bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The highly diverged trypanosomal MICOS complex is organized in a nonessential integral membrane and an essential peripheral module
Authors: Eichenberger Claudia , Oeljeklaus Silke , Bruggisser Julia , Mani Jan , Haenni Beat , Kaurov Iosif , Niemann Moritz , Zuber Benoît , Lukeš Julius , Hashimi Hassan , Warscheid Bettina , Schimanski Bernd , Schneider André
Published: September 2019

The mitochondrial contact site and cristae organization system (MICOS) mediates the formation of cristae, invaginations in the mitochondrial inner membrane. The highly diverged MICOS complex of the parasitic protist Trypanosoma brucei consists of nine subunits. Except for two Mic10‐like and a Mic60‐like protein, all subunits are specific for kinetoplastids. Here, we determined on a proteome‐wide scale how ablation of individual MICOS subunits affects the levels of the other subunits. The results reveal co‐regulation of TbMic10‐1, TbMic10‐2, TbMic16 and TbMic60, suggesting that these nonessential, integral inner membrane proteins form an interdependent network. Moreover, the ablation of TbMic34 and TbMic32 reveals another network consisting of the essential, intermembrane space‐localized TbMic20, TbMic32, TbMic34 and TbMic40, all of which are peripherally associated with the inner membrane. The downregulation of TbMic20, TbMic32 and TbMic34 also interferes with mitochondrial protein import and reduces the size of the TbMic10‐containing complexes. Thus, the diverged MICOS of trypanosomes contains two subcomplexes: a nonessential membrane‐integrated one, organized around the conserved Mic10 and Mic60, that mediates cristae formation, and an essential membrane‐peripheral one consisting of four kinetoplastid‐specific subunits, that is required for import of intermembrane space proteins.
Ultra‐processed food consumption during childhood and asthma in adolescence: Data from the 2004 Pelotas birth cohort study
Authors: Machado Azeredo Catarina , Cortese Marianna , Costa Caroline dos Santos , Bjornevik Kjetil , Barros Aluisio J. D. , Barros Fernando C. , Santos Iná S , Matijasevich Alicia
Published: September 2019

Background

Diet has been of interest for asthma; however, it remains unknown whether the consumption of ultra‐processed food (UPF) increases the risk of the disease. Our objective was to investigate whether UPF consumption during childhood was associated with wheeze, asthma, and severe asthma in adolescence.

Methods

We included 2190 11‐year‐old children from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study, without asthma at the age of 6 years. Consumption of UPF was assessed by Food Frequency Questionnaires at 6‐ and 11‐year follow‐ups. Wheeze, asthma, and severe asthma data were assessed at 11‐year follow‐up. We classified foods according to the processing degree in ultra‐processed food. We used logistic regression to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), for the association between UPF consumption and the asthma outcomes.

Results

Cumulative incidence of wheeze and asthma between 6 and 11 years was 12.7% and 23.2%, respectively. In prospective analyses, comparing children in the highest and the lowest quintile of UPF consumption at age 6, we found no association with wheeze (OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.54‐1.34), asthma (OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.58‐1.21), or severe asthma (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 0.62‐2.03) in early adolescence. In cross‐sectional analyses, comparing adolescents in the highest and lowest quintile of UPF consumption at 11 years, we found no association with wheeze (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 0.72‐1.75), asthma (OR = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.7‐1.44), or severe asthma (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 0.59‐1.86).

Conclusion

Our study provided evidence that UPF consumption during childhood or adolescence is not associated with asthma or wheeze among adolescents.
Epicutaneous sensitization to food allergens in atopic dermatitis: What do we know?
Authors: Tham Elizabeth Huiwen , Rajakulendran Mohana , Lee Bee Wah , Van Bever Hugo P. S.
Published: September 2019

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease mainly affecting children, which has no definitive curative therapy apart from natural outgrowing. AD is persistent in 30%‐40% of children. Epithelial barrier dysfunction in AD is a significant risk factor for the development of epicutaneous food sensitization, food allergy, and other allergic disorders. There is evidence that prophylactic emollient applications from birth may be useful for primary prevention of AD, but biomarkers are needed to guide cost‐effective targeted therapy for high‐risk individuals. In established early‐onset AD, secondary preventive strategies are needed to attenuate progression to other allergic disorders such as food allergy, asthma, and allergic rhinitis (the atopic march). This review aims to describe the mechanisms underpinning the development of epicutaneous sensitization to food allergens and progression to clinical food allergy; summarize current evidence for interventions to halt the progression from AD to food sensitization and clinical food allergy; and highlight unmet needs and directions for future research.
Diversity and occurrence of chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus on legumes from Iran
Authors: Shahmohammadi N. , Dizadji A. , Bihamta M. R. , Kvarnheden A.
Published: September 2019

Chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus (CpCDV; genus Mastrevirus, family Geminiviridae) is one of the most important legume‐infecting viruses with a wide host range and geographic distribution in Africa and Asia. In Iran, CpCDV is common in chickpea (Cicer arietinum), but there is limited information about diversity and infections in plants of other legume species. In the current study, a total of 1671 leaf samples from different pulse crops with symptoms were collected in nine provinces of Iran, and the CpCDV infection status was tested by PCR and/or rolling circle amplification (RCA), resulting in the detection of CpCDV in samples of chickpea, lentil (Lens culinaris) and faba bean (Vicia faba) from different regions. Sequence analysis of complete genomes of 18 isolates recovered by digestion of RCA products revealed infection with isolates of the strains CpCDV‐A and CpCDV‐F in chickpea, lentil and faba bean. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Iranian isolates of CpCDV were closely related to previously sequenced isolates of CpCDV‐A and CpCDV‐F. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of CpCDV‐F in Iran. Using agroinoculation with infectious clones for one isolate each of CpCDV‐A and CpCDV‐F, infectivity was confirmed in both faba bean and chickpea, with plants developing leaf curling and/or yellowing. Both infectious clones also successfully infected Nicotiana benthamiana resulting in mild yellowing and intensive leaf curling for CpCDV‐A, and dark‐green mosaic, dwarfing and mild leaf curling for CpCDV‐F.
Effects of E‐cigarette E‐liquid components on bronchial epithelial cells: Demonstration of dysfunctional efferocytosis
Authors: Ween Miranda P. , Hamon Rhys , Macowan Matthew G. , Thredgold Leigh , Reynolds Paul N. , Hodge Sandra J.
Published: September 2019

Background and objective

E‐cigarettes are often marketed and thought of as emitting harmless vapour; however, verification of their safety for non‐smokers is scarce. We have previously shown that E‐cigarettes cause decreased phagocytosis of bacteria by macrophages via reductions in surface bacterial recognition receptors. This study assessed the effect of E‐cigarette constituents, 3 E‐liquid apple flavours, nicotine, vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol, on bronchial epithelial cell viability, apoptosis and cytokine secretion and macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic airway cells and phagocytic recognition molecules.

Methods

Cell necrosis and apoptosis were measured by Sytox Green stain and Annexin V. Efferocytosis was measured by internalization of pHrodo Green labelled apoptotic airway cells by macrophages. Expression of macrophage cell surface apoptotic cell receptors was measured by flow cytometry. Cytokine release by E‐cigarette‐exposed airway cells was measured by cytokine bead array.

Results

E‐cigarette vapour increased primary bronchial epithelial necrosis and apoptosis. E‐cigarette vapour reduced efferocytosis (lowest flavour 12.1%) versus control (20.2%, P = 0.032). The efferocytosis receptor CD44 was reduced by one flavour (MFI 1863 vs 2332 control, P = 0.016) and all components reduced expression of CD36, including the glycol bases (MFI 1067–12 274 vs 1415 control). Reduced secretion of TNF‐α, IL‐6, IP‐10, MIP‐1α and MIP‐1β was observed for all flavour variants.

Conclusion

E‐cigarettes can cause bronchial epithelial apoptosis and macrophage efferocytosis dysfunction via reduced expression of apoptotic cell recognition receptors. These data further show that E‐cigarettes should not be considered harmless to non‐smokers and their effects may go far beyond cytotoxicity to cells.
Using machine learning to estimate survival curves for patients receiving an increased risk for disease transmission heart, liver, or lung versus waiting for a standard organ
Authors: Mark Ethan , Goldsman David , Keskinocak Pinar , Sokol Joel
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Over 19% of deceased organ donors are labeled increased risk for disease transmission (IRD) for viral blood‐borne disease transmission. Many potential organ recipients need to decide between accepting an IRD organ offer and waiting for a non–IRD organ.

Methods

Using machine learning and simulation, we built transplant and waitlist survival models and compared the survival for patients accepting IRD organ offers or waiting for non–IRD organs for the heart, liver, and lung. The simulation consisted of generating 20 000 different scenarios of a recipient either receiving an IRD organ or waiting and receiving a non–IRD organ.

Results

In the simulations, the 5‐year survival probabilities of heart, liver, and lung recipients who accepted IRD organ offers increased on average by 10.2%, 12.7%, and 7.2%, respectively, compared with receiving a non–IRD organ after average wait times (190, 228, and 223 days, respectively). When the estimated waitlist time was at least 5 days for the liver, and 1 day for the heart and lung, 50% or more of the simulations resulted in a higher chance of 5‐year survival when the patient received an IRD organ versus when the patient remained on the waitlist. We also developed a simple equation to estimate the benefits, in terms of 5‐year survival probabilities, of receiving an IRD organ versus waiting for a non–IRD organ, for a particular set of recipient/donor characteristics.

Conclusion

For all three organs, the majority of patients are predicted to have higher 5‐year survival accepting an IRD organ offer compared with waiting for a non–IRD organ.
Relationship between exposure to the natural environment and recovery from hip or knee arthroplasty: a New Zealand retrospective cohort study
Authors: Donovan Geoffrey H , Gatziolis Demetrios , Douwes Jeroen
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Determine whether patients who live in greener and more walkable neighbourhoods live longer, and take fewer opioids, following hip or knee arthroplasty.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Residential environment following surgery at one of 54 New Zealand hospitals.

Participants

All people who received a total hip or knee arthroplasty at a publicly-funded hospital in New Zealand in 2006 and 2007 (7449 hip arthroplasties and 6558 knee arthroplasties).

Primary and secondary outcome measure

Time to all-cause mortality and number of postsurgical opioid prescriptions.

Results

Patients who lived in greener neighbourhoods, as measured by the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, lived longer following hip or knee arthroplasty (standardised OR: 0.95, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.99). However, when we estimated separate hip-arthroplasty-only and knee-arthroplasty-only models, greenness was only significantly associated with greater longevity following hip arthroplasty. Similarly, patients who lived in greener neighbourhoods took fewer opioids in the 12 months following hip or knee arthroplasty (standardised OR: 0.97, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.99), but in separate hip-arthroplasty-only and knee-arthroplasty-only models, greenness was only significantly associated with lower opioid use following hip arthroplasty. Walkability was not significantly associated with postsurgical opioid use or postsurgical longevity. All ORs were adjusted for sex, ethnicity, age, presurgical chronic health conditions, presurgical opioid use, social deprivation and length of hospital stay.

Conclusions

Consistent with the literature on enhanced-recovery programme, people who lived in greener neighbourhoods took fewer opioids, and lived longer, following hip arthroplasty. Improving access to the natural environment may therefore be an effective component of postsurgical recovery programme.
Physiotherapists’ views on the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s Choosing Wisely recommendations: a content analysis
Authors: Zadro Joshua , Peek Aimie L , Dodd Rachael H , McCaffery Kirsten , Maher Christopher
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Choosing Wisely holds promise for increasing awareness of low-value care in physiotherapy. However, it is unclear how physiotherapists’ view Choosing Wisely recommendations. The aim of this study was to evaluate physiotherapists’ feedback on Choosing Wisely recommendations and investigate agreement with each recommendation.

Setting

The Australian Physiotherapy Association emailed a survey to all 20 029 physiotherapist members in 2015 seeking feedback on a list of Choosing Wisely recommendations.

Participants

A total of 9764 physiotherapists opened the email invitation (49%) and 543 completed the survey (response rate 5.6%). Participants were asked about the acceptability of the wording of recommendations using a closed (Yes/No) and free-text response option (section 1). Then using a similar response format, participants were asked whether they agreed with each Choosing Wisely recommendation (sections 2–6).

Primary and secondary outcomes

We performed a content analysis of free-text responses (primary outcome) and used descriptive statistics to report agreement and disagreement with each recommendation (secondary outcome).

Results

There were 872 free-text responses across the six sections. A total of 347 physiotherapists (63.9%) agreed with the ‘don’t’ style of wording. Agreement with recommendations ranged from 52.3% (electrotherapy for back pain) to 76.6% (validated decision rules for imaging). The content analysis revealed that physiotherapists felt that blanket rules were inappropriate (range across recommendations: 13.9%–30.1% of responses), clinical experience is more valuable than evidence (11.7%–28.3%) and recommendations would benefit from further refining or better defining key terms (7.3%–22.4%).

Conclusions

Although most physiotherapists agreed with both the style of wording for Choosing Wisely recommendations and with the recommendations, their feedback highlighted a number of areas of disagreement and suggestions for improvement. These findings will support the development of future recommendations and are the first step towards increasing the impact Choosing Wisely has on physiotherapy practice.
Workplace violence and its aftermath in China’s health sector: implications from a cross-sectional survey across three tiers of the health system
Authors: Yang Sheng Zhi , Wu Dan , Wang Nan , Hesketh Therese , Sun Kai Sing , Li Lu , Zhou Xudong
Published: September 2019

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of physical violence and threats against health workers and the aftermath in tertiary, secondary and primary care facilities in China.

Design

A cross-sectional questionnaire study.

Setting

5 tertiary hospitals, 8 secondary hospitals and 32 primary care facilities located in both urban and rural areas of Zhejiang Province, China, were chosen as the study sites.

Participants

A total of 4862 health workers who have contact with patients completed a survey from July 2016 to July 2017.

Outcome measures

The prevalence of physical violence, threats and Yi Nao, specific forms of physical violence and their aftermath were measured by a self-designed and verified questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between perceived organisational encouragement of reporting workplace violence (WPV) and physical violence, threats and Yi Nao after controlling for age, sex, level of facility, professional ranking and type of health worker.

Results

Among all respondents, 224 (4.6%) were physically attacked and 848 (17.4%) experienced threats in the past year. Respondents in secondary hospitals were more likely to experience physical violence (AOR=3.29, 95% CI 2.21 to 4.89), threats (AOR=1.61, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.98) and Yi Nao (AOR=2.47, 95% CI 2.10 to 2.91), compared with primary care providers. Lack of organisational policies to report WPV was associated with higher likelihood of physical violence (AOR=3.64, 95% CI 2.57 to 5.18) and threats (AOR=2.21, 95% CI 1.76 to 2.78). Among physical violence cases, only 29.1% reported the attack to police mainly because most felt it useless to do so (58.8%). Only 25.7% were investigated and 72.4% of attackers received no punishment. Of all those attacked or threatened, 59.4% wanted to quit current post and 76.0% were fearful of dealing with urgent or severe cases.

Conclusions

Proper management of the aftermath of violence against health workers is inadequate. Formal guidelines for reporting and managing WPV are urgently needed.
Patient experience of hospital care in China: major findings from the Chinese Patient Experience Questionnaire Survey (2016–2018)
Authors: Hu Guangyu , Chen Yin , Liu Qiannan , Wu Shichao , Guo Jing , Liu Shiyang , Wang Zijuan , Zhao Pengyu , Sun Jing , Hu Linlin , Zhou Huixuan , Luo Li , Mao Ying , Needleman Jack , Ma Jing , Liu Yuanli
Published: September 2019

Objectives

China launched the National Healthcare Improvement Initiative (NHII) in 2015 to improve patient experiences in healthcare. This study aimed to generate evidence of hospital care quality from the patients’ perspective.

Design

This nationwide cross-sectional study interviewed participants from 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across China.

Setting

A total of 117 tertiary hospitals in mainland China.

Participants

48 422 responses from outpatients and 35 957 responses from inpatients were included in this study.

Primary outcome measure

The scores of six predefined domains in the Chinese Patient Experience Questionnaire, five of which were designed to reflect specific dimensions of care, and one of which indicated the overall rating.

Results

More than 80% of the respondents viewed their care experiences as positive. The NHII seems to have had a positive impact, as indicated by the steady, although unremarkable, increase in the patient experience scores over the 2016–2018 period. The Chinese patients generally reported a positive experience with the clinical aspects of care, but reported a less positive experience with the environmental, interpersonal and social services aspects of care. The institutional factors, including region and type of hospital, and personal factors, such as gender, age, education and occupation, were factors affecting the patient experience in China. Humanistic care was the aspect of care with the greatest association with the overall patient experience rating in both the outpatient and inpatient settings.

Conclusions

The national survey indicated an overall positive patient perspective of care in China. Older age, higher education level and formal employment status were found to be correlated with positive care experiences, as were higher levels of economic development of the region, a more generous insurance benefits package and a higher degree of coordinated care. The interpersonal-related initiatives had substantial roles in the improvement of the patient experience. In the regions where farmers and users of traditional Chinese medicine services constitute a greater proportion of the population, improvement of patient experiences for these groups deserves special policy attention.
Effect of an educational leaflet on the frequency of seat belt use and the rate of motor vehicle accidents during pregnancy in Japan in 2018: a prospective, non-randomised control trial with a questionnaire survey
Authors: Morikawa Mamoru , Yamada Takashi , Kogo Hiromasa , Sugawara Masaki , Nishikawa Akira , Fukushi Yoshiyuki , Hirayama Emi Kato , Ishioka Shin-ichi , Watari Hidemichi
Published: September 2019

Objective

To determine whether an educational leaflet had any effect on seat belt use, seat preference and motor vehicle accidents rate during pregnancy in Japan.

Design

Prospective, non-randomised control trial with a questionnaire survey.

Setting

Eight obstetric hospitals in Sapporo, Japan.

Participants

2216 pregnant women, of whom 1105 received the leaflet (intervention group) and 1111 did not (control group).

Interventions

Distribution of an educational leaflet on seat belt use to women in the intervention group.

Primary outcome measures

The effect of an educational leaflet on seat belt use, each pregnant woman’s seat preference and the women’s rates of motor vehicle accidents rate during their pregnancies. To evaluate the effects, the intervention group’s responses to the questionnaires were compared with those of the control group.

Results

The proportion of subjects who always used seat belts during pregnancy was significantly higher in the intervention group (91.3%) than in the control group (86.7%; p=0.0005). Among all subjects, the percentage of women who preferred the driver’s seat was lower during pregnancy (27.0%) than before pregnancy (38.7%), and the percentage of women who preferred the rear seat was higher during pregnancy (28.8%) than before pregnancy (21.0%). These two rates did not differ between two groups. Seventy-one women (3.2%) reported experiencing a motor vehicle accident during pregnancy. The motor vehicle accident rate for the intervention group (3.3%) was similar to that for the control group (3.2%).

Conclusions

An educational seat belt leaflet was effective in raising the rate of consistent seat belt use during pregnancy, but it did not decrease the rate of motor vehicle accidents. The wearing of seat belts should be promoted more extensively among pregnant women to decrease rates of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality from motor vehicle accidents.
The WHEAT pilot trial—WithHolding Enteral feeds Around packed red cell Transfusion to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in preterm neonates: a multicentre, electronic patient record (EPR), randomised controlled point-of-care pilot trial
Authors: Gale Chris , Modi Neena , Jawad Sena , Culshaw Lucy , Dorling Jon , Bowler Ursula , Forster Amanda , King Andy , McLeish Jenny , Linsell Louise , Turner Mark A , Robberts Helen , Stanbury Kayleigh , van Staa Tjeerd , Juszczak Ed
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a potentially devastating neonatal disease. A temporal association between red cell transfusion and NEC is well described. Observational data suggest that withholding enteral feeds around red cell transfusions may reduce the risk of NEC but this has not been tested in randomised trials; current UK practice varies. Prevention of NEC is a research priority but no appropriately powered trials have addressed this question. The use of a simplified opt-out consent model and embedding trial processes within existing electronic patient record (EPR) systems provide opportunities to increase trial efficiency and recruitment.

Methods and analysis

We will undertake a randomised, controlled, multicentre, unblinded, pilot trial comparing two care pathways: continuing milk feeds (before, during and after red cell transfusions) and withholding milk feeds (for 4 hours before, during and for 4 hours after red cell transfusions), with infants randomly assigned with equal probability. We will use opt-out consent. A nested qualitative study will explore parent and health professional views. Infants will be eligible if born at <30+0 gestational weeks+days. Primary feasibility outcomes will be rate of recruitment, opt-out, retention, compliance, data completeness and data accuracy; clinical outcomes will include mortality and NEC. The trial will recruit in two neonatal networks in England for 9 months. Data collection will continue until all infants have reached 40+0 corrected gestational weeks or neonatal discharge. Participant identification and recruitment, randomisation and all trial data collection will be embedded within existing neonatal EPR systems (BadgerNet and BadgerEPR); outcome data will be extracted from routinely recorded data held in the National Neonatal Research Database.

Ethics and dissemination

This study holds Research Ethics Committee approval to use an opt-out approach to consent. Results will inform future EPR-embedded and data-enabled trials and will be disseminated through conferences, publications and parent-centred information.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN registryISRCTN62501859;Pre-results.
Effects of urbanization of coastal watersheds on growth and condition of juvenile alewives in New England
Authors: Monteiro Pierce Rita , Limburg Karin E. , Hanacek Daniella , Valiela Ivan
Published: September 2019

Alosa pseudoharengus (alewife) has declined throughout New England. A factor that may be responsible for such stock reductions is urbanization of watersheds discharging into alewife nursery ponds. We found that young-of-the-year (YOY) alewife length, weight, condition factor, and growth rate decreased in relation to increased urban land cover on watersheds of nine Massachusetts and Maine ponds. The watersheds ranged from 3% to 60% urbanized land cover. YOY δ15N increased significantly in proportion to urbanized land cover on watersheds, suggesting a concrete link between watershed land cover and YOY alewife metrics, which is in agreement with previous knowledge that N discharges from more urbanized watersheds bear higher δ15N. The New England results confirmed results across a wide latitudinal gradient that suggested that the size of YOY alewife decreased as urban land cover on watersheds increased. The dominant influence of urban land cover in the YOY is highlighted by the fact that YOY alewife from ponds with the highest percentage of urban cover reached δ15N as high as that of adult spawners migrating from the ocean, who feed at higher trophic levels.
Probing the isotropy of cosmic acceleration using different supernova samples
Authors: Sun Z. Q. , Wang F. Y.
Published: September 2019

Recent studies indicated that an anisotropic cosmic expansion may exist. In this paper, we use three data sets of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) to probe the isotropy of cosmic acceleration. For the Union2.1 data set, the direction and magnitude of the dipole are $$(l=309.3^{\circ } {}^{+ 15.5^{\circ }}_{-15.7^{\circ }} ,\ b = -8.9^{\circ } {}^{ + 11.2^{\circ }}_{-9.8^{\circ }} )$$(l=309.3∘-15.7∘+15.5∘,b=-8.9∘-9.8∘+11.2∘), and $$\ A=(1.46 \pm 0.56) \times 10^{-3}$$A=(1.46±0.56)×10-3 from dipole fitting method. The hemisphere comparison results are $$\delta =0.20,l=352^{\circ },b=-9^{\circ }$$δ=0.20,l=352∘,b=-9∘. For the Constitution data set, the results are $$(l=67.0^{\circ }{}^{+ 66.5^{\circ }}_{-66.2^{\circ }},\ b=-0.6^{\circ }{}^{+ 25.2^{\circ }}_{-26.3^{\circ }})$$(l=67.0∘-66.2∘+66.5∘,b=-0.6∘-26.3∘+25.2∘), and $$\ A=(4.4 \pm 5.0) \times 10^{-4}$$A=(4.4±5.0)×10-4 for dipole fitting and $$\delta = 0.56,l=141^{\circ },b=-11^{\circ }$$δ=0.56,l=141∘,b=-11∘ for hemisphere comparison. For the JLA data set, no significant dipolar or quadrupolar deviation is found. We find previous works using (l, b, A) directly as fitting parameters may get improper results. We also explore the effects of anisotropic distributions of coordinates and redshifts on the results using Monte-Carlo simulations. We find that the anisotropic distribution of coordinates can cause dipole directions and make dipole magnitude larger. Anisotropic distribution of redshifts is found to have no significant effect on dipole fitting results.
High-rate measurement device-independent quantum key distribution system
Authors: Xing Chenlin , Zhong Peiyao , Jiao Rongzhen
Published: September 2019

Measurement device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) system is significant for exploring the future communication system because of its outstanding performance in security. In this paper, the key rate of single-photon source and WCP source with common wavelength under ideal infinite-decoy case is analyzed in order to outline the relationship between the key rate and the optimization of light intensity. The performance of the key rate under the simplest situation of finite decoy-state (two decoy-state) is compared. The result may provide important parameters for the practical application of QKD system.
A Malware and Variant Detection Method Using Function Call Graph Isomorphism
Authors: Bai Jinrong , Shi Qibin , Mu Shiguang
Published: September 2019

The huge influx of malware variants are generated using packing and obfuscating techniques. Current antivirus software use byte signature to identify known malware, and this method is easy to be deceived and generally ineffective for identifying malware variants. Antivirus experts use hash signature to verify if captured sample is one of the malware databases, and this method cannot recognize malware variants whose hash signatures have changed completely. Function call graph is a high-level abstraction representation of a program and more stable and resilient than byte or hash signature. In this paper, function call graph is used as signature of a program, and two kinds of graph isomorphism algorithms are employed to identify known malware and its variants. Four experiments are designed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method is effective and efficient for identifying known malware and a portion of their variants. The proposed method can also be used to index and locate a large-scale malware database and group malware to the corresponding family.
Determination of Period of RC Buildings by the Ambient Vibration Method
Authors: Inel Mehmet , Ozmen Hayri Baytan , Cayci Bayram Tanik
Published: September 2019

Determining the dynamic properties of structures is important for understanding their seismic behaviour. Ambient vibration signal measurement is one of the approaches used to determine the period of structures. Advantages of this method include the possibility of taking real‐time records and presenting nondestructive and rapid solutions. In this study, natural vibration periods are calculated by taking ambient vibration signal records from 40 buildings. The height of the building, infill wall effect, presence of seismic retrofit, and presence of damage are taken into consideration, and their effects on natural vibration periods are investigated. Moreover, the results are compared with the analytical methods to reveal the differences. A significant correlation between the period and height of the building is observed. It is seen that the natural vibration periods of the buildings decrease by 7% to 30% (15% on average) due to infill wall contribution. However, the efficiency of infill walls decreases as the building height increases. Another significant result is that adding shear walls substantially decreases the vibration period values by 23% to 33% with respect to the shear wall ratio. When the analytical estimates and measured building period results are compared, it is seen that analytical models have closer period estimates before infill walls are implemented. The limited data in scope of the study suggest that significant differences may present in the analytical and measured periods of the buildings due to infill wall contributions.
Characterization of the Biological Fingerprint and Identification of Associated Parameters in Stress Fractures by FTIR Spectroscopy
Authors: Mata-Miranda Monica Maribel , Guerrero-Ruiz Melissa , Gonzalez-Fuentes Juan Ramon , Hernandez-Toscano Carlos Martin , Garcia-Andino Jesus Rafael , Sanchez-Brito Miguel , Vazquez-Zapien Gustavo Jesus
Published: September 2019

Introduction. The stress fractures (SFs) are a common condition in athletes and military recruits, characterized by partial fracture caused by repetitive applications of stresses that are lower than the stress required to fracture the bone in a single loading. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy gives information about the bone composition and also can determine the amount of a molecule. For this reason, the FTIR spectroscopy may be used as a tool for diagnosis of certain bone diseases related to the bone strength. In this research, we established the contributions of mineral and collagen properties to SF risk through FTIR spectroscopy, analyzing the biochemical profile differences between the healthy bone and the bone with an SF. Materials and Methods. Previous written informed consent was obtained, and samples of the hip with an SF (n = 11) and healthy bone from the femur with traumatic fracture (n = 5) were obtained and analyzed employing FTIR spectroscopy and its biochemical mapping function. Then, using FTIR spectra and the map, the collagen content and ratios corresponding to matrix maturity, mineralization, carbonate substitution, acid phosphate substitution, and crystallinity were calculated. Moreover, a histopathological analysis through Masson’s staining was conducted. Results. The biochemical analysis showed that the bone with an SF presented a bone immaturity characterized by a higher content of collagen, lower matrix maturity, mineralization, carbonate and acid phosphate substitutions, and greater crystallinity compared to the healthy bone, being checked by the ratio analysis and biochemical mapping. Besides, Masson’s stain showed a higher collagen content in the bone with an SF. Conclusions. The bone with an SF presented alterations in its biochemical composition, showing bone immaturity, which broadens the panorama of the condition to investigate future treatments or prophylactic techniques.
The Antitumor Potential of Extract of the Oak Bracket Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus baumii in SMMC-7721 Tumor Cells
Authors: Yang Yue , He Pingya , Li Ning
Published: September 2019

Inonotus baumii, a traditional medicinal mushroom, has been historically used in China and other countries of East Asia for the treatment of various diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the antitumor activity of the extract of I. baumii (EIB) against hepatocellular carcinoma and the possible mechanism involved. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferative activity of SMMC-7721 cells treated with EIB. Hoechst 33258 and JC-1 staining were used to determine nuclear morphological changes and mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that EIB blocked the cell cycle at the S phase and induced significant apoptosis. EIB increased the protein expression of Bax, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3, and decreased Bcl-2 in SMMC-7721. Moreover, EIB induced autophagy, indicated by the increase of autophagy-related protein expression of LC3-II and decrease of p62, and the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway was involved in the autophagic cell death. In vivo, EIB was found to strongly inhibit the growth of tumors in BALB/c nude mice. Our results indicated that I. baumii might be a potential natural therapeutic agent for liver cancer, as it could induce apoptosis and autophagy in HCC cells.
Effect of Periapical Diseases in Development of MRONJ in Immunocompromised Mouse Model
Authors: Rao Nian Jing , Yu Ru Qing , Wang Jing Yi , Helm Alexandra , Zheng Li Wu
Published: September 2019

Objectives. This study aimed to assess the effect of zoledronic acid on an immunocompromised mice model with periapical disease. Materials and Methods. Thirty C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into three groups (N = 10). All animals were subjected to bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) and then treated with saline (Veh), zoledronic acid (ZA), or concomitant zoledronic acid and dexamethasone (ZA/Dx) for 12 weeks. Eight weeks after starting drug administration, pulpal exposure was conducted on the lower left first molar. Four weeks after pulpal exposure, all mice were sacrificed and the mandibles were collected for radiological and histological examinations. Results. Microcomputed tomography (μ-CT) examination showed significantly reduced periapical bone resorption in the ZA/Dx group and decreased periodontal bone resorption in both ZA and ZA/Dx groups. Higher bone mineral density (BMD) and strengthened microstructure were found in ZA and ZA/Dx groups. More empty lacunae were found in ZA and ZA/Dx groups. Conclusions. Apical periodontitis aggravates MRONJ under immunocompromised circumstances. Concurrent use of ZA and steroids inhibits alveolar bone resorption but increases the risk of developing MRONJ.
Correlation Analysis of Macroscopic and Microscopic Parameters of Coal Measure Soil Based on Discrete Element Method
Authors: Zhang Hong , Liao Wei , Lin Junbo , Zhang Bang , Feng Haoran
Published: September 2019

Numerical simulation of the triaxial test of coal measure expansive soil distributed along the highways in Pingxiang District, Jiangxi, was carried out by means of discrete particle flow, during which the macromechanical properties and the formation and developmental patterns of shear displacement field of the coal measure expansive soil were studied from a mesoscopic perspective. The result showed that the macroscopic stress and strain of test specimens can be significantly influenced by the interparticle friction coefficient of the coal measure expansive soil. Peak value of the deviatoric stress of test specimens increased with increasing friction coefficient, and before reaching the deviatoric stress peak value, the stress‐strain relationship of the soil body basically presented a linear variation trend; the soil interparticle contact stiffness varied hyperbolically with the deviatoric stress peak value of test specimens, and the increasing contact stiffness ratio led to a gradual decrease of the deviatoric stress peak value but had only a small impact on the residual strength of test specimens; confining pressure was found to have remarkable influence on both the deviatoric stress peak value and the residual strength of test specimens; when the experimental confining pressure increased from 0.2 MPa to 1.2 MPa, the deviatoric stress peak value and the residual strength of test specimens increased by 2.14 times and 5.11 times, respectively. This paper reveals the macroinstability and failure mechanism of coal measure expansive soil from a microperspective.
Intraoperative Ultrasound Staging for Colorectal Liver Metastases in the Era of Liver-Specific Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Is It Still Worthwhile?
Authors: Langella Serena , Ardito Francesco , Russolillo Nadia , Panettieri Elena , Perotti Serena , Mele Caterina , Giuliante Felice , Ferrero Alessandro
Published: September 2019

Background. To assess the efficacy of intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) compared with liver-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs). Methods. From January 2010 to December 2017, 721 patients underwent MRI as a part of preoperative workup within 1 month before hepatectomy and were considered for the study. Early intrahepatic recurrence (relapse at cut surface excluded) was assessed 6 months after the resection and was considered as residual disease undetected by IOUS and/or MRI. IOUS and MRI performance was compared on a patient-by-patient basis. Long-term results were also studied. Results. A total of 2845 CRLMs were detected by MRI, and the median number of CRLMs per patient was 2 (1–31). Preoperative chemotherapy was administered in 489 patients (67.8%). In 177 patients, 379 new nodules were intraoperatively found and resected. Among 379 newly identified nodules, 317 were histologically proven CRLMs (11.1% of entire series). The median size of new CRLMs was 6 ± 2.5 mm. Relationships between intrahepatic vessels and tumors differed between IOUS and MRI in 128 patients (17.7%). The preoperative surgical plan was intraoperatively changed for 171 patients (23.7%). Overall, early intrahepatic recurrence occurred in 8.7% of cases. To assess the diagnostic performance, 24 (3.3%) recurrences at the cut surface were excluded; thus, 5.4% of early relapses were considered for analysis. The sensitivity of IOUS was superior to MRI (94.5% vs 75.1%), while the specificity was similar (95.7% vs 95.9%). Multivariate analysis at the hepatic dome or subglissonian and mucinous histology revealed predictive factors of metastases missing at MRI. The 5-year OS (52.1% vs 37.8%, p=0.006) and DF survival (45.1% vs 33%, p=0.002) were significantly worse among patients with new CRLMs than without. Conclusions. IOUS improves staging in patients undergoing resection for CRLMs even in the era of liver-specific MRI. Intraoperative detection of new CRLMs negatively affects oncologic outcomes.
Application of Improved PSO-BP Neural Network in Cold Load Forecasting of Mall Air-Conditioning
Authors: Yu JunQi , Jing WenQiang , Zhao AnJun , Ren YanHuan , Zhou Meng
Published: September 2019

A combination of JMP, PSO-BP neural network, and Markov chain which aims at the low correlation between input and output data and the error of prediction model in the PSO-BP neural network prediction model is proposed. First, the JMP data processing software is used to process the input data and eliminate the samples with low coupling degree. Then, obtaining the cooling load prediction results relies on the training from the PSO-BP neural network. Finally, the final prediction results will be generated by eliminating the random errors using the Markov chain. The results show that the combination of the prediction methods has higher prediction accuracy and conforms to the change rule of the cooling load in shopping malls. Besides, the combination fits the actual application requirements as well.
Factors Influencing the Rheological Properties of MRSP Based on the Orthogonal Experimental Design and the Impact Energy Test
Authors: Liu Bing , Du Chengbin , Fu Yankai
Published: September 2019

In the preparation process of magnetorheological silly putty (MRSP), the influence factors of the relative shear thickening effect (RSE) and relative magnetorheological effect (RME) were studied by orthogonal experiments as well as range and variance analyses. The influence degree of each factor was also evaluated. The results showed that the viscosity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and the mass fraction of carbonyl iron powder (CIP) had a significant influence on the RSE and RME, respectively. With an increasing PDMS viscosity, the RSE of the silicon-boron copolymer matrix first increased and then decreased, while the RME of MRSP decreased gradually. In addition, the shear thickening mechanism of MRSP was explored by the molecular chain motion. Finally, the impact energy with different samples was tested, and it is demonstrated that with the increasing cross section, the impact energy of the sample increases gradually, but the rate of increase becomes smaller.
Automatic Identification of Honeypot Server Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Huang Cheng , Han Jiaxuan , Zhang Xing , Liu Jiayong
Published: September 2019

Traditional security strategies are powerless when facing novel attacks in the complex network environment, such as advanced persistent threat (APT). Compared with traditional security detection strategies, the honeypot system, especially on the Internet of things research area, is intended to be attacked and automatically monitor potential attacks by analyzing network packages or log files. The researcher can extract exactly threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures from these data and then generate more effective defense strategies. But for normal security researchers, it is an urgent topic how to improve the honeypot mechanism which could not be recognized by attackers, and silently capture their behaviors. So, they need awesome intelligent techniques to automatically check remotely whether the server runs honeypot service or not. As the rapid progress in honeypot detection using machine learning technologies, the paper proposed a new automatic identification model based on random forest algorithm with three group features: application-layer feature, network-layer feature, and other system-layer feature. The experiment datasets are collected from public known platforms and designed to prove the effectiveness of the proposed model. The experiment results showed that the presented model achieved a high area under curve (AUC) value with 0.93 (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve), which is better than other machine learning algorithms.
SiO2/TiO2 Composite Coating on Light Substrates for Photocatalytic Decontamination of Water
Authors: Bíbová Hana , Hykrdová Lenka , Hoang Hiep , Eliáš Milan , Jirkovský Jaromír
Published: September 2019

In this study, we describe synthesis and characterization of a floating photocatalyst for water treatment consisting of a light substrate coated by SiO2/TiO2 composite. Three supports of natural origin were used: natural cork, expanded clay (Liapor), and volcanic porous glass (Sorbix). The photoactivity of the coated supports was tested in a laboratory photoreactor, with Liapor being the most photoactive support with good mechanical stability. The corresponding rate constant for the degradation of a model pollutant, 4-chlorophenol, was 7.8 × 10−5 s−1. Detail characterization of the coated Liapor was obtained by XRF, SEM/EDX, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and surface area measurements. Outdoor experiments were carried out with calcined Liapor and oxalic acid or methylene blue under sunlight on pilot reactors in the Czech Republic and Vietnam. We demonstrated satisfactory photocatalytic activity, long-term stability, and reusability of the new floating photocatalyst. The photoefficiency to mineralize oxalic acid in water under sunlight was estimated as 6.7% under the applied conditions.
Optimal Control Analysis of Pneumonia and Meningitis Coinfection
Authors: Tilahun Getachew Teshome
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we proposed a deterministic model of pneumonia-meningitis coinfection. We used a system of seven ordinary differential equations. Firstly, the qualitative behaviours of the model such as positivity of the solution, existence of the solution, the equilibrium points, basic reproduction number, analysis of equilibrium points, and sensitivity analysis are studied. The disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable if the basic reproduction number is kept less than unity, and conditions for global stability are established. Then, the basic model is extended to optimal control by incorporating four control interventions, such as prevention of pneumonia as well as meningitis and also treatment of pneumonia and meningitis diseases. The optimality system is obtained by using Pontryagin’s maximum principle. For simulation of the optimality system, we proposed five strategies to check the effect of the controls. First, we consider prevention only for both diseases, and the result shows that applying prevention control has a great impact in bringing down the expansion of pneumonia, meningitis, and their coinfection in the specified period of time. The other strategies are prevention effort for pneumonia and treatment effort for meningitis, prevention effort for meningitis and treatment effort for pneumonia, treatment effort for both diseases, and using all interventions. We obtained that each of the listed strategies is effective in minimizing the expansion of pneumonia-only, meningitis-only, and coinfectious population in the specified period of time.