bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atypical tear of the long head of the biceps tendon in a young male adult
Authors: Ajrawat Prabjit , Bhargava Deven , Sadoughi Mehdi
Published: January 2020

A 34-year-old man, with previous anabolic steroid abuse, presented with right shoulder pain following an underhand bowling swing. Examination indicated a Popeye sign of the right biceps, and positive Speeds, Yergason and O’Brian’s tests. MRI indicated a complete tear of the intra-articular portion of the long head of biceps tendon (LHBT). Interestingly, the tear occurred within the glenohumeral joint allowing the proximal portion of the LHBT to uniquely coil and fold on itself deep to the subscapularis causing mechanical symptoms. He was treated conservatively with physical therapy but failed to achieve pain relief and proceeded with arthroscopic debridement of the folded portion of the LHBT stump, which significantly improved clinical outcomes at 18 months postoperative. We report the first case of an LHBT tear during bowling in a young adult with a rare occurrence of the proximal portion of the LHBT uniquely coiling and folding on itself deep to the subscapularis.
Infective endocarditis complicating transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Harding Daniel , Cahill Thomas J , Redwood Simon R , Prendergast Bernard D
Published: January 2020

Infective endocarditis complicating transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI-IE) is a relatively rare condition with an incidence of 0.2%–3.1% at 1 year post implant. It is frequently caused byEnterococci,Staphylococcusaureusandcoagulase negative staphylococci. While the incidence currently appears to be falling, the absolute number of cases is likely to rise substantially as TAVI expands into low risk populations following the publication of the PARTNER 3 and Evolut Low Risk trials. Important risk factors for the development of TAVI-IE include a younger age at implant and significant residual aortic regurgitation. The echocardiographic diagnosis of TAVI-IE can be challenging, and the role of supplementary imaging techniques including multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and positron emission tomography (18FDG PET) is still emerging. Treatment largely parallels that of conventional prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE), with prolonged intravenous antibiotic therapy and consideration of surgical intervention forming the cornerstones of management. The precise role and timing of cardiac surgery in TAVI-IE is yet to be defined, with a lack of clear evidence to help identify which patients should be offered surgical intervention. Minimising unnecessary healthcare interventions (both during and after TAVI) and utilising appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis may have a role in preventing TAVI-IE, but robust evidence for specific preventative strategies is lacking. Further research is required to better select patients for advanced hybrid imaging, to guide surgical management and to inform prevention in this challenging patient cohort.
Coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome in women
Authors: Mehilli Julinda , Presbitero Patrizia
Published: January 2020

There are important dissimilarities in clinical presentation, aggregation of comorbidities, cardiovascular risk factors and the quality of delivery of medical care among men and women with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Compared with men, despite the well-known older age and more pronounced frailty, women with ACS present later from symptom onset and are at high bleeding risk after invasive procedures. In addition, autoimmune/inflammatory disease, fibromuscular dysplasia, polycystic ovary, early menopause and history of pre-eclampsia are risk factors preceding ACS among younger women. They more often experience myocardial infarction in the absence of obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), which makes diagnosis and treatment of ACS among women more challenging compared with men. Women and men do both benefit from guideline-recommended treatment, although, compared with men, women with ACS have a higher adjusted risk of early death, which equalises between both sexes within the first year. Young women with ACS suffer frequently of depression and present often with MINOCA. Compared with young men, they (young women) have a higher risk of death. Therefore, focusing on young patients with ACS, understanding the particular physiopathology of MINOCA and developing programmes targeting comorbidities and depression-related behavioural risk factors are urgently needed.
Financial and resource costs of transvenous lead extraction in a high-volume lead extraction centre
Authors: Gould Justin , Sidhu Baldeep S , Porter Bradley , Sieniewicz Benjamin J , Freeman Scott , de Wilt Evelien CJ , Glover Julia C , Razavi Reza , Rinaldi Christopher A
Published: January 2020

Objectives

Transvenous lead extraction (TLE) poses a significant economic and resource burden on healthcare systems; however, limited data exist on its true cost. We therefore estimate real-world healthcare reimbursement costs of TLE to the UK healthcare system at a single extraction centre.

Methods

Consecutive admissions entailing TLE at a high-volume UK centre between April 2013 and March 2018 were prospectively recorded in a computer registry. In the hospital’s National Health Service (NHS) clinical coding/reimbursement database, 447 cases were identified. Mean reimbursement cost (n=445) and length of stay (n=447) were calculated. Ordinary least squares regressions estimated the relationship between cost (bed days) and clinical factors.

Results

Mean reimbursement cost per admission was £17 399.09±£13 966.49. Total reimbursement for all TLE admissions was £7 777 393.51. Mean length of stay was 16.3±15.16 days with a total of 7199 bed days. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillator devices incurred higher reimbursement costs (70.5% and 68.7% higher, respectively, both p<0.001). Heart failure and prior valve surgery also incurred significantly higher reimbursement costs. Prior valve surgery and heart failure were associated with 8.3 (p=0.017) and 5.5 (p=0.021) additional days in hospital, respectively.

Conclusions

Financial costs to the NHS from TLE are substantial. Consideration should therefore be given to cost/resource-sparing potential of leadless/extravascular cardiac devices that negate the need for TLE particularly in patients with prior valve surgery and/or heart failure. Additionally, use of antibiotic envelopes and other interventions that reduce infection risk in patients receiving transvenous leads should be considered.
Association between polymorphisms in microRNA seed region and warfarin stable dose
Authors: Hosseindokht Maryam , Zare Hamed , Salehi Rasoul , Pourgholi Leyla , Ziaee Shayan , Boroumand Mohammadali , Sharifi Mohammadreza
Published: January 2020

Background

The optimal dose of anticoagulant warfarin varies among patients to achieve the target international normalised ratio. Although genetic variations related to warfarin pharmacokinetics and vitamin K cycle are important factors associated with warfarin dose requirements, these variations do not completely explain the large interindividual variability observed in the most populations, suggesting that additional factors may contribute to this variability. microRNAs have recently been introduced as regulators of drug function genes, and therefore, may be involved in drug responses. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the possible association between variants in the seed region of microRNAs, which target the genes involved in the action of warfarin and warfarin dose requirement.

Methods

526 samples were collected from Iranian patients. Four selected polymorphisms in the seed region of microRNAs (rs2910164, rs66683138, rs12416605 and rs35770269 in miR-146a, miR-3622a, miR-938 and miR-449c, respectively) were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

Results

rs2910164 C/G in the seed region of miR-146a was associated with warfarin dose requirement (p<0.001); the patients with GG genotype had the higher mean dose of warfarin (40.6 mg/week, compared with 33.9 and 31.8 mg/week for GC and CC genotypes, respectively). The association of other polymorphisms with warfarin dose requirement was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

rs2910164 C/G in the seed region of miR-146a is associated with warfarin maintenance dose, likely by disrupting interaction between miR-146a and ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 gene, ABCB1. Therefore, this polymorphism may possibly be a potential factor for assessment of warfarin dose requirements.
Prevalence and incidence ofMycoplasma genitaliumin a cohort of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected pregnant women in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Smullin Carolyn P , Green Hunter , Peters Remco , Nyemba Dorothy , Qayiya Yamkela , Myer Landon , Klausner Jeffrey , Joseph Davey Dvora
Published: January 2020

Objective

Mycoplasma genitalium(MG) is a sexually transmitted organism associated with cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease in women and has been shown to increase the risk of HIV acquisition and transmission. Little is known about the prevalence and incidence of MG in pregnant women. Our study sought to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of MG infection in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected pregnant women.

Methods

We conducted a cohort study of 197 women ≥18 years receiving antenatal care in South Africa from November 2017 to February 2019. We over-recruited HIV-infected pregnant women to compare MG by HIV infection status. Self-collected vaginal swabs, performed at the first antenatal visit, third trimester and within 1 week post partum, were tested for MG using the Aptima assay (Hologic, USA). We report on the prevalence and incidence of MG and used multivariable logistic regression to describe correlates of MG and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes (preterm delivery, miscarriage and vertical HIV transmission), adjusting for maternal age and HIV infection status.

Results

At first antenatal visit, the median age was 29 years (IQR=24–34) and the gestational age was 19 weeks (IQR=14–23); 47% of women enrolled in the study were HIV-infected. MG prevalence was 24% (95% CI 16% to 34%, n=22) in HIV-infected and 12% (95% CI 6.8% to 20%, n=13) in HIV-uninfected pregnant women. MG incidence during pregnancy and early post partum was 4.7 infections per 100 woman-years (95% CI 1.2 to 12.9) or 3.9 per 1000 woman-months (95% CI 1.0 to 10.7). Adjusting for maternal age, HIV-infected women had over three times the odds of being infected with MG (adjusted OR=3.09, 95% CI 1.36 to 7.06).

Conclusion

We found a high prevalence and incidence of MG in pregnant women. Younger maternal age and HIV infection were associated with MG infection in pregnancy. Further research into birth outcomes of women infected with MG, including vertical transmission of HIV infection, is needed.
$$\Xi _c$$ and $$\Xi _b$$ excited states within a $$\mathrm{SU(6)}_{\mathrm{lsf}}\times $$HQSS model
Authors: Nieves J. , Pavao R. , Tolos L.
Published: January 2020

We study odd parity $$J=1/2$$J=1/2 and $$J=3/2$$J=3/2$$\Xi _c$$Ξc resonances using a unitarized coupled-channel framework based on a $$\mathrm{SU(6)}_{\mathrm{lsf}}\times $$SU(6)lsf×HQSS-extended Weinberg–Tomozawa baryon–meson interaction, while paying a special attention to the renormalization procedure. We predict a large molecular $$\Lambda _c {\bar{K}}$$ΛcK¯ component for the $$\Xi _c(2790)$$Ξc(2790) with a dominant $$0^-$$0- light-degree-of-freedom spin configuration. We discuss the differences between the $$3/2^-$$3/2-$$\Lambda _c(2625)$$Λc(2625) and $$\Xi _c(2815)$$Ξc(2815) states, and conclude that they cannot be SU(3) siblings, whereas we predict the existence of other $$\Xi _c$$Ξc-states, one of them related to the two-pole structure of the $$\Lambda _c(2595)$$Λc(2595). It is of particular interest a pair of $$J=1/2$$J=1/2 and $$J=3/2$$J=3/2 poles, which form a HQSS doublet and that we tentatively assign to the $$\Xi _c(2930)$$Ξc(2930) and $$\Xi _c(2970)$$Ξc(2970), respectively. Within this picture, the $$\Xi _c(2930)$$Ξc(2930) would be part of a SU(3) sextet, containing either the $$\Omega _c(3090)$$Ωc(3090) or the $$\Omega _c(3119)$$Ωc(3119), and that would be completed by the $$\Sigma _c(2800)$$Σc(2800). Moreover, we identify a $$J=1/2$$J=1/2 sextet with the $$\Xi _b(6227)$$Ξb(6227) state and the recently discovered $$\Sigma _b(6097)$$Σb(6097). Assuming the equal spacing rule and to complete this multiplet, we predict the existence of a $$J=1/2$$J=1/2$$\Omega _b$$Ωb odd parity state, with a mass of 6360 MeV and that should be seen in the $$\Xi _b {\bar{K}}$$ΞbK¯ channel.
Traversable wormholes in $$R+\alpha R^n$$ gravity
Authors: Godani Nisha , Samanta Gauranga C.
Published: January 2020

In this work, the study of traversable wormholes in f(R) gravity with the function $$f(R)=R+\alpha R^n$$f(R)=R+αRn, where $$\alpha $$α and n are arbitrary constants, is taken into account. The shape function $$b(r)=\frac{r}{\exp (r-r_0)}$$b(r)=rexp(r-r0), proposed by Samanta et al. (arXiv:1811.06834v1 [gr-qc], 2018), is considered. The energy conditions with respect to both constant and variable redshift functions are discussed and the existence of wormhole solutions without presence of exotic matter is investigated.
The possibility of an appropriate neutron beam achievement for medical purposes based on GEANT4 calculations
Authors: Ivanyan V.
Published: January 2020

Proton-induced reactions on the 9Be target are considered as a neutron source, and dependence of neutron yield on target thicknesses is investigated. The optimal thickness of the 9Be target with the design and optimization characteristics of a beam shaping assembly (BSA) for neutron flux from the thick target is studied with the GEANT4 program. To create the realistic model of the experiment, there are inserted two physics lists for nuclear and electromagnetic reactions. To get a high flux of neutrons had taken into account usage of special materials as moderators on the base of (n, 2n) nuclear reactions, as well as, moderators which will decrease the energy of neutrons to achieve the appropriate thermal/epithermal neutron flux. The creation of the system, which must be made from reflectors and moderators, is a necessity to explore the possibility of an appropriate neutron flux achievement for medical purposes, especially for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). GEANT4 simulations of this scientific paper describe the study of IBA’s C18/18 cyclotron-based neutron sources and its possible usage for therapies.
Malicious User Nodes Detection by Web Mining Based Artificial Intelligence Technique
Authors: Kumar Gaurav , Rishiwal V.
Published: January 2020

Recently, Social Networking is a significant function in human life. It is a foremost communication medium in the middle of persons and associations. Generally, Online Social Media Sites (OSMS) is used with the intention of developing and categorizing illegal behavior in social networking. Therefore, we decided to identify the malicious consumer nodes by the help of ANN through evaluating the response of the chat discussion/remark situation. At last, the ‘Protégé’ tool is used to illustrate the exchange of messages from the distrustful node for upcoming large-scale indication. The anticipated method is executed in the functioning platform of JAVA among Big Data Analytics with Hadoop.
Modeling Opinion Formation in Social Networks: A Probabilistic Fuzzy Approach
Authors: Bashari Masoud , Akbarzadeh-T. M.-R.
Published: January 2020

Opinion formation in social networks is an interesting dynamical process from the perspective of system modeling due to its large scale as well as the variety of structural and parametric uncertainties that it entails. This paper proposes a probabilistic fuzzy opinion formation model for predicting the opinions of communities in the social networks. In this regard, the opinions of a group of individuals about a given topic in a Telegram pilot group, as a popular social network, are collected and presented in the framework of the probabilistic fuzzy model. Based on the obtained data, the parameters of the model are extracted, and the model is tuned. Finally, the variations of the actual opinions throughout time are compared with the model predictions. The numerical results in this study show that, with appropriately tuned parameters, the model successfully represents the opinion formation process, with an average error that approaches zero.
Polyakov-like approach to the modified gravity and other geometric theories
Authors: Sheykin A. A. , Ioffe M. V. , Manida S. N. , Paston S. A.
Published: January 2020

We study the procedure that allows to rewrite the actions of some modified gravity theories like mimetic gravity and Regge–Teitelboim embedding theory as Einstein–Hilbert actions with additional matter contributions. It turns out that this procedure can be applied to brane action, which leads to a polynomial brane action. We also examine the connection between this procedure and Polyakov trick in string theory.
Henry Cadell's ‘Experimental researches in mountain building’: their lessons for interpreting thrust systems and fold–thrust structures
Authors: Butler Robert W. H. , Bond Clare E. , Cooper Mark A.
Published: January 2020

In 1888, inspired by fieldwork in what has become known as the Moine Thrust Belt, NW Scotland, Henry Cadell conducted a pioneering series of analogue deformation experiments to investigate the structural evolution of fold–thrust belts. Some experiments showed that imbricate thrusts build up thrust wedges of variable form, without requiring precursor folding. Others demonstrated a variety of fold–thrust structures and how heterogeneities in basement can localize thrust structures. These experiments are described here and used to draw lessons on how analogue deformation experiments are used to inform the interpretation of fold–thrust structures. Early adopters used Cadell's results as guides to structural styles when constructing cross-sections in thrust belts. His models and the host of others created since serve to illustrate part of the range of structural geometries in thrust belts. However, as with much subsequent work, Cadell's use of a deformation apparatus, with a fixed basal slip surface, biases perceptions of fold–thrust belts to be necessarily ‘thin-skinned’ (experimental design bias) and can simply reinforce established interpretations of natural systems (confirmation bias). So analogue deformation experiments may be unreliable guides to the deterministic interpretations of specific fold–thrust structures in the sub surface of the real world.
SATURN
Authors: Arora Nivedita , Yu Jin , Oh HyunJoo , Starner Thad E. , Abowd Gregory D.
Published: January 2020

SATURN is a thin and flexible multi-layer material that can sense sound and other mechanical vibrations in the environment without any external power source. It is constructed of inexpensive materials (paper, copper, and plastic), so that it can be attached to a variety of objects and surfaces. When flat, SATURN's frequency response below 5000Hz is comparable to a powered microphone. When bent, SATURN has a comparable frequency response up to 3000Hz. As a sound power harvester, SATURN can harvest 7 microWatts, which allows the detection of loud sound events. We explore the space of potential applications for SATURN as part of self-sustaining interactive systems.
3D Localization for Sub-Centimeter Sized Devices
Authors: Nandakumar Rajalakshmi , Iyer Vikram , Gollakota Shyamnath
Published: January 2020

Recent years have seen significant advances in wireless localization [1,2]. However, existing solutions do not meet the requirements for size-constrained IoT applications. The battery life of common radio technologies, such as BLE, LoRa, ultra-wideband (UWB) and Wi-Fi, is less than 5 months when run with small coin and button cell batteries. This shorter battery life limits the adoption of tracking solutions based on these radio technologies by making them inconvenient for consumer applications and infeasible for large scale commercial deployments. Requiring large batteries, on the other hand, prevents scaling down the size of IoT devices. While RFID tags are attractive from a power and size perspective, they have a limited range and do not work consistently through walls and other barriers. Consumers often deploy devices in rooms throughout homes and, similarly, commercial deployments in settings like hospitals require covering multiple patient rooms with a variety of obstructions and walls. Achieving localization in these scenarios would therefore require readers in every room, which significantly increases deployment cost.
Ensuring Cyber Resilience through Entropy- Augmented Replication
Authors: Troiani Mario
Published: January 2020

PDF of Powerpoint Slides
Mitochondria-Associated Proteostasis
Authors: Ruan Linhao , Wang Yuhao , Zhang Xi , Tomaszewski Alexis , McNamara Joshua T. , Li Rong
Published: January 2020

Mitochondria are essential organelles in eukaryotes. Most mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome and translated in the cytosol. Nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins need to be imported, processed, folded, and assembled into their functional states. To maintain protein homeostasis (proteostasis), mitochondria are equipped with a distinct set of quality control machineries. Deficiencies in such systems lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, which is a hallmark of aging and many human diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. In this review, we discuss the unique challenges and solutions of proteostasis in mitochondria. The import machinery coordinates with mitochondrial proteases and chaperones to maintain the mitochondrial proteome. Moreover, mitochondrial proteostasis depends on cytosolic protein quality control mechanisms during crises. In turn, mitochondria facilitate cytosolic proteostasis. Increasing evidence suggests that enhancing mitochondrial proteostasis may hold therapeutic potential to protect against protein aggregation–associated cellular defects.
Precision (Personalized) Nutrition: Understanding Metabolic Heterogeneity
Authors: Zeisel Steven H.
Published: January 2020

People differ in their requirements for and responses to nutrients and bioactive molecules in the diet. Many inputs contribute to metabolic heterogeneity (including variations in genetics, epigenetics, microbiome, lifestyle, diet intake, and environmental exposure). Precision nutrition is not about developing unique prescriptions for individual people but rather about stratifying people into different subgroups of the population on the basis of biomarkers of the above-listed sources of metabolic variation and then using this stratification to better estimate the different subgroups’ dietary requirements, thereby enabling better dietary recommendations and interventions. The hope is that we will be able to subcategorize people into ever-smaller groups that can be targeted in terms of recommendations, but we will never achieve this at the individual level, thus, the choice of precision nutrition rather than personalized nutrition to designate this new field. This review focuses mainly on genetically related sources of metabolic heterogeneity and identifies challenges that need to be overcome to achieve a full understanding of the complex interactions between the many sources of metabolic heterogeneity that make people differ from one another in their requirements for and responses to foods. It also discusses the commercial applications of precision nutrition.
Tubule-derived lactate is required for fibroblast activation in acute kidney injury
Authors: Shen Yan , Jiang Lei , Wen Ping , Ye Yinyin , Zhang Yu , Ding Hao , Luo Jing , Xu Lingling , Zen Ke , Zhou Yang , Yang Junwei
Published: January 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a highly prevalent medical syndrome associated with high mortality and morbidity. Several types of cells, including epithelial cells, vascular endothelial cells, pericytes, and macrophages, participate in the development of AKI. Recently, renal fibroblasts were found to play an important role in the regulation of tubular injury, repair, and recovery after AKI. However, the mechanisms underlying fibroblast activation and proliferation during the progression of AKI remain unclear. In the present study, we found many activated myofibroblasts located in the renal interstitium with an abundance of extracellular matrix deposition following folic acid-induced AKI. The proliferative pattern of tubular epithelial cells and interstitial cells following acute injury was different, indicating that the proliferation of fibroblasts followed the proliferation of tubular epithelial cells. Furthermore, we observed that proliferative tubular epithelial cells preferred aerobic glycolysis as the dominating metabolic pathway in the progression of AKI. Lactate generated from injured tubules was taken up by interstitial fibroblasts in the later stages of AKI, which induced fibroblast activation and proliferation in vitro. Early inhibition of lactate production in tubules by glycolytic inhibitors suppressed fibroblast activation after folic acid-induced injury. Collectively, these results support the important role of fibroblasts in the development of AKI and suggest that lactate produced by glycolysis in tubular epithelial cells is a novel regulator of fibroblast activation and proliferation.
Influence of Vertical Facial Growth Pattern on Herbst Appliance Effects in Prepubertal Patients: A Retrospective Controlled Study
Authors: Giuca Maria Rita , Pasini Marco , Drago Sara , Del Corso Leonardo , Vanni Arianna , Carli Elisabetta , Manni Antonio
Published: January 2020

Introduction. The Herbst device is widely used for correction of class II malocclusions; however, most of the researches carried out on the Herbst appliance in literature do not take into account patients with a different mandibular divergence. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Herbst on dental and skeletal structures and to evaluate possible influence of vertical facial growth patterns.Methods. A retrospective study was conducted on lateral cephalograms of 75 growing patients (mean age: 9.9 ± 1.9 years) with class II malocclusion treated with Herbst. Subjects were divided into 3 groups using the mandibular divergence index (SN and GoMe angle). Cephalometric parameters were evaluated using the modified SO (sagittal occlusion) Pancherz’s analysis. A statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate differences among groups using ANOVA.Results. Our study showed differences in response to treatment depending on patient’s facial vertical growth pattern. Cranial base angle and mandibular rotation were significantly different (p<0.05) between hypodivergent patients and normodivergent patients and between hypodivergent and hyperdivergent subjects.Conclusion. Hypodivergent patients increased their mandibular divergence during treatment to a greater extent than normodivergents; moreover, hyperdivergent patients exhibited a decreased mandibular divergence at the end of the treatment.
Copper Induces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in the Mouse Liver
Authors: Liu Huan , Guo Hongrui , Jian Zhijie , Cui Hengmin , Fang Jing , Zuo Zhicai , Deng Junliang , Li Yinglun , Wang Xun , Zhao Ling
Published: January 2020

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element involved in the normal physiological processes of animals. However, excessive exposure to Cu can produce numerous detrimental impacts. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Cu on oxidative stress and apoptosis as well as their relationship in the mouse liver. Four-week-old ICR mice (n=240) were randomly assigned to different Cu (Cu2+-CuSO4) treatment groups (0, 4, 8, and 16 mg/kg) for periods of 21 and 42 days. The high doses of Cu exposure could induce oxidative stress, by increasing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protein carbonyls (PC) and decreasing the activities of antisuperoxide anion (ASA) and antihydroxyl radical (AHR) and content of glutathione (GSH), as well as activities and mRNA expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Moreover, high doses of Cu exposure induced hepatic apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, as characterized by the depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP); significantly increased mRNA and protein expression levels of cytosolic cytochrome (Cyt c), apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), endonuclease G (Endo G), apoptosis protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1), cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP, Bcl-2 antagonist killer (Bak), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim); and decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-extra-large (Bcl-xL). Furthermore, the activation of the tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNF-R1) signaling pathway was involved in Cu-induced apoptosis, as characterized by the significantly increased mRNA and protein expression levels of TNF-R1, Fas-associated death domain (FADD), TNFR-associated death domain (TRADD), and cleaved caspase-8. These results indicated that exposure to excess Cu could cause oxidative stress triggered by ROS overproduction and diminished antioxidant function, which in turn promoted hepatic apoptosis via mitochondrial apoptosis and that the TNF-R1 signaling pathway was also involved in the Cu-induced apoptosis.
Aerodynamic Forces Affecting the H-Rotor Darrieus Wind Turbine
Authors: Alqurashi Faris , Mohamed M. H.
Published: January 2020

Darrieus wind rotor is a vertical axis wind turbine that is a very promising kind of wind converters at remote and domestic locations that have soft and weak wind potential and speed, but from the quantitative comparison with horizontal axis wind turbines, this type of turbines has a weak performance. Additional researches are still needed to develop its efficiency to identify all the requirements of the generated power in low power demands. The aim of the current investigation is to analyze all the acting forces on the main parts of Darrieus rotor over the rotations as well as in maintenance and stationary conditions. Aerodynamic forces assessment will be executed for 3 different blade shapes (nonsymmetric and symmetric airfoils) like the airfoil section shapes of the Darrieus rotor blades. NACA 0021, LS413, and S1046 are selected as cross-sectional profile in this work. CFD simulations have been used in this work to get the different aerodynamic forces on the rotor blades of the Darrieus turbines. The present results indicated that the symmetric S1046 blade has higher forces during the rotation and stagnant (static) conditions. Moreover, the self-starting capability of NACA 0021 is better than S1046 due to low aerodynamic torsion on the S1046 blades.
Combinatorial Determinant Formulas for Boubaker Polynomials
Authors: Goy Taras
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we evaluate several families of Toeplitz–Hessenberg determinants whose entries are the Boubaker polynomials. Equivalently, these determinant formulas may be also rewritten as combinatorial identities involving sum of products of Boubaker polynomials and multinomial coefficients. We also present new formulas for Boubaker polynomials via recurrent three-diagonal determinants.
Variable Exponent Function Spaces related to a Sublinear Expectation
Authors: Xu Bochi
Published: January 2020

In this paper, variable exponent function spacesLp·,Lbp·, andLcp·are introduced in the framework of sublinear expectation, and some basic and important properties of these spaces are given. A version of Kolmogorov’s criterion on variable exponent function spaces is proved for continuous modification of stochastic processes.
Dynamic Responses of Soils around a One-Hole Double-Track Tunnel with the Metro Train Meeting
Authors: Pan Bo , Zhang Wei , Cao Jianqiu , Ma Xueyong , Zhou Mingliang
Published: January 2020

The single-hole double-track shield tunnel with a large diameter has been one of the optimized schemes for those Metro meeting tunnels crossing long water areas. Compared with single-hole single-track tunnels, train-meeting scenarios occur in single-hole double-track tunnels, which results in a greater dynamic loading and a longer action time. By far, the thorough understanding of the dynamic response and liquefiability of the soils around the single-hole double-track tunnels, when crossing liquefiable soil layers, is still lacked. In this paper, a typical profile of Nanjing Metro Line 10, of the crossing-river section near Jiangxinzhou Station, is taken as an example. Based on the multibody dynamics, we established the train-rail coupling model to obtain the train dynamic load. Subsequently, in view of the single running scenario and four typical meeting scenarios, the train-tunnel-soil FEM model is developed to analyse the dynamical responses of the soils around the tunnel. The results indicate the vertical acceleration of the tunnel substrata exhibits an exponential attenuation trend with an increase of the distance; the horizontal acceleration of the ground surface exhibits an enlarged area within 10–25 m from the tunnel centerline. Also, the displacement of the soil layer under the tunnel increases cyclically in the period of the Metro train passing and rebounds slowly after the train passes. When the wheels of two Metro trains act simultaneously, the peak compression strain increases superimposedly; when the act is out of sync, the peak compression strain occurs concentrated and significant increase does not occur. Moreover, the larger the vibration amplitude the Metro train causes, the greater the excess pore water pressure occurs. Beyond a certain depth range, the influence of the vibration vanishes. The ratio of the maximal pore water pressure to the total stress is less than 1, suggesting that liquefaction does not occur in the silty-fine sand soil layer beneath the tunnel. The research results can be used to estimate the longitudinal differential settlement under long-term operation conditions and be helpful in regulating running speed of the Metro trains and planning the maintenance measures for the track flatness of the tunnel.
Deciphering the Active Ingredients and Molecular Mechanisms of Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Levl.) Hutch against Rheumatoid Arthritis Based on Network Pharmacology
Authors: Jiang Yunbin , Zhong Mei , Long Fei , Yang Rongping
Published: January 2020

Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Levl.) Hutch (THH) shows well clinical effect on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the active ingredients and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This work was designed to explore these issues by network pharmacology. Compounds from THH were gathered by retrieving literatures. Compound‐related and RA‐related genes were identified using databases, and the overlapping genes were identified by Venn diagram. The active ingredients and genes of THH against RA were confirmed by dissecting interactions between overlapping genes and compounds using Cytoscape. SystemsDock website was used to further verify the combining degree of key genes with active ingredients. Pathway enrichment analysis was performed to decipher the mechanisms of THH against RA by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. A total of 123 compounds were collected, and 110 compounds‐related and 1871 RA‐related genes were identified, including 64 overlapping genes. The target genes and active ingredients of THH against RA comprised 64 genes and 17 compounds, the focus of which was PTGS2, triptolide, and celastrol. SystemsDock website indicated that the combing degree of PTGS2 with triptolide or celastrol was very good. The mechanisms of THH against RA were linked to 31 signaling pathways, and the key mechanism was related to inhibition of inflammation response through inactivating TNF and NF‐kappa B signaling pathways. This work firstly explored the active ingredients and mechanisms of THH against RA by network pharmacology and provided evidence to support clinical effects of THH on RA.
Robust Finite-Time Tracking for Uncertain Linear Systems with Actuator Faults
Authors: Fang Xinpeng , Fan Huijin , Liu Lei
Published: January 2020

In this paper, a robust finite-time fault-tolerant control (FTC) scheme is developed for uncertain linear systems in the presence of actuator faults. Since the system uncertainties and actuator faults are unknown, the controller parameters are updated online by the adaptive laws without the need for fault detection and isolation. It is proved that the proposed state-feedback model reference adaptive finite-time FTC scheme can guarantee that the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of the origin in finite time. An application example for an aircraft lateral-directional dynamic system is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Upregulation of FEN1 Is Associated with the Tumor Progression and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Yingying , Liu Xin , Liu Liwen , Chen Jianan , Hu Qiuyue , Shen Shen , Zhou Yongjian , Chen Siyu , Xue Chen , Cui Guangying , Yu Zujiang
Published: January 2020

Background. Studies show that patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have poor prognosis, particularly when patients are diagnosed at late stages of the disease development. The flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) gene is overexpressed in multiple malignant tumors and may promote tumor aggressiveness. However, its expression profile and functional roles in HCC are still unclear. Here, we evaluated the molecular mechanisms of FEN1 in HCC. Methods. The expression of FEN1 in HCC was evaluated using HCC mRNA expression data from TCGA and GEO databases. The expression of FEN1 was also confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using a tissue microarray (TMA) cohort with a total of 396 HCC patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the correlation between FEN1 expression and survival rate of HCC patients. The molecular mechanism and biological functions of FEN1 in HCC were predicted using functional and pathway enrichment analysis in vitro experiments. Results. FEN1 was overexpressed in multiple HCC cohorts at both mRNA and protein levels. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that FEN1 can serve as a diagnostic predictor of HCC. Meanwhile, patients with high FEN1 expression levels showed lower overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates than those with low FEN1 expression. More importantly, we found that FEN1 elevation was an independent prognostic factor for OS and RFS in HCC patients based on univariate and multivariate analyses, indicating that FEN1 might be a potential prognostic marker in HCC. Furthermore, knocking down FEN1 resulted in suppressed cell proliferation and migration in vitro. This could have been due to regulation expressions of c-Myc, survivin, and cyclin D1 genes, indicating that FEN1 may function as an oncogene through its role in the cell cycle and DNA replication pathway. Conclusion. Our study indicated that high FEN1 expression might function as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis. In addition, the study confirms that FEN1 is an oncogene in HCC progression.
CpG-ODN Induces a Dose-Dependent Enrichment of Immunological Niches in the Spleen and Lungs of Neonatal Chicks That Correlates with the Protective Immunity againstEscherichia coli
Authors: Gunawardana Thushari , Ahmed Khawaja Ashfaque , Goonewardene Kalhari , Popowich Shelly , Kurukulasuriya Shanika , Karunarathana Ruwani , Ayalew Lisanework E. , Gupta Ashish , Lockerbie Betty , Foldvari Marianna , Tikoo Suresh K. , Willson Philip , Gomis Susantha
Published: January 2020

Immunoprotective function of oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG motifs (CpG-ODN) has been demonstrated in neonatal chickens against common bacterial pathogens such asE.coliandSalmonellasp. Our recent study reported that CpG-ODN administration enriches immune compartments in neonatal chicks. However, a causal relationship between CpG-ODN-induced immune enrichment and protective mechanisms remains unestablished. In this study, we investigatedin ovoadministered CpG-ODN-mediated immune cell recruitment in the immunological niches in lymphoid (spleen) and nonlymphoid (lungs) organs using various doses of CpG-ODN and examined whether the immunological profiles have any correlation with immunoprotection againstE.coliinfection. Eighteen-day-old embryonated eggs were injected with either 5, 10, 25, and 50 μg of CpG-ODN or saline (n=~40per group). On the day of hatch (72 hr after CpG-ODN treatment), we collected the spleen and lungs (n=3‐4per group) and examined the recruitment of macrophages/monocytes, their expression of MHCII and CD40, and the number of CD4+and CD8+T-cell subsets in the immunological niches in the spleen and lungs using flow cytometry. We observed the dose-dependent recruitment of immune cells, wherein 25 μg and 50 μg of CpG-ODN induced significant enrichment of immunological niches in both the spleen and the lungs. Four days after the CpG-ODN treatment (1-day after hatch), chicks were challenged with a virulent strain ofE. coli(1×104or1×105 cfu, subcutaneously). Clinical outcome and mortality were monitored for 8 days postchallenge. We found that both 25 μg and 50 μg of CpG-ODN provided significant protection and reduced clinical scores compared to saline controls againstE. coliinfection. Overall, the present study revealed that CpG-ODNs orchestrate immunological niches in neonatal chickens in a dose-dependent manner that resulted in differential protection againstE. coliinfection, thus supporting a cause and effect relationship between CpG-ODN-induced immune enrichment and the antibacterial immunity.
Efficiency of Chinese Real Estate Market Based on Complexity-Entropy Binary Causal Plane Method
Authors: Chen Yan , Cai Ya , Zheng Chengli
Published: January 2020

Real estate market is a complex system. A rational real estate market is not only helpful to people's living standards but also beneficial to countries’ macroeconomic stability. Is Chinese real estate market rational? This paper attempts to study the efficiency of Chinese real estate market by using the complexity-entropy binary causal plane method. We firstly discuss the formation mechanism of real estate price, which provides a theoretical basis for testing the efficiency, and compute the real estate market efficiency of 70 main Chinese cities. The results show that neither the whole market nor the main cities have reached the weak efficiency, and the efficiency and complexity of each city are different, and the relationship between them is significantly negative. In addition, this paper also compares the efficiency and complexity of Chinese real estate market with American real estate market. Then, some suggestions for the healthy development of Chinese real estate market in the future are put forward.
ETV6: A Candidate Gene for Predisposition to “Blend Pedigrees”? A Case Report from the NEXT-Famly Clinical Trial
Authors: Bernardi Simona , Farina Mirko , Zanaglio Camilla , Cattina Federica , Polverelli Nicola , Schieppati Francesca , Re Federica , Foroni Chiara , Malagola Michele , Dunbar Andrew J. , Russo Domenico
Published: January 2020

Background. The identification of germline mutations in familial leukemia predisposition genes by next generation sequencing is of pivotal importance. Lately, some “blend pedigrees” characterized by both solid and hematologic malignancies have been described. Some genes were recognized as related to this double predisposition, while the involvement of others is still a matter of debate. ETV6 was associated with hematologic malignancies, in particular myeloid malignancies, and recently described as mutated also in oncologic patients. No clear evidences in its involvement in blend pedigrees are known. Case Presentation. We present our recent experience in the identification of an ETV6-mutated “blend pedigree,” suggesting the involvement of ETV6 in the predisposition to both solid and hematologic neoplasia. The pedigree recognition started with a MDS case enrolled in the NEXT-Famly protocol. The patient presented 9 relatives affected by solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Following the clinical trial protocol, the patient underwent NGS analysis, which confirmed the presence of a mutation on the noncoding region of ETV6 both on tumor and on germline DNA. The mutation resulted was shared by the still alive affected relatives. Conclusion. This evidence supports the involvement of ETV6 in the predisposition to both solid and hematologic neoplasia and the importance of the investigation of the noncoding regions of the genes as recently suggested by different expert groups.
Variation in Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Wild Elymus nutans Ecotypes from Different Altitudes in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Qi Juan , Liu Wenhui , Jiao Ting , Hamblin Ann
Published: January 2020

The availability of suitable native plant species for local animal husbandry development and ecological restoration is limited on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, comparisons of the ecological adaptability of native species to alternative habitats and their introduction into new habitats are of high importance. This study is aimed at identifying the alteration in morphological and physiological characteristics by measuring photosynthetic physiology, nutrient content, and growth associated with adaptation of plants to conditions at different altitudes 2450, 2950, 3100, and 3300 m above sea level (a. s. l.) on the plateau. Seeds of the dominant grass, Elymus nutans, were collected from locations at these altitudes and grown at a test location of 2950 m a. s. l. Results indicated that altitude had no significant effect on plant height and root depth. However, the leaf area and total root surface area of plants derived from 2950 and 3300 m a. s. l. showed a parabolic response, being greater than those of plants derived from the lowest (2450 m) and highest (3300 m a. s. l.). Total (root plus shoot) dry matter reduced progressively from 2450 to 3300 m a. s. l, while root : shoot ratio increased progressively with altitude. Seed yield of plants originating from the test altitude (2950 m a. s. l) was significantly higher than at any other altitude, being 20% lower at 2450 m, and 38% and 58% less in populations originating from the higher altitudes (3100 and 3300 m a. s. l.). There was also a parabolic decline in response of Elymus nutans germplasm from 3100, 3300, and 2450 m, compared with plants from 2950 m a. s. l., to photosynthetic rate, total N, soluble sugar, and starch contents. Germplasm from 2450 m a. s. l. had significantly lower shoot and higher root carbon content, lower shoot nitrogen, and lower root carbon-to-nitrogen ratio compared with plants derived from the other three altitudes. It is suggested that the stable, genetically determined morphological and physiological features of ecotypes showed parabolic responses which means these ecotypes have become adapted to local habitats, whereas parameters such as dry matter, total root : shoot ratio, photosynthetic rate, and intercellular CO2 concentration of plants reflected phenotypic linear response to current abiotic conditions. It is postulated that introduced ecotypes from 2450, 3100, and 3300 m could adapt to the environment at 2950 m a. s. l. gradually. We conclude that the increased thermal regime experienced by plants introduced from high altitude to low altitude may facilitate the increased growth of Elymus nutans subtypes. It is important to preserve local strains of native species, or ecotypes, for reintroduction into degraded environments and to maintain the greatest ecosystem stability in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.