bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antibody-Dependent and -Independent Protection following Intranasal Immunization of Mice with Rotavirus Particles
Authors: McNeal Monica M. , Rae Mary N. , Bean Judy A. , Ward Richard L.
Published: December 2019

The ability to elicit protective immune responses after intranasal immunization with rotavirus particles, either with or without the attenuatedEscherichia coliheat-labile enterotoxin LT(R192G) as an adjuvant, was examined in the adult mouse model. BALB/c mice were administered one or two inoculations of psoralen/UV-inactivated, triple-layered (tl) or double-layered (dl) purified rotavirus particles. Four weeks after immunization, mice were challenged with the murine rotavirus strain EDIM, and the shedding of rotavirus antigen was quantified. Rotaviruses used for immunization included EDIM and heterotypic simian (RRV), bovine (WC3), and human (89-12) strains. tl EDIM stimulated both systemic and intestinal rotavirus antibody responses and complete protection with as little as one 1-μg dose. Inclusion of LT(R192G) (10 μg) significantly increased rotavirus antibody responses and reduced antigen concentrations needed for full protection. Both dl EDIM and heterotypic dl and tl particles stimulated protection, but they did so less than tl EDIM at comparable concentrations, either with or without LT(R192G). When B-cell-deficient μMt mice were immunized with tl EDIM particles, protection was reduced to levels similar to those induced with dl EDIM and heterotypic particles in BALB/c mice. However, dl EDIM particles induced similar levels of protection in both mouse strains. The protection stimulated by tl or dl EDIM particles was not diminished by CD8 cell depletion prior to immunization in either strain of mice. These results indicate that tl EDIM induced immunity at least partially through responses to its outer capsid proteins, presumably by stimulation of serotype-specific neutralizing antibody. In contrast, the other particles stimulated protection primarily by an antibody-independent mechanism. Finally, depletion of CD8 cells had no effect on protection by either mechanism.
Human Papillomavirus Type 16 E7 DNA Vaccine: Mutation in the Open Reading Frame of E7 Enhances Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Induction and Antitumor Activity
Authors: Shi Wei , Bu Ping , Liu Jianzhong , Polack Axel , Fisher Susan , Qiao Liang
Published: December 2019

A human papillomavirus type 16 E7 DNA vaccine with the open reading frame encoding mutations in two zinc-binding motifs expressed a rapidly degraded E7 protein. This vaccine induced a significantly stronger E7-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response and better tumor protection in mice than did a wild-type E7 DNA vaccine expressing a stable E7 protein.
Short-Sequence DNA Repeats in Prokaryotic Genomes
Authors: van Belkum Alex , Scherer Stewart , van Alphen Loek , Verbrugh Henri
Published: December 2019

Short-sequence DNA repeat (SSR) loci can be identified in all eukaryotic and many prokaryotic genomes. These loci harbor short or long stretches of repeated nucleotide sequence motifs. DNA sequence motifs in a single locus can be identical and/or heterogeneous. SSRs are encountered in many different branches of the prokaryote kingdom. They are found in genes encoding products as diverse as microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules and specific bacterial virulence factors such as lipopolysaccharide-modifying enzymes or adhesins. SSRs enable genetic and consequently phenotypic flexibility. SSRs function at various levels of gene expression regulation. Variations in the number of repeat units per locus or changes in the nature of the individual repeat sequences may result from recombination processes or polymerase inadequacy such as slipped-strand mispairing (SSM), either alone or in combination with DNA repair deficiencies. These rather complex phenomena can occur with relative ease, with SSM approaching a frequency of 10
−4
per bacterial cell division and allowing high-frequency genetic switching. Bacteria use this random strategy to adapt their genetic repertoire in response to selective environmental pressure. SSR-mediated variation has important implications for bacterial pathogenesis and evolutionary fitness. Molecular analysis of changes in SSRs allows epidemiological studies on the spread of pathogenic bacteria. The occurrence, evolution and function of SSRs, and the molecular methods used to analyze them are discussed in the context of responsiveness to environmental factors, bacterial pathogenicity, epidemiology, and the availability of full-genome sequences for increasing numbers of microorganisms, especially those that are medically relevant.
Role of PKA in the Timing of Developmental Events in
Dictyostelium
Cells
Authors: Loomis William F.
Published: December 2019

The cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase, PKA, is dispensable for growth of Dictyostelium cells but plays a variety of crucial roles in development. The catalytic subunit of PKA is inhibited when associated with its regulatory subunit but is activated when cAMP binds to the regulatory subunit. Deletion of pkaR or overexpression of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit, pkaC, results in constitutive activity. Development is independent of cAMP in strains carrying these genetic alterations and proceeds rapidly to the formation of both spores and stalk cells. However, morphogenesis is aberrant in these mutants. In the wild type, PKA activity functions in a circuit that can spontaneously generate pulses of cAMP necessary for long-range aggregation. It is also essential for transcriptional activation of both prespore and prestalk genes during the slug stage. During culmination, PKA functions in both prespore and prestalk cells to regulate the relative timing of terminal differentiation. A positive feedback loop results in the rapid release of a signal peptide, SDF-2, when prestalk cells are exposed to low levels of SDF-2. The signal transduction pathway that mediates the response to SDF-2 in both prestalk and prespore cells involves the two-component system of DhkA and RegA. When the cAMP phosphodiesterase RegA is inhibited, cAMP accumulates and activates PKA, leading to vacuolation of stalk cells and encapsulation of spores. These studies indicate that multiple inputs regulate PKA activity to control the relative timing of differentiations in Dictyostelium.
Cdc42: An Essential Rho-Type GTPase Controlling Eukaryotic Cell Polarity
Authors: Johnson Douglas I.
Published: December 2019

Cdc42p is an essential GTPase that belongs to the Rho/Rac subfamily of Ras-like GTPases. These proteins act as molecular switches by responding to exogenous and/or endogenous signals and relaying those signals to activate downstream components of a biological pathway. The 11 current members ofthe Cdc42p family display between 75 and 100% amino acid identity and are functional as well as structural homologs. Cdc42p transduces signals to the actin cytoskeleton to initiate and maintain polarized gorwth and to mitogen-activated protein morphogenesis. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cdc42p plays an important role in multiple actin-dependent morphogenetic events such as bud emergence, mating-projection formation, and pseudohyphal growth. In mammalian cells, Cdc42p regulates a variety of actin-dependent events and induces the JNK/SAPK protein kinase cascade, which leads to the activation of transcription factors within the nucleus. Cdc42p mediates these processes through interactions with a myriad of downstream effectors, whose number and regulation we are just starting to understand. In addition, Cdc42p has been implicated in a number of human diseases through interactions with its regulators and downstream effectors. While much is known about Cdc42p sturcture and functional interactions, little is known about the mechanism(s) by which it transduces signals within the cell. Future research sould focus on this question as well as on the detailed analysis of the interactions of Cdc42p with its regulators and downstream effectors.
DNA Bending and Wrapping around RNA Polymerase: a “Revolutionary” Model Describing Transcriptional Mechanisms
Authors: Coulombe Benoit , Burton Zachary F.
Published: December 2019

A model is proposed in which bending and wrapping of DNA around RNA polymerase causes untwisting of the DNA helix at the RNA polymerase catalytic center to stimulate strand separation prior to initiation. During elongation, DNA bending through the RNA polymerase active site is proposed to lower the energetic barrier to the advance of the transcription bubble. Recent experiments with mammalian RNA polymerase II along with accumulating evidence from studies of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase indicate the importance of DNA bending and wrapping in transcriptional mechanisms. The DNA-wrapping model describes specific roles for general RNA polymerase II transcription factors (TATA-binding protein [TBP], TFIIB, TFIIF, TFIIE, and TFIIH), provides a plausible explanation for preinitiation complex isomerization, suggests mechanisms underlying the synergy between transcriptional activators, and suggests an unforseen role for TBP-associating factors in transcription.
Helicobacter pyloriPhysiology Predicted from Genomic Comparison of Two Strains
Authors: Doig Peter , de Jonge Boudewijn L. , Alm Richard A. , Brown Eric D. , Uria-Nickelsen Maria , Noonan Brian , Mills Scott D. , Tummino Peter , Carmel Gilles , Guild Braydon C. , Moir Donald T. , Vovis Gerald F. , Trust Trevor J.
Published: December 2019

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative bacteria which colonizes the gastric mucosa of humans and is implicated in a wide range of gastroduodenal diseases. This paper reviews the physiology of this bacterium as predicted from the sequenced genomes of two unrelated strains and reconciles these predictions with the literature. In general, the predicted capabilities are in good agreement with reported experimental observations. H. pylori is limited in carbohydrate utilization and will use amino acids, for which it has transporter systems, as sources of carbon. Energy can be generated by fermentation, and the bacterium possesses components necessary for both aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Sulfur metabolism is limited, whereas nitrogen metabolism is extensive. There is active uptake of DNA via transformation and ample restriction-modification activities. The cell contains numerous outer membrane proteins, some of which are porins or involved in iron uptake. Some of these outer membrane proteins and the lipopolysaccharide may be regulated by a slipped-strand repair mechanism which probably results in phase variation and plays a role in colonization. In contrast to a commonly held belief that H. pylori is a very diverse species, few differences were predicted in the physiology of these two unrelated strains, indicating that host and environmental factors probably play a significant role in the outocme of H. pylori-related disease.
The use of pan-retinal photocoagulation to treat recurrent vitreous haemorrhage with neovascularisation in the context of Epstein syndrome: an MYH9-related disorder
Authors: Sanders Francis William Barwise , Thompson Emma , Roberts Harry , Gupta Nitin
Published: December 2019

A female patient presented with stable chronic thrombocytopaenia with large platelets, sensorineuronal deafness and renal impairment. Her treatment was refractory to intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) and steroids for a putative diagnosis of immune thrombocytopaenic purpura (ITP). She underwent genetic testing which revealed a MYH9 mutation in-keeping with a diagnosis of Epstein Syndrome. Subsequently to this she developed globally constricted fields on Goldmann visual field testing. MRI pituitary was unremarkable but she was diagnosed with a pituitary microprolactinoma secondary to raised prolactin in the blood responsive to carbegoline therapy. She subsequently developed retinal haemorrhages and recurrent vitreous haemorrhages due to neovascularisation. Fluorescein angiography revealed the extent of the neovascularisation and microvascular ischaemia. She underwent pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) to treat the ischaemic stimulus which resulted in regression of the new vessels and cessation of vitreous haemorrhages. There are no previous reported cases of microvascular retinal disease in the literature in the context of Epstein Syndrome, and this is the first report of successful treatment with PRP.
Psychiatric symptoms post intensive care unit admission
Authors: Triplett Katherine Elizabeth , Ford Andrew , Anstey Matthew
Published: December 2019

A 53-year-old woman was admitted to a tertiary intensive care unit (ICU) with acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to severe community-acquired pneumonia that necessitated maximum supportive care with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Her medical history included bipolar disorder on quetiapine and sertraline, as well as a previous ICU admission, approximately 2 years prior, for non-cirrhotic hyperammonaemic encephalopathy that was complicated by prolonged post discharge anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder-like symptoms, consistent with post-intensive-care syndrome. Here, we present a case, and explore the outcomes for a patient who had two separate admissions with life-threatening illnesses, but had distinct differences in the psychological outcomes following each illness.
Piperacillin–tazobactam induced bicytopenia in low cumulative treatment doses
Authors: Chen Chien-Chou , Lin Hsin-An , Hung Yi-Jen , Chen Jui-Hung
Published: December 2019

We present the case of infected wet gangrene of right foot in the setting of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes in a 71-year-old woman. This patient presented with improved infection condition after intravenous piperacillin–tazobactam (PTZ) 2.25 gm every 6 hours treatment and below knee amputation surgery on day 3. However, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia developed on day 13. We consulted a haematologist and performed a series of examinations. However, no significant findings were noted thereafter. PTZ was suspected to be the most likely cause of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia and was hence terminated on day 14 (cumulative dose of PTZ: 126 g) following stabilisation of the infection condition. A transfusion was performed with two units of single donor platelets on day 14 and treated with intravenous dexamethasone 5 mg every 8 hours from day 14 to 16. Her white blood cell and platelet counts increased on day 15 and continued to recover thereafter.
Relationship between health literacy and quality of life among cancer survivors in China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Xia Juan , Wu Peng , Deng Qinglong , Yan Rui , Yang Renren , Lv Binghui , Wang Jiwei , Yu Jinming
Published: December 2019

Objective

To evaluate the association between health literacy (HL) and quality of life (QOL) among cancer survivors in China.

Design

Cross-sectional study in China.

Setting and participants

This is a cross-sectional observational study of 4589 cancer survivors aged 18 years and older from the Shanghai Cancer Rehabilitation Club. Participants were enrolled and completed the questionnaires between May and July 2017.

Measurement

HL was assessed by three established screening questions and QOL was evaluated using the simplified Chinese version of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Core 30 items. Answers to all questionnaires were collected through face-to-face interviews or through self-administered questionnaires for literate participants. Participants were excluded if they did not answer any one of the HL questions. Baseline characteristics were compared by levels of HL using χ2test for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for non-normal continuous variables. The item response theory (IRT) was used to evaluate the existing measure of HL. Linear regression and logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between HL and QOL. SAS V.9.4 and MULTILOG V.7.03 were used in the analysis.

Results

There were 4589 participants included in the study. The calculated results of IRT scale parameters of HL entries indicate that the entries have better discrimination and difficulty. Of the 4589 respondents, 159 (3.5%) had low HL. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, treatment regimen and years with cancers, for each one-point decrement in HL score the QOL score increased by 2.07 (p<0.001). Cancer survivors with low HL were less likely than those with adequate HL to achieve better QOL. In logistic regression, low HL was independently associated with poor QOL (adjusted OR, 2.81; 95% CI 1.94 to 4.06; p<0.001).

Conclusions

Low HL was independently associated with poor QOL among cancer survivors of the Shanghai Cancer Rehabilitation Club.
Digital phenotyping for assessment and prediction of mental health outcomes: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Spinazze Pier , Rykov Yuri , Bottle Alex , Car Josip
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Rapid advancements in technology and the ubiquity of personal mobile digital devices have brought forth innovative methods of acquiring healthcare data. Smartphones can capture vast amounts of data both passively through inbuilt sensors or connected devices and actively via user engagement. This scoping review aims to evaluate evidence to date on the use of passive digital sensing/phenotyping in assessment and prediction of mental health.

Methods and analysis

The methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley will be used to conduct the review following the five-step process. A three-step search strategy will be used: (1) Initial limited search of online databases namely, MEDLINE for literature on digital phenotyping or sensing for key terms; (2) Comprehensive literature search using all identified keywords, across all relevant electronic databases: IEEE Xplore, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, the ACM Digital Library and Web of Science Core Collection (Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index), Scopus and (3) Snowballing approach using the reference and citing lists of all identified key conceptual papers and primary studies. Data will be charted and sorted using a thematic analysis approach.

Ethics and dissemination

The findings from this systematic scoping review will be reported at scientific meetings and published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Improving mental health and physiological stress responses in mothers following traumatic childbirth and in their infants: study protocol for the Swiss TrAumatic biRth Trial (START)
Authors: Sandoz Vania , Deforges Camille , Stuijfzand Suzannah , Epiney Manuella , Vial Yvan , Sekarski Nicole , Messerli-Bürgy Nadine , Ehlert Ulrike , Bickle-Graz Myriam , Morisod Harari Mathilde , Porcheret Kate , Schechter Daniel S , Ayers Susan , Holmes Emily A , Horsch Antje
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Emergency caesarean section (ECS) qualifies as a psychological trauma, which may result in postnatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Maternal PTSD may not only have a significant negative impact on mother–infant interactions, but also on long-term infant development. The partner’s mental health may also affect infant development. Evidence-based early interventions to prevent the development of postpartum PTSD in mothers are lacking. Immediately after a traumatic event, memory formation is vulnerable to interference. There is accumulating evidence that a brief behavioural intervention including a visuospatial task may result in a reduction in intrusive memories of the trauma.

Methods and analysis

This study protocol describes a double-blind multicentre randomised controlled phase III trial testing an early brief maternal intervention including the computer game ‘Tetris’ on intrusive memories of the ECS trauma (≤1 week) and PTSD symptoms (6 weeks, primary outcome) of 144 women following an ECS. The intervention group will carry out a brief behavioural procedure including playing Tetris. The attention-placebo control group will complete a brief written activity log. Both simple cognitive tasks will be completed within the first 6 hours following traumatic childbirth. The intervention is delivered by midwives/nurses in the maternity unit.

The primary outcome will be differences in the presence and severity of maternal PTSD symptoms between the intervention and the attention-placebo control group at 6 weeks post partum. Secondary outcomes will be physiological stress and psychological vulnerability, mother–infant interaction and infant developmental outcomes. Other outcomes will be psychological vulnerability and physiological regulation of the partner and their bonding with the infant, as well as the number of intrusive memories of the event.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Canton de Vaud (study number 2017–02142). Dissemination of results will occur via national and international conferences, in peer-reviewed journals, public conferences and social media.

Trial registration number

NCT 03576586.
Vitamin D in the prevention of exacerbations of asthma in preschoolers (DIVA): protocol for a multicentre randomised placebo-controlled triple-blind trial
Authors: Jensen Megan E , Ducharme Francine M , Alos Nathalie , Mailhot Geneviève , Mâsse Benoît , White John H , Sadatsafavi Mohsen , Khamessan Ali , Tse Sze Man , Alizadehfar Reza , Bock Dirk E , Daigneault Patrick , Lemire Chantal , Yang Connie , Radhakrishnan Dhenuka
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Preschoolers have the highest rate of emergency visits and hospitalisations for asthma exacerbations of all age groups, with most triggered by upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and occurring in the fall or winter. Vitamin D insufficiency is highly prevalent in Canadian preschoolers with recurrent asthma exacerbations, particularly in winter. It is associated with more URTIs and, in patients with asthma, more oral corticosteroid (OCS) use. Although evidence suggests that vitamin D supplements significantly decrease URTIs and asthma exacerbations requiring OCS, there is insufficient data in preschoolers. This study aims to determine the impact of vitamin D3 supplementation on exacerbations requiring OCS, in preschoolers with recurrent URTI-induced asthma exacerbations.

Methods and analysis

This is a phase III, randomised, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group multicentre trial of vitamin D3 supplementation in children aged 1–5 years, with asthma triggered by URTIs and a recent history of frequent URTIs and OCS use. Children (n=865) will be recruited in the fall and early winter and followed for 7 months. They will be randomised to either the (1) intervention: two oral boluses of 100 000 international unit (IU) vitamin D3 (3.5 months apart) with 400 IU vitamin D3 daily; or (2) control: identical placebo boluses with daily placebo. The primary outcome is the number of exacerbations requiring OCS per child, documented by medical and pharmacy records. Secondary outcomes include number of laboratory-confirmed viral URTIs, exacerbation duration and severity, parent functional status, healthcare use, treatment deintensification, cost and safety.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has received ethical approval from all sites. Results will be disseminated via international conferences and manuscripts targeting paediatricians and respirologists, and to families of asthmatic children via our Quebec parents–partners outreach programme. If proven effective, findings may markedly influence the management of URTI-induced asthma in high-morbidity preschoolers and could be directly implemented into practice with an update to clinical guidelines.

Trial registration number

NCT03365687.
Incidence of newborn resuscitative interventions at birth and short-term outcomes: a regional population-based study
Authors: Bjorland Peder Aleksander , Øymar Knut , Ersdal Hege Langli , Rettedal Siren Irene
Published: December 2019

Objectives

To determine the incidence and characteristics of resuscitative interventions at different gestational ages and short-term outcomes after resuscitation.

Design, setting and patients

A prospective observational study in an unselected population at Stavanger University Hospital, Norway, from October 2016 until September 2017.

Interventions

Using a data collection form and video recordings, we registered and analysed resuscitative interventions.

Main outcome measures

Incidence of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), positive pressure ventilation (PPV), intubation, chest compressions and intravenous fluid or epinephrine boluses. Short-term outcomes of resuscitated newborns.

Results

All 4693 newborns in the study period were included in the study. Two hundred and ninety-one (6.2%) newborns received interventions in the first minutes of life beyond drying and stimulation. PPV was provided in 170 (3.6%) while CPAP (without PPV) was provided in 121 (2.6%) newborns. Duration of PPV was median (IQR) 106 s (54–221). Intubations were performed in 19 (0.4%) newborns, with a mean (SD) intubation time of 47 (21) s. Ten (0.2%) newborns received chest compressions and epinephrine was administrated in three (0.1%) newborns. Sixty-three per cent of the treated newborns from 34 weeks’ gestational age were returned to parental care without further follow-up.

Conclusions

The need for resuscitative interventions after birth was frequent in this unselected population in a high-resource setting, but full cardiopulmonary resuscitation was rare. Short-term outcomes were good, suggesting that most newborns treated with resuscitative interventions were not severely affected.
Utility of conventional aortic root shot angiography for SAPIEN 3 prosthesis sizing in TAVI: feasibility and inter-reader variability
Authors: Gansera Laura , Ulm Bernhard , Bramlage Peter , Krapf Stephan , Oertel Frank , Mueller-Honold Tobias , von Scheidt Wolfgang , Thilo Christian
Published: December 2019

Background

The gold-standard approach to prosthesis sizing before transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is multislice computed tomography (MSCT). We aimed to investigate whether conventional aortic root angiography (CA) alone can reliably facilitate valve selection and to describe its inter-reader variability.

Methods

Five TAVI specialists (3 interventional cardiologists and 2 cardiac surgeons) independently reviewed preprocedural CAs for 50 patients implanted with the Edwards SAPIEN 3 valve.

Results

The prosthesis size selected based on visual CA appraisal matched that based on MSCT in 60% of cases (range: 50%–68%), with undersizing in 11% (4%–33%) and oversizing in 29% (10%–46%; p=0.187 for equality of the proportions test). Agreement between CA-based and MSCT-based valve selection was moderate (K=0.41; Kw=0.61). Reassessment of choice following awareness of the annulus long-axis diameter did not significantly improve this agreement (0.40 and 0.63, respectively), though more undersizing (14%) and less oversizing (25%) occurred. Correct valve selection was more common in interventional cardiologists than cardiac surgeons (66% vs 53%; p=0.0391), who made more oversizing errors.

Conclusions

There is a modest agreement between CA-based and MSCT-based SAPIEN 3 selection. Although the former should not be performed routinely, it may be informative in settings where MSCT and transoesophageal echocardiography are unavailable.
Simultaneous use of a lateral caudal and caudal superficial epigastric axial pattern flap for wound closure in a dog
Authors: Simpson Matthew , Welsh Elizabeth
Published: December 2019

A dog presented following a suspected dog bite with a large area of necrotic skin centred over the caudo‐dorsal lumbar area extending laterally to the left and right thigh and to the level of the vulva on the right side. This case report describes the successful use of a lateral caudal axial pattern flap (APF) used simultaneously with a caudal superficial epigastric APF to provide complete closure of the wound. Skin flap survival was 100% with no reported complications.
Dense quark–gluon plasma in strong magnetic fields
Authors: Abramchuk R. A. , Andreichikov M. A. , Khaidukov Z. V. , Simonov Yu. A.
Published: December 2019

A non-perturbative (np) method of Field correlators (FCM) was applied to study QCD at temperatures above the deconfinement transition ($$1<T/T_c<3,~T_c\sim 0.16~\mathrm{GeV}$$1<T/Tc<3,Tc∼0.16GeV) and nonzero baryon densities (baryon chemical potential $$\mu _B<0.5~\mathrm{GeV}$$μB<0.5GeV) in an external uniform magnetic field ($$eB<0.5~\mathrm{GeV}^2$$eB<0.5GeV2). Within FCM, the np high-temperature dynamics is embodied in the Polyakov loop and in the Debye mass due to the Color-Magnetic confinement. Analytic expressions for quark pressure and magnetic susceptibility were obtained. The expressions were represented as series and in integral form. Magnetic susceptibility was found to increase rapidly with temperature and slowly with density. The results at the zero density limit are in agreement with lattice data.
On the importance of NNLO QCD and isospin-breaking corrections in $$\varepsilon '/\varepsilon $$
Authors: Aebischer Jason , Bobeth Christoph , Buras Andrzej J.
Published: December 2019

Following the 1999 analysis of Gambino, Haisch and one of us, we stress that all the recent NLO analyses of $$\varepsilon '/\varepsilon $$ε′/ε in the Standard Model (SM) suffer from the renormalization scheme dependence present in the electroweak penguin contributions as well as from scale uncertainties in them related to the matching scale $$\mu _W$$μW and in particular to $$\mu _t$$μt in $$m_t(\mu _t)$$mt(μt). We also reemphasize the important role of isospin-breaking and QED effects in the evaluation of $$\varepsilon '/\varepsilon $$ε′/ε. Omitting all these effects, as done in the 2015 analysis by RBC-UKQCD collaboration, and choosing as an example the QCD penguin ($$Q_6$$Q6) and electroweak penguin ($$Q_8$$Q8) parameters $$B_6^{(1/2)}$$B6(1/2) and $$B_8^{(3/2)}$$B8(3/2) to be $$B_6^{(1/2)}= 0.80 \pm 0.08$$B6(1/2)=0.80±0.08 and $$B_8^{(3/2)}= 0.76 \pm 0.04$$B8(3/2)=0.76±0.04 at $$\mu = m_c=1.3\,\, \text {GeV}$$μ=mc=1.3GeV, we find $$(\varepsilon '/\varepsilon )_\mathrm{SM} = (9.4 \pm 3.5) \times 10^{-4}$$(ε′/ε)SM=(9.4±3.5)×10-4, whereas including them results in $$(\varepsilon '/\varepsilon )_\mathrm{SM} = (5.6\pm 2.4)\times 10^{-4}$$(ε′/ε)SM=(5.6±2.4)×10-4. This is an example of an anomaly at the $$3.3\,\sigma $$3.3σ level, which would be missed without these corrections. NNLO QCD contributions to QCD penguins are expected to further enhance this anomaly. We provide a table for $$\varepsilon '/\varepsilon $$ε′/ε for different values of $$B_6^{(1/2)}$$B6(1/2) and the isospin-breaking parameter $${\widehat{\Omega }}_\text {eff}$$Ω^eff, that should facilitate monitoring the values of $$\varepsilon '/\varepsilon $$ε′/ε in the SM when the RBC-UKQCD calculations of hadronic matrix elements including isospin-breaking corrections and QED effects will improve with time.
Open-boundary conditions in the deconfined phase
Authors: Florio Adrien , Kaczmarek Olaf , Mazur Lukas
Published: December 2019

In this work, we consider open-boundary conditions at high temperatures, as they can potentially be of help to measure the topological susceptibility. In particular, we measure the extent of the boundary effects at $$T=1.5T_c$$T=1.5Tc and $$T=2.7T_c$$T=2.7Tc. In the first case, it is larger than at $$T=0$$T=0 while we find it to be smaller in the second case. The length of this “boundary zone” is controlled by the screening masses. We use this fact to measure the scalar and pseudo-scalar screening masses at these two temperatures. We observe a mass gap at $$T=1.5T_c$$T=1.5Tc but not at $$T=2.7T_c$$T=2.7Tc. Finally, we use our pseudo-scalar channel analysis to estimate the topological susceptibility. The results at $$T=1.5T_c$$T=1.5Tc are in good agreement with the literature. At $$T=2.7T_c$$T=2.7Tc, they appear to suffer from topological freezing, which prevents us from providing a precise determination of the topological susceptibility.
Schemes of laser muon acceleration: Ultra-short, micron-scale beams
Authors: Sahai Aakash A. , Tajima Toshiki , Shiltsev Vladimir D.
Published: December 2019

Experimentally accessible schemes of laser muon ([Formula: see text]) acceleration are introduced and modeled using a novel technique of controlled laser-driven post-processing of cascade showers (or pair plasmas). The proposed schemes use propagating structures in plasma, driven as wakefields of femtosecond-scale high-intensity laser, to capture particles of divergent cascade shower of: (a) hadronic type from proton-nucleon or photo-production reactions or, (b) electromagnetic type. Apart from the direct trapping and acceleration of particles of a raw shower in laser-driven plasma, a conditioning stage is proposed to selectively focus only one of the charge states. Not only is the high gradient that is sustained by laser-driven plasma structures well suited for rapid acceleration to extend the lifetime of short-lived muons but their inherent spatiotemporal scales also make possible production of unprecedented ultrashort, micron-scale muon beams. Compact laser muon acceleration schemes hold the promise to open up new avenues for applications.
Single Image Super-Resolution Algorithm Possessing Edge and Contrast Preservation
Authors: Suryanarayana Gunnam , Dhuli Ravindra , Yang Jie
Published: December 2019

In real time surveillance video applications, it is often required to identify a region of interest in a degraded low resolution (LR) image. State-of-the-art super-resolution (SR) techniques produce images with poor illumination and degraded high frequency details. In this paper, we present a different approach for SISR by correcting the dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT) subbands using the multi-stage cascaded joint bilateral filter (MSCJBF) and singular value decomposition (SVD). The proposed method exploits geometric regularity for implementing the covariance-based interpolation in the spatial domain. We decompose the interpolated LR image into different image and wavelet coefficients by employing DT-CWT. To preserve edges, we alter the wavelet sub-bands with the high frequency details obtained from the MSCJBF. Simultaneously, we retain uniform illumination by improving the image coefficients using SVD. In addition, the wavelet sub-bands undergo lanczos interpolation prior to the subband refinement. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
MANAGING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATION STRATEGIES IN PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANISATION — HOW MANAGERS MAY SUPPORT EMPLOYEES INNOVATIVE WORK BEHAVIOUR
Authors: PHIL-THINGVAD SIGNE , KLAUSEN KURT KLAUDI
Published: December 2019

This paper examines which management strategies public managers may use to enhance innovative behavior among their employees. We focus on the implementation of a politically ambitious innovation strategy in a large Danish municipality. Based on a survey distributed to 1292 employees and 113 managers, we conduct a multi-level analysis focusing on how different management strategies (reported by the managers) and perceived management behavior (reported by the employees) affect the public employees’ perceived idea generation, idea promotion, and idea realization. The results show that knowledge of the innovation strategy, encouraging management, a risk-tolerant culture and autonomy are important management tools, whereas strategic management communication and economic rewards do not correlate with any of the phases in innovative work behavior. We contribute with new evidence on how innovation is supported by public managers in the different phases of the innovation process, and we conclude by discussing the practical implications of the findings.
Progesterone in Treatment of Catamenial Epilepsy
Authors: Alcantara-Boquiren Marie Janice , Pagayao Almaira
Published: December 2019

Catamenial epilepsy refers to the temporal correlation of seizure exacerbations with the menstrual cycle. Changes in the serum estradiol and progesterone are implicated in this phenomenon, which makes management of epilepsy in women more challenging. This is a case of a 24-year-old nulligravid who was referred to a reproductive medicine specialist due to refractory focal seizures despite antiepileptic pharmacotherapy. EEG confirmed neurologic dysfunction but clinical history, physical examination, cranial CT and MRI ruled out structural, vascular, traumatic, and infectious causes of seizure. Adjunctive hormonal treatment was given, which improved patient symptoms. This report aims to discuss catamenial epilepsy as to its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. Better understanding of this disease entity will help address treatment difficulties in epilepsy in female patients and the associated management issues.
Redefinition of the Dinoflagellate GenusAlexandriumBased onCentrodinium: Reinstatement ofGessneriumandProtogonyaulax, andEpisemicolongen. nov. (Gonyaulacales, Dinophyceae)
Authors: Gómez Fernando , Artigas Luis Felipe
Published: December 2019

The genusCentrodiniumcontains oceanic and predominantly tropical species that have received little attention. Three species ofCentrodiniumwere examined using thecal plate dissociation, scanning electron microscopy, and molecular sequences. The apical horn ofCentrodinium intermediumandC. eminensis formed by the elongation of the fourth apical plate, and a second apical split into two plates. InC. punctatumtwo apical plates (2′ and 4′) almost completely encircle the apical pore plate (Po), while the contact with the plate 1′ in the ventral side is much reduced, and the plate 3′ does not reach the Po. Moreover, its left posterior lateral sulcal plate is longer than its right pair, while reversed in the typicalCentrodiniumspp. The sulcal posterior plate ofC. punctatumis located in the left-ventral side below the plates 1′′′ and 2′′′, while the sulcal posterior plate located in the right face below the plates 4′′′ and 5′′′ in the typicalCentrodiniumspp. Phylogenetic analyses based on the small and large subunit of the rRNA gene showed thatCentrodiniumspp. andAlexandrium affine/A. gaarderaeclustered as a sister clade of theAlexandrium tamarense/catenella/fraterculusgroups. The clade of the subgenusGessnerium, and the clade of the type species ofAlexandrium,A. minutum, with four divergent species, clustered in more basal positions. The polyphyly ofAlexandriumis solved with the split into four genera: (1)Alexandriumsensu stricto for the species of the clade ofA. minutumand four divergent species; (2) the reinstatement of the genusGessneriumfor the species of the clade ofA. monilatum; (3) the reinstatement of genusProtogonyaulaxfor the species of thetamarense/catenella/fraterculusgroups, and (4) the new genusEpisemicolongen. nov. forA. affineandA. gaarderae.New combinations in the generaGessnerium,Protogonyaulax,andEpisemicolonare proposed.
Induced Myopia Secondary to Blunt Trauma
Authors: Sedaghat Mohammad Reza , Momeni-Moghaddam Hamed , Naroo Shehzad A. , Etezad-Razavi Mohammad , Moshirfar Majid
Published: December 2019

A 28-year-old young man presented with sudden and severe visual loss in the left eye, starting three days ago following blunt head trauma from a closed fist. Vision was not improved to better than 0.4 in the left eye. Slit lamp examinations revealed asymmetric anterior chamber depth (ACD) with shallow ACD in the left eye. The key learning in this report is the use of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) to better document the anterior segment changes following the blunt trauma. AS-OCT was used to visualize the forward displacement of the iris-crystalline lens diaphragm secondary to ciliary body anterior rotation and ciliochoroidal effusion. There was a temporary myopic shift about 7.00 D which resolved after 15 days.
Vitamin K and Bone Health: A Review on the Effects of Vitamin K Deficiency and Supplementation and the Effect of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants on Different Bone Parameters
Authors: Rodríguez-Olleros Rodríguez Celia , Díaz Curiel Manuel
Published: December 2019

Although known for its importance in the coagulation cascade, vitamin K has other functions. It is an essential vitamin for bone health, taking part in the carboxylation of many bone-related proteins, regulating genetic transcription of osteoblastic markers, and regulating bone reabsorption. Vitamin K deficiency is not uncommon, as deposits are scarce and dependent upon dietary supplementation and absorption. Vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants, which are prescribed to many patients, also induce vitamin K deficiency. Most studies find that low serum K1 concentrations, high levels of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), and low dietary intake of both K1 and K2 are associated with a higher risk of fracture and lower BMD. Studies exploring the relationship between vitamin K supplementation and fracture risk also find that the risk of fracture is reduced with supplements, but high quality studies designed to evaluate fracture as its primary endpoint are needed. The reduction in risk of fracture with the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants instead of warfarin is also of interest although once again, the available evidence offers disparate results. The scarce and limited evidence, including low quality studies reaching disparate conclusions, makes it impossible to extract solid conclusions on this topic, especially concerning the use of vitamin K supplements.
Audio‐Textual Emotion Recognition Based on Improved Neural Networks
Authors: Cai Linqin , Hu Yaxin , Dong Jiangong , Zhou Sitong
Published: December 2019

With the rapid development in social media, single‐modal emotion recognition is hard to satisfy the demands of the current emotional recognition system. Aiming to optimize the performance of the emotional recognition system, a multimodal emotion recognition model from speech and text was proposed in this paper. Considering the complementarity between different modes, CNN (convolutional neural network) and LSTM (long short‐term memory) were combined in a form of binary channels to learn acoustic emotion features; meanwhile, an effective Bi‐LSTM (bidirectional long short‐term memory) network was resorted to capture the textual features. Furthermore, we applied a deep neural network to learn and classify the fusion features. The final emotional state was determined by the output of both speech and text emotion analysis. Finally, the multimodal fusion experiments were carried out to validate the proposed model on the IEMOCAP database. In comparison with the single modal, the overall recognition accuracy of text increased 6.70%, and that of speech emotion recognition soared 13.85%. Experimental results show that the recognition accuracy of our multimodal is higher than that of the single modal and outperforms other published multimodal models on the test datasets.
Microscopic Polyangiitis with Pulmonary Fibrosis: An Often-Recognized Manifestation of the Disease
Authors: Clifford Liam M. , Li Jamma , Renaud Christopher J. , Fernando Suran L.
Published: December 2019

Background. Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) can manifest with atypical features such as pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which are atypical and unusual features of small vessel vasculitis. Case Presentation. This paper presents two patients with microscopic polyangiitis and respiratory symptoms attributable to atypical pulmonary manifestations. Pulmonary fibrosis was present in both cases, with COPD also present in one patient. Management involved methylprednisone, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide. The second patient also received azathioprine. Both patients responded well to immunosuppressive treatment; however, pulmonary fibrosis and COPD were refractory to immunosuppression. Conclusion. Pulmonary manifestations including pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and bronchiectasis are observed in MPA. Evaluation of MPA in unexplained cases should be performed to avoid delays in diagnosis and management. Patients who present with MPA with pulmonary manifestations may respond to treatment, but their pulmonary features demonstrate a refractory nature to such management.
Optimal Seismic Intensity Measure Selection for Isolated Bridges under Pulse‐Like Ground Motions
Authors: Jiang Linwei , Zhong Jian , He Min , Yuan Wancheng
Published: December 2019

Isolated bridges are commonly designed in the near‐fault region to balance excessive displacement and seismic force. Optimal intensity measures (IMs) of probabilistic seismic demand models for isolated bridges subjected to pulse‐like ground motions are identified in this study. Four typical isolated girder bridge types with varied pier height (from 4 m to 20 m) are employed to conduct the nonlinear time history analysis. Totally seven structure‐independent IMs are considered and compared. Critical engineering demand parameters (EDPs), namely, pier ductility demands and bearing deformation along the longitudinal and transverse directions, are recorded during the process. In general, PGV tends to be the optimal IM for isolated bridges under pulse‐like ground motions based on practicality, efficiency, proficiency, and sufficiency criterions. The results can offer effective guidance for the optimal intensity measure selection of the probabilistic seismic demand models (PSDMs) of isolated bridges under pulse‐like ground motions.
Removal of EMG Artifacts from Multichannel EEG Signals Using Combined Singular Spectrum Analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis
Authors: Liu Qingze , Liu Aiping , Zhang Xu , Chen Xiang , Qian Ruobing , Chen Xun
Published: December 2019

Electroencephalography (EEG) signals collected from human scalps are often polluted by diverse artifacts, for instance electromyogram (EMG), electrooculogram (EOG), and electrocardiogram (ECG) artifacts. Muscle artifacts are particularly difficult to eliminate among all kinds of artifacts due to their complexity. At present, several researchers have proved the superiority of combining single-channel decomposition algorithms with blind source separation (BSS) to make multichannel EEG recordings free from EMG contamination. In our study, we come up with a novel and valid method to accomplish muscle artifact removal from EEG by using the combination of singular spectrum analysis (SSA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA), which is named as SSA-CCA. Unlike the traditional single-channel decomposition methods, for example, ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), SSA algorithm is a technique based on principles of multivariate statistics. Our proposed approach can take advantage of SSA as well as cross-channel information. The performance of SSA-CCA is evaluated on semisimulated and real data. The results demonstrate that this method outperforms the state-of-the-art technique, EEMD-CCA, and the classic technique, CCA, under multichannel circumstances.
Suppressive Effects of GSS on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Endothelial Cell Injury and ALI via TNF-αand IL-6
Authors: Yi Lei , Zhou Zengding , Zheng Yijuan , Chang Mengling , Huang Xiaoqin , Guo Feng , Zhao Quanming , Huan Jingning
Published: December 2019

Background. Under septic conditions, LPS induced lung vascular endothelial cell (EC) injury, and the release of inflammatory mediator launches and aggravates acute lung injury (ALI). There are no effective therapeutic options for ALI. Genistein-3′-sodium sulfonate (GSS) is a derivative of native soy isoflavone, which exhibits neuroprotective effects via its antiapoptosis property. However, whether GSS protect against sepsis-induced EC injury and release of inflammatory mediators has not been determined. In this study, we found that GSS not only downregulated the levels of TNF-αand IL-6 in the lung and serum of micein vivobut also inhibited the expression and secretion of TNF-αand IL-6 in ECs. Importantly, we also found that GSS blocked LPS-induced TNF-αand IL-6 expression in ECs via the Myd88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Taken together, our results demonstrated that GSS might be a promising candidate for sepsis-induced ALI via its regulating effects on inflammatory response in lung ECs.