bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DDX41 Recognizes RNA/DNA Retroviral Reverse Transcripts and Is Critical for
In Vivo
Control of Murine Leukemia Virus Infection
Authors: Stavrou Spyridon , Aguilera Alexya N. , Blouch Kristin , Ross Susan R.
Published: June 2018

Host recognition of viral nucleic acids generated during infection leads to the activation of innate immune responses essential for early control of virus. Retrovirus reverse transcription creates numerous potential ligands for cytosolic host sensors that recognize foreign nucleic acids, including single-stranded RNA (ssRNA), RNA/DNA hybrids, and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). We and others recently showed that the sensors cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), DEAD-box helicase 41 (DDX41), and members of the Aim2-like receptor (ALR) family participate in the recognition of retroviral reverse transcripts. However, why multiple sensors might be required and their relative importance in
in vivo
control of retroviral infection are not known. Here, we show that DDX41 primarily senses the DNA/RNA hybrid generated at the first step of reverse transcription, while cGAS recognizes dsDNA generated at the next step. We also show that both DDX41 and cGAS are needed for the antiretroviral innate immune response to murine leukemia virus (MLV) and HIV in primary mouse macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). Using mice with cell type-specific knockout of the
Ddx41
gene, we show that DDX41 sensing in DCs but not macrophages was critical for controlling
in vivo
MLV infection. This suggests that DCs are essential
in vivo
targets for infection, as well as for initiating the antiviral response. Our work demonstrates that the innate immune response to retrovirus infection depends on multiple host nucleic acid sensors that recognize different reverse transcription intermediates.

IMPORTANCE
Viruses are detected by many different host sensors of nucleic acid, which in turn trigger innate immune responses, such as type I interferon (IFN) production, required to control infection. We show here that at least two sensors are needed to initiate a highly effective innate immune response to retroviruses—DDX41, which preferentially senses the RNA/DNA hybrid generated at the first step of retrovirus replication, and cGAS, which recognizes double-stranded DNA generated at the second step. Importantly, we demonstrate using mice lacking DDX41 or cGAS that both sensors are needed for the full antiviral response needed to control
in vivo
MLV infection. These findings underscore the need for multiple host factors to counteract retroviral infection.
Diabetes, driving and fasting during Ramadan: the interplay between secular and religious law
Authors: Ghouri Nazim , Hussain Sufyan , Mohammed Ruzwan , Beshyah Salem Arifi , Chowdhury Tahseen A , Sattar Naveed , Sheikh Aziz
Published: June 2018

A large proportion of the Muslim population fasts during Ramadan. The risk of hypoglycemia is increased with fasting during Ramadan in people with diabetes who are on insulin and insulin secretagogues. Therefore, the combination of fasting with diabetes and driving presents a challenging situation, with legal implications for such individuals and their healthcare professionals. This novel, narrative, non-systematic review discusses the importance of addressing hypoglycemia in fasting with reference to secular legal guidance on driving with diabetes. We discuss religious aspects relating to fasting and driving in Islam. While there is no clear guidance or legal position on diabetes and driving for individuals who are fasting, Islamic law provides a logical framework to address this. Healthcare professionals need to raise and facilitate discussions on this often-overlooked topic with people with diabetes who are planning on fasting to minimize the potential for public harm. For some individuals fasting perhaps should be avoided when driving and that this religiously compatible position would best be adopted when one is dependent on driving for livelihood. Ultimately further research on glycemic control and management when fasting and driving, as well as a formal legal guidance on this topic, is required to safeguard healthcare professionals and the public from the potential dangers of driving with diabetes and fasting.
Oxygen prescription: improving compliance using methods fromBMJ Open Qualityjournal
Authors: Thein Onn Shaun , Chan Cathleen Man Ting , McCance Eleanor , Mullins Maria , Dosanjh Davinder
Published: June 2018

Oxygen is an important drug frequently used in the management of acutely unwell hospital patients. However, oxygen overuse can have fatal side effects particularly for those patients at risk of iatrogenic hypercapnia. British Thoracic Society Guidelines state that oxygen must be prescribed for all patients, with target saturations stipulated on the prescription for patient safety. A quality improvement project was undertaken with the aim to improve the oxygen prescription rate across the respiratory ward at a district general hospital, over a period of 3 months. Quality improvement methods were implemented based on data analysis at each stage, following discussion with senior doctors and specialist nurses, and after reviewing previous quality improvement projects published onBMJ Open Quality. The initial interventions of poster reminders and multidisciplinary team education failed to significantly improve the rates of oxygen prescription. Use of a targeted intervention where stickers were placed above oxygen taps significantly improved prescription rate from 20% in the non-targeted group to 60% in the targeted group. This was based on aBMJ Open Qualitypublished improvement method. The current guidelines from the British Thoracic Society, and hospital’s own guidelines, advise good oxygen prescribing. However, these recommendations alone are ineffective at achieving compliance among prescribers. Further targeted interventions have shown improvements in oxygen prescriptions and could lead to better clinical practice, patient care and safety.
Prevalence of a definitive airway in patients with severe traumatic brain injury received at four urban public university hospitals in India: a cohort study
Authors: Khajanchi Monty Uttam , Kumar Vineet , Wärnberg Gerdin Ludvig , Soni Kapil Dev , Saha Makhan Lal , Roy Nobhojit , Gerdin Wärnberg Martin
Published: June 2018

Aim

To estimate the proportion of patients arriving with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) less than 9 who had a definitive airway placed prior to arrival.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of the data from a multicentre, prospective observational research project entitled Towards Improved Trauma Care Outcomes in India. Adults aged ≥18 years with an isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI) who were transferred from another hospital to the emergency department of the participating hospital with a GCS less than 9 were included. Our outcome was a definitive airway, defined as either intubation or surgical airway, placed prior to arrival at a participating centre.

Results

The total number of patients eligible for this study was 1499. The median age was 40 years and 84% were male. Road traffic injuries and falls comprised 88% of the causes of isolated TBI. The number of patients with GCS<9 who had a definitive airway placed before reaching the participating centres was 229. Thus, the proportion was 0.15 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.17). The proportions of patients with a definitive airway who arrived after 24 hours (19%) were approximately double the proportion of patients who arrived within 6 hours (10%) after injury to the definitive care centre.

Conclusion

The rates of definitive airway placement are poor in adults with an isolated TBI who have been transferred from another health facility to tertiary care centres in India.
Trends in hip fracture in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the Spanish National Inpatient Registry over a 17-year period (1999–2015). TREND-AR study
Authors: Mazzucchelli Ramón , Pérez Fernandez Elia , Crespí-Villarías Natalia , Quirós-Donate Javier , García Vadillo Alberto , Espinosa María , Peña Marina , Macía-Villa Cristina , Morell-Hita Jose Luis , Martinez-Prada Cristina , Villaverde Virginia , Morado Quiroga Inmaculada , Guzón-Illescas Olalla , Barbadillo Carmen , Fernández Prada Manuel , Godoy Hilda , Herranz Varela Angela , Galindo Izquierdo María , Rodriguez Caravaca Gil
Published: June 2018

Purpose

To analyse trends in hip fracture (HF) rates in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over an extended time period (17 years).

Methods

This observational retrospective survey was performed by reviewing data from the National Surveillance System for Hospital Data, which includes more than 98% of Spanish hospitals. All hospitalisations of patients with RA and HF that were reported from 1999 to 2015 were analysed. Codes were selected using the Ninth International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification: ICD-9-CM: RA 714.0 to 714.9 and HF 820.0 to 820.3. The crude and age-adjusted incidence rate of HF was calculated by age and sex strata over the last 17 years. General lineal models were used to analyse trends.

Results

Between 1999 and 2015, 6656 HFs occurred in patients with RA of all ages (84.25% women, mean age 77.5 and 15.75% men, mean age 76.37). The age-adjusted osteoporotic HF rate was 221.85/100 000 RA persons/ year (women 227.97; men 179.06). The HF incidence rate increased yearly by 3.1% (95% CI 2.1 to 4.0) during the 1999–2015 period (p<0.001) and was more pronounced in men (3.5% (95% CI 2.1 to 4.9)) than in women (3.1% (95% CI 2.3 to 4.1)). The female to male ratio decreased from 1.54 in 1999 to 1.14 in 2015. The average length of hospital stays (ALHS) decreased (p<0.001) from 16.76 days (SD 15.3) in 1999 to 10.78 days (SD 7.72) in 2015. Age at the time of hospitalisation increased (p<0.001) from 75.3 years (SD 9.33) in 1999 to 79.92 years (SD 9.47) in 2015. There was a total of 326 (4.9%) deaths during admission, 247 (4.4%) in women and 79 (7.5%) in men (p<0.001).

Conclusion

In Spain, despite the advances that have taken place in controlling disease activity and in treating osteoporosis, the incidence rate of HF increased in both male and female patients with RA.
Clinical outcome in two adult horses treated for cleft palate with laryngeal tie‐forward surgery
Authors: Tosi Irene , Grulke Sigrid , Salciccia Alexandra , de la Rebière de Pouyade Geoffroy
Published: June 2018

Two adult sport horses were referred for respiratory noise, exercise intolerance, coughing and nasal discharge containing food material. An asymmetrical, mild to moderate defect of the soft palate was diagnosed and surgically treated by laryngeal tie‐forward procedure (LTFP). The immediate postoperative endoscopic images were satisfactory; the epiglottis was in normal alignment, dorsal to the soft palate defect in both cases. When contacted respectively four months and three years after surgery, owners of both horses declared being satisfied with the outcome of surgery as initial clinical signs had reduced or disappeared. Follow‐up endoscopy showed some retraction of the larynx in both horses but the reduction of the palatal defect was adequate. This report demonstrates that horses can reach adulthood with certain soft palate defects and that severity of clinical signs varies between individuals. The authors suggest considering LTFP as an option in adult horses with small‐to‐moderate cleft palates causing clinical signs.
Extracting and Classifying Spatial Muscle Activation Patterns in Forearm Flexor Muscles Using High-Density Electromyogram Recordings
Authors: Dai Chenyun , Hu Xiaogang
Published: June 2018

The human hand is capable of producing versatile yet precise movements largely owing to the complex neuromuscular systems that control our finger movement. This study seeks to quantify the spatial activation patterns of the forearm flexor muscles during individualized finger flexions. High-density (HD) surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals of forearm flexor muscles were obtained, and individual motor units were decomposed from the sEMG. Both macro-level spatial patterns of EMG activity and micro-level motor unit distributions were used to systematically characterize the forearm flexor activation patterns. Different features capturing the spatial patterns were extracted, and the unique patterns of forearm flexor activation were then quantified using pattern recognition approaches. We found that the forearm flexor spatial activation during the ring finger flexion was mostly distinct from other fingers, whereas the activation patterns of the middle finger were least distinguishable. However, all the different activation patterns can still be classified in high accuracy (94–100%) using pattern recognition. Our findings indicate that the partial overlapping of neural activation can limit accurate identification of specific finger movement based on limited recordings and sEMG features, and that HD sEMG recordings capturing detailed spatial activation patterns at both macro- and micro-levels are needed.
URBANIZATION AND RURAL–URBAN CONSUMPTION DISPARITY: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA
Authors: LI JING , CHEONG TSUN SE , SHEN JIANFA , FU DAHAI
Published: June 2018

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impacts of urbanization on influencing the rural–urban consumption disparity in China, a research gap which has not been bridged so far. Adopting a provincial dataset from 1997 to 2014, a generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator is employed to reveal the impact of urbanization on the ratio of per capita consumption expenditure of the urban households to the rural households, along with other socioeconomic variables. Empirical results show salient relationship between increasing urbanization ratio and declining rural–urban inequality. Significant impact of education costs on increasing the rural–urban inequality is also observed. Other factors that increase the disparity include foreign investment and gross regional product (GRP) indices. Industrial structure, costs of housing and health care are insignificant factors. The results of this study help in understanding China’s new urbanization development strategy in a better way.
THE SELF-REPORTED PATENT QUALITY OF CHINESE FIRMS: MOTIVATION SOURCE AND TECHNOLOGY ACCUMULATION EFFECTS ANALYSIS
Authors: MAO HAO , JOHNSTON LAUREN A. , YIN ZHIFENG
Published: June 2018

Enhanced innovation capacity has become imperative to China’s growth and development. Patent quantity and quality indicators are benchmark measures of innovative capacity. This paper utilizes data from the 2013 Chinese Patent Survey to explore self-evaluated firm-level patent quality in China. Focus is placed on the effects of technological accumulation and also patent motivation on four multi-dimensional self-evaluation indices: technical quality, writing quality, right stability and market value. The results: (i) verify the proposal that in high patent intensity industries “strategic patent behavior will reduce patent quality”; (ii) suggest that reducing administrative-driven patent behaviors could improve patent quality and (iii) find patent structure but not quantity to be positively correlated with patent quality. This serves to enrich understanding of China’s patent system and the one-dimensional “inventive step” analysis deriving from analyses of European Patent Survey data.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CPI AND PPI: EVIDENCE FROM THE UK, FRANCE AND GERMANY
Authors: WOO KAI-YIN , LEE SHU-KAM , NG CHO-YIU JOE
Published: June 2018

This paper examines the dynamic relationship between the consumer price index (CPI) and the producer price index (PPI) in the UK, France and Germany from 1997 to 2013. We employ the momentum-threshold autoregressive (MTAR) cointegration model for empirical analysis. The results show that the CPI and the PPI are cointegrated with bi-directional long-run Granger causality between CPI and PPI, signifying the existence of both demand-pull and the cost-push nature of inflation. The estimates of threshold vector error correction models (TVECMs) indicate asymmetric adjustments to equilibrium, where upward adjustments are statistically significant but downward adjustments are sluggish and insignificant. Moreover, we generate the unconditional half-life estimates as a measure of persistence, which reveal robust evidence of complex non-linearities in the adjustment process. Our overall results provide valuable information for policymakers to formulate inflation-control policies and optimal policy horizons under a non-linear framework.
CORRUPTION AND INNOVATION: LINEAR AND NONLINEAR INVESTIGATIONS OF OECD COUNTRIES
Authors: WEN JUN , ZHENG MINGBO , FENG GEN-FU , CHEN SUNWU WINFRED , CHANG CHUN-PING
Published: June 2018

Employing annual data over the period 1996–2013 for 29 OECD countries, this paper explores the impact of corruption on domestic innovative activity, measured by the number of patent and trademark applications, via a linear panel fixed effect model and a nonlinear panel smooth transition regression with all lagged explanatory variables as instrumental variables and under the consideration of potential endogeneity biases. The results indicate several important findings. First, there exists a strong threshold effect between the control of corruption and levels of innovative activity across nations. Second, we note that corruption only has a substantial positive impact on innovation when it is over the threshold level, but not when a country has a seriously corrupt government with low bureaucratic quality, no matter for patent or trademark applications. Hence, heterogeneous beliefs about low transition speed show that OECD countries may not take actions instantly and identically to pursue better bureaucratic quality. Finally, we discover that an improvement over corruption presents greater impacts on patent applications than on trademark applications. Taken together, we confirm that corruption plays a fundamental role in determining innovation activities in OECD countries, offering meaningful policy implications for those policymakers and industries in accordance with our findings.
Common Green Plants Recognition Based on Wavelet Transformation and Varied Local Edge Patterns
Authors: Wang Yu , Chen Xiaomeng , Cai Qiang , Li Haisheng
Published: June 2018

Green plant species identification plays an important role in so many aspects, such as ecological environment protection, Chinese medicine preparation, agricultural and horticultural application, etc. A method on green plants recognition based on wavelet transform and variable local edge patterns (VLEP) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the original image is decomposed by wavelet transformation. Then texture features are extracted using VLEPs. At the same time, block-based and multi-resolution ideas are considered together to extract features after images are transformed by wavelet. Finally, the fused texture features are classified by the nearest neighbor method. The experimental results show that the proposed method is a promising method for recognizing the common green plants with the natural and complex background compared with the other state-of-the-art methods, and combination of block-based and multi-resolution ideas can further improve the accuracy rate effectively.
Stationary reaction–diffusion systems in L1
Authors: Laamri El Haj , Pierre Michel
Published: June 2018

We prove existence of solutions to stationary [Formula: see text] reaction–diffusion systems where the data are in [Formula: see text] or in [Formula: see text]. We first give an abstract result where the “diffusions” are nonlinear [Formula: see text]-accretive operators in [Formula: see text] and the reactive terms are assumed to satisfy [Formula: see text] structural inequalities. It implies that the situation is controlled by an associated cross-diffusion system and provides [Formula: see text]-estimates on the reactive terms. Next we prove existence for specific systems modeling chemical reactions and which naturally satisfy less than [Formula: see text] structural (in)equalities. The main difficulty is also to obtain [Formula: see text]-estimates on the nonlinear reactive terms.
Numerical approach to existence and stability of stationary solutions to a SKT cross-diffusion equation
Authors: Mori Tatsuki , Suzuki Takashi , Yotsutani Shoji
Published: June 2018

The SKT cross-diffusion equation is proposed by N. Shigesada, K. Kawasaki and E. Teramoto in 1979 to investigate segregation phenomena of two competing species with each other in the same habitat area. The effect of cross-diffusion affects the population pressure between two different species. Lou and Ni derived limiting systems to see whether this effect may give rise to a spatial segregation or not, and to clarify its mechanism. In this paper, we introduce some new representation of solutions to a stationary limiting problem modified from representation by Lou, Ni and Yotsutani. We apply it to the numerical investigation of existence, non-existence, multiplicity and stability.
Investigation of the Morse potential for the hybrid model and the one combining the E(5) and X(3) symmetries
Authors: Hassanabadi H. , Alimohammadi M.
Published: June 2018

The present work is aimed at considering the recent forms of Bohr Hamiltonian, which are namely the hybrid model and the model combining the X(3) and E(5) symmetries, in the presence of the [Formula: see text]-dependent Morse potential. The energy spectra and the transition rates of each model have been obtained. Some nuclei, the isotopes of Ru, Pd, Xe and [Formula: see text]Ba, have been fitted by using the three-parameter solution of the combined Hamiltonian with the Morse potential. Also, a few nuclei have been fitted by using the four-parameter solution of the hybrid model. In order to evaluate our results, in addition to reporting the root mean square (rms), we compare our data for each nucleus with the corresponding results of other references.
Similarity Learning Based on Sparse Representation for Semi-Supervised Boosting
Authors: Wang Qianying , Lu Ming , Li Junhong
Published: June 2018

Semi-supervised boosting strategy aims at improving the performance of a given classifier with a multitude of unlabeled data. In semi-supervised boosting strategy, a similarity is needed to select unlabeled samples and then a pseudo label will be assigned to the unlabeled sample. A good similarity is helpful to assign a more proper pseudo label to unlabeled samples. Those selected samples with their pseudo labels will serve as labeled samples to train the new component classifier. So, similarity is important in semi-supervised boosting. Gaussian kernel similarity [Formula: see text] is used in semi-supervised boosting strategy. There are two drawbacks, first, the Euclidean distance [Formula: see text] cannot characterize the complicated relationship between the data samples; second, the parameter [Formula: see text] needs to set carefully. So, this paper proposes a novel adaptive similarity based on sparse representation for semi-supervised boosting. Our sparse representation is learned from a “clean” dictionary, which is a low rank matrix obtained from the sample matrix. We evaluate the proposed method on COIL20 databases. Experimental results show that: the semi-supervised boosting algorithm with sparse representation similarity outperforms the algorithm with Gaussian kernel similarity.
Non-Bayesian Social Learning with Observation Reuse and Soft Switching
Authors: Bhotto MD. Zulfiquar Ali , Tay Wee Peng
Published: June 2018

We propose a non-Bayesian social learning update rule for agents in a network, which minimizes the sum of the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the true distribution generating the agents’ local observations and the agents’ beliefs (parameterized by a hypothesis set), and a weighted varentropy-related term. The varentropy-related term allows us to control the rate of convergence of our update rule, which also reuses some of the most recent observations of each agent to speed up convergence. Under mild technical conditions, we show that the belief of each agent concentrates on the optimal hypothesis set, and we derive a bound for the convergence rate. Furthermore, to overcome the performance degradation due to misinforming agents, who use a corrupted likelihood functions in their belief updates, we propose to use multiple social networks that update their beliefs independently and a convex combination mechanism among the beliefs of all the networks. Simulations with applications to location identification and group recommendation demonstrate that our proposed methods offer improvements over two other current state-of-the art non-Bayesian social learning algorithms.
Tight Space Bounds for Two-Dimensional Approximate Range Counting
Authors: Wei Zhewei , Yi Ke
Published: June 2018

We study the problem of two-dimensional orthogonal range counting with additive error. Given a set
P
of
n
points drawn from an
n
×
n
grid and an error parameter ε, the goal is to build a data structure, such that for any orthogonal range
R
, it can return the number of points in
P
∩
R
with additive error ε
n
. A well-known solution for this problem is obtained by using
ε-approximation
, which is a subset
A
⊆
P
that can estimate the number of points in
P
∩
R
with the number of points in
A
∩
R
. It is known that an ε-approximation of size
O
(1/ε log
2.5
1/ε) exists for any
P
with respect to orthogonal ranges, and the best lower bound is Ω(1/ε log 1/ε).

The ε-approximation is a rather restricted data structure, as we are not allowed to store any information other than the coordinates of the points. In this article, we explore what can be achieved without any restriction on the data structure. We first describe a simple data structure that uses
O
(1/ε(log
2
1/ε + log
n
)) bits and answers queries with error ε
n
. We then prove a lower bound that any data structure that answers queries with error ε
n
will have to use Ω(1/ε (log
2
1/ε + log
n
)) bits. Our lower bound is information-theoretic: We show that there is a collection of 2
Ω
(
n
log
n
) point sets with large
union combinatorial discrepancy
and thus are hard to distinguish unless we use Ω(
n
log
n
) bits.
Apparent Permeability Model for Shale Gas Reservoirs Considering Multiple Transport Mechanisms
Authors: Huang Shijun , Wu Yonghui , Cheng Linsong , Liu Hongjun , Xue Yongchao , Ding Guanyang
Published: June 2018

Shale formation is featured in nanopores and much gas adsorptions. Gas flow in the shale matrix is not a singular viscous flow, but a combination of multiple mechanisms. Much work has been carried out to analyze apparent permeability of shale, but little attention has been paid to the effect of unique gas behavior in nanopores at high pressure and adsorbed layer on apparent permeability. This work presents a new model considering multiple transport mechanisms including viscous flow (without slip), slip flow, Knudsen diffusion, and surface diffusion in the adsorption layer. Pore diameter and mean free path of gas molecules are corrected by considering the adsorption layer and dense gas effect, respectively. Then the effects of desorption layer, surface diffusion, and gas behavior on gas apparent permeability in nanopores of shale are analyzed. The results show that surface diffusion is the dominant flow mechanism in pores with small diameter at low pressure and that the effect of adsorbed layer and dense gas on apparent permeability is strongly affected by pressure and pore diameter. From the analysis results, the permeability value calculated with the new apparent permeability model is lower than in the other model under high pressure and higher than in the other model under high pressure, so the gas production calculated using the new permeability model will be lower than using the other model at early stage and higher than using the other model at late stage.
Three-Dimensional Accuracy of Digital Impression versus Conventional Method: Effect of Implant Angulation and Connection Type
Authors: Alikhasi Marzieh , Siadat Hakime , Nasirpour Alireza , Hasanzade Mahya
Published: June 2018

Purpose. The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the accuracy of different implant impression techniques of the maxillary full arch with tilted implants of two connection types. Materials and Methods. Two maxillary edentulous acrylic resin models with two different implant connections (internal or external) served as a reference model. Each model had two anterior straight and two posterior angulated implants. Ninety impressions were made using an intraoral scanner (Trios 3Shape) with scan bodies for digital impression (groups DII and DIE), a custom open tray with additional silicone for the conventional direct group (groups CDI and CDE), and a custom closed tray with additional silicone for the conventional indirect group (groups CII and CIE) from both internal and external models, respectively. A coordinate-measuring machine (CMM) was used to measure linear and angular displacement for conventional specimens. For digital groups, an optical CMM was used to scan the reference model. STL data sets from the digital specimen were superimposed on STL reference data sets to assess angular and linear deviations. Data were analyzed with three-way ANOVA and t-test at α=0.05. Results. There were significant angular and linear distortion differences among three impression groups (P<0.001), angular distortion differences between internal and external connections (P<0.001), and between straight and tilted implants for either linear (P<0.001) or angular (P=0.002) distortion. The type of the connection and implant angle did not have any effect on linear and angular distortion of the digital technique (p>0.05). Minimum angular and linear distortion was seen for tilted implants in DII and DIE groups (0.36° ± 0.37 and 0.16 ± 0.1 mm). Conclusion. Impression techniques (digital versus conventional) affected the transfer accuracy. Digital techniques demonstrated superior outcome in comparison with conventional methods, and the direct technique was better than the indirect conventional technique. Connection type and implant angulation were other factors that influenced accuracy. However, when digital impression was applied, accuracy was not affected by the type of connection and angulation.
Effect of Tungsten Carbides on Abrasive Wear of Hardfacing Coatings
Authors: Pichler Philip , Leitner Martin , Grün Florian , Haßler Jürgen
Published: June 2018

The aim of this study is to investigate the abrasive wear loss as well as the wear mechanisms of hardfacing layers with and without tungsten carbides (WC) included in the matrix in different friction wheel test (FWT) configurations. The FWT setup is varied in regard to the materials of the rotating wheels, whereat steel and rubber materials are utilized to achieve varying wear mechanisms as representative conditions for stone milling as well as low density wood cutting processes. Coatings including fine particles of WC highlight the highest resistance against abrasive wear in rubber wheel testing condition, at which microcutting acts as the dominant effect. In comparison to the hardfacings without WC, the mean material loss majorly decreases by about 75%. On the contrary, the mean material loss of fine WC reinforced coatings increases up to 93% compared to the condition without WC if a steel wheel is utilized as rotating counterpart. Thereby, the coatings with comparably coarse WC reveal the minimum material loss with a decrease over 70% compared to the condition without WC. In conclusion, the inclusion of WC in hardfacing coatings significantly increases the wear resistance. The experimental wear test results highlight the fact that in order to achieve the optimal wear resistance the material characteristics of the hardfacings need to be properly defined considering the predominant wear mechanisms under in-service conditions.
Alpinia oxyphyllaMiq. Extract Prevents Diabetes in Mice by Modulating Gut Microbiota
Authors: Xie Yiqiang , Xiao Man , Ni Yali , Jiang Shangfei , Feng Guizhu , Sang Shenggang , Du Guankui
Published: June 2018

Recently, the role of gut microbiota in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been highlighted. We performed an 8-week administration protocol on T2DM (C57BL/6J db-/db-) mice and fecal samples were collected. Comparisons of fecal bacterial communities were performed between db-/db- mice and normal mice (DB/DB) and between the db-/db mice treated and untreated with AOE using next-generation sequencing technology. Our results showed that the db-/db-AOE group had improved glycemic control and renal function compared with the db-/db-H2O group. Compared with the db-/db-H2O group, AOE administration resulted in significantly increased ratio of Bacteroidetes-to-Firmicutes in db-/db- mice. In addition, the abundance ofAkkermansiawas significantly increased, whileHelicobacterwas significantly suppressed in the db-/db-AOE group compared with the db-/db-H2O group. Our data suggest that AOE treatment decreased blood glucose levels and significantly reduced damage of renal pathology in the T2DM mice by modulating gut microbiota composition.
Feasibility and Safety of Perilla Seed Oil as an Additional Antioxidative Therapy in Patients with Mild to Moderate Dementia
Authors: Kamalashiran Chuntida , Pattaraarchachai Junya , Muengtaweepongsa Sombat
Published: June 2018

Dementia is a broad-spectrum terminology for a degenerate in cognitive function severe enough to intervene in activities of daily living. Oxidative stress plays a major role in the neurodegenerative cascade, leading to the irreversible mechanism in dementia. Perilla seed oil is extracted from its seeds and contains a high source of antioxidative substances such as omega-3 fatty acid. With its prominent antioxidative property, perilla seed oil demonstrates neuroprotective effects against dementia in preclinical studies. We aim to prove the feasibility and safety of perilla seed oil as an additional antioxidative therapy in patients with dementia. This single-centered, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial randomized 239 patients with clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia according to the Thai Mini-Mental State Examination (TMSE) score of 10 to 23 or the Thai Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of 12 to 25. Either two capsules containing 500 milligrams of perilla seed oil or similarly appearing two capsules containing 500 milligrams of olive oil (placebo) four times daily was added to conventional standard treatment of dementia for six months. Clinical side effects and routine laboratory results at baseline and after treatment were compared between both groups. Nausea and vomiting were the most common clinical side effects (3%) found equally in both groups. Three patients in the placebo group prematurely discontinued the medication, while only one patient in the treatment group quit the medication early. However, about 5% of patients in both groups could not comply with the regimen of the treatment. The routine laboratory results, including complete blood counts, kidney function tests, and liver function panels, at baseline and after treatment, were not significantly different in both groups. In conclusion, perilla seed oil was feasible and safe to add on with standard treatment in patients with mild to moderate dementia. Further study is needed to confirm its benefit to use as additional antioxidative therapy in patients with dementia.
Genetic Algorithm‐Based Beam Refinement for Initial Access in Millimeter Wave Mobile Networks
Authors: Guo Hao , Makki Behrooz , Svensson Tommy
Published: June 2018

Initial access (IA) is identified as a key challenge for the upcoming 5G mobile communication system operating at high carrier frequencies, and several techniques are currently being proposed. In this paper, we extend our previously proposed efficient genetic algorithm‐ (GA‐) based beam refinement scheme to include beamforming at both the transmitter and the receiver and compare the performance with alternative approaches in the millimeter wave multiuser multiple‐input‐multiple‐output (MU‐MIMO) networks. Taking the millimeter wave communications characteristics and various metrics into account, we investigate the effect of different parameters such as the number of transmit antennas/users/per‐user receive antennas, beamforming resolutions, and hardware impairments on the system performance employing different beam refinement algorithms. As shown, our proposed GA‐based approach performs well in delay‐constrained networks with multiantenna users. Compared to the considered state‐of‐the‐art schemes, our method reaches the highest service outage‐constrained end‐to‐end throughput with considerably less implementation complexity. Moreover, taking the users’ mobility into account, our GA‐based approach can remarkably reduce the beam refinement delay at low/moderate speeds when the spatial correlation is taken into account. Finally, we compare the cases of collaborative users and noncollaborative users and evaluate their difference in system performance.
Migraine Pain Location and Measures of Healthcare Use and Distress: An Observational Study
Authors: Loder Elizabeth , Weizenbaum Emma , Giddon Donald
Published: June 2018

Introduction. Lateralized pain is a core diagnostic feature of migraine. In previous research, left-sided spinal pain was more frequent and associated with greater emotional distress and healthcare use than right-sided pain. We hypothesized therefore that patients with left-sided head pain might experience higher levels of distress or healthcare use than those with right-sided or bilateral pain. Methods. Medical record information was extracted for 477 randomly selected patients with migraine seen in 2011 in a tertiary headache clinic. This included demographic data, pain location, handedness, comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, medical and emergency department visits, and use of selected headache medications. Results and Discussion. Two hundred twenty-eight of four hundred seventy-seven (47.8%) patients reported lateralized pain, of which 107 (47.9%) patients were right sided compared with 65 (28.5%) left-sided patients (p=0.001), while 56 (24.5%) reported unilateral pain with no side predominance. Contrary to expectations, with the exception of self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder, there were no statistically significant differences between left and right in measures of psychiatric distress, emergency department visits, or healthcare use. Conclusion. Although unilateral pain location can be helpful in making a migraine diagnosis, it does not appear to have additional clinical implications. Additionally, its absence does not rule out a diagnosis of migraine since more than half of migraineurs have bilateral head pain.
Best Practices for The Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Team: A Review of Mental Health Issues in Mild Stroke Survivors
Authors: Terrill Alexandra L. , Schwartz Jaclyn K. , Belagaje Samir R.
Published: June 2018

Individuals with mild strokes are generally considered fully functional and do not traditionally receive rehabilitation services. Because patients with mild stroke are assumed to have a good recovery, they may have deficits in other areas, including mental health, that are not addressed. As a result, patients with mild stroke are unable to meet quality of life standards. In addition, healthcare professionals are likely unaware of the potential mental health issues that may arise in mild stroke. To address this gap in knowledge, we review the evidence supporting mental health evaluation and intervention in mild stroke. Specifically, we review comorbid diagnoses including depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep disturbances and their potential effects on health and function. Finally, we conclude with general recommendations describing best practice derived from current evidence.
A Review on Nanofluids: Fabrication, Stability, and Thermophysical Properties
Authors: Ali Naser , Teixeira Joao A. , Addali Abdulmajid
Published: June 2018

Nanofluids have been receiving great attention in recent years due to their potential usage, not only as an enhanced thermophysical heat transfer fluid but also because of their great importance in applications such as drug delivery and oil recovery. Nevertheless, there are some challenges that need to be solved before nanofluids can become commercially acceptable. The main challenges of nanofluids are their stability and operational performance. Nanofluids stability is significantly important in order to maintain their thermophysical properties after fabrication for a long period of time. Therefore, enhancing nanofluids stability and understanding nanofluid behaviour are part of the chain needed to commercialise such type of advanced fluids. In this context, the aim of this article is to summarise the current progress on the study of nanofluids, such as the fabrication procedures, stability evaluation mechanism, stability enhancement procedures, nanofluids thermophysical properties, and current commercialisation challenges. Finally, the article identifies some possible opportunities for future research that can bridge the gap between in-lab research and commercialisation of nanofluids.
Fabrication and Characterization of Natural Rubber‐Based Magnetorheological Elastomers at Large Strain for Base Isolators
Authors: Lee Chan Woo , Kim In-Ho , Jung Hyung-Jo
Published: June 2018

To withstand harsh conditions and have a moderate strength, it is desirable to use natural rubber for base isolators. In addition, previous studies have measured the magnetorheological (MR) effect under low‐strain range, mostly within 10%. In the reality, it is necessary to evaluate the performance under large‐strain range for base isolators. In this study, material properties of natural rubber‐based MREs with various mixing ratios were evaluated under large‐strain range (~100%). In the first step, MREs with various iron ratios were fabricated and evaluated to observe the MR effect according to the ratio and arrangement of iron powder. As a result, the highest MR effect (22.0% at 100% strain) and damping ratio (10.29%) were observed in the sample with 35% iron ratio, and the MR effect of the isotropic and the anisotropic MRE did not show significant difference under large‐strain (50~100%). In the second step, MRE samples containing the optimum iron ratio (investigated in the first step) and various mixing ratios of carbon black and naphthenic oil were prepared. As a result, the MRE containing 60phr of carbon black and 40phr of naphthenic oil had the highest MR effect (33.8% at 100% strain). Compared to the case without additives, it showed an obvious improvement.
Effective Removal of Congo Red by Triarrhena Biochar Loading with TiO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Yu Peng , Hu Tao , Chen Hong Hui , Wu Fangfang , Liu Hui
Published: June 2018

A composite of pyrolytic Triarrhena biochar loading with TiO2 nanoparticles has been synthesized by the sol-gel method. The composite shows a well-developed hollow mesoporous and macropore structure as characterized by XRD, BET, and SEM. When used as an absorbent to remove Congo red from aqueous solution, it was found that as-prepared composite performed better absorption capacity than single biochar or TiO2. The results suggest that biochar loading with TiO2 could be promisingly implemented as an environmentally friendly and inexpensive adsorbent for Congo red removal from wastewater.
Modelling Optimal Control of In-Host HIV Dynamics Using Different Control Strategies
Authors: Ngina Purity , Mbogo Rachel Waema , Luboobi Livingstone S.
Published: June 2018

HIV is one of the major causes of deaths, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, an in vivo deterministic model of differential equations is presented and analyzed for HIV dynamics. Optimal control theory is applied to investigate the key roles played by the various HIV treatment strategies. In particular, we establish the optimal strategies for controlling the infection using three treatment regimes as the system control variables. We have applied Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle in characterizing the optimality control, which then has been solved numerically by applying the Runge-Kutta forth-order scheme. The numerical results indicate that an optimal controlled treatment strategy would ensure significant reduction in viral load and also in HIV transmission. It is also evident from the results that protease inhibitor plays a key role in virus suppression; this is not to underscore the benefits accrued when all the three drug regimes are used in combination.
The XPO1 Inhibitor Selinexor Inhibits Translation and Enhances the Radiosensitivity of Glioblastoma Cells Grown In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Wahba Amy , Rath Barbara H. , O'Neill John W. , Camphausen Kevin , Tofilon Philip J.
Published: June 2018

Analysis of the radiation-induced translatome of glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSC) identified an interacting network in which XPO1 serves as a major hub protein. To determine whether this nuclear export protein provides a target for radiosensitization, we defined the effects of clinically relevant XPO1 inhibitor selinexor on the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma cells. As determined by clonogenic survival analysis, selinexor enhanced the radiosensitivity of GSCs but not normal fibroblast cell lines. On the basis of γH2AX foci and neutral comet analyses, selinexor inhibited the repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks in GSCs, suggesting that the selinexor-induced radiosensitization is mediated by an inhibition of DNA repair. Consistent with a role for XPO1 in the nuclear to cytoplasm export of rRNA, selinexor reduced 5S and 18S rRNA nuclear export in GSCs, which was accompanied by a decrease in gene translation efficiency, as determined from polysome profiles, as well as in protein synthesis. In contrast, rRNA nuclear export and protein synthesis were not reduced in normal cells treated with selinexor. Orthotopic xenografts initiated from a GSC line were then used to define the in vivo response to selinexor and radiation. Treatment of mice bearing orthotopic xenografts with selinexor decreased tumor translational efficiency as determined from polysome profiles. Although selinexor treatment alone had no effect on the survival of mice with brain tumors, it significantly enhanced the radiation-induced prolongation of survival. These results indicate that selinexor enhances the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma cells and suggest that this effect involves the global inhibition of gene translation. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(8); 1717–26. ©2018 AACR.
Thymidine Kinase 1 Loss Confers Trifluridine Resistance without Affecting 5-Fluorouracil Metabolism and Cytotoxicity
Authors: Edahiro Keitaro , Iimori Makoto , Kobunai Takashi , Morikawa-Ichinose Tomomi , Miura Daisuke , Kataoka Yuki , Niimi Shinichiro , Wakasa Takeshi , Saeki Hiroshi , Oki Eiji , Kitao Hiroyuki , Maehara Yoshihiko
Published: June 2018

Acquired resistance to therapeutic drugs is a serious problem for patients with cancer receiving systemic treatment. Experimentally, drug resistance is established in cell lines in vitro by repeated, continuous exposure to escalating concentrations of the drug; however, the precise mechanism underlying the acquired resistance is not always known. Here, it is demonstrated that the human colorectal cancer cell line DLD1 with acquired resistance to trifluridine (FTD), a key component of the novel, orally administered nucleoside analogue-type chemotherapeutic drug trifluridine/tipiracil, lacks functional thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) expression because of one nonsense mutation in the coding exon. Targeted disruption of the TK1 gene also conferred severe FTD resistance, indicating that the loss of TK1 protein expression is the primary cause of FTD resistance. Both FTD-resistant DLD1 cells and DLD1-TK1−/− cells exhibited similar 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) sensitivity to that of the parental DLD1 line. The quantity of cellular pyrimidine nucleotides in these cells and the kinetics of thymidylate synthase ternary complex formation in 5-FU–treated cells is similar to DLD1 cells, indicating that 5-FU metabolism and cytotoxicity were unaffected. The current data provide molecular-based evidence that acquired resistance to FTD does not confer 5-FU resistance, implying that 5-FU–based chemotherapy would be effective even in tumors that become refractory to FTD during trifluridine/tipiracil treatment. Mol Cancer Res; 16(10); 1483–90. ©2018 AACR.