bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physician attitudes to voluntary assisted dying: a scoping review
Authors: Rutherford Jodhi , Willmott Lindy , White Ben P
Published: June 2020

Background

Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) became legal in the Australian state of Victoria on 19 June 2019 and will be legal in Western Australia from 2021. Other Australian states are progressing similar law reform processes. In Australia and internationally, doctors are central to the operation of all legal VAD regimes. It is broadly accepted that doctors, as a profession, are less in favour of VAD law reform than the rest of the community. To date, there has been little analysis of the factors that motivate doctors’ support or opposition to legalised VAD in Australia.

Aim

To review all studies reporting the attitudes of Australian doctors regarding the legalisation of VAD, including their willingness to participate in it, and to observe and record common themes in existing attitudinal data.

Design

Scoping review and thematic analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.

Data sources

CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, PubMed and Informit were searched from inception to June 2019.

Results

26 publications detailing 19 studies were identified. Thematic analysis of quantitative and qualitative findings was performed. Three overarching themes emerged. ‘Attitudes towards regulation’ encompassed doctors’ orientation towards legalisation, the shortcomings of binary categories of support or opposition and doctors’ concerns about additional regulation of their professional practices. ‘Professional and personal impact of legalisation’ described tensions between palliative care and VAD, and the emotional and social impact of being providers of VAD. ‘Practical considerations regarding access’ considered doctors’ concerns about eligibility criteria and their willingness to provide VAD.

Conclusion

A detailed understanding of medical perspectives about VAD would facilitate the design of legislative models that take better account of doctors’ concerns. This may facilitate their greater participation in VAD and help address potential access issues arising from availability of willing doctors.
Decision-making at the border of viability: determining the best interests of extremely preterm infants
Authors: Vogelstein Eric
Published: June 2020

This paper proposes and employs a framework for determining whether life-saving treatment at birth is in the best interests of extremely preterm infants, given uncertainty about the outcome of such a choice. It argues that given relevant data and plausible assumptions about the well-being of babies with various outcomes, it is typically in the best interests of even the youngest preterm infants—those born at 22 weeks gestational age—to receive life-saving treatment at birth.
Effects of ABA and NaCl on physiological responses in selected bryophyte species
Authors: Ćosić Marija , Vujičić Milorad M. , Sabovljević Marko S. , Sabovljević Aneta D.
Published: June 2020

The effects of NaCl and abscisic acid (ABA) on selected bryophyte species were studied. Two phylogenetically unrelated halophyte mosses, namely, Entosthodon hungaricus (Boros) Loeske and Hennediella heimii (Hedw.) R.H. Zander in addition to one model non-halophyte moss, Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Bruch & Schimp, were selected to compare the variability in certain biochemical and physiological parameters under salt-stress alone and salt-stress upon ABA pretreatment. The results showed different patterns of effects from ABA in all three of the studied species, as well as no common response to salt stress. In general, all of the tested species reacted to exogenous ABA, which definitely contributed to changes observed in morphological development under salt stress, and to the functioning of the salt-tolerance mechanisms. Physcomitrella patens proved to be a salt-tolerant species. Although it is not ecologically classified as a halophyte, these results highlighted that various stress-resistance pathways are supported by similar reactions to different stresses. Significant differences in stress tolerance were documented between the two bryo-halophytes tested by comparing biochemical and physiological parameters. Our findings suggest that different salt-stress-tolerance strategies characterize these two species, both enhanced by exogenous ABA.
Impact of biased sex ratio on the genetic diversity, structure, and differentiation ofPopulus nigra(European black poplar)
Authors: Çiftçi Asiye , Yelmen Burak , Değirmenci Funda Ö. , Kaya Zeki
Published: June 2020

Effective population size is a crucial concept of conservation biology. It is reduced by biased sex ratio, consequently causing loss of genetic variation. To evaluate genetic diversity related to gender, and investigate the possible effects of biased sex ratio, we analyzed available microsatellite DNA markers from 120 samples of Populus nigra L. (European black poplar) originating from five geographical regions in Turkey. Using 12 microsatellite markers, we detected 60 clones of the same genotype, out of 120 trees. The clone genotype was observed both in males and females, which might suggest that P. nigra deviates from dioecism. Three genetic clusters were detected, two of which possibly correspond to commercially available trees. Overall allelic richness was found to be similar for both genders, whereas heterozygosity was slightly higher in males. Additionally, a simulation software prototype was developed to see the effects of sex ratio on diversity and allele frequency trends in future generations, given the available molecular data. Results showed that if biased sex ratio persists, allele loss and fixation might occur in a higher rate, causing loss of variation.
Multiplicity dependence of quarkonia production in the CGC approach
Authors: Levin Eugene , Schmidt Ivan , Siddikov Marat
Published: June 2020

In the paper we develop, in the CGC approach, a new mechanism for quarkonia production in events with high multiplicity of the soft produced particles. In this mechanism both $$J/\varPsi $$J/Ψ and soft hadrons are produced at short distances $$r\, \propto \,1/Q_s$$r∝1/Qs, where $$Q_s$$Qs is the saturation scale, which is considered to be proportional to the multiplicity of soft hadrons. Using this approach, we analyze the vigorously growing multiplicity dependence of quarkonia production, which was recently discovered by the STAR and ALICE collaborations. We demonstrate that this result presents a strong evidence in favor of multigluon fusion mechanisms of the quarkonia states. We analyze in detail the contribution of the 3-gluon fusion mechanism and demonstrate that it describes correctly all the available experimental data on the multiplicity dependence of $$J/\psi $$J/ψ meson production. We also make predictions for other quarkonia states, such as $$\psi (2S)$$ψ(2S) and $$\varUpsilon (1S)$$Υ(1S), and find that the multiplicity dependence of these states should be similar to that of the $$J/\psi $$J/ψ meson. Finally, we discuss an experimental setup in which the very strong multiplicity dependence could be observed. This observation would be a strong evidence in favor of the CGC approach.
Cosmic evolution of dark energy in a generalized Rastall gravity
Authors: Lin Kai , Qian Wei-Liang
Published: June 2020

In this work, we propose a scheme for cosmic evolution in a generalized Rastall gravity. In our approach, the role of dark energy is taken by the non-conserved sector of the stress energy–momentum tensor. The resultant cosmic evolution is found to naturally consists of three stages, namely, radiation dominated, ordinary matter dominated, as well as dark energy and dark matter dominated eras. Furthermore, for the present model, it is demonstrated that the eventual fate of the Universe is mostly insensitive to the initial conditions, in contrast to the standard $$\Lambda \hbox {CDM}$$ΛCDM model. In particular, the solution displays the properties of a dynamic attractor, which is reminiscent of quintessence and k-essence models. Subsequently, the cosmic coincidence problem is averted. The amount of deviation from a conserved stress energy–momentum tensor is shown to be more remarkable during the period when the dark energy evolves more rapidly. On the other hand, the conservation law is largely restored for the infinite past and future. The implications of the present approach are addressed.
A Cluster Leader Selection Algorithm to Enhance the Lifetime of Scalable Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Rajput Anagha , Kumaravelu Vinoth Babu
Published: June 2020

Wireless sensor networks have fascinating applications that help mankind to get connected with the physical world. Since the last decade, wireless sensor networks are been researched as physical infrastructure of Internet of things technology. For such accomplishment, wireless sensor networks need to be scalable and self-organizing. As sensor nodes are battery driven, limited lifetime is the prime constraint. Clustering methods are popularly used to prolong the network lifetime, but cluster leader selection algorithms majorly affect total energy consumption of the network. This is because cluster leaders utilize more energy than other nodes. For scalable networks, selecting appropriate cluster leaders is a great challenge. In this research work, a distributed cluster leader selection algorithm is proposed to prolong the network lifetime. Real-time network parameters are used instead of random variables or constants in the formulation of cluster leader selection criteria. Due to this, minimal but sufficient number of cluster leaders are selected. This reduces number of transmissions toward the sink and significantly minimizes overall energy consumption. The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm enhances network lifetime efficaciously for varying node density and coverage area. Thus, the proposed algorithm can be suitably used for Internet of things applications.
A Distributed Smart Camera System Based on an Edge Orchestration Architecture
Authors: Castillo Emmanuel A. , Ahmadinia Ali
Published: June 2020

Distributed cameras have been used widely for real-time image recognition. There are two main approaches in distributed camera systems: (1) The cameras are equipped with a powerful high-end processor for local image processing, (2) Low-cost cameras with resource-constrained processors are used for capturing the images and transferring them to a cloud server for classification purposes. The first approach is costly and not scalable. The second approach is too slow for real-time object detection due to the transfer delays to a remote server. These problems exacerbate in multi-view image recognition, where a central platform is required for collective image processing of multiple images from the same scene. For this purpose, typically, a cloud server is used, which does not meet real-time recognition, network bandwidth, scalability and power consumption constraints of such systems. This paper proposes hierarchical neural network structures that can be realized in an edge orchestration architecture at different levels, i.e., cameras, edge devices, and cloud servers to enable deep learning capabilities for real-time multi-view image recognition. This would enable us to detect objects in the proximity of multiple cameras and transfer data for deeper layer processing to the cloud server and training of all connected edge devices and cameras.
Presentation of a ribbon 2-knot
Authors: Kanenobu Taizo , Matsuda Masafumi
Published: June 2020

We generalize Yasuda’s examples of ribbon 2-knots of 1-fusion with different ribbon presentations.
Gravitational fields of the magnetic-type
Authors: Danehkar A.
Published: June 2020

Local conformal symmetry introduces the conformal curvature (Weyl tensor) that gets split into its (gravito-) electric and magnetic (tensor) parts. Newtonian tidal forces are expected from the gravitoelectric field, whereas general-relativistic frame-dragging effects emerge from the gravitomagnetic field. The symmetric, traceless gravitoelectric and gravitomagnetic tensor fields can be visualized by their eigenvectors and eigenvalues. In this paper, we depict the gravitoelectric and gravitomagnetic fields around a slowly rotating black hole. This suggests that the phenomenon of ultra-fast outflows observed at the centers of active galaxies may give evidence for the gravitomagnetic fields of spinning supermassive black holes. We also question whether the current issues in our contemporary observations might be resolved by the inclusion of gravitomagnetism on large scales in a perturbed FLRW model.
Forced Flexural Vibrations in a Thin Nonlocal Rectangular Plate with Kirchhoff’s Thin Plate Theory
Authors: Kaur Iqbal , Lata Parveen , Singh Kulvinder
Published: June 2020

This study deals with a novel model of forced flexural vibrations in a transversely isotropic thermoelastic thin rectangular plate (TRP) due to time harmonic concentrated load. The mathematical model is prepared for the thin plate in a closed form with the application of Kirchhoff’s love plate theory for nonlocal generalized thermoelasticity with Green–Naghdi (GN)-III theory of thermoelasticity. The nonlocal thin plate has a nonlocal parameter to depict small-scale effect. The double finite Fourier transform technique has been used to find the expressions for lateral deflection, thermal moment and temperature distribution for simply supported (SS) thin rectangular plate in the transformed domain. The effect of classical thermoelasticity (CTE) theory of thermoelasticity and nonlocal parameters has been shown on the computed quantities. Few particular cases have also been deduced.
Investigation of the Torsional Effects on the Lateral Buckling of a Pipe-Like Beam Resting on the Ground under Axial Compression
Authors: Le Grognec Philippe , Nême Alain , Cai Jie
Published: June 2020

This paper deals with the lateral buckling behavior of an axially compressed beam interacting with the ground on which it is resting. Such a simple model is supposed to reproduce the same trends as observed during the lateral buckling of offshore pipelines on the seabed. In such practical analyses, the pipe-soil interaction relates the ground to the neutral axis of the pipeline. It is shown that, although such a constraint significantly affects the buckling behavior of the pipeline, it cannot reflect the torsional component of the buckling modes. However, this component is encountered in practice and may further modify the critical loads. Therefore, in this present preliminary study, the interaction between the beam in hand and the surrounding ground is modeled by a connection (a continuous distribution of lateral springs) related to the bottom line of the beam. In this way, the real contact between the soil and the bottom line of a pipe is mimicked, allowing for both flexural and torsional deformations in the buckling response. The problem is investigated analytically using an Euler–Bernoulli beam model with an isotropic linear elastic constitutive law and also an elastic interaction law. Original analytical solutions are derived and compared to numerical results obtained through finite element computations. In comparison with classical solutions (with the connection related to the neutral axis), new types of buckling modes may appear when considering torsional effects, depending on the boundary conditions, with generally much lower critical loads. These first results are certainly representative of some features of the global/localized lateral buckling of offshore pipelines, indicating that torsional effects should also be taken into account in such more comprehensive analyses.
The geometric classification of nilpotent ℭ𝔇-algebras
Authors: Kaygorodov Ivan , Khrypchenko Mykola
Published: June 2020

We give a geometric classification of complex [Formula: see text]-dimensional nilpotent [Formula: see text]-algebras. The corresponding geometric variety has dimension 18 and decomposes into [Formula: see text] irreducible components determined by the Zariski closures of a two-parameter family of algebras and a four-parameter family of algebras. In particular, there are no rigid [Formula: see text]-dimensional complex nilpotent [Formula: see text]-algebras.
Minimal parabolic k-subgroups acting on symmetric k-varieties corresponding to k-split groups
Authors: Hunnell Mark
Published: June 2020

Symmetric [Formula: see text]-varieties are a natural generalization of symmetric spaces to general fields [Formula: see text]. We study the action of minimal parabolic [Formula: see text]-subgroups on symmetric [Formula: see text]-varieties and define a map that embeds these orbits within the orbits corresponding to algebraically closed fields. We develop a condition for the surjectivity of this map in the case of [Formula: see text]-split groups that depends only on the dimension of a maximal [Formula: see text]-split torus contained within the fixed point group of the involution defining the symmetric [Formula: see text]-variety.
Fabrication of Uniform Fe3O4 Nanocubes Derived from Prussian Blue and Enhanced Performance for Lithium Storage Properties
Authors: Dong Youzhen , Ding Xia , Gu Wei , Yang Zhifeng
Published: June 2020

Owing to the special structural characteristics, oxide derivatives of Prussian blue (PB)-based hollow structures are widely used in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Here, Fe3O4 particles have been synthesized by one-step thermal decomposition of PB. The cube-sized iron-based PB and structural stability of thermal decomposition products at different amount of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) were well investigated. In the derivatived architecature, the hollow Fe3O4 nanocubes provide high-efficiency lithium ion transporation and the diffusion of electrolyte, enabling better electrochemical performance. The as-obtained Fe3O4 nanocubes show a remarkable rate capability (462[Formula: see text]mAh[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at 1.0[Formula: see text]A/g) and outstanding specific capacity (803[Formula: see text]mAh[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at 0.1[Formula: see text]A/g, 97.5% capacity retention over 140 cycles), which have a potential application as anode materials for lithium ion batteries due to the facile preparation method and high electrochemical performance.
Complete phenol removal in liquid-phase under moderate condition over Pt/CeO2–ZrO2–SnO2/ZrO2/SBA-16 catalysts
Authors: Supandi Abdul Rohman , Nunotani Naoyoshi , Imanaka Nobuhito
Published: June 2020

Pt/CeO2–ZrO2–SnO2/ZrO2/SBA-16 catalysts were synthesized for the complete oxidation of phenol in liquid-phase under moderate condition. The loading of ZrO2 onto SBA-16 effectively enhanced the catalytic activity of Pt/CeO2–ZrO2–SnO2/ZrO2/SBA-16 due to the increase of the oxygen release and storage abilities of the CeO2–ZrO2–SnO2 promoter. Among the prepared catalysts with various ZrO2 loading amounts (0–36[Formula: see text]wt.%), the Pt(7[Formula: see text]wt.%)/Ce[Formula: see text]Zr[Formula: see text]Sn[Formula: see text]O2 (16[Formula: see text]wt.%)/ZrO2(24[Formula: see text]wt.%)/SBA-16 exhibited the highest activity, and the complete phenol removal was achieved after the reaction at 80∘C for 8[Formula: see text]h under the atmospheric pressure.
Characterization of some classes of graphs with equal domination number and isolate domination number
Authors: Bakhshesh Davood
Published: June 2020

Let [Formula: see text] be a simple and undirected graph with vertex set [Formula: see text]. A set [Formula: see text] is called a dominating set of [Formula: see text], if every vertex in [Formula: see text] is adjacent to at least one vertex in [Formula: see text]. The minimum cardinality of a dominating set of [Formula: see text] is called the domination number of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text]. A dominating set [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is called isolate dominating, if the induced subgraph [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] contains at least one isolated vertex. The minimum cardinality of an isolate dominating set of [Formula: see text] is called the isolate domination number of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we show that for every proper interval graph [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. Moreover, we provide a constructive characterization for trees with equal domination number and isolate domination number. These solve part of an open problem posed by Hamid and Balamurugan [Isolate domination in graphs, Arab J. Math. Sci. 22(2) (2016) 232–241].
Two results on K-(2,1)-total choosability of planar graphs
Authors: Song Yan , Sun Lei
Published: June 2020

The [Formula: see text]-total choice number of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text], is the minimum [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-total choosable. It was proved in [Y. Yu, X. Zhang and G. Z. Liu, List (d,1)-total labeling of graphs embedded in surfaces, Oper. Res. Trans. 15(3) (2011) 29–37.] that [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] is a graph embedded in surface with Euler characteristic [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] big enough. In this paper, we prove that: (i) if [Formula: see text] is a planar graph with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-cycle is not adjacent to [Formula: see text]-cycle, [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text]; (ii) if [Formula: see text] is a planar graph with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-cycle is not adjacent to [Formula: see text]-cycle, where [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text].
Uncertainty in public health models treated by differential inclusions
Authors: Raczynski Stanislaw
Published: June 2020

An application of differential inclusions in the epidemic spread models is presented. Some mostly used epidemic models are discussed here, and a brief survey of epidemic modeling is given. Most of the models are some modifications of the Susceptible–Infected–Recovered model. Simple simulations are carried out. Then, we consider the influence of some uncertain parameters. It is pointed out that the presence of some fluctuating model parameters can be treated by differential inclusions. The solution to such differential inclusion is given in the form of reachable sets for model variables. Here, we focus on the differential inclusion application rather than the model construction.
Demographic, Clinical Features and Outcome Determinants of Thoracic Trauma in Sri Lanka: A Multicentre Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Mathangasinghe Yasith , Pradeep Iddagoda Hewage Don Saman , Rasnayake Dhammike
Published: June 2020

Prognostic determinants in thoracic trauma are of major public health interest. We intended to describe patterns of thoracic trauma, demographic factors, clinical course, and predictors of outcome in selected tertiary care hospitals in Sri Lanka. A multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted in five leading teaching hospitals from June to September 2017. Patients with thoracic trauma were followed up during the hospital stay. A logistic regression analysis was conducted using in-hospital morbidity as the dichotomous outcome variable. One hundred seventy-one patients were included in the study yielding 1450 (median = 8.5) person-days of observation. Of them, 71.9% (n = 123) were males. The mean age was 45.8 ± 17.9 years. Majority (39.2%, n = 67) were recruited from the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Automobile accidents were the commonest (62.6%, n = 107), followed by falls (26.9%, n = 46), assaults (8.8%, n = 15), and animal attacks (1.8%, n = 3). The ratio of blunt to penetrating trauma was 5.6 : 1. Injury patterns were rib fractures (80.7%, n = 138), haemothorax (44.4%, n = 76), pneumothorax (44.4%, n = 76), lung contusion (22.8%, n = 39), flail segment (15.8%, n = 27), tracheobronchial trauma (7.0%, n = 12), diaphragmatic injury (2.3%, n = 4), vascular injury (2.3%, n = 4), cardiac contusions (1.1%, n = 2), and oesophageal injury (0.6%, n = 1). Ninety nine (57.9%) had extrathoracic injuries. Majority (63.2%, n = 108) underwent operative management including intercostal tube insertion (60.8%, n = 104), wound exploration (6.4%, n = 11), thoracotomy (4.1%, n = 7), rib reconstruction (4.1%, n = 7), and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (2.9%, n = 5). Pneumonia (10.5%, n = 8), bronchopleural fistulae (2.3%, n = 4), tracheaoesophageal fistulae (1.8%, n = 3), empyema (1.2%, n = 2), and myocardial infarction (1.2%, n = 2) were the commonest postoperative complications. The mean hospital stay was 15.6 ± 18.0 days. The in-hospital mortality was 11 (6.4%). The binary logistic regression analysis with five predictors (age, gender, mechanism of injury (automobile/fall/assault), type of trauma (blunt/penetrating), and the presence of extrathoracic injuries) was statistically significant to predict in-hospital morbidity (X2 (6, n = 168) = 13.1; p=0.041), explaining between 7.5% (Cox and Snell R2) and 14.5% (Nagelkerke R2) of variance. The automobile accidents (OR: 2.3, 95% CI = 0.2–26.2) and being males (OR: 2.3, 95% CI = 0.6–9.0) were the strongest predictors of morbidity.
Study on Dynamic Response Laws and Shock Absorption Measures of Mountain Tunnel under Strong Earthquake
Authors: Lin Zhi , Yan Lei , Xiang Chen , Yang Hongyun
Published: June 2020

Based on the longitudinal and transverse seismic and shock absorption theory of tunnel structure, relying on the actual engineering, a finite element analysis model of a typical mountain tunnel was established. Four calculation conditions including the presence or absence of shock absorption layers and seismic joints are defined. The principal tensile (compressive) stress and displacement response of the vault, arch waist, foot of side wall, and middle of invert are studied. The results show that the shock absorption layer and the seismic joint have great influence on the dynamic response of the tunnel structure, which can reduce the main tensile (pressure) stress of different parts of the lining and change the way of stress distribution. The peak principal tensile (pressure) stress of the lining is reduced more obviously when the shock absorption layer and seismic joint are set. However, the presence of the shock absorption layer and the seismic joint will increase the peak displacement of each monitoring point of lining. The displacement of each monitoring point of lining is increased more obviously by the single shock absorption layer. Therefore, when the seismic design of the tunnel structure is carried out, the maximum seismic demand of the tunnel structure should be determined according to the specific calculation content in order to guide the design.
Biomarkers for Predicting Left Atrial or Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus in Anticoagulated Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Zhou Xue , Wang Zuolan , Dou Shuang , Chen Kangyin , Liu Enzhao , Liu Tong , Li Guangping , Che Jingjin
Published: June 2020

Purpose. Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is often associated with thromboembolic complications, there is no definite biomarker for detecting the presence of thrombi in the left atrial (LA) or left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods. NVAF patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to evaluate LA/LAA thrombus and spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) before AF ablation were included. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed to explore the independent risk factors of LA/LAA thrombus and indicate the best cutoff point. Results. Of the 260 consecutive subjects (mean age: 63.67 ± 9.39 years; 42% women), 45 (17.3%) patients were with LA/LAA thrombus, 131 (50.4%) were with SEC, and 84 (32.3%) were with neither thrombus nor SEC. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (OR, 2.179; 95% CI: 1.191–3.987; p=0.012) and red cell distribution width (RDW) (OR, 2.398; 95% CI: 1.075–5.349; p=0.033) were independently correlated with the presence of LA/LAA thrombus but not D-dimer (OR, 0.999; 95% CI: 0.998–1.000; p=0.210). When all patients were divided into four groups based on the combination between RDW (cutoff value: 12.95%) and NT-proBNP levels (cutoff value: 368.9 ng/L), the rate of LA/LAA thrombus was the highest in the high RDW and NT-proBNP group. Conclusion. In anticoagulation patients with NVAF, elevated NT-proBNP and RDW are related to LA/LAA thrombus. Therefore, these might be considered as useful prognostic markers in the management and treatment of NVAF patients.
Existence, Uniqueness, and Almost Sure Exponential Stability of Solutions to Nonlinear Stochastic System with Markovian Switching and Lévy Noises
Authors: Wei Chao
Published: June 2020

This paper is concerned with existence, uniqueness, and almost sure exponential stability of solutions to nonlinear stochastic system with Markovian switching and Lévy noises. Firstly, the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the system is studied. Then, the almost sure exponential stability of the system is derived. Finally, an example is presented to illustrate the results.
Apatinib Inhibits the Invasion and Metastasis of Liver Cancer Cells by Downregulating MMP‐Related Proteins via Regulation of the NF‐κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: He Xiaoxiao , Huang Zaozao , Liu Ping , Li Qiuting , Wang Mengmeng , Qiu Mengjun , Xiong Zhifan , Yang Shengli
Published: June 2020

Objective. We aimed to investigate whether apatinib has an inhibitory effect on the invasion and metastasis of liver cancer in vitro. Methods. The anti‐invasion and antimetastasis effects of apatinib in HepG2, Hep3B,Huh7 and SMMC‐7721 liver cancer cell lines were tested by the wound‐healing and transwell invasion assays. Real‐time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the influence of apatinib on the gene expression of MMPs, TIMPs, and constituents of the NF‐κB signaling pathway in Hep3B and HepG2 liver cell lines. Results. Apatinib has a significant inhibitory effect on the metastasis and invasion of liver cancer cells. The expression levels of MMP‐1, MMP‐2, MMP‐3, MMP‐7, MMP‐9, MMP‐10, MMP‐11, and MMP‐16 were downregulated, while the expression levels of TIMP‐3 and TIMP‐4 were upregulated by apatinib treatment at both the mRNA and protein levels. The phosphorylation of IκBα and NF‐κB p65 was significantly reduced compared with that in the control group. Conclusions. Apatinib inhibits the invasion and metastasis of human liver cancer cells by downregulating the expression of MMP‐related genes. This may be achieved by inhibiting the activation of the NF‐κB signaling pathway.
Negative Regulation of Tec Kinase Alleviates LPS‐Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Mice via theTLR4/NF‐κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhou Ping , Jiang Xiao , Fan Zhe , Xu Xingxin , Wang Fei
Published: June 2020

Tec kinase is an important mediator in inflammatory immune response that enhances the activity of neutrophils and macrophages. However, information on its function in lipopolysaccharide‐ (LPS‐) induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is limited. This study is aimed at determining whether Tec kinase was a regulator in AKI. An AKI model in mice was successfully established using intraperitoneal LPS. Results showed that the serum levels of creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and cystatin‐C (Cys‐C) increased after intraperitoneal LPS injection. Renal tissue sustained significantly severe injury as measured by pathological scores. Pretreatment with LFM‐A13 improved the function of the kidney in mice and decreased the renal injury score. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay showed that LFM‐A13 significantly reduced the release of IL‐1β and TNF‐α in mice exposed to LPS. LFM‐A13 can evidently abrogate the expression of Tec protein, MyD88, TLR4, NF‐κB p65, and Tec’s phosphorylated protein as determined by Western blot. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that LFM‐A13 markedly downregulated the expression of Tec kinase in renal tubular epithelial cells. In vitro, Tec kinase protein was expressed highly in NRK‐52E cells after LPS exposure. Tec‐siRNA also decreased IL‐1β and TNF‐α production and obviously abolished phospho‐p65 and phospho‐IκBα expression in NRK‐52E cell stimulated by LPS; however, Tec‐siRNA increased the IκBα level. Altogether, these data suggested that Tec kinase can be a modulating protein in AKI through TLR4/NF‐κB activation.
A Systematic Review of the Prevalence and Diagnostic Workup of PIK3CA Mutations in HR+/HER2– Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Anderson Elizabeth J. , Mollon Lea E. , Dean Joni L. , Warholak Terri L. , Aizer Ayal , Platt Emma A. , Tang Derek H. , Davis Lisa E.
Published: June 2020

PIK3CA mutation frequency varies among breast cancer (BC) subtypes. Recent evidence suggests combination therapy with the PI3K inhibitor (PI3Ki) alpelisib and endocrine therapy (ET) improves response rates and progression-free survival (PFS) in PIK3CA-mutant, hormone receptor positive (HR+) BC versus ET alone; thus, better understanding the clinical and epidemiologic elements of these mutations is warranted. This systematic review characterizes the PIK3CA mutation epidemiology, type of testing approaches (e.g., liquid or tissue tumor biopsy), and stability/concordance (e.g., consistency in results by liquid versus solid tumor sample, by the same method over time) in patients with HR+/HER2– advanced (locally unresectable) or metastatic disease (HR+/HER2– mBC) and explores performance (e.g., pairwise concordance, sensitivity, specificity, or predictive value) of respective mutation findings. A comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, and select conference abstracts (i.e., AACR, ASCO, SABCS, ECCO, and ESMO conferences between 2014 and 2017) identified 39 studies of patients with HR+, HER2– mBC. The median prevalence of PIK3CA mutation was 36% (range: 13.3% to 61.5%); identified testing approaches more commonly used tissue over liquid biopsies and primarily utilized next-generation sequencing (NGS), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or Sanger sequencing. There was concordance and stability between tissues (range: 70.4% to 94%) based on limited data. Given the clinical benefit of the PI3Ki alpelisib in patients with PIK3CA mutant HR+/HER2– mBC, determination of tumor PIK3CA mutation status is of importance in managing patients with HR+/HER2– mBC. Prevalence of this mutation and utility of test methodologies likely warrants PIK3CA mutation testing in all patients with this breast cancer subtype via definitive assessment of PIK3CA mutational status.
Gut Microbiota and Liver Fibrosis: One Potential Biomarker for Predicting Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Li Zhiming , Ni Ming , Yu Haiyang , Wang Lili , Zhou Xiaoming , Chen Tao , Liu Guangzhen , Gao Yuanxiang
Published: June 2020

Purpose. To investigate the relationship between gut microbiota and liver fibrosis and establish a microbiota biomarker for detecting and staging liver fibrosis. Methods. 131 Wistar rats were used in our study, and liver fibrosis was induced by carbon tetrachloride. Stool samples were collected within 72 hours after the last administration. The V4 regions of 16S rRNA gene were amplified. The sequencing data was processed using the Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME version 1.9). The diversity, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) were performed. Random‐Forest classification was performed for discriminating the samples from different groups. Microbial function was assessed using the PICRUST. Results. The Simpson in the control group was lower than that in the liver fibrosis group (p = 0.048) and differed significantly among different fibrosis stages (p = 0.047). The Chao1 index in the control group was higher than that in the liver fibrosis group (p < 0.001). NMDS analysis showed a marked difference between the control and liver fibrosis groups (p < 0.001). PCoA analysis indicated the different community composition between the control and liver fibrosis groups with variances of PC1 13.76% and PC2 5.89% and between different liver fibrosis stages with variances of PC1 10.51% and PC2 7.78%. LEfSe analysis showed alteration of gut microbiota in the liver fibrosis group. Biomarkers obtained from Random‐Forest classification showed excellent diagnostic accuracy in prediction of liver fibrosis with AUROCs of 0.99. The AUROCs were 0.77~0.84 in prediction of stage F4. There were six increased and 17 decreased metabolic functions in the liver fibrosis group and 6 metabolic functions significantly differed among four liver fibrosis stages. Conclusion. Gut microbiota is a potential biomarker for detecting and staging liver fibrosis with high diagnostic accuracies.
Mixed H2/H∞ Control for Itô-type Stochastic Time-Delay Systems with Applications to Clothing Hanging Device
Authors: Qi Yan , Zhang Min , Yan Zhiguo
Published: June 2020

This paper deals with the problem of mixed H2/H∞ control for Itô-type stochastic time-delay systems. First, the H2/H∞ control problem for stochastic time-delay systems is presented, which considers the mean square stability, H2 control performance index, and the ability of disturbance attenuation of the closed-loop systems. Second, by choosing an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasoviskii functional and using matrix inequality technique, some sufficient conditions for the existence of state feedback H2/H∞ controller for stochastic time-delay systems are obtained in the form of linear matrix inequalities. Third, two convex optimization problems with linear matrix inequality constraints are formulated to design the optimal mixed H2/H∞ controller which minimizes the guaranteed cost of the closed-loop systems with known and unknown initial functions, and the corresponding algorithm is given to optimize H2/H∞ performance index. Finally, a numerical example is employed to show the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.
Integrated Metabolomic and Lipidomic Analysis Reveals the Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Bushen Tiansui Formula in an Aβ1-42-Induced Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Yi Min , Zhang Chunhu , Zhang Zheyu , Yi Pengji , Xu Panpan , Huang Jianhua , Peng Weijun
Published: June 2020

Bushen Tiansui Formula (BSTSF) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription. It has been widely applied to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the clinic; however, the mechanisms underlying its effects remain largely unknown. In this study, we used a rat AD model to study the effects of BSTSF on cognitive performance, and UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomic and lipidomic analysis was further performed to identify significantly altered metabolites in the cerebral cortices of AD rats and determine the effects of BSTSF on the metabolomic and lipidomic profiles in the cerebral cortices of these animals. The results revealed that the levels of 47 metabolites and 30 lipids primarily associated with sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and linoleic acid metabolism were significantly changed in the cerebral cortices of AD rats. Among the altered lipids, ceramides, phosphatidylethanolamines, lysophosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylserines, sphingomyelins, and phosphatidylglycerols showed robust changes. Moreover, 34 differential endogenous metabolites and 21 lipids, of which the levels were mostly improved in the BSTSF treatment group, were identified as potential therapeutic targets of BSTSF against AD. Our results suggest that lipid metabolism is highly dysregulated in the cerebral cortices of AD rats, and BSTSF may exert its neuroprotective mechanisms by restoring metabolic balance, including that of sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism. Our data may lead to a deeper understanding of the AD-associated metabolic profile and shed new light on the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of BSTSF.
Cabozantinib, a Multityrosine Kinase Inhibitor of MET and VEGF Receptors Which Suppresses Mouse Laser-Induced Choroidal Neovascularization
Authors: Zhang Xiaoli , Zhu Manhui , Xie Laiqing , Sun Xiaodong , Xu Jiaowen , Guo Yang , Liu Dong , Shi Yunwei , Xu Xun , Song E
Published: June 2020

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly in developed countries and is particularly associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Cabozantinib (CBZ) hinders the activation of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases involved in tumor angiogenesis, such as hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). We aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of CBZ in a mouse laser-induced CNV model. In zebrafish embryos, CBZ perturbed intersegmental vessel (ISV) formation without obvious neurodevelopment impairment. In the mouse laser-induced CNV model, phosphorylated hepatocyte growth factor receptor (p-MET) and phosphorylated vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (p-VEGFR2) were increased in the CNV region. CBZ intravitreal injection or oral gavage alleviated CNV leakage and the CNV lesion area without obvious intraocular toxicity, as well as disturbed the phosphorylation of MET and VEGFR2. Additionally, CBZ downregulated the expression of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) with no effect on the expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). CBZ downregulated HGF, p-MET, and p-VEGFR2 expressionsin vitro, as well as inhibited the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of b-End3 cells. In summary, CBZ alleviates mouse CNV formation possibly via inhibiting the activation of MET and VEGFR2. The findings provide a novel potential therapy method for CNV patients.
Warehouse-Oriented Optimal Path Planning for Autonomous Mobile Fire-Fighting Robots
Authors: Liu Yong-tao , Sun Rui-zhi , Zhang Tian-yi , Zhang Xiang-nan , Li Li , Shi Guo-qing
Published: June 2020

In order to achieve the fastest fire-fighting purpose, warehouse autonomous mobile fire-fighting robots need to make an overall optimal planning based on the principle of the shortest time for their traveling path. A∗ algorithm is considered as a very ideal shortest path planning algorithm, but the shortest path is not necessarily the optimal path for robots. Furthermore, the conventional A∗ algorithm is affected by the search neighborhood restriction and the theoretical characteristics, so there are many problems, which are closing to obstacles, more inflection points, more redundant points, larger total turning angle, etc. Therefore, A∗ algorithm is improved in eight ways, and the inflection point prior strategy is adopted to compromise Floyd algorithm and A∗ algorithm in this paper. According to the criterion of the inflection point in this paper, the path inflection point arrays are constructed and traveling all path nodes are replaced by traveling path inflection points for the conventional Floyd algorithm backtracking, so it greatly reduces the backtracking time of the smooth path. In addition, this paper adopts the method of the extended grid map obstacle space in path planning safety distance. According to the relationship between the actual scale of the warehouse grid map and the size of the robot body, the different safe distance between the planning path and the obstacles is obtained, so that the algorithm can be applied to the safe path planning of the different size robots in any map environments. Finally, compared with the conventional A∗ algorithm, the improved algorithm reduces by 7.846% for the path length, reduces by 71.429% for the number of the cumulative turns, and reduces by 75% for the cumulative turning angle through the experiment. The proposed method can ensure robots to move fast on the planning path and ultimately achieve the goal of reducing the number of inflection points, reducing the cumulative turning angle, and reducing the path planning time.
Invasive Thymoma with Right Upper Lobe Endobronchial Lesion and Autoimmune Enteropathy
Authors: Datar Saumil , De La Garza Henriette , Srinivasan Aditya , Iliescu Gloria , Kalhor Neda , Grosu Horiana
Published: June 2020

Thymomas are slow-growing neoplasia arising from the epithelial cells of the thymus that usually present with respiratory symptoms, superior vena cava syndrome, or parathymic syndromes. Approximately 30% of thymomas develop myasthenia gravis. An additional 5% of patients with thymomas have other systemic syndromes, including rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis, red cell aplasia, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Cushing syndrome. Rarely, patients can present with diarrhea due to thymoma-associated autoimmune gastrointestinal pathologies that include Good syndrome (acquired hypogammaglobulinemia), thymoma- associated multiorgan autoimmunity, and autoimmune enteropathy. We present an uncommon and interesting case of an invasive metastatic thymoma with right upper lobe endobronchial lesion and autoimmune enteropathy in a 27-year-old female. The novelty of this case lay in the findings of extensive metastatic thymoma with right upper lobe endobronchial disease and autoimmune diarrhea.
Olaparib Outcomes in Patients with BRCA 1-2 Mutated, Platinum-Sensitive, Recurrent Ovarian Cancer in Croatia: A Retrospective Noninterventional Study
Authors: Majić Ana , Miše Branka Petrić , Matković Višnja , Belac Lovasić Ingrid , Katić Kristina , Canjko Ivana , Frobe Ana , Bajić Žarko , Vrdoljak Eduard
Published: June 2020

Our objective was to assess the safety and efficacy of olaparib in maintenance therapy of BRCA 1-2 mutated, platinum-sensitive, recurrent ovarian carcinoma after the partial or complete response to the second or further lines platinum-based chemotherapy in a real-world setting. We performed a multicenter, real-world observational population-based cohort study on the whole population of Croatian patients initiated to olaparib maintenance therapy between 2016 and 2020. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival and the discontinuation of treatment because of adverse events. We enrolled the total population of 69 patients with the median (interquartile range; IQR) age of 53 (48–59), 56 (81%) of them with BRCA1 mutation. The median (IQR) follow-up was 16 (9–25) months. Treatment had to be discontinued because of toxicity in 2 (3%) and temporarily interrupted in 14 (20%), while dose was reduced because of toxicity in 18 (26%) of patients. Toxicity of any grade was observed in 61 (88%) patients and toxicity of grade 3 or 4 in 12 (17%). Median progression-free survival was 21 (95% CI 16-not calculable) months from the introduction of olaparib, and the median overall survival was not reached. Our study confirmed efficacy and safety of olaparib as the maintenance therapy of BRCA 1-2 mutated, platinum-sensitive, recurrent ovarian carcinoma. We observed the real-world efficacy and safety comparable to those observed in the randomized controlled trials. We found the interesting observation of better efficacy of 300 mg tablets, compared to 400 mg capsules, an issue that should be addressed on much larger real-world populations.
Robotic-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy and Adrenalectomy: Case of a Pheochromocytoma Invading into Renal Parenchyma
Authors: Gul Zeynep G. , Liaw Christine W. , Reddy Avinash , Mehrazin Reza
Published: June 2020

Although upper pole renal masses and adrenal masses can usually be distinguished on cross-sectional imaging, large masses can obscure the boundaries between the kidney and adrenal gland. We describe a unique case of an adrenal pheochromocytoma in a 42-year-old female who was referred for robotic partial nephrectomy. During the procedure, the patient developed severe hypertension. The case was aborted, and the workup revealed pheochromocytoma. After appropriate pretreatment, the patient underwent a successful robotic adrenalectomy and partial nephrectomy. Therefore, we recommend screening patients with hypertension and large upper pole masses for pheochromocytoma to better direct preoperative management.