bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Complexity of Urban CO2 Emission Network: An Exploration of the Yangtze River Middle Reaches Megalopolis, China
Authors: Zhang Zuo , Wang Zhe , Zhang Wei , Liu Yanzhong , Li Zhi , Huang Lin
Published: January 2021

With their focus on human production and consumption activities, cities incur massive energy consumption and CO2 emissions. An intercity connection is a typical complex system in which the interaction between cities is crucial for developing low‐carbon outputs within the urban agglomeration. This paper presents the construction of the CO2 emission network of an urban agglomeration in the Yangtze River middle reaches megalopolis, based on the gravity model. Combined with social network analysis (SNA), a multilevel analysis framework is proposed to deal with the complexity, spatiality, and visualization of the CO2 emission network with reference to the network features, structural equivalence, and the rich‐club phenomenon. The following results emerged: firstly, the spatial structure of the CO2 emissions was characterized by low robustness and compactness, indicating disunity among the studied cities. Secondly, there was found to be a strong correlation between regionalism and intercity connections, with geographically close cities playing a similar role in the network. Thirdly, the “rich‐club” cities, including Wuhan, Changsha, Xiaogan, and Zhuzhou, dominated the connections, covering more than 87.1% of the network in the Yangtze River Middle Reaches Megalopolis.
Study on the Seismic Performance of Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Columns Based on the Experiment
Authors: Sun Yanhua , Zhang Xiaohu
Published: January 2021

The seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) columns strengthened using steel bar/wire mesh mortar (SWM) was investigated. A comparative experimental study was performed by taking nine RC square columns strengthened with SWM and steel bar mat mortar (SM) under pseudostatic test. The effects of strengthening method and test parameters on the seismic bearing capacity, ductile deformation, and failure mode of all columns were tested and analyzed. The results show that SWM-strengthened columns can experience more cyclic loading times before the failure than SM-strengthened columns under the same axial load ratio, and the energy dissipation capacity and seismic bearing capacity of SWM-strengthened columns were higher on average than that of SM-strengthened columns by 62.3% and 73.66%, respectively, proving that the strengthening method has a good application in engineering practice.
Lowering the Sidelobe Level of a Two-Way Pattern in Shared Aperture Radar Arrays
Authors: Sahalos John N.
Published: January 2021

A study of lowering the peak SLL of shared aperture radar arrays is presented. A two-weight amplitude distribution for the elements of transmit and receive arrays is used. Imposing certain conditions, the relation of the number of elements of the arrays was found. One condition imposes the appearance of a minor lobe position of transmit or receive array pattern at a certain null of receive or transmit array pattern. A second condition imposes the equal sidelobe level of two consecutive minor lobes either near the main beam of the two-way array pattern or at certain positions of receive or transmit array pattern. The resulting peak SLL of the two-way radar array pattern depending on the conditions reaches from −47 dB up to less than −50 dB.
A Method for Run-Time Prediction of On-Chip Thermal Conditions in Dynamically Reconfigurable SOPCs
Authors: Sharma Dimple , Kirischian Lev
Published: January 2021

Autonomous mobile systems nowadays deploy FPGA-based System on Programmable Chips (SoPCs) for supporting their dynamic multitask multimodal workloads. For such field-deployed systems, activation times, execution periods of tasks, and variations in environmental conditions are usually difficult to predict. These dynamic variations result in a new challenge of dynamic thermal cycling stress on the SoPC die, which can result in transient and even permanent hardware faults in the computing system. This paper proposes the approach of run-time structural adaptation (RTSA) to mitigate dynamic thermal cycling stress on the SoPC dies. RTSA assumes the tasks to have multiple implementation variants, called Application Specific Processing (ASP) circuit variants, which vary in hardware resources, operating frequency, and power consumption. Dynamically reconfiguring appropriate ASP circuit variants of tasks allow systems to maintain their die temperature in the desired range while taking into account variations in power budget and modes of operation. This means the essence of RTSA is a decision-making mechanism which can select at run-time, a suitable system configuration (set of ASP circuit variants of active tasks), whenever needed, to meet the die temperature constraints. To do so, run-time die temperature prediction for potential system configurations using an estimation model is required. This paper presents a generic method to derive an analytical model for any SoPC that can estimate the die temperature in real time and thus support the decision-making mechanism. To develop this method, the thermal behavior of SoPC die under different task scenarios is studied and relation of die temperature to frequency, resource utilization, and power consumption is analyzed. An RTSA-enabled experimental platform is set up on Xilinx Zynq XC7Z020 SoPC for this purpose. Experimental results also demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to derive a model in run-time, thus enabling systems to self-derive and dynamically update the model in run-time.
Experimental Investigation on the Mechanical Response of Coals to Uniaxial Compression and Low‐Speed Dynamic Loading
Authors: Zhou Jing-Xuan , Zhu Chuan-Jie , Lu Xi-Miao , Ren Jie , Si Rong-Jun , Ye Qing
Published: January 2021

The surrounding rock of roadways in underground coal mines will lose its stability or even collapse under gas explosions, especially roadways surrounded by coals. The dynamic mechanical properties of coals were tested in order to investigate the dynamic response of coals under gas explosions. The static mechanical properties of coals were also tested as comparison. It is found that the dynamic stress‐strain curves showed no obvious pore compaction stage comparing with uniaxial loading. The dynamic compression strength and the elastic modulus are obviously larger than those obtained in the static mechanical properties test, and the dynamic strain shows an obvious hysteresis phenomenon. The ultimate strain and absorbed energy increased linearly with increase of the strain rate. With the increase of dynamic loading, the fragment size of coal cores decreased obviously. The results could provide a reference for the antiexplosion design of the coal roadway.
Stochastic Parameter Identification Method for Driving Trajectory Simulation Processes Based on Mobile Edge Computing and Self‐Organizing Feature Mapping
Authors: Yang Jingfeng , Luo Zhiyong , Zhang Nanfeng , Xiao Jinchao , Wang Honggang , Zhou Shengpei , Liu Xiaosong , Li Ming
Published: January 2021

With the rapid development of sensor technology for automated driving applications, the fusion, analysis, and application of multimodal data have become the main focus of different scenarios, especially in the development of mobile edge computing technology that provides more efficient algorithms for realizing the various application scenarios. In the present paper, the vehicle status and operation data were acquired by vehicle‐borne and roadside units of electronic registration identification of motor vehicles. In addition, a motion model and an identification system for the single‐vehicle lane‐change process were established by mobile edge computing and self‐organizing feature mapping. Two scenarios were modeled and tested: lane change with no vehicles in the target lane and lane change with vehicles in the target lane. It was found that the proposed method successfully identified the stochastic parameters in the process of driving trajectory simulation, and the standard deviation between simulation and the measured results obeyed a normal distribution. The proposed methods can provide significant practical information for improving the data processing efficiency in automated driving applications, for solving single‐vehicle lane‐change applications, and for promoting the formation of a closed loop from sensing to service.
Femoral Heads from Total Hip Arthroplasty as a Source of Adult Hematopoietic Cells
Authors: Pomicter Anthony D. , Clair Phillip M. , Yan Dongqing , Heaton William L. , Eiring Anna M. , Anderson Michael B. , Richards Stephen M. , Gililland Jeremy , O’Hare Thomas , Deininger Michael W.
Published: January 2021

Normal human bone marrow cells are critical for studies of hematopoiesis and as controls to assess toxicity. As cells from commercial vendors are expensive, many laboratories resort to cancer-free bone marrow specimens obtained during staging or to umbilical cord blood cells, which may be abnormal or reflect a much younger age group compared to the disease samples under study. We piloted the use of femoral heads as an alternative and inexpensive source of normal bone marrow. Femoral heads were obtained from 21 successive patients undergoing elective hip arthroplasty. Mononuclear cells (MNCs) were purified with Ficoll, and CD3+, CD14+, and CD34+ cells were purified with antibody-coated microbeads. The median yield of MNCs was 8.95 × 107 (range, 1.62 × 105–2.52 × 108), and the median yield of CD34+ cells was 1.40 × 106 (range, 3.60 × 105–9.90 × 106). Results of downstream applications including qRT-PCR, colony-forming assays, and ex vivo proliferation analysis were of high quality and comparable to those obtained with standard bone marrow aspirates. We conclude that femoral heads currently discarded as medical waste are a cost-efficient source of bone marrow cells for research use.
Amado Luiz Cervo e a historiografia brasileira de relações internacionais
Authors: Almeida Paulo Roberto de
Published: January 2021

Ensaio em torno da historiografia brasileira de relações internacionais, política externa e história diplomática, com foco especial na obra acumulada pelo professor emérito da Universidade de Brasília (UnB) Amado Luiz Cervo, que se consagrou como paradigma da produção histórica nessas áreas, inclusive em perspectiva comparada com outros países da América Latina, com destaque para a Argentina. São referidas suas principais obras produzidas desde os anos 1970 até o período recente, quando produziu trabalhos de síntese nesses campos.
Circular Multielectrode Pulsed Field Ablation Catheter Lasso Pulsed Field Ablation
Authors: Yavin Hagai , Brem Erez , Zilberman Israel , Shapira-Daniels Ayelet , Datta Keshava , Govari Assaf , Altmann Andres , Anic Ante , Wazni Oussama , Anter Elad
Published: January 2021

Background:

Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a nonthermal energy with potential safety advantages over radiofrequency ablation. This study investigated a novel PFA system—a circular multielectrode catheter (PFA lasso) and a multichannel generator designed to work with Carto 3 mapping system.

Methods:

A 7.5F bidirectional circular catheter with 10 electrodes and variable expansion was designed for PFA (biphasic, 1800 Volts). This study included a total of 16 swine used to investigate the following 3 experimental aims: Aim 1 examined the feasibility to create a right atrial ablation line of block from the superior vena cava to the inferior vena cava. Aim 2 examined the effect of PFA on lesion maturation including durability after a 30-day survival period. Aim 3 examined the effect of high-intensity PFA (10 applications) on esophageal and phrenic nerve tissue in comparison to normal intensity radiofrequency ablation (1–2 applications). Histopathologic analysis of all cardiac, esophageal, and phrenic nerve tissue was performed.

Results:

Acute line of block was achieved in 12/12 swine (100%) and required a total PFA time of 14 seconds (interquartile range [IQR], 9–24.5) per line. Ablation line durability after 28±3 days was maintained in 11/12 (91.7%) swine. PFA resulted in transmural lesions in 179/183 (97.8%) sections and a median lesion width of 14.2 mm. High-intensity PFA (9 [IQR, 8–14] application) had no effect on the esophagus while standard intensity radiofrequency ablation (1.5 [IQR, 1–2] applications) resulted in deep esophageal tissue injury involving the muscularis propria and adventitia layers. High-intensity PFA (16 [IQR, 10–28] applications) has no effect on phrenic nerve function and structure while standard dose radiofrequency ablation (1.5 [IQR, 1–2] applications) resulted in acute phrenic nerve paralysis.

Conclusions:

In this preclinical model, a multielectrode circular catheter and multichannel generator produced durable atrial lesions with lower vulnerability to esophageal or phrenic nerve damage.
China’s Diplomacy: Towards ASEAN Way Norms in the South China Sea
Authors: Kerr Pauline
Published: January 2021

China’s approach to the norms of appropriate behaviour among states is being scrutinised by academics and practitioners — and no more so than in the South China Sea dispute where China’s response to the regional set of diplomatic norms, the ASEAN Way, is controversial. This essay asks three questions: Is China changing its diplomatic practices towards ASEAN Way diplomatic norms and, if so, how and why? Examining the issue through the lens of diplomatic tactics, the essay argues that yes China is changing its diplomacy, by adopting a range of diplomatic tactics: originally acknowledging ASEAN Way norms; later challenging and manipulating them; and, throughout, adopting tactics with ambiguous meanings. China’s tactics change in response to its leaders’ evolving perceptions of China’s international and regional contexts and, in turn, China’s tactics impact the contexts. China’s diplomacy, in this case, is adaptive, multifaceted, context dependent and context-changing, reflecting diplomacy’s longue durée.
Chinese Political Participation in Peninsula Malaysia: Under the Shadow of Malay Supremacy
Authors: Ku Samuel C. Y. , Hsiao Wen-Hsuan
Published: January 2021

With more than thirty ethnic groups, Malaysia is renowned for its multiculturalism and ethnic diversity. Unlike in Indonesia and the Philippines, where ethnic Chinese are rarely given the opportunity to serve in the central government. Therefore, political parties focus on ethnic needs and issues.

Therefore, it is important to gain a greater understanding of the degree to which ethnic Malaysian Chinese are participating in these elections and what sort of political powers their political parties maintain. Aside from the introduction and conclusion, the paper is divided into three sections. The first part investigates the geographic areas that represent different ethnicities across Malaysia and the regions. The second section examines how much political influence the ethnic Chinese Malaysians maintain. The last section analyzes how ethnic Chinese Malaysian’s political participation has evolved over the years.
A new taxon of Hypericum (Hypericaceae) from southeastern Turkey
Authors: ÖZGİŞİ KURTULUŞ , OCAK ATİLA
Published: January 2021

Hypericum malatyanum subsp. nurhakense is described as a new taxon from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Morphologically, it is similar to Hypericum malatyanum subsp. malatyanum, but is easily distinguished by several morphological characters, including the shape of its bracts and bracteoles, the shape of sepals, the gland type on the sepal margin, the number of cilia on the petal margin, and features of seeds. Diagnostic characters, a detailed description, and photographs of the new taxon are given; the IUCN Red List category and observations on the ecology of the populations are noted; and the distribution map of the new taxon and its closely related relatives in Turkey are presented.
Validation of the name Hedysarum damghanicum (Fabaceae, Hedysareae) from Iran

Authors: NEGARESH KAZEM
Published: January 2021

During field surveys in Damghan (Semnan Province, N Iran) I collected Hedysarum damghanicum Rechinger (1979: 237) of section Crinifera Boissier (1872: 512). In order to confirm the identity of the specimens, I examined the protologue and realized that the name Hedysarum damghanicum was not validly published, because, contrary to Art. 40.2 of ICN (Turland et al. 2018), two gatherings were designated as types: Rechinger 55373 (as “fl. Typus”) and Rechinger 56498 (as “fruct. Typus”). Therefore, the name Hedysarum damghanicum is validated here by choosing one gathering as the type.
Validation and morphology of Begonia fagopyrofolia in B. sect. Stolonifera (Begoniaceae) in China

Authors: CHEN WEN-HONG , WU JIAN-YONG , RADBOUCHOOM SIRILAK , SHUI YU-MIN
Published: January 2021

The invalid name, Begonia fagopyrofolia nom.nud., is validly published, with the addition of a description and illustration. As a member of Begonia sect. Stolonifera, it is similar to B. cehengensis, but differs in its climbing stem, obovate to suborbicular petals of the staminate and pistillate flowers, a 1.5–2.2 m long thin beak-like top of the fruit, and linear-lanceolate horns of the fruit. Our observations reveal that the new species differs from its most similar species (B. cehengensis) in the morphology of its leaf epidermis, seeds, pollen grains and placentation. The new species is designated as Vulnerable (VU) according to IUCN standards (2012).
A new species of the genus Fredius Pretzmann, 1967 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae) from Brazil, with comments on the southerly distribution of the family
Authors: MARTINS CARLOS A. M. , NASCIMENTO WHANDENSON M. DO , SANTOS LIVANIO C. DOS , MAGALHÃES CÉLIO , PINHEIRO ALLYSSON P.
Published: January 2021

A new species of pseudothelphusid crab of the tribe Kingsleyini Ortmann, 1897, from the southern Amazon region in the state of Rondônia, Brazil, is described and illustrated. Fredius avilai n. sp. can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the following characters of the male first gonopod: mesial lobe elongated, convoluted, proximal portion directed laterally, distal portion sharply recurved in abdominal direction; marginal process rounded, not projected over distal opening of spermatic channel, merging with distal portion of abdominal surface after a shallow depression; lateral suture well demarcated along mesoabdominal surface of stem, distal portion directed inwards. The assignment of the new species to the genus Fredius Pretzmann, 1967 and its affinities with another closed related species are discussed.
Two new species of Paratanytarsus Thienemann & Bause (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Oriental China
Authors: LI ZHIQIANG , TANG HONGQU
Published: January 2021

Two new species of Paratanytarsus Thienemann & Bause, P. nanyuensis sp. n. and P. zengensis sp. n., are described and illustrated based on the adult males and pupae from Oriental China. Both the species show some unique characters, herein defined and discussed. Information on biology and ecology of new species are also provided.
Quantifying the Role of Ocean Dynamics in Ocean Mixed Layer Temperature Variability
Authors: Patrizio Casey R. , Thompson David W. J.
Published: January 2021

Understanding the role of the ocean in climate variability requires first understanding the role of ocean dynamics in the ocean mixed layer and thus sea surface temperature variability. However, key aspects of the spatially and temporally varying contributions of ocean dynamics to such variability remain unclear. Here, the authors quantify the contributions of ocean dynamical processes to mixed layer temperature variability on monthly to multiannual time scales across the globe. To do so, they use two complementary but distinct methods: 1) a method in which ocean heat transport is estimated directly from a state-of-the-art ocean state estimate spanning 1992–2015 and 2) a method in which it is estimated indirectly from observations between 1980–2017 and the energy budget of the mixed layer. The results extend previous studies by providing quantitative estimates of the role of ocean dynamics in mixed layer temperature variability throughout the globe, across a range of time scales, in a range of available measurements, and using two different methods. Consistent with previous studies, both methods indicate that the ocean-dynamical contribution to mixed layer temperature variance is largest over western boundary currents, their eastward extensions, and regions of equatorial upwelling. In contrast to previous studies, the results suggest that ocean dynamics reduce the variance of Northern Hemisphere mixed layer temperatures on time scales longer than a few years. Hence, in the global mean, the fractional contribution of ocean dynamics to mixed layer temperature variability decreases at increasingly low frequencies. Differences in the magnitude of the ocean dynamical contribution based on the two methods highlight the critical need for improved and continuous observations of the ocean mixed layer.
Interaction of Nonlinear Ekman Pumping, Near-Inertial Oscillations, and Geostrophic Turbulence in an Idealized Coupled Model
Authors: Chen Yanxu , Straub David , Nadeau Louis-Philippe
Published: January 2021

A new coupled model is developed to investigate interactions among geostrophic, Ekman, and near-inertial (NI) flows. The model couples a time-dependent nonlinear slab Ekman layer with a two-layer shallow water model. Wind stress forces the slab layer and horizontal divergence of slab-layer transport appears as a forcing in the continuity equation of the shallow water model. In one version of the slab model, self-advection of slab-layer momentum is retained and in another it is not. The most obvious impact of this explicit representation of the surface-layer dynamics is in the high-frequency part of the flow. For example, near-inertial oscillations are significantly stronger when self-advection of slab-layer momentum is retained, this being true both for the slab-layer flow itself and for the interior flow that it excites. In addition, retaining the self-advection terms leads to a new instability, which causes growth of slab-layer near-inertial oscillations in regions of anticyclonic forcing and decay in regions of cyclonic forcing. In contrast to inertial instability, it is the sign of the forcing, not that of the underlying vorticity, that determines stability. High-passed surface pressure fields are also examined and show the surface signature of unbalanced flow to differ substantially depending on whether a slab-layer model is used and, if so, whether self-advection of slab-layer momentum is retained.
Longitudinal non-cystic fibrosis trends of pulmonaryMycobacterium abscessusdisease from 2010 to 2017: spread of the “globally successful clone” in Asia
Authors: Cheng Aristine , Sun Hsin-Yun , Tsai Yi-Tzu , Lu Po-Liang , Lee Susan Shin-Jung , Lee Yi-Tzu , Wang Yung-Chih , Liu Po-Yu , Chien Jung-Yien , Hsueh Po-Ren , Chang Shu-Yuan , Wu Un-In , Sheng Wang-Huei , Chen Yee-Chun , Chang Shan-Chwen
Published: January 2021

Background

Mycobacterium abscessus(MAB) has emerged as the predominant pulmonary non-tuberculous mycobacterial pathogen in parts of Asia, including Taiwan. The reasons for the significant increase in MAB infections in the non-cystic fibrosis (CF) populations are poorly understood. The study aimed to elucidate whether this increase is related to the spread of the globally successful clone of MAB.

Methods

We performed multilocus sequence typing of 371 nonduplicated MAB pulmonary isolates from 371 patients sampled between 2010–2017 at seven hospitals across Taiwan.

Results

In total, 183 (49.3%) isolates wereM. abscessussubsp.abscessus(MAB-a), 187 (50.4%) wereM. abscessussubsp.massiliense(MAB-m), and 1 (0.3%) wasM. abscessussubsp.bolletii(MAB-b). MAB-a sequence type (ST)1 (23.7%) and ST127 (3.8%), followed by MAB-m ST48 (16.2%), ST117 (15.1%), ST23 (8.6%) were most common overall. Of MAB-a strains, 50 (27.3%) belonged to novel STs and 38 (10.2%) were singleton strains, while of MAB-m strains, only 10 (5.3%) were novel and 8 (2.2%) were singletons. From 2010 to 2017, the frequency of the historically dominant ST1 declined from 28.6% to 22.5%, whereas the recently emerged globally successful clonal cluster 3, ST23 and ST48, increased from 14.3% to 40.0%.

Conclusions

The dominance of ST1 particularly in the last 2 years of this study appears to be declining, while ST23, reported in outbreaks among CF and post-surgical cohorts across the Americas and Europe, alongside the closely related ST48, is present among non-CF populations in Taiwan. These trends need to be confirmed with further ongoing studies to track the molecular epidemiology of clinical MAB isolates worldwide.
Differential alteration of fMRI signal variability in the ascending trigeminal somatosensory and pain modulatory pathways in migraine
Authors: Lim Manyoel , Jassar Hassan , Kim Dajung J. , Nascimento Thiago D. , DaSilva Alexandre F.
Published: January 2021

Background

The moment-to-moment variability of resting-state brain activity has been suggested to play an active role in chronic pain. Here, we investigated the regional blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal variability (BOLDSV) and inter-regional dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) in the interictal phase of migraine and its relationship with the attack severity.

Methods

We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging from 20 migraine patients and 26 healthy controls (HC). We calculated the standard deviation (SD) of the BOLD time-series at each voxel as a measure of the BOLD signal variability (BOLDSV) and performed a whole-brain voxel-wise group comparison. The brain regions showing significant group differences in BOLDSVwere used to define the regions of interest (ROIs). The SD and mean of the dynamic conditional correlation between those ROIs were calculated to measure the variability and strength of the dFC. Furthermore, patients’ experimental pain thresholds and headache pain area/intensity levels during the migraine ictal-phase were assessed for clinical correlations.

Results

We found that migraineurs, compared to HCs, displayed greater BOLDSVin the ascending trigeminal spinal-thalamo-cortical pathways, including the spinal trigeminal nucleus, pulvinar/ventral posteromedial (VPM) nuclei of the thalamus, primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and posterior insula. Conversely, migraine patients exhibited lower BOLDSVin the top-down modulatory pathways, including the dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) and inferior parietal (IPC) cortices compared to HCs. Importantly, abnormal interictal BOLDSVin the ascending trigeminal spinal-thalamo-cortical and frontoparietal pathways were associated with the patient’s headache severity and thermal pain sensitivity during the migraine attack. Migraineurs also had significantly lower variability and greater strength of dFC within the thalamo-cortical pathway (VPM-S1) than HCs. In contrast, migraine patients showed greater variability and lower strength of dFC within the frontoparietal pathway (dlPFC-IPC).

Conclusions

Migraine is associated with alterations in temporal signal variability in the ascending trigeminal somatosensory and top-down modulatory pathways, which may explain migraine-related pain and allodynia. Contrasting patterns of time-varying connectivity within the thalamo-cortical and frontoparietal pathways could be linked to abnormal network integrity and instability for pain transmission and modulation.
Treatment benefit among migraine patients taking fremanezumab: results from a post hoc responder analysis of two placebo-controlled trials
Authors: Silberstein Stephen D. , Cohen Joshua M. , Yang Ronghua , Gandhi Sanjay K. , Du Evelyn , Jann Adelene E. , Marmura Michael J.
Published: January 2021

Background

Monoclonal antibodies targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway, including the fully humanized monoclonal antibody (IgG2Δa) fremanezumab, have demonstrated safety and efficacy for migraine prevention. Clinical trials include responders and nonresponders; efficacy outcomes describe mean values across both groups and thus provide little insight into the clinical benefit in responders. Clinicians and their patients want to understand the extent of clinical improvement in patients who respond. This post hoc analysis of fremanezumab treatment attempts to answer this question: what is the benefit in subjects who responded to treatment during the two, phase 3 HALO clinical trials?

Methods

We included subjects with episodic migraine (EM) or chronic migraine (CM) who received fremanezumab quarterly (675 mg/placebo/placebo) or monthly (EM: 225 mg/225 mg/225 mg; CM: 675 mg/225 mg/225 mg) during the 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled HALO EM and HALO CM clinical trials. EM and CM responders were defined as participants with a reduction of ≥ 2 or ≥ 4 monthly migraine days, respectively. Treatment benefits evaluated included reductions in monthly migraine days, acute headache medication use, and headache-related disability, and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Results

Overall, 857 participants from the HALO trials were identified as responders (EM: 429 [73.8%]; CM: 428 [56.7%]). Reductions in the monthly average number of migraine days were greater among EM (quarterly: 5.4 days; monthly: 5.5 days) and CM (quarterly: 8.7 days; monthly: 9.1 days) responders compared with the overall population. The proportion of participants achieving ≥ 50% reduction in the average monthly number of migraine days was also greater in responders (EM: quarterly, 59.8%; monthly, 63.7%; CM: quarterly, 52.8%; monthly, 59.0%) than in the overall population. Greater reductions in the average number of days of acute headache medication use, greater reductions in headache-related disability scores, and larger improvements in HRQoL were observed among EM and CM responders compared with the overall populations.

Conclusions

Fremanezumab responders achieved clinically meaningful improvements in all outcomes. The magnitude of improvements with fremanezumab across efficacy outcomes was far greater in responders than in the overall trial population, providing insight into expected treatment benefits in participants who respond to fremanezumab in clinical practice.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govidentifiers: NCT02629861 (HALO EM) and NCT02621931 (HALO CM).
New genotypes of Helicobacter Pylori VacA d-region identified from global strains
Authors: Soyfoo Djaleel Muhammad , Doomah Yussriya Hanaa , Xu Dong , Zhang Chao , Sang Huai-Ming , Liu Yan-Yan , Zhang Guo-Xin , Jiang Jian-Xia , Xu Shun-Fu
Published: January 2021

Background

Pathogenesis of Helicobacter Pylori (HP) vacuolating toxin A (vacA) depends on polymorphic diversity within the signal (s), middle (m), intermediate (i), deletion (d) and c-regions. These regions show distinct allelic diversity. The s-region, m-region and the c-region (a 15 bp deletion at the 3′-end region of the p55 domain of the vacA gene) exist as 2 types (s1, s2, m1, m2, c1 and c2), while the i–region has 3 allelic types (i1, i2 and i3). The locus of d-region of the vacA gene has also been classified into 2 genotypes, namely d1 and d2. We investigated the “d-region”/“loop region” through bioinformatics, to predict its properties and relation to disease. One thousand two hundred fifty-nine strains from the NCBI nucleotide database and the dryad database with complete vacA sequences were included in the study. The sequences were aligned using BioEdit and analyzed using Lasergene and BLAST. The secondary structure and physicochemical properties of the region were predicted using PredictProtein.

Results

We identified 31 highly polymorphic genotypes in the “d-region”, with a mean length of 34 amino acids (9 ~ 55 amino acids). We further classified the 31 genotypes into 3 main types, namely K-type (strains starting with the KDKP motif in the “d-region”), Q-type (strains starting with the KNQT motif), and E-type (strains starting with the ESKT motif) respectively. The most common type, K-type, is more prevalent in cancer patients (80.87%) and is associated with the s1i1m1c1 genotypes (P < .01). Incidentally, a new region expressing sequence diversity (2 aa deletion) at the C-terminus of the p55 domain of vacA was identified during bioinformatics analysis.

Conclusions

Prediction of secondary structures shows that the “d-region” adopts a loop conformation and is a disordered region.
Diversity and composition of the Panax ginseng rhizosphere microbiome in various cultivation modesand ages
Authors: Tong Ai-Zi , Liu Wei , Liu Qiang , Xia Guang-Qing , Zhu Jun-Yi
Published: January 2021

Background

Continuous cropping of ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) cultivated in farmland for an extended period gives rise to soil-borne disease. The change in soil microbial composition is a major cause of soil-borne diseases and an obstacle to continuous cropping. The impact of cultivation modes and ages on the diversity and composition of the P. ginseng rhizosphere microbial community and technology suitable for cropping P. ginseng in farmland are still being explored.

Methods

Amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS regions were analyzed for microbial community composition and diversity.

Results

The obtained sequencing data were reasonable for estimating soil microbial diversity. We observed significant variations in richness, diversity, and relative abundances of microbial taxa between farmland, deforestation field, and different cultivation years. The bacterial communities of LCK (forest soil where P. ginseng was not grown) had a much higher richness and diversity than those in NCK (farmland soil where P. ginseng was not grown). The increase in cultivation years of P. ginseng in farmland and deforestation field significantly changed the diversity of soil microbial communities. In addition, the accumulation of P. ginseng soil-borne pathogens (Monographella cucumerina, Ilyonectria mors-panacis, I. robusta, Fusarium solani, and Nectria ramulariae) varied with the cropping age of P. ginseng.

Conclusion

Soil microbial diversity and function were significantly poorer in farmland than in the deforestation field and were affected by P. ginseng planting years. The abundance of common soil-borne pathogens of P. ginseng increased with the cultivation age and led to an imbalance in the microbial community.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by sea anemone sting: a case report
Authors: Kim A Young , Cho Kyu Hyang , Kang Seok Hui , Park Jong Won , Do Jun Young , Kim Min Kyoung
Published: January 2021

Background

Some sea anemone toxins cause renal injuries resembling hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). To date, only a few cases of HUS caused by sea anemone stings have been reported. In this case report, we have described an HUS case caused by a sea anemone sting.

Case presentation

In November 2019, a 37-year-old man with no underlying disease was admitted to our hospital. He presented with intense pain, a rash on, and swelling in his right thigh. Two days prior, he had been stung by a sea anemone while scuba diving in Cebu, Philippines. His blood tests revealed renal dysfunction, and his platelet count was normal. However, on day three, the platelet count decreased rapidly. His blood haptoglobin level decreased, and schistocytes were identified on the peripheral blood smear. We suspected thrombotic microangiopathy and started the conventional treatment, comprising hemodialysis, blood transfusion, and antibiotic administration. ADAMTS-13 and genetic test results associated with atypical HUS were normal. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with HUS caused by a sea anemone toxin.

Conclusions

HUS caused by a sea anemone toxin is rare, but it is a serious medical disease. Clinicians should consider HUS in patients with such clinical presentations, and they should make prompt treatment-related decisions.
Doctors’ smoking control knowledge, attitudes and practices: a cross-sectional study conducted in Shandong Province, China
Authors: Wang Qiang , Zhang Xueli , Wang Zengwu , Feng Shangang , Li Yang , Zhang Chuanfeng , Wang Chunping
Published: January 2021

Background

Doctors play an important role in smoking control. This study aimed to assess doctors’ smoking control knowledge, attitudes and practices to help doctors raise awareness of smoking control assistance.

Methods

This cross-sectional study recruited 1046 doctors from Shandong Province, China, by using multistage sampling. Participants’ information was collected by questionnaire. Pearson’s χ2 test and Fisher’s exact probability method were used to compare the distributions of categorical variables between/among groups.

Results

Among the participants, 14.7% were current smokers. Approximately 50.3% of participants had heard of smoking cessation drugs and 59.2% of participants thought that low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes were as harmful to health as common cigarettes. Approximately 98.2 and 60.9% of participants agreed that smoking was related to lung cancer and male sexual dysfunction, respectively. Although 72.0% of participants believed that doctors should actively provide smoking cessation assistance, only 58.1% of participants considered that doctors should be responsible for providing smoking cessation assistance. Similarly, 85.2% of participants often asked about the smoking history of patients or their family members, while only 4.9% of participants had prescribed smoking cessation drugs for patients. Pediatricians had a higher proportion of “Agree” responses to the assessment items than doctors in other departments.

Conclusions

The results showed that doctors in Shandong Province did not have sufficient knowledge of smoking control. Slightly more than half of doctors thought that providing smoking cessation assistance was their responsibility. Only a few participants had prescribed smoking cessation drugs.
Physical and psychosocial quality of life in children with overweight and obesity from Sri Lanka
Authors: Gunawardana S. , Gunasinghe C. B. , Harshani M. S. , Seneviratne S. N.
Published: January 2021

Background

While childhood obesity is rising rapidly in South Asia, there is limited research on quality of life (QoL) of children with overweight and obesity from the region. This study assessed physical and psychosocial QoL in Sri Lankan children attending a specialized obesity clinic, from both children’s and parents’ perspective, and modifiable social factors affecting QoL.

Methods

We performed cross-cultural translation of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) 4.0 (Child-Self Report and Parent-Proxy forms), and assessed self-reported and parental-perception of physical and psychosocial QoL in 8–12 year-olds with overweight and obesity (n=110), referred for obesity management at a tertiary-care children’s hospital in Sri-Lanka. Body mass index (BMI) and pre-selected social factors affecting QoL were also assessed. Data were analyzed by non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon test and Spearman correlation).

Results

The median physical QoL was lower than psychosocial QoL (78.1vs81.7, p=0.032) and physical QoL was inversely correlated with BMI. Parental-perception of children’s physical and psychosocial QoL correlated with child-reported QoL, but was lower. Being bullied (p=0.001) and not getting regular exercise (p=0.031) were associated with lower psychosocial QoL. Both physical and psychosocial QoL were lower in children having difficulties in finding suitable clothes (p< 0.001).

Conclusions

Children with overweight and obesity from Sri Lanka appeared to have greater impairment of physical QoL than psychosocial QoL. Higher BMI, bullying, lack of regular exercise and lack of suitable clothing, negatively affected QoL. Potential strategies to improve QoL include promoting regular exercise, addressing bullying and promoting availability of children’s clothes in larger sizes to fit children with overweight and obesity.
Effectiveness of recombinant Escherichia coli on the production of (R)-(+)-perillyl alcohol
Authors: Sun Chao , Dong Xianjuan , Zhang Rubing , Xie Congxia
Published: January 2021

Background

(R)-(+)-perillyl alcohol is a naturally oxygenated monoterpene widely used as the natural flavor additives, insecticides, jet fuels and anti-cancer therapies. It was also readily available monoterpene precursors. However, this natural product is present at low concentrations from plant sources which are not economically viable. Therefore, alternative microbial production methods are rapidly emerging as an attractive alternative to make (R)-(+)-perillyl alcohol production more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Results

We engineered Escherichia coli to possess a heterologous mevalonate (MVA) pathway, including limonene synthase, P-cymene monoxygenase hydroxylase and P-cymene monoxygenase reductase for the production of (R)-(+)-perillyl alcohol. The concentration of (R)-(+)-limonene (the monoterpene precursor to (R)-(+)-perillyl alcohol) reached 45 mg/L from glucose. Enhanced (R)-(+)-perillyl alcohol production was therefore achieved. The strain produced (R)-(+)-perillyl alcohol at a titer of 87 mg/L and a yield of 1.5 mg/g glucose in a 5 L bioreactor fed batch system.

Conclusions

These datas highlight the efficient production of (R)-(+)-perillyl alcohol through the mevalonate pathway from glucose. This method serves as a platform for the future production of other monoterpenes.
Wrist-ankle acupuncture has a positive effect on cancer pain: a meta-analysis
Authors: Dong Bei , Lin Lu , Chen Qiuyun , Qi Yishu , Wang Fen , Qian Keyan , Tian Li
Published: January 2021

Background

Wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) as a kind of micro acupuncture therapy has been used to management cancer pain, however, the effects of WAA on cancer pain were controversial in the current studies. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to critically evaluate the effect of wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) on cancer pain.

Methods

Seven digital databases were searched from the inception of databases to July 2020, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, Cochrane Library, PubMed and Embase. Randomized controlled trials conforming to the inclusion and exclusion criteria were screened and extracted; the risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration criteria. The primary outcome indicators included pain relief rate and pain score, and the secondary outcome was adverse reaction incidence. All analyses were performed with Review Manager 5.3.

Results

A total of 13 studies with 1005 cancer patients (intervention group: 568, control group: 437) were included in this meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that the pain relief rate of experimental group (WAA / WAA + drug intervention) was better than that of control group (analgesic drug intervention), and the difference was statistically significant [RR = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.15 ~ 1.49,P < 0.01].

Conclusions

WAA has certain effect on cancer pain, and the effect of WAA combined with pharmacological intervention is better than that of drug therapy alone.
High dose rate intra-cavitary brachytherapy with cobalt 60 source for locally advanced cervical cancer: the Zimbabwean experience
Authors: Chibonda Shirley , Ndlovu Ntokozo , Tsikai Nomsa , Munangaidzwa Lameck , Ndarukwa Sandra , Nyamhunga Albert , Mazhindu Tinashe
Published: January 2021

Background and purpose

Cervical cancer is the fourth commonest cancer in women in the world with the highest regional incidence and mortality seen in Southern, Eastern and Western Africa. It is the commonest cause of cancer morbidity and mortality among Zimbabwean women. Most patients present with locally advanced disease that is no longer amenable to surgery. Definitive concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT), which is the use of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and weekly cisplatin, includes use of intracavitary brachytherapy, as the standard treatment. In the setting of this study, cobalt-60 (Co60)-based high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) has been in use since 2013. This study sought to review practices pertaining to use of brachytherapy in Zimbabwe, including timing with external beam radiotherapy, adverse effects and patient outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of data from records of patients with histologically confirmed cervical cancer treated with HDR-BT at the main radiotherapy centre in Zimbabwe from January 2013 to December 2014 was done. Outcome measures were local control, overall survival as well as gastro-intestinal and genito-urinary toxicity.

Results

A total of 226 patients were treated with HDR-BT during the study period, with a 97% treatment completion rate. All patients received between 45-50Gy of pelvic EBRT. Seventy-four percent received concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy. In 52% of the patients, HDR-BT was started when they were still receiving EBRT. The commonest fractionation schedule used was the 7Gy × 3 fractions, once a week (87%). Clinical complete tumour response was achieved in 75% at 6 weeks post treatment, 23% had partial response. Follow-up rates at 1 year and 2 years were 40 and 19% respectively. Disease free survival at 1 year and 2 years was 94 and 95% respectively. Vaginal stenosis was the commonest toxicity recorded, high incidence noted with increasing age. Four patients developed vesico-vaginal fistulae and two patients had rectovaginal fistulae.

Conclusion

One hundred and seventeen patients patients started HDR-BT during EBRT course, with a treatment completion rate of 97%. The overall treatment duration was within 56 days in the majority of patients. Early local tumour control was similar for all the HDR-BT fractionation regimes used in the study, with a high rate (75%) of complete clinical response at 6 weeks post-treatment. Prospective studies to evaluate early and long-term outcomes of HDR-BT in our setting are recommended.