. While simplicity is desired, the output is often a graph that consists of multiple independent subgraphs that do not enable full propagation of evidence. While this is not a problem in theory, it can be a problem in practice. This article examines a novel unconventional associational heuristic called Saiyan, which returns a directed acyclic graph that enables full propagation of evidence. Associational heuristics are not expected to perform well relative to sophisticated constraint-based and score-based learning approaches. Moreover, forcing the algorithm to connect all data variables implies that the forced edges will not be correct at the rate of those identified unrestrictedly. Still, synthetic and real-world experiments suggest that such a heuristic can be competitive relative to some of the well-established constraint-based, score-based and hybrid learning algorithms.
A Colored Path Problem and Its Applications
Authors: Eiben Eduard , Kanj Iyad
Published: June 2020

Given a set of obstacles and two points in the plane, is there a path between the two points that does not cross more than
k
different obstacles? Equivalently, can we remove
k
obstacles so that there is an obstacle-free path between the two designated points? This is a fundamental NP-hard problem that has undergone a tremendous amount of research work. The problem can be formulated and generalized into the following graph problem: Given a planar graph
G
whose vertices are colored by color sets, two designated vertices
s
,
t
∈
V
(
G
), and
k
∈ N, is there an
s
-
t
path in
G
that uses at most
k
colors? If each obstacle is connected, then the resulting graph satisfies the color-connectivity property, namely that each color induces a connected subgraph.

We study the complexity and design algorithms for the above graph problem with an eye on its geometric applications. We prove a set of hardness results, including a result showing that the color-connectivity property is crucial for any hope for fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) algorithms. We also show that our hardness results translate to the geometric instances of the problem.

We then focus on graphs satisfying the color-connectivity property. We design an FPT algorithm for this problem parameterized by both
k
and the treewidth of the graph and extend this result further to obtain an FPT algorithm for the parameterization by both
k
and the length of the path. The latter result implies and explains previous FPT results for various obstacle shapes.
A controlled intervention to improve freshman retention in a STEM-based physiology major
Authors: Leary Miriam , Morewood Aimee , Bryner Randy
Published: June 2020

Using a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning lens, this study systematically examined if a targeted intervention in at-risk students within a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based physiology program would elicit positive student perceptions and higher retention rates into the second year. Those students who were considered at risk for attrition (retention; n = 82) were compared against a control group (non-retention; n = 165), and outcomes were evaluated with an End-of-Semester Survey and university enrollment data. Students in the retention group reported more favorable responses to questions pertaining to a first-year seminar course and academic advising. By the start of the following (spring 2019) semester, 48 students transferred out of the program (20%) with little difference between groups (non-retention 19%; retention 22%). At the start of fall 2019 term, 55% of the 2018 freshman class were retained within the program (non-retention 66%; retention 39%), and 85% were retained within the university (non-retention 91%, retention 74%). The intervention was successful in eliciting positive student perceptions of the major, but did not improve retention of at-risk students within the physiology major.
A two-stage bilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury-induced AKI to CKD transition model in mice
Authors: Zhang Jie , Wang Ximing , Wei Jin , Wang Lei , Jiang Shan , Xu Lan , Qu Larry , Yang Kun , Fu Liying , Buggs Jacentha , Cheng Feng , Liu Ruisheng
Published: June 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) significantly increases the risk of development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recently, our laboratory generated a mouse model with the typical phenotypes of AKI to CKD transition in the unilateral kidney. However, AKI, CKD, and even the transition from AKI to CKD usually occur bilaterally rather than unilaterally in patients. Therefore, in the present study, we further modified the strategy and developed a new model of CKD transitioned from bilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in C57BL/6 mice. In this new model, unilateral severe IRI was performed in one kidney while the contralateral kidney was kept intact to maintain animal survival; then, following 14 days of recovery, when the renal function of the injured kidney restored above the survival threshold, the contralateral intact kidney was subjected to a similar IRI. Animals of these two-stage bilateral IRI models with pedicle clamping of 21 and 24 min at a body temperature of 37°C exhibited incomplete recovery from AKI and subsequent development of CKD with characteristics of progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate, increases in plasma creatinine, worsening of proteinuria, and deleterious histopathological changes, including interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis, in both kidneys. In conclusion, a new bilateral AKI to CKD transition animal model with a typical phenotype of CKD was generated in C57BL/6 mice.
The Rab-Rabphilin system in injured human podocytes stressed by glucose overload and angiotensin II
Authors: Martinez-Arroyo Olga , Ortega Ana , Perez-Hernandez Javier , Chaves Felipe J. , Redon Josep , Cortes Raquel
Published: June 2020

Kidney injury in hypertension and diabetes entails, among in other structures, damage in a key cell of the glomerular filtration barrier, the podocyte. Podocytes are polarized and highly differentiated cells in which vesicular transport, partly driven by Rab GTPases, is a relevant process. The aim of the present study was to analyze Rab GTPases of the Rab-Rabphilin system in human immortalized podocytes and the impact of high glucose and angiotensin II. Furthermore, alterations of the system in urine cell pellets from patients with hypertension and diabetes were studied. Apoptosis was analyzed in podocytes, and mRNA level quantification, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence were developed to quantify podocyte-specific molecules and Rab-Rabphilin components (Rab3A, Rab27A, and Rabphilin3A). Quantitative RT-PCR was performed on urinary cell pellet from patients. The results showed that differentiated cells had reduced protein levels of the Rab-rabphillin system compared with undifferentiated cells. After glucose overload and angiotensin II treatment, apoptosis was increased and podocyte-specific proteins were reduced. Rab3A and Rab27A protein levels were increased under glucose overload, and Rabphilin3A decreased. Furthermore, this system exhibited higher levels under stress conditions in a manner of angiotensin II dose and time treatment. Immunofluorescence imaging indicated different expression patterns of podocyte markers and Rab27A under treatments. Finally, Rab3A and Rab27A were increased in patient urine pellets and showed a direct relationship with albuminuria. Collectively, these results suggest that the Rab-Rabphilin system could be involved in the alterations observed in injured podocytes and that a mechanism may be activated to reduce damage through the vesicular transport enhancement directed by this system.
Sea Buckthorn and Grape Antioxidant Effects in Hyperlipidemic Rats: Relationship with the Atorvastatin Therapy
Authors: Mohamed Erieg A. , Bordean Despina M. , Radulov Isidora , Moruzi Răzvan F. , Hulea Călin I. , Orășan Sergiu A. , Dumitrescu Eugenia , Muselin Florin , Herman Hildegard , Brezovan Diana , Hermenean Anca , Cristina Romeo T.
Published: June 2020

Background. Medications to reduce oxidative stress are preventing cellular damage associated with hyperlipidemia. In this regard, statins (e.g., atorvastatin) act primarily by decrease in low‐density lipoprotein‐c but, in the last decade, hepatotoxicity, associated with liver injuries in the next months after treatments’ initiation, was reported. In this case, associated phytotherapy can be a solution. Purpose. To investigate the antioxidant potential and response to free radicals, in the case of hyperlipidemic rats treated with atorvastatin. Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) and a grape extract (antioxivita) efficiency in the oxidative stress were investigated, also being ascertained the rats’ organs cytoarchitecture. Methods. Eighty‐four hyperlipidemic Wistar rats were divided into seven groups and orally treated as follows: ATS, atorvastatin (20 mg/kg·bw); ATS + Hr, atorvastatin + H. rhamnoides; ATS + Aox, atorvastatin + grape extract; Hr, H. rhamnoides; and Aox, grape extract (both as 100 mg/kg·bw). HFD and Control received high fat diet and normal fodder only. After two and six months, respectively, rats were euthanized and the heart, liver, and kidneys were gathered. The tissue samples were prepared by homogenization of 0.5 g tissue, in ethanol, kept for 48 hours at 4°C–10°C and then filtered, in order to assess organs’ cytoarchitecture and the TAC’s values (by using cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assay). The test tubes were incubated, at room temperature, for 30 minutes, and then analyzed using a spectrophotometer at 450–650 nm. Results. The statistics (ANOVA) revealed that sea buckthorn diminished notably (p < 0.001) the oxidative stress in the heart, liver, and kidney. After six months, the TAC’s reduced levels for the heart were significant (p < 0.001) in ATS + Aox. In the case of histology, the liver’s cytoarchitecture in ATS revealed abnormal cytoarchitecture. In ATS + Hr, ATS + Aox, Hr, and Aox, cell regeneration improved in different stages, especially for ATS + Hr and ATS + Aox, in comparison with HFD, which exhibited fat degeneration. Kidney’s cytoarchitecture revealed cellular healing, especially in ATS + Hr and ATS + Aox.
Psychotic Features Abated with Vitamin D Treatment in a Patient with Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Fipps David C. , Rainey Elisabet
Published: June 2020

Introduction. Vitamin D deficiency is common in psychiatric populations, and vitamin D has been used as an add-on medication in major depressive disorder. Case Report. Here, we present the case of a 49-year-old man diagnosed with major depressive disorder, severe, with psychotic features, who was treated with antidepressants and underwent multiple antipsychotic trials. The patient was found to have low serum levels of vitamin D. During treatment with vitamin D, serum levels normalized and the patient’s psychotic symptoms abated. Conclusion. Ensuring adequate vitamin D levels could be a method of focus for the augmentation or treatment of psychotic features in major depressive disorder.
Identification of Heat-Responsive Genes in Guar [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub]
Authors: Alshameri Aref , Al-Qurainy Fahad , Gaafar Abdel-Rhman , Khan Salim , Nadeem Mohammad , Alansi Saleh
Published: June 2020

The threat of heat stress on crop production increased dramatically due to global warming leading to the rise on the demand of heat-tolerant crops and understanding their tolerance. The leguminous forage crop Guar [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub] is a high-temperature tolerant plant with numerous works on its tolerance at morph-physiological levels but lack on molecular thermotolerance level. In the current study, the differential gene expression and the underlying metabolic pathways induced by heat treatment were investigated. An RNA-Seq study on Guar leaves was carried out to estimate gene abundance and identify genes involved in heat tolerance to better understand the response mechanisms to heat stress. The results uncovered 1551 up- and 1466 downregulated genes, from which 200 and 72 genes with unknown function could be considered as new genes specific to guar. The upregulated unigenes were associated with 158 enzymes and 102 KEGG pathways. Blast2GO, InterProScan, and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes packages were utilized to search the functional annotation, protein analysis, enzymes, and metabolic pathways and revealed hormone signal transduction were enriched during heat stress tolerance. A total of 301 protein families, 551 domains, 15 repeats, and 3 sites were upregulated and matched to those unigenes. A batch of heat-regulated transcription factor transcripts were identified using the PlantTFDB database, which may play roles in heat response in Guar. Interestingly, several heat shock protein families were expressed in response to exposure to stressful conditions for instance small HSP20, heat shock transcription factor family, heat shock protein Hsp90 family, and heat shock protein 70 family. Our results revealed the expressional changes associated with heat tolerance and identified potential key genes in the regulation of this process. These results will provide a good start to dissect the molecular behaviour of plants induced by heat stress and could identify the key genes in stress response for marker-assisted selection in Guar and reveal their roles in stress adaptation in plants.
Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet for the Improvement of Wettability of Polypropylene
Authors: Baniya Hom Bahadur , Guragain Rajesh Prakash , Baniya Binod , Subedi Deepak Prasad
Published: June 2020

This paper reports the generation of cold plasma jet working under atmospheric pressure condition, for surface treatment of polymeric films. The discharge has been characterized by electrical and optical methods. The electrical property of the discharge has been studied by taking current-voltage wave forms using voltage and current probes. The production of argon plasma jet is done in atmospheric conditions which are relatively much cheaper, convenient, and safer to use. The atmospheric pressure plasma jet sustained in pure argon has been used to improve wettability of polypropylene (PP). Cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet (CAPPJ) has been generated by a high-voltage power supply (5.5 kV, 0-20 kV) at an operating frequency of 20 kHz. The surface properties of the controls and plasma-treated PP samples were characterized by contact angle measurement, surface free energy measurement, scanning electron microscopy, and the Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy analysis.
Metal-Based Nanoparticles Enhance Drought Tolerance in Soybean
Authors: Linh Tran My , Mai Nguyen Chi , Hoe Pham Thi , Lien Le Quynh , Ban Ninh Khac , Hien Le Thi Thu , Chau Nguyen Hoai , Van Nguyen Tuong
Published: June 2020

Drought is a major abiotic stress that negatively impacts plant growth and crop production. Among various techniques used to alleviate drought stress in plants, nanoparticle application is considered to be effective and promising. In this study, the responses of plants treated with iron, copper, cobalt, and zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were analyzed in soybean under drought-induced conditions. The obtained results indicated that these metal-based NPs supported the drought tolerance of NP-treated plants. The desired physiological traits, viz., relative water content, drought tolerance index, and biomass reduction rate, were significantly improved, especially in iron NP-treated plants. At the molecular level, quantitative PCR analysis of several drought-responsive genes revealed a gene-, tissue-, and NP-dependent upregulation of gene expression. Iron NP treatment promoted the expression of all tested genes in roots; additionally, the expression of three drought-responsive genes increased in leaves of all NP-treated plants, while the expression of GmERD1 (Early Responsive to Dehydration 1) was induced in both roots and shoots under the four NP treatments tested. Our findings suggest that NP application can improve drought tolerance of soybean plants by triggering drought-associated gene expression.
Acute Myocardial Infarction Reduces Respiration in Rat Cardiac Fibers, despite Adipose Tissue Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Transplant
Authors: Irion Camila I. , Martins Eduarda L. , Christie Michelle L. A. , de Andrade Cherley B. V. , de Moraes Alan C. N. , Ferreira Raphaela P. , Pimentel Cibele F. , Suhett Grazielle D. , de Carvalho Antonio Carlos C. , Lindoso Rafael S. , Vieyra Adalberto , Galina Antonio , Goldenberg Regina C. S.
Published: June 2020

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (AD-MSC) administration improves cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Although the mechanisms underlying this effect remain to be elucidated, the reversal of the mitochondrial dysfunction may be associated with AMI recovery. Here, we analyzed the alterations in the respiratory capacity of cardiomyocytes in the infarcted zone (IZ) and the border zone (BZ) and evaluated if mitochondrial function improved in cardiomyocytes after AD-MSC transplantation. Female rats were subjected to AMI by permanent left anterior descending coronary (LAD) ligation and were then treated with AD-MSCs or PBS in the border zone (BZ). Cardiac fibers were analyzed 24 hours (necrotic phase) and 8 days (fibrotic phase) after AMI for mitochondrial respiration, citrate synthase (CS) activity, F0F1-ATPase activity, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). High-resolution respirometry of permeabilized cardiac fibers showed that AMI reduced numerous mitochondrial respiration parameters in cardiac tissue, including phosphorylating and nonphosphorylating conditions, respiration coupled to ATP synthesis, and maximal respiratory capacity. CS decreased in IZ and BZ at the necrotic phase, whereas it recovered in BZ and continued to drop in IZ over time when compared to Sham. Exogenous cytochrome c doubled respiration at the necrotic phase in IZ. F0F1-ATPase activity decreased in the BZ and, to more extent, in IZ in both phases. Transmission electron microscopy showed disorganized mitochondrial cristae structure, which was more accentuated in IZ but also important in BZ. All these alterations in mitochondrial respiration were still present in the group treated with AD-MSC. In conclusion, AMI led to mitochondrial dysfunction with oxidative phosphorylation disorders, and AD-MSC improved CS temporarily but was not able to avoid alterations in mitochondria function over time.
Depth Prediction of Karstic-Fault Reservoirs Based on Wellbore Temperature Measurements and Numerical Simulations
Authors: Lei Jian , Pan Baozhi , Guo Yuhang , Fan YuFei , Zhang Lihua
Published: June 2020

Karstic-fault oil pools are a new type of carbonate reservoirs which is consisted of groups of large caves with high oil storage potential. In this study’s examinations of high-yielding wells, it was found that many valuable reservoirs relate to the drilling wells through fractures or karst caves, and it was not possible to determine the reservoir depths through the method of seismic prospecting precisely due to its poor vertical resolution. The conventional logs cannot be run in the case of no mud circulation due to leaking to the caves. If the depths of the reservoirs cannot be determined, then it becomes difficult to achieve long term and stable development of the oil resources in the reservoirs. The heat transfer between wellbore and formation during oil production processes was simulated by CFD. The Horner method was used for estimating the flow temperature during the stable production stage using the temperature curve measured after shut-in. This research presented a scheme which could be used to effectively determine the depths of karstic-fault reservoirs by static and flow temperature logs. The proposed method was applied to a well located in the Tahe Oilfield of the Tarim Basin. The application of the method will aid in deepening our understanding of the distribution of fault-karst reservoirs, as well as in supporting the future stable and sustainable high-yielding oilfield production of similar reservoirs.
Initial Experience Using the Radiofrequency Needle Visualization on the Electroanatomical Mapping System for Transseptal Puncture
Authors: Guarguagli Silvia , Cazzoli Ilaria , Kempny Aleksander , Gatzoulis Michael A. , Ernst Sabine
Published: June 2020

Introduction. Transseptal puncture (TSP) is a routine access route in patients with left-sided ablation substrates and is performed safely on fluoroscopy (+/− echocardiographic guidance). We report on our experience using a radiofrequency (RF) needle in an unselected group of patients to demonstrate safety and usefulness of direct tip visualization on the 3D electroanatomical mapping (EAM) system with specific emphasis on total radiation exposure. Methods and Results. We retrospectively reviewed 42 consecutive left-sided ablation procedures with TSP performed using an RF needle guided by fluoroscopy and/or EAM visualization by a single operator. The procedures included atrial fibrillation (n = 33), atrial tachycardia (n = 8), and ventricular tachycardia (n = 1) ablations. Fourteen of 41 patients had congenital heart disease, including 9 patients with previous septal closure. Twenty-two patients had at least one previous TSP. All TSPs were performed successfully and without complications. The overall median fluoroscopy time amounted to 3.2 min and median exposure of 199.5 µGy∗m2. In a subgroup of patients (n = 27), the RF needle was visualized on the EAM system: median radiation time was 0.88 (interquartile range: 0–3.4) min and median exposure 33.5 [0–324.8] µGy∗m2. Conclusions. TSP using an RF needle is an effective technique, also in congenital patients with artificial patch material and in normal patients with multiple previous TSPs. Moreover, the RF needle tip visualization on EAM allows a low (or even zero) fluoroscopy approach.
Acidic Compartment Size, Positioning, and Function during Myogenesis and Their Modulation by the Wnt/Beta‐Catenin Pathway
Authors: Bagri Kayo M. , Rosa Ivone A. , Corrêa Stephany , Yamashita Aline , Brito José , Bloise Flavia , Costa Manoel Luis , Mermelstein Claudia
Published: June 2020

Lysosomes and acidic compartments are involved in breaking down of macromolecules, membrane recycling, and regulation of signaling pathways. Here, we analyzed the role of acidic compartments during muscle differentiation and the involvement of the Wnt/beta‐catenin pathway in lysosomal function during myogenesis. Acridine orange was used to localize and quantify acidic cellular compartments in primary cultures of embryonic muscle cells from Gallus gallus. Our results show an increase in acidic compartment size and area, as well as changes in their positioning during the initial steps of myogenesis. The inhibition of lysosomal function by either the chloroquine Lys05 or the downregulation of LAMP‐2 with siRNA impaired chick myogenesis, by inhibiting myoblast fusion. Two activators of the Wnt/beta‐catenin pathway, BIO and Wnt3a, were able to rescue the inhibitory effects of Lys05 in myogenesis. These results suggest a new role for the Wnt/beta‐catenin pathway in the regulation of acidic compartment size, positioning, and function in muscle cells.
Stackelberg Game Model of Railway Freight Pricing Based on Option Theory
Authors: Guo Jingwei , Xie Zhongqi , Li Qinglin
Published: June 2020

In recent years, although rail transport has contributed significantly to the productivity of the Chinese economy, it has also been faced with the fierce competition and challenge from other modes of transportation, and therefore, freight-pricing issue has received more attention by researchers. In this paper, the rail freight option (RFO) based on option theory is proposed to study the optimal pricing decision of the railway transportation enterprise and contract customers’ optimal purchase decisions. To obtain an effective RFO contract, the railway freight contract transaction process is first analyzed. Then, the theoretical framework for the RFO contract trading is put forward in the railway freight market. Next, a two-stage Stackelberg game theoretic approach is presented based on the principle of utility maximization to achieve the optimal decision of RFO contract. Subsequently, the reverse reasoning method in dynamic programming is used to solve the optimal combination decision of the contract customer. Finally, the optimal pricing decision of RFO is discussed using Kuhn–Tucker conditions and Lagrangian function. The result shows that the railway transportation enterprise should pay more attention to the option strike price w1 in terms of maximizing system utility and achieving Pareto optimal.
Epidemic Spreading Combined with Age and Region in Complex Networks
Authors: Zhang Xu , Song Yurong , Wang Haiyan , Jiang Guo-Ping
Published: June 2020

In social networks, the age and the region of individuals are the two most important factors in modeling infectious diseases. In this paper, a spatial susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model is proposed to describe epidemic spreading over a network with region and age by establishing several partial differential equations. Numerical simulations are performed, and the simulation of the proposed model agrees well with real influenza-like illness (ILI) in the USA reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Moreover, the proposed model can be used to predict the infected density of individuals. The results show that our model can be used as a tool to analyze influenza cases in the real world.