bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constructing Uyghur Commonsense Knowledge Base by Knowledge Projection
Authors: Anwar Azmat , Li Xiao , Yang Yating , Wang Yajuan
Published: August 2019

Although considerable effort has been devoted to building commonsense knowledge bases (CKB), it is still not available for many low-resource languages such as Uyghur because of expensive construction cost. Focusing on this issue, we proposed a cross-lingual knowledge-projection method to construct an Uyghur CKB by projecting ConceptNet’s Chinese facts into Uyghur. We used a Chinese–Uyghur bilingual dictionary to get high-quality entity translation in facts and employed a back-translation method to eliminate the entity-translation ambiguity. Moreover, to tackle the inner relation ambiguity in translated facts, we made a hand-crafted rule to convert the structured facts into natural-language phrases and built the Chinese–Uyghur lingual phrases based on the similarity of phrases that corresponded to the bilingual semantic similarity scoring model. Experimental results show that the accuracy of our semantic similarity scoring model reached 94.75% for our task, and they successfully project 55,872 Chinese facts into Uyghur as well as obtain 67,375 Uyghur facts within a very short period.
Special Issue on Using Machine Learning Algorithms in the Prediction of Kyphosis Disease: A Comparative Study
Authors: Dankwa Stephen , Zheng Wenfeng
Published: August 2019

Machine learning (ML) is the technology that allows a computer system to learn from the environment, through re-iterative processes, and improve itself from experience. Recently, machine learning has gained massive attention across numerous fields, and is making it easy to model data extremely well, without the importance of using strong assumptions about the modeled system. The rise of machine learning has proven to better describe data as a result of providing both engineering solutions and an important benchmark. Therefore, in this current research work, we applied three different machine learning algorithms, which were, the Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict kyphosis disease based on a biomedical data. At the initial stage of the experiments, we performed 5- and 10-Fold Cross-Validation using Logistic Regression as a baseline model to compare with our ML models without performing grid search. We then evaluated the models and compared their performances based on 5- and 10-Fold Cross-Validation after running grid search algorithms on the ML models. Among the Support Vector Machines, we experimented with the three kernels (Linear, Radial Basis Function (RBF), Polynomial). We observed overall accuracies of the models between 79%–85%, and 77%–86% based on the 5- and 10-Fold Cross-Validation, after running grid search respectively. Based on the 5- and 10-Fold Cross-Validation as evaluation metrics, the RF, SVM-RBF, and ANN models achieved accuracies more than 80%. The RF, SVM-RBF and ANN models outperformed the baseline model based on the 10-Fold Cross-Validation with grid search. Overall, in terms of accuracies, the ANN model outperformed all the other ML models, achieving 85.19% and 86.42% based on the 5- and 10-Fold Cross-Validation. We proposed that RF, SVM-RBF and ANN models should be used to detect and predict kyphosis disease after a patient had undergone surgery or operation. We suggest that machine learning should be adopted and used as an essential and critical tool across the maximum spectrum of answering biomedical questions.
A Review of Low-Frequency Active Vibration Control of Seat Suspension Systems
Authors: Zhao Yuli , Wang Xu
Published: August 2019

As a major device for reducing vibration and protecting passengers, the low-frequency vibration control performance of commercial vehicle seating systems has become an attractive research topic in recent years. This article reviews the recent developments in active seat suspensions for vehicles. The features of active seat suspension actuators and the related control algorithms are described and discussed in detail. In addition, the vibration control and reduction performance of active seat suspension systems are also reviewed. The article also discusses the prospects of the application of machine learning, including artificial neural network (ANN) control algorithms, in the development of active seat suspension systems for vibration control.
Application of Heartbeat-Attention Mechanism for Detection of Myocardial Infarction Using 12-Lead ECG Records
Authors: Zhang Yue , Li Jie
Published: August 2019

Early detection and effective treatment of myocardial infarction can prevent the deterioration of ischemic heart disease and greatly reduce the possibility of sudden death. On the basis of standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) records, this paper proposes a bidirectional, long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) network with a heartbeat-attention mechanism to effectively and automatically detect myocardial infarction (MI). First, we divide the standard 12-lead ECG records into sliding windows with the same number of heartbeats. Subsequently, we do not use any labels of heartbeats to train the Bi-LSTM network and the heartbeat-attention mechanism is applied to automatically weight the difference between unlabeled heartbeats. Finally, our method is validated by patients’ complete ECG records and real labels in the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) diagnostic ECG database. When compared with the same network without the heartbeat-attention mechanism or other existing methods, our method achieves comparable or better performance. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity reach 94.77%, 95.58%, and 90.48%, respectively.
Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Prescribed Burning in Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystems
Authors: Whitehill Andrew R. , George Ingrid , Long Russell , Baker Kirk R. , Landis Matthew
Published: August 2019

Prescribed pasture burning plays a critical role in ecosystem maintenance in tallgrass prairie ecosystems and may contribute to agricultural productivity but can also have negative impacts on air quality. Volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations were measured immediately downwind of prescribed tallgrass prairie fires in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, United States. The VOC mixture is dominated by alkenes and oxygenated VOCs, which are highly reactive and can drive photochemical production of ozone downwind of the fires. The computed emission factors are comparable to those previous measured from pasture maintenance fires in Brazil. In addition to the emission of large amounts of particulate matter, hazardous air pollutants such as benzene and acrolein are emitted in significant amounts and could contribute to adverse health effects in exposed populations.
The Methodological Trends of Traditional Herbal Medicine Employing Network Pharmacology
Authors: Lee Won-Yung , Lee Choong-Yeol , Kim Youn-Sub , Kim Chang-Eop
Published: August 2019

Natural products, including traditional herbal medicine (THM), are known to exert their therapeutic effects by acting on multiple targets, so researchers have employed network pharmacology methods to decipher the potential mechanisms of THM. To conduct THM-network pharmacology (THM-NP) studies, researchers have employed different tools and databases for constructing and analyzing herb–compound–target networks. In this study, we attempted to capture the methodological trends in THM-NP research. We identified the tools and databases employed to conduct THM-NP studies and visualized their combinatorial patterns. We also constructed co-author and affiliation networks to further understand how the methodologies are employed among researchers. The results showed that the number of THM-NP studies and employed databases/tools have been dramatically increased in the last decade, and there are characteristic patterns in combining methods of each analysis step in THM-NP studies. Overall, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) was the most frequently employed network pharmacology database in THM-NP studies. Among the processes involved in THM-NP research, the methodology for constructing a compound–target network has shown the greatest change over time. In summary, our analysis describes comprehensive methodological trends and current ideas in research design for network pharmacology researchers.
Mutation in DNA Polymerase Beta Causes Spontaneous Chromosomal Instability and Inflammation-Associated Carcinogenesis in Mice
Authors: Zhao Shengyuan , Klattenhoff Alex W. , Thakur Megha , Sebastian Manu , Kidane Dawit
Published: August 2019

DNA polymerase beta (Pol β) is a key enzyme in the base excision repair (BER) pathway. Pol β is mutated in approximately 40% of human tumors in small-scale studies. The 5´-deoxyribose-5-phosphate (dRP) lyase domain of Pol β is responsible for DNA end tailoring to remove the 5’ phosphate group. We previously reported that the dRP lyase activity of Pol β is critical to maintain DNA replication fork stability and prevent cellular transformation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the human gastric cancer associated variant of Pol β (L22P) has the ability to promote spontaneous chromosomal instability and carcinogenesis in mice. We constructed a Pol β L22P conditional knock-in mouse model and found that L22P enhances hyperproliferation and DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in stomach cells. Moreover, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from L22P mice frequently induce abnormal numbers of chromosomes and centrosome amplification, leading to chromosome segregation errors. Importantly, L22P mice exhibit chronic inflammation accompanied by stomach tumors. These data demonstrate that the human cancer-associated variant of Pol β can contribute to chromosomal instability and cancer development.
Circular RNA Regulation of Myogenesis
Authors: Zhang Pengpeng , Chao Zhe , Zhang Rui , Ding Ruoqi , Wang Yaling , Wu Wei , Han Qiu , Li Cencen , Xu Haixia , Wang Lei , Xu Yongjie
Published: August 2019

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel class of non-coding RNA generated by pre-mRNA back splicing, which is characterized by a closed-loop structure. Although circRNAs were firstly reported decades ago, their regulatory roles have not been discovered until recently. In this review, we discussed the putative biogenesis pathways and regulatory functions of circRNAs. Recent studies showed that circRNAs are abundant in skeletal muscle tissue, and their expression levels are regulated during muscle development and aging. We, thus, characterized the expression profile of circRNAs in skeletal muscle and discussed regulatory functions and mechanism-of-action of specific circRNAs in myogenesis. The future investigation into the roles of circRNAs in both physiological and pathological conditions may provide novel insights in skeletal muscle development and provide new therapeutic strategies for muscular diseases.
A Low Impact Ionization Rate Poly-Si TFT with a Current and Electric Field Split Design
Authors: Chien Feng-Tso , Hsueh Kuang-Po , Hong Zhen-Jie , Lin Kuan-Ting , Tsai Yao-Tsung , Chiu Hsien-Chin
Published: August 2019

In this study, a novel low impact ionization rate (low-IIR) poly-Si thin film transistor featuring a current and electric field split (CES) structure with bottom field plate (BFP) and partial thicker channel raised source/drain (RSD) designs is proposed and demonstrated. The bottom field plate design can allure the electron and alter the electron current path to evade the high electric field area and therefore reduce the device IIR and suppress the kink effect. A two-dimensional device simulator was applied to describe and compare the current path, electric field magnitude distributions, and IIR of the proposed structure and conventional devices. In addition, the advantages of a partial thicker channel RSD design are present, and the leakage current of CES-thin-film transistor (TFT) can be reduced and the ON/OFF current ratio be improved, owing to a smaller drain electric field.
Comprehensive Study on Dynamic Parameters of Symmetric and Asymmetric Ultracapacitors
Authors: Abetbool Yakov , Rajput Shailendra , Yahalom Asher , Averbukh Moshe
Published: August 2019

Electrical storage components such as ultracapacitors (UC) have received significant attention from various industrial sectors, from electric vehicles to renewable power plants. This article presents the investigations on dynamic properties of asymmetric Li-ion hybrid (CPQ2300S: 2300 F, 2.2–3.8 V, JSR Co., Tokyo, Japan) and symmetric double-layer (BCAP3400: 3400 F, 2.85 V, Maxwell Technologies Co., San Diego, CA, USA) ultracapacitors. The internal resistance and capacitance of both UCs were slightly changed with respect to current and voltage alterations, but these changes were more prominent for the Li-ion UC. The internal resistance of the Li-ion UC became five times larger and its capacitance decreased significantly when the temperature decreased from +25 °C to −20 °C. More importantly, the double-layer UC exhibited nearly constant capacitance for a wide range of temperature changes (0 °C to −40 °C), although internal resistance increased somewhat. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis of both UCs was performed for the frequency range of 1 Hz–1 kHz and in the temperature range from −15 °C to +30 °C. It was observed that the temperature effects were much more pronounced for the asymmetric Li-ion UC than that of the symmetric double-layer UC. This work also proposes an improved equivalent circuit model based on an infinite number of resistance-capacitance (r–C) chains. The characteristic behavior of symmetric UCs can be explained precisely by the proposed model. This model is also applicable to asymmetric UCs, but with less precision.
PV Micro-Inverter Topology Using LLC Resonant Converter
Authors: Watanabe Hiroki , Itoh Jun-ichi , Koike Naoki , Nagai Shinichiro
Published: August 2019

In this paper, a DC–single-phase AC power converter with an LLC resonant converter is presented for a photovoltaic (PV) micro-inverter application. This application requires the leakage current suppression capability. Therefore, an isolated power converter is usually combined for DC/AC systems. The LLC resonant converter is the one of the isolated power converter topologies, and it has good performance for conversion efficiency with easy control. On the other hand, a double-line frequency power ripple has to be compensated for in order to improve the performance of the maximum power point tracking (MPPT). Therefore, a bulky electrolytic capacitor is usually necessary for the power converter. However, the electrolytic capacitor may limit the lifetime of the micro-inverter. This paper introduces the PV micro-inverter with a LLC resonant converter. In addition, the active power decoupling circuit is applied in order to compensate the double-line frequency power ripple by the small capacitor in order to eliminate the electrolytic capacitor. Finally, the transformer design is considered in order to reduce the transformer losses. As a result, the conversion efficiency of the LLC converter is improved by 1% when the litz wire has many strands.
Meta-Analysis of Cancer Triploidy: Rearrangements of Genome Complements in Male Human Tumors Are Characterized by XXY Karyotypes
Authors: Vainshelbaum Ninel M. , Zayakin Pawel , Kleina Regina , Giuliani Alessandro , Erenpreisa Jekaterina
Published: August 2019

Triploidy in cancer is associated with poor prognosis, but its origins remain unclear. Here, we attempted to differentiate between random chromosomal and whole-genome origins of cancer triploidy. In silico meta-analysis was performed on 15 male malignant and five benign tumor cohorts (2928 karyotypes) extracted from the Mitelman Database, comparing their ploidy and combinations of sex chromosomes. A distinct near-triploid fraction was observed in all malignant tumor types, and was especially high in seminoma. For all tumor types, X-chromosome doubling, predominantly observed as XXY, correlated strongly with the near-triploid state (r ≈ 0.9, p < 0.001), negatively correlated with near-diploidy, and did not correlate with near-tetraploidy. A smaller near-triploid component with a doubled X-chromosome was also present in three of the five benign tumor types, especially notable in colon adenoma. Principal component analysis revealed a non-random correlation structure shaping the X-chromosome disomy distribution across all tumor types. We suggest that doubling of the maternal genome followed by pedogamic fusion with a paternal genome (a possible mimic of the fertilization aberration, 69, XXY digyny) associated with meiotic reprogramming may be responsible for the observed rearrangements of genome complements leading to cancer triploidy. The relatively frequent loss of the Y-chromosome results as a secondary factor from chromosome instability.
Impacts of Nutrition Subsidies on Diet Diversity and Nutritional Outcomes of Primary School Students in Rural Northwestern China—Do Policy Targets and Incentives Matter?
Authors: Chen Qihui , Pei Chunchen , Bai Yunli , Zhao Qiran
Published: August 2019

Many developing countries have implemented nutrition intervention programs to reduce child malnutrition. However, the effectiveness of these programs differs greatly, and it remains unclear what is causing the differences in effectiveness across different programs. To shed some light on this issue, this article examines the role the specificity of policy targets, along with the incentives attached, plays in affecting the effectiveness of nutrition intervention programs. More specifically, we examined how different policy targets (and the associated incentives) affect primary students’ dietary structure and (thus) their nutritional and health status by analyzing a randomized intervention in rural Northwestern China that was designed with two treatment arms. The two treatments provided the same nutrition subsidy to project students but with different policy targets, one with a specific target of “anemia reduction” and the other with a general target of “malnutrition reduction”. Our analysis revealed that compared to the treatment arm with only a general policy target, the treatment arm with the specific “anemia reduction” target was more effective at improving students’ nutritional and health status, as measured by the incidences of being anemic and underweight, presumably through helping them develop a dietary structure with more flesh meat, bean products, vegetables, and fruits.
Supporting Sustainable Development of Water Resources: A Social Welfare Maximization Game Model
Authors: Guo Mingjing , Jiang Ziyu , Bu Yan , Cheng Jinhua
Published: August 2019

Water can carry a boat but can also overturn it (human societal sustainable development). Governments faced aquatic ecosystem restoration and preservation challenges following the establishment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This paper proposes a social welfare maximization game model to analyze the dominant strategy equilibrium of enterprise-1 and enterprise-2 based on welfare maximization under the total sewage emission control policy. Under the aforementioned control policy, a stricter total sewage emission control of an enterprise corresponds to a lower enterprise output and a higher output of a competing enterprise; that is, the profit transfer effect occurs. When the government implements a relatively strict total sewage emission control policy for an enterprise, it is beneficial to reduce the amount of sewage emission from an enterprise but has no impact on the amount of sewage emission from a competing enterprise; however, the amount of sewage reduction of both enterprises will increase. If the government does not provide capital and technical support to enterprise-2, then enterprise-1 and enterprise-2 should implement total quantity control policies with different rigor degrees to avoid the one-size-fits-all phenomenon. To maximize social welfare, the government should adjust the total sewage emission control policy in time according to sewage stock changes and focus more on enterprises with insufficient capital and poor technical skills and provide financial and technical support.
The Mixed-Method 5W2D Approach for Health System Stakeholders Analysis in Quality of Care: An Application to the Moroccan Context
Authors: Frichi Youness , Jawab Fouad , Boutahari Said
Published: August 2019

(1) Background: Quality of care (QC) is not only about satisfying patients, but also about satisfying the various health system stakeholders (HSS). This makes it a complex and difficult objective to achieve. This study aims at proposing a methodological framework for identifying HSS, prioritizing them in QC, and analyzing their interrelationships. (2) Methods: The proposed framework is the mixed-method 5W2D approach, which uses a combination of three basic methods: the 5W questioning technique (What, Who, Why, Where, and When), the Delphi method, and the Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. It consists of three interdependent phases. First of all, a preliminary list of HSS is established based on a systematic literature review, which is then projected and adapted to the national context using the 5W questioning technique. Secondly, the identified HSS are classified in order according to their influence and impact on QC by employing Delphi method. Thirdly, the interrelationships between HSS are determined and analyzed by applying DEMATEL technique. An application of 5W2D is conducted in the Moroccan context as its health system involves a wide range of stakeholders. (3) Results: Results defined 17 groups of HSS, whose prioritization led to three groups that are at the core of the health system: patients and their families, health personnel, and government. Roles and expectations of these groups regarding QC are divergent and contradictory, which require making trade-offs. The findings of this study intend to guide the development of inclusive strategies and policies that involve key stakeholders for QC assessment and improvement.
An Integrated Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS Approach to Assess Sustainable Urban Development in an Emerging Economy
Authors: Dang Van Thac , Wang Jianming , Dang Wilson Van-Thac
Published: August 2019

Sustainable urban development (SUD) requires a balance between economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection. Oftentimes, urban policy makers can hardly fulfill all SUD goals due to inadequacy of resources to support SUD programs. Therefore, the process of allocating scarce resources to achieve and balance various SUD goals becomes a critical challenge for policy makers and researchers. To solve this problem, this study adopts fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Situation (TOPSIS) to assess and rank different indicators of SUD and evaluate different cities in an emerging economy (Vietnam). Fuzzy methods exhibit more advantages than traditional ranking methods. Fuzzy AHP is an extension of AHP, whereas fuzzy TOPSIS is an extension of TOPSIS. Fuzzy methods are used to overcome disadvantages of traditional methods and are beneficial techniques for solving complicated decision problems with a realistic solution. Using a valid sample data of ten experts in the field of SUD, empirical results show that education, healthcare, quality of life, and social democracy are the most important indicators of SUD. By contrast, social diversity, social maturity, and energy consumption are the least important indicators of SUD. For social sustainability, social democracy and quality of life are the two most important criteria, whereas social maturity and social diversity are the two least important criteria. For economic sustainability, education and healthcare are the two most important criteria, whereas infrastructure and income are the two least important criteria. For environmental sustainability, water quality and waste disposal are the two most important criteria, whereas energy consumption and ecological conservation are the two least important criteria. Furthermore, fuzzy TOPSIS results reveal the best and the worst cities in Vietnam with regard to overall SUD and its three components. This study provides evidence for researchers and policy makers to better understand the importance of different goals of SUD and efficiently allocate scarce resources to achieve and balance different SUD goals. Furthermore, researchers and policy makers should further focus on indicators such as social democracy, quality of life, education, healthcare, water quality, and waste disposal. These indicators will help obtain the goals of SUD.
Increased Incidence of Glaucoma in Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Chien Hsiang-Wen , Wu Pei-Hsuan , Wang Kai , Sun Chi-Chin , Huang Jing-Yang , Yang Shun-Fa , Chen Hung-Chi , Lee Chia-Yi
Published: August 2019

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the incidence of glaucoma in patients diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) via the application of the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with a diagnosis of SNHL were enrolled in the study group after an exclusion procedure and a propensity score matched group without SNHL was served as the control group with a 1:2 ratio. The main outcome was regarded as the emergence of glaucoma diagnostic codes. Cox proportional hazard regression was applied to analyze the incidence and adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of glaucoma in the multivariate model. A total of 15,686 patients diagnosed with SNHL were enrolled in the study group while another 31,372 non-SNHL individuals served as the control group. There were 444 glaucoma events in the study group and 647 glaucoma events in those non-SNHL individuals after the follow-up interval of 16 years. The study group demonstrated a significantly higher aHR compared to the control group after adjusting for multiple possible risk factors. In the subgroup analysis, both the normal tension glaucoma and angle closure glaucoma subgroups revealed a higher aHR in the study group. In conclusion, the patients with SNHL demonstrated a higher incidence of developing glaucoma. Moreover, the incidence was more prominent for patients diagnosed with normal tension glaucoma and angle closure glaucoma.
Profit Analysis of Papaya Crops under Greenhouses as an Alternative to Traditional Intensive Horticulture in Southeast Spain
Authors: Honoré Mireille N. , Belmonte-Ureña Luis J. , Navarro-Velasco Asensio , Camacho-Ferre Francisco
Published: August 2019

The high-yield agricultural model in Almería is based on eight different crops. Having led fruit and vegetable exports in Spain for more than 50 years, a decrease in melon and watermelon growing areas in Almería caused a change in supply that affected the model’s profit. Papaya cultivation could reactivate the profit of the agricultural model in Almería and also improve the available product range. The papaya crop needs greenhouse infrastructures high enough to contain the growth and size of the plants during a cycle crop, which is possible in most of the greenhouses of the Horticultural production model of Almería. The papaya harvests obtained in the region meet the quality requirements demanded by European markets. Furthermore, yields obtained are equal or higher than yields obtained by other producing countries. This crop improves profit compared with the profit obtained from the rotation of other horticultural crops that have been traditionally grown in the region.
An Attention-Based Spatiotemporal Gated Recurrent Unit Network for Point-of-Interest Recommendation
Authors: Liu Chunyang , Liu Jiping , Wang Jian , Xu Shenghua , Han Houzeng , Chen Yang
Published: August 2019

Point-of-interest (POI) recommendation is one of the fundamental tasks for location-based social networks (LBSNs). Some existing methods are mostly based on collaborative filtering (CF), Markov chain (MC) and recurrent neural network (RNN). However, it is difficult to capture dynamic user’s preferences using CF based methods. MC based methods suffer from strong independence assumptions. RNN based methods are still in the early stage of incorporating spatiotemporal context information, and the user’s main behavioral intention in the current sequence is not emphasized. To solve these problems, we proposed an attention-based spatiotemporal gated recurrent unit (ATST-GRU) network model for POI recommendation in this paper. We first designed a novel variant of GRU, which acquired the user’s sequential preference and spatiotemporal preference by feeding the continuous geographical distance and time interval information into the GRU network in each time step. Then, we integrated an attention model into our network, which is a personalized process and can capture the user’s main behavioral intention in the user’s check-in history. Moreover, we conducted an extensive performance evaluation on two real-world datasets: Foursquare and Gowalla. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed ATST-GRU network outperforms the existing state-of-the-art POI recommendation methods significantly regarding two commonly-used evaluation metrics.
Spatiotemporal Change Analysis of Earthquake Emergency Information Based on Microblog Data: A Case Study of the “8.8” Jiuzhaigou Earthquake
Authors: Xing Ziyao , Su Xiaohui , Liu Junming , Su Wei , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: August 2019

Information from social media microblogging has been applied to management of emergency situations following disasters. In particular, such blogs contain much information about the public perception of disasters. However, the effective collection and use of disaster information from microblogs still presents a significant challenge. In this paper, a spatial distribution detection method is established using emergency information based on the urgency degree grading of microblogs and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Moreover, a character-level convolutional neural network classifier is applied for microblog classification in order to mine the spatio-temporal change process of emergency rescue information. The results from the Jiuzhaigou (Sichuan, China) earthquake case study demonstrate that different emergency information types exhibit different time variation characteristics. Moreover, spatial autocorrelation analysis based on the degree of text urgency can exclude uneven spatial distribution influences of the number of microblog users, and accurately determine the level of urgency of the situation. In addition, the classification and spatio-temporal analysis methods combined in this study can effectively mine the required emergency information, allowing us to understand emergency information spatio-temporal changes. Our study can be used as a reference for microblog information applications within the field of emergency rescue activity.
Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) for Detecting Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) Rearrangement in Lung Cancer: Clinically Relevant Technical Aspects
Authors: Tang Zhenya , Wang Lu , Tang Guilin , Medeiros L. Jeffrey
Published: August 2019

In 2011, the Vysis Break Apart ALK fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a companion diagnostic for detecting ALK rearrangement in lung cancer patients who may benefit from treatment of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. This assay is the current “gold standard”. According to updated ALK testing guidelines from the College of American Pathologists, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the Association for Molecular Pathology published in 2018, ALK immunohistochemistry is formally an alternative to ALK FISH, and simultaneous detection of multiple hot spots, including, at least, ALK, ROS1, RET, MET, ERBB2, BRAF and KRAS genes is also recommended while performing next generation sequencing (NGS)-based testing. Therefore, ALK status in a specimen can be tested by different methods and platforms, even in the same institution or laboratory. In this review, we discuss several clinically relevant technical aspects of ALK FISH, including pros and cons of the unique two-step (50- to 100-cell) analysis approach employed in the Vysis Break Apart ALK FISH assay, including: the preset cutoff value of ≥15% for a positive result; technical aspects and biology of discordant results obtained by different methods; and incidental findings, such as ALK copy number gain or amplification and co-existent driver mutations. These issues have practical implications for ALK testing in the clinical laboratory following the updated guidelines.
Mitochondrial DNA Variants in Patients with Liver Injury Due to Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs
Authors: Lee Li-Na , Huang Chun-Ta , Hsu Chia-Lin , Chang Hsiu-Ching , Jan I-Shiow , Liu Jia-Luen , Sheu Jin-Chuan , Wang Jann-Tay , Liu Wei-Lun , Wu Huei-Shu , Chang Ching-Nien , Wang Jann-Yuan
Published: August 2019

Background: Hepatotoxicity is the most severe adverse effect of anti-tuberculosis therapy. Isoniazid’s metabolite hydrazine is a mitochondrial complex II inhibitor. We hypothesized that mitochondrial DNA variants are risk factors for drug-induced liver injury (DILI) due to isoniazid, rifampicin or pyrazinamide. Methods: We obtained peripheral blood from tuberculosis (TB) patients before anti-TB therapy. A total of 38 patients developed DILI due to anti-TB drugs. We selected 38 patients with TB but without DILI as controls. Next-generation sequencing detected point mutations in the mitochondrial DNA genome. DILI was defined as ALT ≥5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), or ALT ≥3 times the ULN with total bilirubin ≥2 times the ULN. Results: In 38 patients with DILI, the causative drug was isoniazid in eight, rifampicin in 14 and pyrazinamide in 16. Patients with isoniazid-induced liver injury had more variants in complex I’s NADH subunit 5 and 1 genes, more nonsynonymous mutations in NADH subunit 5, and a higher ratio of nonsynonymous to total substitutions. Patients with rifampicin- or pyrazinamide-induced liver injury had no association with mitochondrial DNA variants. Conclusions: Variants in complex I’s subunit 1 and 5 genes might affect respiratory chain function and predispose isoniazid-induced liver injury when exposed to hydrazine, a metabolite of isoniazid and a complex II inhibitor.
The Lipid Paradox Among Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients-A Retrospective Study of Outcomes and Complications
Authors: Patel Urvish , Malik Preeti , Dave Mihir , DeMasi Matthew S. , Lunagariya Abhishek , Jani Vishal B. , Dhamoon Mandip S.
Published: August 2019

Background and objectives: The Studies have suggested hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease. However, few of the studies with a small number of patients had tested the effect of hypercholesterolemia on the outcomes and complications among acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. We hypothesized that lipid disorders (LDs), though risk factors for AIS, were associated with better outcomes and fewer post-stroke complications. Materials and Method: We performed a retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (years 2003–2014) in adult hospitalizations for AIS to determine the outcomes and complications associated with LDs, using ICD-9-CM codes. In 2014, we also aimed to estimate adjusted odds of AIS in patients with LDs compared to patients without LDs. The multivariable survey logistic regression models, weighted to account for sampling strategy, were fitted to evaluate relationship of LDs with AIS among 2014 hospitalizations, and outcomes and complications amongst AIS patients from 2003–2014. Results and Conclusions: In 2014, there were 28,212,820 (2.02% AIS and 5.50% LDs) hospitalizations. LDs patients had higher prevalence and odds of having AIS compared with non-LDs. Between 2003–2014, of the total 4,224,924 AIS hospitalizations, 451,645 (10.69%) had LDs. Patients with LDs had lower percentages and odds of mortality, risk of death, major/extreme disability, discharge to nursing facility, and complications including epilepsy, stroke-associated pneumonia, GI-bleeding and hemorrhagic-transformation compared to non-LDs. Although LDs are risk factors for AIS, concurrent LDs in AIS is not only associated with lower mortality and disability but also lower post-stroke complications and higher chance of discharge to home.
NMR Based Metabolomic Analysis of Health Promoting Phytochemicals in Lentils
Authors: Rochfort Simone , Vassiliadis Simone , Maharjan Pankaj , Brand Jason , Panozzo Joe
Published: August 2019

Lentils are a high-protein plant food and a valuable source of human nutrition, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. However, beyond sustenance, there is evidence that the consumption of lentils (and legumes in general) is associated with decreased risk of diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Lentils contain health-promoting phytochemicals, such as trigonelline and various polyphenolics. Fourteen lentil genotypes were grown at three locations to explore the variation in phytochemical composition in hulls and cotyledons. Significant differences were measured between genotypes and environments, with some genotypes more affected by environment than others. However, there was a strong genetic effect which indicated that future breeding programs could breed for lentils that product more of these health-promoting phytochemicals.
Permeability of Epithelial/Endothelial Barriers in Transwells and Microfluidic Bilayer Devices
Authors: Frost Timothy S. , Jiang Linan , Lynch Ronald M. , Zohar Yitshak
Published: August 2019

Lung-on-a-chip (LoC) models hold the potential to rapidly change the landscape for pulmonary drug screening and therapy, giving patients more advanced and less invasive treatment options. Understanding the drug absorption in these microphysiological systems, modeling the lung-blood barrier is essential for increasing the role of the organ-on-a-chip technology in drug development. In this work, epithelial/endothelial barrier tissue interfaces were established in microfluidic bilayer devices and transwells, with porous membranes, for permeability characterization. The effect of shear stress on the molecular transport was assessed using known paracellular and transcellular biomarkers. The permeability of porous membranes without cells, in both models, is inversely proportional to the molecular size due to its diffusivity. Paracellular transport, between epithelial/endothelial cell junctions, of large molecules such as transferrin, as well as transcellular transport, through cell lacking required active transporters, of molecules such as dextrans, is negligible. When subjected to shear stress, paracellular transport of intermediate-size molecules such as dextran was enhanced in microfluidic devices when compared to transwells. Similarly, shear stress enhances paracellular transport of small molecules such as Lucifer yellow, but its effect on transcellular transport is not clear. The results highlight the important role that LoC can play in drug absorption studies to accelerate pulmonary drug development.
Monitoring Silane Sol-Gel Kinetics with In-Situ Optical Turbidity Scanning and Dynamic Light Scattering
Authors: Giasuddin Abul Bashar Mohammad , Britt David W.
Published: August 2019

Organosilanes (e.g., R’-SiOR3) provide hydrophobic functionality in thin-film coatings, porous gels, and particles. Compared with tetraalkoxysilanes (SiOR4), organosilanes exhibit distinct reaction kinetics and assembly mechanisms arising from steric and electronic properties of the R’ group on the silicon atom. Here, the hydrolysis and condensation pathways of n-propyltrimethoxy silane (nPM) and a tri-fluorinated analog of nPM, 3,3,3-trifluoropropyl trimethoxy silane (3F), were investigated under aqueous conditions at pH 1.7, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0. Prior to hydrolysis, 3F and nPM are insoluble in water and form a lens at the bottom (3F) or top (nPM) of the solutions. This phase separation was employed to follow reaction kinetics using a Turbiscan instrument to monitor hydrolysis through solubilization of the neat silane lens while simultaneously tracking condensation-induced turbidity throughout the bulk solution. Dynamic light scattering confirmed the silane condensation and particle aggregation processes reported by the turbidity scanning. Employing macroscopic phase separation of the starting reactants from the solvent further allows for control over the reaction kinetics, as the interfacial area can be readily controlled by reaction vessel geometry, namely by controlling the surface area to volume. In-situ turbidity scanning and dynamic light scattering revealed distinct reaction kinetics for nPM and 3F, attributable to the electron withdrawing and donating nature of the fluoro- and organo-side chains of 3F and nPM, respectively.
Chemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Zinnia elegans Jacq. Fractions
Authors: Burlec Ana Flavia , Pecio Łukasz , Mircea Cornelia , Cioancă Oana , Corciovă Andreia , Nicolescu Alina , Oleszek Wiesław , Hăncianu Monica
Published: August 2019

Zinnia elegans (syn. Zinnia violacea) is a common ornamental plant of the Asteraceae family, widely cultivated for the impressive range of flower colors and persistent bloom. Given its uncomplicated cultivation and high adaptability to harsh landscape conditions, we investigated the potential use of Z. elegans as a source of valuable secondary metabolites. Preliminary classification of compounds found in a methanolic extract obtained from inflorescences of Z. elegans cv. Caroussel was accomplished using HR LC-MS techniques. The extract was then subjected to solid-phase extraction and separation using Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, which resulted in several fractions further investigated for their antioxidant properties through lipoxygenase inhibition and metal chelating activity assays. Moreover, following additional purification procedures, structures of some active ingredients were established by NMR spectroscopy. The investigated fractions contained polyphenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acids and apigenin, kaempferol, and quercetin glycosides. Antioxidant assays showed that certain fractions exhibit moderate 15-LOX inhibition (Fr 2, IC50 = 18.98 μg/mL) and metal chelation (e.g., Fr 1-2, EC50 = 0.714–1.037 mg/mL) activities as compared to positive controls (20.25 μg/mL for kaempferol and 0.068 mg/mL for EDTA, respectively). For Fr 2, the 15-LOX inhibition activity seems to be related to the abundance of kaempferol glycosides. The NMR analyses revealed the presence of a kaempferol 3-O-glycoside, and a guanidine alkaloid previously not described in this species.
Impact of the Degree of Maturity of Walnuts (Juglans regia L.) and Their Variety on the Antioxidant Potential and the Content of Tocopherols and Polyphenols
Authors: Pycia Karolina , Kapusta Ireneusz , Jaworska Grażyna
Published: August 2019

The aim of the study was to characterize the antioxidant properties; establish the profile of polyphenolic compounds and evaluate the content of tocopherols in walnuts of three varieties (Leopold; Apollo; Resovia) differing in the degree of maturity (harvest date). The profile of polyphenolic compounds was established by UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS. The content of tocopherols was determined by HPLC-FLD. It was found that the content of dry matter and fat increased and the antioxidant properties decreased with the maturation of nuts. Walnuts of the Leopold cultivar harvested in July exhibited the highest content of total polyphenol (2149.08 mg/100 g dry mass). In their polyphenolic profile; 26 compounds were identified; mainly belonging to the class of ellagitannins. The polyphenolic content decreased with the maturation of nuts. The total content of tocopherols in the tested nuts increased with ripening and ranged from 1.76 mg/100g (Apollo VII) to 18.30 mg/100g (Resovia IX)
Five New Cucurbitane-Type Triterpenoid Glycosides from the Rhizomes of Hemsleya penxianensis with Cytotoxic Activities
Authors: Chen De-Li , Xu Xu-Dong , Li Rong-Tao , Wang Bo-Wen , Yu Meng , Liu Yang-Yang , Ma Guo-Xu
Published: August 2019

Five new cucurbitane-typetriterpenoid glycosides, named Xuedanoside F–J (1–5), were obtained from the rhizomes of Hemsleya penxianensis (Xue dan), which belongs to the family of Cucurbitaceae. These new compounds were elucidated byspectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS spectra. Additionally, all the isolates were evaluated for cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (Hela, MCF-7, and A-549) with the IC50 ranging from 2.25 to 49.44 µM in vitro with treatment 48 h and showed low cytotoxicity in human normal liver L-02 cells (IC50 > 50 µM). Compound 5 showed the most significant cytotoxic activity with the IC50 value of 2.25, 4.72, and 5.33 µM in 48 h, respectively.
Complex of EGCG with Cu(II) Suppresses Amyloid Aggregation and Cu(II)-Induced Cytotoxicity of α-Synuclein
Authors: Teng Yilong , Zhao Juan , Ding Lulu , Ding Yu , Zhou Ping
Published: August 2019

Accumulation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) is a remarkable pathology for Parkinson’s disease (PD), therefore clearing it is possibly a promising strategy for treating PD. Aberrant copper (Cu(II)) homeostasis and oxidative stress play critical roles in the abnormal aggregation of α-Syn in the progress of PD. It is reported that the polyphenol (−)-epi-gallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can inhibit α-Syn fibrillation and aggregation, disaggregate α-Syn mature fibrils, as well as protect α-Syn overexpressed-PC12 cells against damage. Also, previous studies have reported that EGCG can chelate many divalent metal ions. What we investigate here is whether EGCG can interfere with the Cu(II) induced fibrillation of α-Syn and protect the cell viability. In this work, on a molecular and cellulaire basis, we demonstrated that EGCG can form a Cu(II)/EGCG complex, leading to the inhibition of Cu(II)-induced conformation transition of α-Syn from random coil to β-sheet, which is a dominant structure in α-Syn fibrils and aggregates. Moreover, we found that the mixture of Cu(II) and EGCG in a molar ratio from 0.5 to 2 can efficiently inhibit this process. Furthermore, we demonstrated that in the α-Syn transduced-PC12 cells, EGCG can inhibit the overexpression and fibrillation of α-Syn in the cells, and reduce Cu(II)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), protecting the cells against Cu(II)-mediated toxicity.
Characterization and Phytotoxicity Assessment of Essential Oils from Plant Byproducts
Authors: Smeriglio Antonella , Trombetta Domenico , Cornara Laura , Valussi Marco , De Feo Vincenzo , Caputo Lucia
Published: August 2019

The present work describes the chemical characterization and the phytotoxicity assessment of essential oils (EOs) obtained from spent materials or pruning waste of four plant species: Zingiber officinale Roscoe used in the juicing industry, Pistacia vera L. var. Bronte used in the food industry, discarded material of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L. var. Futura 75), and pruning waste from Cupressus sempervirens L. The phytochemical profile of the EOs was evaluated by gas chromatographic flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and GC-MS analyses, which highlighted the presence of several compounds with a wide range of biological activities. Among them, application possibilities in agriculture were evaluated by studying the phytotoxic activity in vitro against germination and initial radical growth of several seeds such as Raphanus sativus L., Lepidium sativum L., Lactuca sativa L., Solanum lycopersicum L., Lolium multiflorum Lam., and Portulaca oleracea L.