bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advances in Infant Formula Science
Authors: Ahern Grace J. , Hennessy A.A. , Ryan C. Anthony , Ross R. Paul , Stanton Catherine
Published: March 2019

Human milk contains a plethora of nutrients and bioactive components to help nourish the developing neonate and is considered the “gold standard” for early life nutrition—as befits the only food “designed” by evolution to feed human infants. Over the past decade, there is considerable evidence that highlights the “intelligence” contained in milk components that contribute to infant health beyond basic nutrition—in areas such as programming the developing microbiome and immune system and protecting against infection. Such discoveries have led to new opportunities for infant milk formula (IMF) manufacturers to refine nutritional content in order to simulate the functionality of breast milk. These include the addition of specialized protein fractions as well as fatty acid and complex carbohydrate components—all of which have mechanistic supporting evidence in terms of improving the health and nutrition of the infant. Moreover, IMF is the single most important dietary intervention whereby the human microbiome can be influenced at a crucial early stage of development. In this respect, it is expected that the complexity of IMF will continue to increase as we get a greater understanding of how it can modulate microbiota development (including the development of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics) and influence long-term health. This review provides a scientific evaluation of key features of importance to infant nutrition, including differences in milk composition and emerging “humanized” ingredients.
Elevated serum anion gap in adults with moderate chronic kidney disease increases risk for progression to end-stage renal disease
Authors: Banerjee Tanushree , Crews Deidra C. , Wesson Donald E. , McCulloch Charles E. , Johansen Kirsten L. , Saydah Sharon , Rios Burrows Nilka , Saran Rajiv , Gillespie Brenda , Bragg-Gresham Jennifer , Powe Neil R.
Published: March 2019

Acid retention associated with reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) exacerbates nephropathy progression in partial nephrectomy models of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and might be reflected in patients with CKD with reduced estimated GFR (eGFR) by increased anion gap (AG). We explored the presence of AG and its association with CKD in 14,924 adults aged ≥20 yr with eGFR ≥ 15 ml·min−1·1.73 m−2 enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, 1988–1994, using multivariable regression analysis. The model was adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, diabetes, and hypertension. We further examined the association between AG and incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD) using frailty models, adjusting for demographics, clinical factors, body mass index, serum albumin, bicarbonate, eGFR, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio by following 558 adults with moderate CKD for 12 yr via the United States Renal Data System. Laboratory measures determined AG using the traditional, albumin-corrected, and full AG definitions. Individuals with moderate CKD (eGFR: 30–59 ml·min−1·1.73 m−2) had a greater AG than those with eGFR ≥ 60 ml·min−1·1.73 m−2 in multivariable regression analysis with adjustment for covariates. We found a graded relationship between the adjusted mean for all three definitions of AG and eGFR categories ( P trend < 0.0001). During followup, 9.2% of adults with moderate CKD developed ESRD. Those with AG in the highest tertile had a higher risk of ESRD after adjusting for covariates in a frailty model [relative hazard (95% confidence interval) for traditional AG: 1.76 (1.16–2.32)] compared with those in the middle tertile. The data suggest that high AG, even after adjusting for serum bicarbonate, is a contributing acid-base mechanism to CKD progression in adults with moderate chronic kidney disease.
The Role of a Decision Support System in Back Pain Diagnoses: A Pilot Study
Authors: Benditz Achim , Faber Florian , Wenk Gabriela , Fuchs Tina , Salak Natalie , Grifka Joachim , Vogl Matthias , Menke Matthias , Jansen Petra
Published: March 2019

It is the main goal of this study to investigate the concordance of a decision support system and the recommendation of spinal surgeons regarding back pain. 111 patients had to complete the decision support system. Furthermore, their illness was diagnosed by a spinal surgeon. The results showed significant medium relation between the DSS and the diagnosis of the medical doctor. Besides, in almost 50% of the cases the recommendation for the treatment was concordant and overestimation occurred more often than underestimation. The results are discussed in relation to the “symptom checker” literature and the claim of further evaluations.
Effect of Bedding Angle and Confining Pressure on the Brittleness of Geomaterials: A Case Study on Slate
Authors: Hao Xianjie , Xu Quansheng , Yang Dequan , Wang Shaohua , Wei Yingnan
Published: March 2019

Brittleness is one of the most significant properties of geomaterials. However, very few studies have been conducted on factors influencing the rock brittleness indices. In this paper, conventional triaxial compression tests were carried out to investigate the effects of confining pressure and bedding angle on the brittleness of slate. From the perspective of energy, brittleness is an index that could reflect the release rate of energy that accumulated in the slate under the effect of external energy after reaching peak strength. Therefore, a new brittleness index of slate based on postpeak energy release is proposed herein. The applicability of this index is illustrated by comparing with other five existing brittleness indices. The following results can be obtained. (1) The confining pressure exerts a great influence on the brittleness of slate. With the increase of confining pressure, the brittleness of slate decreases significantly. The dispersion of brittleness values of slate declines with increasing confining pressure. (2) There is a parabolic relationship between slate brittleness and bedding angle. As bedding angle increases, the brittleness is intensified and reaches its maximum at a bedding angle of about 45° and then decreases gradually. (3) In contrast to the previous indices, the brittleness index proposed in this paper can describe the whole process of the postpeak stage through an index of the energy release, which makes this measure more suitable for rock that has the characteristics of step-drop or bench-drop at the postpeak stage.
Pretreatment with Cholecalciferol Alleviates Renal Cellular Stress Response during Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Li Jun , Xu Shen , Zhu Jin-Bo , Song Jin , Luo Biao , Song Ya-Ping , Zhang Zhi-Hui , Chen Yuan-Hua , Zhang Zhi-Qiang , Xie Dong-Dong , Yu De-Xin , Xu De-Xiang
Published: March 2019

Background. Cellular stress is involved in ischemia/reperfusion- (I/R-) induced acute kidney injury (AKI). This study is aimed at investigating the effects of pretreatment with cholecalciferol on renal oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress during I/R-induced AKI.Methods. I/R-induced AKI was established by cross-clamping renal pedicles for 90 minutes and then reperfusion. In theChol+I/Rgroup, mice were orally administered with three doses of cholecalciferol (25 μg/kg) at 1, 24, and 48 h before ischemia. Renal cellular stress and kidney injury were measured at different time points after reperfusion.Results. I/R-induced AKI was alleviated in mice pretreated with cholecalciferol. In addition, I/R-induced renal cell apoptosis, as determined by TUNEL, was suppressed by cholecalciferol. Additional experiment showed that I/R-induced upregulation of renal GRP78 and CHOP was inhibited by cholecalciferol. I/R-induced renal IRE1αand eIF2αphosphorylation was attenuated by cholecalciferol. Moreover, I/R-induced renal GSH depletion, lipid peroxidation, and protein nitration were blocked in mice pretreated with cholecalciferol. I/R-induced upregulation of renal NADPH oxidases, such asp47phox,gp91phox, andnox4, was inhibited by cholecalciferol. I/R-induced upregulation of heme oxygenase- (HO-) 1,gshpxandgshrd, was attenuated in mice pretreated with cholecalciferol.Conclusions. Pretreatment with cholecalciferol protects against I/R-induced AKI partially through suppressing renal cellular stress response.
Nanomaterials Developed by Processing Iron Coordination Compounds for Biomedical Application
Authors: Iacob Mihail , Racles Carmen , Dascalu Mihaela , Tugui Codrin , Lozan Vasile , Cazacu Maria
Published: March 2019

The iron oxides, widespread in nature, are used in numerous applications in practice due to their well-known properties. These properties can be modified by size lowering at nanoscale. Some applications, such as biomedical, require a rigorous selection of nanoparticles by size, shape, and surface functionality. In other applications, such as catalysis or magnetism, the composition (generally mixed oxides) and morphology of the nanoparticles are of high importance. The preparation of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) is a complex process whose control raises a number of issues. The first challenge is finding the optimal experimental conditions, which would lead to the preparation of monodisperse nanoparticles. Another issue is the selection or setting a reproducible and clean manufacturing process without a need of complex purification. Even though at the moment several methods for preparing IONPs are known, there are still concerns in the scientific world to further improve existing methods or create new protocols. Therefore, the establishment of optimal methods for preparing IONPs with predetermined structural, dimensional, and morphological characteristics is an important task of scientists. Most of the methods reported in literature for the preparation of IONPs use proper metal salts as precursors. Recently, the use of the organometallic and coordination compounds of iron as precursors for IONPs has emerged as an alternative for a better control of these. Here, achievements reported in the literature in this direction are reviewed and critically analysed in relation to the conventional method based on iron salts.
A Multidimensional Fixed‐Point Theorem and Applications to Riemann‐Liouville Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Nabil Tamer , Soliman Ahmed H.
Published: March 2019

In this work, we introduce a new version of Krasnoselskii fixed‐point theorem dealing with N‐tupled fixed‐point results under certain blended conditions. Herein, we demonstrate that our newly theoretical results are applied to the investigation of Riemann‐Liouville fractional differential equations (R‐L FDEs for short). Furthermore, an example to illustrate the abstract results is obtained.
Geometrical Model of Laser Triangulation System Based on Synchronized Scanners
Authors: Tu Dawei , Jin Pan , Zhang Xu
Published: March 2019

In traditional synchronized scanning system, the trajectory of the 3D scanning point is modeled as a circle when the thickness of rotated mirror is assumed to be zero. In this paper, a novel method to model the geometric measurement of synchronized scanning triangulation in the unfolded light path is proposed. Unlike most existing recent works, the 3D coordinate of the target is reasoned from the geometrical model, which includes all 14 system parameters. Further, the performance of the system precision can be analyzed and the importance of the thickness of rotated mirror is confirmed. In the experiment, a synchronized scanning system is developed. The experimental result demonstrates that the value of measurement uncertainty at a distance of 0.5m is 0.75mm and at a distance of 5m is 6.68mm. The standard deviations from the measurement point to the fitting plane at a distance of 0.5 m and 5 m are 1.10 mm and 19.73 mm, respectively.
Vitamin D Serum Levels in Patients with Statin-Induced Musculoskeletal Pain
Authors: Pennisi Manuela , Di Bartolo Giuseppe , Malaguarnera Giulia , Bella Rita , Lanza Giuseppe , Malaguarnera Michele
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Statin-associated muscle symptoms are common side effects of statin therapy. These symptoms include myopathy, myalgia, and rhabdomyolysis. Vitamin D has been associated with musculoskeletal health; thus, its deficiency may produce detrimental effects in this tissue. Indeed, one symptom of vitamin D deficiency is myalgia, and the normalization of low vitamin D levels can relieve it. Patients and Methods. This cross-sectional study examined 1210 statin-treated patients to assess vitamin D status. These patients were divided into two groups: 287 with statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) and 923 control patients without SAMS. Results. We have found a significant association between deficient and insufficient vitamin D status and statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS). Vitamin D deficiency (<30 nmol/L) presents 77% (95% C.I. 71.6% to 81.7%) sensitivity and 63.4% (95% C.I. 60.2% to 66.5%) specificity in diagnosing SAMS. Odds ratio analysis showed that this association is moderate-strong both for deficient and for insufficient status. Conclusion. We found a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and SAMS. Therefore, vitamin D levels may be useful for the diagnosis and management of SAMS.
Hemianopia and Features of Bálint Syndrome following Occipital Lobe Hemorrhage: Identification and Patient Understanding Have Aided Functional Improvement Years after Onset
Authors: McDowell Nicola , Dutton Gordon N.
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) can present around birth or any time thereafter. Homonymous hemianopia is a common feature. The concept that functional improvement is unattainable augurs against active management. Dorsal stream dysfunction (or Bálint syndrome when severe) results from bilateral posterior parietal dysfunction but may go undetected, especially in children. Case Presentation. At 16 the patient suffered spontaneous left occipital lobe brain hemorrhage from a ruptured arteriovenous malformation. This was surgically excised. Short lived right upper limb intermittent jerking, with additional left sided weakness, ensued. Anomalous EEG recordings, with right-sided bias, arose from the posterior temporoparietal area. A right homonymous hemianopia was evident. During the ensuing 17 years she experienced multiple complex difficulties, until, at a lecture describing how to identify and support children with CVI, she realized she herself had many of the difficulties described. Visual assessment identified hemianopia and dorsal stream dysfunction. Discussion. Following identification, characterization, and explanation of the impact of her visual difficulties, she both gained greater awareness of her visual difficulties and their impact and developed a range of strategies leading to functional improvement of her visual field loss and amelioration of her dorsal stream dysfunction, with great improvement in quality of life.
Upper Arm Motion High-Density sEMG Recognition Optimization Based on Spatial and Time-Frequency Domain Features
Authors: Bai Dianchun , Chen Shutian , Yang Junyou
Published: March 2019

Background. Spatial characteristics of sEMG signals are obtained by high-density matrix sEMG electrodes for further complex upper arm movement classification. Multiple electrode channels of the high-density sEMG acquisition device aggravate the burden of the microprocessor and deteriorate control system’s real-time performance at the same time. A shoulder motion recognition optimization method based on the maximizing mutual information from multiclass CSP selected spatial feature channels and wavelet packet features extraction is proposed in this study. Results. The relationship between the number of channels and recognition rate is obtained by the recognition optimization method. The original 64 electrodes channels are reduced to only 4-5 active signal channels with the accuracy over 92%. Conclusion. The shoulder motion recognition optimization method is combined with the spatial-domain and time-frequency-domain features. In addition, the spatial feature channel selection is independent of feature extraction and classification algorithm. Therefore, it is more convenient to use less channels to achieve the desired classification accuracy.
Severe Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Pregnancy Mimicking HELLP Syndrome
Authors: Govindappagari Shravya , Nguyen Michelle , Gupta Megha , Hanna Ramy M. , Burwick Richard M.
Published: March 2019

Severe vitamin B12 deficiency may present with hematologic abnormalities that mimic thrombotic microangiopathy disorders such as hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome. We report a patient diagnosed with severe vitamin B12 deficiency, following termination of pregnancy for suspected preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome at 21 weeks’ gestation. When hemolysis and thrombocytopenia persisted after delivery, testing was performed to rule out other etiologies of thrombotic microangiopathy, including atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and vitamin B12 deficiency. This work-up revealed undetectable vitamin B12 levels and presence of intrinsic factor antibodies, consistent with pernicious anemia. Parenteral B12 supplementation was initiated, with subsequent improvement in hematologic parameters. Our case emphasizes the importance of screening for B12 deficiency in pregnancy, especially in at-risk women with unexplained anemia or thrombocytopenia. Moreover, providers should consider B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia in the differential diagnosis of pregnancy-associated thrombotic microangiopathy.
Labelling and Clinical Performance of Human Leukocytes Labelled with 99mTc-HMPAO Using Leukokit® with Gelofusine versus Leukokit® with HES as Sedimentation Agent
Authors: Auletta S. , Riolo D. , Varani M. , Lauri C. , Galli F. , Signore A.
Published: March 2019

The scintigraphy with radiolabelled autologous leukocytes (WBCs) is considered the gold-standard technique for imaging infections. Leukokit® is a commercially available, disposable, sterile kit for labelling WBCs ex vivo. In this kit, WBCs isolation from red blood cells (RBCs) was performed using poly(O-2-hydroxyethyl)starch (HES) as the RBCs sedimentation agent. Due to its poor availability, HES has been recently replaced by Gelofusine as the RBC sedimentation agent. The aim of this study was to compare the labelling efficiency and the diagnostic accuracy of WBCs labelled with Leukokit® with HES vs Leukokit® with Gelofusine. WBCs were isolated using HES or Gelofusine for 45 minutes and then purified from platelets (PLTs) and labelled with 1.1 ± 0.3 GBq of freshly prepared 99mTc-HMPAO. The following parameters were evaluated: the number and type of recovered WBCs, RBCs contamination, PLTs contamination, vitality of neutrophils, and chemotactic properties of neutrophils. Clinical comparison was performed between 80 patients (33 males; age 67.5 ± 14.2) injected with 99mTc-HMPAO-WBCs, using HES as the sedimentation agent, and 92 patients (38 males; age 68.2 ± 12.8) injected with 99mTc-HMPAO-WBCs using Gelofusine as the sedimentation agent. Patients were affected by prosthetic joint infections, peripheral bone osteomyelitis, or vascular graft infection. We compared radiolabelling efficiency (LE), final recovery yield (RY), and diagnostic outcome based on microbiology or 2-year follow-up. Results showed that HES provides the lowest RBCs and PLTs contamination, but Gelofusine provides the highest WBC recovery. Both agents did not influence the chemotactic properties of WBCs, and no differences were found in terms of LE and RY. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were also not significantly different for WBCs labelled with both agents (diagnostic accuracy 90.9%, CI = 74.9–96.1 vs 98.3%, CI = 90.8–100, for HES and Gelofusine, respectively). In conclusion, Gelofusine can be considered a suitable alternative of HES for WBCs separation and labelling.
Dynamic Failure Mode and Dynamic Response of High Slope Using Shaking Table Test
Authors: Zhou Zhijun , Ren Chenning , Xu Guanjun , Zhan Haochen , Liu Tong
Published: March 2019

A shaking table test was performed to study the dynamic response and failure modes of high slope. Test results show that PGA amplification coefficients increased with increasing elevation and the PGA amplification coefficient of the concave slope was slightly larger than that of the convex slope. The slope type affected the dynamic response of the slope. The elevation amplification effect of the concave slope under seismic load was more significant than that of the convex slope; thus, the concave slope was more unstable than the convex slope. Additionally, the PGA amplification coefficient measured on the slope surface was always larger than that inside the slope, and the data show an increasing trend with the broken line. The dynamic amplification effect of the high slope was closely related to the natural frequency of the slope. Within a certain range, the higher the frequency, the more significant the amplification effect. The dynamic failure process of concave and convex slopes was studied through tests. Findings indicate that the dynamic failure modes of the concave slope are characterized by shoulder collapse, formation of the sliding surface, and integral sliding above the slope line. Dynamic failure modes of the convex slope are mainly slips in the soil layer and collapse of the slope near the slope line.
Inverse Problem of Elasticity for a Plate Weakened by Hole and Cracks
Authors: Mirsalimov Vagif M.
Published: March 2019

An isotropic elastic plate weakened by a hole and arbitrary system of cracks is considered. Using the principle of equal strength and minimization of stress intensity factors a theoretical analysis is made of the equistrong hole shape. A criterion and a method for solving the inverse problem of fracture prevention for the plate with a hole under the action of given system of external loads are proposed. A closed system of algebraic equations allowing minimization of the stress state and stress intensity factors depending on geometrical and mechanical characteristics of the plate is obtained. The obtained optimal hole shape provides an increase in the load‐bearing capacity of the plate.
Integral Type F-Contractions in Partial Metric Spaces
Authors: Ozturk Vildan
Published: March 2019

Partial metric spaces were introduced as a generalization of usual metric spaces where the self-distance for any point need not be equal to zero. In this work, we defined generalized integral type F-contractions and proved common fixed point theorems for four mappings satisfying this type (Branciari type) of contractions in partial metric spaces.
Rutting and Fatigue Properties of Cellulose Fiber-Added Stone Mastic Asphalt Concrete Mixtures
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Ali Yasir , Ahmed Sarfraz , Iqbal Shahid , Wang Hainian
Published: March 2019

This paper investigates dynamic response, rutting resistance, and fatigue behavior of three stone mastic asphalt (SMA) concrete mixtures selected on basis of nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS): 25 mm, 19 mm, and 12.5 mm using cellulose fiber added as 0.3% of the total weight of aggregate. Superpave gyratory specimens were fabricated and subjected to the dynamic modulus (E∗) and flow tests (flow number and flow time) using an asphalt mixture performance tester. The E∗ test results were employed to develop stress-dependent master curves for each mixture, indicating that the mixture with the NMAS of 25 mm is relatively stiffer than other tested mixtures; this mixture also exhibits excellent strength against rutting failure. In addition, fatigue parameter, which is derived from dynamic response and phase angle, is determined, and results reveal that 12.5 mm NMAS mix has relatively better resistance to fatigue than other selected mixtures. Furthermore, nonlinear regression model specifications were utilized to predict accumulated strains as a function of loading cycles. Also, a flow number model is developed that predicts the rutting behavior of mixtures, and results suggest that model predicted and observed outputs of 25 mm SMA mix are found to be very close. The results of this study help in understanding the performance and behavior of cellulose fiber-added stone mastic asphalt concrete mixtures under varying simulated temperature and stress levels, which can be used in areas where the premature failure of flexible pavements is often observed. The testing protocol employed in this study will also help in evaluating pavement performance using Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide.
Prevalence of Ectoparasitic Infections and Other Dermatological Infections and Their Associated Factors among School Children in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka
Authors: Gunathilaka Nayana , Chandrasena Nilmini , Udayanga Lahiru
Published: March 2019

Skin disorders are one of the commonest conditions among school children in developing countries. There are only a few published studies available from Sri Lanka on the prevalence of skin disorders. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among five government-run schools randomly selected from the district of Gampaha, Sri Lanka, during 2016-2017. A total of 41 students between 5 and 16 years of age were randomly selected from each school. Sociodemographic profile and hygienic behaviors of selected students were assessed using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Students were examined by a medical officer for the presence of different skin disorders. The chi-squared test of association and binary logistic regression were used for the identification of the significance of socioeconomic factors and hygienic practices among the study participants. A total of 205 school children participated in the study. The commonest skin disorder was pediculosis (42.0%; n=86), followed by dandruff (8.3%; n=17), fungal infections (6.8%; n=14), and scabies (1.5%; n=3). Almost one-fourth of the study participants (22.9%; n=30/131) had more than one disorder, majored by Pediculus captis infestation with dandruff. Over one-third (36.1%; n=74) were free of any skin disorders. The prevalence of skin disorders was significantly high among females (87.3%; n=110), compared to males (26.6%; n=21). Presence of long hair, higher family size, and limited number of rooms in the house were risk factors associated with the prevalence of skin disorders. The commonest skin disorder was pediculosis, while scabies and fungal infections were scarce among school children in the district of Gampaha, Sri Lanka. Implementation of health education and monitoring programs at the school level for maintaining the dermal health status of school children is recommended.
Immune Response of Piglets Receiving Mixture of Formic and Propionic Acid Alone or with Either Capric Acid or Bacillus Licheniformis after Escherichia coli Challenge
Authors: Ren Chunxiao , Zhou Qiqi , Guan Wutai , Lin Xiaofeng , Wang Yijiang , Song Hanqing , Zhang Yinzhi
Published: March 2019

This study aims to evaluate whether diets containing mixture of formic and propionic acid alone or supplemented with either capric acid or Bacillus Licheniformis can alleviate immune inflammatory response of piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). A total of 30 weaning pigs were assigned to 5 diets, without additive (CON), with antibiotics (ATB), with 1% organic acid (OA; 64% formic and 25% propionic acid), with OA plus 0.2% capric acid (OA + CRA), and with OA plus 0.02% probiotic (Bacillus Licheniformis; OA + PB). After oral challenge with ETEC on day 10, the feces and plasma of all pigs were collected at different time points. Four additive treatments all decreased rectal temperature (RT) at 9 h and fecal scores (FS) at 24 h after challenge (P < 0.05), while at 9 h after challenge, inclusion of OA induced a decrease of RT compared with OA + CRA and OA + PB (P < 0.05). In plasma, concentration of interleukin (IL)-1β was reduced with the addition of ATB and OA at 24 h and 48 h after challenge and it is lower in OA group than OA + CRA group at 24 h after challenge (P < 0.05). Diets with ATB, OA, and OA + PB caused a decrease of the concentrations of IL-6 in plasma at 9 h after challenge (P < 0.05). The four additives treated piglets showed decreased concentrations of plasma tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ at 9 h and 24 h after challenge, respectively (P < 0.05). In conclusion, OA supplementation alleviated the inflammatory response and reduced diarrhea incidence in piglets challenged with ETEC. However, no further improvements were observed when OA supplemented with CRA or probiotics.
Mobile Service Recommendation via Combining Enhanced Hierarchical Dirichlet Process and Factorization Machines
Authors: Cao Buqing , Li Bing , Liu Jianxun , Tang Mingdong , Liu Yizhi , Li Yanxinwen
Published: March 2019

Recently, Mashup is becoming a promising software development method in the mobile service computing environment, which enables software developers to compose existing mobile services to create new or value-added composite RESTful web application. Due to the rapid increment of mobile services on the Internet, it is difficult to find the most suitable services for building user-desired Mashup application. In this paper, we integrate word embeddings enhanced hierarchical Dirichlet process and factorization machines to recommend mobile services to build high-quality Mashup application. This method, first of all, extends the description documents of Mashup applications and mobile services by using Word2vec tool and derives latent topics from the extended description documents of Mashup and mobile services by exploiting the hierarchical Dirichlet process. Secondly, the factorization machine is applied to train these latent topics to predict the probability of mobile services invoked by Mashup and recommend mobile services with high-quality for Mashup development. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is comprehensively evaluated. The experimental results indicate that compared with the existing recommendation methods, the proposed method has significant improvements in MAE and RMSE.
Characteristics and Histological Types of Lupus Nephritis in a Jordanian Tertiary Medical Center
Authors: Farah Randa I. , Dannoun Ebtesam , Abu Shahin Nisreen , AlRyalat Saif Aldeen
Published: March 2019

Objectives. Few reports of lupus nephritis (LN) from Jordan and the Middle East exist. This study assessed the demographic, clinical, and basic laboratory characteristics of Jordanian patients with LN and correlations with the histological class of LN. Methods. This was a retrospective study of all patients who underwent kidney biopsy between 2007 and 2018 at a tertiary medical center in Jordan. Patients’ demographic, clinical, laboratory, and pathological data were reviewed. Results. In total, 79 patients were included in this study [mean age, 29.95 ± 12.16 years; 11 men (13.9%), 68 women (86.1%)]. Asymptomatic proteinuria and hematuria were the most common presentations in LN patients at biopsy (59.5%). The study revealed a significant difference in frequency of nephritic syndrome (p= 0.01) between sexes (10.3% female vs. 45.5% male). Class IV was the most common pathological class of LN [37 (46.8%)], followed by class V [15 (19%)] and class III [10 (12.7%)]. Post hoc analysis of the associations between laboratory values and histopathological patterns revealed a significant correlation between class IV lupus and renal failure (p= 0.018) and class IV lupus and anti-DNA antibodies p= 0.030). End-stage renal disease (ESRD) occurred in 25% of lupus nephritis cases. There was an increased likelihood of ESRD among men than women (45% vs. 22%). Overall mortality was 10%. Conclusion. Although some clinical and laboratory findings correlate with histological types of LN, clinical and laboratory parameters of Jordanian patients with LN are not predictive of the histological type, although differences with regional studies were noted.
Pretransplant Nephrectomy for Large Polycystic Kidneys in ADPKD (Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease) Patients: Is Peritoneal Dialysis Recovery Possible after Surgery?
Authors: Ietto Giuseppe , Raveglia Veronica , Zani Elia , Iovino Domenico , Parise Cristiano , Soldini Gabriele , Delfrate Nicholas Walter , Latham Lorenzo , Saredi Giovanni , Benedetti Fabio , Tozzi Matteo , Carcano Giulio
Published: March 2019

The choice of modality for renal replacement therapy in patients with ADPKD varies, often based on patient choice, physician-related factors, and resource availability. For a long time peritoneal dialysis (PD) was considered as relative contraindication due to the possible limited intraperitoneal space. In recent years, some studies suggested it is a valid option also in patients with ADPKD to be considered as a first line treatment in potentially fit patients. Diuresis volume lowering and potential permanent damage of peritoneal integrity, both leading to a necessary switch to haemodialysis, are the two most important dangers after nephrectomy, especially if bilateral, in PD patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of patient underwent native polycystic kidney nephrectomy in order to state the possibility to recover peritoneal dialysis after surgery.
Tangduqing Granules Attenuate Insulin Resistance and Abnormal Lipid Metabolism through the Coordinated Regulation of PPARγ and DGAT2 in Type 2 Diabetic Rats
Authors: Zhang Qinghua , Huang Yingying , Li Xiaojin , Liu Hongyi , He Baichuan , Wang Bin , Ma Yuntao , Zhou Xiang , Liu Yaqin , Wu Shentao
Published: March 2019

Insulin resistance (IR) is a vital hallmark of type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is characterized by an impaired ability of insulin to promote glucose uptake and utilization. Lipid deposition is closely associated with impaired insulin sensitivity. PPARγ plays an important role in glucose homeostasis, adipocyte differentiation, and insulin sensitivity. Likewise, DGAT2 also exerts a crucial role in integrating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in the liver. The present study is aimed at evaluating a Chinese medicinal formula, Tangduqing granules (TDQ), with multifaceted actions against lipid and glucose metabolism disorder and IR of type 2 diabetes. An animal model of type 2 diabetes was developed by high-fat diet feeding plus low-dose streptozotocin injection. After oral administration of TDQ for 5 weeks, the effects on glucose and lipid metabolism and the underlying mechanism were evaluated by biochemical, histological, RT-PCR, and western blotting methods. The results showed that TDQ decreased fasting blood glucose, ameliorated glucose tolerance, and improved IR. Besides, TDQ regulated hyperlipidemia symptoms, decreased serum lipid levels and liver TG, and reduced hepatic steatosis in a type 2 diabetic rat model. Furthermore, TDQ reversed diabetes-induced decrease in the mRNA and protein expression of PPARγ and elevation in the mRNA and protein levels of DGAT2 in the liver. In addition, we showed that interference of TDQ ameliorated palmitate-induced glucose and lipid metabolic abnormalities in HepG2 cells. TDQ are, therefore, a potential Chinese medicinal formula that relieves IR and lipid metabolism disorder might be through promotion of PPARγ and decrease of DGAT2 expression.
Remediation of Chlorinated Alkanes by Vitamin B12and Zero-Valent Iron
Authors: Lapeyrouse Nicole , Liu Muqiong , Zou Shengli , Booth Greg , Yestrebsky Cherie L.
Published: March 2019

Chlorinated alkanes were heavily used in a wide range of industrial applications including as degreasers, paint strippers, chemical intermediates, and soil fumigants. These compounds are an environmental concern due to the adverse health effects associated with them and have been detected in environmental matrices including soils and groundwater. Chlorinated alkanes are recalcitrant, and current remediation methods that employ zero-valent iron (ZVI) are unable to directly dehalogenate these compounds, limiting the available approaches forin situremediation of these widely utilized chemicals. This study employed a novel approach for the remediation of 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP), 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP), 1,3-dichloropropane (1,3-DCP), 1-chloropropane (1-CP), and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) in the presence of ZVI and vitamin B12, a naturally occurring electron mediator. Batch reactions were performed in order to determine a kinetic model for the associated degradation mechanisms. Dechlorination byproducts were confirmed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) coupled to a purge and trap. Free chloride was quantified by ion chromatography (IC) utilizing suppressed conductivity detection. In the absence of vitamin B12, reductive dechlorination of chlorinated alkanes was observed to not occur when exposed to only reactive ZVI particles (<5 μm). However, in the presence of ZVI combined with vitamin B12, complete reductive dechlorination was observed and followed a pseudo-first-order reaction.
Molecular Biomarkers Related to Oral Carcinoma: Clinical Trial Outcome Evaluation in a Literature Review
Authors: Cervino Gabriele , Fiorillo Luca , Herford Alan Scott , Romeo Umberto , Bianchi Alberto , Crimi Salvatore , D’Amico Cesare , De Stefano Rosa , Troiano Giuseppe , Santoro Rossella , Laino Luigi , Laino Gregorio , Cicciù Marco
Published: March 2019

Backgrounds. The objective of the present research was to systematically revise the international literature about the genetic biomarkers related to oral cancer (OC) evaluating the recent findings in clinical studies. Methods. A comprehensive review of the current literature was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines by accessing the NCBI PubMed database. The authors conducted the search of articles in the English language published from 2008 to 2018. The present systematic review included only papers with significant results about correlation between wound healing, genetic alteration, and OC. Prognostic capacity of genetic markers was not evaluated in vivo. Results. The first analysis with filters recorded about 1884 published papers. Beyond reading and consideration of suitability, only 20 and then 8 papers, with case report exclusion, were recorded for the revision. Conclusion. All the researches recorded the proteomic and genetic alterations in OC human biopsy cells. The gene modification level in the different studies, compared with samples of healthy tissues, has always been statistically significant, but it is not possible to associate publications with each other because each job is based on the measurement of different biomarkers and gene targets. Further investigations should be required in order to state scientific evidence about a clear advantage of using these biomarkers for diagnostic purpose.
Immunological Alterations due to Hemodialysis Might Interfere with Early Complications in Renal Transplantation
Authors: Mai Kristin , Boldt Andreas , Hau Hans-Michael , Kirschfink Michael , Schiekofer Stephan , Keller Frieder , Beige Joachim , Giannis Athanassios , Sack Ulrich , Rasche Franz Maximilian
Published: March 2019

Background. Chronic or intercurrent alterations of the immune system in patients with end-stage renal disease (CKD) and intermittent hemodialysis (CKD5D, HD) have been attributed to an acute rejection of renal allograft.Methods. Leukocyte subsets in flow cytometry, complement activation, and concentrations of TGFβ, sCD30 (ELISA), and interleukins (CBA) of fifteen patients eligible for renal transplantation were analyzed before, during, and after a regular HD.Results. Before HD, the median proportion of CD8+ effector cells, CD8+ CCR5+ effector cells, and HLA-DR+ regulatory T cells as well as the median concentration of soluble CD30 increased and naive CD8+ T cells decreased. During HD, there was a significant decrease in CD4- CD8- T cells (p<0.001) and an increase in CD25+ T cells (p=0.026), sCD30 (p<0.001), HLA-DR+ regulatory T cells (p=0.005), and regulatory T cells (p=0.003). TGFβand sCD30 increased significantly over time. The activity of the classical complement pathway started to slightly increase after the first hour of HD and lasted until fifteen minutes after finishing dialysis. The decrease in the functional activity of the alternative pathway was only transient and was followed by a significant increase within 15 minutes after finishing the treatment.Conclusion. HD might interact with the allograft outcome by influencing T cell subsets and activation of the complement system in a biphasic course.
A Short Review on Verwey Transition in Nanostructured Fe3O4 Materials
Authors: Bohra Murtaza , Agarwal Nishit , Singh Vidyadhar
Published: March 2019

Verwey transition (VT) of Fe3O4 has been extensively investigated as this results in sharp changes in its physical properties. Exploitation of VT for potential applications in spin/charge transport, multiferroicity, exchange bias, and spin Seebeck effect-based devices has attracted researchers recently. Although hundreds of reports have been published, the origin of VT is still debatable. Besides, not only the size effects have a significant impact on VT in Fe3O4, even the conditions of synthesis of Fe3O4 nanostructures mostly affect the changes in VT. Here, we review not only the effects of scaling but also the growth conditions of the Fe3O4 nanostructures on the VT and their novel applications in spintronics and nanotechnology.
Synthesis and Characterization of High-Purity Ultrafine Platinum Particles by Chemical Refining Method
Authors: Zhao Panchao , Yi Wei , Cao Qigao , Zhang Bosheng , Chen Kunkun , Li Jigang , Yao Chensiqi
Published: March 2019

High-purity ultrafine platinum particles are widely used to fabricate platinum electrode oxygen sensors for automobiles and thick-film platinum resistance temperature elements. In this study, the near-spherical ultrafine Pt particles of high purity were synthesized by chemical purification, spray-drying, and ignition from crude Pt powder. Impurities in the initial Pt powder were eliminated by the 001×7 strong acid cation resin exchange column and precipitation treatment. Near-spherical (NH4)2PtCl6 particles were obtained after spray-drying, and then the microstructure and size of as-synthesized Pt particles were controlled by the ignition process. The influences of different heating temperatures during ignition treatment on the microstructure and size of Pt particles were investigated. The purity of as-synthesized Pt particles was higher than 99.999 wt%, and the average size was about 1.12 μm. The results indicate that high-purity ultrafine Pt particles can be efficiently synthesized by chemical refining.
Research on Dynamic Load Identification Based on Explicit Wilson‐θ and Improved Regularization Algorithm
Authors: Fan Yuchuan , Zhao Chunyu , Yu Hongye
Published: March 2019

In the research of dynamic load identification, the method of obtaining kernel function matrix is usually rather cumbersome. To solve this problem, an explicit dynamic load identification algorithm based on the Wilson‐θ (DLIAEW) method is proposed to easily obtain the kernel function matrix as long as the parameters of the system are known. To aim at the ill‐posed problem in the inverse problem, this paper improves the Tikhonov regularization, proposes an improved regularization algorithm (IRA), and introduces the U‐curve method to determine the regularization parameters. In the numeric simulation investigation of a four dofs vibrating system, effects of the sampling frequency and the noise level on the regularization parameters and the identification errors of impact and harmonic loads for the IRA are discussed in comparison with the Tikhonov regularization. Finally, the experiments of a cantilever beam excited by impact and harmonic loads are carried out to verify the advantages of the IRA.
Chronotypes’ Task-Technology Fit for Search and Purchase in Omnichannel Context
Authors: Haider Syed Waqar , Zhuang Guijun , Hashmi Hammad bin Azam , Ali Shahid
Published: March 2019

Advances in technology have led to a spurt in tech-savvy consumers displaying increasingly complex behavior. In the past, consumers concluded their search and purchases at a single physical store. Nowadays, however, they possess a number of digital devices (desktops and/or mobiles) through which they can switch channels seamlessly to search for information and make a purchase. There are very few studies that investigate desktop and mobile channels separately; this is perhaps the first study that examines the effect of chronotypes (evening- and morning-type individuals) on a sample of Chinese university students using online and mobile channels in the omnichannel process. The results from a sample of 311 digital shoppers (desktops and/or mobiles) confirm that the mobile channel offers greater task-technology fit to evening-type respondents and desktop channels present better task-technology fit to morning-type respondents to engage in the omnichannel process. Furthermore, this study discussed contributions and insights for managers to develop an effective omnichannel strategy.
Pretreatment with Gemcitabine/5-Fluorouracil Enhances the Cytotoxicity of Trastuzumab to HER2-Negative Human Gallbladder Cancer Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Wang Wei , Hu Zhenhua , Huang Yu , Zheng Huilin , Sun Qiang , Yang Qifan , Zhang Yuan , Zhang Linshi , Wang Weilin
Published: March 2019

The effects of standard clinical therapies including surgery and chemotherapy are poor in advanced gallbladder cancer (GBC). There are a few reported cases of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive GBC that responded well to trastuzumab. But trastuzumab has not yet been used to treat HER2-negative GBC. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of different combined therapies with trastuzumab and gemcitabine and/or 5-fluorouracil on HER2-negative GBC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Trastuzumab alone showed almost no cytotoxicity to GBC cells with originally low HER2 gene amplification. Sequential therapy with chemotherapy followed by trastuzumab showed superiority over reverse sequential chemotherapy (P<0.05), concurrent combined chemotherapy (P<0.05), chemotherapy alone (P<0.05), and trastuzumab alone (P<0.05) in terms of cytotoxicity. Sequential therapy with chemotherapy followed by trastuzumab nearly completely inhibited cell viability in HER2-negative GBC cells. Similar results were observed with regard to apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed that gemcitabine/5-fluorouracil increased the expressions of total and phosphorylated forms of HER2, thus enhancing the cytotoxicity of trastuzumab. In vivo study verified the results of in vitro study by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling assay and immunohistochemical analysis. Moreover, not only the lightest tumor bearing but also the best survival state was detected in sequential therapy with chemotherapy followed by trastuzumab group compared with other groups. Our in vivo and in vitro data suggest that sequential therapy with gemcitabine/5-fluorouracil followed by trastuzumab represents a novel and promising therapeutic strategy against HER2-negative GBC. The upregulation of phosphorylated HER2 and phosphorylated-AKT induced by gemcitabine/5-fluorouracil treatment shows that HER2/AKT pathway is triggered.