bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor axis and its functional role in promoting tumor growth in primary central nervous system lymphomas
Authors: Muta Hiroko , Sugita Yasuo , Furuta Takuya , Shiimura Yuki , Ohshima Koichi , Nakashima Kazutaka , Sato Kensaku , Morioka Motohiro , Abe Hideyuki , Nozawa Takanori , Fujii Yukihiko , Kakita Akiyoshi
Published: January 2020

Ghrelin and its receptor, growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS‐R), have been found in a variety of malignant tumor tissues, suggesting a biological function of the ghrelin/GHS‐R axis in tumor growth and progression. Among central nervous system tumors, primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) are relatively rare and characterized by a rapid progression and poor prognosis. In order to clarify ghrelin expression and its functional role in promoting tumor growth and progression in PCNSLs, we undertook an immunohistochemical investigation for ghrelin and GHS‐R expression in 43 patients and tested the effect of ghrelin inhibition on lymphoma cells. Furthermore, we investigated the expression of CD105, a marker for tumor angiogenesis, to explore its association with the ghrelin/GHS‐R axis. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox's proportional hazards regression model were used to determine the association of ghrelin/GHS‐R expression with overall survival rate. The immunohistochemical study showed moderate/strong immunostaining of cells for ghrelin and GHS‐R in 40 patients (93.0%) and 39 patients (90.7%), respectively. A ghrelin inhibitor did not affect tumor cell proliferation in vitro. Expression levels of ghrelin and GHS‐R were divided into high and low groups by the rate of moderate‐strong staining cells to tumor cells. The survival rate was significantly lower in patients with high GHS‐R expression (P = 0.0368 by log‐rank test; P = 0.0219 by Wilcoxon test). In addition, multivariate analysis of overall survival using Cox's proportional hazards regression model indicated that GHS‐R was a significant independent prognostic factor (P = 0.0426). CD105 expression on tumor vessels was positive in 33 patients (33/37, 89.2%). There was a positive correlation between the moderate‐strong staining rate of ghrelin and CD105‐positive vessel count. These results indicated that the ghrelin/GHS‐R axis plays a potential role in promoting tumor growth and progression through neoangiogenesis, rather than the proliferation of tumor cells.
Chemical evidence of preserved collagen in 54‐million‐year‐old fish vertebrae
Authors: Dutta Suryendu , Kumar Sumit , Singh Hukam , Khan Mahasin A. , Barai Amlan , Tewari Anuradha , Rana Rajendra S. , Bera Subir , Sen Shamik , Sahni Ashok
Published: January 2020

Collagens are the most abundant proteins in the animal kingdom. They form the structural framework of connective tissues such as bones, tendons and skin, and play important biomechanical role in supporting tissue functions. The preservation of collagen in deep time is a topic of intense debate. Here we provide indisputable evidence for the presence of collagen in early Eocene fish vertebrae using online pyrolysis comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (py‐GC×GC‐TOFMS) and immunofluorescence analysis. The presence of cyclic dipeptides such as diketodipyrrole, 2,5‐diketopiperazine of proline‐proline and 2,5‐diketopiperazine of proline‐glycine along with other nitrogen‐bearing molecules in the pyrolysis products of the studied fossils unequivocally demonstrate that collagen can withstand degradation and diagenetic alteration. Immunofluorescence study also confirms the presence of collagen‐I in the fossilized fish vertebrae. Contrary to common opinion, the present findings suggest that the preservation of collagen in fossilized soft tissues is not rare. We propose that one of the essential factors controlling preservation of collagen is the establishment of a suitable microenvironment within the fossil, inhibiting diagenetic alteration including microbial decay.
Horse Matters: Re‐examining Sustainability through Human‐Domestic Animal Relationships
Authors: Wadham Helen
Published: January 2020

Sociology increasingly recognises that ‘the social’ extends beyond ‘the human’. The ongoing theoretical integration of animals has extended our understanding of notions like alienation, violence and technology. This article considers in turn the highly contested concept of sustainability. Focusing on our entangled relationships with domestic animals, particularly horses, extends our critical understanding of sustainability in three ways. First, by recognising horses as social actors, we can challenge the anthropocentrism of sustainability and integrate animals into our analysis of how social systems create and /or resist sustainability claims. Second, in adding species to traditional categories of race, class and gender, we can extend critiques of sustainability by considering how it intersects with relations of power. Third, by exploring how alternative visions of the future emerge from within everyday as well as epic settings and encounters, the article broadens our understanding of what should be sustained and for whom.
Class Attitudes, Political Knowledge, and Support for Redistribution in an Era of Inequality
Authors: Macdonald David
Published: January 2020

Objective

Why, despite positive feelings toward the poor and working classes, relative to the rich and big business, has American public support for redistribution failed to appreciably increase during an era of high, and rising, income inequality?

Methods

I argue that this puzzling disconnect is due, in part, to a lack of general political knowledge. Using survey data from the 2012 American National Election Study, I test how political knowledge conditions the relationship between people's economic class group attitudes and their support for redistribution.

Results

People with low (high) levels of political knowledge weakly (strongly) connect their class attitudes with support for redistributive spending and progressive taxation. Data from four ANES panel studies show that this does not result from the less knowledgeable holding weak “nonattitudes” toward these class groups. Rather, consistent with Converse's classic work, I attribute this to less knowledgeable individuals lacking awareness about how redistributive policies benefit different social groups.

Conclusion

These findings help us to better understand an important puzzle in American politics: why a mass public that purports to favor the poor and working classes over the economic elite has not turned more strongly in favor of redistribution during an era of historic inequality.
Performance of an Isobaric Hybrid Compressed Air Energy Storage System at Minimum Entropy Generation
Authors: Houssainy Sammy , Janbozorgi Mohammad , Kavehpour Pirouz
Published: January 2020

Efficient, large-scale, and cost-effective energy storage systems provide a means of managing the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources and drastically increasing their utilization. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) and its derivative architectures have received much attention as a viable solution; however, optimization objectives for these systems have not been thoroughly investigated in the literature. A hybrid thermal and compressed air energy storage (HT-CAES) system is investigated that mitigates the shortcomings of the otherwise attractive conventional CAES systems and its derivatives—shortcomings such as strict geological locations, low energy densities, and the production of greenhouse gas emissions. The HT-CAES system allows a portion of the available energy to operate a compressor and the remainder to be converted and stored in the form of heat through joule/resistive heating in a high-temperature, sensible, thermal energy storage medium. Internally reversible and irreversible HT-CAES system assumptions were investigated, in addition to regenerative and non-regenerative design configurations. Several system optimization criteria were examined—including maximum energy efficiency, maximum exergy efficiency, maximum work output, and minimum entropy generation—with a focus on whether the latter may lead to conclusive design guidelines in a real system. It is shown that an HT-CAES system designed based on a minimum entropy generation objective may operate at a lower energy and exergy efficiency as well as lower output power than otherwise achievable. Furthermore, optimization objective equivalence is shown to be limited to certain design conditions.
Acoustic Emission Characterization of Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastic Composite Machining Using a Random Forest Machine Learning Model
Authors: Wang Zimo , Chegdani Faissal , Yalamarti Neehar , Takabi Behrouz , Tai Bruce , El Mansori Mohamed , Bukkapatnam Satish
Published: January 2020

Natural fiber reinforced plastic (NFRP) composites are eliciting an increased interest across industrial sectors, as they combine a high degree of biodegradability and recyclability with unique structural properties. These materials are machined to create components that meet the dimensional and surface finish tolerance specifications for various industrial applications. The heterogeneous structure of these materials—resulting from different fiber orientations and their complex multiscale structure—introduces a distinct set of material removal mechanisms that inherently vary over time. This structure has an adverse effect on the surface integrity of machined NFRPs. Therefore, a real-time monitoring approach is desirable for timely intervention for quality assurance. Acoustic emission (AE) sensors that capture the elastic waves generated from the plastic deformation and fracture mechanisms have potential to characterize these abrupt variations in the material removal mechanisms. However, the relationship connecting AE waveform patterns with these NFRP material removal mechanisms is not currently understood. This paper reports an experimental investigation into how the time–frequency patterns of AE signals connote the various cutting mechanisms under different cutting speeds and fiber orientations. Extensive orthogonal cutting experiments on unidirectional flax fiber NFRP samples with various fiber orientations were conducted. The experimental setup was instrumented with a multisensor data acquisition system for synchronous collection of AE and vibration signals during NFRP cutting. A random forest machine learning approach was employed to quantitatively relate the AE energy over specific frequency bands to machining conditions and hence the process microdynamics, specifically, the phenomena of fiber fracture and debonding that are peculiar to NFRP machining. Results from this experimental study suggest that the AE energy over these frequency bands can correctly predict the cutting conditions to ∼95% accuracies, as well as the underlying material removal regimes.
Optimization of a Cyclone Using Multiphase Flow Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Weber Justin , Fullmer William , Gel Aytekin , Musser Jordan
Published: January 2020

The U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL) 50 kWth chemical looping reactor (CLR) has an underperforming cyclone, which was designed using empirical correlations. To improve the performance of this cyclone using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based modeling simulations, four critical design parameters including the vortex tube radius and length, barrel radius, and the inlet width and height were optimized. NETL's open source multiphase flow with interphase exchange (MFiX) CFD code has been used to model a series of cyclones by systematically varying the geometric design parameters. To perform the optimization process, the surrogate modeling and sensitivity analysis followed by the optimization capability in nodeworks was used. The basic methodology for the process is to employ a statistical design of experiments (DOE) method to generate sampling simulations that fill the design space. Corresponding CFD models are then created, executed, and postprocessed. A response surface is created to characterize the relationship between input parameters and the quantities of interest (QoI). Finally, the CFD-surrogate is used by an optimization method to find the optimal design condition based on the objective and constraints prescribed. The resulting optimal cyclone has a larger diameter and longer vortex tube, a larger diameter barrel, and a taller and narrower solids inlet. The improved design has a predicted pressure drop 11 times lower than the original design while reducing the mass loss by a factor of 2.3.
Improving Oil Recovery Through Fracture Injection and Production of Multiple Fractured Horizontal Wells
Authors: He Youwei , Cheng Shiqing , Sun Zhe , Chai Zhi , Rui Zhenhua
Published: January 2020

Well production rates decline quickly in the tight reservoirs, and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is needed to increase productivity. Conventional flooding from adjacent wells is inefficient in the tight formations, and Huff-n-Puff also fails to achieve the expected productivity. This paper investigates the feasibility of the inter-fracture injection and production (IFIP) method to increase oil production rates of horizontal wells. Three multi-fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs) are included in a cluster well. The fractures with even and odd indexes are assigned to be injection fractures (IFs) and recovery fractures (RFs). The injection/production schedule includes synchronous inter-fracture injection and production (s-IFIP) and asynchronous inter-fracture injection and production (a-IFIP). The production performances of three MFHWs are compared by using four different recovery approaches based on numerical simulation. Although the number of RFs is reduced by about 50% for s-IFIP and a-IFIP, they achieve much higher oil rates than depletion and CO2 Huff-n-Puff. The sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the impact of parameters on IFIP. The spacing between IFs and RFs, CO2 injection rates, and connectivity of fracture networks affect oil production significantly, followed by the length of RFs, well spacing among MFHWs, and the length of IFs. The suggested well completion scheme for the IFIP methods is presented. This work discusses the ability of the IFIP method in enhancing the oil production of MFHWs.
Silica gel solid nanocomposite electrolytes with interfacial conductivity promotion exceeding the bulk Li-ion conductivity of the ionic liquid electrolyte filler
Authors: Chen Xubin , Put Brecht , Sagara Akihiko , Gandrud Knut , Murata Mitsuhiro , Steele Julian A. , Yabe Hiroki , Hantschel Thomas , Roeffaers Maarten , Tomiyama Morio , Arase Hidekazu , Kaneko Yukihiro , Shimada Mikinari , Mees Maarten , Vereecken Philippe M.
Published: January 2020

Li-ion conductivity increases with introduction of an interfacial ice layer in nano-SCE.
Congenital Zika syndrome is associated with maternal protein malnutrition
Authors: Barbeito-Andrés J. , Pezzuto P. , Higa L. M. , Dias A. A. , Vasconcelos J. M. , Santos T. M. P. , Ferreira J. C. C. G. , Ferreira R. O. , Dutra F. F. , Rossi A. D. , Barbosa R. V. , Amorim C. K. N. , De Souza M. P. C. , Chimelli L. , Aguiar R. S. , Gonzalez P. N. , Lara F. A. , Castro M. C. , Molnár Z. , Lopes R. T. , Bozza M. T. , Vianez J. L. S. G. , Barbeito C. G. , Cuervo P. , Bellio M. , Tanuri A. , Garcez P. P.
Published: January 2020

Low-protein diet during pregnancy enhances ZIKV’s ability to produce congenital abnormalities.
Anisotropic structural color particles from colloidal phase separation
Authors: Wang Huan , Liu Yuxiao , Chen Zhuoyue , Sun Lingyu , Zhao Yuanjin
Published: January 2020

Anisotropic structural color particles from colloidal phase separation are developed for dynamic cell monitoring and sensing.
Can the quantum vacuum fluctuations really solve the cosmological constant problem?
Authors: Bengochea Gabriel R. , León Gabriel , Okon Elias , Sudarsky Daniel
Published: January 2020

Recently it has been argued that a correct reading of the quantum fluctuations of the vacuum could lead to a solution to the cosmological constant problem. In this work we critically examine such a proposal, finding it questionable due to conceptual and self-consistency problems, as well as issues with the actual calculations. We conclude that the proposal is inadequate as a solution to the cosmological constant problem.
Sigma-assisted low scale composite Goldstone–Higgs
Authors: Buarque Franzosi Diogo , Cacciapaglia Giacomo , Deandrea Aldo
Published: January 2020

We show that the presence of a lightish scalar resonance, $$\sigma $$σ, that mixes with the composite Goldstone–Higgs boson can relax the typical bounds found in this class of models. This mechanism, inbred in models with a walking dynamics above the condensation scale, allows for a low compositeness scale $$f \gtrsim 400$$f≳400 GeV, corresponding to a misalignment angle $$s_\theta \lesssim 0.6$$sθ≲0.6, contrary to the common lore of a smaller angle. According to recent lattice results, the light $$\sigma $$σ emerges thanks to a near-conformal phase above the condensation scale, consistent to the requirements from flavour physics. We study this effect in a general way, showing that it appears in all cosets emerging from an underlying gauge-fermion dynamics, in the presence of top partial compositeness. The scenario is testable both on the Lattice and experimentally, as it requires the presence of a second broad Higgs-like resonance, below 1 TeV, that can be revealed at the LHC in the ZZ and $$t\bar{t}$$tt¯ channels.
Realistic stellar anisotropic model satisfying Karmarker condition in f(R, T) gravity
Authors: Mustafa G. , Zubair M. , Waheed Saira , Tiecheng Xia
Published: January 2020

The present study explores the $$f(\mathcal {R},\mathcal {T})$$f(R,T) modified gravity on the basis of observational data for three different compact stars with matter profile as anisotropic fluid without electric charge. In this respect, we adopt the well-known Karmarker condition and assume a specific and interesting model for $$\mathrm {g}_{rr}$$grr metric potential component which is compatible with this condition. This choice further leads to a viable form of metric component $$\mathrm {g}_{tt}$$gtt by utilizing the Karmarkar condition. We also present the interior geometry in the reference of Schwarzschild interior and Kohler–Chao cosmological like solutions for $$f(\mathcal {R},\mathcal {T})$$f(R,T) theory. Moreover, we calculate the spacetime constants by using the masses and radii from the observational data of three different compact stars namely 4U 1538-52, LMC X-4 and PSR J1614-2230. In order to explore the viability and stability of the obtained solutions, some physical parameters and properties are presented graphically for all three different compact object models. It is noticed that the parameters c and $$\lambda $$λ have some important and considerable role for these solutions. It is concluded that our obtained solutions are physically acceptable, bearing a well-behave nature in $$f(\mathcal {R},\mathcal {T})$$f(R,T) modified gravity.
Critical behavior of AdS Gauss–Bonnet massive black holes in the presence of external string cloud
Authors: Ranjbari Hadi , Sadeghi Mehdi , Ghanaatian M. , Forozani Gh.
Published: January 2020

Following previous study about AdS-Schwarzschild black holes minimally coupled to a cloud of strings in the context of massive gravity (Ghanaatian et al. in Effects of the external string cloud on the Van der Waals like behavior and efficiency of AdS-Schwarzschild black hole in massive gravity, arXiv:1906.00369 [hep-th]) and inspired by strong connection between Gauss–Bonnet Gravity and heterotic string theory, in this paper, we first take into account the Gauss–Bonnet term and we study thermodynamics and critical behavior of these black holes in the extended phase space. The effects of Gauss–Bonnet, massive, and string cloud parameters on the criticality of these black holes has been investigated. It can be seen that the Gauss–Bonnet and massive parameters have opposite effects on the criticality and phase transition of the solutions. We also observe that the increase in the value of the string cloud parameter above a critical value, eliminates the van der Waals like behavior of these solutions. Also, the Joule–Thomson effect is not observed. Then we examine thermal stability of these black holes in canonical ensemble by calculating the heat capacity. In addition, we explore critical behavior in extended phase space by employing heat capacity and consequently, we observe that the results are in agreement with the previous results from the usual method in Sect. 3.
On the supersymmetric extension of asymptotic symmetries in three spacetime dimensions
Authors: Caroca Ricardo , Concha Patrick , Fierro Octavio , Rodríguez Evelyn
Published: January 2020

In this work we obtain known and new supersymmetric extensions of diverse asymptotic symmetries defined in three spacetime dimensions by considering the semigroup expansion method. The super-$$BMS_3$$BMS3, the superconformal algebra and new infinite-dimensional superalgebras are obtained by expanding the super-Virasoro algebra. The new superalgebras obtained are supersymmetric extensions of the asymptotic algebras of the Maxwell and the $$\mathfrak {so}(2,2)\oplus \mathfrak {so}(2,1)$$so(2,2)⊕so(2,1) gravity theories. We extend our results to the $$\mathcal {N}=2$$N=2 and $$\mathcal {N}=4$$N=4 cases and find that R-symmetry generators are required. We also show that the new infinite-dimensional structures are related through a flat limit $$\ell \rightarrow \infty $$ℓ→∞.
On the Lambda-evolution of galaxy clusters
Authors: Gurzadyan V. G. , Kocharyan A. A. , Stepanian A.
Published: January 2020

The evolution of galaxy clusters can be affected by the repulsion described by the cosmological constant. This conclusion is reached within the modified weak-field General Relativity approach where the cosmological constant $$\varLambda $$Λ enables to describe the common nature of the dark matter and the dark energy. Geometrical methods of theory of dynamical systems and the Ricci curvature criterion are used to reveal the difference in the instability properties of galaxy clusters which determine their evolutionary paths. Namely, it is shown that the clusters determined by gravity with $$\varLambda $$Λ-repulsion tend to become even more unstable than those powered only by Newtonian gravity, the effect to be felt at cosmological time scales.
Mobile Sensing of Alertness, Sleep and Circadian Rhythm
Authors: Sano Akane , Rahman Tauhidur , Zhang Mi , Ganesan Deepak , Choudhury Tanzeem
Published: January 2020

Human biology is deeply rooted in the daily 24-hour temporal period. Our biochemistry varies significantly and idiosyncratically over the course of a day. Staying out of sync with one's circadian rhythm can lead to many complications over time, including a higher likelihood for cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, and mental health problems [1]. Constant changes in daily rhythm due to shift work has been shown to increase risk factors for cancer, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the advent of technology and the resultant always-on ethos can cause rhythm disruption on personal and societal levels for about 70% of the population [2].

Circadian disruption can also cause a serious deficit in cognitive performance. In particular, alertness - a key biological process underlying our cognitive performance - reflects circadian rhythms [3]. Sleep deprivation and circadian disruption can result in poor alertness and reaction time [3]. The decline in cognitive performance after 20 to 25 hours of wakefulness is equivalent to a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.10% [4]. To compare, in New York State, a BAC of more than 0.05% is considered "impaired" and 0.08% is considered "intoxicated" [5]. In other words, the effects of sustained sleep deprivation and circadian disruption on cognitive performance is similar (or worse) to being intoxicated.
Automating Certification Objectives with SpeAR
Authors: Wagner Lucas , Gacek Andrew
Published: January 2020

The Speci cation and Analysis of Requirements (SpeAR) tool is a requirements prototyping and analysis tool based on the formal semantics of the Lustre language. It features a domain speci c language that formally captures functional requirements of systems or software. Once formalized, requirements can be analyzed to demonstrate correct- ness, consistency, and traceability using in nite-state model checking tools, such as JKind. The formal notation and analyses that SpeAR supports can be used to automate activities related to certi cation of safety critical software as suggested by DO-178C: Software Considera- tions in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certi cation. This standard de nes a rigorous software development process that ensures that soft- ware development activities produce object code that implement sys- tem requirements correctly, while introducing no additional functional- ity. Recent updates to the guidance allow for the use of formal methods to satisfy DO-178C certi cation objectives as outlined in DO-333: For- mal Methods Supplement to DO-178C and DO-278A. This paper walks through an e ort in which SpeAR is used to automate certi cation ac- tivities for production avionics software. It focuses on the use of SpeAR to address veri cation objectives related to the software design artifacts of DO-178C, replacing manual peer review activities with more rigorous formal-methods based analyses.
Perivascular Lymphocyte Clusters Induced by Gastric Subserous Layer Vaccination Mediate Optimal Immunity against Helicobacter through Facilitating Immune Cell Infiltration and Local Antibody Response
Authors: Hu Chupeng , Liu Wei , Xu Ningyin , Huang An , Zeng Zhiqin , Luo Shuanghui , Zhang Zhenxing , Fan Menghui , Ye Feng , Xi Tao , Xing Yingying
Published: January 2020

Background. In situ vaccination-induced local inflammatory response resulted in the establishment of a pool of tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells and new vessels after the resolution of inflammation. TRM cells have received increasing attention; however, the role of new vessels in protective response is still unknown. Materials and Methods. We performed the laparotomy to access the stomach and injected alum-based vaccine into the gastric subserous layer (GSL). At 28 days post vaccination, a parabiosis mouse model along with depletion of anti-CD90.2 antibody was employed to explore the function of perivascular lymphocyte clusters in recall responses. The composition of the gastric lymphocyte clusters was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. Antibody responses were detected using ELISA. Gastric lymphocytes were analyzed using flow cytometry. Results. GSL vaccination induced the formation of new vessels in the inflamed region. These new vessels were different from native vessels in that they were generally accompanied by perivascular lymphocyte clusters that mainly consisted of CD90-expressing cells. Additionally, histological analysis revealed the presence of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the perivascular lymphocyte clusters. Administration of a dose of an anti-CD90.2 antibody to GSL-vaccinated mice resolved these clusters. The efficacy of protection was compared in the parabiosis mice. Upon challenge, the presence of perivascular lymphocyte clusters was responsible for the fast recall response, as depletion of these clusters by CD90.2 antibody administration resulted in decreased expressions of VCAM-1, Madcam-1, and TNF-α, as well as lower recruitment of proinflammatory immune cells, decreased antibody levels, and poor protection. Conclusions. Our research demonstrates that in situ vaccination-induced regional inflammatory response contributes to optimal recall response not only by establishing a CD4+ TRM pool but also by creating an “expressway,” i.e., perivascular lymphocyte cluster.
Monitored Anesthesia Care of Two Patients with Highly Elevated Subpulmonic Ventricular Pressure due to Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Kida Tatsuya , Irie Tomoya , Goto Takahisa
Published: January 2020

Procedural sedation and analgesia for patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) and highly elevated subpulmonic ventricular pressure require proper anesthesia care to prevent a pulmonary hypertensive crisis. We describe the monitored anesthesia care (MAC) of two patients with ACHD (a complete atrioventricular septal defect and congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries) and highly elevated subpulmonic ventricular pressure. In both patients, preprocedural transthoracic echocardiography was useful for detecting severely elevated subpulmonic ventricular pressure. The MAC involved the infusion of propofol, dexmedetomidine, and fentanyl. Norepinephrine was continuously administered from the preanesthetic period. No hemodynamic instability or respiratory depression was observed during the MAC. Continuous administration of norepinephrine from the preinduction period was helpful for preventing hypotension. We added dexmedetomidine to our MAC regimen of propofol and fentanyl because it exerts both sedative and analgesic effects. Dexmedetomidine does not cause respiratory depression; thus, our MAC regimen is believed to be theoretically safe for patients with ACHD and elevated subpulmonic ventricular pressure. Our findings suggest that safe MAC for patients with ACHD and highly elevated subpulmonic ventricular pressure may require careful consideration of the anesthetic regimen and close observation by adequately trained personnel, which is best provided at regional ACHD centers.
Female Gender Remains a Significant Barrier to Access Cataract Surgery in South Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ye Qunru , Chen Yanxian , Yan William , Wang Wei , Zhong Jingxian , Tang Cong , Müller Andreas , Qiu Bo
Published: January 2020

Purpose. To determine whether the female gender is a barrier for the access to cataract surgery services in South Asia in the last two decades. Methods. Eligible cross-sectional studies were identified via computer searches and reviewing the reference lists of the obtained articles. The cataract surgical coverage (CSC) by sex based on person and eyes at visual acuity <3/60 and 6/18 is extracted. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) for males receiving cataract surgery in comparison with females were calculated by a random effect model. Results. Sixteen studies with 135972 subjects were included in the final analysis. The pooled ORs of CSC by sex on a person basis at visual acuity <3/60 and at visual acuity <6/18 were 1.46 (95% CI: 1.23–1.75) and 1.14 (95% CI: 1.05–1.24), respectively. For CSC on a per-eye basis at visual acuity <3/60, the associations were statistically significant, with a pooled OR of 1.40 (95% CI: 1.16–1.70). The values of population attributable risk percentage at a per-person and per-eye basis at visual acuity <3/60 were 6.28% and 7.48%, respectively. Subgroup analyses by design and location types attained similar results as the primary analyses. There was no evidence of publication bias. Conclusions. The female gender remains a significant barrier for the access to cataract surgery in South Asia. Visual impairment, including blindness, from unoperated cataract, could be reduced by approximately 6.28% with the elimination of gender disparities to access. More efforts are needed to increase eye care service utilization by female population.
Effects of Ultrahigh Temperature Pasteurization on the Liquid Components and Functional Properties of Stored Liquid Whole Eggs
Authors: Liu Tong , Lv Bo , Zhao Weixuan , Wang Yuhua , Piao Chunhong , Dai Weichang , Hu Yaohui , Liu Junmei , Yu Hansong , Sun Fengjie
Published: January 2020

Ultrahigh temperature (UHT) pasteurization is often used to sterilize liquid whole eggs in egg processing enterprises in China. Although this treatment generates satisfactory sterilization effect, there are few studies on the processing characteristics and physical and chemical properties of the liquid whole eggs treated by UHT pasteurization. We compared the physical and chemical properties (i.e., foaming ability and stability, emulsification ability and stability, viscosity, thiol content, gel strength, and color) of unsterilized eggs and liquid whole eggs pasteurized with UHT over five weeks of storage. The emulsifying properties of sterilized liquid whole eggs were initially low and decreased further with the storage time. The emulsification stability index of UHT‐pasteurized liquid whole eggs was higher than that of unsterilized eggs and increased by 21.9%, from 7.850 to 9.567. The foaming ability of UHT‐pasteurized and unsterilized liquid whole eggs increased by 33.38% and 15.48%, respectively. The viscosity, gel strength, and soluble protein content were higher in UHT‐pasteurized liquid whole eggs than those in unsterilized liquid whole eggs and increased further with storage time. Our results demonstrate that UHT pasteurization preserves and improves the processing characteristics and shelf life of liquid whole eggs.
Stage IV Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Presenting with Unilateral Vision Loss
Authors: Le Christopher , Jacob Adam , Iyengar Devarajan , Dedousis John , Tsompanidis Antonios
Published: January 2020

Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) is a manifestation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in which malignant B-cell lymphocytes accumulate in the lymph nodes or bone marrow. In this report, we describe the medical course of a patient diagnosed with stage IV small cell lymphocytic lymphoma, who presented to the emergency room with acute neurologic manifestations of SLL.
Research on the Effect of Particle Distribution on the Crack Propagation in Shaped Energy Blasting Based on the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics
Authors: Guo Pengfei , Zhang Xiaohu , Du Weisheng , Xiao Xiaochun , Sun Dingjie
Published: January 2020

Conventional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methods suffer from disadvantages, such as difficult initial particle configuration, uneven distribution of generated particles, and low computational efficiency when applied to numerical simulation of shaped charge blasting. In this research, to overcome these problems, a modified SPH method that generates the particle configuration through self-adaptive optimization is developed by the combined application of MATLAB and LS-DYNA. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that the modified configuration method solves the problem of uneven distribution of particles in complex geometry domains by providing a more uniform smoothed particle distribution than the conventional SPH method. Furthermore, the results from the application of these two methods to the bidirectional-shaped charge blasting problem reveal that the defects in the particle configuration in the conventional SPH method lead to the development of main cracks in both the shaped and the unshaped directions. However, with the self-adaptive optimization method, the main cracks develop only in the shaped direction. In addition, the equivalent stress difference between the shaped and unshaped directions, 0.7 ms after detonation, is 120 MPa with the modified method. This is 85 MPa more than that with the conventional method.
Tumor‐Suppressive Function of lncRNA‐MEG3 in Glioma Cells by Regulating miR‐6088/SMARCB1 Axis
Authors: Gong Xin , Huang Meng-Yi
Published: January 2020

Objective. Mounting evidence has elaborated the implication of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis of several cancers, including glioma. However, little was known about the mechanism of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) in the development and progression of glioma. This work is designed to explore the effect of MEG3 on glioma progression and its possible mechanism. Methods. Expressions of lncRNA‐MEG3 and SMARCB1 were detected in human glioblastoma U87 and U251 cell lines. Gain and loss of function of MEG3 or/and miR‐6088 was performed in U87 and U251 cells to observe its effect on cell proliferation and migration as well as on epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) related markers. Luciferase reporter gene assay was employed to inspect the interactions among MEG3, miR‐6088, and SMARCB1. Results. MEG3 and SMARCB1 expressions were downregulated in glioma cells. Transfection of pcDNA3.1‐MEG3 or pcDNA3.1‐SMARCB1 plasmids could clearly block cell proliferation, migration, and EMT progression. MEG3 functions as a sponge for miR‐6088, while SMARCB1 is a downstream protein of miR‐6088. Transfection of miR‐6088 mimic or si‐SMARCB1 could obviously reverse the favorable effect of pcDNA3.1‐MEG3 on glioma progression. Conclusion. Collectively, the evidence in this study indicated that MEG3 was downregulated in glioma cells and inhibited proliferation and migration of glioma cells via regulating miR‐6088/SMARCB1 axis.
Low Medication Knowledge and Adherence to Oral Chronic Medications among Patients Attending Community Pharmacies: A Cross‐Sectional Study in a Low‐Income Country
Authors: Mekonnen Gashaw Binega , Gelayee Dessalegn Asmelashe
Published: January 2020

Objective. To investigate the level of knowledge, medication adherence, and the relationship among patients taking chronic oral medication and attending community pharmacies in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross‐sectional study was conducted among adult chronic disease patients who were taking oral medications and getting service in 19 community pharmacies in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia. Patients’ medication knowledge and adherence were assessed using interviewer‐administered validated questionnaires. Results. Of the 402 study participants (mean ± SD age = 44.7 ± 16.9 years, range = 18–86 years), 53.2% were males, 84.8% were aged <65 years, and 60.7% had high school education and above. About 348 (88.6%) respondents have used oral medications for more than one year. Less than half of respondents have good medication knowledge (n = 54, 38.3%) and were adherent to their medication (n = 158, 39.3%). Chronic disease patients with high school and above education are 5.35 times (95% CI: 3.231–8.857, p < 0.001) more likely to have good knowledge of their medication and having good medication knowledge was linked to higher medication adherence (AOR, 95% CI = 10.300 [6.16517.209]; p < 0.001). A statistically significant correlation was observed between the scores of medication knowledge and adherence (r = −0.471, p < 0.001). Conclusion. The majority of patients on oral chronic medications and attending community pharmacies in Gondar town do not have good medication knowledge and were nonadherent. Community pharmacists need to engage in medication counseling to improve medication knowledge and adherence of chronic disease patients.
Sliding Mode-Based Control of a UAV Quadrotor for Suppressing the Cable-Suspended Payload Vibration
Authors: Kusznir Tom , Smoczek Jaroslaw
Published: January 2020

This paper addresses the problem of damping vibrations of a cable-suspended payload during positioning of the quadrotor. A nonlinear model is derived for the coupled quadrotor-pendulum system in the X-Z plane using Euler–Lagrange formulation. Sliding mode control (SMC) is used for horizontal positioning and payload vibration damping, while a feedback linearizing controller is used for both altitude and attitude control. The SMC surface parameters are determined by placing the eigenvalues of the linearized system at a desired position. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control method in minimizing payload vibration by comparing it with a partial feedback linearizing controller and a ZVDD input shaper.
Clinicopathological and Prognostic Characteristics of CD276 (B7-H3) Expression in Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Authors: Liang Jiayu , Liu Zhihong , Pei Tianjiao , Xiao Yingming , Zhou Liang , Tang Yongquan , Zhou Chuan , Wu Kan , Zhang Fuxun , Zhang Fan , Yin Xiaoxue , Chen Ni , Wei Xin , Lu Yiping , Zhu Yuchun
Published: January 2020

Background. Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant endocrine tumor with a high tumor recurrence rate and poor postoperative survival. Recent studies suggest that CD276- (B7-H3) targeted therapy represents a promising therapeutic option for solid tumors. However, little is known about the expression status of CD276 or its association with progression and prognosis of ACC. Methods. Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from patients who underwent resection of ACC at our institution (n=48). Archived, formalin-fixed, and paraffin-embedded samples were collected for immunohistochemical analysis, and the correlation between CD276 expression and clinicopathological parameters was evaluated. Kaplan–Meier and univariate/multivariate Cox regression methods were implemented to identify any prognostic effects. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ACC cohort (n=77) were retrieved for quantitative validation analysis. Results. Positive expression of CD276 was detected on the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm of cancer cells or tumor-associated vascular cells in 91.67% (44/48) of ACCs. Vascular expression of CD276 was associated with local aggression (higher T stage, P=0.029) and advanced ENSAT stage (P=0.02). Specifically, patients with a higher CD276-positive cancer cell density exhibited significantly worse overall survival and recurrence-free survival in our cohort (HR=2.8, P=0.01, and HR=7.52, P<0.001, respectively) and in the validation cohort (HR=2.4, P=0.033, and HR=3.7, P<0.001, respectively). The prognostic association remained significant in multivariate Cox regression analysis. Further analysis indicated that CD276 participates in regulating the immune response as well as in the malignant biological behaviors of ACC. Conclusion. These findings highlight the immune checkpoint factor CD276 as an independent prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target in ACC.
Acral Eruptive Syringoma: An Unusual Presentation with Misdiagnosis
Authors: Mohaghegh Fatemeh , Amiri Akramsadat , Fatemi Naeini Farahnaz , Rajabi Parvin , Soltan Maryam
Published: January 2020

Eruptive syringoma is a rare variant of syringoma presenting with skin-colored or slightly pigmented papules mostly before or during puberty. In this report, we presented a rare case of eruptive syringoma in a 30-year-old woman. She exhibited multiple skin lesions in dorsal areas of her both hands, developed from the age of 15.
Towards Developing Enhanced Cluster-Based QoS-Aware Routing in MANET
Authors: Yitayih Kebebew Ababu , Libsie Mulugeta
Published: January 2020

Creating dynamic communication infrastructures between mobile devices and satisfying the desires for time-sensitive multimedia applications have introduced new challenges in the design of protocols for mobile ad hoc networks. In this paper, to stream time-sensitive applications using mobile ad hoc network (MANET), we have selected the Optimal Link State Routing (OLSR) protocol. However, the protocol has high overhead because each node selects a set of multipoint relay (MPR) nodes. Therefore, we have proposed quality of service (QoS) supporting the MPR selection approach and a new lower maintenance clustering approach for minimizing the overhead of the network. As a result, the proposed approach showed a better result in the average end-to-end delay, packet delivery ratio, routing load, and throughput.
A Method of Reducing Motor Vibration: Natural Frequency, Damping Ratio, and Vibration Analysis of CFRP Motor Frame
Authors: Zhang Jinguang , Yang Hairu , Li Xiong , Ye Wei
Published: January 2020

The existing motor frame is made of metal materials. In this paper, a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) motor frame, which uses material damping to reduce vibration amplitude, which is proposed to design and manufacture low-vibration motors. The damp ratio of the CFRP motor frame is calculated by the damp prediction model based on strain energy, which is verified by the combination of the finite element method and experiment. The vibration characteristics of the CFRP frame motor are studied experimentally and compared with that of the metal frame motor. The results show that the CFRP frame motor has good vibration reduction. The amplitude reduction is up to 5 times higher than that of the metal motor frame, which proves that the damping vibration reduction of the CFRP motor frame has a good application value.
Characteristic Analysis and Optimal Regulation of Primary Frequency Regulation Condition in Low Water Head Area Based on Hydraulic-Mechanical-Electrical Coupling Model of Pumped Storage Unit
Authors: Lv Cong , Xu Yanhe , Wu Xin , Zhang Qing
Published: January 2020

Pumped storage power station is an important regulating tool for peak load regulation and frequency regulation of the power grid, especially its primary frequency regulation function, which is of profound significance for the safety and stability of the power grid. As the core equipment of the pumped storage power station, the reversible design of the pump turbine makes it easy to have hydraulic fluctuation and mechanical instability when the unit runs to the “S” characteristic area, which will cause the frequency oscillation of the generator under the condition of primary frequency regulation. Therefore, some innovative work is studied in this paper: (1) an accurate hydraulic-mechanical-electrical coupling system mathematical model of pumped storage unit regulation system (PSURS) is established based on full characteristic curve of the pump turbine and seventh-order synchronous generator and excitation system; (2) the dynamic response characteristics of primary frequency regulation of pumped storage unit (PSU) under different water heads and different frequency disturbances are analyzed by numerical simulation; (3) in view of the unstable condition of the unit under the large frequency disturbance when it operates in the low head and small load area, the objective optimization function considering the ITAE index of hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical factors is proposed; and (4) fractional-order PID controller and the bacterial-foraging chemotaxis gravitational search algorithm (BCGSA) combined optimization strategy is used for PSURS optimization regulation and parameter optimization. The results show that the joint optimization strategy proposed in this paper has smaller objective function value, and makes the PSURS pass through the unbalanced area quickly, with better primary frequency regulation speed and smaller regulation depth.