bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards understanding time‐lapse electrical resistivity signals measured during contaminated snowmelt infiltration
Authors: Bloem Esther , Forquet Nicolas , Søiland Astri , Binley Andrew , French Helen K.
Published: June 2020

To improve risk assessment, control and treatment strategies of contaminated sites, we require accurate methods for monitoring solute transport and infiltration in the unsaturated zone. Highly spatio‐temporal heterogeneous infiltration during snowmelt increases the risk of contaminating the groundwater in areas where de‐icing chemicals are required for winter maintenance of roads and runways. The objective of this study is to quantify how the different processes occurring during snowmelt infiltration of contaminated meltwater affect bulk electrical resistivity. Field experiments conducted at Moreppen experimental lysimeter trench are combined with heterogeneous unsaturated soil modelling. The experimental site is located next to Oslo airport, Gardermoen, Norway, where large amounts of de‐icing chemicals are used to remove snow and ice every winter. Bromide, an inactive tracer, and the de‐icing chemical propylene glycol were applied to the snow cover prior to the onset of snowmelt, and their percolation through the unsaturated zone was monitored with water sampling from 37 suction cups. At the same time, cross‐borehole time‐lapse electrical resistivity measurements were recorded along with measurements of soil water tension and temperature. Images of two‐dimensional (2D) bulk resistivity profiles were determined and were temperature corrected, to compensate for the change in soil temperature throughout the melting period. By using fitted parameters of petrophysical relations for the Moreppen soil, the tensiometer data gave insight into the contribution of water saturation on the changes in bulk resistivity, while water samples provided the contribution to the bulk resistivity from salt concentrations. The experimental data were compared with numerical simulation of the same experimental conditions in a heterogeneous unsaturated soil and used to quantify the uncertainty caused by the non‐consistent resolutions of the different methods, and to increase our understanding of the resistivity signal measured with time‐lapse electrical resistivity tomography. The work clearly illustrates the importance of ground truthing in multiple locations to obtain an accurate description of the contaminant transport.
Structural transformation—Income inequality nexus in Africa: Does the Developer's dilemma hold?
Authors: Ibrahim Muazu , Vo Xuan Vinh , Aluko Olufemi Adewale
Published: June 2020

This article examines the developer's dilemma—a seeming quandary emerging from the fact that developing countries simultaneously pursue two different developmental goals: (a) seeking economic development through structural transformation and (b) reducing income inequality. However, the proclivity of increasing income inequality while pursuing structural transformation is often referred to as the developer's dilemma. This study investigates for the presence of this dilemma in Africa using sample splitting and threshold estimation technique. While we find support for the existence of a developer's dilemma, suggesting that structural transformation induces income inequality, the income inequality‐widening effect is disproportionate.
Running with Femoral Acetabular Impingement: Operative Vs Nonoperative Treatment
Authors: Moley Peter J , Tatka Jakub , Singh Jaspal Ricky
Published: June 2020

CASE SCENARIO

A 31‐year‐old female lawyer presents with right hip pain starting approximately 3 years ago and worsening over the past 2 to 3 months. She is an avid runner, running 20 to 30 miles weekly, and noticed that her pain started after a running program training for the marathon. Her pain is primarily over the lateral aspect of her hip with some radiation into the groin. The pain is made worse with impact exercises such as running and made better with walking and cycling. She has done physical therapy for the past 3 months without any significant improvement. She has not had any injections or taken anti‐inflammatories because of a history of gastric ulcer disease.

On physical examination she has mild tenderness over her right greater trochanter and her range of motion tests are full in terms of flexion, internal rotation, and external rotation. She has a positive FADIR (flexion‐adduction‐internal rotation) impingement that causes both groin and lateral hip pain.

Radiograph of the right hip revealed preservation of the joint space and an anterior cam lesion with reduced offset at the femoral head neck junction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the right hip revealed a tear at the anterior superior labrum at the 1 to 2 o'clock position along with subjacent bone marrow edema in the femoral head that is likely reactive. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the right hip confirmed a combined cam and pincer type femoral acetabular impingement of the right hip with overcoverage of the femoral head. There was 15° of femoral anteversion and the coronal lateral center of edge angle (LCEA) is 34°.

Dr. Peter Moley argues that a focused rehabilitation program to restore strength and motor control of the deep hip stabilizers will provide optimal functional recovery. Dr. Jakub Tatka argues that right hip arthroscopy with labral repair and possible osteochondralplasty are indicated in order to prevent early hip arthritis and prevent long‐term sequela of femoral acetabular impingement.
COVID‐19 cardiac involvement in a 38‐day old infant
Authors: Del Barba Paolo , Canarutto Daniele , Sala Elisa , Frontino Giulio , Guarneri Maria Pia , Camesasca Chiara , Baldoli Cristina , Esposito Antonio , Barera Graziano
Published: June 2020

The spectrum of clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 in children is yet to be fully elucidated. We report the case of an infant who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and developed mild cardiovascular inflammation, a novelty for patients of very young age, that contributes to defining the puzzling nature of this disease in pediatric patients. The potential cardiovascular involvement of SARS‐CoV‐2 in children should always be taken into account.
The long form of pVHL is artifactually modified by serine protease inhibitor AEBSF
Authors: Tarade Daniel , He Shelley , St‐Germain Jonathan , Petroff Avi , Murphy Anya , Raught Brian , Ohh Michael
Published: June 2020

von Hippel–Lindau protein (pVHL) is the tumor suppressor responsible for ubiquitylating the hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF) family of transcription factors for degradation under normoxic conditions. There are two major pVHL isoforms with the shorter isoform (pVHL19) lacking the acidic domain present in the N‐terminus of the longer isoform (pVHL30). Although both isoforms can degrade HIF and suppress tumor formation in experimental systems, previous research suggests that pVHL30 can undergo posttranslational modifications (PTM) and interact with unique proteins. Indeed, pVHL30 has long been observed to migrate as two species on a reducing polyacrylamide gel, indicating the presence of an uncharacterized PTM on the slower‐migrating pVHL30 without an identifiable biological consequence. Thus, there has been considerable effort to elucidate the exclusive biological activity of pVHL30, if any, by first defining the unique features of the slower‐migrating species. We show here that the migration of pVHL30, but not pVHL19, is retarded by 4‐(2‐aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride (AEBSF), an irreversible serine protease inhibitor commonly found in protease inhibitor cocktails.
Reference Level of the Vacuum Energy Density of the Universe and Astrophysical Data
Authors: Haridasu Balakrishna S. , Cherkas Sergey L. , Kalashnikov Vladimir L.
Published: June 2020

An extended framework of gravity, in which the first Friedmann equation is satisfied up to some constant due to violation of gauge invariance, is tested against astrophysical data: Supernovae Type‐Ia, Cosmic Chronometers, and Gamma‐ray bursts. A generalized expression for the Friedmann equation, including the possible vacuum contributions, is suggested, and two particular cosmological models with two independent parameters are considered within this framework and compared on the basis of the likelihood analysis. One of the models considered includes contribution of the residual vacuum fluctuations to the energy density and places the limit on the UV cutoff scale as , where is the number of minimally coupled scalar fields. Model comparison using the Akaike information criteria and Bayesian evidence shows a preference for the conventional ΛCDM over the extended models. A more general model with three parameters is considered within which an anti‐correlated behavior between the dynamical vacuum fluctuations contribution and a negative cosmological constant was found. The result is an upper limit of at 95% C.L., which is only mildly disfavored () with respect to ΛCDM.
Effects of Temperature and Pressure on the Magnetic Properties of La1–xPrxCoO3
Authors: Panfilov Anatoliy S. , Lyogenkaya Anastasiya A. , Grechnev Gennadiy E. , Pashchenko Volodymyr A. , Vasylechko Leonid O. , Hreb Vasyl M. , Kovalevsky Andrei V.
Published: June 2020

For La1–xPrxCoO3 cobaltites (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3), the dependence of magnetic susceptibility is studied in the temperature range 5–400 K. Also, the crystal structure of these cobaltites is investigated, and the effect of pressure up to 2 kbar on their susceptibility is measured at , 150, and 300 K. The specific dependencies and the large negative pressure effect are assumed to arise from Co3+ ions contribution to the total susceptibility evaluated using La1−xPrxAlO3 as a reference system. The obtained experimental data on temperature and pressure effects in magnetism are analyzed within a two‐level model with energy gap Δ between the ground state of the system with zero spin of Co3+ ions and the excited higher‐spin state. In this model, magnetism of Co3+ ions is determined by the temperature‐induced population of the excited state, and magnitude of the pressure effect is governed by the volume dependence of Δ. The results of the analysis, supplemented by the theoretical calculations of the electronic structures of LaCoO3 and PrCoO3, indicate significant increase in Δ with decrease in the unit cell volume both under hydrostatic pressure and by substituting La with Pr having a smaller ionic radius.
Current Transport Mechanisms in Zinc Oxide/Silicon Carbide Heterojunction Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Przezdziecka Ewa , Chusnutdinow Sergij , Wierzbicka Aleksandra , Guziewicz Marek , Prucnal Sławomir , Stachowicz Marcin , Zaleszczyk Wojciech , Zhou Shengqiang , Kozanecki Adrian
Published: June 2020

Herein, the properties of ZnO:N/n‐SiC heterojunctions (HJs) and light‐emitting diodes based on them are studied. The HJs are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Active nitrogen generated by a radio frequency plasma source is used for p‐type doping. The location of the space charge area on the ZnO:N/n‐SiC interface is revealed by electron‐beam‐induced current (EBIC) scans. The diffusion lengths of holes and electrons are calculated. This article presents the characterization of ZnO:N/n‐SiC HJs and reveals the presence of tunneling‐related current transport in them as well as the contribution of exponentially distributed traps at large voltage bias. Electroluminescence (EL) is measured at ambient pressure by a standard EL system and also at 77 K in vacuum by a system utilizing EBIC in a scanning electron microscope. Analysis of the light output power at higher current level indicates the limited effect of nonradiative defects in this structure. EL results are compared with cathodoluminescence spectra. Color temperature for HJs based on the EL spectra is also calculated.
Microscopic Modeling of Pump–Probe Spectroscopy and Population Inversion in Transition Metal Dichalcogenides
Authors: Perea-Causín Raül , Brem Samuel , Malic Ermin
Published: June 2020

Optical properties of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers are dominated by excitonic effects. These are significantly altered at high carrier densities, leading to energy renormalization, absorption bleaching, and even optical gain. Such effects are experimentally accessible in ultra‐fast pump–probe measurements. Herein, the semiconductor Bloch equations are combined with the generalized Wannier equation to investigate the effect that excited carriers have on the excitonic properties of TMD monolayers. In particular, the dynamics of carrier occupation, energy renormalization, and absorption bleaching as well as population inversion and optical gain are investigated.
Enhanced collection of phenotypic and engrafting human cord blood hematopoietic stem cells at 4°C
Authors: Broxmeyer Hal E. , Cooper Scott , Capitano Maegan L.
Published: June 2020

The number of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) collected in cord blood (CB) at the birth of a baby is a limiting factor for efficacious use of CB in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We now demonstrate that collecting and processing of human CB at 4°C within minutes of the baby's birth results in significantly enhanced numbers of rigorously defined phenotypic HSC and self-renewing NSG immune-deficient mouse engrafting and SCID-repopulating cells. This was associated with decreased numbers of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC), as noted previously for hypoxia collected/processed cells blocking ambient air induced differentiation of HSC to HPC. We have thus defined a simple, cost-effective, means to collect increased numbers of CB HSC, of potential use for clinical CB HCT.
Canonical Notch signaling is required for bone morphogenetic protein-mediated human osteoblast differentiation
Authors: Wagley Yadav , Chesi Alessandra , Acevedo Parker K. , Lu Sumei , Wells Andrew D. , Johnson Matthew E. , Grant Struan F. A. , Hankenson Kurt D.
Published: June 2020

Osteoblast differentiation of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) can be induced by stimulation with canonical Notch ligand, Jagged1, or bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). However, it remains elusive how these two pathways lead to the same phenotypic outcome. Since Runx2 is regarded as a master regulator of osteoblastic differentiation, we targeted Runx2 with siRNA in hMSC. This abrogated both Jagged1 and BMP2 mediated osteoblastic differentiation, confirming the fundamental role for Runx2. However, while BMP stimulation increased Runx2 and downstream Osterix protein expression, Jagged1 treatment failed to upregulate either, suggesting that canonical Notch signals require basal Runx2 expression. To fully understand the transcriptomic profile of differentiating osteoblasts, RNA sequencing was performed in cells stimulated with BMP2 or Jagged1. There was common upregulation of ALPL and extracellular matrix genes, such as ACAN, HAS3, MCAM, and OLFML2B. Intriguingly, genes encoding components of Notch signaling (JAG1, HEY2, and HES4) were among the top 10 genes upregulated by both stimuli. Indeed, ALPL expression occurred concurrently with Notch activation and inhibiting Notch activity for up to 24 hours after BMP administration with DAPT (a gamma secretase inhibitor) completely abrogated hMSC osteoblastogenesis. Concordantly, RBPJ (recombination signal binding protein for immunoglobulin kappa J region, a critical downstream modulator of Notch signals) binding could be demonstrated within the ALPL and SP7 promoters. As such, siRNA-mediated ablation of RBPJ decreased BMP-mediated osteoblastogenesis. Finally, systemic Notch inhibition using diabenzazepine (DBZ) reduced BMP2-induced calvarial bone healing in mice supporting the critical regulatory role of Notch signaling in BMP-induced osteoblastogenesis.
Photosupercapacitors: A perspective of planar and flexible dual functioning devices
Authors: Chirauri Satya Kamal , Dehury Asish K. , Chaudhary Yatendra S.
Published: June 2020

The development of technologies to convert solar energy and store it into a usable form of energy at a massive scale is a major thrust of research worldwide. Therefore, suitable energy storage options/devices are being sought after to store electrical energy generated by solar cells through harvesting solar radiation. The integration of solar energy converting device with supercapacitors (SCs) as a single device—called as photosupercapacitor, has great potential to power wearable and portable electronics. This dual functioning device stores the harvested energy electrochemically to provide an alternative source of power, may address the pressing issues for storage of the generated electrical energy. Different configurations to integrate solar cells and storage devices are being explored, and the integration of solar cells, particularly third‐generation, with SCs can provide high‐power conversion efficiencies. Nonetheless, the exploration of flexible electronics to meet the demand for wearable devices that operate continuously without an external power supply is highly desired. In this article, we have thoroughly discussed the developments of integrated devices based on third‐generation planar and flexible solar devices, which include: dye‐sensitized, quantum dot sensitized, organic, perovskite using SCs as energy‐storage devices. Besides, the emphasis is also given on integrated flexible or wearable systems as self‐charging and self‐powered integrated systems. The present perplexing issues and their research perspectives are also elaborated to stimulate the advancement of such integrated devices in the upcoming years.

This article is categorized under:

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen > Science and Materials

Photovoltaics > Science and Materials

Energy Research and Innovation > Science and Materials
Community‐ and Hospital‐Acquired Infections in Surgical patients at a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Rwanda
Authors: Muvunyi Vital , Mpirimbanyi Christophe , Katabogama Jean Bosco , Cyuzuzo Thierry , Nkubana Theoneste , Mugema Jean Baptiste , Musoni Emile , Urimubabo Christian , Rickard Jennifer
Published: June 2020

Background

Extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL‐PE) are increasing in globally. The aim of this study was to compare community‐acquired infections (CAIs) and hospital‐acquired infections (HAIs) and determine the rate of third‐generation cephalosporin resistance and ESBL‐PE at a tertiary referral hospital in Rwanda.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study of Rwandan acute care surgery patients with infection. Samples were processed for culture and susceptibility patterns using Kirby‐Bauer disk diffusion method. Third‐generation cephalosporin resistance and ESBL‐PE were compared in patients with CAI versus HAI.

Results

Over 14 months, 220 samples were collected from 191 patients: 116 (62%) patients had CAI, 59 (32%) had HAI, and 12 (6%) had both CAI and HAI. Most (n = 178, 94%) patients were started on antibiotics with third‐generation cephalosporins (ceftriaxone n = 109, 57%; cefotaxime n = 52, 27%) and metronidazole (n = 155, 81%) commonly given. Commonly isolated organisms included Escherichia coli (n = 62, 42%), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 27, 18%), and Klebsiella spp. (n = 22, 15%). Overall, 67 of 113 isolates tested had resistance to third‐generation cephalosporins, with higher resistance seen in HAI compared with CAI (74% vs 46%, p value = 0.002). Overall, 47 of 89 (53%) isolates were ESBL‐PE with higher rates in HAI compared with CAI (73% vs 38%, p value = 0.001).

Conclusions

There is broad and prolonged use of third‐generation cephalosporins despite high resistance rates. ESBL‐PE are high in Rwandan surgical patients with higher rates in HAI compared with CAIs. Infection prevention practices and antibiotic stewardship are critical to reduce infection rates with resistant organisms in a low‐resource setting.
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography with compressed sensing at 1.5 T: clinical application for the evaluation of branch duct IPMN of the pancreas
Authors: Henninger Benjamin , Steurer Michael , Plaikner Michaela , Weiland Elisabeth , Jaschke Werner , Kremser Christian
Published: June 2020

Objectives

To evaluate magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) with compressed sensing (CS) for the assessment of branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (BD-IPMN) of the pancreas. For this purpose, conventional navigator-triggered (NT) sampling perfection with application-optimized contrast using different flip angle evolutions (SPACE) MRCP was compared with various CS-SPACE-MRCP sequences in a clinical setting.

Methods

A total of 41 patients (14 male, 27 female, mean age 68 years) underwent 1.5-T MRCP for the evaluation of BD-IPMN. The MRCP protocol consisted of the following sequences: conventional NT-SPACE-MRCP, CS-SPACE-MRCP with long (BHL, 17 s) and short single breath-hold (BHS, 8 s), and NT-CS-SPACE-MRCP. Two board-certified radiologists evaluated image quality, duct sharpness, duct visualization, lesion conspicuity, confidence, and communication with the main pancreatic duct in consensus using a 5-point scale (1–5), with higher scores indicating better quality/delineation/confidence. Maximum intensity projection reconstructions and originally acquired data were used for evaluation. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the intra-individual difference between sequences.

Results

BHS-CS-SPACE-MRCP had the highest scores for image quality (3.85 ± 0.79), duct sharpness (3.81 ± 1.05), and duct visualization (3.81 ± 1.01). There was a significant difference compared with NT-CS-SPACE-MRCP (p < 0.05) but no significant difference to the standard NT-SPACE-MRCP (p > 0.05). Concerning diagnostic quality, BHS-CS-SPACE-MRCP had the highest scores in lesion conspicuity (3.95 ± 0.92), confidence (4.12 ± 1.08), and communication (3.8 ± 1.06), significantly higher compared with NT-SPACE-MRCP, BHL-SPACE-MRCP, and NT-CS-SPACE-MRCP (p = <0.05).

Conclusions

MRCP with CS 3D SPACE for the evaluation of BD-IPMN at 1.5 T provides the best results using a short breath-hold sequence. This approach is feasible and an excellent alternative to standard NT 3D MRCP sequences.

Key Points

• 1.5-T MRCP with compressed sensing for the evaluation of branch duct IPMN is a feasible method.

• Short breath-hold sequences provide the best results for this purpose.
A systematic review of ongoing clinical trials in optic pathway gliomas
Authors: Hill Ciaran Scott , Devesa Sara Castro , Ince William , Borg Anouk , Aquilina Kristian
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Optic pathway gliomas (OPGs), also known as Visual Pathway Gliomas, are insidious, debilitating tumours. They are most commonly WHO grade 1 pilocytic astrocytomas and frequently occur in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. The location of OPGs within the optic pathway typically precludes complete resection or optimal radiation dosing, hence outcomes remain poor compared to many other low-grade gliomas. The aim of this systematic review was to formulate a comprehensive list of all current ongoing clinical trials that are specifically looking at clinical care of OPGs in order to identify trends in current research and provide an overview to guide future research efforts.

Methods

This systematic review was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (CENTRAL) and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied and final results were reviewed.

Results

501 clinical trials were identified with the search strategy. All were screened and eligible studies extracted and reviewed. This yielded 36 ongoing clinical trials, 27 of which were pharmacological agents in phase I-III. The remaining trials were a mixture of biological agents, radiation optimisation, diagnostic imaging, surgical intervention, and a social function analysis.

Conclusion

OPG is a complex multifaceted disease, and advances in care require ongoing research efforts across a spectrum of different research fields. This review provides an update on the current state of research in OPG and summarises ongoing trials.
Impaired cardiac function is associated with mortality in patients with acute COVID-19 infection
Authors: Rath Dominik , Petersen-Uribe Álvaro , Avdiu Alban , Witzel Katja , Jaeger Philippa , Zdanyte Monika , Heinzmann David , Tavlaki Elli , Müller Karin , Gawaz Meinrad Paul
Published: June 2020

Background

COVID-19 infection may cause severe respiratory distress and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Impaired cardiac function and/or pre-existing cardiovascular disease may be associated with poor prognosis. In the present study, we report a comprehensive cardiovascular characterization in the first consecutive collective of patients that was admitted and treated at the University Hospital of Tübingen, Germany.

Methods

123 consecutive patients with COVID-19 were included. Routine blood sampling, transthoracic echocardiography and electrocardiography were performed at hospital admission.

Results

We found that impaired left-ventricular and right-ventricular function as well as tricuspid regurgitation > grade 1 were significantly associated with higher mortality. Furthermore, elevated levels of myocardial distress markers (troponin-I and NT pro-BNP) were associated with poor prognosis in this patient collective.

Conclusion

Impaired cardiac function is associated with poor prognosis in COVID-19 positive patients. Consequently, treatment of these patients should include careful guideline-conform cardiovascular evaluation and treatment. Thus, formation of a competent Cardio-COVID-19 team may represent a major clinical measure to optimize therapy of cardiovascular patients during this pandemic.
Microarray analysis of the expression profile of immune-related gene in rapid recurrence early-stage lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Liu Jie , Yang Xiao , Zhang Liang , Yang Bo , Rao Wen , Li Mengxia , Dai Nan , Yang Yuxin , Qian Chengyuan , Zhang Lei , Xiao Hualiang , Wang Dong
Published: June 2020

Background

Although much progress has been made in the diagnosis of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (ES-LUAD), the prognosis for ES-LUAD patients with rapid recurrence is still poor. Importantly, there is currently no effective and precise method to screen patients who may develop rapid recurrence. Therefore, it is necessary to identify potential differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ES-LUAD patients with rapid recurrence and non-rapid recurrence.

Methods

Affymetrix GeneChip Human Transcriptome Array was used to identify DEGs between ES-LUAD patients with rapid recurrence and non-rapid recurrence. Rapid recurrence was defined as recurrence-free survival (RFS) ≦ 1 year and non-rapid recurrence was defined as RFS ≧ 3 years. The biological functions of the DEGs were analyzed by GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network of identified DEGs was conducted by STRING and Cytoscape software. The expression level of crucial hub genes and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was verified by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

A total of 416 DEGs were identified between ES-LUAD patients with and without rapid recurrence. The results of GO analysis revealed that 2 of the top 10 categories in the domain of cellular component, 2 of the top 10 in the domain of molecular function, and 9 of the top 10 in the domain of biological process were functionally related to immunity. The results of KEGG analysis showed that 6 of the top 8 pathways were functionally involved in immune regulation and inflammatory response. The PPI network analysis identified ten crucial nodal protein, including EGFR, MMP9, IL-1β, PTGS2, MMP1, and 5 histone proteins, which constituted 25 key interactions. IL-1β and PTGS2 expression were closely related to immunity and IHC analysis further revealed that low expression of IL-1β and PTGS2 is associated with rapid recurrence. Kaplan–Meier analysis further revealed that LUAD patients with lower IL-1β or PTGS2 expression had a worse RFS. When the TIL density of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+and CD20+subsets was less than 20%, ES-LUAD patients have a higher probability of rapid recurrence.

Conclusion

There were significant differences in the expression of immune-related genes between patients with rapid recurrence and patient with non-rapid recurrence. Immune-related genes such as IL-1β and PTGS2 and TIL density (20%) play important roles in rapid recurrence of ES-LUAD. This study provided a theoretical basis for distinguishing the two types of patients from an immunological perspective.
Noise sensitivity and exceptional times of transience for a simple symmetric random walk in one dimension
Authors: Prigent Martin , Roberts Matthew I.
Published: June 2020

We define a dynamical simple symmetric random walk in one dimension, and show that there almost surely exist exceptional times at which the walk tends to infinity. This is in contrast to the usual dynamical simple symmetric random walk in one dimension, for which such exceptional times are known not to exist. In fact we show that the set of exceptional times has Hausdorff dimension 1/2 almost surely, and give bounds on the rate at which the walk diverges at such times. We also show noise sensitivity of the event that our random walk is positive afternsteps. In fact this event is maximally noise sensitive, in the sense that it is quantitatively noise sensitive for any sequence$$\varepsilon _n$$εnsuch that$$n\varepsilon _n\rightarrow \infty $$nεn→∞. This is again in contrast to the usual random walk, for which the corresponding event is known to be noise stable.
Weak LQG metrics and Liouville first passage percolation
Authors: Dubédat Julien , Falconet Hugo , Gwynne Ewain , Pfeffer Joshua , Sun Xin
Published: June 2020

For $$\gamma \in (0,2)$$

γ
∈
(
0
,
2
)

, we define a weak$$\gamma $$
γ
-Liouville quantum gravity (LQG) metric to be a function $$h\mapsto D_h$$

h
↦

D
h

which takes in an instance of the planar Gaussian free field and outputs a metric on the plane satisfying a certain list of natural axioms. We show that these axioms are satisfied for any subsequential limits of Liouville first passage percolation. Such subsequential limits were proven to exist by Ding et al. (Tightness of Liouville first passage percolation for $$\gamma \in (0,2)$$

γ
∈
(
0
,
2
)

, 2019. ArXiv e-prints, arXiv:1904.08021). It is also known that these axioms are satisfied for the $$\sqrt{8/3}$$

8
/
3

-LQG metric constructed by Miller and Sheffield (2013–2016). For any weak $$\gamma $$
γ
-LQG metric, we obtain moment bounds for diameters of sets as well as point-to-point, set-to-set, and point-to-set distances. We also show that any such metric is locally bi-Hölder continuous with respect to the Euclidean metric and compute the optimal Hölder exponents in both directions. Finally, we show that LQG geodesics cannot spend a long time near a straight line or the boundary of a metric ball. These results are used in subsequent work by Gwynne and Miller which proves that the weak $$\gamma $$
γ
-LQG metric is unique for each $$\gamma \in (0,2)$$

γ
∈
(
0
,
2
)

, which in turn gives the uniqueness of the subsequential limit of Liouville first passage percolation. However, most of our results are new even in the special case when $$\gamma =\sqrt{8/3}$$

γ
=

8
/
3

.
Recovery of mycorrhizal fungi from wild collected protocorms of Madagascan endemic orchid Aerangis ellisii (B.S. Williams) Schltr. and their use in seed germination in vitro
Authors: Kendon Jonathan P. , Yokoya Kazutomo , Zettler Lawrence W. , Jacob Alison S. , McDiarmid Faye , Bidartondo Martin I. , Sarasan Viswambharan
Published: June 2020

Orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) are critical for seed germination and maintaining natural populations of orchids, yet the degree of specificity of most orchids to their mycorrhizal associates remains unknown. Many orchids are at risk of extinction, whether generalists or specialists, but orchid species of narrow fungal specificity are arguably under increased threat due to their requirement for specific fungal symbionts. This study characterises the fungi associated with Aerangis ellisii, a lithophytic orchid from a site in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. Culturable OMF isolated from spontaneous protocorms of this species from the wild were used for seed germination. In vitro germination and seedling development of A. ellisii were achieved with fungi derived from A. ellisii and an isolate from a different Aerangis species 30 km away. The significance of these findings and their importance to conservation strategies for this species and other Aerangis spp. is discussed. These results have important implications for the conservation of A. ellisii populations in Madagascar.
Comparable increases in dural sac area after three different posterior decompression techniques for lumbar spinal stenosis: radiological results from a randomized controlled trial in the NORDSTEN study
Authors: Hermansen Erland , Austevoll Ivar Magne , Hellum Christian , Storheim Kjersti , Myklebust Tor Åge , Aaen Jørn , Banitalebi Hasan , Anvar Masoud , Rekeland Frode , Brox Jens Ivar , Franssen Eric , Weber Clemens , Solberg Tore , Haug Knut Jørgen , Grundnes Oliver , Brisby Helena , Indrekvam Kari
Published: June 2020

Purpose

To investigate changes in dural sac area after three different posterior decompression techniques in patients undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Summary of background data

Decompression of the nerve roots is the main surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. The aim of this study was to radiologically investigate three commonly used posterior decompression techniques.

Methods

The present study reports data from one of two multicenter randomized trials included in the NORDSTEN study. In the present trial, involving 437 patients undergoing surgery, we report radiological results after three different midline retaining posterior decompression techniques: unilateral laminotomy with crossover (UL) (n = 146), bilateral laminotomy (BL) (n = 142) and spinous process osteotomy (SPO) (n = 149). MRI was performed before and three months after surgery. The increase in dural sac area and Schizas grade at the most stenotic level was evaluated. Three different predefined surgical indicators of substantial decompression were used: (1) postoperative dural sac area of > 100 mm2, (2) increase in the dural sac area of at least 50% and (3) postoperative Schizas grade A or B.

Results

No differences between the three surgical groups were found in the mean increase in dural sac area. Mean values were 66.0 (SD 41.5) mm2 in the UL-group, 71.9 (SD 37.1) mm2 in the BL-group and 68.1 (SD 41.0) mm2 in the SPO-group (p = 0.49). No differences in the three predefined surgical outcomes between the three groups were found.

Conclusion

For patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, the three different surgical techniques provided the same increase in dural sac area.

Clinical trial registration

The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov reference on November 22th 2013 under the identifier NCT02007083.
Observed changes in heat waves with different severities in China during 1961–2015
Authors: Xie Wenxin , Zhou Botao , You Qinglong , Zhang Yuqing , Ullah Safi
Published: June 2020

Heat waves (HWs) exert severe impacts on ecosystem, social economy, and human lives. Thus, changes in HWs under a warming climate have triggered extensive interests. In this study, the authors developed a new method to identify the HW events in China by double thresholds and further classified them into four categories (i.e., mild, moderate, severe, and extreme HWs) according to their magnitudes by using the daily maximum temperature data from 701 observation stations. On this basis, the spatiotemporal features of HWs with different severities in China from 1961 to 2015 were investigated. The results show that the high HW frequency mainly appears in Jianghuai, South China and western Northwest China. Moreover, the high frequencies of moderate, severe, and extreme HWs occur from June to August and reach the peak in July, while the mild HW frequency is compared from May to September. Since the 1960s, the frequencies of the mild, moderate, severe, and extreme HWs in China have increased significantly with rates of 7.5, 4.3, 1.4, and 1.8 events per year, respectively. The increases are the greatest in July for the moderate, severe, and extreme HWs while comparable during May to September for the mild HW. Besides, an interdecadal change is found to occur in the late 1990s. Compared with the former period (1961–1996), the occurrence of the extreme HWs during the latter period (1997–2015) has increased most significantly in eastern Northwest China and North China, while the frequency of the mild HWs increases most significantly in Jianghuai and South China.
Numerical Study of Self-Heating Ignition of a Box of Lithium-Ion Batteries During Storage
Authors: Hu Zhenwen , He Xuanze , Restuccia Francesco , Rein Guillermo
Published: June 2020

Many thermal events have been reported during storage and transport of large numbers of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), raising industry concerns and research interests in its mechanisms. Apart from electrochemical failure, self-heating ignition, driven by poor heat transfer could also be a possible cause of fire in large-scale ensembles of LIBs. The classical theories and models of self-heating ignition assume a homogeneous lumped system, whereas LIBs storage involves complex geometry and heterogeneous material composition due to the packaging and insulation, which significantly changes the heat transfer within the system. These effects on the self-heating behaviour of LIBs have not been studied yet. In this study, the self-heating ignition behaviour of a box containing 100 LiCoO2 (LCO) type of cylindrical cells with different insulation is numerically modelled using COMSOL Multiphysics with a multi-step reaction scheme. The model predicts that the critical ambient temperature triggering self-ignition of the box is 125°C, which is 30°C lower than that for a single cell, and the time to thermal runaway is predicted to be 15 times longer. The effects of different insulating materials and packing configurations are also analysed. This work provides novel insights into the self-heating of large-scale LIBs.
The Relationship Between Gambling Event Frequency, Motor Response Inhibition, Arousal, and Dissociative Experience
Authors: Harris Andrew , Gous Georgina , de Wet Bobbie , Griffiths Mark D.
Published: June 2020

Speed of play has been identified as a key structural characteristic in gambling behaviour, where games involving higher playing speeds enhance the experience of gambling. Of interest in the present study is the consistent finding that games with higher event frequencies are preferred by problem gamblers and are associated with more negative gambling outcomes, such as difficulty quitting the game and increased monetary loss. The present study investigated the impact of gambling speed of play on executive control functioning, focusing on how increased speeds of play impact motor response inhibition, and the potential mediating role arousal and dissociative experience play in this relationship. Fifty regular non-problem gamblers took part in a repeated-measures experiment where they gambled with real money on a simulated slot machine across five speed of play conditions. Response inhibition was measured using an embedded Go/No-Go task, where participants had to withhold motor responses, rather than operating the spin button on the slot machine when a specific colour cue was present. Results indicated that response inhibition performance was significantly worse during faster speeds of play, and that the role of arousal in this relationship was independent of any motor priming affect. The implications of these findings for gambling legislation and gambling harm-minimisation approaches are discussed.
Heavy metals in playgrounds in Lublin (E Poland): sources, pollution levels and health risk
Authors: Zgłobicki Wojciech , Telecka Małgorzata , Skupiński Sebastian
Published: June 2020

In the paper, the pollution of playgrounds in Lublin with heavy metals was assessed. Since playgrounds are a place of activity of children—the most vulnerable group of city residents, identifying the degree of pollution and the related health hazards is particularly important. 50 playgrounds were investigated, and samples were collected from three types of places: soil in the playgrounds, soil beneath the swings and soil in the sandpits (a total of 91 samples); heavy metal levels were determined in the < 0.05-mm fraction. The mean heavy metal levels were Cd—4.7 mg kg−1, Cr—192.4 mg kg−1, Cu—16.3 mg kg−1, Hg—0.027 mg kg−1, Ni—12.7 mg kg−1, Pb—41 mg kg−1, and Zn—79.8 mg kg−1, and they were in the following order when normalised to the geochemical background: Cd > Cr > Zn > Pb > Hg > Ni > Cu. The highest mean levels occurred in the case of soil collected from beneath the swings (Cd, Cr, Ni and Zn) or soil in the playgrounds (Cu, Hg and Pb). Geochemical indices such as Igeo and EF indicate the lack of pollution or low level of pollution with Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn and Pb. Moderate or considerable pollution with Cd and, sporadically, with Hg occurred in some playgrounds. A significant ecological risk was found for all samples due to the presence of Cd and, for about 20% of the samples, the concentration of Hg. In all the cases analysed, the values of health hazard indices (HI, CR) for children are very low and well below the hazard threshold for each element.
Fabrication of Composite Material with Pd Nanoparticles and Graphene on Nickel Foam for Its Excellent Electrocatalytic Performance
Authors: Shen Yanmei , Lu Shixiang , Xu Wenguo , Lv Anqi , Wang Ziwen , Wang Hongtao , Liu Guoxiao , Zhang Yan
Published: June 2020

Incorporation of precious metallic nanoparticles onto a carbon support material is used to obtain an electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation. A composite material of spherical palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and polydopamine (PDA) on three-dimensional nickel foam (NF) substrate (Pd/rGO/PDA@NF) has been synthesized for ethanol electrocatalysis. The Pd nanoparticles were obtained via reduction of precursor K2PdCl4 using ascorbic acid at 60 °C for 80 min. The rGO with large specific surface area was used in catalysts to provide large amounts of active sites for Pd NPs. Meanwhile, Pd NPs as an effective ingredient in catalyst exhibited excellent electrochemical activity of ethanol oxidation. Local surface plasmon resonance was carried out to determine the optimal concentration of precursor K2PdCl4 aqueous solution, and the absorbance peak of Pd NPs was found at about 340–370 nm by UV-visible spectroscopy. An enhanced property of the composite material Pd/rGO/PDA@NF was demonstrated to catalyze the ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolyte solution. A higher ratio of forward scan peak current intensity (If) to reverse scan peak current intensity (Ib) was 1.59, which demonstrated the significant anti-poison effect to carbonaceous intermediates of the Pd/rGO/PDA@NF. The value of If can maintain 90.6% after 400 cycles, indicating the higher cycling stability and better electrocatalytic performance toward ethanol oxidation.
Optimizing initial oil production of horizontal Wolfcamp wells utilizing data analytics
Authors: Alzahabi A. , Trindade A. Alexandre , Kamel A. , Harouaka A.
Published: June 2020

Machine learning techniques have fundamentally altered how oil and gas industry practitioners design fracture operations. In this paper, we perform data analytics utilizing response surface methodology (RSM), a group of statistical techniques that develop a functional relationship between an output variable of interest and several associated input variables, to optimize the output. We apply RSM to optimize horizontal well production based on initial production (IP) of horizontal oil wells for 180 days (IP180 Oil), as a function of five input variables: reservoir type, fracturing fluid (gal/ft), proppants (lbm/ft), cluster spacing, and stage length (ft). The RSM model correlates the initial production of each well to the input variables via a single equation, thus allowing for exploration of the fitted response surface in order to maximize production. Although the choice of the five inputs is made based primarily after consultation with industry professionals, we validate our selection by also applying an assortment of data-analytics-based methods that attempt to rank variable importance and thereby identify completion variables that may be predictive of initial production. The findings rank all five variables above the 50th percentile, thus indicating that the chosen variables have merit. This procedure is applied to a dataset of 201 horizontal wells from the Wolfcamp formations. The model fits reasonably well, with R2 = 61%, a very significant F-statistic p value, and a predicted versus observed values scatterplot indicating a good fit. The RSM analysis suggests that, within the feasible space defined by this dataset, maximum values of IP 180 Oil may be obtained by setting the fracturing fluid in gal/ft at approximately 1972, while simultaneously maximizing the remaining input variables (proppant loading, cluster spacing, stage length). The outcome indicates the possible directions to be taken in seeking a global optimum initial production for the setting of completion variables. Iteration of this scheme may lead to a near-optimum global solution. The real utility of this work may be indicating the way different studies may be designed to optimize production, each with its own selection of inputs, and ultimately be combined in a meta-analysis.
Identifying as Muslim and American: The Role of Discrimination
Authors: Hummel Daniel , Daassa Mohamed , Alshabani Nuha , Felo Leen
Published: June 2020

This study uniquely examines the relationship between specific forms of discrimination and how Muslim young adults in the United States choose to identify. A survey was distributed to Muslim young adults in Genesee County, Michigan, where 2.6% of the population is Muslim. Some experiences of discrimination were significantly related to identifying as a Muslim and not also as an American. In particular, experiences of being accused or suspected of doing something wrong because of one's identity significantly predicted responses on the identity variable above and beyond other experiences of discrimination. The probability of a Muslim young adult identifying only as a Muslim when sometimes experiencing being accused of something wrong is 43.1%. This probability drops to 32.8% for those never experiencing this form of discrimination. The article discusses the implications of increasing discrimination on future generations of Muslims and their identity development.
Cochrane Systematic Review Antiviral Treatment for Bell’s Palsy: an Opposing Opinion!
Authors: Bayoumy Ahmed B. , de Ru J. Alexander
Published: June 2020

This articles discusses the recently published Cochrane systematic review (CSR) on antiviral treatment for Bell’s palsy. The CSR concluded that there was no clear difference in rates of incomplete recovery between combination therapy and corticosteroids alone. The conclusions of this CSR are in our opinion misleading, illogical, and based on an overly restrictive view on the use of evidence. This article shows that the majority of studies are in favor of the combination therapy in regard to recovery and reduction of long-term sequelae. Based on all available evidence, the combination of antivirals and corticosteroids seems to be a useful treatment option and should be discussed with patients by shared decision-making.