bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust admissible consensus of singular multi‐agent systems using sliding mode approach
Authors: Li Min , Ma Shuping , Yan Zhiguo
Published: April 2020

The admissible consensus problem of singular multi‐agent systems (SMASs) with mismatched norm‐bounded parametric uncertainties and unknown norm‐bounded disturbances is investigated by an integral sliding mode technique. Under a directed spanning tree network of the state transmission graph, the error states are defined. Then a linear matrix inequality (LMI)‐based sufficient condition is presented to guarantee regularity, free impulse, quadratic stability and H∞ performance of the sliding mode dynamics of the error states. Next, an integral sliding manifold parameter is designed to decrease the order of the LMI caused by the parametric uncertainties, and matrix inversion formulas and inequality techniques are applied to reduce the conservativeness of the LMI. Finally, the control laws, relying on the error states, the property of the state transmission graph and the upper norm bound of disturbances, are presented to ensure the state trajectories of the resulting closed‐loop system to achieve robust admissible consensus with H∞ performance. A simulation example is provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Sequelae of premature loss of lower permanent molars on developing occlusion during the mixed dentition period—A radiographic evaluation
Authors: Katta Nandini Kumari , Kakkunath Mani Sudheesh
Published: April 2020

When planning extraction of teeth with poor prognosis especially lower first permanent molars, it is important to consider the timing of tooth removal and its effect on future occlusion to avoid interventions.
Bulbospinal muscular atrophy (Kennedy disease) responsive to immunoglobulins?
Authors: Poustka Katharina , Pollanz‐Petrovic Sabine , Lindeck‐Pozza Elisabeth , Finsterer Josef
Published: April 2020

A 61 year old man with facial diplegia, quadruparesis, tongue atrophy/fasciculations, bulbar speech, muscle weakness/wasting, hypotonia, tremor, dysdiadochokinesia, absent tendon reflexes, fasciculations, and gynecomastia, received immunoglobulins for suspected immune‐neuropathy with limited benefit. After reconsideration, Kennedy disease was diagnosed upon 44 CAG repeats in AR. In conclusion, immunoglobulins exhibit limited benefit on immune‐neuropathy in patients with coexisting KD.
PARTEC 2019 – Overcome the Challenges in Particle and Powder Technology
Authors: Heinrich Stefan
Published: April 2020

No abstract.
Heats and input variables selection for designing a water detection framework applicable to industrial electric arc furnaces
Authors: Alshawarghi Hamzah , Elkamel Ali , Moshiri Behzad , Hourfar Farzad
Published: April 2020

This paper describes the development of “heats” and input variables selection models that are incorporated into a water detection framework for an industrial steelmaking electric arc furnace (EAF). The selection models in this work are developed based on latent variable methods. The latent variable methods used in this work are multiway principal component analysis (MPCA) and multiway projection to latent structures (MPLS). The particular problems related to latent variable methods discussed in this paper include data preprocessing, including alignment, unfolding method, centering, and scaling. The outcome of the heats selection model is heats with normal operation and the outcome of the input variables selection model is variables that are highly correlated with the off‐gas water vapour. The water detection framework and developed models are useful in practical settings for the prediction of water leakage and the design of appropriate fault detection and diagnosis strategies.
Drug Development and Medicinal Chemistry Efforts toward SARS‐Coronavirus and Covid‐19 Therapeutics
Authors: Ghosh Arun K. , Brindisi Margherita , Shahabi Dana , Chapman Mackenzie E. , Mesecar Andrew D.
Published: April 2020

The COVID‐19 pandemic caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is spreading at an alarming rate and has created an unprecedented health emergency around the globe. There is no effective vaccine or approved drug treatment against COVID‐19 and other pathogenic coronaviruses. The development of antiviral agents is an urgent priority. Biochemical events critical to the coronavirus replication cycle provided a number of attractive targets for drug development. These include, spike protein for binding to host cell‐surface receptors, proteolytic enzymes that are essential for processing polyproteins into mature viruses, and RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase for RNA replication. There has been a lot of ground work for drug discovery and development against these targets. Also, high‐throughput screening efforts have led to the identification of diverse lead structures, including natural product‐derived molecules. This review highlights past and present drug discovery and medicinal‐chemistry approaches against SARS‐CoV, MERS‐CoV and COVID‐19 targets. The review hopes to stimulate further research and will be a useful guide to the development of effective therapies against COVID‐19 and other pathogenic coronaviruses.
Meeting the challenge of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease in patients with cancer
Authors: Spiess Philippe E. , Greene John , Keenan Robert J. , Paculdo David , Letson G. Douglas , Peabody John W.
Published: April 2020

The alarming situation of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is contrasted by the limited efforts to curb the spread and impact of the disease among patients with cancer. This commentary proposes a simple 5‐part strategy plus rapidly expanded use of telemedicine to anticipate and deal with COVID‐19 and, by extension, future epidemics in patients with cancer.
Expression profiling of precuneus layer III cathepsin D‐immunopositive pyramidal neurons in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: Evidence for neuronal signaling vulnerability
Authors: He Bin , Perez Sylvia E. , Lee Sang H. , Ginsberg Stephen D. , Malek‐Ahmadi Michael , Mufson Elliott J.
Published: April 2020

The precuneus (PreC; Brodmann area 7), a key hub within the default mode network (DMN) displays amyloid and tau‐containing neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology during the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). PreC layer III projection neurons contain lysosomal hydrolase cathepsin D (CatD), a marker of neurons vulnerable to NFT pathology. Here we applied single population laser capture microdissection coupled with custom‐designed microarray profiling to determine the genetic signature of PreC CatD‐positive‐layer III neurons accrued from postmortem tissue obtained from the Rush Religious Orders Study (RROS) cases with a premortem clinical diagnosis of no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. Expression profiling revealed significant differential expression of key transcripts in MCI and AD compared to NCI that underlie signaling defects, including dysregulation of genes within the endosomal‐lysosomal and autophagy pathways, cytoskeletal elements, AD‐related genes, ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, cholinergic enzymes and receptors, markers of monoamine neurotransmission as well as steroid‐related transcripts. Pervasive defects in both MCI and AD were found in select transcripts within these key gene ontology categories, underscoring the vulnerability of these corticocortical projection neurons during the onset and progression of dementia. Select PreC dysregulated genes detected via custom‐designed microarray analysis were validated using qPCR. In summary, expression profiling of PreC CatD ‐positive layer III neurons revealed significant dysregulation of a mosaic of genes in MCI and AD that were not previously appreciated in terms of their indication of systems‐wide signaling defects in a key hub of the DMN.
Fluid flow‐induced cell stimulation in bone tissue engineering changes due to interstitial tissue formation in vitro
Authors: Zhao Feihu , van Rietbergen Bert , Ito Keita , Hofmann Sandra
Published: April 2020

In tissue engineering experiments in vitro, bioreactors have been used for applying wall shear stress (WSS) on cells to regulate cellular activities. To determine the loading conditions within bioreactors and to design tissue engineering products, in silico models are used. Previous in silico studies in bone tissue engineering (BTE) focused on quantifying the WSS on cells and the influence on appositional tissue growth. However, many BTE experiments also show interstitial tissue formation (i.e., tissue infiltrated in the pores rather than growing on the struts ‐ appositional growth), which has not been considered in previous in silico studies. We hereby used a multiscale fluid‐solid interaction model to quantify the WSS and mechanical strain on cells with interstitial tissue formation, taken from a reported BTE experiment. The WSS showed a high variation among different interstitial tissue morphologies. This is different to the situation under appositional tissue growth. It is found that a 35% filling of the pores results (by mineralised bone tissue) when the average WSS increases from 1.530 (day 0) to 5.735 mPa (day 28). Furthermore, the mechanical strain on cells caused by the fluid flow was extremely low (at the level of 10−14‐10−15), comparing to the threshold in a previous mechanobiological theory of osteogenesis (eg, 10−2). The output from this study offers a significant insight of the WSS changes during interstitial tissue growth under a constant perfusion flow rate in a BTE experiment. It has paved the way for optimising the local micro‐fluidic environment for interstitial tissue mineralisation.
Medical data transmission using the product of TLDPC and BCH error control coding systems with two interleavers
Authors: Kamalakannan S. , Kalpana P.
Published: April 2020

Medical data are very precious since it has the most sensitive data of patient which can save them. If it is handled wrongly or it is manipulated, then it could result in permanent problems or even it can result in fatal. So medical data widely used in a digital format with error detection and correction codes (EDC) in its transmission and storage process. EDC is a method of adding redundant bits to the static message bits to enhance the reliability of binary digital data broadcast while the medical data communication medium adds the errors in the course of transmission. In the proposed method, we use Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem codes (BCH) as an outline algorithm and trellis Low‐Density Parity Check code (TLDPC) as an inner algorithm along with two interleavers. Product of BCH code and TLDPC code with interleavers can control more errors as compared with its plain code and product of RS‐Hamming code. MATLAB used as a simulation tool. Plain BCH code is simulated first, and then plain LDPC code is simulated for the same information. Finally, the product of BCH and TLDPC with two interleavers is imposed on the same information. The result of our research work shows enhancement in bit error rate (BER) compared to other plain and product codes from 10−2 to 10−3. Also, frame error rate (FER) is improved in 0.5 scaling factors when compared with other trellis decoders. Hence, this proposed system can be utilized in an application where less error rate and high accuracy of information transmission between medical data processing systems are required.
Nucleating microtubules in neurons: Challenges and solutions
Authors: Lüders Jens
Published: April 2020

The highly polarized morphology of neurons is crucial for their function and involves formation of two distinct types of cellular extensions, the axonal and dendritic compartments. An important effector required for the morphogenesis and maintenance and thus the identity of axons and dendrites is the microtubule cytoskeleton. Microtubules in axons and dendrites are arranged with distinct polarities, to allow motor‐dependent, compartment‐specific sorting of cargo. Despite the importance of the microtubule cytoskeleton in neurons, the molecular mechanisms that generate the intricate compartment‐specific microtubule configurations remain largely obscure. Work in other cell types has identified microtubule nucleation, the de novo formation of microtubules, and its spatio‐temporal regulation as essential for the proper organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Whereas regulation of microtubule nucleation usually involves microtubule organizing centers such as the centrosome, neurons seem to rely largely on decentralized nucleation mechanisms. In this review, I will discuss recent advances in deciphering nucleation mechanisms in neurons, how they contribute to the arrangement of microtubules with specific polarities, and how this affects neuron morphogenesis. While this work has shed some light on these important processes, we are far from a comprehensive understanding. Thus, to provide a coherent model, my discussion will include both well‐established mechanisms and mechanisms with more limited supporting data. Finally, I will also highlight important outstanding questions for future investigation.
Microtubule organization and dynamics in oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia
Authors: Weigel Maya , Wang Lin , Fu Meng‐meng
Published: April 2020

Though much is known about microtubule organization and microtubule‐based transport in neurons, the development and function of microtubules in glia are more enigmatic. In this review, we provide an overview of the literature on microtubules in ramified brain cells, including oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia. We focus on normal cell biology—how structure relates to function in these cells. In oligodendrocytes, microtubules are important for extension of processes that contact axons and for elongating the myelin sheath. Recent studies demonstrate that new microtubules can form outside of the oligodendrocyte cell body off of Golgi outpost organelles. In astrocytes and microglia, changes in cell shape and ramification can be influenced by neighboring cells and the extracellular milieu. Finally, we highlight key papers implicating glial microtubule defects in neurological injury and disease and discuss how microtubules may contribute to invasiveness in gliomas. Thus, future research on the mechanisms underlying microtubule organization in normal glial cell function may yield valuable insights on neurological disease pathology.
Neighboring trees regulate the root‐associated pathogenic fungi on the host plant in a subtropical forest
Authors: Cheng Keke , Yu Shixiao
Published: April 2020

Root‐associated fungi and host‐specific pathogens are major determinants of species coexistence in forests. Phylogenetically related neighboring trees can strongly affect the fungal community structure of the host plant, which, in turn, will affect the ecological processes. Unfortunately, our understanding of the factors influencing fungal community composition in forests is still limited. In particular, investigation of the relationship between the phytopathogenic fungal community and neighboring trees is incomplete. In the current study, we tested the host specificity of members of the root‐associated fungal community collected from seven tree species and determined the influence of neighboring trees and habitat variation on the composition of the phytopathogenic fungal community of the focal plant in a subtropical evergreen forest. Using high‐throughput sequencing data with respect to the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, we characterized the community composition of the root‐associated fungi and found significant differences with respect to fungal groups among the seven tree species. The density of conspecific neighboring trees had a significantly positive influence on the relative abundance of phytopathogens, especially host‐specific pathogens, while the heterospecific neighbor density had a significant negative impact on the species richness of host‐specific pathogens, as well as phytopathogens. Our work provides evidence that the root‐associated phytopathogenic fungi of a host plant depend greatly on the tree neighbors of the host plant.
Assessment of spatial genetic structure to identify populations at risk for infection of an emerging epizootic disease
Authors: Miller William L. , Miller‐Butterworth Cassandra M. , Diefenbach Duane R. , Walter W. David
Published: April 2020

Understanding the geographic extent and connectivity of wildlife populations can provide important insights into the management of disease outbreaks but defining patterns of population structure is difficult for widely distributed species. Landscape genetic analyses are powerful methods for identifying cryptic structure and movement patterns that may be associated with spatial epizootic patterns in such cases.

We characterized patterns of population substructure and connectivity using microsatellite genotypes from 2,222 white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the Mid‐Atlantic region of the United States, a region where chronic wasting disease was first detected in 2009. The goal of this study was to evaluate the juxtaposition between population structure, landscape features that influence gene flow, and current disease management units.

Clustering analyses identified four to five subpopulations in this region, the edges of which corresponded to ecophysiographic provinces. Subpopulations were further partitioned into 11 clusters with subtle (FST ≤ 0.041), but significant genetic differentiation. Genetic differentiation was lower and migration rates were higher among neighboring genetic clusters, indicating an underlying genetic cline. Genetic discontinuities were associated with topographic barriers, however.

Resistance surface modeling indicated that gene flow was diffuse in homogenous landscapes, but the direction and extent of gene flow were influenced by forest cover, traffic volume, and elevational relief in subregions heterogeneous for these landscape features. Chronic wasting disease primarily occurred among genetic clusters within a single subpopulation and along corridors of high landscape connectivity.

These results may suggest a possible correlation between population substructure, landscape connectivity, and the occurrence of diseases for widespread species. Considering these factors may be useful in delineating effective management units, although only the largest features produced appreciable differences in subpopulation structure. Disease mitigation strategies implemented at the scale of ecophysiographic provinces are likely to be more effective than those implemented at finer scales.
Radio‐adaptive response, individual radio‐sensitivity and correlation of base excision repair gene polymorphism (hOGG1, APE1, XRCC1, and LIGASE1) in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells exposed to gamma radiation
Authors: Toprani Sneh M. , Das Birajalaxmi
Published: April 2020

Radio‐adaptive response (RAR) is a biological mechanism, where cells primed with a low dose exhibit reduced DNA damage with a high challenging dose. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of DNA repair genes including base excision repair (BER) pathway are known to be associated with radio‐sensitivity but involvement in RAR is not yet understood. In the present study, attempt was made to correlate genotype frequencies of four BER SNPs [hOGG1(Ser326Cys), XRCC1(Arg399Gln), APE1(Asp148Glu) and LIGASE1(A/C)] with DNA damage, repair and mRNA expression level among 20 healthy donors (12 adaptive and 8 nonadaptive). Our results revealed that LIGASE1 (p = .002) showed significant correlation with DNA damage and mRNA expression level with increasing dose. hOGG1 (Ser326Cys), XRCC1 (Arg399Gln) and LIGASE1(A/C) polymorphisms showed significant difference with DNA damage (%T) and mRNA expression profile in primed cells among adaptive donors. In conclusion, BER gene polymorphisms play important role in identifying donors with radio‐sensitivity and RAR in human cells.
Water Transport in Aqueous Sodium Hydroxide Films for Liquid Sorption Heat Storage
Authors: Fumey Benjamin , Baldini Luca , Borgschulte Andreas
Published: April 2020

Compact interseasonal thermal storage is a key enabler for renewable heating. A promising approach is the liquid absorption process, extended with absorbent and absorbate storage. In sorption heat storage, the conventional parameters—temperature gain and power density, governing the sorption heat pump process—are extended by the parameter energy density. This opens up new challenges for heat and mass exchanger design, demanding a detailed understanding of the fundamental mass transport process under technically relevant constraints. Toward this objective, investigation in the water mass transport in a static aqueous sodium hydroxide thin film at application‐specific temperature and pressure using temporally and spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy is performed. Based on the measured concentration gradient in the film, it is determined that the mass transport in the film and not the liquid–gas interface is limiting.
Exposure of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fingerlings to a Saxitoxin-Producing Strain of Raphidiopsis (Cylindrospermopsis) raciborskii (Cyanobacterium) Reduces Growth Performance and Increases Mortality Rate
Authors: De Bock Mariana Federica Sánchez , Moraes Gláucia Sabrine de Oliveira , Almeida Rômullo Guilherme dos Santos , Vieira Karla Daniele da Silva , Santoro Kleber Régis , Bicudo Álvaro José de Almeida , Molica Renato José Reis
Published: April 2020

Blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria have been more frequent and lasting because of the eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems, including those used for aquaculture. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to a saxitoxin-producing strain of Raphidiopsis (Cylindrospermopsis) raciborskii on the performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings over a 60-d period. The fingerlings were cultivated under the following conditions: 1) water without cyanobacterium (WATER), 2) R. raciborskii in ASM-1 culture medium (CYANO), and 3) ASM-1 culture medium without cyanobacterium (ASM). Exposure to the CYANO treatment led to a significant increase in the mortality rate (p < 0.05) and a significant reduction in growth (p < 0.05) compared to fingerlings submitted to the ASM and WATER treatments, in which similar survival and growth were found (p > 0.05). Saxitoxin toxicity was dependent on the weight of the fingerling (p < 0.05), with maximum mortality caused by the ingestion of 13.66 μg saxitoxin equivalent L−1 g−1. The present results clearly show the harm caused by saxitoxins to the production of Nile tilapia fingerlings in the early growth phase. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining adequate water quality in aquaculture activities to minimize the risk of saxitoxin-producing cyanobacterial blooms and avoid economic losses among producers. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1409–1420. © 2020 SETAC
Integrated care models and behavioral health care utilization: Quasi‐experimental evidence from Medicaid health homes
Authors: McClellan Chandler , Maclean Johanna Catherine , Saloner Brendan , McGinty Emma E. , Pesko Michael F.
Published: April 2020

Integration of behavioral and general medical care can improve outcomes for individuals with behavioral health conditions—serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorder (SUD). However, behavioral health care has historically been segregated from general medical care in many countries. We provide the first population‐level evidence on the effects of Medicaid health homes (HH) on behavioral health care service use. Medicaid, a public insurance program in the United States, HHs were created under the 2010 Affordable Care Act to coordinate behavioral and general medical care for enrollees with behavioral health conditions. As of 2016, 16 states had adopted an HH for enrollees with SMI and/or SUD. We use data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health over the period 2010 to 2016 coupled with a two‐way fixed‐effects model to estimate HH effects on behavioral health care utilization. We find that HH adoption increases service use among enrollees, although mental health care treatment findings are sensitive to specification. Further, enrollee self‐reported health improves post‐HH.
The effect of risk communication on the nurses' task and contextual performance in disease outbreak control in Ghana: Application of the cause model
Authors: Aboagye Abigail Konadu , Dai Baozhen , Bakpa Ernest Kay
Published: April 2020

Background

The re‐emerging of infectious disease outbreaks is a menace in Ghana. As the acceptance of risk communication rises, health workers are using it to control outbreaks. Yet, research in risk communication and health workers' performance remains unexplored in Ghana.

Objective

This study explores how risk communication works among nurses and its effect on their task (behaviors that are delineated based on role requirements and identified by a thorough analysis of the job) and contextual performance (behaviors that do not fall within the employee's assigned duties, but are a very important part of job performance). Thus, we adopted the CAUSE model, which proposes that effective risk communication creates five goals (Confidence, Awareness, Understanding, Satisfaction, and Enactment) amongst communicators.

Method

This study involves a quantitative approach complemented with qualitative data. It was conducted in three hospitals in Ghana, from which a sample of 398 nurses were selected.

Result

The result depicts that risk communication has a significant and positive effect on task performance (β= .65;P < .001), and contextual performance (β= .55;P < .001).

Conclusion

Our study shows that confidence is the strongest predictor of risk communication in influencing task and contextual performance. Yet, risk communication overall improves nurses' task and contextual performance.
Maternal emotion dysregulation and physiological concordance in mother‐preschooler dyads
Authors: O'Brien Jacqueline R. , Lewis Jennifer K. , Zalewski Maureen
Published: April 2020

Maternal emotional and physiological dysregulation has been found to influence child stress physiology. This study characterizes diurnal cortisol and basal heart rate variability (HRV) patterns in a predominately high‐risk sample of mothers with a full range of emotion dysregulation and assessed the magnitude of concordance (N = 68 mother‐preschooler dyads). Overall, dyads exhibited concordance in evening salivary cortisol levels, but not for morning levels or HRV. Maternal emotion dysregulation was associated with maternal and child evening cortisol levels, child morning cortisol levels, and maternal HRV. Bootstrapping analyses showed that maternal emotion dysregulation was associated with higher child evening cortisol levels through its impact on mother evening cortisol levels. This study offers preliminary evidence for understanding child stress physiology and dyadic concordance in a sample of mothers with a range of emotion regulation capabilities.

Highlights

Maternal physiology may explain the association between maternal emotion dysregulation and child physiological patterns.

Emotionally dysregulated mothers were oversampled and mothers and children's heart rate variability and cortisol were collected, with findings showing dyadic concordance in evening cortisol.

This work highlights the importance of transdiagnostic approaches for examining concordance and child stress physiology.
A bone matrix‐simulating scaffold to alleviate replicative senescence of mesenchymal stem cells during long‐term expansion
Authors: Su Xiaoxia , Jing Huan , Yu Wenting , Lei Fengzhen , Wang Rui , Hu Cheng , Li Mujia , Lin Tingting , Zhou Hong , Wang Fei , Liao Li
Published: April 2020

Replicative senescence during in vitro augmentation, which is mostly induced by the loss of physiological microenvironment, hinders the application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the clinic. Here, we investigated whether MSCs senescence could be prevented by bio‐scaffold mimicking the natural tissue matrix. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) exhibited a senescent phenotype during a long‐term passage in the conventional culture dish. To fabricate the bone matrix, a naturally based matrix composed of nano‐hydroxyapatite/chitosan/poly lactide‐co‐glycolide (nHA/CS/PLGA) was produced. Long‐term passage resulted in an obvious increase in the expression of senescence markers and a reduction in the expression of master genes involved in tissue regeneration. Functional assay confirmed that nHA/CS/PLGA scaffold preserved the proliferation and differentiation of hUCMSCs even after being passaged 27 times. Moreover, in vivo ectopic bone formation assay revealed that the bone formation of hUCMSCs cultured on the nano‐scaffolds for the long term was as robust as the cells in the early passage. In summary, our results demonstrate that nHA/CS/PLGA scaffold effectively preserves the stemness and youth of hUCMSCs in the long‐term passage. Taken advantage of its compatibility and bioactivity, nHA/CS/PLGA scaffold is of great potential in large‐scale expansion of MSCs for stem cell therapy and tissue engineering.
Long‐term survival outcomes of patients with Niemann‐Pick disease type C receiving miglustat treatment: A large retrospective observational study
Authors: Patterson Marc C. , Garver William S. , Giugliani Robert , Imrie Jackie , Jahnova Helena , Meaney F John , Nadjar Yann , Vanier Marie T. , Moneuse Patrick , Morand Olivier , Rosenberg Daniel , Schwierin Barbara , Héron Benedicte
Published: April 2020

Miglustat has been indicated for the treatment of Niemann‐Pick disease type C (NP‐C) since 2009. The aim of this observational study was to assess the effect of miglustat on long‐term survival of patients with NP‐C. Data for 789 patients from five large national cohorts and from the NPC Registry were collected and combined. Miglustat‐treated and untreated patients overall and within sub‐groups according to age‐at‐neurological‐onset, that is, early infantile‐onset (<2 years), late infantile‐onset (2 to <6 years), juvenile‐onset (6 to <15 years), and adolescent/adult‐onset (≥15 years) were analysed and compared. Survival was analysed from the time of first neurological manifestation (Neurological onset group, comprising 669 patients) and from diagnosis (Diagnosis group, comprising 590 patients) using a Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for various covariates. Overall, 384 (57.4%) patients in the Neurological onset group and 329 (55.8%) in the Diagnosis group were treated with miglustat. Miglustat treatment was associated with a significant reduction in risk of mortality in both groups (entire Neurological onset group, Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.51; entire Diagnosis group, HR = 0.44; both P < .001). The effect was observed consistently in all age‐at‐neurological‐onset sub‐groups (HRs = 0.3 to 0.7) and was statistically significant for late infantile‐onset patients in both groups (Neurological onset group, HR = 0.36, P < .05; Diagnosis group, HR = 0.32, P < .01), and juvenile‐onset patients in the Diagnosis group only (HR = 0.30, P < .05). Despite the limitations of the data that urge cautious interpretation, the findings are consistent with a beneficial effect of miglustat on survival in patients with NP‐C.
Development of a methodology to study typicity of PDO wines with professionals of the wine sector
Authors: Leriche Coline , Molinier Clara , Caillé Soline , Razungles Alain , Symoneaux Ronan , Coulon‐Leroy Cécile
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

Today, many agricultural products claiming a link to their origin and typicity receive a warm welcome on the market. Nevertheless, the notion of typicity is blurred for consumers and needs to be objectified for communication purposes. This study aims at formalizing a methodology for studying typicity of terroirs, with PDO wines as an example, using a participatory approach with professionals of the wine sector from terroirs, using focus group and tasting. The vision of typicity of terroirs by professionals outside of these terroirs has been studied by a free word association task.

RESULTS

This study allowed a clear distinguishing of the typicity of the studied terroirs. Professionals from terroirs identified the global conceptual typicity of their terroirs using various factors, mainly soil, geography and grape variety, whereas professionals outside terroirs expressed their visions of terroirs by reputation or sensory characteristics of wines. Tasting results showed a discrimination of wines based on their typicity and highlighted descriptors involved in sensory perceptual typicity for each studied terroir.

CONCLUSIONS

Professionals from terroirs share a common vision of their typicity and identify more typicity factors than professionals outside terroirs. Sensory typicity has been highlighted for five of the six terroirs studied, according to the various descriptors. The study of two populations, from and outside terroirs, shows the gap between the typicities identified by professionals from terroirs and those perceived by professionals outside terroirs. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of different biopolymer‐based structured systems on the survival of probiotic strains during storage and in vitro digestion
Authors: Melchior Sofia , Marino Marilena , Innocente Nadia , Calligaris Sonia , Nicoli Maria Cristina
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of different biopolymer systems on the viability of two probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Streptococcus thermophilus) during storage and in vitro digestion. Methylcellulose (MC), sodium alginate (SA), and whey protein (WP)‐based structures were designed and characterized in terms of pH, rheological properties, and visual appearance.

RESULTS

The results highlighted that the WP‐system ensured probiotic protection during both storage and in vitro digestion. This result was attributed to a combined effect of the physical barrier offered by the protein gel network and whey proteins as a nutrient for microbes. On the other hand, surprisingly, the viscous methylcellulose‐based system was able to guarantee good microbial viability during storage. However, this was not confirmed during in vitro digestion. The opposite results were obtained for sodium alginate beads.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the capacity of a polymeric structure to protect probiotic bacteria is a combination of structural organization and system formulation. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Conventional Ultrasound and Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Splenic Diseases
Authors: Li Xing‐Zhao , Song Jun , Sun Zhi‐Xia , Yang Yan‐Yan , Lin Yuan‐Qiang , Wang Hui
Published: April 2020

Accurate diagnosis of splenic diseases is important for timely and accurate treatment. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and conventional ultrasound (US) in detecting splenic lesions. A systematic literature search was undertaken, and 8 studies met the inclusion criteria. The sensitivity and specificity of the consolidated results of CEUS were 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92–0.97) and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.90–0.99), respectively (I2 = 27.4%; area under the curve [AUC] from a summary receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.97). The sensitivity and specificity of the consolidated results of conventional US were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.56–0.80) and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.76–0.99; I2 = 83.4%; AUC = 0.84). In this systematic review and meta‐analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of CEUS were higher than those of conventional US in diagnosing splenic lesions. Contrast‐enhanced US is a promising method for accurately diagnosing splenic lesions.
Fetal Anomaly Detection in Pregnancies With Pregestational Diabetes
Authors: Martin Robert B. , Duryea Elaine L. , Mcintire Donald D. , Twickler Diane M. , Dashe Jodi S.
Published: April 2020

Objectives

To evaluate fetal anomaly detection in pregnancies with pregestational diabetes, according to the gestational age at the time of specialized sonography, use of follow‐up sonography, maternal body mass index, and organ system(s) involved.

Methods

Women with pregestational diabetes who received prenatal care and delivered a live‐born or stillborn neonate at our hospital from October 2011 through April 2017 were ascertained. We included all pregnancies with at least 1 confirmed structural anomaly (EUROCAT classification) who had detailed sonography at 18 weeks’ gestation or later. We analyzed detection of anomalous fetuses at the initial detailed sonogram and, if no abnormality was identified, during any follow‐up sonograms. Statistical analyses were performed with the χ2 test and Mantel‐Haenszel χ2 test for trend.

Results

Seventy‐two anomalous neonates (72 of 1060 [6.8%]) were born. Overall detection was 55 of 72 (76%); 49 of 72 (68%) were detected at the initial detailed sonogram, compared to 6 of 15 (40%) of follow‐up examinations (P = .04). Recognition at the initial or follow‐up examination was not dependent on gestational age or body mass index category (all P > .05). Of individual organ system anomalies, 67 of 89 (75%) were identified. Detection exceeded 85% for central nervous system, genitourinary, and musculoskeletal abnormalities and 43% for craniofacial anomalies. Sixty‐five percent of cardiac anomalies were detected, and 14 of 17 (82%) requiring specialized care in the immediate neonatal period were recognized.

Conclusions

Approximately three‐fourths of anomalous fetuses were identified, with greater detection at the initial detailed examination. Fetuses with central nervous system, genitourinary, musculoskeletal abnormalities and those with cardiac anomalies requiring specialized cardiac care were more likely to come to attention.
Comparison of short‐period daytime convective rainfall accumulations with total column precipitable water: Derivation of an operational forecasting technique
Authors: Young Martin , Lamb Daniel , Lane Andrew , Lattimore Chris
Published: April 2020

A major forecasting challenge is predicting the likely intensity of rainfall in convective situations in which intense short‐period rainfall can lead to surface water flooding. The study demonstrates a useful correlation between precipitable water and 1 hr gauge‐derived rainfall accumulations in situations with deep instability and relatively slack flow in depth. The correlation forms the basis of a forecasting technique, independent of numerical weather prediction (NWP) model forecasts of rainfall, being applied at the UK's Met Office Flood Forecasting Centre (FFC).
The finite element method for fractional diffusion with spectral fractional Laplacian
Authors: Hu Ye , Cheng Fang
Published: April 2020

This paper focuses on the finite element method for Caputo‐type parabolic equation with spectral fractional Laplacian, where the time derivative is in the sense of Caputo with order in (0,1) and the spatial derivative is the spectral fractional Laplacian. The time discretization is based on the Hadamard finite‐part integral (or the finite‐part integral in the sense of Hadamard), where the piecewise linear interpolation polynomials are used. The spatial fractional Laplacian is lifted to the local spacial derivative by using the Caffarelli–Silvestre extension, where the finite element method is used. Full‐discretization scheme is constructed. The convergence and error estimates are obtained. Finally, numerical experiments are presented which support the theoretical results.
Does High Cardiorespiratory Fitness Confer Some Protection Against Proinflammatory Responses After Infection by SARS‐CoV‐2?
Authors: Zbinden‐Foncea Hermann , Francaux Marc , Deldicque Louise , Hawley John A.
Published: April 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) originated in China in late 2019 and has since spread rapidly to every continent in the world. This pandemic continues to cause widespread personal suffering, along with severe pressure on medical and health care providers. The symptoms of SARS‐CoV‐2 and the subsequent prognosis are worsened in individuals who have preexisting comorbidities prior to infection by the virus. Individuals with obesity or overweight, insulin resistance, and diabetes typically have chronic low‐grade inflammation characterized by increased levels of several proinflammatory cytokines and the inflammasome; this state predisposes to greater risk for infection along with more adverse outcomes. Here, we consider whether a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness induced by prior exercise training may confer some innate immune protection against COVID‐19 by attenuating the “cytokine storm syndrome” often experienced by “at risk” individuals.
PEG‐PLA‐PCL based electrospun yarns with curcumin control release property as suture
Authors: Sharifisamani Elahe , Mousazadegan Fatemeh , Bagherzadeh Roohollah , Latifi Masoud
Published: April 2020

This work presents an interesting method using an electrospinning process to fabricate suture yarns loaded with curcumin to achieve reasonable mechanical properties as well as tunable drug release behavior. Different structures including different yarn counts and twists as well as core‐sheath structures were used to adjust drug release properties along with improving the yarn's mechanical properties. The core parts were made of polycaprolactone and the sheath parts were made of polyethylene glycol, polylactic acid, and polycaprolactone. Drugs can be incorporated in both parts based on the required condition and application. Electrospun yarns were compared using both structural properties and their drug release profiles as metrics. The results of comparing drug release profiles of six electrospun yarns with different yarn counts and twists showed that yarns with finer fiber diameters in the core part have more drug release as well as more initial release. Overall evaluations showed that core‐sheath drugloaded yarn with appropriate physical and mechanical properties can be a useful material as a drug delivery system to the site of damaged tissue. It can also be concluded that the amount and duration of drug release can be controlled using the structural parameters of electrospun yarns as an engineering tool for designing suture yarns with required properties.
Impact of bag‐in‐box packaging on the quality attributes of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
Authors: Wambrauw Daniel Z.K. , Sato Yuko , Sugino Naoki , Matsumoto Saki , Li Yanjie , Li Ling , Watanabe Takashi , Kitazawa Hiroaki
Published: April 2020

Cabbage is one of the most widely grown, traded and consumed vegetables in the world. Therefore, it is vital to maintain cabbage quality after harvest; it is especially critical to counteract water loss in order to maintain quality during storage. In this study, we investigated the effect of a bag‐in‐box packaging on water loss in cabbages during 15 days of storage at 10°C and 90% relative humidity. The bag‐in‐box packaging included a low‐density polyethylene bag along with a corrugated board box, whereas the control comprised a corrugated board box without any waterproofing ability. The changes in green colour, soluble solids content and ascorbic acid content of cabbage were evaluated as fundamental qualities. After storage, water loss from control samples was evaluated to be 6%; however, the bag‐in‐box packaging reduced the water loss to 0.3%. Moreover, the bag‐in‐box did not affect the tested fundamental qualities despite a delay in the cooling process. In conclusion, the bag‐in‐box packaging could be effective at maintaining the quality of cabbages and other leafy vegetables during storage and distribution for 15 days.
How to convert green supply chain integration efforts into green innovation: A perspective of knowledge‐based view
Authors: Kong Ting , Feng Taiwen , Huang Yufei , Cai Junya
Published: April 2020

Although the importance of green supply chain integration (GSCI) in facilitating green innovation has been recognized, most existing literature constructs a direct link for the GSCI‐green innovation relationship. How firms convert their GSCI efforts into green innovation is still unclear. By collapsing GSCI into three dimensions (i.e., green supplier integration, green internal integration, and green customer integration), this study explores an indirect GSCI‐green innovation link in which knowledge exchange and knowledge combination are deemed as mediators. We employ survey data from 237 Chinese manufacturers and structural equation modeling techniques to test research hypotheses. Our findings support the major argument that the impact of GSCI on green innovation is indirect. Specifically, green internal integration impacts green product and process innovation via both knowledge exchange and knowledge combination; while green supplier integration affects green product and process innovation indirectly only via knowledge combination and green customers integration affects green product and process innovation indirectly only via knowledge exchange. This study advances our understanding on the GSCI‐green innovation relationship.
Bi2O3@mSiO2 as an Environmentally Benign and Sustainable Solid Acid Catalyst for Benzoylation of Aromatics: Impact of Silica Encapsulation on Catalyst Leaching and Reaction Synergy
Authors: Jain Prateek U. , Samant Shriniwas D.
Published: April 2020

Leaching of active species is one of the major causes of catalyst deactivation. The accumulation of this leached species as chemical waste can be detrimental to the environment. In this study, a series of environmentally benign core‐shell catalysts of type Bi2O3@mSiO2 were synthesized to address these issues. The catalysts, varying in silica content and shell thickness, were characterized and evaluated for Friedel‐Crafts benzoylation. Amongst them, Bi‐4 (containing 71.8 % Bi2O3), having shell thickness of ∼42 nm, showed the best response under optimized conditions. Textural analysis of Bi‐4 confirmed the mesoporous nature of shell, with average pore diameter of ∼40 Å and surface area of 62 m2/g. During the reaction, the Bi2O3 core was converted to BiOCl, which was easily recycled back to its original form. No leaching or any loss in catalytic activity was observed for the recycled catalyst during reuse. Thus, an inexpensive, reusable and environmentally benign catalyst is proposed.
An Approximate Method to Simulate Post-Seismic Deformations in a Realistic Earth Model
Authors: Tang He , Dong Jie , Sun Wenke
Published: April 2020

The geodetic observations of static deformations, including gravity perturbations and displacement fields due to huge earthquakes, are understood and explained using recent dislocation theories. Due to multiple possible mechanisms for the post-seismic phase of earthquakes, the dominant mechanism may change at different spatiotemporal ranges for different earthquake types. Accurate forward and inverse modeling of post-seismic deformations is valuable and needed information for geoscience communities. The existing methods for calculating gravitational viscoelastic relaxation can be improved or simplified to make them more suitable for more realistic Earth models and/or to overcome the poor convergence performance and/or overflow risks during numerical calculations. In this study, a simple and effective method for calculating the post-seismic relaxation deformations is proposed. This method is different from previous methods, such as the normal mode summation and rectangle integration methods. The proposed method consists of a rational functional approximation of the integral kernel and a transformation of the numerical inverse Laplace transform (NILT) into an alternating series summation using the residual theorem. Then the intrinsic oscillation and overflow risks are thoroughly suppressed. The accuracy of the calculated Green’s functions can be easily controlled by choosing a suitable parameter. In addition, the proposed method also has applicability in different Earth models with linear rheological profiles.