bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heutagogy Approach : Effectiveness of M-Learning For Lifelong Learning Education/ Pendekatan Heutagogi :Keberkesanan M-Pembelajaran untuk Pendidikan Sepanjang Hayat
Authors: Kamrozzaman Nurul Aisyah , Badusah Jamaludin , Wan Mohammad Wan Muna Ruzanna
Published: September 2019

This study aims to research on the effectiveness of M-learning for a lifelong learning learner which is based on the Heutagogy Approach vide the usage of academic writing’s course. Survey has been administrated to 80 students from the executive programme at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in which they have taken academic writing as the compulsory subject of the abovesaid programme. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive analysis and inference in order to determine the effectiveness of M-learning via heutagogy approach. Result shows that M-learning will increase the heutagogy approach’s element particularly the sharing and connectivity elements. These two elements display highest mean as compared to the other elements. Apart from that, correlation result confirms that heutagogy approach and the students’ response towards technology havepositive relationships which are interconnected between each other. This research will give an implication to the other researcher about heutagogy approachwhich has yet to be fully discovered. Besides that, this research will be beneficial to the public due to the fact that, nowadays, lifelong learning may no longer be conducted via face to face approach, but it can be applied anywhere and anytime via online. On top of that, this research indicates that technology and approach should move along, hand in hand, in building a continuous education in Malaysia.Keywords: heutagogy approach, m-learning; lifelong learning; academic writing
The Mapping of Geography Courses at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris with a Standard Curriculum for Secondary School in Malaysia/ Pemetaan Kursus Geografi di Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris dengan Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah di Malaysia
Authors: Hashim Mohmadisa , Mahat Hanifah , Nayan Nasir , Saleh Yazid , Liew See Koh
Published: September 2019

The purpose of this article is to map the curriculum of Bachelor of Education in Geography programme with the Standard Document of Curriculum and Assessment (DSKP) in school. An analysis of  document been implemented to examine the linkages between the geography curriculum at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) towards the geography subject in Standard Curriculum for Secondary School  (KSSM) of form one, two and three. The relationship matrix of paralleled themes was identified with the ATLAS.ti software. The themes examined comprised of physical geography, human geography and geographic skills. The results showed that 14 out of 16 courses of BED Geography were parallel with the Geography DSKP for form 1 to 3. There were eight topics in the DSKP of KSSM Geography that were not related in any Geography BED Instructional Plan, which involved two form 1 topics, titled Kedudukan and Lakaran Peta Malaysia; three form 2 topics, namely Telekomunikasi di Malaysia, Jenis dan Kemajuan Pengangkutan di Asia and Teknologi Hijau; and three form 3 topics, namely Tumbuh-Tumbuhan Semula Jadi di Malaysia, Hidupan Liar di Malaysia and Kitar Semula. The results showed that the university department need to improve the existing courses and there was a need for an addition of relevant courses to the Geography BED programme to aligned with the latest school curriculum. The findings of this study will be able to improve the education system at the university level in order to produce prospective geography teachers with the latest knowledge and the 21st century skills.
Understanding the Rudiments of Media Research Methodology: Content Analysis of Daily Trust, a Nigerian Daily Newspaper
Authors: Ibrahim Adamkolo Mohammed , Maikaba Balarabe , Yar’Adua Suleiman Mainasara
Published: September 2019

Newspaper journalism is a vast area of research that has gained much attention from academics and media industry. Because of the immense contribution of media to social, economic, political and cultural development to societies, understanding the links and impacts of media and media content on audiences and the polity has been stressed. Democracy has been shown to be a means to an end, and public opinion and participation are invariably shown to affect and be affected by democracy and media content. By its unique characteristics (private ownership, less state influence, greater independence, ability to criticize the state, etc.) newspaper has been shown to influence government and public agenda and set agenda for broadcast and online media. One of the popular methodological approaches adopted in media agenda-setting research is content analysis. Based on the Agenda-Setting theory, this paper employed a quantitative content analysis approach to provide an understanding about the content of Daily Trust newspaper (a Nigerian national daily) in order to provide some guidance on the practical skills and theoretical knowledge about content analysis both as a methodology and theoretical framework for the benefits of postgraduate media content analysis students and researchers. The findings showed that pictures, headlines and news stories were the dominant units of analysis while politics (democracy, governance and party politics) religion and crisis (ethno-religious crises issues surrounding the herdsmen-farmers conflict) were the dominant content categories. Daily Trust newspaper should continue embracing development and peace journalism trend of journalism.
Vibration-Based Condition Monitoring of Helicopter Gearboxes Based on Cyclostationary Analysis
Authors: Mauricio Alexandre , Zhou Linghao , Mba David , Gryllias Konstantinos
Published: September 2019

The core of a helicopter drivetrain is a complex planetary main gearbox (MGB), which reduces the high input speed generated by the engines in order to provide the appropriate torque to the main rotors and to other auxiliary systems. The gearbox consists of various shafts, planetary gears, and bearings, and operates under varying conditions under excessive friction, heat, and high mechanical forces. The components are vulnerable to fatigue defects and therefore health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) have been developed in order to monitor the health condition of the gearbox, focusing toward early, accurate, and on-time fault detection with limited false alarms and missed detections. The main aim of a HUMS is by health monitoring to enhance the helicopters' operational reliability, to support the maintenance decision-making, and to reduce the overall maintenance costs. The importance and the need for more advanced and accurate HUMS have been emphasized recently by the postaccident analysis of the helicopter LN-OJF, which crashed in Norway in 2016. During the last few decades, various methodologies and diagnostic indicators/features have been proposed for the monitoring of rotating machinery operating under steady conditions but still there is no global solution for complex structures. A new tool called improved envelope spectrum via feature optimization-gram (IESFOgram) has been recently proposed by the authors, based on cyclostationary analysis, focusing on the accurate selection of a filtering band, under steady and varying speed conditions. Moreover, the cyclic spectral coherence (CSCoh) is integrated along the selected frequency band leading to an improved envelope spectrum (IES). In this paper, the performance of the tool is tested on a complex planetary gearbox, with several vibration sources. The method is tested, evaluated, and compared to state-of-the-art methods on a dataset captured during experimental tests under various operating conditions on a Category A Super Puma SA330 main planetary gearbox, presenting seeded bearing defects of different sizes.
Fueling Machine Model for Simulation of Spent Fuel Behavior in Postulated Fuel Handling Accidents
Authors: Huang L. Y. , Fan H. Z. , Maltchevski M. , Ranger A.
Published: September 2019

On-power fueling is an important feature of the CANDU® reactor. Fueling is a routine operation with a large number of channel fueling visits made each year with the fueling machines acting as the key system. Hence, safety analysis must consider fueling machine events typically when the fueling machine is in transit toward the spent fuel port. This paper presents a model of fueling machine containing spent fuel with complex configuration and multiprocess mechanisms. Using an integral approach with fuel and fueling machine, this model tends to improve previous modeling method, which only takes account of a slice of fuel or fueling machine. This fueling machine model is developed for simulations of the fueling machine coolant thermal hydraulics behavior, the spent fuel behavior, and potential fission product release during postulated loss of heat removal accidents. An example of its application is also presented in this paper.
Using the Many-Facet Rasch Model to analyse and evaluate the quality of objective structured clinical examination: a non-experimental cross-sectional design
Authors: Tavakol Mohsen , Pinner Gill
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Sources of bias, such as the examiners, domains and stations, can influence the student marks in objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). This study describes the extent to which the facets modelled in an OSCE can contribute to scoring variance and how they fit into a Many-Facet Rasch Model (MFRM) of OSCE performance. A further objective is to identify the functioning of the rating scale used.

Design

A non-experimental cross-sectional design.

Participants and settings

An MFRM was used to identify sources of error (eg, examiner, domain and station), which may influence the student outcome. A 16-station OSCE was conducted for 329 final year medical students. Domain-based marking was applied, each station using a sample from eight defined domains across the whole OSCE. The domains were defined as follows: communication skills, professionalism, information gathering, information giving, clinical interpretation, procedure, diagnosis and management. The domains in each station were weighted to ensure proper attention to the construct of the individual station. Four facets were assessed: students, examiners, domains and stations.

Results

The results suggest that the OSCE data fit the model, confirming that an MFRM approach was appropriate to use. The variable map allows a comparison with and between the facets of students, examiners, domains and stations and the 5-point score for each domain with each station as they are calibrated to the same scale. Fit statistics showed that the domains map well to the performance of the examiners. No statistically significant difference between examiner sensitivity (3.85 logits) was found. However, the results did suggest examiners were lenient and that some behaved inconsistently. The results also suggest that the functioning of response categories on the 5-point rating scale need further examination and optimisation.

Conclusions

The results of the study have important implications for examiner monitoring and training activities, to aid assessment improvement.
Quality of life of patients with dementia in acute hospitals in Germany: a non-randomised, case–control study comparing a regular ward with a special care ward with dementia care concept
Authors: Lüdecke Daniel , Poppele Georg , Klein Jens , Kofahl Christopher
Published: September 2019

Objectives

To identify factors that predict the quality of life (QoL) of patients with dementia in acute hospitals and to analyse if a special care concept can increase patients’ QoL.

Design

A non-randomised, case–control study including two internal medicine wards from hospitals in Hamburg, Germany.

Setting and participants

In all, 526 patients with dementia from two hospitals were included in the study (intervention: n=333; control: n=193). The inclusion criterion was an at least mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The intervention group was a hospital with a special care ward for internal medicine focusing on patients with dementia. The control group was from a hospital with a regular care ward without special dementia care concept.

Outcome measures

Our main outcome was the QoL (range 0–100) from patients with dementia in two different hospitals. A Bayesian multilevel analysis was conducted to identify predictors such as age, dementia, agitation, physical and chemical restraints, or functional limitations that affect QoL.

Results

QoL differs significantly between the control (40.7) and the intervention (51.2) group (p<0.001). Regression analysis suggests that physical restraint (estimated effect: −4.9), psychotropic drug use (−4.4) and agitation (−2.9) are negatively associated with QoL. After controlling for confounders, the positive effect of the special care concept remained (5.7).

Conclusions

A special care ward will improve the quality of care and has a positive impact on the QoL of patients with dementia. Health policies should consider the benefits of special care concepts and develop incentives for hospitals to improve the QoL and quality of care for these patients.
Prospective multicentre cohort trial on acute appendicitis and microbiota, aetiology and effects of antimicrobial treatment: study protocol for the MAPPAC (Microbiology APPendicitis ACuta) trial
Authors: Vanhatalo Sanja , Munukka Eveliina , Sippola Suvi , Jalkanen Sirpa , Grönroos Juha , Marttila Harri , Eerola Erkki , Hurme Saija , Hakanen Antti J , Salminen Paulina
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Based on the epidemiological and clinical data, acute appendicitis can present either as uncomplicated or complicated. The aetiology of these different appendicitis forms remains unknown. Antibiotic therapy has been shown to be safe, efficient and cost-effective for CT-confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Despite appendicitis being one of the most common surgical emergencies, there are very few reports on appendicitis aetiology and pathophysiology focusing on the differences between uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis. Microbiology APPendicitis ACuta (MAPPAC) trial aims to evaluate these microbiological and immunological aspects including immune response in the aetiology of these different forms also assessing both antibiotics non-responders and appendicitis recurrence. In addition, MAPPAC aims to determine antibiotic and placebo effects on gut microbiota composition and antimicrobial resistance.

Methods and analysis

MAPPAC is a prospective clinical trial with both single-centre and multicentre arm conducted in close synergy with concurrent trials APPendicitis ACuta II (APPAC II) (per oral (p.o.) vs intravenous+p.o. antibiotics,NCT03236961) and APPAC III (double-blind trial placebo vs antibiotics,NCT03234296) randomised clinical trials. Based on the enrolment for these trials, patients with CT-confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis are recruited also to the MAPPAC study. In addition to these conservatively treated randomised patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis, MAPPAC will recruit patients with uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis undergoing appendectomy. Rectal and appendiceal swabs, appendicolith, faecal and serum samples, appendiceal biopsies and clinical data are collected during the hospital stay for microbiological and immunological analyses in both study arms with the longitudinal study arm collecting faecal samples also during follow-up up to 12 months after appendicitis treatment.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital District of Southwest Finland (Turku University Hospital, approval number ATMK:142/1800/2016) and the Finnish Medicines Agency. Results of the trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT03257423
Association of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema with renal function in southern Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a single-centre observational study
Authors: Zhuang Xuenan , Cao Dan , Yang Dawei , Zeng Yunkao , Yu Honghua , Wang Jun , Kuang Jian , Xie Jianteng , Zhang Shuting , Zhang Liang
Published: September 2019

Background and objectives

The association of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular oedema (DME) with renal function in southern Chinese patients with diabetes is poorly understood. So we aimed to study the correlation between stage of DR and DME with stage of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and stage of urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), and to explore the systemic risk factors for DR and DME.

Design and setting

This single-centre retrospective observational study was conducted from December 2017 to November 2018.

Participants

413 southern Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Outcome measures

The correlations between stage of DR and DME with stage of eGFR/UACR were assessed by Spearman’s or χ² analyses and represented with histograms. Risk factors associated with the occurrence of DR and DME were performed by logistic regression and represented with nomograms.

Results

Stage of DR had a positive correlation with stage of eGFR (r=0.264, p<0.001) and stage of UACR (r=0.542, p<0.001). With the stage of eGFR/UACR being more severe, the prevalence of DME became higher as well (both p<0.001). The risk factors for DR were DM duration (OR 1.072; 95% CI 1.032 to 1.114; p<0.001), stage of UACR (OR 2.001; 95% CI 1.567 to 2.555; p<0.001) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (OR 1.301; 95% CI 1.139 to 1.485; p<0.001), while risk factors for DME were stage of UACR (OR 2.308; 95% CI 1.815 to 2.934; p<0.001) and LDL (OR 1.460; 95% CI 1.123 to 1.875; p=0.008).

Conclusions

Among southern Chinese patients, stage of DR and DME were positively correlated with renal function, while stage of UACR performed a better relevance than stage of eGFR.
Using the CONSORT statement to evaluate the completeness of reporting of addiction randomised trials: a cross-sectional review
Authors: Vassar Matthew , Jellison Sam , Wendelbo Hannah , Wayant Cole , Gray Harrison , Bibens Michael
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Evaluate the completeness of reporting of addiction randomised controlled trials (RCTs) using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement.

Setting

Not applicable.

Participants

RCTs identified using a PubMed search of 15 addiction journals and a 5-year cross-section.

Outcome measures

Completeness of reporting.

Results

Our analysis of 394 addiction RCTs found that the mean number of CONSORT items reported was 19.2 (SD 5.2), out of a possible 31. Twelve items were reported in <50% of RCTs; similarly, 12 items were reported in >75% of RCTs. Journal endorsement of CONSORT was found to improve the number of CONSORT items reported.

Conclusions

Poor reporting quality may prohibit readers from critically appraising the methodological quality of addiction trials. We recommend journal endorsement of CONSORT since our study and those previous have shown that CONSORT endorsement improves the quality of reporting.
Postural nausea due to platypnea orthodeoxia
Authors: Bradley Victoria , Sabharwal Nikant , MacGregor Elizabeth , Bond Charles
Published: September 2019

Platypnea orthodeoxia is an uncommon condition but given its associations with severe lung disease and advancing age, it might be seen in the palliative care population. Presentation is classical in the association of symptoms with postural change. It should be considered when patients present with breathlessness or desaturation given the minimally invasive tests of echocardiography, and the potential for procedural resolution of the defect and thus symptoms. Further, there has not previously been reported a case presenting with nausea (rather than dyspnoea) secondary to platypnea orthodeoxia syndrome. This unusual presentation is a reminder that there is a broad range of potential subjective experiences of the same physiological events. Careful history and examination are vital in elucidating the underlying cause.
Placebo effects and the molecular biological components involved
Authors: Cai Lei , He Lin
Published: September 2019

Pharmacologically inactive substances have been used in medicine for more than 700 years and can trigger beneficial responses in the human body, which is referred to as the placebo effects or placebo responses. This effect is robust enough to influence psychosocial and physiological responses to the placebo and to active treatments in many settings, which has led to increased interest from researchers. In this article, we summarise the history of placebo, the characteristics of placebo effects and recent advancements reported from the studies on placebo effects and highlight placebome studies to identify various molecular biological components associated with placebo effects. Although placebos have a long history, the placebome concept is still in its infancy. Although behavioural, neurobiological and genetic studies have identified that molecules in the dopamine, opioid, serotonin and endocannabinoid systems might be targets of the placebo effect, placebome studies with a no-treatment control (NTC) are necessary to identify whole-genome genetic targets. Although bioinformatics analysis has identified the molecular placebome module, placebome studies with NTCs are also required to validate the related findings.
Zolpidem dependence in an adult with bipolar affective disorder and epilepsy: A case report
Authors: Kar Sujita Kumar , Dwivedi Suyash
Published: September 2019

Zolpidem is a short-acting non-benzodiazepine hypnotic agent, commonly recommended for short-term treatment of insomnia. Zolpidem has less dependence potential than benzodiazepines. Patients with mental illnesses often have disturbed sleep, for which zolpidem is often prescribed. Long-term use and self-medication (in more than recommended doses) are more likely to cause dependence. We report here a case of bipolar affective disorder with epilepsy, who developed dependence to zolpidem and had severe withdrawal symptoms. The management issues are also discussed with review of the literature.
Systemic biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress and tissue injury and repair among waterpipe, cigarette and dual tobacco smokers
Authors: Khan Naushad Ahmad , Lawyer Gina , McDonough Samantha , Wang Qixin , Kassem Noura O , Kas-Petrus Flora , Ye Dongxia , Singh Kameshwar P , Kassem Nada OF , Rahman Irfan
Published: September 2019

Background

Waterpipe tobacco (WPT) smoking is associated with deleterious effects on cardio-pulmonary systems which may have adverse repercussions in pathophysiology and progression of chronic lung and cardiovascular diseases. We compared the biomarkers of systemic inflammation, lipid mediators, injury/repair and oxidative stress between groups of non-smokers (NS), exclusive WPT smokers (WPS), exclusive cigarette smokers (CS) and dual WPS and CS (DS).

Methods

Two cohorts were recruited. Cohort I consisted of WPS (n=12), CS (n=26), DS (n=10) and NS (n=25). Cohort II consisted of WPS (n=33) and NS (n=24). Plasma and urine samples were collected and analysed for various systemic biomarkers.

Results

Compared with NS, plasma levels of inflammatory mediators (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL1β and tumor necrosis factor-α) were significantly higher in WPS and CS, and were further augmented in DS. Endothelial biomarkers (intracellular adhesion molecule-1, prostaglandin E-2 and metalloproteinase-9) were significantly higher in CS. Most notably, pro-resolving lipid mediator (resolvin E1) and biomarkers of immunity, tissue injury, and repair were significantly lower in WPS and CS. Urinary levels of 8-isoprostane were significantly higher in all smoking groups in cohort I, while 8-isoprostane, myeloperoxidase, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), En-RAGE and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were significantly higher in all smoking groups in cohort II.

Conclusions

Biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, immunity, tissue injury and repair were elevated in WPS and CS groups. Furthermore, concurrent use of WPT and cigarettes is more harmful than cigarette or WPT smoking alone. These data may help inform the public and policy-makers about the dangers of WPT smoking and dual use of tobacco products.
Diagnosis and Prognosis of Sepsis Based on Use of Cytokines, Chemokines, and Growth Factors
Authors: Jekarl Dong Wook , Kim Ji Yeon , Ha Jick Hwan , Lee Seungok , Yoo Jaeeun , Kim Myungshin , Kim Yonggoo
Published: September 2019

The focus of sepsis has shifted from inflammation to organ dysfunction on the basis of a recent definition based on the sequential organ failure score (SOFA). A diagnostic and prognostic marker is necessary under this definition but is currently unknown. We enrolled 80 sepsis patients consecutively admitted to an intensive care unit through the emergency department and 80 healthy control patients who received routine health check-ups from August 2018 to January 2019. SEPSIS-3 criteria were used for the diagnosis of patients based on SOFA score≥2 from the baseline along with evidence of infection. Concentrations of 28 cytokines, eight chemokines, and nine growth factors were measured on the day of diagnosis. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed for molecules. The majority of infections were pneumonia (45% of patients) and urinary tract infections (40% of patients). Most of the measured molecules were increased in patients with sepsis. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values were found to be as follows: hepatic growth factor (HGF), 0.899; interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), 0.893; C-C motif ligand 5 (CCL5) 5, 0.887; C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10), 0.851; CCL2, 0.840; and IL-6, 0.830. IL-1RA, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, and CCL11 concentrations correlated with SOFA score with statistical significance. Prognosis multivariate analysis revealed an odds ratio of 0.968 for epidermal growth factor (EGF). Three clusters were formed, of which Clusters 2 and 3 were associated with nonsurvivors. Diagnosis of sepsis was performed using cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. HGF revealed the highest diagnostic capability, and EGF predicted favorable prognosis among the tested molecules.
Influence of Surface Morphology on Absorptivity of Light-Absorbing Materials
Authors: Niu Chunhui , Zhu Ting , Lv Yong
Published: September 2019

Absorptivity of three kinds of surface morphology, i.e., V-type groove surface, sinusoidal surface, and random distribution, is investigated using a rigorous electromagnetic theory and a finite element method. Influences of surface contour parameters (span distance, intersection angle, and height) and light wave parameters (incident angle and wavelength) on absorptivity are numerically simulated and analyzed for the three kinds of surfaces, respectively. Absorbing spectra about three silicon wafers with different surface roughness are recorded, and the results are coincident with simulated results.
circRNA CDR1as Regulated the Proliferation of Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells under a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Condition
Authors: Wang Fang , Chen Xi , Han Ying , Xi Shuang , Wu Guofeng
Published: September 2019

circRNA CDR1as (CDR1as) has been demonstrated to play important roles in a variety of inflammation-related diseases by acting as miRNA sponges. The present study is aimed at investigating the potential roles of CDR1as in the proliferation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) under an inflammatory condition induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Human periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) were isolated from periodontal ligament tissue, and PDLSCs were sorted from PDLCs based on the STRO-1 expression through fluorescence-activated cell sorting. We further found that CDR1as was significantly downregulated in LPS-treated PDLSCs compared to untreated cells, as well as in normal periodontal ligament tissues compared to periodontitis tissues. Knockdown of CDR1as promoted LPS-induced proliferative inhibition of PDLSCs, whereas overexpression of CDR1as alleviated the LPS-induced proliferative ability of PDLSCs. Mechanistically, CDR1as functioned as an miR-7 sponge to activate the ERK signal pathway to mediate the inhibition effect of LPS on cell proliferation. Taken together, our findings revealed the effects of the interacting pair of CDR1as/miR-7 on the proliferation ability of PDLSCs within their surrounding inflammatory microenvironment of periodontitis.
Crosstalk between Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uptake and Autophagy in Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Gherardi Gaia , Di Marco Giulia , Rizzuto Rosario , Mammucari Cristina
Published: September 2019

Autophagy is responsible for the maintenance of skeletal muscle homeostasis, thanks to the removal of aberrant and dysfunctional macromolecules and organelles. During fasting, increased autophagy ensures the maintenance of the amino acid pool required for energy production. The activity of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU), the highly selective channel responsible for mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, controls skeletal muscle size, force, and nutrient utilization. Thus, both autophagy and mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation play a pivotal role to maintain muscle homeostasis and to sustain muscle function. Here, we address whether, in skeletal muscle, mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and autophagy are mutually related. Muscle-restricted MCU silencing partially inhibits the autophagy flux. Moreover, skeletal muscle-specific deletion of the essential autophagy gene Atg7, known to cause the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, drastically reduces mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation. Thus, a vicious cycle takes place, in which reduced MCU activity hampers the autophagic flux, and loss of autophagy further impairs mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling.
Deep Vein Thrombosis after Femoral Arterial Access: Pathophysiologic and Therapeutic Challenges
Authors: Harmon Evan , Lee Yoo Jin , Mazimba Sula , Singh Kanwar , Sharma Aditya , Kwon Younghoon
Published: September 2019

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after femoral arterial access is a rare complication of left heart catheterization (LHC). The reasons for paradoxical venous clot formation after arterial access are identifiable in some cases but less clear in others. Here, we present one case of provoked DVT after femoral access followed by a second case in which clot formation appears to be spontaneous. Additionally, though each of the patients presented here demonstrated thrombus resolution, only one received anticoagulation. These cases highlight the complex pathophysiology of DVT following femoral arterial access and the challenges of management strategy selection.
Nickel Price Forecast Based on the LSTM Neural Network Optimized by the Improved PSO Algorithm
Authors: Shao Bilin , Li Maolin , Zhao Yu , Bian Genqing
Published: September 2019

Nickel is a vital strategic metal resource with commodity and financial attributes simultaneously, whose price fluctuation will affect the decision‐making of stakeholders. Therefore, an effective trend forecast of nickel price is of great reference for the risk management of the nickel market’s participants; yet, traditional forecast methods are defective in prediction accuracy and applicability. Therefore, a prediction model of nickel metal price is proposed based on improved particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) combined with long‐short‐term memory (LSTM) neural networks, for higher reliability. This article introduces a nonlinear decreasing assignment method and sine function to improve the inertia weight and learning factor of PSO, respectively, and then uses the improved PSO algorithm to optimize the parameters of LSTM. Nickel metal’s closing prices in London Metal Exchange are sampled for empirical analysis, and the improved PSO‐LSTM model is compared with the conventional LSTM and the integrated moving average autoregressive model (ARIMA). The results show that compared with the standard PSO, the improved PSO has a faster convergence rate and can improve the prediction accuracy of the LSTM model effectively. In addition, compared with the conventional LSTM model and the integrated moving average autoregressive (ARIMA) model, the prediction error of the LSTM model optimized by the improved PSO is reduced by 9% and 13%, respectively, which has high reliability and can provide valuable guidance for relevant managers.
Acute Phase Neuronal Activity for the Prognosis of Stroke Recovery
Authors: Zappasodi Filippo , Pasqualetti Patrizio , Rossini Paolo M. , Tecchio Franca
Published: September 2019

Strokes causing similar lesions and clinical states can be followed by diverse regains of neurological functions, indicating that the clinical recovery can depend on individual modulating factors. A promising line to disclose these factors, to finally open new therapeutic strategies, is to search for individual indices of recovery prognosis. Here, we pursued on strengthening the value of acute phase electrophysiological biomarkers for poststroke functional recovery in a wide group of patients. We enrolled 120 patients affected by a monohemispheric stroke within the middle cerebral artery territory (70 left and 50 right damages) and collected the NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) score in the acute phase (T0, median 4 days) and chronic follow-up (T1, median 6 months). At T0, we executed electrophysiological noninvasive assessment (19-channel electroencephalography (EEG) or 28 channels per side magnetoencephalography (MEG)) of brain activity at rest by means of band powers in the contra- and ipsilesional hemispheres (CLH, ILH) or the homologous area symmetry (HArS). Low-band (2-6 Hz) HArS entered the regression model for predicting the stabilized clinical state (p<0.001), with bilateral impairment correlated with a poor outcome. Present data strengthen the fact that low-band impairment of homologous ipsi- and contralesional hemispheric regions in the acute stroke indicate a negative prognosis of clinical recovery.
Tartrazine Removal from Aqueous Solution by HDTMA-Br-Modified Colombian Bentonite
Authors: Otavo-Loaiza Ronald A. , Sanabria-González Nancy R. , Giraldo-Gómez Gloria I.
Published: September 2019

The effect of pH, ionic strength (NaCl added), agitation speed, adsorbent mass, and contact time on the removal of tartrazine from an aqueous solution, using an organobentonite, has been studied. A complete factorial design 32 with two replicates was used to evaluate the influence of the dye concentration (30, 40, and 50 mg/L) and amount of adsorbent (25, 35, and 45 mg) on decolorization of the solution. Experimental data were evaluated with Design Expert® software using a response surface methodology (RSM) in order to obtain the interaction between the processed variables and the response. pH values between 2 and 9, stirring speed above 200 rpm, and contact time of 60 min did not have a significant effect on decolorization. The optimum conditions for maximum removal of tartrazine from an aqueous solution of 30 mg/L were follows: pH = 6.0, NaCl concentration = 0.1 M, stirring speed = 230 rpm, temperature = 20°C, contact time = 60 min, and the organobentonite amount = 38.04 mg. The equilibrium isotherm at 20°C was analyzed by means of the Langmuir and Freundlich models, and the maximum adsorption capacity obtained was 40.79 ± 0.71 mg/g. This adsorption process was applied in a sample of industrial wastewater containing tartrazine and sunset yellow, having obtained a decolorization rate higher than 98% for both dyes. These results suggest that organobentonite is an effective adsorbent for the removal of anionic dyes from an aqueous solution.
Inhibition of Synovial Macrophage Pyroptosis Alleviates Synovitis and Fibrosis in Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Zhang Li , Xing Runlin , Huang Zhengquan , Zhang Nongshan , Zhang Li , Li Xiaochen , Wang Peimin
Published: September 2019

Increasing evidence has shown that macrophage pyroptosis in different tissues participates in chronic aseptic inflammation and is related to tissue fibrosis. Our last studies also revealed the vital role of synovial fibroblast pyroptosis in the onset and development of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether synovial macrophage pyroptosis did occur and whether this form of cell death should be related to synovitis and fibrosis of KOA. In the synovial tissue of KOA model rats, we observed a decrease of caspase1, NLRP3, ASC, and GSDMD caused by macrophage depletion in both the mRNA and protein expressions. Besides, rats treated with the specific caspase1 inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK showed less inflammatory reaction and fibrosis, not only in the expression of proinflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-18, and HMGB1 and fibrosis markers TGF-β, PLOD2, COL1A1, and TIMP1 but also in the observation of HE staining, Sirius Red staining, and the transverse diameters of the right knees. Subsequently, we established an LPS+ATP-induced model in macrophages mimicking the inflammatory environment of KOA and inducing macrophage pyroptosis. Macrophages transfected with caspase1 siRNA showed reduced cell death; meanwhile, the relative expression of pyroptosis-related proteins were also downregulated. In addition, the level of fibrotic markers in synovial fibroblasts were significantly decreased after coculture with siRNA GSDMD-transfected macrophages. To conclude, synovial macrophage pyroptosis may occur in the pathological processes of KOA and inhibition of synovial macrophage pyroptosis alleviates synovitis and fibrosis in KOA model rats.
Gas6/TAM Signaling Components as Novel Biomarkers of Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Smirne Carlo , Rigamonti Cristina , De Benedittis Carla , Sainaghi Pier Paolo , Bellan Mattia , Burlone Michela Emma , Castello Luigi Mario , Avanzi Gian Carlo
Published: September 2019

Liver fibrosis consists in the accumulation of extracellular matrix components mainly derived from activated hepatic stellate cells. This is commonly the result of chronic liver injury repair and represents an important health concern. As liver biopsy is burdened with many drawbacks, not surprisingly there is great interest to find new reliable noninvasive methods. Among the many are new potential fibrosis biomarkers under study, some of the most promising represented by the growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) serum protein and its family of tyrosine kinase receptors, namely, Tyro3, Axl, and MERTK (TAM). Gas6/TAM system (mainly, Axl and MERTK) has in fact recently emerged as an important player in the progression of liver fibrosis. This review is aimed at giving an overall perspective of the roles played by these molecules in major chronic liver diseases. The most promising findings up to date acknowledge that both Gas6 and its receptor serum levels (such as sAxl and, probably, sMERTK) have been shown to potentially allow for easy and accurate measurement of hepatic fibrosis progression, also providing indicative parameters of hepatic dysfunction. Although most of the current scientific evidence is still preliminary and there are no in vivo validation studies on large patient series, it still looks very promising to imagine a possible future prognostic role for these biomarkers in the multidimensional assessment of a liver patient. One may also speculate on a potential role for this system targeting (e.g., with small molecule inhibitors against Axl) as a therapeutic strategy for liver fibrosis management, always bearing in mind that any such therapeutic approach might face toxicity.
Costs and Length of Stay of Hospitalizations due to Diabetes-Related Complications
Authors: Cheng Ssu-Wei , Wang Chih-Yuan , Ko Yu
Published: September 2019

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has become a significant worldwide public health problem and economic burden because a great proportion of healthcare costs has been spent on the treatment of DM and its related complications. The aim of this study was to examine the costs and length of stay (LoS) of hospitalizations due to diabetes-related complications in Taiwan. Methods. This study is a retrospective claim database analysis using the Longitudinal Cohort of Diabetes Patients, with 2012 used as the base year. The hospitalization costs and LoS per admission were estimated for each complication of interest using data from the LHDB 2004 to 2012 cohorts. The presence of eight DM-related complications were identified using the ICD-9-CM codes and procedure codes. ANOVA was used to examine the relationships of diabetes duration with the LoS and costs of the complications. Results. A total of 27,473 DM patients who were hospitalized in 2012 due to one of the examined DM-related complications were identified. The most common complications that caused the hospitalizations were nonfatal stroke (34.7%) and nonfatal ischemic heart disease (IHD) (28.7%). Amputation was the complication with the longest hospital stay, with a mean±SD of 21.6±14.1 days, followed by nonfatal stroke (13.6±11.3), ulcer (12.7±11.8), and fatal IHD (12.2±13.6). The complications with the greatest hospitalization cost were fatal IHD (mean=TWD 306,209.8; median=TWD 221,417.0; 1TWD=0.034USD) and fatal myocardial infarction (mean=TWD 272,840.1; median=TWD 174,008). Conclusions. This study indicates that DM-related complications are associated with significant hospital LoS and costs. The study results could be useful for economic evaluations of diabetes treatments and the estimation of the overall economic impact of diabetes.
Modeling Static Behavior of Rockfill Materials Based on Generalized Plasticity Model
Authors: Bian Shihai , Wu Bo , Ma Yongzheng
Published: September 2019

Rockfill materials are commonly used for dam construction. Establishing an effective model that can reasonably describe the mechanical properties of rockfill material is very important for the calculation of earth‐rock dam engineering. Based on the generalized plasticity model of sand, a modified generalized plasticity model suitable for rockfill material is established by modifying the plastic modulus. Focusing on three types of stress paths (e.g., CT test, CP test, and CR test), the stress path adaptability of the modified generalized plasticity is studied. Simulation results show that the proposed model can well predict the strength characteristics while it underestimates the shrinkage characteristics of rockfill materials for constant P test. It is difficult for the generalized plasticity model to predict larger radial shrinkage strain for constant stress ratio tests. This shortcoming can be improved by employing a modified dilatancy equation. Finally, by introducing critical state theory and considering the effect of initial void ratio on plastic modulus, a state‐dependent generalized plasticity model is proposed and verified by experiment of granite rockfill materials and TRM with different void ratios. These works covers the most common stress paths related to the construction of earth‐rock dams and can capture static behavior of rockfill materials.
Pollution Characteristics of Sb, As, Hg, Pb, Cd, and Zn in Soils from Different Zones of Xikuangshan Antimony Mine
Authors: Zhou Saijun , Hursthouse Andrew , Chen Tengshu
Published: September 2019

Major sources of pollution during the antimony (Sb) mining and processing are mining waste rock, smelting waste, tailings dam, and underground tunnel wastewater. The aim of the present study was to assess magnitude of pollution from Sb mine by taking four types of samples: soil in the mining waste rock zone, soil in the smelting zone, soil in tailings zone, and soil in underground tunnel wastewater zone. Sixty soil samples from the four zones were taken for experimental work, and the contents and morphological characteristics of the six potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as Sb, As, Hg, Pb, Cd, and Zn in the soil samples were measured by using a hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometer (AFS-9700). The results show that the soil of the mine area is seriously polluted. The average contents of Sb, As, Hg, Pb, Cd, and Zn in the soil reach 1267.20 mg·kg−1, 94.44 mg·kg−1, 1.46 mg·kg−1, 184.19 mg·kg−1, 8.54 mg·kg−1, and 1054.11 mg·kg−1, respectively. There exists good correlation between the PTEs in the soil, with Sb strongly positively correlated with As, Hg, Pb, and Zn. The intensity of pollution is highest in the antimony-smelting zone, where the potential ecological risk index is over 15,000, followed by the tailings zone and mining waste rock zone, with the underground tunnel wastewater zone being the lowest. Using sequential chemical extraction, the elements are associated with the residual fraction, followed by organic-sulfide fraction, and smaller portions in the Fe-Mn oxide, carbonate, and exchangeable fractions. There are great differences in the speciation content of different elements in different sampling zones. The study implicates that Sb-smelting zone is the potential source of PTEs and maximum metals are associated with residual phase, out of which significant portion is associated with mobile fraction or phase.
MZF1 in the Dorsal Root Ganglia Contributes to the Development and Maintenance of Neuropathic Pain via Regulation of TRPV1
Authors: Xing Fei , Gu Hanwen , Niu Qin , Fan Xiaochong , Wang Zhongyu , Yuan Jingjing , Li Zhisong , Xu Ji-Tian , Zhang Wei
Published: September 2019

Previous studies have demonstrated that myeloid zinc finger 1 (MZF1) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) participates in neuropathic pain induced by chronic-constriction injury (CCI) via regulation of voltage-gated K+ channels (Kv). Emerging evidence indicates that transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is involved in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Although it is known that the transcription of TRPV1 is regulated by Kruppel-like zinc-finger transcription factor 7 (Klf7)—and that the structure of TRPV1 is similar to that of Kv—few studies have systematically investigated the relationship between MZF1 and TRPV1 in neuropathic pain. In the present study, we demonstrated that CCI induced an increase in MZF1 and TRPV1 in lumbar-level 4/5 (L4/5) DRGs at 3 days post-CCI and that this increase was persistent until at least 14 days post-CCI. DRG microinjection of rAAV5-MZF1 into the DRGs of naïve rats resulted in a decrease in paw-withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw-withdrawal latency (PWL) compared with that of the rAAV5-EGFP group, which started at four weeks and lasted until at least eight weeks after microinjection. Additionally, prior microinjection of MZF1 siRNA clearly ameliorated CCI-induced reduction in PWT and PWL at 3 days post-CCI and lasted until at least 7 days post-CCI. Correspondingly, microinjection of MZF1 siRNA subsequent to CCI alleviated the established mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia induced by CCI, which occurred at 3 days postinjection and lasted until at least 10 days postinjection. Microinjection of rAAV5-MZF1 increased the expression of TRPV1 in DRGs. Microinjection of MZF1 siRNA diminished the CCI-induced increase of TRPV1, but not P2X7R, in DRGs. These findings suggest that MZF1 may contribute to neuropathic pain via regulation of TRPV1 expression in DRGs.