bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RAB GTPASE HOMOLOG 8D is required for the maintenance of both the root stem cell niche and the meristem
Authors: Li Pengcheng , Ma Junjie , Sun Xueping , Zhao Chuanzhi , Ma Changle , Wang Xingjun
Published: December 2020

Previous studies have suggested that the plastid translation elongation factor, elongation factor thermo unstable (EF‐Tu), encoded by RAB GTPASE HOMOLOG 8D (RAB8D) is essential for plant growth. Here, through analyzing the root phenotypes of two knock‐down alleles of RAB8D (rab8d‐1 and rab8d‐2), we further revealed a vital role for RAB8D in primary root development through the maintenance of both the stem cell niche (SCN) and the meristem. Our results showed that RAB8D deficiency affects the root auxin response and SCN maintenance signaling. RAB8D interacts with GENOMES UNCOUPLED 1 (GUN1) in vivo. Further analysis revealed that GUN1 is over‐accumulated and is required for both stem cell death and maintenance of root architecture in rab8d Arabidopsis mutants. The ATAXIA‐TELANGIECTASIA‐MUTATED (ATM)–SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 pathway is involved in the regulation of root meristem size through upregulating SIAMESE‐RELATED 5 expression in the rab8d‐2 allele. Moreover, ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 115 is highly expressed in rab8d‐2, which plays a role in further quiescent center division. Our observations not only characterized the role of RAB8D in root development, but also uncovered functions of GUN1 and ATM in response to plastid EF‐Tu deficiency.
Content-organizing Metadiscourse in Malaysian Undergraduate Engineering Lectures: Towards Improvement of Lecture Delivery
Authors: Ibrahim Noor Mala , Ahmad Ummul Khair
Published: December 2020

The continuing importance of the English language has resulted in a growing number of academic lectures being delivered in English. Academic lectures, which are commonly associated with information-loaded delivery by an authoritative figure trying to impart knowledge instrumental for some future undertakings of the audience i.e. students, continue to become a subject of interest due to their precariousness contributed by many different forces (e.g. subject matter, instructors, students, technology, etc.). With English as the medium of instruction, academic lectures provide many other aspects of interest to researchers and one of them concerns lecture comprehension problems faced by students. Students vary in their English language proficiency, but the demands expected of them to function in an academic lecture conducted in English are the same. This chapter reports on how Malaysian lecturers organize their academic lectures, by focusing on the discourse functions of managing topics and managing phoric using the linguistic framework of metadiscourse. Findings show that lecturers are sensitive to the needs of their students to follow the lectures and the demands of academic lectures. The pedagogical implications based on the findings are presented.
L-Arginine Improves Endurance to High-Intensity Interval Exercises in Overweight Men
Authors: Daraei Ali , Ahmadizad Sajad , Rahmani Hiwa , Hackney Anthony C. , Johnson Kelly E. , Laher Ismail , Saeidi Ayoub , Zouhal Hassane
Published: December 2020

The effects of acute consumption of L-Arginine (L-Arg) in healthy young individuals are not clearly defined, and no studies on the effects of L-Arg in individuals with abnormal body mass index undertaking strenuous exercise exist. Thus, we examined whether supplementation with L-Arg diminishes cardiopulmonary exercise testing responses, such as ventilation (VE), VE/VCO2, oxygen uptake (VO2), and heart rate, in response to an acute session of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) in overweight men. A double-blind, randomized crossover design was used to study 30 overweight men (age, 26.5 ± 2.2 years; body weight, 88.2 ± 5.3 kilogram; body mass index, 28.0 ± 1.4 kg/m2). Participants first completed a ramped-treadmill exercise protocol to determine VO2max velocity (vVO2max), after which they participated in two sessions of HIIE. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 6 g of L-Arg or placebo supplements. The HIIE treadmill running protocol consisted of 12 trials, including exercise at 100% of vVO2max for 1 min interspersed with recovery intervals of 40% of vVO2max for 2 min. Measurements of VO2 (ml·kg−1·min−1), VE (L/min), heart rate (beat per min), and VE/VCO2 were obtained. Supplementation with L-Arg significantly decreased all cardiorespiratory responses during HIIE (placebo+HIIE vs. L-Arg+HIIE for each measurement: VE [80.9 ± 4.3 L/min vs. 74.6 ± 3.5 L/min, p < .05, ES = 1.61], VE/VCO2 [26.4 ± 1.3 vs. 24.4 ± 1.0, p < .05, ES = 1.8], VO2 [26.4 ± 0.8 ml·kg−1·min−1 vs. 24.4 ± 0.9 ml·kg−1·min−1, p < .05, ES = 2.2], and heart rate [159.7 ± 6.3 beats/min vs. 155.0 ± 3.7 beats/min, p < .05, d = 0.89]). The authors conclude consuming L-Arg before HIIE can alleviate the excessive physiological strain resulting from HIIE and help to increase exercise tolerance in participants with a higher body mass index who may need to exercise on a regular basis for extended periods to improve their health.
A Matched Case-Case-Control Study of the Impact of Clinical Outcomes and Risk Factors of Patients with IMP-Type Carbapenemase-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
in Japan
Authors: Saito Sho , Hayakawa Kayoko , Tsuzuki Shinya , Ishikane Masahiro , Nagashima Maki , Mezaki Kazuhisa , Sugiki Yuko , Tajima Taichi , Matsunaga Nobuaki , Ide Satoshi , Kinoshita Noriko , Kusama Yoshiki , Fujitomo Yumiko , Nakamoto Takato , Toda Yuta , Kaku Mitsuo , Kodama Eiichi N. , Ohmagari Norio
Published: December 2020

IMP-type carbapenemase, found in various Gram-negative bacteria, has been increasingly detected worldwide. We aimed to study the outcomes and risk factors for acquisition of IMP-type carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
(IMP-CRE), as this has not been evaluated in detail.
Comparative Genomics of Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli from Kittens and Children Identifies Bacterial Factors Associated with Virulence in Kittens
Authors: Watson Victoria E. , Hazen Tracy H. , Rasko David A. , Jacob Megan E. , Elfenbein Johanna R. , Stauffer Stephen H. , Gookin Jody L.
Published: December 2020

Typical enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(tEPEC) is a leading cause of diarrhea and associated death in children worldwide. Atypical EPEC (aEPEC) lacks the plasmid encoding bundle-forming pili and is considered less virulent, but the molecular mechanism of virulence is poorly understood.
Comparative Analytical Evaluation of Four Centralized Platforms for the Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex and Resistance to Rifampicin and Isoniazid
Authors: de Vos Margaretha , Scott Lesley , David Anura , Trollip Andre , Hoffmann Harald , Georghiou Sophia , Carmona Sergio , Ruhwald Morten , Stevens Wendy , Denkinger Claudia M. , Schumacher Samuel G.
Published: December 2020

Failure to rapidly identify drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) increases the risk of patient mismanagement, the amplification of drug resistance, and ongoing transmission. We generated comparative analytical data for four automated assays for the detection of TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB): Abbott RealTi
m
e MTB and MTB RIF/INH (Abbott), Hain Lifescience FluoroType MTBDR (Hain), BD Max MDR-TB (BD), and Roche cobas MTB and MTB-RIF/INH (Roche).
Vaccines That Reduce Viral Shedding Do Not Prevent Transmission of H1N1 Pandemic 2009 Swine Influenza A Virus Infection to Unvaccinated Pigs
Authors: Everett Helen E. , van Diemen Pauline M. , Aramouni Mario , Ramsay Andrew , Coward Vivien J. , Pavot Vincent , Canini Laetitia , Holzer Barbara , Morgan Sophie ,   the Dynamics sLoLa Consortium, Woolhouse Mark E. J. , Tchilian Elma , Brookes Sharon M. , Brown Ian H. , Charleston Bryan , Gilbert Sarah
Published: December 2020

This study was designed to determine whether vaccination of pigs with conventional WIV or virus-vectored vaccines reduces pH1N1 swine influenza virus shedding following challenge and can prevent transmission to naive in-contact animals. Even when viral shedding was significantly reduced following challenge, infection was transmissible to susceptible cohoused recipients.
Women Are Underrepresented and Receive Differential Outcomes at ASM Journals: a Six-Year Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Hagan Ada K. , Topçuoğlu Begüm D. , Gregory Mia E. , Barton Hazel A. , Schloss Patrick D.
Published: December 2020

Barriers in science and academia have prevented women from becoming researchers and experts that are viewed as equivalent to their colleagues who are men. We evaluated the participation and success of women researchers at ASM journals to better understand their success in the field of microbiology. We found that women are underrepresented as expert scientists at ASM journals. This is, in part, due to a combination of both low submissions from senior women authors and more negative outcomes on submitted manuscripts for women compared to men.
Expansion of a Specific Plasmodium falciparum PfMDR1 Haplotype in Southeast Asia with Increased Substrate Transport
Authors: Calçada Carla , Silva Miguel , Baptista Vitória , Thathy Vandana , Silva-Pedrosa Rita , Granja Diana , Ferreira Pedro Eduardo , Gil José Pedro , Fidock David A. , Veiga Maria Isabel
Published: December 2020

Global efforts to eliminate malaria depend on the continued success of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) that target
Plasmodium
asexual blood-stage parasites. Resistance to ACTs, however, has emerged, creating the need to define the underlying mechanisms. Mutations in the
P. falciparum
multidrug resistance protein 1 (PfMDR1) transporter constitute an important determinant of resistance. Applying gene editing tools combined with an analysis of a public database containing thousands of parasite genomes, we show geographic selection and expansion of a
pfmdr1
gene amplification encoding the N86/184F haplotype in Southeast Asia. Parasites expressing this PfMDR1 variant possess a higher transport capacity that modulates their responses to antimalarials. These data could help tailor and optimize antimalarial drug usage in different regions where malaria is endemic by taking into account the regional prevalence of
pfmdr1
polymorphisms.
The Host Cell Metabolite Inositol Hexakisphosphate Promotes Efficient Endogenous HIV-1 Reverse Transcription by Stabilizing the Viral Capsid
Authors: Jennings Jordan , Shi Jiong , Varadarajan Janani , Jamieson Parker J. , Aiken Christopher
Published: December 2020

HIV-1 infection requires reverse transcription of the viral genome. While much is known about the biochemistry of reverse transcription from simplified biochemical reactions, reverse transcription during infection takes place within a viral core. However, endogenous reverse transcription reactions using permeabilized HIV-1 virions or purified viral cores have been inefficient. Using viral cores purified from infectious HIV-1 particles, we show that efficient reverse transcription is achieved
in vitro
by addition of the capsid-stabilizing metabolite inositol hexakisphosphate. The enhancement of reverse transcription was linked to the capsid-stabilizing effect of the compound, consistent with the known requirement for an intact or semi-intact viral capsid for HIV-1 infection. Our results establish a biologically relevant system for dissecting the function of the viral capsid and its disassembly during reverse transcription. The system should also prove useful for mechanistic studies of capsid-targeting antiviral drugs.
Coordinating and Assisting Research at the SARS-CoV-2/Microbiome Nexus
Authors:   Microbiome Centers Consortium COVID Committee Zaid Abdo Colorado State University Martin J. Blaser Rutgers University Jack A. Gilbert University of California, San Diego >Rob Knight University of California, San Diego Catherine Lozupone University of Colorado, Anschutz Kendra Maas University of Connecticut Jennifer B. H. Martiny University of California, Irvine >Jessica Metcalf Colorado State University Barbara Methe University of Pittsburgh Nigel Mouncey DOE Joint Genome Institute Noel T. Mueller Johns Ho
Published: December 2020

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a single virus, the rest of the human microbiome appears to be involved in the disease and could influence vaccine responses while offering opportunities for microbiome-directed therapeutics. The newly formed Microbiome Centers Consortium (MCC) surveyed its membership and identified four ways to leverage the strengths and experience of microbiome centers in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nutrition education in medical school: the case of international medical students in China
Authors: Amakye William Kwame , Bozovic Sladana , Faraque Arafat , Yao Maojin , Ren Jiaoyan
Published: December 2020

Objective

To assess the knowledge on country-specific nutrition situation, perceptions of the nutrition curricula and factors influencing capacity to offer nutrition guidance among medical students studying internationally in China compared with their home-country counterparts.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Settings

China, Ghana, India and Montenegro.

Participants

International medical students in China and medical students studying in their home countries of Ghana, India and Montenegro.

Main measure

An online semistructured questionnaire was administered using WeChat for international students and Microsoft Forms for home-country medical students to assess students’ perceived knowledge and significance of nutrition, knowledge of country-specific nutrition situation, perceptions of the nutrition curricula and perceived capacity to offer nutrition counselling.

Result

In all, 190 medical students responded to the survey: 110 international students studying in China and 80 home-country students from Ghana (40), India (20) and Montenegro (20). Home-country students rated the importance of nutrition in health and disease development higher than international students (p<0.05). International students reported not having any specific nutrition courses while home-country students had nutrition courses as part of their curriculum. Only 8.2% of international students and 13.8% of home-country students were able to correctly mention any specific national nutrition guidelines of their home countries. Home-country students were more likely to provide correct nutrition recommendations for infants (χ²(3)=26.349; p=0.001), pregnancy (χ²(3)=9.793; p=0.007), lactating mothers (χ²(3)=9.112; p=0.011), diabetes (χ²(3)=13.619; p=0.001), hypertension (χ²(3)=12.022; p=0.002), overweight/obesity (χ²(3)=8.896; p=0.012) and undernutrition (χ²(3)=7.670; p=0.022) compared with international students. Practical nutrition courses, hours of nutrition education and how often students were asked nutrition-related questions tended to affect and predict the adequacy of nutrition education received and the perceived confidence for nutrition counselling.

Conclusion

International medical students in China are less familiar with the nutrition context in their respective home countries compared with their home-country counterparts. Medical schools in China that train significant numbers of international students need to support these students to become familiar with their respective countries’ nutrition contexts.
Petrogenesis and economic potential of the Obatogamau Formation, Chibougamau area, Abitibi greenstone belt
Authors: Boucher Adrien , Mathieu Lucie , Hamilton Michael A. , Bedeaux Pierre , Daigneault Réal
Published: December 2020

Unravelling the petrogenesis and stratigraphy of Archean mafic lava flows is essential to our comprehension of the early geodynamic evolution and economic potential of greenstone belts. This study focuses on one of the oldest and thickest sequences of lava flows observed in the Neoarchean Abitibi Subprovince (greenstone belt), that is, the Obatogamau Formation. The undated formation extends for more than 100 km in an E–W direction and consists mostly of aphyric and feldspar megacryst-bearing basaltic-andesite lava flows. These lava flows are tholeiitic, mostly Fe-rich, and have nearly homogeneous chemistry. Petrogenetic modelling carried out using MELTS software points to limited magmatic differentiation as most samples of mafic lava flows did not reach Fe-Ti-oxide saturation. Zircon U-Pb dating establishes a crystallization age of 2726.2 ± 1.6 Ma for a felsic unit located at an intermediate stratigraphic position in the sequence of lava flows. Constraints from stratigraphically overlying volcanic units suggest that the Obatogamau Formation was likely emplaced rapidly, possibly within a few million years and as a consequence of frequent replenishment of shallow magma accumulations. High eruption rates are consistent with short episodes of volcanic quiescence deduced from field observations, indicating non-optimal conditions for volcanogenic massive sulfide systems. The pressure and temperature of peak metamorphism deduced from amphibole chemistry, however, points to favorable conditions for the release of metamorphic fluids. The study area may thus be prospective for orogenic gold mineralization, provided that fluids had access to a source of gold and that structural conduits allowed for the channeling of hydrothermal fluids.
Convergence of Complex Uncertain Double Sequences
Authors: Datta Debasish , Tripathy Binod Chandra
Published: December 2020

Complex uncertain variables are measurable functions from an uncertainty space to the set of complex numbers and are used to model complex uncertain quantities. This paper introduces the convergence concepts of convergence almost surely (a.s.), convergence in measure, convergence in mean, convergence in distribution and convergence uniformly almost surely complex uncertain double sequences. In addition, relationships among the introduced classes of sequences have been introduced.
Carboniferous smaller Foraminifera: convergences and divergences
Authors: Vachard Daniel , Le Coze François
Published: December 2020

The Carboniferous Foraminifera are composed of representatives of three classes: Fusulinata, Miliolata and Nodosariata. Despite ample literature on Paleozoic Allogromiata and Textulariata, the real presence of these classes remains questionable during the Carboniferous and they are thus excluded herein. The main biostratigraphical markers belong to the superfamilies Archaediscoidea, Lasiodiscoidea and Bradyinoidea, even if many genera among the archaediscoids still have a controversial nomenclature, as well as do some lasiodiscids and bradyinoids. Secondary biostratigraphical markers belong to Lituotubelloidea (= ‘Tournayelloidea’ of the authors), Endothyroidea and Loeblichioidea (these latter giving rise to the primitive Fusulinida). The Miliolata appear at the Visean/Serpukhovian boundary interval. The typical Carboniferous miliolates are primitive nubeculariins and cornuspirinins. Tubiphytids might be miliolate and cyanobacterium consortia, derived from the nubeculariin
Palaeonubecularia
. The most primitive nodosariates (syzraniids) appeared in the Moscovian; and gave rise, in the latest Carboniferous, to
Protonodosaria
,
Nodosinelloides
and possibly
Polarisella
,
Paravervilleina
and the oldest Geinitzinoidea. Palaeobiological data are mainly provided by the genera
Bradyina
,
Tetrataxis
and
Climacammina
. Palaeobiogeographical distributions of
Pojarkovella
,
Janischewskina, Eosigmoilina
,
Brenckleina
,
Spireitlina
,
Hemigordius
and
Syzrania
testify to the successive foraminiferal migrations between the Palaeotethys, Ural and Panthalassan oceans. Two taxa are created: Eoparastaffellidae and Banffellinae.
Deep Interactive Memory Network for Aspect-Level Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Sun Chengai , Lv Liangyu , Tian Gang , Liu Tailu
Published: December 2020

The goal of aspect-level sentiment analysis is to identify the sentiment polarity of a specific opinion target expressed; it is a fine-grained sentiment analysis task. Most of the existing works study how to better use the target information to model the sentence without using the interactive information between the sentence and target. In this article, we argue that the prediction of aspect-level sentiment polarity depends on both context and target. First, we propose a new model based on LSTM and the attention mechanism to predict the sentiment of each target in the review, the matrix-interactive attention network (M-IAN) that models target and context, respectively. M-IAN use an attention matrix to learn the interactive attention of context and target and generates the final representations of target and context. Then we introduce two gate networks based on M-IAN to build a deep interactive memory network to capture multiple interactions of target and context. The deep interactive memory network can excellently formulate specific memory for different targets, which is helpful in sentiment analysis. The experimental results of Restaurant and Laptop datasets of SemEval 2014 validate the effectiveness of our model.
Informed Options Trading Before Corporate Events
Authors: Augustin Patrick , Subrahmanyam Marti G.
Published: December 2020

There is sufficient evidence in the popular, legal, and financial literatures that informed options trading ahead of scheduled and unexpected corporate events is pervasive. In this review, we piece together the extant evidence on this topic into a cohesive picture, which includes abnormal activity ahead of announcements of earnings, mergers and acquisitions, as well as numerous other corporate events. We also discuss the more limited evidence on informed trading in other derivatives markets, such as credit default swaps. In addition, we characterize the impact and features of illegal insider trading and insider trading networks. We also provide a brief overview of the legal framework in the United States concerning legal and illegal insider trading to emphasize the challenges associated with identifying informed options trading. We end with our suggestions regarding future research opportunities in this broad topic.
Robert C. Merton and the Science of Finance
Authors: Bodie Zvi
Published: December 2020

Starting with his 1970 doctoral dissertation and continuing to today, Robert C. Merton has revolutionized the theory and practice of finance. In 1997, Merton shared a Nobel Prize in Economics “for a new method to determine the value of derivatives.” His contributions to the science of finance, however, go far beyond that. In this article I describe Merton's main contributions. They include the following: 1.  The introduction of continuous-time stochastic models (the Ito calculus) to the theory of household consumption and investment decisions. Merton's technique of dynamic hedging in continuous time provided a bridge between the theoretical complete-markets equilibrium model of Kenneth Arrow and the real world of personal financial planning and management. 2.  The derivation of the multifactor Intertemporal Capital Asset Pricing Model (ICAPM). The ICAPM generalizes the single-factor CAPM and explains why that model might fail to properly account for observed market excess returns. It also provides a theory to identify potential forward-looking risk premia for use in factor-based investment strategies. It is therefore both a positive and normative theory. 3.  The invention of Contingent Claims Analysis (CCA) as a generalization of option pricing theory. CCA applies the technique of dynamic replication to the valuation and risk management of a wide range of corporate and government liabilities. Merton's CCA model for the valuation and analysis of risky debt is known among scholars and practitioners alike as the Merton Model. 4.  The development of financial engineering, which employs CCA to design and produce new financial products. Merton was the first to apply CCA to analyze government guaranty programs such as deposit insurance, and to suggest improvements in the way those programs are managed. He and his students have applied his insights at both the micro and macro policy levels. 5.  And finally, the development of a theory of financial intermediation that explains and predicts how financial systems differ across countries and change over time. Merton has applied that theory, called functional and structural finance, to guide the design and regulation of financial systems at the levels of the firm, the industry, and the nation. He has also used it to propose reforms in pensions, sovereign wealth funds, and macrostabilization policy.

This article is one of a pair of articles published in this volume about Robert C. Merton's contributions to the science of financial economics. This article was originally published in Volume 11 of the Annual Review of Financial Economics. The other article in this pair is “ Robert C. Merton: The First Financial Engineer ” by Andrew W. Lo.
Study of the Binder Influence on Expansion/Contraction Behavior of Silicon Alloy Negative Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Yoon Dong-Hwan , Marinaro Mario , Axmann Peter , Wohlfahrt-Mehrens Margret
Published: December 2020

In lithium-ion batteries, Si-based materials such as silicon alloys are regarded as a promising alternative to graphite negative electrode to achieve higher energy. Unfortunately, they often suffer from a large volume change that can result in poor cycle life. We monitored the electrode expansion/contraction that occurs during lithiation/delithiation in real time by electrochemical dilatometry. Volume changes of Si alloy-based electrode with three different polymer binders have been compared. Electrode manufactured with lithiated polyacrylic acid (LiPAA) exhibited the greatest expansion but also demonstrated the highest reversibility as well as the best cycling performance. Ex situ SEM imaging along with dilatometer measurements revealed that electrode porosity after contraction (delithiation) increases compared to that after precedent expansion (lithiation), which can buffer volume expansion at the subsequent cycle. Proof-of-concept in situ optical microscopy (IOM) experiments were carried out with the best performing LiPAA electrode. The results demonstrated that LiPAA electrode in the IOM cell expanded much less than the same electrode in the dilatometer cell. This implies that internal pressure existing in a lithium-ion cell has a great impact on total electrode expansion.
Cell-Permeable Bak BH3 Peptide Induces Chemosensitization of Hematologic Malignant Cells
Authors: Ugarte-Alvarez Omar , Muñoz-López Paola , Moreno-Vargas Liliana Marisol , Prada-Gracia Diego , Mateos-Chávez Armando Alfredo , Becerra-Báez Elayne Irene , Luria-Pérez Rosendo
Published: December 2020

Hematologic malignancies such as leukemias and lymphomas are among the leading causes of pediatric cancer death worldwide, and although survival rates have improved with conventional treatments, the development of drug-resistant cancer cells may lead to patient relapse and limited possibilities of a cure. Drug-resistant cancer cells in these hematologic neoplasms are induced by overexpression of the antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein families, such as Bcl-XL, Bcl-2, and Mcl-1. We have previously shown that peptides from the BH3 domain of the proapoptotic Bax protein that also belongs to the Bcl-2 family may antagonize the antiapoptotic activity of the Bcl-2 family proteins, restore apoptosis, and induce chemosensitization of tumor cells. Furthermore, cell-permeable Bax BH3 peptides also elicit antitumor activity and extend survival in a murine xenograft model of human B non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, the activity of the BH3 peptides of the proapoptotic Bak protein of the Bcl-2 family against these hematologic malignant cells requires further characterization. In this study, we report the ability of the cell-permeable Bak BH3 peptide to restore apoptosis and induce chemosensitization of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cell lines, and this event is enhanced with the coadministration of cell-permeable Bax BH3 peptide and represents an attractive approach to improve the patient outcomes with relapsed or refractory hematological malignant cells.
Optimization of Bioslurry-Available Plant Nutrients Using T. brownii and Acanthaceae spp. Biocatalysts
Authors: Chaka Bakari A. , Osano Aloys M. , Maghanga Justin K. , Magu Martin M.
Published: December 2020

The plant extracts of T. brownii and Acanthaceae spp. have been used as biocatalysts by several communities in Kenya to hasten anaerobic digestion. This study aimed at assessing the viability of these two extracts in hastening the availability of plant nutrients from bioslurry at ambient conditions. A controlled research design was followed using uncooked kitchen waste as the substrate for 28 retention days. Changes in bioslurry physicochemical properties and available plant nutrients were monitored every 7 days using wet chemistry and spectroscopic methods. The findings indicated that the two extracts significantly impacted the levels of available plant nutrients in the bioslurry compared to the control samples. T. brownii additives significantly increased the levels of lime content, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, phosphoric acid, sulfur, and soluble silicic acid. On the contrary, Acanthaceae spp. additives significantly increased the levels of calcium, potassium, nitrates, total ammoniacal nitrogen, sulfates, and phosphates in the bioslurry samples. The use of these plant extracts thus reduces the time taken while increasing the concentration of available plant nutrients from bioslurry.
A Modified Surgical Method Combined with Blepharoplasty Design for Treatment of Xanthelasma Palpebrarum
Authors: Choi Eun Jeong , Oh Tea Min , Han Hyun Ho
Published: December 2020

Purpose. Xanthelasma palpebrarum manifests as a yellowish placoid on the medial aspect of the upper eyelids, often in middle and old age. Aggravated lateral hooding of the eyelid might cause a deformity with conventional surgery, which appears to be more deficient on the medial side with excess hooding of the lateral skin. The authors suggest a novel surgical technique to solve this problem and reconstruct the defect appropriately. Methods. From July 2017 to December 2018, our method of combining excision with blepharoplasty was performed on 8 patients, consisting of 15 lesions on the upper eyelid and 6 lesions on the lower lid. Lesion removal incorporating blepharoplasty incision was done. After resection, the orbicularis oculi musculocutaneous flap was widely elevated extending through the whole upper eyelid with the lateral flap first along with fat maneuver. The flap was advanced into the defect, with even distribution of tension, after lower flap fixation to the required height of the eyelid fold. Taping was done with a hydrocolloid bandage and kept for 2 weeks. Results. The wounds were healed primarily, and no cases of recurrence, lagophthalmos, hypertrophic scar, pigmentation, or remarkable deformity were noted. All patients were satisfied, and the functional outcomes were excellent. Two patients had trivial complications specific to our method, that of triple fold and neo‐Mongolian fold, which were simply revised later. Conclusions. This modality overcame the drawbacks of eyelid deformity observed in previous surgical methods, giving excellent results without any critical complications.
Construction of Value Chain E-Commerce Model Based on Stationary Wavelet Domain Deep Residual Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Wang Chenyuan
Published: December 2020

This paper mainly analyzes the current situation of e-commerce in domestic SMEs and points out that there are limited initial investment and difficulty in financing in China’s SMEs; e-commerce control is not scientific; e-commerce personnel of SMEs are not of high quality, in the case of improper setting of the e-commerce sector and shortage of talents, rigid management model, and outdated management concepts. By using the loss function and the value chain management theory of the deep learning in the stationary wavelet domain residual learning model, the e-commerce model of SMEs is newly constructed, and the e-commerce department as the core department of the enterprise is proposed. By training the optimal parameters of the deep residual network and comparing the results with other models, the method of this paper has a good effect against the sample. The original loss function based on the residual learning model deep learning is modified to solve the original model fuzzy problem, which improves the effect and has good robustness. Finally, based on the wavelet residual depth residual evaluation method, this paper evaluates the application effect of this model and proposes relevant suggestions for improving this model, including rationalizing and perfecting the external value chain coordination mechanism, establishing the e-commerce value chain sharing center, and promoting integration of e-commerce business, strengthening measures and recommendations in various aspects of e-commerce information construction. At last, taking the business activities of a company as an example, applying the theory described in this paper to specific practice proves the feasibility and practical value of the theory.
Index Predigesting Method of ELINT System Based on MIBARK Algorithm
Authors: Qiu Risheng , Pan Jifei , Zhao Jun , Zhang Shengli
Published: December 2020

The effectiveness evaluation of the Electronic Information (ELINT) system, which plays an important role in guiding the theoretical research, equipment development, and practical application, is the key technology of the ELINT system. In practical applications, the effectiveness evaluation of ELINT system is mainly aimed at evaluation methods. However, the establishment of evaluation criteria and the construction of the index system are still two main challenges in this field, especially the optimization of the evaluation index system. In this paper, we aim at establishing the ELINT system index evaluation criteria and optimizing the ELINT system evaluation index system. Based on the principle structure of the ELINT system, we directly construct the original efficiency index system, establish specific evaluation criteria for each index, and quantify the indexes using the criteria. To optimize the proposed index system, we introduce the idea of rough set reduction and develop an index system reduction model based on the mutual information heuristic knowledge reduction (MIBARK) algorithm. Simulation analysis shows that the proposed evaluation criteria quantify each index scientifically, and the established indicator reduction model can eliminate the redundancy of the ELINT efficiency indicator system, making the indicator system more streamlined and reasonable.
Prognostic and Diagnostic Significance of circRNA Expression in Esophageal Cancer: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Lin Hong , Yuan Jinpeng , Liang Guoxi , Wu Yanxuan , Chen Liming
Published: December 2020

Background and Aims. Circular RNA (circRNA) demonstrates potential biological application in various solid tumors. We intended to evaluate the diagnostic, prognostic, and clinicopathological value of circRNA for esophageal cancer (EC). Methods. We screened relative studies from Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The diagnostic role of circRNAs was testified by pooled sensitivity and specificity. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and pooled hazard ratio (HR) were computed to appraise the clinicopathological and prognostic value, respectively. Results. There were total 15 articles suitable with our included criteria, in which 7 for diagnosis, 8 for prognosis, and 9 for clinicopathological features. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.77 and 0.80, respectively, while the AUC was 0.85. Patients with aberrant expression of circRNAs had a 2.92-fold increased risk of developing EC. The proportion of EC patients with normal circRNA expression only accounted for 29%. Upregulated expression of oncogenic circRNA was correlated with poor clinicopathological features, including lymph node metastasis, tumor size, and T classification, while downregulation of tumor-suppressor circRNA was contributed to worse TNM stage. As for prognosis, upregulated expression of circRNA carried out a diverse survival outcome, with a pooled HR of 2.76 for tumor promoter and that of 0.21 for tumor suppressor. High expression of oncogenic circRNA in both plasma and tumor tissue would lead to a shorter survival duration. Conclusion. circRNAs might be a promising biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis, and clinicopathological features of EC.
Cervical Sagittal Imbalance after Cervical Laminoplasty in Elderly Patients
Authors: Mun Hyun Woong , Yuk Chang Duk , Kim Tae Hwan , Park Moon Soo , Kim Seok Woo , Kim Ji Hee , Ahn Jun Hyong , Chang In Bok , Song Joon Ho , Oh Jae Keun
Published: December 2020

Background Context. Cervical laminoplasty often gives rise to cervical sagittal imbalance attributable to injury of posterior structures including laminae, articular facets, muscles, and ligaments. Purpose. To determine the effect of age on sagittal cervical alignment after cervical laminoplasty procedure so as to identify the group with the greatest degree of variation. Study Setting. Single‐center retrospective chart review in a tertiary referral hospital. Outcome Measures. The sagittal vertical axis (SVA) (C2‐7), T1 slope, and cervical lordosis. Methods. We included patients who underwent cervical laminoplasty between 2014 and 2018 and divided 60 consecutive patients into two groups using the cut‐off age of 65 years. The Paired t‐test and Mann‐Whitney U test were used to compare changes between preoperative radiographic cervical sagittal parameters and those 1 year after surgery. Results. Mean patient ages in the older and younger groups were 71 years and 52 years, respectively. The difference of C2‐7 SVA was greater in the older group. Conclusion. Postoperative cervical balance can be worse when laminoplasty is performed in elderly patients.
A Review of Gas Flow and Its Mathematical Models in Shale Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Zhang Bo-ning , Li Xiao-gang , Zhao Yu-long , Chang Cheng , Zheng Jian
Published: December 2020

The application of horizontal wells with multistage hydraulic fracturing technologies has made the development of shale gas reservoirs become a worldwide economical hotspot in recent years. The gas transport mechanisms in shale gas reservoirs are complicated, due to the multiple types of pores with complex pore structure and special process of gas accumulation and transport. Although there have been many attempts to come up with a suitable and practical mathematical model to characterize the shale gas flow process, no unified model has yet been accepted by academia. In this paper, a comprehensive literature review on the mathematical models developed in recent years for describing gas flow in shale gas reservoirs is summarized. Five models incorporating different transport mechanisms are reviewed, including gas viscous flow in natural fractures or macropores, gas ad-desorption on shale organic, gas slippage, diffusion (Knudsen diffusion, Fick diffusion, and surface diffusion), stress dependence, real gas effect, and adsorption layer effect in the nanoshale matrix system, which is quite different from conventional gas reservoir. This review is very helpful to understand the complex gas flow behaviors in shale gas reservoirs and guide the efficient development of shale gas. In addition to the model description, we depicted the type curves of fractured horizontal well with different seepage models. From the review, it can be found that there is some misunderstanding about the essence of Knudsen/Fick diffusion and slippage, which makes different scholars adopt different weighting methods to consider them. Besides, the contribution of each mechanism on the transport mechanisms is still controversial, which needs further in-depth study in the future.
Prediction of Fracture Toughness in the Shale Formation Based on Well Logging and Seismic Data: A Case Study of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin, China
Authors: Liu Kaiyuan , Xiong Jian , Zhang Xi , Fan Xiao , Li Le
Published: December 2020

The rock physics experiments and fracture toughness tests of shales from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin in China were carried out. Based on this, the calculation model of the fracture toughness was constructed, thus, the single well evaluation of the fracture toughness in shale formation would be obtained based on the well logging data, which can be used to summarize the spatial distribution characteristics of the fracture toughness in the shale formation. However, it is difficult to obtain transverse distribution characteristics of fracture toughness in shale formation based solely on the well logging data. Therefore, in order to investigate the spatial distribution of the fracture toughness, jointing well logging and seismic method could be adopted to quantitatively predict the fracture toughness in shale formation. The results show that fracture toughness of shales is sensitive to acoustic interval transit time and wave impedance. The prediction model of the fracture toughness of shales was constructed, which had a good prediction effect. The fracture toughness values of shales from the Upper Silurian Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation were larger, whereas those of shales from the Lower Silurian Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation were lower. The fracture toughness is mainly distributed in strips along the vertical direction while the distribution area is continuous in the lateral direction, indicating that it has obvious stratification characteristics.
Predicting Venous Thromboembolic Events in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Requiring Hospitalization: an Observational Retrospective Study by the COVIDIC Initiative in a Swiss University Hospital
Authors: Kampouri Eleftheria , Filippidis Paraskevas , Viala Benjamin , Méan Marie , Pantet Olivier , Desgranges Florian , Tschopp Jonathan , Regina Jean , Karachalias Eleftherios , Bianchi Christophe , Zermatten Maxime G. , Jaton Katia , Qanadli Salah Dine , Bart Pierre-Alexandre , Pagani Jean-Luc , Guery Benoit , Alberio Lorenzo , Papadimitriou-Olivgeris Matthaios , RegCOVID Research Group
Published: December 2020

Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) can result in profound changes in blood coagulation. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and predictors of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) among patients with COVID‐19 requiring hospital admission. Subjects and Methods. We performed a retrospective study at the Lausanne University Hospital with patients admitted because of COVID‐19 from February 28 to April 30, 2020. Results. Among 443 patients with COVID‐19, VTE was diagnosed in 41 patients (9.3%; 27 pulmonary embolisms, 12 deep vein thrombosis, one pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, one portal vein thrombosis). VTE was diagnosed already upon admission in 14 (34.1%) patients and 27 (65.9%) during hospital stay (18 in ICU and nine in wards outside the ICU). Multivariate analysis revealed D‐dimer value > 3,120 ng/ml (P < 0.001; OR 15.8, 95% CI 4.7‐52.9) and duration of 8 days or more from COVID‐19 symptoms onset to presentation (P 0.020; OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.3‐18.3) to be independently associated with VTE upon admission. D‐dimer value ≥ 3,000 ng/l combined with a Wells score for PE ≥ 2 was highly specific (sensitivity 57.1%, specificity 91.6%) in detecting VTE upon admission. Development of VTE during hospitalization was independently associated with D‐dimer value > 5,611 ng/ml (P < 0.001; OR 6.3, 95% CI 2.4‐16.2) and mechanical ventilation (P < 0.001; OR 5.9, 95% CI 2.3‐15.1). Conclusions. VTE seems to be a common COVID‐19 complication upon admission and during hospitalization, especially in ICU. The combination of Wells ≥ 2 score and D − dimer ≥ 3,000 ng/l is a good predictor of VTE at admission.
Impact of Lung Biopsy on Lung Function in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Aussedat Pierre-Henri , Chebib Nader , Ahmad Kais , Glerant Jean-Charles , Drevet Gabrielle , Grima Renaud , Maury Jean-Michel , Nasser Mouhamad , Thivolet-Bejui Françoise , Traclet Julie , Turquier Ségolène , Chalabreysse Lara , Tronc François , Cottin Vincent
Published: December 2020

Background: Video-assisted surgical lung biopsy (SLB) is performed in 10–30% of cases to establish the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of SLB on lung function in patients eventually diagnosed with IPF. Methods: This is an observational, retrospective, monocentric study of all consecutive patients eventually diagnosed with IPF in multidisciplinary discussion who underwent SLB over 10 years in a specialized center. The primary end point was the variation in forced vital capacity (FVC) before and after the SLB. The secondary end points were the variations in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), total lung capacity (TLC), carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO), and morbidity and mortality associated with the SLB. Results: In 118 patients who underwent SLB and were diagnosed with IPF, a relative decrease in FVC of 4.8% (p < 0.001) was found between measurements performed before and after the procedure. The mean FVC decrease was 156 ± 386 mL in an average period of 185 days, representing an annualized decline of 363 ± 764 mL/year. A significant decrease was also observed after SLB in FEV1, TLC, and DLCO. Complications within 30 days of SLB occurred in 14.4% of patients. Two patients (1.7%) died within 30 days, where one of them had poor lung function. Survival at 1 year was significantly poorer in patients with FVC <50% at baseline. Conclusion: In this uncontrolled study in patients ultimately diagnosed with IPF, SLB was followed by a significant decline in FVC, which appears to be numerically greater than the average decline in the absence of treatment in the literature. Summary at a Glance: This study evaluated the change in lung function in 118 consecutive patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by surgical lung biopsy. Forced vital capacity decreased by 156 ± 386 mL in a mean of 185 days between the last measurement before and first measurement after biopsy, representing an annualized decline of 363 ± 764 mL/year.
Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases-2 Mediates Kidney Injury during Sepsis
Authors: Wen Xiaoyan , Zhang Jicheng , Wan Xiaojian , Frank Alicia A. , Qu Xin , Kellum John A.
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Urinary tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-2 has been identified as a predictive marker for acute kidney injury (AKI), including sepsis-associated AKI (S-AKI). Whether TIMP-2 might be causally related to AKI and hence represent a viable drug target is unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether suppression of TIMP-2 attenuates S-AKI. Methods: Balb/c mice were randomized to sham or cecal ligation and puncture surgery and treated with or without a TIMP-2-neutralizing antibody. Animals were followed for 48 h and then sacrificed for analysis of TIMP-2 expression, cell cycle, and histology. Results: Anti-TIMP-2 resulted in decreased lumen TIMP-2 expression which markedly increased cell cycle progression and attenuated epithelial cell injury by histology. Conclusions: TIMP-2 mediates S-AKI and appears to be a viable drug target.
Teleworker Performance in the COVID-19 Era in  Japan
Authors: Okubo Toshihiro , Inoue Atsushi , Sekijima Kozue
Published: December 2020

This paper investigates teleworker efficiency in Japan in the COVID-19 era by using unique survey data on telework. Many Japanese workers started teleworking during the pandemic and found both benefits as well as impediments. Overall, we find that telework experience and the work environment (e.g., having clearly specified tasks and a flexible working system), changes in work–life balance (e.g., working time), and good mental health improves teleworker efficiency.