bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From battlefront to homefront: creation of a civilian walking blood bank
Authors: Braverman Maxwell A. , Smith Alison , Shahan Charles Patrick , Axtman Benjamin , Epley Eric , Hitchman Scott , Waltman Elizabeth , Winckler Christopher , Nicholson Susannah E. , Eastridge Brian J. , Stewart Ronald M. , Jenkins Donald H.
Published: June 2020

Hemorrhagic shock remains the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield, despite major advances in trauma care. Early initiation of balanced resuscitation has been shown to decrease mortality in the hemorrhaging patient. To address transfusion limitations in austere environments or in the event of multiple casualties, walking blood banks have been used in the combat setting with great success. Leveraging the success of the region‐wide whole blood program in San Antonio, Texas, we report a novel plan that represents a model response to mass casualty incidents.
Current state of whole blood transfusion for civilian trauma resuscitation
Authors: Jackson Bryon , Murphy Colin , Fontaine Magali J.
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Whole blood (WB) is rapidly emerging as the treatment modality of choice for the initial resuscitation of civilian trauma patients across the United States. The reemergence of WB has been rapid and driven in part by recognition of the importance of early plasma transfusion in the resuscitation process.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The study was designed as a critical analysis of the available literature on WB transfusion in civilian trauma patients. Studies were included if they reported on transfusion of cold‐stored WB used in a civilian setting and measured safety, feasibility, or a direct clinical outcome.

RESULTS

Examination of the available literature supports the feasibility and safety of WB used in treatment of civilian trauma patients. The evidence regarding clinical outcomes, particularly with direct comparison to equivalent doses of component therapy, is more limited. The literature is predominantly descriptive and retrospective in nature and limited by the heterogeneity of clinical WB protocols being used. Based on this limited data set, there are limited conclusions that can be used to definitely support or refute the clinical superiority of WB to component therapy.

CONCLUSION

Current literature supports the safety and feasibility of WB, but prospective randomized trials comparing WB to component therapy are needed to provide the definitive evidence on this topic.
Whole blood for postpartum hemorrhage: early experience at two institutions
Authors: Morris David S. , Braverman Maxwell A. , Corean Jessica , Myers John C. , Xenakis Elly , Ireland Kayla , Greebon Leslie , Ilstrup Sarah , Jenkins Donald H.
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Death from postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains a significant preventable problem worldwide. Cold‐stored, low‐titer, type‐O whole blood (LTOWB) is increasingly being used for resuscitation of injured patients, but it is uncommon in PPH patients, and it is unclear what its role may be in this population.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Brief report of the early experience of WB use for PPH in two institutions, one university hospital and one private hospital.

RESULTS

Different approaches have been implemented at the two institutions, one designed for emergency release, uncrossmatched transfusion of LTOWB as part of a massive transfusion protocol (MTP) and one for high‐risk obstetric patients with known placental abnormalities. A total of 7 PPH patients have received a total of 17 units of LTOWB between the two institutions. No severe adverse transfusion reactions were observed clinically in either institution and the clinical outcomes were favorable in all cases.

CONCLUSION

In our early experience, LTOWB can be implemented for two different PPH clinical scenarios. Larger studies are needed to compare outcomes between LTOWB and traditional component resuscitation strategies.
TEG PlateletMapping assay results may be misleading in the presence of cold stored platelets
Authors: Scorer Thomas G. , FitzGibbon Lucy , Aungraheeta Riyaad , Sharma Umang , Peltier Grantham C. , McIntosh Colby S. , Reddoch‐Cardenas Kristin M. , Meyer Andrew , Cap Andrew P. , Mumford Andrew D.
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Viscoelastic tests (VETs) are used widely to monitor hemostasis in settings such as cardiac surgery. There has also been renewed interest in cold stored platelets (CSPs) to manage bleeding in this setting. CSPs are reported to have altered hemostatic properties compared to room temperature platelets (RTPs), including activation of GPIIb/IIIa. We investigated whether the functional differences between CSP and RTP affected the performance of the PlateletMapping VET on the TEG 5000 and 6s analyzer.

METHOD

Platelet concentrates were divided equally into CSP (stored at 4°C ± 2°C) and RTP (stored at 22°C ± 2°C) fractions. Whole blood was treated to induce platelet dysfunction (WBIPD) by incubating with anti‐platelet drugs (1.0 μM ticagrelor and 10 μM aspirin) or by simulating cardiopulmonary bypass. WBIPD samples were then mixed with 20% by volume of CSPs or RTPs to model platelet transfusion before analysis using the PlateletMapping VET.

RESULTS

Addition of CSPs to WBIPD increased the PlateletMapping MAFIBRIN and MAADP parameters with the TEG 5000 analyzer (both p < 0.0001 compared to addition of buffer alone). This effect was not observed with RTPs. The differential effect of CSPs on the MAFIBRIN corrected after pre‐incubation with the GPIIb/IIIa antagonist tirofiban and was quantitatively less with the PlateletMapping test for the TEG 6s analyzer which contains the GPIIb/IIa antagonist abciximab.

DISCUSSION

The PlateletMapping MAFIBRIN and MAADP test results may be misleadingly high with CSPs, particularly with the TEG 5000 analyzer, most likely due to constitutive activation of GPIIb/IIIa on CSPs during storage. TEG PlateletMapping results should be interpreted with caution following CSP transfusion.
Psychosocial Construct of Career Adaptability from the Point of View of Theory and Empirical Evidence - Overview
Authors: Hlaďo Petr
Published: June 2020

This overview focuses on a multidimensional psychosocial construct of career adaptability, to which a special attention has been paid recently. Career adaptability indicates individual’s means of coping with current or anticipated challenges, changes and traumas in professional roles. The study provides a description of career adaptability construct creation, its definition and dimensions – interest, control, curiosity and self-confidence. Further, tools for career adaptability measurement and selected empirical findings about career adaptability are presented. Focus is, among other things, on the relation of career adaptability and demographical variables, personality traits, self-image, self-esteem, confidence in own abilities, professional identity, time orientation, academic success, career vocation, career satisfaction etc. Presented theoretical and empirical findings are important for career counsellors and teachers of career education, who can, based on the knowledge of career adaptability, suggest interventions reflecting specific needs of individual clients and students.
Electrical Grid Resilience
Authors: Gibson Tom
Published: June 2020

For decades, reliability has been the watchword for electric utilities, but now there’s a focus on a related concept: Resilience. It has gained notice as planners began thinking about increased natural disasters brought on by climate change, man-made interference due to malicious cyberattacks, and the instability brought about by adding large quantities of renewable energy. Resilience has become a legitimate field of study involving industry, academia, and government labs, complete with experts in the field. This article delves deeper into the need to achieve electrical grid resiliency as intensity of natural disaster amplifies.
Photoluminescence properties of epitaxial asymmetric triple CdSe quantum wells
Authors: Hernández-García Liliana Fernanda , Sutara Frantisek , Hernández-Calderón Isaac
Published: June 2020

The authors present the results of the photoluminescence characterization of three asymmetric triple quantum well (ATQW) systems. Each one contains three ultrathin CdSe quantum wells of 1, 2, and 3 monolayers (ML) thickness grown by atomic layer epitaxy between ZnSe separating barriers. Two systems have coupled QWs due to thin 5 nm thick ZnSe separating barriers, and the uncoupled system has 100 nm ZnSe separating barriers. Two of them (5 and 100 nm ZnSe barriers) were grown in the sequence 3–2–1, with the 3 ML QW closer to the substrate, while the third ATQW (5 nm ZnSe barrier) was grown in the reverse order. The photoluminescence spectrum of the uncoupled ATQW (3–2–1 sequence) presents three excitonic peaks, one peak for each QW, with the same emission energies of corresponding isolated single QWs. In the case of two coupled ATQW systems (3–2–1 and 1–2–3 growth sequence), the authors observed only one peak, corresponding to the lowest transition energy in the system formed by the three coupled QWs. The calculation of the wavefunctions shows no overlap for 100 nm ZnSe separating barriers, as expected for this thick barrier. For the systems with 5 nm ZnSe barriers, the calculations indicate that the overlap occurs mainly between the wavefunctions of the central 2 ML thick CdSe QW and the neighboring 1 ML and 3 ML QW wavefunctions; the overlap between the 1 and 3 ML QWs is small as a consequence of their 10 nm separation. The authors found that the effect of the coupling between the QWs is more easily identified by the reduction (or absence) of the intensity of the higher energy transitions of the multiple QW system than by the change of the ATQW energy levels with barrier thickness reduction.
Worn on the Older Body: Physical Activity Technologies and the Commitment to Health
Authors: Zieff Susan G. , Guedes Claudia M.
Published: June 2020

Physical activity (PA) is a proven strategy for reducing risk of chronic disease. Many older adults do not reach recommended levels of activity to achieve health benefits. There is growing interest among scholars and practitioners about the potential of technology to increase PA and improve health. This study investigated knowledge of, attitudes toward, and experiences with PA technology among a sample of older adults to determine potential for use in interventions. Overall, participants indicated that they learned about their levels of PA, held positive attitudes toward, and reported good experiences with PA technology, including desired behavior change. Negative outcomes included concerns about risk from using PA technology. Outcomes from this study suggest the need for updated views of older adults and technology and potential health benefits from using PA technology.
Toward a More Comprehensive Picture of Physical Education Teaching Quality: Combining Generic and Content-Specific Practices
Authors: Kyriakides Ermis , Tsangaridou Niki , Charalambous Charalambos Y. , Kyriakides Leonidas
Published: June 2020

Purpose: This study explores physical education teaching quality and its effects on student psychomotor learning by bringing together generic and content-specific practices. Method: A sample of 51 elementary classroom teachers who taught physical education to third-, fourth-, or fifth-grade students (N = 944) was recruited. Student psychomotor development was measured through a pre- and postperformance test. Teaching quality was captured through classroom observations and a student survey. Results: Findings showed that more teacher-level variance was explained when combining generic and content-specific practices, as compared with that explained when considering either type of practices in isolation. Teaching aspects from both types of practices were found to be important predictors that could discriminate among teachers based on their level of effectiveness. Conclusion: A comprehensive framework of physical education teaching effectiveness could be developed involving both types of practices. This framework could be used for both summative and formative purposes in preservice or in-service teacher education programs.
Chlorpromazine and Amitriptyline Are Substrates and Inhibitors of the AcrB Multidrug Efflux Pump
Authors: Grimsey Elizabeth M. , Fais Chiara , Marshall Robert L. , Ricci Vito , Ciusa Maria Laura , Stone Jack W. , Ivens Alasdair , Malloci Giuliano , Ruggerone Paolo , Vargiu Attilio V. , Piddock Laura J. V.
Published: June 2020

Efflux pumps of the resistance nodulation-cell division (RND) superfamily are major contributors to multidrug resistance for most of the Gram-negative ESKAPE (
Enterococcus faecium
,
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
,
Acinetobacter baumannii
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, and
Enterobacter
species) pathogens. The development of inhibitors of these pumps would be highly desirable; however, several issues have thus far hindered all efforts at designing new efflux inhibitory compounds devoid of adverse effects. An alternative route to
de novo
design relies on the use of marketed drugs, for which side effects on human health have been already assessed. In this work, we provide experimental evidence that the antipsychotic drugs chlorpromazine and amitriptyline are inhibitors of the AcrB transporter, the engine of the major RND efflux pumps in
Escherichia coli
and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium. Furthermore,
in silico
calculations have provided a molecular-level picture of the inhibition mechanism, allowing rationalization of experimental data and paving the way for similar studies with other classes of marketed compounds.
Reversal of Epigenetic Silencing Allows Robust HIV-1 Replication in the Absence of Integrase Function
Authors: Irwan Ishak D. , Karnowski Heather L. , Bogerd Hal P. , Tsai Kevin , Cullen Bryan R.
Published: June 2020

While retroviral DNA is synthesized normally after infection by integrase-deficient viruses, the resultant episomal DNA is then epigenetically silenced. Here, we show that expression of the Tax transcription factor encoded by a second human retrovirus, HTLV-1, prevents or reverses the epigenetic silencing of unintegrated HIV-1 DNA and instead induces the addition of activating epigenetic marks and the recruitment of NF-κB/Rel proteins to the HIV-1 LTR promoter. Moreover, in the presence of Tax, the HIV-1 DNA circles that form in the absence of integrase function are not only efficiently transcribed but also support a spreading, pathogenic integrase-deficient (IN
−
) HIV-1 infection. Thus, retroviruses have the potential to replicate without integration, as is indeed seen with HBV. Moreover, these data suggest that integrase inhibitors may be less effective in the treatment of HIV-1 infections in individuals who are also coinfected with HTLV-1.
The Inactivation of Enzymes Belonging to the Central Carbon Metabolism Is a Novel Mechanism of Developing Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Gil-Gil Teresa , Corona Fernando , Martínez José Luis , Bernardini Alejandra
Published: June 2020

Antibiotic resistance has been largely considered a specific bacterial response to an antibiotic challenge. Indeed, its study has been mainly concentrated on mechanisms that affect the antibiotics (mutations in transporters, efflux pumps, and antibiotic-modifying enzymes, or their regulators) or their targets (i.e., target mutations, protection, or bypass). Usually, antibiotic resistance-associated metabolic changes were considered a consequence (fitness costs) and not a cause of antibiotic resistance. Herein, we show that alterations in the central carbon bacterial metabolism can also be the cause of antibiotic resistance. In the study presented here,
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
acquires fosfomycin resistance through the inactivation of glycolytic enzymes belonging to the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway. Besides resistance to fosfomycin, this inactivation also impairs the bacterial gluconeogenic pathway. Together with previous work showing that antibiotic resistance can be under metabolic control, our results provide evidence that antibiotic resistance is intertwined with the bacterial metabolism.
Seismic velocity precursors to the 2016 Mw 6.5 Norcia (Italy) earthquake
Authors: Chiarabba C. , De Gori P. , Segou M. , Cattaneo M.
Published: June 2020

Earthquakes occur as the result of long-term strain accumulation on active faults and complex transient triggering mechanisms. Although laboratory experiments show accelerating deformation patterns before failure conditions are met, imaging similar preparatory phases in nature remains difficult because it requires dense monitoring in advance. The 2016 Amatrice-Visso-Norcia (central Italy) earthquake cascade, captured by an unprecedented seismic network, provided a unique testing ground to image the preparatory phase of a large event. The crustal volume of the Norcia incipient fault was densely illuminated by seismic rays from more than 13,000 earthquakes that occurred within the 3 mo before the main shock nucleation. We performed seismic tomography in distinct time windows that revealed the precursory changes of elastic wave speed, signaling (1) the final locked state of the fault, and (2) the rapid fault-stiffness alterations near the hypocenter just a few weeks before the event. The results are the first instance where short-lived, hard-to-catch crustal properties shed light on evolving earthquake cascades.
Prevalence, incidence and mortality of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Denmark 1996–2016
Authors: Carstensen Bendix , Rønn Pernille Falberg , Jørgensen Marit Eika
Published: June 2020

Introduction

The objective of this study was to give an overview of prevalence, incidence and mortality of type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Denmark, and their temporal trends.

Research design and methods

We constructed a diabetes register from existing population-based healthcare registers, including a classification of patients as T1D or T2D, with coverage from 1996 to 2016. Using complete population records for Denmark, we derived prevalence, incidence, mortality and standardized mortality ratio (SMR).

Results

The overall prevalence of diabetes at 2016 was 0.5% for T1D and 4.4% for T2D, with annual increases since 1996 of 0.5% for T1D and 5.5% for T2D. Incidence rates of T1D decreased by 3.5% per year, with increase for persons under 25 years of age and a decrease for older persons. T2D incidence increased 2.5% per year until 2011, decreased until 2014 and increased after that, similar in all ages. The annual decrease in mortality was 0.3% for T1D and 2.9% for T2D. The mortality rate ratio between T1D and T2D was 1.9 for men and 1.6 for women. SMR decreased annually 2% for T1D and 0.5% for T2D.

Conclusions

Incidence and prevalence of diabetes is increasing, but mortality among patients with diabetes in Denmark is decreasing faster than the mortality among persons without diabetes. T1D carries a 70% higher mortality than T2D.
Correlation between markers of renal function and sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes: a longitudinal study in an Indian clinic population
Authors: Rajalakshmi Ramachandran , Shanthi Rani Coimbatore Subramanian , Venkatesan Ulagamathesan , Unnikrishnan Ranjit , Anjana Ranjit Mohan , Jeba Rani Saravanan , UmaSankari Ganesan , Sivaprasad Sobha , Raman Rajiv , Mohan Viswanathan
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Previous epidemiological studies have reported on the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) from India. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of DKD on the development of new-onset DR and sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) in Asian Indians with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Research design and methods

The study was done on anonymized electronic medical record data of people with T2D who had undergone screening for DR and renal work-up as part of routine follow-up at a tertiary care diabetes center in Chennai, South India. The baseline data retrieved included clinical and biochemical parameters including renal profiles (serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria). Grading of DR was performed using the modified Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grading system. STDR was defined as the presence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and/or diabetic macular edema. DKD was defined by the presence of albuminuria (≥30 µg/mg) and/or reduction in eGFR (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) for DR and STDR.

Results

Data of 19 909 individuals with T2D (mean age 59.6±10.2 years, mean duration of diabetes 11.1±12.1 years, 66.1% male) were analyzed. At baseline, DR was present in 7818 individuals (39.3%), of whom 2249 (11.3%) had STDR. During the mean follow-up period of 3.9±1.9 years, 2140 (17.7%) developed new-onset DR and 980 individuals with non-proliferative DR (NPDR) at baseline progressed to STDR. Higher serum creatinine (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.7; p<0.0001), eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m2(HR 4.9, 95% CI 2.9 to 8.2; p<0.0001) and presence of macroalbuminuria >300 µg/mg (HR 3.0, 95% CI 2.4 to 3.8; p<0.0001) at baseline were associated with increased risk of progression to STDR.

Conclusions

DKD at baseline is a risk factor for progression to STDR. Physicians should promptly refer their patients with DKD to ophthalmologists for timely detection and management of STDR.
Colon and rectal cancer survival in seven high-income countries 2010–2014: variation by age and stage at diagnosis (the ICBP SURVMARK-2 project)
Authors: Araghi Marzieh , Arnold Melina , Rutherford Mark J , Guren Marianne Grønlie , Cabasag Citadel J , Bardot Aude , Ferlay Jacques , Tervonen Hanna , Shack Lorraine , Woods Ryan R , Saint-Jacques Nathalie , De Prithwish , McClure Carol , Engholm Gerda , Gavin Anna T , Morgan Eileen , Walsh Paul M , Jackson Christopher , Porter Geoff , Møller Bjorn , Bucher Oliver , Eden Michael , O’Connell Dianne L , Bray Freddie , Soerjomataram Isabelle
Published: June 2020

Objectives

As part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) SURVMARK-2 project, we provide the most recent estimates of colon and rectal cancer survival in seven high-income countries by age and stage at diagnosis.

Methods

Data from 386 870 patients diagnosed during 2010–2014 from 19 cancer registries in seven countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the UK) were analysed. 1-year and 5-year net survival from colon and rectal cancer were estimated by stage at diagnosis, age and country,

Results

(One1-year) and 5-year net survival varied between (77.1% and 87.5%) 59.1% and 70.9% and (84.8% and 90.0%) 61.6% and 70.9% for colon and rectal cancer, respectively. Survival was consistently higher in Australia, Canada and Norway, with smaller proportions of patients with metastatic disease in Canada and Australia. International differences in (1-year) and 5-year survival were most pronounced for regional and distant colon cancer ranging between (86.0% and 94.1%) 62.5% and 77.5% and (40.7% and 56.4%) 8.0% and 17.3%, respectively. Similar patterns were observed for rectal cancer. Stage distribution of colon and rectal cancers by age varied across countries with marked survival differences for patients with metastatic disease and diagnosed at older ages (irrespective of stage).

Conclusions

Survival disparities for colon and rectal cancer across high-income countries are likely explained by earlier diagnosis in some countries and differences in treatment for regional and distant disease, as well as older age at diagnosis. Differences in cancer registration practice and different staging systems across countries may have impacted the comparisons.
Genotype-phenotype correlations for pancreatic cancer risk in Dutch melanoma families with pathogenic CDKN2A variants
Authors: Overbeek Kasper A , Rodríguez-Girondo Mar DM , Wagner Anja , van der Stoep Nienke , van den Akker Peter C , Oosterwijk Jan C , van Os Theo A , van der Kolk Lizet E , Vasen Hans F A , Hes Frederik J , Cahen Djuna L , Bruno Marco J , Potjer Thomas P
Published: June 2020

Background

Pathogenic variants in the CDKN2A gene are generally associated with the development of melanoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but specific genotype-phenotype correlations might exist and the extent of PDAC risk is not well established for many variants.

Methods

Using the Dutch national familial melanoma database, we identified all families with a pathogenic CDKN2A variant and investigated the occurrence of PDAC within these families. We also estimated the standardised incidence ratio and lifetime PDAC risk for carriers of a highly prevalent variant in these families.

Results

We identified 172 families in which 649 individuals carried 15 different pathogenic variants. The most prevalent variant was the founder mutation c.225_243del (p16-Leiden, 484 proven carriers). Second most prevalent was c.67G>C (55 proven carriers). PDAC developed in 95 of 163 families (58%, including 373 of 629 proven carriers) harbouring a variant with an effect on the p16INK4a protein, whereas PDAC did not occur in the 9 families (20 proven carriers) with a variant affecting only p14ARF. In the c.67G>C families, PDAC occurred in 12 of the 251 (5%) persons at risk. The standardised incidence ratio was 19.1 (95% CI 8.3 to 33.6) and the cumulative PDAC incidence at age 75 years (lifetime risk) was 19% (95% CI 7.5% to 30.1%).

Conclusions

Our results support the notion that pathogenic CDKN2A variants affecting the p16INK4a protein, including c.67G>C, are associated with increased PDAC risk and carriers of such variants should be offered pancreatic cancer surveillance. There is no clinical evidence that impairment of only the p14ARF protein leads to an increased PDAC risk.
Effects of dietary flaxseed and vitamin E on fermentation, nutrient disappearance, fatty acid biohydrogenation, and microbial protein synthesis using a simulated rumen (Rusitec)
Authors: Stanford K. , Sultana H. , He M.L. , Dugan M. , McAllister T.A.
Published: June 2020

Two simulated rumens (Rusitecs) were used to assess the effects of flaxseed (FS) and (or) vitamin E (VE) on rumen fermentation, fatty acid (FA) biohydrogenation, and microbial protein synthesis. Ground FS replaced 0% or 15% of barley grain, along with VE at 0 or 1000 IU d−1 in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. Flaxseed lowered neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.001) and acid detergent fiber (P = 0.01) and increased (P = 0.001) nitrogen (N) disappearance. Flaxseed also increased (P = 0.01) total volatile FA and decreased (P = 0.001) acetate production. When both FS and VE were included, the acetate:propionate ratio decreased (P = 0.04). Biohydrogenation of FA was not influenced by VE, but total FA and C18:0 in effluent were increased (P = 0.001) and C16:0 decreased (P = 0.001) by FS. With VE, total microbial N (MN) was increased (P = 0.001). In the concentrate, production of MN in feed-particle-bound bacteria was increased (P = 0.001) by VE. Vitamin E did not alter FA biohydrogenation but did promote MN production. The stable and relatively high pH in the Rusitec may have prevented the typical shift from C18:1 trans-11 to C18:1 trans-10 with concentrate diets. Future studies simulating subclinical acidosis in the Rusitec may illuminate ruminal mode(s) of action of VE on FA biohydrogenation.
Imaging layers in thin-film molecular devices by transmission electron microscopy, using milling by focused ion beams and deposition on NaCl and Si
Authors: Brunner Pierre-Louis M. , Masse Jean-Philippe , L’Espérance Gilles , Wuest James D.
Published: June 2020

The performance of molecule-based thin-film devices such as organic light-emitting diodes, photovoltaic cells, and thin-film transistors depends on the electronic properties of the individual molecular components, as well as on their association to form complex morphologies. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to image the morphologies and help reveal how the devices work and can be improved. We have examined the suitability of various ways to prepare samples of thin molecular films for imaging by TEM. Specifically, we have used focused ion beams to mill cross sections of complete devices that have been glued together with epoxy adhesives. In addition, thin films of the type used as active layers in molecule-based devices can be deposited on disks of NaCl, which can then be dissolved in water to release free-standing films that can be imaged by TEM, without loss of nanostructural details. Films of this type can also be deposited on Si wafers, which can then be fractured to expose sections of film that overhang edges of fragments and can be imaged conveniently by TEM. This allows TEM to be used as a quick method for screening samples and monitoring the purification of active materials.
Hydrolysis of dihydroisoquinoline derivatives activated by sulfonyl or acyl chloride
Authors: Liu Jianchen , Dang Xinxin , Chen Dan , Zhang Xinyuan , Yang Zhonglie , Lin Li , Jiang Hezhong , Li Jiahong
Published: June 2020

A new, efficient, and mild strategy for hydrolysis of 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline imines activated by sulfonyl chloride or acyl chloride has been developed, by which method ketosulfonamides and ketoamides have been synthesized. This process tolerates broad scope with respect to both the sulfonyl chloride and acyl chloride with moderate to excellent yields. This protocol features a broad substrate scope for various kinds of 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline and mild reaction conditions without using strong acidic or basic conditions. These features show that this user-friendly and simple system could be applied in the future to the synthesis of a broader range of amino benzophenones.
Anisotropic 2+1 dimensional black holes by gravitational decoupling
Authors: Rincón Ángel , Contreras Ernesto , Tello-Ortiz Francisco , Bargueño Pedro , Abellán Gabriel
Published: June 2020

In the present paper, we analyze the well-known 2+1 dimensional black holes (assuming a non-vanishing cosmological constant) in light of the gravitational decoupling by the minimal geometric deformation approach. To illustrate our results, we consider the BTZ geometry as the seed solution to generate new anisotropic ones. To complement the study, the curvature scalars and the energy conditions are analyzed.
Configurational mean-field reduced transfer matrix method for Ising systems
Authors: Kaya Tuncer , Tambaş Başer
Published: June 2020

A mean-field method for the hypercubic nearest-neighbor Ising system is introduced and applications to the method are demonstrated. The main idea of this work is to combine the Kadanoff’s mean-field approach with the model presented by one of us previously. The mean-field approximation is introduced with the replacement of the central spin in Ising Hamiltonian with an average value of particular spin configuration, i.e, the approximation is taken into account within each configuration. This approximation is used in two different mean-field-type approaches. The first consideration is a pure-mean-field-type treatment in which all the neighboring spins are replaced with the assumed configurational average. The second consideration is introduced by the reduced transfer matrix method. The estimations of critical coupling values of the systems are evaluated both numerically and also analytically by the using of saddle point approximation. The analytic estimation of critical values in the first and second considerations are [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] respectively. Obviously, both of the considerations have some significant deviation from the exact treatment. In this work, we conclude that the method introduced here is more appropriate physical picture than self-consistent mean-field-type models, because the method introduced here does not presume the presence of the phase transition from the outset. Consequently, the introduced approach potentially makes our research very valuable mean-field-type picture for phase transition treatment.
Measuring Time-Constrained Influence to Predict Adoption in Online Social Networks
Authors: Marin Ericsson , Guo Ruocheng , Shakarian Paulo
Published: June 2020

Recently, there has been strong interest in measuring influence in online social networks. Different measures have been proposed to predict when individuals will adopt a new behavior, given the influence produced by their friends. In this article, we show that one can achieve significant improvement over these measures, extending them to consider a pair of time constraints that provide a better proxy for social influence. By conducting an engineering study that investigates retweet networks from Twitter and Sina Weibo datasets, we tune those two parameters while we examine the correlation between influence and the probability of adoption, as well as the ability to predict adoption, estimating the real susceptibility and influence to which microblog users are dynamically subjected. Although there are limitations about using retweets to analyze social influence, our results show that for the simple count of active neighbors, its correlation with the probability of adoption is boosted up to 518.75%, whereas similar gains are observed for the other influence measures analyzed. We also obtain up to 18.89% improvement in
F
1 score when compared to recent machine learning techniques that aim to predict adoption, enabling practical use of the corresponding concepts for social influence applications.
Where Do You Think You're Going?
Authors: Perelman Brandon S. , Evans III Arthur W. , Schaefer Kristin E.
Published: June 2020

Route planning is a critical behavior for human-intelligent agent (H-IA) team mobility. The scientific community has made major advances in improving route planner optimality and speed. However, human factors, such as the ability to predict and understand teammates’ actions and goals, are necessary for trust development in H-IA teams. Trust is especially critical when agents’ behaviors do not match human team members’ expectations, or the human cannot understand the agent's underlying reasoning process. To address this issue, the artificial intelligence community has pushed toward creating
human-like
agent behaviors using machine learning. The problem with this approach is that we do not yet have a clear understanding of what constitutes human-like behavior across the breadth of tasks that H-IA teams undertake. This article describes an investigation and comparison of human and agent route planning behaviors, the interplay between humans and agents in collaborative planning, and the role of trust in this collaborative process. Finally, we propose a data-driven methodology for characterizing and visualizing differences among routes planned by humans and agents. This methodology provides a means to advance compatible mental model metrics and theory by informing targeted transparency manipulations, thereby improving the speed and quality of routes produced by H-IA teams.
Towards Effective Interface Designs for Collaborative HRI in Manufacturing
Authors: Marvel Jeremy A. , Bagchi Shelly , Zimmerman Megan , Antonishek Brian
Published: June 2020

We present a comprehensive framework and test methodology for the evaluation of human-machine interfaces (HMI) and human-robot interactions (HRI) in collaborative manufacturing applications. An overview of the challenges that face current- and next-generation collaborative robot systems is presented, specifically focused on the interactions between man and machine, and a series of objectively quantitative and subjectively qualitative metrics are given to guide the development and assessment of interfaces and interactions. A generalized set of guidelines for the design of HMI is also proposed to address these challenges and thereby enable effective and intuitive diagnostics and error corrections when process failures occur. These guidelines are aimed at aiding researchers in developing effective interface and interaction technologies, maximizing operator situation awareness in human-robot collaborative manufacturing teams, promoting effective process and system diagnostics reporting, and enabling faster responses to equipment or application errors.
Superpixel Region Merging Based on Deep Network for Medical Image Segmentation
Authors: Liu Hui , Wang Haiou , Wu Yan , Xing Lei
Published: June 2020

Automatic and accurate semantic segmentation of pathological structures in medical images is challenging because of noisy disturbance, deformable shapes of pathology, and low contrast between soft tissues. Classical superpixel-based classification algorithms suffer from edge leakage due to complexity and heterogeneity inherent in medical images. Therefore, we propose a deep U-Net with superpixel region merging processing incorporated for edge enhancement to facilitate and optimize segmentation. Our approach combines three innovations: (1) different from deep learning--based image segmentation, the segmentation evolved from superpixel region merging via U-Net training getting rich semantic information, in addition to gray similarity; (2) a bilateral filtering module was adopted at the beginning of the network to eliminate external noise and enhance soft tissue contrast at edges of pathogy; and (3) a normalization layer was inserted after the convolutional layer at each feature scale, to prevent overfitting and increase the sensitivity to model parameters. This model was validated on lung CT, brain MR, and coronary CT datasets, respectively. Different superpixel methods and cross validation show the effectiveness of this architecture. The hyperparameter settings were empirically explored to achieve a good trade-off between the performance and efficiency, where a four-layer network achieves the best result in precision, recall, F-measure, and running speed. It was demonstrated that our method outperformed state-of-the-art networks, including FCN-16s, SegNet, PSPNet, DeepLabv3, and traditional U-Net, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Source code for the complete method is available at https://github.com/Leahnawho/Superpixel-network.
Disclosure, Privacy, and Stigma on Social Media
Authors: Andalibi Nazanin
Published: June 2020

Disclosures of distress and stigma on identified social media can be beneficial. Yet, many who may benefit from such disclosures do not engage in them. I examine factors that inform decisions to not disclose stigmatized experiences on identified social media. I conducted in-depth interviews with women in the US who used social media, had experienced pregnancy loss, and had not disclosed about their loss on identified social media. I detail six types of factors related to the self, audience, network, society, platform, and temporality that contribute to non-disclosure decisions. I show that the Disclosure Decision-Making (DDM) framework introduced in prior work explaining disclosures when they do occur, also explains non-disclosure decisions on social media. I show how DDM builds from and bridges prior privacy theories, namely, Communication Privacy Management and Contextual Integrity. I discuss design implications around removing barriers to disclosure to facilitate beneficial disclosures and reduce stigma.
Monotone Precision and Recall Measures for Comparing Executions and Specifications of Dynamic Systems
Authors: Polyvyanyy Artem , Solti Andreas , Weidlich Matthias , Ciccio Claudio Di , Mendling Jan
Published: June 2020

The behavioural comparison of systems is an important concern of software engineering research. For example, the areas of
specification discovery
and
specification mining
are concerned with measuring the consistency between a collection of execution traces and a program specification. This problem is also tackled in
process mining
with the help of measures that describe the quality of a process specification automatically discovered from execution logs. Though various measures have been proposed, it was recently demonstrated that they neither fulfil essential properties, such as
monotonicity
, nor can they handle infinite behaviour. In this article, we address this research problem by introducing a new framework for the definition of behavioural quotients. We prove that corresponding quotients guarantee desired properties that existing measures have failed to support. We demonstrate the application of the quotients for capturing precision and recall measures between a collection of recorded executions and a system specification. We use a prototypical implementation of these measures to contrast their monotonic assessment with measures that have been defined in prior research.
Clinical Outcomes of Trans-Sacral Epiduroscopic Laser Decompression (SELD) in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation
Authors: Son Seong , Lee Sang Gu , Ahn Yong , Kim Woo Kyung
Published: June 2020

Objective. Nowadays, trans-sacral epiduroscopic laser decompression (SELD) using slender epiduroscopy and laser is one of the preferred options for minimally invasive treatment in lumbar disc diseases. However, SELD is still in the initial stages of the global field of spine surgery, and the clinical outcomes in patients with lumbar disc herniation are not established yet. Therefore, the authors investigated patients undergoing SELD to report the clinical results. Methods. Between November 2015 and November 2018, a total of 82 patients who underwent single-level SELD for lumbar disc herniation with a minimum follow-up of 6.0 months were enrolled. A retrospective review of clinical data was conducted. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) for low back and leg pain and Odom’s criteria. Also, surgical outcomes, including complications and symptom recurrences, and radiological outcomes were analyzed. Results. Low back pain and leg pain as determined by the VAS improved from an average of 5.43 ± 1.73 and 6.10 ± 1.67 to 2.80 ± 1.43 and 3.58 ± 2.08 at the final follow-up (p<0.001). According to Odom’s criteria, the success rate defined as excellent or good results at the final follow-up was 58.5%. There were no surgery-related complications such as neurologic deficits, infection, or epidural hematomas, except for transient mild paralysis in 3 patients and procedure-related nuchal pain in 2 patients. The rate of additional procedures was 17.0% (6 patients received revision surgery and 8 patients received an additional nerve block) during the follow-up. Conclusion. Our findings showed that SELD for lumbar herniated disc disease achieved less favorable clinical outcomes compared with those of previous studies. Further study is needed to clarify the influencing factors on the clinical outcomes of SELD.
A New Numerical Approximation Method for Two-Dimensional Wave Equation with Neumann Damped Boundary
Authors: Liu Jiankang , Zhang Suying
Published: June 2020

In this paper, a fully discretized finite difference scheme is derived for two-dimensional wave equation with damped Neumann boundary condition. By discrete energy method, the proposed difference scheme is proven to be of second-order convergence and of unconditional stability with respect to both initial conditions and right-hand term in a proper discretized L2 norm. The theoretical result is verified by a numerical experiment.
Antiplatelet Aggregation, Cardiotonic, Anti‐Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Calcium Channel Antagonistic Potentials of Nepeta ruderalis Buch
Authors: Aleem Ambreen , Janbaz Khalid Hussain , Imran Imran , Wahid Muqeet , Bibi Sumbal , Afzal Khurram , Asad Muhammad Hassham Hassan Bin
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to authenticate the ethnobotanical claims of the Nepeta ruderalis Buch.‐Ham. (N. ruderalis) extract in the traditional system of medicine. Crude extract was prepared via a simple maceration process. DPPH free radical scavenging and carrageenan‐induced rat paw edema models were used to monitor antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory responses of the N. ruderalis extract. Furthermore, it was tested for antiplatelet aggregation, cardioprotective, and calcium channel antagonistic activities via standard documented protocols. The N. ruderalis extract exhibited 80.82% antioxidant activity (IC50 = 207.51 ± 4.36 μg) while the anti‐inflammatory response was significant (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01) at 50 mg/kg (45.58%) and 100 mg/kg (60.90%) doses. Moreover, it was found to inhibit platelet aggregation (IC50 = 1.06 and 0.91 mg/mL) and, in addition, to increase the force of contraction at the concentration of 3.0‐10 mg/mL with a decrease in the heart rate on isolated paired atria (EC50 = 11.78 mg/mL). Relaxant activity was observed on the isolated rabbit jejunum (EC50 = 0.96 mg/mL) and trachea (EC50 = 0.89 mg/mL). However, in a cumulative way, an 80‐millimolar potassium‐induced contraction was evaluated (EC50 = 1.31 mg/mL). The N. ruderalis extract exhibited antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, platelet aggregating, cardiotonic, and calcium channel antagonistic activities, therefore proving scientifically its effectiveness in the traditional system of medicine.
Prediction of Compressive Strength Behavior of Ground Bottom Ash Concrete by an Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Tuntisukrarom Kraiwut , Cheerarot Raungrut
Published: June 2020

The objective of this work was to examine the compressive strength behavior of ground bottom ash (GBA) concrete by using an artificial neural network. Four input parameters, specifically, the water‐to‐binder ratio (WB), percentage replacement of GBA (PR), median particle size of GBA (PS), and age of concrete (AC), were considered for this prediction. The results indicated that all four considered parameters affect the strength development of concrete, and GBA with a high fineness can act as a good pozzolanic material. The optimal ANN model had an architecture with two hidden layers, with six neurons in the first hidden layer and one neuron in the second hidden layer. The proposed ANN‐based explicit equation represented a highly accurate predictive model, for which the statistical values of R2 were higher than 0.996. Moreover, the compressive strength behavior determined using the optimal ANN model closely followed the trend lines and surface plots of the experimental results.
Optimal Profile Limits for Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR) Influenced by Haemorrhage and Unsafe Abortion in South Sudan
Authors: Makuei Gabriel , Abdollahian Mali , Marion Kaye
Published: June 2020

Maternal mortality rate (MMR) is one of the main worldwide public health challenges. Presently, the high levels of MMR are a common problem in the world public health and especially, in developing countries. Half of these maternal deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa where little or nothing progress has been made. South Sudan is one of the developing countries which has the highest MMR. Thus, this paper deploys statistical analysis to identify the significant physiological causes of MMR in South Sudan. Prediction models based on Poisson Regression are then developed to predict MMR in terms of the significant physiological causes. Coefficients of determination and variance inflation factor are deployed to assess the influence of the individual causes on MMR. Efficacy of the models is assessed by analyzing their prediction errors. The paper for the first time has used optimization procedures to develop yearly lower and upper profile limits for MMR. Hemorrhaging and unsafe abortion are used to achieve UN 2030 lower and upper MMR targets. The statistical analysis indicates that reducing haemorrhaging by 1.91% per year would reduce MMR by 1.91% (95% CI (42.85–52.53)), reducing unsafe abortion by 0.49% per year would reduce MMR by 0.49% (95% CI (11.06–13.56)). The results indicate that the most influential predictors of MMR are; hemorrhaging (38%), sepsis (11.5%), obstructed labour (11.5%), unsafe abortion (10%), and indirect causes such as anaemia, malaria, and HIV/AIDs virus (29%). The results also show that to obtain the UN recommended MMR levels of minimum 21 and maximum 42 by 2030, the Government and other stakeholders should simultaneously, reduce haemorrhaging from the current value of 62 to 33.38 and 16.69, reduce unsafe abortion from the current value of 16 to 8.62 and 4.31. Thirty years of data is used to develop the optimal reduced Poisson Model based on hemorrhaging and unsafe abortion. The model with R2 of 92.68% can predict MMR with mean error of −0.42329 and SE-mean of 0.02268. The yearly optimal level of hemorrhage, unsafe abortion, and MMR can aid the government and other stakeholders on resources allocation to reduce the risk of maternal death.