bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive behavioral rehabilitation for bipolar disorder patients: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gomes Bernardo C. , Rocca Cristiana C. , Belizario Gabriel O. , de B. F. Fernandes Francy , Valois Iolanda , Olmo Giselle C. , Fachin Raquel V. P. , Farhat Luís C. , Lafer Beny
Published: April 2019

Objectives

Bipolar disorder is frequently associated with cognitive impairment even during euthymia. Previous studies have reported significant impairments in functional and quality of life outcomes and a possible relationship between these variables and cognitive performance. Cognitive rehabilitation interventions have been proposed to address these outcomes but positive results are still scarce. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of a new intervention developed to address both cognitive and functional impairment.

Methods

Thirty‐nine individuals were included in this randomized controlled trial. All participants were evaluated by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and completed functional and quality of life (QOL) scales. Patients were randomized to either treatment as usual (TAU) or Cognitive Behavior Rehabilitation (CBR), an add‐on treatment delivered in 12 weekly group sessions. All individuals were revaluated after 12 weeks.

Results

A total of 39 bipolar type I or II patients were included in the analysis, 19 in the TAU group and 20 in the CBR condition. At the entrance of the study, both groups were statistically similar regarding clinical, socio‐demographics and cognitive variables. After the end of the intervention, CBR individuals had significantly improved reaction time, visual memory and emotion recognition. In contrast, individuals in the CBR did not present a statistically change in functional and QOL scores after the 12‐week intervention.

Conclusions

CBR intervention showed promising results in improving some of the commonly impaired cognitive domains in BD. A longer follow‐up period may be necessary to detect changes in functional and QOL domains.
Type 2 diabetes affects postextraction socket healing and influences first‐stage implant surgery: A study based on clinical and animal evidence
Authors: Zhang Sijia , Song Shuang , Wang Shuyan , Duan Yansheng , Zhu Wenzhong , Song Yingliang
Published: April 2019

AIM

To verify the influence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on postextraction socket healing and subsequent first‐stage implant surgery.

Materials and Methods

We analyzed pre‐extraction and postextraction cone beam computed tomography images of T2DM patients (n = 75) and paired nondiabetic controls to investigate changes in postextraction socket and ridge dimensions. The types of guided bone regeneration (GBR) surgeries were also compared. Three T2DM pig models were established to compare their postextraction socket healing with that of nondiabetic controls. Healing was quantitatively verified by microcomputed tomography. The osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was also compared.

Results

Compared to nondiabetic controls, T2DM patients had higher socket width/depth values postextraction across all groups with different healing times. Among the T2DM patients, 62.7% could not receive first‐stage implant surgery within 6 months postextraction, and 54.7% received GBR surgery during first‐stage surgery. Ossification was not achieved in the socket center of the T2DM pig models after 3 months of healing. A decrease in osteogenic differentiation was observed in T2DM‐MSCs.

Conclusions

T2DM interferes with the healing of the extraction socket and thus delays first‐stage implant surgery. This phenomenon may be due to the reduced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs in the sockets.
Secukinumab attenuates reactive astrogliosis via IL‐17RA/(C/EBPβ)/SIRT1 pathway in a rat model of germinal matrix hemorrhage
Authors: Liu Sheng‐Peng , Huang Lei , Flores Jerry , Ding Yan , Li Peng , Peng Jun , Zuo Gang , Zhang John H. , Lu Jun , Tang Ji‐Ping
Published: April 2019

Aims

Reactive astrogliosis plays a critical role in neurological deficits after germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH). It has been reported that interleukin‐17A and IL‐17A receptor IL‐17RA/(C/EBPβ)/SIRT1 signaling pathway enhances reactive astrogliosis after brain injuries. We evaluated the effects of secukinumab on reactive astrogliosis in a rat pup model of GMH.

Methods

A total of 146 Sprague Dawley P7 rat pups were used. GMH was induced by intraparenchymal injection of collagenase. Secukinumab was administered intranasally 1 hour post‐GMH. C/EBPβ CRISPR or SIRT1 antagonist EX527 was administrated intracerebroventricularly (icv) 48 hours and 1 hour before GMH induction, respectively. Neurobehavior, Western blot, histology, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess treatment regiments in the short term and long term.

Results

The endogenous IL‐17A, IL‐17RA, C/EBPβ, and GFAP and proliferation marker CyclinD1 were increased, while SIRT1 expression was decreased after GMH. Secukinumab treatment improved neurological deficits, reduced ventriculomegaly, and increased cortical thickness. Additionally, treatment increased SIRT1 expression and lowered proliferation proteins PCNA and CyclinD1 as well as GFAP expression. C/EBPβ CRISPR activation plasmid and EX527 reversed the antireactive astrogliosis effects of secukinumab.

Conclusion

Secukinumab attenuated reactive astrogliosis and reduced neurological deficits after GMH, partly by regulating IL‐17RA/(C/EBPβ)/SIRT1 pathways. Secukinumab may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for GMH patients.
Models of Variability and Circadian Rhythm in Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, and QT Interval for Healthy Subjects Who Received Placebo in Phase I Trials
Authors: Minocha Mukul , Li Hong , Chiu Yi‐Lin , Carter David , Othman Ahmed A.
Published: April 2019

This work characterized the time‐course, circadian rhythm, and inherent variability in key cardiovascular variables (heart rate, corrected QT interval, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure) that are routinely collected as part of safety monitoring in phase I trials. Longitudinal data from 1,035 healthy volunteers who received placebo in 65 single‐dose and multiple‐dose phase I trials conducted by AbbVie were compiled and analyzed using nonlinear mixed‐effects modeling. An independent nonlinear mixed‐effects model was developed for each variable, and combinations of cosine functions were used to capture circadian oscillations. Gender, race, age, and body weight were significant covariates for variability in baseline measures, and the contributions of these covariates were quantitatively characterized. Based on the extensive data set analyzed, the developed models represent valuable tools to help contextualize and differentiate inherent variability that can be expected in a typical phase I setting from true drug‐related cardiovascular safety signals. In addition, these placebo models can be used to support exposure–response analyses that estimate treatment‐related effects on the evaluated cardiovascular measures.
Randomized trial of facilitated subcutaneous immunoglobulin in multifocal motor neuropathy
Authors: Al‐Zuhairy A. , Jakobsen J. , Andersen H. , Sindrup S. H. , Markvardsen L. K.
Published: April 2019

Background and purpose

To optimize subcutaneous therapy with immunoglobulins, large volume infusion of immunoglobulin G facilitated by pretreatment with hyaluronidase (fSCIG) was compared to conventional infusion of multiple small dosages (cSCIG) in 20 patients with multifocal motor neuropathy.

Methods

A randomized, non‐inferiority and observer‐blinded cross‐over design was applied with a treatment period of 24 weeks for each therapy.

Results

In 18 patients fSCIG was feasible, two patients leaving the study due to side‐effects. The primary study variable, isometric strength, was unchanged, being 100.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 94.8%–107.1%) in fSCIG and 105.9% (95% CI 99.8%–112.0%) in cSCIG. Secondary end‐points of disability, functions, impairments and quality of life showed no differences between the two treatments. Mild and short‐lasting generalized side‐effects were similar in the two groups, whereas the relative frequency of localized side‐effects at the injection site was increased after fSCIG [0.63 (95% CI 0.23–1.00) vs. 0.09 (95% CI 0.00–0.22), P = 0.005]. The preference of the patients favoured fSCIG for two out of five visual analogue scale scores as well as the total mean score of all preferences (P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Facilitated SCIG seems effective, feasible and safe. In addition, it is preferred by patients but is accompanied by a higher frequency of short‐lasting localized side‐effects.
Hand‐assisted laparoscopic reattachment of a mesoduodenojejunal defect in a broodmare
Authors: O'Neill H. D.
Published: April 2019

In this report, a jejunal entrapment through a presumptive chronic mesenteric defect extending over approximately 20 cm of the duodenojejunal region was found as a cause of acute onset colic in a multiparous broodmare. Mesenteric reattachment during the initial exploratory laparotomy was deemed unsafe given the majority of the avulsion could only be palpated deep within the abdomen. Following recovery and an uneventful parturition 12 days later, the mare returned 18 days post‐foaling for attempted, standing laparoscopic reattachment of the mesentery. The procedure was converted to a hand‐assisted technique and reattachment completed using a mechanical suturing device and knotless, unidirectional barbed suture. The mare was discharged 3 days post‐operatively, bred 28 days following discharge and a singleton pregnancy confirmed 15 days post‐ovulation and 46 days following laparoscopy. There were no signs of abdominal discomfort noted in the first 8 months following surgery. In summary, a standing, right‐sided hand‐assisted laparoscopic approach provided effective visibility to the mesoduodenojejunal region.
Assessment of the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of homosalate in MCF‐7
Authors: Yazar Selma , Kara Ertekin Simge
Published: April 2019

Background

UV filters should be determined a strict toxicological safety prior to approval. Homosalate (HMS) is one of the most widely used organic UV filter. HMS accumulates in aquatic biota ecosystems and humans through the food chain; therefore, it is important to consider the effects on health and know its mechanisms of action.

Aims

The study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of HMS in MCF‐7 cell line.

Methods

Cell viability was examined by the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and cell membrane integrity by the lactate dehydrogenase release assays (LDH), and genotoxicity by using the micronucleus test at 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1500, and 2000 µM concentrations with the human breast cell line MCF‐7.

Results

Homosalate affected the cell viability dose‐dependently at a concentrations of above 1000 µM. Micronucleus formation was significantly induced at 750 and 1000 µM within 24 hours due to an increase in cytostatic effect, the cell viability of HMS decreased to 57% at a concentration of 2000 µM, and a sufficient number of binucleated cells could not be obtained to count. Homosalate was also clastogenic when the cells were incubated at cytotoxic concentrations.

Conclusion

These results suggest that homosalate can be considered as a cytotoxic and genotoxic substance.
Modeling infants’ perceptual narrowing to musical rhythms: neural oscillation and Hebbian plasticity
Authors: Tichko Parker , Large Edward W.
Published: April 2019

Previous research suggests that infants’ perception of musical rhythm is fine‐tuned to culture‐specific rhythmic structures over the first postnatal year of human life. To date, however, little is known about the neurobiological principles that may underlie this process. In the current study, we used a dynamical systems model featuring neural oscillation and Hebbian plasticity to simulate infants’ perceptual learning of culture‐specific musical rhythms. First, we demonstrate that oscillatory activity in an untrained network reflects the rhythmic structure of either a Western or a Balkan training rhythm in a veridical fashion. Next, during a period of unsupervised learning, we show that the network learns the rhythmic structure of either a Western or a Balkan training rhythm through the self‐organization of network connections. Finally, we demonstrate that the learned connections affect the networks’ response to violations to the metrical structure of native and nonnative rhythms, a pattern of findings that mirrors the behavioral data on infants’ perceptual narrowing to musical rhythms.
Phase−amplitude coupling between theta and gamma oscillations adapts to speech rate
Authors: Lizarazu Mikel , Lallier Marie , Molinaro Nicola
Published: April 2019

Low‐ and high‐frequency cortical oscillations play an important role in speech processing. Low‐frequency neural oscillations in the delta (<4 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) bands entrain to the prosodic and syllabic rates of speech, respectively. Theta band neural oscillations modulate high‐frequency neural oscillations in the gamma band (28−40 Hz), which have been hypothesized to be crucial for processing phonemes in natural speech. Since speech rate is known to vary considerably, both between and within talkers, it has yet to be determined whether this nested gamma response reflects an externally induced rhythm sensitive to the rate of the fine‐grained structure of the input or a speech rate−independent endogenous response. Here, we recorded magnetoencephalography responses from participants listening to a speech delivered at different rates: decelerated, normal, and accelerated. We found that the phase of theta band oscillations in left and right auditory regions adjusts to speech rate variations. Importantly, we showed that the peak of the gamma response—coupled to the phase of theta—follows the speech rate. This indicates that gamma activity in auditory regions synchronizes with the fine‐grain properties of speech, possibly reflecting detailed acoustic analysis of the input.
Pain perception in orthodontic patients: A model considering psychosocial and behavioural aspects
Authors: Campos Lucas Arrais , Santos-Pinto Ary , Marôco João , Campos Juliana Alvares Duarte Bonini
Published: April 2019

Objectives

To estimate the agreement between orthodontic pain perception, evaluated with the visual analog scale (VAS), and psychosocial and behavioural aspects of pain and to estimate the impact of clinical and demographic characteristics on these aspects.

Design

Cross‐sectional design using non‐probabilistic sampling.

Setting and Sample Population

Orthodontic patients undergoing treatment at orthodontic clinics (n = 507 [63.3% women], mean age: 26.32 [SD = 11.70] years).

Materials and Methods

Psychosocial and behavioural aspects of pain were evaluated using the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI‐Orthodontic). Agreement between the pain impact level assessed according to different methods was estimated using the linear‐weighted Kappa (κp) statistic. Structural models were elaborated to estimate the impact of clinical and demographic characteristics on the psychosocial and behavioural aspects of pain. The fit of the model was evaluated, and theztest (α = 5%) was used to estimate the significance of the impact (β).

Results

The agreement between VAS and MPI‐Orthodontic factors was inadequate (κp = 0.028‐0.584). The fit of the structural models was adequate. Women, younger individuals, and those who reported difficulty/pain with feeding exhibited greater perception of both the psychosocial and behavioural aspects. Individuals in lower socioeconomic strata who were not satisfied with treatment and did not seek treatment voluntarily exhibited greater perception of the psychosocial aspect of pain.

Conclusions

The impact of orthodontic pain on psychosocial and behavioural aspects of patients’ lives is a relevant issue. Clinical and demographic characteristics contributed to these aspects; however, pain intensity as a sole measure may be insufficient for an adequate understanding of pain perception.
Improving the Energy Absorption of Cruciform With Large Global Slenderness Ratio by Kirigami Approach and Welding Technology
Authors: Zhou Caihua , Li Tong , Ming Shizhao , Song Zhibo , Wang Bo
Published: April 2019

Conventional energy absorber usually employs stubby thin-walled structures. Compared with the limited number of stubby thin-walled structures, an equipment has a large number of slender thin-walled structures that has the potential to be used for energy absorption purpose as well. Therefore, improving the energy absorption capacity of these slender thin-walled structures can significantly benefit the crashworthiness of the equipment. However, these slender structures are inclined to deform in Euler buckling mode, which greatly limits their application for energy absorption. In this paper, kirigami approach combined with welding technology is adopted to avoid the Euler buckling mode of a slender cruciform. Both finite element simulations and experiments demonstrated that the proposed approach can trigger a desirable progressive collapse mode and thus improve the energy absorption by around 155.22%, compared with the conventional cruciform. Furthermore, parametric studies related to the kirigami pattern and global slenderness ratio (GSR) are conducted to investigate the improvement of this proposed approach on the energy absorption and the maximum critical value of GSR.
A Study of Keyhole Porosity in Selective Laser Melting: Single-Track Scanning With Micro-CT Analysis
Authors: Shrestha Subin , Starr Thomas , Chou Kevin
Published: April 2019

Porosity is an inherent attribute in selective laser melting (SLM) and profoundly degrades the build part quality and its performance. This study attempts to understand and characterize the keyhole pores formed during single-track scanning in SLM. First, 24 single tracks were generated using different line energy density (LED) levels, ranging from 0.1 J/mm to 0.98 J/mm, by varying the laser power and the scanning speed. The samples were then scanned by micro-computed tomography to measure keyhole pores and analyze the pore characteristics. The results show a general trend that the severity of the keyhole porosity increases with the increase of the LED with exceptions of certain patterns, implying important individual contributions from the parameters. Next, by keeping the LED constant in another set of experiments, different combinations of the power and the speed were tested to investigate the individual effect. Based on the results obtained, the laser power appears to have a greater effect than the scanning speed on both the pore number and the pore volume as well as the pore depth. For the same LED, the pore number and volume increase with increasing laser power until a certain critical level, beyond which, both the pore number and volume will decrease, if the power is further increased. For the LED of 0.32 J/mm, 0.4 J/mm, and 0.48 J/mm, the critical laser power that reverses the trend is about 132 W, 140 W, and 144 W, respectively.
Thickness dependent magneto-static and magneto-dynamic properties of CoFeB thin films
Authors: Gayen Anabil , Modak Rajkumar , Srinivasan Ananthakrishnan , Srinivasu Vallabhapurapu Vijaya , Alagarsamy Perumal
Published: April 2019

The authors report thickness dependent magneto-static and magneto-dynamic properties of amorphous Co40Fe40B20 films with thickness, t = 10–200 nm deposited on thermally oxidized Si substrates using magnetron sputtering technique at ambient temperature. Magnetic hysteresis loops of films with t ≤ 20 nm transformed from rectangular or flat type shape to transcritical nature for t ≥ 50 nm. This is attributed to a change in the magnetic domain structure from in-plane magnetization with uniaxial anisotropy in thinner films to stripe domains with effective magnetic anisotropy in thicker films. Magnetization dynamics in the films has been investigated using ferromagnetic resonance spectra. Out-of-plane angular dependent resonance field (Hr) and linewidth (ΔH) data have been interpreted using the Smit–Beljers formula. It is found that ΔH contains large extrinsic contribution with the major one being two-magnon scattering. An inverse scaling of Gilbert damping constant (α) with the film thickness over the entire thickness range of 10–200 nm is observed with the lowest α value of 0.004. The results reveal a cost effective strategy for developing films for spintronics based microwave devices and spin-transfer-torque based magnetic devices.
Spatial power spectral density estimation using a Welch coprime sensor array processor
Authors: Rooney Ian M. , Buck John R.
Published: April 2019

A coprime sensor array (CSA) is a sparse array geometry that interleaves two spatially undersampled uniform linear arrays (ULAs) with coprime undersampling factors. The CSA product processor achieves an asymptotically unbiased spatial power spectral density (PSD) estimate using far fewer sensors than a conventional ULA beamformer, but at the expense of increased sidelobes and variance. Nonstationary underwater sonar environments often preclude increasing the number of snapshots required to achieve a desirable PSD variance. Bartlett's and Welch's methods improve PSD variance by O(K) at the expense of resolution without requiring additional snapshots by averaging uncorrelated PSD estimates obtained using K array segments. This paper proposes the Welch overlapping segment averaging product (WOSA-product) processor for coprime arrays to achieve unambiguous PSD estimates with desirable variance properties for passive direction of arrival estimation. The first two moments of the WOSA-product processor's spatial PSD estimate are derived in closed-form for spatially white Gaussian processes. Monte Carlo simulations verify the variance reduction predicted by the analytical derivation for white processes and planewave arrivals, and the effects of segment length on resolution, variance reduction, and peak sidelobe levels are discussed.
Low–interfacial toughness materials for effective large-scale deicing
Authors: Golovin Kevin , Dhyani Abhishek , Thouless M. D. , Tuteja Anish
Published: April 2019

Easy ice removal

The accumulation of ice on a surface can lead to hazardous conditions, such as on the surface of an airplane wing or the side of a tall building. Ice adhesion, even to a surface treated to minimize the bonded force, will usually depend on the amount of surface coverage. Golovin
et al.
compared strength-limited deicing with toughness-limited deicing. Whereas normal deicing materials focus on minimizing the adhesion strength, the authors show that if a material is designed with low-adhesion toughness, deicing is no longer a function of the coverage area.

Science
, this issue p.
371
Identification of a mesenchymal progenitor cell hierarchy in adipose tissue
Authors: Merrick David , Sakers Alexander , Irgebay Zhazira , Okada Chihiro , Calvert Catherine , Morley Michael P. , Percec Ivona , Seale Patrick
Published: April 2019

A singular focus on fat

Fatty tissue can expand in two ways: through increases in the size of individual adipocytes or through increases in the number of adipocytes. The former process promotes metabolic disease, and the latter protects against it. Merrick
et al.
used single-cell RNA sequencing to define the hierarchy of mesenchymal progenitor cells that give rise to adipose tissue in mice and humans (see the Perspective by Chau and Cawthorn). They found that progenitor cells expressing a protein called DPP4 give rise to two distinct types of preadipocytes in response to different signals. The DPP4 progenitors reside in a fluid-filled network of collagen and elastin fibers surrounding adipose tissue. In principle, therapeutic interventions that increase progenitor cell differentiation into adipocytes could ameliorate metabolic disease.

Science
, this issue p.
eaav2501
; see also p.
328
Rewilding complex ecosystems
Authors: Perino Andrea , Pereira Henrique M. , Navarro Laetitia M. , Fernández Néstor , Bullock James M. , Ceaușu Silvia , Cortés-Avizanda Ainara , van Klink Roel , Kuemmerle Tobias , Lomba Angela , Pe’er Guy , Plieninger Tobias , Rey Benayas José M. , Sandom Christopher J. , Svenning Jens-Christian , Wheeler Helen C.
Published: April 2019

Facilitating “wildness”

Humans have encroached upon a majority of Earth's lands. The current extinction crisis is a testament to human impacts on wilderness. If there is any hope of retaining a biodiverse planetary system, we must begin to learn how to coexist with, and leave space for, other species. The practice of “rewilding” has emerged as a method for returning wild lands, and wildness, to landscapes we have altered. Perino
et al.
review this concept and present a framework for implementing it broadly and in a way that considers ongoing human interaction.

Science
, this issue p.
eaav5570
Slowdown in Antarctic mass loss from solid Earth and sea-level feedbacks
Authors: Larour E. , Seroussi H. , Adhikari S. , Ivins E. , Caron L. , Morlighem M. , Schlegel N.
Published: April 2019

An uplifting effect

The rise in sea level that is occurring from the melting of Antarctica is only going to accelerate as climate warms. However, Larour
et al.
report that crustal uplift in the Amundsen Sea sector is helping to reduce grounding line retreat, thereby stabilizing the ice sheet and slowing its rate of mass loss (see the Perspective by Steig). This effect will not stop or reverse ice sheet loss, but it could delay the progress of dynamic mass loss of Thwaites Glacier by approximately 20 years.

Science
, this issue p.
eaav7908
; see also p.
936
Imaging covalent bond formation by H atom scattering from graphene
Authors: Jiang Hongyan , Kammler Marvin , Ding Feizhi , Dorenkamp Yvonne , Manby Frederick R. , Wodtke Alec. M. , Miller Thomas F. , Kandratsenka Alexander , Bünermann Oliver
Published: April 2019

Atom scattering reveals bond formation

When molecules collide, they can form an addition complex in which new chemical bonds can form. However, if energy does not flow out of this complex and into the rest of the molecule, the new bond will usually simply dissociate. Jiang
et al.
observed the scattering of hydrogen atoms from graphene and interpreted their results with a first-principles potential energy surface and a dynamical simulation (see the Perspective by Hornekaer). At near-normal incidence, these experiments probe transient carbon-hydrogen bond formation when the hydrogen atoms collide with the centers of the six-atom carbon rings. Rapid intramolecular vibrational relaxation results from orbital rehybridization and structural deformations that occur during bond formation.

Science
, this issue p.
379
; see also p.
331
Phonon-mediated quantum state transfer and remote qubit entanglement
Authors: Bienfait A. , Satzinger K. J. , Zhong Y. P. , Chang H.-S. , Chou M.-H. , Conner C. R. , Dumur É. , Grebel J. , Peairs G. A. , Povey R. G. , Cleland A. N.
Published: April 2019

Good vibrations in quantum communication

Quantum information processing platforms typically require qubits to talk to each other. To date, photons (either optical or microwave) have been the carrier of choice to transfer quantum states between the qubits. For some solid-state systems, however, the vibrational properties of the materials themselves, phonons, could be advantageous. Bienfait
et al.
describe the deterministic emission and capture of itinerant phonons through an acoustic communication channel, enabling the phonon-based coherent transfer of quantum states from one superconducting qubit to another and the quantum entanglement of the two qubits over the acoustic channel. The results provide a route to couple hybrid quantum solid-state systems using surface acoustic waves.

Science
, this issue p.
368
Fat cell progenitors get singled out
Authors: Chau You-Ying , Cawthorn William P.
Published: April 2019

Distinct adipocyte progenitor cells may reveal therapeutic strategies for obesity
Characterization of Guided Entry of Tail-Anchored Proteins 3 Homologues in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Hu Kuan , Jordan Ashley T. , Zhang Susan , Dhabaria Avantika , Kovach Amanda , Rangel Margarita V. , Ueberheide Beatrix , Li Huilin , Darwin K. Heran
Published: April 2019

Numerous bacterial species encode proteins predicted to have similarity with Get3- and ArsA-type anion transporters. Our studies provide evidence that these proteins, which we named BagA and BagB, are unlikely to be involved in anion transport. In addition, BagA and BagB are conserved in all mycobacterial species, including the causative agent of leprosy, which has a highly decayed genome. This conservation suggests that BagAB constitutes a part of the core mycobacterial genome and is needed for some yet-to-be-determined part of the life cycle of these organisms.
Design and Validation of Transcription-Mediated-Amplification Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for Mycoplasma genitalium
Authors: Kirkconnell Brett , Weinbaum Barbara , Santos Katherine , Le Nguyen Trisha , Vinluan Bryan , Astete Sabina , Wood Gwendolyn E. , Totten Patricia A. , Getman Damon K.
Published: April 2019

Mycoplasma genitalium
is a sexually transmitted bacterium linked to adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes in women and men.
M. genitalium
is difficult to culture, and in the absence of validated amplified molecular methods for diagnosis of infection, there is no reference standard available for use as a comparator for the validation of new
M. genitalium
diagnostic tests.
The duration and magnitude of Cretaceous cool events: Evidence from the northern high latitudes
Authors: Vickers Madeleine L. , Price Gregory D. , Jerrett Rhodri M. , Sutton Paul , Watkinson Matthew P. , FitzPatrick Meriel
Published: April 2019

The Early Cretaceous (145–100 Ma) was characterized by long-term greenhouse climates, with a reduced equatorial to polar temperature gradient, although an increasingly large body of evidence suggests that this period was punctuated by episodic global “cold snaps.” Understanding climate dynamics during this high-atmospheric CO2 period of Earth’s history may have significant impact on how we understand climatic feedbacks and predict future global climate changes under an anthropogenically-driven high-pCO2 atmosphere. This study utilizes facies analysis to constrain the paleobathymetry of Lower Cretaceous glendonites—a pseudomorph after ikaite, a mineral that forms naturally at 7 °C or lower—from two paleo-high-latitude (60–70°N) sites in Svalbard, Arctic Norway, to infer global climatic changes during the Early Cretaceous. The original ikaite formed in the offshore transition zone of a shallow marine shelf at water depths of <100 m, suggesting mean annual water temperatures of ≤7 °C at these depths at 60–70°N. We correlate glendonite-bearing horizons from Lower Cretaceous successions around the globe using carbon isotope stratigraphy, in conjunction with the pre-existing biostratigraphic framework, in order to infer northern hemispheric to global climatic cooling. A distinct interval of glendonites in the Northern Hemisphere, from sites >60°N, spans the late Berriasian to earliest Barremian (at least 8.6 m.y.), significantly prolonging the duration of the previously hypothesized Valanginian cold snap (associated with the “Weissert Event”). Widespread glendonites occur again in late Aptian and extend to the early Albian, in both hemispheres, corroborating other proxy evidence for late Aptian cooling. The glendonites from Svalbard suggest that Cretaceous cold episodes were characterized with high latitude (>60°N) shallow water temperatures that are consistent with the existence of a small northern polar ice cap at this time.
Research priorities for European paediatric emergency medicine
Authors: Bressan Silvia , Titomanlio Luigi , Gomez Borja , Mintegi Santiago , Gervaix Alain , Parri Niccolo , Da Dalt Liviana , Moll Henriette A , Waisman Yehezkel , Maconochie Ian K , Oostenbrink Rianne
Published: April 2019

Objective

Research in European Paediatric Emergency Medicine (REPEM) network is a collaborative group of 69 paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians from 20 countries in Europe, initiated in 2006. To further improve paediatric emergency care in Europe, the aim of this study was to define research priorities for PEM in Europe to guide the development of future research projects.

Design and Setting

We carried out an online survey in a modified three-stage Delphi study. Eligible participants were members of the REPEM network. In stage 1, the REPEM steering committee prepared a list of research topics. In stage 2, REPEM members rated on a 6-point scale research topics and they could add research topics and comment on the list for further refinement. Stage 3 included further prioritisation using the Hanlon Process of Prioritisation (HPP) to give more emphasis to the feasibility of a research topic.

Results

Based on 52 respondents (response rates per stage varying from 41% to 57%), we identified the conditions ‘fever’, ‘sepsis’ and ‘respiratory infections’, and the processes/interventions ‘biomarkers’, ‘risk stratification’ and ‘practice variation’ as common themes of research interest. The HPP identified highest priority for 4 of the 5 highest prioritised items by the Delphi process, incorporating prevalence and severity of each condition and feasibility of undertaking such research.

Conclusions

While the high diversity in emergency department (ED) populations, cultures, healthcare systems and healthcare delivery in European PEM prompts to focus on practice variation of ED conditions, our defined research priority list will help guide further collaborative research efforts within the REPEM network to improve PEM care in Europe.
Efficacy of therapeutic soft contact lens in the management of gelatinous drop-like corneal dystrophy
Authors: Maeno Sayo , Soma Takeshi , Tsujikawa Motokazu , Shigeta Ryujiro , Kawasaki Ryo , Oie Yoshinori , Koh Shizuka , Maruyama Kazuichi , Kawasaki Satoshi , Maeda Naoyuki , Nishida Kohji
Published: April 2019

Background/Aims

To investigate the efficacy of therapeutic soft contact lenses (SCLs) in gelatinous drop-like corneal dystrophy (GDLD) management.

Methods

This was a retrospective, consecutive, observational case series, including 20 patients (40 eyes) with GDLD treated in Osaka University Hospital within the last 15 years. We tested the effects of therapeutic SCL on clinical features, visual acuity and surgical interventions. Examinations for clinical features and visual acuity were done on patients who had no surgical intervention for 3 years. Scoring and evaluation of changes in three main clinical GDLD features and visual acuity (logMAR units) were performed using Fisher’s exact test and Mann-Whitney U test. Surgery-free survival time was compared by Kaplan-Meier analyses in all patients.

Results

We found a significantly lower rate of progression in GDLD nodular lesions in patients wearing SCLs compared with those who did not (p=0.0179). No suppressant effects were observed regarding opacity and neovascularisation, and no significant improvements were found in visual acuity (in logMAR values, SCL-on: mean=− 0.036, median=0; SCL-off: mean=0.149, median=+ 0.088; p=0.14). The surgery-free survival time for all 16 SCL-on eyes was 2770 ± 1918 days, significantly longer than that for 22 SCL-off eyes, 1342 ± 1323 days (Kaplan-Meier analysis, p=0.0007), suggesting that therapeutic SCL extends the period until surgical intervention and reduces their necessity in patients with GDLD.

Conclusion

Wearing therapeutic SCLs in GDLD slows the progression of nodular lesions and decreases the need for surgical interventions.
Continued increase in prevalence of r-type opacities among underground coal miners in the USA
Authors: Hall Noemi B , Blackley David J , Halldin Cara N , Laney A Scott
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Respirable crystalline silica exposure has been implicated in the resurgence of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) in the USA. A 2010 report found an increasing prevalence of r-type opacities, which are associated with silicosis lung pathology, on the radiographs of working underground coal miners in central Appalachia. This analysis updates that report by assessing the prevalence of r-type opacities during 2010–2018 compared with earlier decades.

Methods

Data from the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program were used to calculate the prevalence of r-type opacities on radiographs of working underground coal miners. The data were restricted to radiographs taken during 1 January 1980 to 15 September 2018. The presence of r-type opacities was defined as an r-type classification for either the primary or secondary shape/size of small opacities. Prevalence ratios for r-type opacities were calculated using log binomial regression.

Results

Radiograph classifications for 106 506 miners were included in analysis. For the USA overall, the prevalence of r-type opacities among miners with radiographs taken during 2010–2018 compared with 1980–1989 has increased (PR 2.4; 95% CI 1.9 to 3.0). For central Appalachia, the proportion of r-type opacities observed increased when comparing 1980–1989 to 2010–2018 (PR 6.0; 95% CI 4.6 to 7.9).

Conclusions

The prevalence of r-type opacities on the radiographs of Appalachian underground coal miners continues to increase, implicating exposure to crystalline silica in respirable coal mine dust. The current findings underscore the importance of monitoring and controlling exposure to silica in coal mines.
Fatal gadolinium-induced encephalopathy following accidental intrathecal administration: a case report and a comprehensive evidence-based review
Authors: Provenzano David Anthony , Pellis Zachary , DeRiggi Leonard
Published: April 2019

Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have been suggested as off-label alternatives to iodine-based contrast agents for fluoroscopic imaging during interventional pain procedures. We report a case of accidental intrathecal administration of a GBCA during a neuraxial interventional pain procedure leading to acute gadolinium neurotoxicity, which resulted in encephalopathy and ultimately death. To our knowledge, it is the first published case of fatal intrathecal gadolinium-induced encephalopathy and the first published case of intrathecal gadoteridol causing serious neurologic complications. In addition, the case presented here is placed in context with an associated comprehensive, evidence-based review of the use of gadolinium in interventional pain procedures, addressing gadolinium chemistry and pharmacologic properties, neurotoxicity and radiology. Physicians must be aware that gadolinium poses a significant risk of acute neurotoxicity even in small doses. Until further safety research is performed, GBCAs should not be considered a safe alternative for use in neuraxial interventional spine procedures when there is a risk of inadvertent intrathecal administration.
Use and reasons for use of electronic vapour products shaped like USB flash drives among a national sample of adults
Authors: Marynak Kristy L , Ali Fatma Romeh M , Schauer Gillian L , Tynan Michael A , King Brian A
Published: April 2019

Objectives

Assess use and reasons for use of electronic vapour products (EVPs) shaped like universal serial bus (USB) flash drives among adults in the USA.

Methods

Data came from SummerStyles, an internet survey of US adults aged ≥18 (N=4088) fielded in June to July 2018. Respondents were shown product images and asked about ever use, current (past 30 days) use and reasons for use. Weighted point estimates and adjusted ORs were assessed.

Results

In 2018, 7.9% of participants had ever used flash drive-shaped EVPs, including 25.7% of current cigarette smokers and 45.9% of current EVP users. Moreover, 2.0% reported current use, including 6.8% of cigarette smokers and 34.3% of EVP users. Leading reasons for ever use were ‘to deliver nicotine’ (30.7%) and ‘friend or family member used them’ (30.2%).

Conclusions

About one in 13 US adults have ever used flash drive-shaped EVPs, with use being highest among current EVP users. Nicotine content and friend/family use are drivers of ever use.

Public health implications

Understanding use of emerging EVP types can inform strategies to maximise any potential benefits for adult cessation and minimise risks of youth initiation.
20 years of national wildlife disease surveillance
Authors: Holmes J Paul , Duff J Paul , Barlow Alex , Everest Dave , Man Cat , Smith Freya , Twomey Fin
Published: April 2019

The need for wildlife surveillance is as great now as it ever has been. Here, members of the APHA's Diseases of Wildlife Scheme explain why their work is important.
Effect of the upstream traffic condition on traffic congestion in lattice hydrodynamic model
Authors: Song Bo , Tian Junfang , Zhu Chenqiang
Published: April 2019

With the increase of vehicles, traffic congestion has become a prominent problem. Environmental pollution, energy waste and even traffic accidents are easily caused by congestion. Nowadays, with the help of V2V and V2I communications, real-time interaction of vehicle information can be achieved. Vehicles can easily get information about other vehicles. In reality, a driver looks at the following car (i.e. upstream traffic condition) as well as the preceding car while driving. However, the effect of upstream condition is rarely analyzed. In the paper, a term describing the upstream traffic condition is added in Nagatani’s model. The effect of the upstream traffic condition to linear stability is obtained by applying the perturbation method. Nonlinear stability equations, such as the mKdV equation, are also derived. Theoretical results of linear stability and nonlinear stability are shown intuitively through numerical simulations. It can be found that traffic is more stable when the upstream traffic condition is considered.
An Improved Real-Time Recommendation for Microblogs Based on Topic
Authors: Shi Yikui , Liu Jiyan , Shi Lei , Zhao Jianwen , Su Na
Published: April 2019

With the rapid development of the Internet, people are confronted with information overload. Many recommendation methods are designed to solve this problem. The main contributions of recommendation methods proposed in this paper are as follows: (1) An improved collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm based on user clustering is proposed. Clustering is performed according to user similarity based on the user-item rating matrix. So the search space of recommendation algorithm is reduced. (2) Considering the factor that user’s interests may dynamically change over time, a time decay function is introduced. (3) A method of real-time recommendation based on topic for microblogs is designed to realize real-time recommendation effectively by preserving intermediate variables of user similarity. Experiments show that the proposed algorithms have been improved in terms of running time and accuracy.
The algebraic and geometric classification of nilpotent binary Lie algebras
Authors: Abdelwahab Hani , Calderón Antonio Jesús , Kaygorodov Ivan
Published: April 2019

We give a complete algebraic classification of nilpotent binary Lie algebras of dimension at most 6 over an arbitrary field of characteristic not 2 and a complete geometric classification of nilpotent binary Lie algebras of dimension 6 over [Formula: see text]. As an application, we give an algebraic and geometric classification of nilpotent anticommutative [Formula: see text]-algebras of dimension at most 6.
Dynamic Response and Shear Demand of Reinforced Concrete Beams Subjected to Impact Loading
Authors: Zhao Wuchao , Qian Jiang
Published: April 2019

Reinforced concrete (RC) beams under the impact loading are typically prone to suffer shear failure in the local response phase. In order to enhance the understanding of the mechanical behavior of the RC beams, their dynamic response and shear demand are numerically investigated in this paper. A 3D finite-element model is developed and validated against the experimental data available in the literature. Taking advantage of the above calibrated numerical model, an intensive parametric study is performed to identify the effect of different factors including the impact velocity, impact mass and beam span-to-depth ratio on the impact response of the RC beams. It is found that, due to the inertial effect, a linear relationship exists between the maximum reverse support force and the peak impact force, while negative bending moments also appear in the shear span. In addition, the local response of the RC beams can be divided into a first impact stage and a separation stage. A shear plug is likely to be formed near the impact point at the first impact stage and a shear failure may be triggered near the support by large support forces. Based on the simulation results, simplified methods are proposed for predicting the shear demand for the two failure modes, whereas physical models are also established to illustrate the resistance mechanism of the RC beams at the peak impact force. By comparing with the results of the parametric study, it is concluded that the shear demand of the RC beams under the impact loading can be predicted by the proposed empirical formulas with reasonable accuracy.
A Generative Adversarial Network Model for Simulating Various Types of Human-Induced Loads
Authors: Xiong Jiecheng , Chen Jun
Published: April 2019

Severe vibrations may occur on slender structures like footbridges and cantilever stands due to human-induced loads such as walking, jumping or bouncing. Currently, to develop a load model for structural design, the main features, such as periodicity and stationarity of experimental load records, are artificially extracted and then mathematically modeled. Different physical features have been included in different load models, i.e. no unified load model exists for different individual activities. The recently emerged generative adversarial networks can be used to model high-dimensional random variables. The probability distribution of these variables learned from real samples can be used to generate new samples, avoiding extracting features artificially. In this paper, a new model is proposed which combines the conditional generative adversarial networks and Wasserstein generative adversarial networks with gradient penalty to generate individual walking, jumping and bouncing loads. The generator of the model has five fully connected layers and a one-dimensional convolutional layer, and the discriminator has five fully connected layers. After one million training steps using the experimental records, the generator can generate high-quality samples similar to real samples in waveform. Finally, by comparing the power spectral densities and single degree of freedom system’s responses of the generated samples with real samples, it is further proved that the proposed generative adversarial network model can be used to simulate various human-induced loads. Source code of the model along with its trained weights is provided to the readers to further analysis and application.
Stochastic integrals and stochastic equations in set-valued and fuzzy-valued frameworks
Authors: Michta Mariusz
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we study the existence, uniqueness and properties of solutions to set-valued and fuzzy-valued stochastic differential equations with respect to finite variation and martingale integrators. We present new types of such equations that generalize those studied earlier. For this aim we introduce properly defined new types of stochastic integrals in set-valued and fuzzy-valued settings and we establish their main properties. The results obtained in the paper generalize conclusions dealing with this topic known both in deterministic and stochastic cases.