bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of a New Colorimetric Assay with the NCCLS Broth Microdilution Method (M-27A) for Antifungal Drug MIC Determination
Authors: Li R. K. , Elie C. M. , Clayton G. E. , Ciblak M. A.
Published: March 2020

We evaluated a new microtiter assay for antifungal susceptibility testing based on a colorimetric reaction to monitor fungal substrate utilization. This new method (rapid susceptibility assay [RSA]) provides quantitative endpoint readings in less than 8 h compared with visual determination of MIC by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) broth microdilution method, which requires a minimum of 48 h of incubation. In this study, we tested clinical isolates from each of the following species:
Candida albicans
(20 isolates),
C. glabrata
(20 isolates),
C. krusei
(19 isolates),
C. tropicalis
(19 isolates), and
C. parapsilosis
(28 isolates). RSA and NCCLS broth dilution methods were used to determine the MICs of amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and 5-flucytosine for all 106 isolates. RPMI 1640 medium buffered with morpholinopropanesulfonic acid was used for both methods; however, glucose and inoculum concentrations in the RSA were modified. RSA MICs were determined as the lowest drug concentration that prevented glucose consumption by the organism after 6 h of incubation. MICs obtained from the RSA were compared with those obtained from the NCCLS M-27A method read at 24 and 48 h. MIC pairs were considered in agreement when the difference between the pairs was within 2 twofold dilutions. For the 106 isolates tested, amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine demonstrated the highest agreement in MICs between the two methods (100 and 98%, respectively), whereas fluconazole and itraconazole produced less favorable MIC agreement (63.2 and 61.3%, respectively). The azole MIC differences between the two methods were significantly reduced when lower inocula were used with a prolonged incubation time. This preliminary comparison suggests that this rapid procedure may be a reliable tool for the in vitro determination of MICs of amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine and warrants further evaluation.
Retrospective Identification and Characterization of
Candida dubliniensis
Isolates among
Candida albicans
Clinical Laboratory Isolates from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected and Non-HIV-Infected Individuals
Authors: Jabra-Rizk M. A. , Falkler W. A. , Merz W. G. , Baqui A. A. M. A. , Kelley J. I. , Meiller T. F.
Published: March 2020

Fungal opportunistic infections, and in particular those caused by the various
Candida
species, have gained considerable significance as a cause of morbidity and, often, mortality. The newly described species
Candida dubliniensis
phenotypically resembles
Candida albicans
so closely that it is easily misidentified as such. The present study was designed to determine the frequency at which this new species is not recognized in the clinical laboratory, to determine the patient populations with which
C. dubliniensis
is associated, to determine colonization versus infection frequency, and to assess fluconazole resistance. Over a 2-year period, 1,251 isolates that were initially identified as
C. albicans
by a hospital clinical laboratory were reevaluated for
C. dubliniensis
by inability to grow at 45°C, colony color on CHROMagar Candida medium, coaggregation assay with
Fusobacterium nucleatum
, and sugar assimilation profiles (API 20C AUX yeast identification system). A total of 15 (1.2%) isolates from 12 patients were identified as
C. dubliniensis
. Ten of the patients were found to be immunocompromised (these included patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection or AIDS, cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, and patients awaiting transplantation). Thirteen isolates were highly susceptible to fluconazole (MIC, <0.5 μg/ml). Three isolates from one patient, genotypically confirmed as the same strain, showed variable susceptibility to fluconazole. The first isolate was susceptible, whereas the other two isolates were dose-dependent susceptible (MIC, 16.0 μg/ml). These data confirm the close association of
C. dubliniensis
with immunocompromised states and that increased fluconazole MICs may develop in vivo. This study emphasizes the importance of screening germ-tube-positive yeasts for the inability to grow at 45°C followed by confirmatory tests in order to properly identify this species.
Relationship of Genetic Type of Shiga Toxin to Manifestation of Bloody Diarrhea due to Enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
Serogroup O157 Isolates in Osaka City, Japan
Authors: Nishikawa Y. , Zhou Z. , Hase A. , Ogasawara J. , Cheasty T. , Haruki K.
Published: March 2020

One hundred sixty-nine strains of enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
serogroup O157 were examined for the correlation between the genotype of their Shiga toxin genes (
stx
) and manifestation of bloody diarrhea (BD). It was shown that the strains carrying only
stx2vha
were probably less virulent and caused BD less frequently.
New Host-Directed Therapeutics for the Treatment of Clostridioides difficile Infection
Authors: Andersson Jourdan A. , Peniche Alex G. , Galindo Cristi L. , Boonma Prapaporn , Sha Jian , Luna Ruth Ann , Savidge Tor C. , Chopra Ashok K. , Dann Sara M.
Published: March 2020

Clostridioides difficileis a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium and the leading cause of antibiotic-associated colitis. With few therapeutic options and high rates of disease recurrence, the need to develop new treatment options is urgent. Prior studies utilizing a repurposing approach identified three nonantibiotic Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, amoxapine, doxapram, and trifluoperazine, with efficacy against a broad range of human pathogens; however, the protective mechanisms remained unknown. Here, we identified mechanisms leading to drug efficacy in a murine model of lethalC. difficileinfection (CDI), advancing our understanding of the role of these drugs in infectious disease pathogenesis that center on host immune responses toC. difficile. Overall, these studies highlight the crucial involvement of innate immune responses, as well as the importance of immunomodulation as a potential therapeutic option to combat CDI.
Context Is Key: Comparative Biology Illuminates the Vertebrate Microbiome
Authors: Hird Sarah M.
Published: March 2020

Microbes affect vertebrates on timescales from daily to evolutionary, and the cumulative effect of these interactions is immense. However, how microbiomes compare across (host) species is poorly understood, as most studies focus on relatively few species. A recent mBio article by S. J. Song, J. G. Sanders, F. Delsuc, J. Metcalf, et al. (mBio 11:e02901-19, 2019,
https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02901-19
) expands our collective understanding of the vertebrate microbiome by analyzing ∼900 species.
Metabolome-Informed Microbiome Analysis Refines Metadata Classifications and Reveals Unexpected Medication Transfer in Captive Cheetahs
Authors: Gauglitz Julia M. , Morton James T. , Tripathi Anupriya , Hansen Shalisa , Gaffney Michele , Carpenter Carolina , Weldon Kelly C. , Shah Riya , Parampil Amy , Fidgett Andrea L. , Swafford Austin D. , Knight Rob , Dorrestein Pieter C.
Published: March 2020

Metabolome-informed analyses can enhance omics studies by enabling the correct partitioning of samples by identifying hidden confounders inadvertently misrepresented or omitted from carefully curated metadata. We demonstrate here the utility of metabolomics in a study characterizing the microbiome associated with liver disease in cheetahs. Metabolome-informed reinterpretation of metagenome and metabolome profiles factored in an unexpected transfer of antibiotics, preventing misinterpretation of the data. Our work suggests that untargeted metabolomics can be used to verify, augment, and correct sample metadata to support improved grouping of sample data for microbiome analyses, here for nonmodel organisms in captivity. However, the techniques also suggest a path forward for correcting clinical information in microbiome studies more broadly to enable higher-precision analyses.
Evaluation of meridional scans for angle closure assessment with anterior segment swept-source optical coherence tomography
Authors: Porporato Natalia , Baskaran Mani , Perera Shamira , Tun Tin A , Sultana Rehena , Tan Marcus , Quah Joanne HuiMin , Allen John C , Friedman David , Cheng Ching Yu , Aung Tin
Published: March 2020

Background/aims

As swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) simultaneously obtains 128 meridional scans, it is important to identify which scans are playing the main role in classifying gonioscopic angle closure to simplify the analysis. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of every meridional scan in its ability to detect gonioscopic angle closure.

Methods

Observational study with 2027 phakic subjects consecutively recruited from a community polyclinic. Gonioscopy and SS-OCT were performed. Gonioscopic angle closure was defined as non-visibility of the posterior trabecular meshwork in ≥180° of the angle, while SS-OCT was defined as iridotrabecular contact anterior to the scleral spur. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the diagnostic performance of each single scan, the sequential anticlockwise cumulative effect of those single scans and different combinations of them.

Results

The AUCs of each scan ranged from 0.73 to 0.82. The single scan at 80°–260° had the highest AUC (0.82, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.84) and performed significantly better than most of the temporonasal scans (from 0° to 52° and from 153° to 179°). The superoinferior scans achieved higher AUCs compared with the temporonasal ones. When assessing the cumulative effect of adding individual scans consecutively, the peak AUC (0.80) was obtained when considering the superoinferior scans closer to 80°–85°, but no further positive cumulative effect was seen when adding the rest of the temporonasal scans of the circumference.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the single SS-OCT scan at 80°–260° had the highest diagnostic performance. Our study suggests that the 360° evaluation may not translate to better clinical utility for detection of gonioscopic angle closure.
Tackling HTLV-1 infection in ophthalmology: a nationwide survey of ophthalmic care in an endemic country, Japan
Authors: Kamoi Koju , Okayama Akihiko , Izumo Shuji , Hamaguchi Isao , Uchimaru Kaoru , Tojo Arinobu , Watanabe Toshiki , Ohno-Matsui Kyoko
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Japan is the most endemic of the developed nations in terms of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. Japan has been tackling HTLV-1 infection and has made remarkable progress. In ophthalmology, awareness of the association between HTLV-1 infection and uveitis has been increasing since the 1990s, when the relationship was first established. Here, we describe a nationwide survey and analysis of the current state of medical care for HTLV-1-associated uveitis (HAU) at ophthalmic facilities in Japan.

Methods

A questionnaire survey covered all university hospitals in Japan that were members of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society and all regional core facilities that were members of the Japanese Ocular Inflammation Society. Survey data were collected, and nationwide data on the state of medical care for HAU were tallied and analysed.

Results

Of the 115 facilities, 69 (60.0%) responded. HAU was most commonly diagnosed ‘based on blood tests and characteristic ophthalmic findings’. Overall, 86.8% of facilities perform testing for HTLV-1 antibodies during medical care for diagnosing uveitis, with 58.3% routinely performing testing. Facilities with experience in providing medical care for HAU accounted for 67.6%. The survey also revealed that 85.5% of facilities had seen no decrease in the number of patients with HAU.

Conclusions

In the two decades since the establishment of HAU as a pathological entity, the majority of facilities in Japan have started performing testing for HTLV-1 antibodies when considering differential diagnoses for uveitis. Our data suggest that providing information on HTLV-1 infection to ophthalmologists in Japan has been successfully implemented.
Cultural adaptation of a patient decision-aid for insulin therapy
Authors: Tan Ngiap Chuan , Koong Ying Leng Agnes , Phoon Kwong Yun Ian , Wang Zhen Sinead , Paulpandi Muthulakshmi , Lee Yew Kong , Furler John , Car Josip , Ng Chirk Jenn
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Patient decision-aids (PDAs) support patients in selecting evidence-based treatment options. PDA is useful only if the user understands the content to make personalised decisions. Cultural adaptation is a process of adjusting health messages so that the information is accurate, relevant and understandable to users from a different population. A PDA has been developed to assist Malaysian patients with secondary drug failure to initiate insulin therapy to control their type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Likewise, patients with T2DM in neighbouring Singapore face similar barriers in commencing insulin treatment, which a PDA may facilitate decision-making in selecting personalised therapy.

Objective

The study aimed to explore the views and perceptions of Singaporean primary care providers on the Malaysia PDA to initiate insulin therapy and described the cultural adaptation process used in the design and development of a new PDA, which would be trialled in a Singapore primary healthcare institution.

Method

Qualitative research method was deployed to conduct one-to-one in-depth interviews of the healthcare providers at the trial site (SingHealth Polyclinics—SHP), including six primary care physicians and four nurses to gather their views and feedbacks on the Malaysian PDA. The interviews were transcribed, audited and analysed (standard content analysis) to identify themes relating to the content, layout, concerns of the original PDA and suggestions to the design of the new SHP PDA.

Results

Cultural adaptation of the new PDA includes change to the overall design, graphics (including pictograms), presentation styles, additional contextualised content (personalisation, subheadings, cost and treatment option), modified phrasing of the subtitles and concerns (choice of words) relevant to the new users.

Conclusion

A PDA on insulin therapy underwent cultural adaptation before its implementation in another population in a neighbouring country. Its relevance and effectiveness will be evaluated in future research.
Does cannabidiol reduce severe behavioural problems in children with intellectual disability? Study protocol for a pilot single-site phase I/II randomised placebo controlled trial
Authors: Efron Daryl , Taylor Kaitlyn , Payne Jonathan M , Freeman Jeremy L , Cranswick Noel , Mulraney Melissa , Prakash Chidambaram , Lee Katherine J , Williams Katrina
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Severe behavioural problems (SBPs) are a common contributor to morbidity and reduced quality of life in children with intellectual disability (ID). Current medication treatment for SBP is associated with a high risk of side effects. Innovative and safe interventions are urgently needed. Anecdotal reports and preliminary research suggest that medicinal cannabis may be effective in managing SBP in children with developmental disabilities. In particular, cannabidiol (CBD) may be a plausible and safe alternative to current medications. Families who are in urgent need of solutions are seeking cannabis for their ID children with SBP. However there is no evidence from randomised controlled trials to support the use of CBD for SBP. This pilot study aims to investigate the feasibility of conducting a randomised placebo-controlled trial of CBD to improve SBP in children with ID.

Methods and analysis

This is a single-site, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study of 10 participants comparing 98% CBD oil with placebo in reducing SBP in children aged 8–16 years with ID. Eligible participants will be randomised 1:1 to receive either CBD 20 mg/kg/day or placebo for 8 weeks. Data will be collected regarding the feasibility and acceptability of all study components, including recruitment, drop-out rate, study visit attendance, protocol adherence and the time burden of parent questionnaires. Safety outcomes and adverse events will be recorded. All data will be reported using descriptive statistics. These data will inform the design of a full scale randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of CBD in this patient group.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol has received ethics approval from the Royal Children’s Hospital ethics committee (Human Research Ethics Committee no. 38236). Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, professional networks, conferences and social media.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12618001852246
Does peer education go beyond giving reproductive health information? Cohort study in Bulawayo and Mount Darwin, Zimbabwe
Authors: Mangombe Aveneni , Owiti Philip , Madzima Bernard , Xaba Sinokuthemba , Makoni Talent M , Takarinda Kudakwashe C , Timire Collins , Chimwaza Anesu , Senkoro Mbazi , Mabaya Simbarashe , Samuelson Julia , Ameyan Wole , Tapera Talent , Zwangobani Nonhlanhla , Tripathy Jaya Prasad , Kumar Ajay M V
Published: March 2020

Objective

Peer education is an intervention within the voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC)–adolescent sexual reproductive health (ASRH) linkages project in Bulawayo and Mount Darwin, Zimbabwe since 2016. Little is known if results extend beyond increasing knowledge. We therefore assessed the extent of and factors affecting referral by peer educators and receipt of HIV testing services (HTS), contraception, management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and VMMC services by young people (10–24 years) counselled.

Design

A cohort study involving all young people counselled by 95 peer educators during October–December 2018, through secondary analysis of routinely collected data.

Setting

All ASRH and VMMC sites in Mt Darwin and Bulawayo.

Participants

All young people counselled by 95 peer educators.

Outcome measures

Censor date for assessing receipt of services was 31 January 2019. Factors (clients’ age, gender, marital and schooling status, counselling type, location, and peer educators’ age and gender) affecting non-referral and non-receipt of services (dependent variables) were assessed by log-binomial regression. Adjusted relative risks (aRRs) were calculated.

Results

Of the 3370 counselled (66% men), 65% were referred for at least one service. 58% of men were referred for VMMC. Other services had 5%–13% referrals. Non-referral for HTS decreased with clients’ age (aRR: ~0.9) but was higher among group-counselled (aRR: 1.16). Counselling by men (aRR: 0.77) and rural location (aRR: 0.61) reduced risks of non-referral for VMMC, while age increased it (aRR ≥1.59). Receipt of services was high (64%–80%) except for STI referrals (39%). Group counselling and rural location (aRR: ~0.52) and male peer educators (aRR: 0.76) reduced the risk of non-receipt of VMMC. Rural location increased the risk of non-receipt of contraception (aRR: 3.18) while marriage reduced it (aRR: 0.20).

Conclusion

We found varying levels of referral ranging from 5.1% (STIs) to 58.3% (VMMC) but high levels of receipt of services. Type of counselling, peer educators’ gender and location affected receipt of services. We recommend qualitative approaches to further understand reasons for non-referrals and non-receipt of services.
Resilience-based optimization model for maintenance and rehabilitation of pavement networks in a freeze–thaw environment
Authors: Mohammed Ahmed , Abu-Samra Soliman , Zayed Tarek , Bagchi Ashutosh , Nasiri Fuzhan
Published: March 2020

According to the Canada infrastructure report 2016, 62.6% of roads in Canada are in a good condition, nevertheless, with current investment rates, significant road networks will suffer a decline in their condition and will be vulnerable to sudden failure. Accordingly, this paper tackles the pavement resilience from an asset management perspective and aims at developing a resilience-based asset management framework for pavement networks. This was carried out through the development of five components: (i) a central database of asset inventory, (ii) a pavement condition and level of service assessment models, (iii) a regression of the effect of freeze–thaw on pavement network, (iv) a financial and temporal models, and (v) an optimization model to formulate the mathematical denotation for the proposed resilience assessment approach and integrate the above components. The model results were promising in terms of maintaining pavement resiliency by selecting a near optimal intervention plan that meets the municipality limitations.
Holography of massive M2-brane theory with discrete torsion
Authors: Jang Dongmin , Kim Yoonbai , Kwon O-Kab , Tolla D. D.
Published: March 2020

We investigate the gauge/gravity duality between the $$\mathcal{N} = 6$$N=6 mass-deformed ABJ theory with $$\hbox {U}_k(N+l)\times \hbox {U}_{-k}(N)$$Uk(N+l)×U-k(N) gauge symmetry and the 11-dimensional supergravity on LLM geometries with SO(2,1) $$\times $$× SO(4)/$${\mathbb Z}_k\times $$Zk× SO(4)/$${{\mathbb {Z}}}_k$$Zk isometry and the discrete torsion l. For chiral primary operators with conformal dimensions $$\Delta =1,2$$Δ=1,2, we obtain the exact vacuum expectation values using the holographic method in 11-dimensional supergravity and show that the results depend on the shapes of droplet pictures in LLM geometries. The $$\frac{l}{\sqrt{N}}$$lN contributions from the discrete torsion l for several simple droplet pictures in the large N limit are determined in holographic vacuum expectation values. We also explore the effects of the orbifolding $${{\mathbb {Z}}}_k$$Zk and the asymptotic discrete torsion l, on the gauge/gravity duality dictionary and on the nature of the asymptotic limits of the LLM geometries.
Spectroscopy of $$\mathbf {B_c}$$ mesons and the possibility of finding exotic $$\mathbf {B_c}$$-like structures
Authors: Ortega Pablo G. , Segovia Jorge , Entem David R. , Fernández Francisco
Published: March 2020

The bottom-charmed ($$B_c$$Bc) mesons are more stable than their charmonium ($$c{{\bar{c}}}$$cc¯) and bottomium ($$b{{\bar{b}}}$$bb¯) partners because they cannot annihilate into gluons. However, the low production cross-sections and signal-to-background ratios avoided until now their clear identification. The recent experimental results reported by CMS and LHCb at CERN open the possibility of having a $$B_c$$Bc spectrum as complete as the ones of charmonium and bottomonium. Motivated by this expectation, we compute bottom-charmed meson masses in the region energies in which decay meson–meson thresholds are opened, looking for the analogs to the X(3872) in the $$B_c$$Bc spectroscopy. We use a constituent quark model in which quark–antiquark degrees of freedom are complemented by four-body Fock states configurations. The model has been applied to a wide range of hadronic observables, in particular to the X(3872), and thus the model parameters are completely constrained. No extra states are found in the $$J^P=0^+$$JP=0+ and $$J^P=1^+$$JP=1+ sectors. However, in the $$J^P=2^+$$JP=2+ sector we found an additional state very close to the $$D^*B^*$$D∗B∗ threshold which could be experimentally detected.
Dynamical nonextensivity or nonextensive dynamics?
Authors: Rożynek Jacek , Wilk Grzegorz
Published: March 2020

Dense matter is usually described using some kind of mean field theory (MFT) model based on Boltzmann–Gibbs (BG) extensive statistics. However, in many cases the conditions justifying the use of BG statistics are not fulfilled because the systems considered are explicitly nonextensive. In such cases one either enriches the original MFT by adding some dynamical elements violating extensivity (like, for example, long range correlations or intrinsic fluctuations), or one replaces the BG statistics by its nonextensive counterpart characterized by some nonextensivity parameter q ( q≠ 1 and for q → 1 one returns to the extensive situation). In this work, using a simple quasi-particle description of dense matter (with interaction modelled by effective fugacities, z) we discuss the mutual interplay of non-extensiveness and dynamics (i.e., q and z) and estimate the level of nonextensivity of the quark-gluon system described by lattice QCD.
Device-Circuit Interaction and Performance Benchmarking of Tunnel Transistor-Based Ex-OR Gates for Energy Efficient Computing
Authors: Shaik Sadulla
Published: March 2020

This paper explores the design and analysis of 20[Formula: see text]nm tunnel transistor-based Exclusive-OR (Ex-OR) gates and half-adder cells with circuit interaction (co-design) approach for energy efficient and reliable computing architectures at scaled supply voltages (50–300[Formula: see text]mV). TFETs have attracted much attention recently for energy efficient system designs. The circuit interaction is made possible for designing more consistent functional architectures at the minimum power supply of 50–300[Formula: see text]mV. Using this technique, the core computational blocks of basic adder blocks and Ex-OR gates are designed with TFET as a fundamental device and the whole design procedure is elaborated in this paper. The primary classifications of Tunnel FETs, viz. Homo-junction TFET (HoJn TFET) and Hetero-junction TFETs (HeJn TFET) are investigated thoroughly under different constraints specifically at the device configurations. By considering the above-mentioned subtypes of TFETs, three variants of Ex-OR primitive gates are modeled and are named with respect to the use of transistors as static complementary TFET-12T (SC12T), Transmission Gate logic-8T (TG8T) and Improved Transmission Gate logic-6T (ITG6T) Ex-OR gate designs. The benchmarking of the proposed gates is done using double-gate Si FinFET at 20[Formula: see text]nm technology. Amongst all the three proposed Ex-OR designs of SC12T, TG8T and ITG6T in addition to that of LVT and HVT FinFET/CMOS, only ITG6T is the designer’s choice by offering the minimum power consumption as well as high energy, improved choice compared to the other two styles of designs and also when robustness and reliability are taken into account, SC12T and TG8T designs are not providing the full swing of outputs. The minute glitch with that of ITG6T designs is a lesser reliability feature and for this the best alternative is TFET TG8T by providing suppressed over shoots and enhanced transition speed. From the performed multi simulations under different critical conditions and at supply voltage of 100[Formula: see text]mV, it is being demonstrated that the energy efficient circuit option is the SC12T and ITG6T Ex-OR designs which are validated with the steep slope characteristics of TFET’s and also these two designs offer reliability advantage. The major restrictions from the energy efficiency issues are eliminated and disclosed in the HoJn TFETs and HeJn TFET by using circuit co-design methodology and TFETs steep slope characteristics.
Ramsey Spanning Trees and Their Applications
Authors: Abraham Ittai , Chechik Shiri , Elkin Michael , Filtser Arnold , Neiman Ofer
Published: March 2020

The
metric Ramsey problem
asks for the largest subset
S
of a metric space that can be embedded into an ultrametric (more generally into a Hilbert space) with a given distortion. Study of this problem was motivated as a non-linear version of Dvoretzky theorem. Mendel and Naor [29] devised the so-called Ramsey Partitions to address this problem, and showed the algorithmic applications of their techniques to approximate distance oracles and ranking problems.

In this article, we study the natural extension of the metric Ramsey problem to graphs, and introduce the notion of
Ramsey Spanning Trees
. We ask for the largest subset
S
⊆
V
of a given graph
G
=(
V
,
E
), such that there exists a spanning tree of
G
that has small stretch for
S
. Applied iteratively, this provides a small collection of spanning trees, such that each vertex has a tree providing low stretch paths to
all other vertices
. The union of these trees serves as a special type of spanner, a
tree-padding spanner
. We use this spanner to devise the first compact stateless routing scheme with
O
(1) routing decision time, and labels that are much shorter than in all currently existing schemes.

We first revisit the metric Ramsey problem and provide a new deterministic construction. We prove that for every
k
, any
n
-point metric space has a subset
S
of size at least
n

1−1/
k

that embeds into an ultrametric with distortion 8
k
. We use this result to obtain the state-of-the-art deterministic construction of a distance oracle. Building on this result, we prove that for every
k
, any
n
-vertex graph
G
=(
V
,
E
) has a subset
S
of size at least
n

1−1/
k

, and a spanning tree of
G
, that has stretch
O
(
k
log log
n
) between any point in
S
and any point in
V
.
Impact of host and environmental factors on β-glucuronidase enzymatic activity: implications for gastrointestinal serotonin
Authors: Walsh Jacinta , Olavarria-Ramirez Loreto , Lach Gilliard , Boehme Marcus , Dinan Timothy G. , Cryan John F. , Griffin Brendan T. , Hyland Niall P. , Clarke Gerard
Published: March 2020

The gastrointestinal tract houses a reservoir of bacterial-derived enzymes that can directly catalyze the metabolism of drugs, dietary elements and endogenous molecules. Both host and environmental factors may influence this enzymatic activity, with the potential to dictate the availability of the biologically-active form of endogenous molecules in the gut and influence inter-individual variation in drug metabolism. We aimed to investigate the influence of the microbiota, and the modulation of its composition, on fecal enzymatic activity. Intrinsic factors related to the host, including age, sex and genetic background, were also explored. Fecalase, a cell-free extract of feces, was prepared and used in a colorimetric-based assay to quantify enzymatic activity. To demonstrate the functional effects of fecal enzymatic activity, we examined β-glucuronidase-mediated cleavage of serotonin β-d-glucuronide (5-HT-GLU) and the resultant production of free 5-HT by HPLC. As expected, β-glucuronidase and β-glucosidase activity were absent in germ-free mice. Enzymatic activity was significantly influenced by mouse strain and animal species. Sex and age significantly altered metabolic activity with implications for free 5-HT. β-Glucuronidase and β-glucosidase activity remained at reduced levels for nearly two weeks after cessation of antibiotic administration. This effect on fecalase corresponded to significantly lower 5-HT levels as compared with incubation with pre-antibiotic fecalase from the same mice. Dietary targeting of the microbiota using prebiotics did not alter β-glucuronidase or β-glucosidase activity. Our data demonstrate that multiple factors influence the activity of bacterial-derived enzymes which may have potential clinical implications for drug metabolism and the deconjugation of host-produced glucuronides in the gut.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article explores a comprehensive range of host and environmental factors that introduce variability in the expression of bacterial-derived metabolic enzymes. Our results demonstrate that altered β-glucuronidase activity has implications for the bioavailability of luminal serotonin. The experimental approach employed, fecalase, provides a mechanistic basis and translational platform to further delineate the functional outputs of altered metabolic activity, and the associated physiological effects of microbiota-targeted interventions on host response to drugs and host-produced glucuronides.
A Transforaminal Endoscopic Surgical Technique for Treating Lumbar Disc Herniation in the Setting of Spina Bifida
Authors: Telfeian Albert E. , Oyelese Adetokunbo , Fridley Jared , Ali Rohaid , Cielo Deus , Gokaslan Ziya L.
Published: March 2020

Recent literature suggests that adult patients with spina bifida receive surgery for degenerative disc disease at higher rates than the general population. However, sometimes the complex anatomic features of co-occurring spina bifida and lumbar disc herniation can significantly challenge standard surgical techniques. Here, the technical steps are presented for treating a foraminal lumbar 4-5-disc herniation in the setting of a patient with multifaceted degenerative and spina bifida occulta anatomy. Utilized is a minimally invasive approach that does not require general anesthesia or fusion and allows the patient to leave the same day. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first-reported case of endoscopic surgical decompression of a lumbar disc in a patient with spina bifida.
Epidemiology of Microsatellite Instability High (MSI-H) and Deficient Mismatch Repair (dMMR) in Solid Tumors: A Structured Literature Review
Authors: Lorenzi Maria , Amonkar Mayur , Zhang Jacky , Mehta Shivani , Liaw Kai-Li
Published: March 2020

Background. Given limited data on the epidemiology of MSI-H and dMMR across solid tumors (except colorectal cancer (CRC)), the current study was designed to estimate their prevalence. Materials and Methods. A structured literature review identified English language publications that used immunohistochemistry (IHC) or polymerase chain replication (PCR) techniques. Publications were selected for all tumors except CRC using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases and key congresses; CRC and pan-tumor genomic publications were selected through a targeted review. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled prevalence of MSI-H/dMMR across all solid tumors and for selected tumor types. Where possible, prevalence within tumor types was estimated by disease stages. Results. Of 1,176 citations retrieved, 103 and 48 publications reported prevalence of MSI-H and dMMR, respectively. Five pan-tumor genomic studies supplemented the evidence base. Tumor types with at least 5 publications included gastric (n = 39), ovarian (n = 23), colorectal (n = 20), endometrial (n = 53), esophageal (n = 6), and renal cancer (n = 8). Overall MSI-H prevalence (with 95% CI) across 25 tumors was based on 90 papers (28,213 patients) and estimated at 14% (10%–19%). MSI-H prevalence among Stage 1/2 cancers was estimated at 15% (8%–23%); Stages 3 and 4 prevalence was estimated at 9% (3%–17%) and 3% (1%–7%), respectively. Overall, dMMR prevalence across 13 tumor types (based on 54 papers and 20,383 patients) was estimated at 16% (11%–22%). Endometrial cancer had the highest pooled MSI-H and dMMR prevalence (26% and 25% all stages, respectively). Conclusions. This is the first comprehensive attempt to report pooled prevalence estimates of MSI-H/dMMR across solid tumors based on published data. Prevalence determined by IHC and PCR was generally comparable, with some variations by cancer type. Late-stage prevalence was lower than that in earlier stages.
Gingival Bleeding in a Child with Fanconi Anemia: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Touil Dorsaf , Bouhouch Rahma , Chebil Raoua Belkacem , Oualha Lamia , Douki Nabiha
Published: March 2020

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by multiple congenital abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and higher susceptibility to malignancies, especially to head and neck carcinomas. Only few reports about the oral manifestations of FA are available. The main reported oral conditions associated with FA are microdontia and advanced periodontitis. The aim of this paper was to report a case of a 10-year-old patient with FA presenting severe spontaneous gingival bleeding, as well as to discuss the role of the dentist in the management and treatment of this condition.
Determinants of Anemia among Children Aged 6–59 Months in Ethiopia: Further Analysis of the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey
Authors: Asresie Melash Belachew , Fekadu Gedefaw Abeje , Dagnew Gizachew Worku
Published: March 2020

Background. Anemia among children is a global public health problem. The burden is high in developing countries including Ethiopia. Although there are some studies about anemia among children, there is a dearth of information about factors associated with anemia in Ethiopia. Therefore, this analysis was performed to identify factors associated with anemia among children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia. Methods. We used the 2016 Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey (EDHS) data. EDHS was a community-based, cross-sectional study conducted from January 18, 2016 to June 27, 2016. The 2016 EDHS selected the participants using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. A total of 8,462 children aged 6–59 months were included for this analysis. Both descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata version14. A P value less than 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was set to test the statistical significance. Results. The analysis indicated that about 58% (95% CI: 55.1, 60.1) of children aged 6–59 months were anemic. Of those, 29.4% and 3.1% had moderate and severe anemia, respectively. The analysis revealed that stunted (AOR = 0.135, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.62) and underweight (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.55) children had higher odds of being anemic. Besides, children aged 6–23 months (AOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.82), 24–42 months of age (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.51), and those with fever (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.67) had higher odds of being anemic. Similarly, children from anemic mothers (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.58, 2.18) and poor households (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.67) were at a higher risk of anemia. Children from households with large family sizes (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.60), young mothers (15–24 years of age (AOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.82) and 25–34 years of age (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.51)), and developing regions (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.02) also had higher odds of developing anemia. Conclusion. The overall prevalence of anemia among children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia was high. Malnourished children (stunting and underweight); children with fever; children from anemic, uneducated, and young mothers; and children from large and poor families had higher odds to develop anemia. Therefore, preventing childhood illnesses and maternal anemia should be strengthened to reduce anemia among children.
Biginelli Synthesis of Novel Dihydropyrimidinone Derivatives Containing Phthalimide Moiety
Authors: Bhat Mashooq A. , Al-Omar Mohamed A. , Naglah Ahmed M. , Al-Dhfyan Abdullah
Published: March 2020

A new series of novel Biginelli compounds, 5-benzoyl-substituted phenyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione (1−10), were synthesized from enaminone, 2-{4-[(2E)-3-(dimethylamino)prop-2-enoyl]phenyl}-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione (IV), which was synthesized by refluxing 2-(4-acetylphenyl)-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione (III), with dimethylformamide-dimethylacetal (DMF-DMA) without solvent for 12 h. The compound 2-(4-acetylphenyl)-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione (III) was obtained by reacting phthalic anhydride (I) with para-aminoacetophenone (II) in glacial acetic acid for 2 h. The dihydropyrimidinone derivatives containing phthalimide moiety (1–10) were obtained by reacting enaminone, 2-{4-[(2E)-3-(dimethylamino) prop-2-enoyl] phenyl}-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione (IV), with urea and different substituted benzaldehydes in the presence of glacial acetic acid for 3 h. Simple and efficient method was employed to synthesize the dihydropyrimidinone derivatives containing phthalimide moiety. Structures of all the synthesized compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods.
Carglumic Acid Contributes to a Favorable Clinical Course in a Case of Severe Propionic Acidemia
Authors: Kido Jun , Matsumoto Shirou , Nakamura Kimitoshi
Published: March 2020

Propionic acidemia (PA) is manifested as an abnormal accumulation of propionic acid and its metabolites, including methylcitrate, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and propionylglycine, and is caused by a defect of propionyl-CoA carboxylase. PA is complicated by acute life-threatening metabolic crises, which are precipitated by a catabolic state and result in multiple organ failure or even death, if untreated. A neonate with PA recovered from the first metabolic crisis 3 days after birth but developed a second metabolic crisis during the recovery phase. This patient was considered to have severe PA and was accordingly given carglumic acid treatment in combination with carnitine supplementation and protein restriction, which was expected to prevent a recurrent metabolic attack. The patient did not develop hyperammonemia after receiving carglumic acid and was never hospitalized. Moreover, she did not present with acidosis even during viral infection. At 26 months of age, she led a stable life while receiving carglumic acid and regular rehabilitation. Carglumic acid treatment in combination with carnitine supplementation and protein restriction prevented metabolic decompensation, which would have otherwise required hospitalization, and resulted in improved quality of life and developmental outcomes.
Asynchronous Adaptive Fault-Tolerant Control for Markov Jump Systems with Actuator Failures and Unknown Nonlinear Disturbances
Authors: Li Jian-Ning , Gu Kai-Yang , Liu Xiao , Xu Xiao-Bin
Published: March 2020

This article investigates an asynchronous adaptive fault-tolerant control problem for Markov jump systems (MJSs) with actuator failures and absolutely unknown nonlinear disturbances. The hidden Markov model (HMM) is used to describe the asynchronization phenomenon between the controller and the modes of the original system. Moreover, by using the designed adaptive law, the values of actuator partial failures and the bounds of the unknown nonlinear disturbances can be estimated, respectively. Furthermore, the HMM-based asynchronous adaptive fault-tolerant controller is provided to ensure that the closed-loop system is asymptotically stable despite of unknown nonlinear disturbances. Finally, numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Propagation Loss Coefficient Model of Low-Frequency Elastic Wave in Coal Strata Set
Authors: Guo Yinjing , Ju Yuanyuan , Liu Zhen , Zhang Jianhua
Published: March 2020

Elastic waves cause energy loss during the transmission of coal measures. These losses include propagation loss, dielectric absorption loss, scattering loss, and frequency migration loss. The absorption loss is mainly caused by the inelastic absorption. The scattering loss is caused by the uneven heat absorption in the formation. The frequency shift loss is caused by the piezoelectric effect of coal-bearing formations and the intermodulation of different frequency signals. After considering the influence factors of the coal seam structure, this paper presents a model of low-frequency elastic waves loss coefficient. The paper proposed the loss coefficient of the elastic wave in the coal measure strata by considering two main attenuation mechanisms: intrinsic absorption and scattering. This paper theoretically studied the effects of the model parameters such as density, porosity, particle size, and wave frequency on the loss of wave energy using COMSOL simulation. Besides, the comparison of MATLAB simulation results shows that the simulation results produced by the model proposed in this paper are similar to the models embedded in COMSOL. This work can be applied to coal, oil, and gas exploration and is also helpful to study the mechanisms of wave attention on the low-frequency band.
Downscaling and Projection of Multi-CMIP5 Precipitation Using Machine Learning Methods in the Upper Han River Basin
Authors: Xu Ren , Chen Nengcheng , Chen Yumin , Chen Zeqiang
Published: March 2020

Downscaling considerably alleviates the drawbacks of regional climate simulation by general circulation models (GCMs). However, little information is available regarding the downscaling using machine learning methods, specifically at hydrological basin scale. This study developed multiple machine learning (ML) downscaling models, based on a Bayesian model average (BMA), to downscale the precipitation simulation of 8 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models using model output statistics (MOS) for the years 1961–2005 in the upper Han River basin. A series of statistical metrics, including Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC), root mean squared error (RMSE), and relative bias (Rbias), were used for evaluation and comparative analyses. Moreover, the BMA and the best ML downscaling model were used to downscale precipitation in the 21st century under Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) and RCP8.5 scenarios. The results show the following: (1) The performance of the BMA ensemble simulation is clearly better than that of the individual models and the simple mean model ensemble (MME). The PCC reaches 0.74, and the RMSE is reduced by 28%–60% for all the GCMs and 33% compared to the MME. (2) The downscaled models greatly improved station simulation performance. Support vector machine for regression (SVR) was superior to multilayer perceptron (MLP) and random forest (RF). The downscaling results based on the BMA ensemble simulation and SVR models were regarded as the best performing overall (PCC, RMSE, and Rbias were 0.82, 35.07, mm and −5.45%, respectively). (3) Based on BMA and SVR models, the projected precipitations show a weak increasing trend on the whole under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Specifically, the average rainfall during the mid- (2040–2069) and late (2070–2099) 21st century increased by 3.23% and 1.02%, respectively, compared to the base year (1971–2000) under RCP4.5, while they increased by 4.25% and 8.30% under RCP8.5. Additionally, the magnitude of changes during winter and spring was higher than that during summer and autumn. Furthermore, future work is recommended to study the improvement of downscaling models and the effect of local climate.
Using AI-Based Classification Techniques to Process EEG Data Collected during the Visual Short-Term Memory Assessment
Authors: Antonijevic Milos , Zivkovic Miodrag , Arsic Sladjana , Jevremovic Aleksandar
Published: March 2020

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) is defined as the ability to remember a small amount of visual information, such as colors and shapes, during a short period of time. VSTM is a part of short-term memory, which can hold information up to 30 seconds. In this paper, we present the results of research where we classified the data gathered by using an electroencephalogram (EEG) during a VSTM experiment. The experiment was performed with 12 participants that were required to remember as many details as possible from the two images, displayed for 1 minute. The first assessment was done in an isolated environment, while the second assessment was done in front of the other participants, in order to increase the stress of the examinee. The classification of the EEG data was done by using four algorithms: Naive Bayes, support vector, KNN, and random forest. The results obtained show that AI-based classification could be successfully used in the proposed way, since we were able to correctly classify the order of the images presented 90.12% of the time and type of the displayed image 90.51% of the time.