bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic variations in the human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus receptorACE2and serine proteaseTMPRSS2
Authors: Fujikura Kohei , Uesaka Kazuma
Published: July 2020

Aims

The recent emergence of novel, pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a global health emergency. The coronaviral entry requires the spike (S)-protein for attachment to the host cell surface, and employs human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) for entry and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) for S-protein priming. Although coronaviruses undergo evolution by mutating themselves, it is also essential to know the host genetic factors. Here, we describe the single nucleotide variations (SNVs) in humanACE2andTMPRSS2.

Methods

The genetic variants derived from five population-sequencing projects were classified by variant type, allele frequency (AF), ethnic group and estimated pathogenicity. The SNVs in SARS-CoV-2/hACE2 contact residues were investigated. The genetic variability was normalised using non-linear regression and the total number of SNVs was estimated by the derived formulas.

Results

We detected 349 and 551 SNVs inACE2andTMPRSS2, respectively, in a total of 156 513 individuals. The vast majority (>97%) of the SNVs were very rare (AF <0.1%) and population-specific, and were computationally estimated to be more frequently deleterious than the SNVs with high AF. These SNVs were distributed throughout the coding regions; someACE2 variants were located in the SARS-CoV-2/hACE2 contact residues, with a hemizygous state occurring in males. Using regression analysis, the total numbers of genetic variations inACE2andTMPRSS2were 1.1×103and 1.5×103, respectively, for a population of one million people.

Conclusion

The majority of SNVs inACE2andTMPRSS2are rare, population-specific and deleterious, and a multitude of very rare SNVs may explain different susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2.
Perinatal Quality Improvement Bundle to Decrease Hypothermia in Extremely Low Birthweight Infants with Birth Weight Less than 1000 G: Single-Center Experience over 6 Years
Authors: Bhatt Dilip R , Reddy Nirupa , Ruiz Reynaldo , Bustos Darla V , Peacock Torria , Dizon Roman-Angelo , Weerasinghe Sunjeeve , Braun David X , Ramanathan Rangasamy
Published: July 2020

Normothermia (36.5°C-37. 5°C) at the time of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants (birth weight <1000 g) is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality, decreased length of stay and hospital costs. We designed a thermoregulation bundle to decrease hypothermia (<36.5°C) in ELBW infants with a multidisciplinary perinatal quality improvement initiative that included the following key interventions: dedicated delivery room (DR)/operating room (OR) for all preterm deliveries of ≤32 weeks with DR/OR temperature set 24/7 at 74°F by the hospital engineering staff, use of exothermic mattress, preheated radiant warmer set at 100% for heat prior to delivery, servo-controlled mode after the neonate is placed on the warmer, and use of plastic wrap, head cap and warm towels. A total of 200 ELBW infants were admitted to our NICU between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2019. Hypothermia (<36.5°C) occurred in 2.5% of infants, normothermia (36.5°C-37.5°C) in 91% of infants and transitional hyperthermia (>37.5°C) in 6.5% of ELBW infants. No case of moderate hypothermia (32°C-36°C) was seen in our infants. Our target rate of less than 10% hypothermia was reached in ELBW infants over the last 2 years with no cases of moderate hypothermia in 6 years. Eliminating hypothermia among ELBW remains a challenge and requires team effort and continuous quality improvement efforts.
Lncrna Mcm3Ap-As1 Promotes Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells via Regulating Mir-204-5P/Foxc1
Authors: Li Hui , Jiang Junhong
Published: July 2020

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a lethal malignancy. It is reportedly demonstrated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) participates in the development of OSCC. The purpose of this study was to clarify the function and possible molecular mechanisms of lncRNA MCM3AP antisense RNA 1 (lncRNA MCM3AP-AS1) in OSCC. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was adopted to investigate MCM3AP-AS1 expressions in OSCC tissues and cells. The proliferation, migration and invasion of HN-6 and SCC-9 cells were probed by cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assays, respectively. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay, Pearson's correlation analysis, qRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect the binding relationship among miR-204-5 p, MCM3AP-AS1 and forkheadbox C1 (FOXC1). MCM3AP-AS1 expression was elevated in OSCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of MCM3AP-AS1 facilitated the proliferation, migration and invasion of OSCC cells, while the knockdown of MCM3AP-AS1 suppressed these malignant phenotypes. Besides, MCM3AP-AS1 impeded miR-204-5 p by binding with it. MCM3AP-AS1 could also upregulate the expression of FOXC1 via repressing miR-204-5 p. MCM3AP-AS1 promotes the progression of OSCC cells by adsorbing miR-204-5 p and upregulating FOXC1 expressions.
14 Pathological oscillatory activity in Parkinson’s disease; what does it mean and how should we treat it?
Authors: Brown Peter
Published: July 2020

Professor Peter Brown is Professor of Experimental Neurology and Director of the Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit at the University of Oxford. Prior to 2010 he was a Professor of Neurology at University College London.

For decades we have had cardiac pacemakers that adjust their pacing according to demand and yet therapeutic adaptive stimulation approaches for the central nervous system are still not clinically available. Instead, to treat patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease we stimulate the basal ganglia with fixed regimes, unvarying in frequency or intensity. Although effective, this comes with side-effects and in terms of sophistication this treatment approach could be compared to having central heating system on all the time, regardless of temperature. This talk will describe recent steps being taken to define the underlying circuit dysfunction in Parkinson’s and to improve deep brain stimulation by controlling its delivery according to the state of pathological activity.

Evidence is growing that motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease are due, at least in part, to excessive synchronisation between oscillating neurons. Recordings confirm bursts of oscillatory synchronisation in the basal ganglia centred around 20 Hz. The bursts of 20 Hz activity are prolonged in patients withdrawn from their usual medication and the dominance of these long duration bursts negatively correlates with motor impairment. Longer bursts attain higher amplitudes, indicative of more pervasive oscillatory synchronisation within the neural circuit. In contrast, in heathy primates and in treated Parkinson’s disease bursts tend to be short. Accordingly, it might be best to use closed-loop controlled deep brain stimulation to selectively terminate longer, bigger, pathological beta bursts to both save power and to spare the ability of underlying neural circuits to engage in more physiological processing between long bursts. It is now possible to record and characterise bursts on-line during stimulation of the same site and trial adaptive stimulation. Thus far, this has demonstrated improvements in efficiency and side-effects over conventional continuous stimulation, with at least as good symptom control in Parkinsonian patients.
15 Stimulating the brain with sound: focused ultrasound for neuromodulation
Authors: Butler Chris
Published: July 2020

Chris Butler studied medicine at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (1991–1994) and then at the University of Edinburgh (1994–1997). He conducted his PhD on the syndrome of transient epileptic amnesia under the supervision of Professor Adam Zeman. He worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco and moved to Oxford in 2009. He was awarded a Clinician Scientist fellowship from the Medical Research Council in 2013.

Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is emerging as a potentially powerful, non-invasive technique for focal brain stimulation. TUS uses low intensity focused ultrasound delivered through the skull to cause direct modulation of neuronal function. In animal studies, TUS has been shown to modulate activity in several brain areas, including sensorimotor regions, visual cortex, frontal eye fields, anterior cingulate cortex and thalamic targets, resulting in behavioural as well as electrophysiological changes. Several studies have shown that TUS can be applied safely to healthy human participants to modulate behaviour and neural activity in brain regions including somatosensory, visual, and motor cortex as well as to deeper thalamic nuclei. These data have resulted in TUS emerging as a safe, potent, non-invasive brain stimulation tool, with better spatial accuracy and greater depth than established techniques such as transcranial magnetic or electrical stimulation. I will review these studies and discuss recent work of our own in which we studied, for the first time, TUS effects on higher-order human cortex.

We investigated whether TUS can modulate higher-order visual processing both in superficial (middle temporal area (MT)) and deep (fusiform face area (FFA)) regions. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to map skull anatomy and functional regions of interest (MT and FFA) for each participant (n=16). To control for non-specific effects, auditory masking was applied during the tasks. EEG data were collected throughout. Auditory masking reduced subjective stimulation detection to chance level and abolished auditory evoked potentials. Ultrasonic stimulation of MT led to facilitation of visual motion detection in the contralateral hemifield, with no effect upon face identity detection. Stimulation of FFA did not affect visual motion detection performance. We show that TUS can be used in humans to modify behaviour and electrophysiological activity in higher-order visual pathways in a task- specific and anatomically precise manner.
9 Evaluation of an alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI) diagnostic service pilot
Authors: Jawahar Kaanthan , Zia Ul Haq Katshu Mohammad , Ellison James , Rhinds David
Published: July 2020

Objectives/Aims

To pilot an ARBI diagnostic service within a community substance misuse team (delivered in partnership with the NHS by a 3rd sector organisation).

Background

Alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI) is an umbrella term encompassing alcohol-related cognitive impairment, alcohol-related ‘dementias’, Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. It is the result of prolonged and harmful alcohol misuse, developing through direct neuronal damage from alcohol as well as chronic deficient states of vitamin B1 (thiamine). Anecdotally, it is felt that those affected by ARBI can struggle to access the necessary expertise for diagnosis and ongoing management.

Methods

A widespread stakeholder engagement process led to the development of a standard operating procedure for the pilot service, utilising a process mapping technique. The service received referrals between September 2018 and January 2019. During this time, assessments were carried out in line with the standard operating procedure by the authors. Referrers were also asked to complete a questionnaire for their views on the service.

Results

Referrals were received from several sources within the host third sector organisation. Heterogeneity was seen in presentations and diagnoses made were not limited to ARBI. Referrers spoke highly of the service and how it had positively benefitted their patients going forwards, providing clarity around diagnoses and thus being able to access appropriate support going forwards. There was a clear need demonstrated for such a service.

Conclusions

Anecdotally patients with ARBI are viewed as a marginalised group who struggle to access the necessary expertise for diagnosis and ongoing management. This service pilot was successful in filling that gap. Work is ongoing through discussions with local NHS healthcare system partners, including acute trusts, commissioners, mental health, the 3rd sector and Social Care, to devise a more sustainable pathway based upon this pilot service. At present, this is taking the form of an acute hospital ‘in-reach’ pathway to be trialled in an acute trust. This will provide the basis of a business case for a pathway across the STP footprint.
10 Deep brain stimulation of the bilateral habenula for treatment resistant depression: preliminary results of six patients
Authors: Zhang Chencheng , Zhang Yingying , Li Jun , Li Dianyou , Jin Haiyan , Voon Valerie , Sun Bomin
Published: July 2020

Objectives/Aims

The habenular nucleus is a set of well-conserved structures involved in aversive reward and is inhibitory to major monoaminergic nuclei. Several cases indicated that it is a promising deep brain stimulation (DBS) target for treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). In this study, we assess the effectiveness and safeness of bilateral habenula DBS in MDD patients.

Methods

Six patients with MDD underwent DBS of bilateral habenula in the study (5 bipolar disorder and 1 unipolar disorder; 4 males and 2 females). Quantitative susceptibility mapping was used to visualize the habenula. Hamilton depression scale (HAM-D) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS) were used to qualify the severity of depressive symptoms and were the primary outcome measures.

Response to DBS was defined as a 50% decrease on the HAM-D and MADRS compared to baseline. The pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), 36-Item short form survey (SF-36) and sheehan disability scale (SDS) were used to assess quality of sleep, quality of life and disability respectively. These measures were implemented at baseline and 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month after surgery.

Results

At one-month follow-up, compared to the baseline, the HAM-D and MADRS mean scores significantly decreased from 24 (2.2), 31 (4.1) to 14 (7.3), 17.3 (9.8) respectively and four patients were categorized as responders to DBS (p=0.018, p<0.01). Moreover, the PSQI mean score dramatically decreased from 16.3 (2.1) to 9.7 (3.3) (p<0.01) and the SF-36 total mean score increased from 317 (119.4) to 540 (228.3) (p=0.012). The SDS mean score also significantly decreased (p<0.05). There were no permanent side effects observed.

Conclusions

The results of one-month follow-up demonstrated that DBS of bilateral habenula may relieve the depressive symptoms rapidly. The quality of sleep, quality of life and functioning also improved.
27 The coexistence of social withdrawal and impulsivity: a trans-diagnostic approach
Authors: Mandali Alekhya , Gillan Claire , Voon Valerie
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Social anxiety disorder or phobia (SAD) is a debilitating condition, where an individual experiences overwhelming fear to situations involving social interactions. Prototypically, SAD presents as shy, submissive, inhibited, and risk- aversive behaviours. Contrastingly, an atypical sub-group show impulsive, aggressive, novelty-seeking behaviours along with severe substance abuse problems. In scenarios, where there is co-existence of polar opposite symptoms, trans-diagnostic approaches extrapolate the characteristics of a disorder as a continuum rather than a categorical one. Data-driven computational models such as drift diffusion model utilize behavioural measures and extract potential markers that reflect the activity of specific brain networks. Here, we aim to analyse and correlate the psychological traits with computational estimates of behaviour during risk-taking and value based decision making.

Methods

We used the data from 1400 participants who completed the 2 stage sequential learning task. We focused on the second stage of the task, where the reward probabilities of the choices are stochastic. The computational measures were estimated for two scenarios i.e. when the participants made 1) accurate choices and 2) risky choices (the choice with maximum variance in reward probability was labelled as risky). This computation was performed for all the trials across all the participants. We then used choice–(risky vs non-risky or correct vs incorrect) and response time as inputs to the hierarchical drift diffusion model to extract threshold (a), drift rate (v) and response bias (z) parameters. The computational parameters were then correlated with the 3 psychological factors that span the compulsive, anxiety- depression and the social withdrawal spectrum.

Results

The computational parameters from both accuracy and risk taking scenarios of the sequential learning task were correlated with the 3 factors. While controlling for IQ and age, we found a generalized correlation which is significant between the threshold parameter(‘a’) and social withdrawal, with the former estimate being negatively correlated (Accuracy: |r| = -0.078, p=0.003; Risk: |r| = -0.075, p=0.005) with the latter. This relation was not observed with regard to anxiety-depression and compulsive traits.

Conclusions

We show that individuals with higher social withdrawal levels are impulsive as they accumulate less evidence while making a choice. This behaviour holds irrespective of the choice being chosen is an optimal or a risky one. Critically, we show how a trans-diagnostic approach of integrating computational model and psychological questionnaires can reveal the existence of psychological traits as a continuum.
Safety and feasibility of ulnar artery access for neuroangiography and neurointervention: a case series
Authors: Dossani Rimal H , Waqas Muhammad , Tso Michael K , Rajah Gary B , Popoola Daniel , Rai Hamid H , Levy Elad I , Siddiqui Adnan H , Davies Jason M
Published: July 2020

Background

Radial access has become popular among neurointerventionalists because it has favorable risk profiles compared with femoral access. Difficulties in accessing or navigating the radial artery have been viewed as a reason to convert to femoral access, but ulnar artery access may prevent complications associated with transfemoral procedures.

Objective

To evaluate the safety and feasibility of ulnar access for neurointerventions and diagnostic neuroangiographic procedures.

Methods

Consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic angiography or neurointerventional procedures via ulnar access between July 1, 2019 and April 15, 2020 were included. Data recorded were demographics, procedure indication, devices, technique, and complications. Descriptive analysis was performed.

Results

Ulnar artery access was obtained for 21 procedures in 18 patients (mean age 70.3±7.8 years; nine men). Procedures included 13 diagnostic angiograms and eight neurointerventions (3 left middle meningeal artery embolization, 1 of which was aborted; 2 carotid artery stenting; 2 angioplasty; 1 mechanical thrombectomy for in-stent thrombosis). A right-sided approach with ultrasound guidance was used for all cases except one. Indications included small caliber radial artery (n=9), radial artery occlusion (n=10), and radial artery preservation for potential bypass (n=2). A 5-French slender sheath was used for diagnostic angiography; a 6-French slender sheath was used for neurointerventions. No case required conversion to femoral access. Two patients had minor hematomas after the procedure; one other had ulnar artery occlusion on 30-day ultrasonography.

Conclusion

Ulnar access is safe and feasible for diagnostic and interventional neuroangiographic procedures. It provides a useful alternative to radial access, potentially avoiding complications associated with femoral access.
Variation in the MRI signal intensity of naturally occurring equine superficial digital flexor tendinopathies over a 12‐month period
Authors: Berner Dagmar , Brehm Walter , Gerlach Kerstin , Offhaus Julia , Scharner Doreen , Burk Janina
Published: July 2020

Background

Signal intensity (SI) of equine tendinopathies in MRI differs between the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT). In DDFT lesions, short tau inversion recovery (STIR) SI decreases earlier than T2‐weighted (T2w) SI, while the latter decreases earlier in SDFT lesions, but long‐term results using STIR sequences are lacking.

Methods

Standing MRI of eight horses with naturally occurring SDFT lesions was performed at the day of treatment as well as 2, 6 and 12 months after treatment.

Results

After 12 months, six horses were sound and showed complete resolution of increased SI in T2w fast spin echo (FSE) images, but increased SI was found in STIR images in three horses and persisted in T1w and T2*w gradient recall echo images of all horses. In contrast, hyperintense areas were still visible in the SDFT in T2w FSE images in two horses presenting with re‐injury. In the six horses without re‐injury, percentage of cross‐sectional areas affected and SI decreased over time in all sequences.

Conclusions

This study suggests that SI in naturally occurring SDFT lesions decreases earlier in T2w FSE than in STIR images, in contrast to the DDFT.
The FAMU experiment: muonic hydrogen high precision spectroscopy studies
Authors: Pizzolotto C. , Adamczak A. , Bakalov D. , Baldazzi G. , Baruzzo M. , Benocci R. , Bertoni R. , Bonesini M. , Bonvicini V. , Cabrera H. , Cirrincione D. , Citossi M. , Chignoli F. , Clemenza M. , Colace L. , Danailov M. , Danev P. , de Bari A. , De Vecchi C. , de Vincenzi M. , Fasci E. , Furlanetto E. , Fuschino F. , Gadedjisso-Tossou K. S. , Gianfrani L. , Guffanti D. , Hillier A. D. , Ishida K. , King P. J. C. , Labanti C. , Maggi V. , Mazza R. , Menegolli A. , Mocchiutti E. , Moretti L. , Morgante G. , Niemela J. , Patrizi B. , Pirri A. , Pullia A. , Ramponi R. , Rignanese L. P. , Roman H. E. , Rossella M. , Sarkar R. , Sbrizzi A. , Stoilov M. , Stoychev L. , Suárez-Vargas J. J. , Toci G. , Tortora L. , Vallazza E. , Vannini M. , Xiao C. , Zampa G. , Vacchi A.
Published: July 2020

The FAMU experiment aims to measure for the first time the hyperfine splitting of the muonic hydrogen ground state. From this measurement the proton Zemach radius can be derived and this will shed light on the determination of the proton charge radius. In this paper, we describe the scientific goal, the method and the detailed preparatory work. This includes the outcome of preliminary measurements, subsequent refined simulations and the evaluation of the expected results. The experimental setup being built for the measurement of the hyperfine splitting to be performed at the RAL laboratory muon facility is also described.
Mapping geological events in submerged areas
Authors: Battaglini L. , D′Angelo S. , Fiorentino A.
Published: July 2020

EMODnet Geology Project work package 6 collects information regarding ‘Geological events and probabilities’, including submarine landslides, earthquakes, volcanic centres, tsunamis, fluid emissions and tectonics. The elaboration of guidelines to compile GIS layers was aimed at identifying parameters to be used to thoroughly characterize each event. Particular attention has been devoted to the definition of the ‘Attribute tables’ in order to achieve the best degree of harmonization and standardization complying with the European INSPIRE Directive. Due to the different geological settings of European seas it was necessary to elaborate a comprehensive and detailed pattern of attributes for the different features, in order to represent each occurrence at different scales. The huge amount of data received has been processed, validated and standardized, thus obtaining homogeneous data layers at a European level. Metadata and available information collated during the project are displayed on the EMODnet Geology Portal (
http://www.emodnet-geology.eu/
). By combining all these data it may be possible to elaborate additional thematic maps which could support further research as well as land planning and management. The Geological Survey of Italy is testing one of these potential applications, which addresses the production of a structural model for submerged areas in Italy.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Mapping the Geology and Topography of the European Seas (EMODnet) collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/EMODnet
Coastal processes in the Russian Baltic (eastern Gulf of Finland and Kaliningrad area)
Authors: Ryabchuk Daria , Sergeev Alexander , Burnashev Evgeny , Khorikov Viktor , Neevin Igor , Kovaleva Olga , Budanov Leonid , Zhamoida Vladimir , Danchenkov Aleksandr
Published: July 2020

The results of both onshore and offshore monitoring of the coastal zone in the Russian Baltic reveal the high intensity and recent acceleration of coastal dynamics caused by an increasing frequency of extreme hydrodynamic events and anthropogenic impacts on the diverse geology. Stable coasts dominate in the eastern Gulf of Finland, but the local rate of shoreline recession is up to 2.0 m a
−1
, reaching 5 m in one extreme storm event. The coastal zone of the Kaliningrad area is diverse. The western coast of the Sambia Peninsula is controlled by anthropogenic influences linked to the exploitation of geological resources. The beaches advance when the supply of artificial sediments from opencast amber mines increases, whereas the shoreline retreat reaches 10–20 m a
−1
when the input is interrupted. Active landslides and beach degradation dominate along the northern coast of the Sambia Peninsula. Large areas of pre-Quaternary deposits, outcrops and boulders in the nearshore provide evidence of sediment deficiency offshore. The coastal geological hazards are dependent on climate. A comprehensive understanding of the main trends in climate change is important for predicting and mitigating future damage to the coastal infrastructure and for selecting adaptation strategies.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Mapping the Geology and Topography of the European Seas (EMODnet) collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/EMODnet
A Decade of NeuroIS Research
Authors: Riedl René , Fischer Thomas , Léger Pierre-Majorique , Davis Fred D.
Published: July 2020

NeuroIS is a field in Information Systems (IS) that makes use of neuroscience and neurophysiological tools and knowledge to better understand the development, adoption, and impact of information and communication technologies. The fact that NeuroIS now exists for more than a decade motivated us to comprehensively review the academic literature. Investigation of the field's development provides insights into the status of NeuroIS, thereby contributing to identity development in the NeuroIS field. Based on a review of N=200 papers published in 55 journals and 13 conference proceedings in the period 2008-2017, we addressed the following four research questions: Which NeuroIS topics were investigated? What kind of NeuroIS research was published? How was the empirical NeuroIS research conducted? Who published NeuroIS research? Based on a discussion of the findings and their implications for future research, which considers results of a recent NeuroIS survey (N=60 NeuroIS scholars), we conclude that today NeuroIS can be considered an established research field in the IS discipline. However, our review also indicates that further efforts are necessary to advance the field, both from a theoretical and methodological perspective.
Directing Technology Addiction Research in Information Systems
Authors: Serenko Alexander , Turel Ofir
Published: July 2020

Technology-related addictions have become common in many societies. Consequently, IS research has started examining such issues. In these embryonic stages of research, this line of work has already shown some promise in terms of understanding and tackling technology addiction problems. Nevertheless, there is a need to step back and understand the roots of technology-related addictions and how their foundations evolved in reference disciplines in order to be able to conduct more scientifically informed research on such issues. This study, therefore, explains the concept of behavioral addictions (the family of addictions to which technology-related addictions presumably belong), reviews the field's history and evolution, explains the relevant brain circuitry, and discusses similarities and differences between behavioral and substance addictions. A synthesis of this information provides eight key observations and recommendations that should help the field move forward.
Creating Competitive Advantage in E-Business Value Chains by Using Excess Capacity via IT-enabled Marketplaces
Authors: Häckel Björn , Übelhör Jochen , Voit Christian
Published: July 2020

Innovations through the "business process as a service" (BPaaS) concept have shaped new business opportunities for service providers. Technological progress allows business process service providers (BPSPs) to offer a wide range of digitized and standardized services to business clients. Within this business model, capacity planning is a major challenge for BPSPs, as costs are the decisive factor in the competitive business environment of digital service provision. Accordingly, BPSPs must tackle inefficiencies in capacity planning resulting from both idle capacity and lost revenue caused by volatile demand. However, recent technological developments offering dynamic integration and information capabilities may help, as they enable the exchange of excess capacity between business partners. We examine the corresponding potential of IT-enabled excess capacity markets to create competitive advantage in e-business value chains by analyzing a BPSP's capacity-related optimization problem. We build an analytical model based on queuing theory and evaluate it through a discreteevent simulation applying a possible application scenario. By solving the optimization problem, we identified a remarkable cost advantage in using excess capacity as a first competitive advantage. Building on this cost advantage, we furthermore identified differentiation advantages realizable without raising prices. Both findings highlight the relevance of further research on this topic.
Supercomputing and Secure Cloud Infrastructures in Biology and Medicine
Authors: Jespersgaard Cathrine , Syed Ali , Chmura Piotr , Løngreen Peter
Published: July 2020

The increasing amounts of healthcare data stored in health registries, in combination with genomic and other types of data, have the potential to enable better decision making and pave the path for personalized medicine. However, reaping the full benefits of big, sensitive data for the benefit of patients requires greater access to data across organizations and institutions in various regions. This overview first introduces cloud computing and takes stock of the challenges to enhancing data availability in the healthcare system. Four models for ensuring higher data accessibility are then discussed. Finally, several cases are discussed that explore how enhanced access to data would benefit the end user.
Inhibiting fusion with cellular membrane system: therapeutic options to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection
Authors: Mitra Prasenjit
Published: July 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), an enveloped virus with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome, facilitates the host cell entry through intricate interactions with proteins and lipids of the cell membrane. The detailed molecular mechanism involves binding to the host cell receptor and fusion at the plasma membrane or after being trafficked to late endosomes under favorable environmental conditions. A crucial event in the process is the proteolytic cleavage of the viral spike protein by the host’s endogenous proteases that releases the fusion peptide enabling fusion with the host cellular membrane system. The present review details the mechanism of viral fusion with the host and highlights the therapeutic options that prevent SARS-CoV-2 entry in humans.
Ultrasound measurement of change in kidney volume is a sensitive indicator of severity of renal parenchymal injury
Authors: Crislip G. Ryan , Patel Bansari , Mohamed Riyaz , Ray Sarah C. , Wei Qingqing , Sun Jingping , Polichnowski Aaron J. , Sullivan Jennifer C. , O’Connor Paul M.
Published: July 2020

Noninvasive determination of the severity of parenchymal injury in acute kidney injury remains challenging. Edema is an early pathological process following injury, which may correlate with changes in kidney volume. The goal of the present study was to test the hypothesis that “increases in kidney volume measured in vivo using ultrasound correlate with the degree of renal parenchymal injury.” Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) of varying length was used to produce graded tissue injury. We first determined 1) whether regional kidney volume in rats varied with the severity (0, 15, 30, and 45 min) of warm bilateral IR and 2) whether this correlated with tubular injury score. We then determined whether these changes could be measured in vivo using three-dimensional ultrasound. Finally, we evaluated cumulative changes in kidney volume up to 14 days post-IR in rats to determine whether changes in renal volume were predictive of latent tubular injury following recovery of filtration. Experiments concluded that noninvasive ultrasound measurements of change in kidney volume over 2 wk are predictive of tubular injury following IR even in animals in which plasma creatinine was not elevated. We conclude that ultrasound measurements of volume are a sensitive, noninvasive marker of tissue injury in rats and that the use of three-dimensional ultrasound measurements may provide useful information regarding the timing, severity, and recovery from renal tissue injury in experimental studies.
Separation of CO2 from Small Gas Molecules Using Deca-Dodecasil 3 Rhombohedral (DDR3) Membrane Synthesized via Ultrasonically Assisted Hydrothermal Growth Method
Authors: Mubashir Muhammad , Fong Yeong Yin , Saqib Sidra , Mukhtar Ahmad , Rafiq Sikander , Niazi Muhammad Bilal K. , Babar Muhammad , Ullah Sami , Al-Sehemi Abdullah G. , Jamil Farrukh
Published: July 2020

Deca-dodecasil 3 rhombohedral (DDR3) membrane has received much attention in CO2 separation from small gas molecules because of its molecular sieving property and stable characteristics. Therefore, the present work is focusing on the utilization of previously fabricated membrane (synthesized in 3 days as reported in our previous work) to study the effect of hydrocarbons and its durability at the previously optimized conditions. Subsequently, gas permeation study was conducted on the DDR3 membrane in CO2 separation from small gas molecules and it was found that the permeance of H2, CO2, N2, and CH4 decreased in the order of H2 > CO2 > N2 > CH4, according to the increase in kinetic diameter of these gas molecules. Besides, it was observed that the ideal selectivities of the gas pairs decreased in the sequence of CO2/CH4 > CO2/N2 > H2/CO2. On the other hand, it was found that the presence of hydrocarbon impurities in the gas mixture containing CO2 and CH4 has directly affected the performance of DDR3 membrane and contributed to the losses of CO2 permeability, CH4 permeability, and CO2/CH4 selectivity of 39.1%, 14.8%, and 4.2%, respectively. Consequently, from the stability test, the performance of DDR3 membrane remained stable for 96 h, even after the separation testing using CO2 and CH4 gas mixture containing hydrocarbon impurities.
Annihilators in Universal Algebras: A New Approach
Authors: Addis Gezahagne Mulat
Published: July 2020

The purpose of this paper is to study annihilators and annihilator ideals in a more general context; in universal algebras.
Magnetic Properties, Adhesion, and Nanomechanical Property of Co40Fe40W20 Films on Si (100) Substrate
Authors: Liu Wen-Jen , Chang Yung-Huang , Ou Sin-Liang , Chen Yuan-Tsung , Liang You-Cheng , Huang Bo-Jia , Chu Chun-Lin , Chiang Chia-Chin , Wu Te-Ho
Published: July 2020

In this study, a Co40Fe40W20 alloy was sputtered onto Si (100) with thicknesses (tf) ranging from 18 to 90 nm, and the corresponding structure, magnetic properties, adhesive characteristics, and nanomechanical properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the Co40Fe40W20 films demonstrated a significant crystalline body-centered cubic (BCC) CoFe (110) structure when the thickness was 42 nm, and an amorphous status was shown when the thickness was 18 nm, 30 nm, 60 nm, and 90 nm. The saturation magnetization (Ms) showed a saturated trend as tf was increased. Moreover, the coercivity (Hc) showed a minimum 1.65 Oe with 30 nm. Hc was smaller than 4.5 Oe owing to the small grain size distribution and amorphous structure, indicating that the Co40Fe40W20 film had soft magnetism. The low-frequency alternating current magnetic susceptibility (χac) decreased as the frequency was increased. The χac revealed a thickness effect when greater thicknesses had a large χac. The maximum χac and optimal resonance frequency (fres) of Co40Fe40W20 were investigated. The maximum χac indicated the spin sensitivity and was maximized at the optimal resonance frequency. The 90 mm thickness had the highest χac 0.18 value at an fres of 50 Hz. The contact angles of the Co40Fe40W20 films are less than 90°, which indicated that the film had a good wetting effect and hydrophilicity. The surface energy was correlated with the adhesion and displayed a concave-down trend. CoFeW films can be used as a seed or buffer layer; therefore, the surface energy and adhesion are very important. The highest surface energy was 30.12 mJ/mm2 at 42 nm and demonstrated high adhesion. High surface energy has corresponding strong adhesive performance. The increased surface roughness can induce domain wall pinning effect and high surface energy, causing a high coercivity and strong adhesion. The increase of hardness and Young’s modulus could be reasonably inferred from the thinner CoFeW films. The hardness and Young’s modulus of CoFeW films are also displayed to saturated tendency when increasing thickness.
Analyzing the Bond Behavior of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Bars Embedded in Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECCs) with the Nonlocal Continuum Rod Model
Authors: Li Qiuxiang , Fu Mingfu , Xie Banghua
Published: July 2020

In this study, a nonlocal elastic rod model is applied to analytically evaluate the bond behavior between fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars and engineered cementitious composites (ECCs). The second-order differential equation, which is based on nonlocal elasticity theory, governs the bond behavior of the FRP bars along the bond length. The classical elasticity model is a special case of the nonlocal model. The solution of the second-order differential equation can be obtained by substituting three-stage linear bond stress-slip relationship of the FRP bars. The slip values (solution of the second-order differential equation) within the bond length calculated by the nonlocal continuum rod model are affected by the nonlocal parameter e0a. The results from a case study show that the maximum pullout force decreases when the nonlocal size effect is considered, thereby providing a closer approximation of the experimental data than the existing local model.
Spatial-Frequency Feature Learning and Classification of Motor Imagery EEG Based on Deep Convolution Neural Network
Authors: Miao Minmin , Hu Wenjun , Yin Hongwei , Zhang Ke
Published: July 2020

EEG pattern recognition is an important part of motor imagery- (MI-) based brain computer interface (BCI) system. Traditional EEG pattern recognition algorithm usually includes two steps, namely, feature extraction and feature classification. In feature extraction, common spatial pattern (CSP) is one of the most frequently used algorithms. However, in order to extract the optimal CSP features, prior knowledge and complex parameter adjustment are often required. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is one of the most popular deep learning models at present. Within CNN, feature learning and pattern classification are carried out simultaneously during the procedure of iterative updating of network parameters; thus, it can remove the complicated manual feature engineering. In this paper, we propose a novel deep learning methodology which can be used for spatial-frequency feature learning and classification of motor imagery EEG. Specifically, a multilayer CNN model is designed according to the spatial-frequency characteristics of MI EEG signals. An experimental study is carried out on two MI EEG datasets (BCI competition III dataset IVa and a self-collected right index finger MI dataset) to validate the effectiveness of our algorithm in comparison with several closely related competing methods. Superior classification performance indicates that our proposed method is a promising pattern recognition algorithm for MI-based BCI system.
Two-Weight, Weak-Type Norm Inequalities for a Class of Sublinear Operators on Weighted Morrey and Amalgam Spaces
Authors: Wang Hua
Published: July 2020

Let Tα0≤α<n be a class of sublinear operators satisfying certain size conditions introduced by Soria and Weiss, and let b,Tα0≤α<n be the commutators generated by BMORn functions and Tα. This paper is concerned with two-weight, weak-type norm estimates for these sublinear operators and their commutators on the weighted Morrey and amalgam spaces. Some boundedness criteria for such operators are given, under the assumptions that weak-type norm inequalities on weighted Lebesgue spaces are satisfied. As applications of our main results, we can obtain the weak-type norm inequalities for several integral operators as well as the corresponding commutators in the framework of weighted Morrey and amalgam spaces.
Minimum Variable Connectivity Index of Trees of a Fixed Order
Authors: Yousaf Shamaila , Bhatti Akhlaq Ahmad , Ali Akbar
Published: July 2020

The connectivity index, introduced by the chemist Milan Randić in 1975, is one of the topological indices with many applications. In the first quarter of 1990s, Randić proposed the variable connectivity index by extending the definition of the connectivity index. The variable connectivity index for graph G is defined as ∑vw∈EGdv+γdw+γ−1/2, where γ is a nonnegative real number, EG is the edge set of G, and dt denotes the degree of an arbitrary vertex t in G. Soon after the innovation of the variable connectivity index, its various chemical applications have been reported in different papers. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, mathematical properties of the variable connectivity index, for γ>0, have not yet been discussed explicitly in any paper. The main purpose of the present paper is to fill this gap by studying this topological index in a mathematical point of view. More precisely, in this paper, we prove that the star graph has the minimum variable connectivity index among all trees of a fixed order n, where n≥4.
Impact of Stochastically Perturbed Terminal Velocities on Convective-Scale Ensemble Forecasts of Precipitation
Authors: Wang Shizhang , Qiao Xiaoshi , Min Jinzhong
Published: July 2020

The impact of stochastically perturbing the terminal velocities of hydrometeors on convective-scale ensemble forecasts of precipitation was examined. An idealized supercell storm case was first used to determine the terminal velocity error characteristics for a one-moment microphysics scheme in terms of the terminal velocities from a two-moment scheme. Two real cases were employed to evaluate the forecast skills resulting from perturbing the terminal velocities with real data. The results indicated that the one-moment scheme produced terminal velocities that were approximately three times higher than those of the two-moment scheme for snow and hail, which often resulted in overpredictions of hourly precipitation and areal accumulated precipitation. Therefore, stochastically perturbing the terminal velocities according to their error characteristics matched the observed hourly precipitation and areal accumulated precipitation better than the symmetrical perturbations. For the two-moment scheme, the symmetrical perturbations of the terminal velocities tended to produce lower falling speeds of precipitation hydrometeors; therefore, more light rain was produced. Compared to the unperturbed two-moment scheme, symmetrically perturbing the terminal velocities resulted in smaller precipitation errors when precipitation was overestimated but comparable or slightly larger precipitation errors when precipitation was underestimated. This work demonstrates the sensitivity of precipitation ensemble forecasts to terminal velocity perturbations and the potential benefits of adopting these perturbations; however, whether the perturbations actually result in significant improvements in precipitation forecast skill needs further study.
Utility of a New Artificial Dermis as a Successful Tool in Face and Scalp Reconstruction for Skin Cancer: Analysis of the Efficacy, Safety, and Aesthetic Outcomes
Authors: Lembo Fedele , Cecchino Liberato Roberto , Parisi Domenico , Portincasa Aurelio
Published: July 2020

Radical ablative surgery is the gold standard treatment of head skin cancer. The authors expose their experience with a new artificial dermis (Pelnac®), analyzing retrospectively the overall morbidity and aesthetic outcomes. 16 consecutive patients underwent two surgical procedures under local anesthesia. The first involved the tumor removal and application of the ADM. In the second, the exposed tissue was covered with a split-thickness skin graft. On follow-up (6 months), tumor recurrences, quality of scars (using the Vancouver Scar Scale), and patient reported outcomes (using FACE-Q Skin Cancer Module) were evaluated. 10 were males and 6 females, with a mean age of 73 years (61–89). The follow-up ranged from 12 to 48 months (mean: 30). The sites of skin tumor were scalp (12 cases), forehead (2), cheek (1), and zygomatic area (1). Nine patients underwent previous local surgery; two received radiotherapy. The average length of hospital stay was 3.2 days. The mean surface area of the defect was 59.15 cm2 (16.9–89.5). In three cases, the surgical bed was bone without periosteum. The malignant tumors excised were basal cell carcinoma (68.75%), squamous cell carcinoma (18.75%), malignant melanoma (6.25%), and sarcoma (6.25%). The mean operating time was 41 minutes for the first operation (25–55) and 34 for the second (25–48). No significant problems were observed and 15 patients (93.75%) had 100 percent intake of graft. The mean time of healing was 39 days (32–45). At 6 months post-op, no tumor recurrence. Satisfactory cosmetic and functional results were obtained in all patients as shown by the VSS Scale and FACEQ skin cancer module mean scores. We believe that the artificial dermis is a reliable alternative to flaps and should be considered an excellent option in head reconstruction for skin cancer, especially in critical patients (old, with large and deep defects, with recurrent tumors, required radiotherapy).