bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of national HIV testing recommendations and local interventions on HIV testing practices in a Swiss university hospital: a retrospective analysis between 2012 and 2015
Authors: Lazzarino Tosca , Martenet Sebastien , Mamin Rachel , Du Pasquier Renaud A , Peters Solange , Perreau Matthieu , Muller Olivier , Hugli Olivier , Cavassini Matthias , Darling Katharine Elizabeth Anna
Published: October 2018

Objectives

Despite HIV testing recommendations published by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) since 2007, many individuals living with HIV are diagnosed late in Switzerland. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the 2013 FOPH HIV testing recommendations on HIV testing rates.

Setting

Ten clinical services at Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Participants

Patients attending between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2015.

Design

Retrospective analysis using two existing hospital databases. HIV testing rates calculated as the percentage of tests performed (from the Immunology Service database) per number of patients seen (from the central hospital database).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was testing rate change following the 2013 FOPH testing recommendations, comparing testing rates 2 years before and 2 years after their publication. Secondary outcomes were demographic factors of patients tested or not tested for HIV.

Results

147 884 patients were seen during the study period of whom 9653 (6.5%) were tested for HIV, with 34 new HIV diagnoses. Mean testing rate increased from 5.6% to 7.8% after the recommendations (p=0.001). Testing rate increases were most marked in services involved in clinical trials on HIV testing, whose staff had attended training seminars on testing indications and practice. Testing rates were lower among older (aged >50 years), female and Swiss patients compared with younger, male and non-Swiss patients, both globally (p=0.001) and in specific clinical services.

Conclusions

This simple two-database tool demonstrates clinical services in which HIV testing practice can be optimised. Improved testing rates in services involved in clinical trials on testing suggest that local engagement complements the effect of national recommendations. While, overall, HIV testing rates increased significantly over time, testing rates were lower among patients with similar demographic profiles to individuals diagnosed late in Switzerland.
Glimepiride monotherapy versus combination of glimepiride and linagliptin therapy in patients with HNF1A-diabetes: a protocol for a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Sidelmann Christensen Alexander , Storgaard Heidi , Hædersdal Sofie , Hansen Torben , Krag Knop Filip , Vilsbøll Tina
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α (HNF1A)-diabetes is the most common monogenetic subtype of diabetes. Strict glycaemic control is crucial for a good prognosis for patients with HNF1A-diabetes. Sulfonylurea (SU) is used as a first-line therapy in HNF1A-diabetes. However, SU therapy may be problematic as it confers a high risk of hypoglycaemia. We hypothesise that low dose of SU in combination with a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor provides a safer and more efficacious treatment in patients with HNF1A-diabetes compared with SU as monotherapy.

Methods and analysis

In a randomised, double-blinded, crossover study, patients with HNF1A-diabetes will randomly be assigned to 16 weeks of treatment with glimepiride+linagliptin, 4 weeks of washout and 16 weeks of treatment with glimepiride+placebo (or vice versa). Treatment will be evaluated with continuous glucose monitoring and combined meal and bicycle tests conducted at baseline and at the end of each of the two treatment periods. The primary end point is the absolute difference in the mean amplitude of glycaemic excursions between the two treatments (glimepiride+linagliptin vs glimepiride+placebo) at the end of each treatment period.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol is approved by the Danish Medicines Agency, The Scientific-Ethical Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark (H-17014518) and the Danish Data Protection Agency. The trial will be carried out and monitored in compliance with Good Clinical Practice guidelines and in accordance with the latest version of the Declaration of Helsinki. Positive, negative and inconclusive results will be published at scientific conferences and as one or more scientific manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals with authorship in accordance with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ recommendations.

Trial registration number

2017-000204-15.
Mosaicism and incomplete penetrance of PCDH19 mutations
Authors: Liu Aijie , Yang Xiaoxu , Yang Xiaoling , Wu Qixi , Zhang Jing , Sun Dan , Yang Zhixian , Jiang Yuwu , Wu Xiru , Wei Liping , Zhang Yuehua
Published: October 2018

Background

Mutations in the PCDH19 gene have mainly been reported in female patients with epilepsy. To date, PCDH19 mutations have been reported in hundreds of females and only in 10 mosaic male epileptic patients with mosaicism.

Objective

We aimed to investigate the occurrence of mosaic PCDH19 mutations in 42 families comprising at least one patient with PCDH19-related epilepsy.

Methods

Two male patients with mosaic PCDH19 variants were identified using targeted next-generation sequencing. Forty female patients with PCDH19 variants were identified by Sanger sequencing and Multiple Ligation Probe Amplification (MLPA). Microdroplet digital PCR was used to quantify the mutant allelic fractions (MAFs) in 20 families with PCDH19 variants.

Results

Five mosaic individuals, four males and one female, were identified in total. Mosaic variant was confirmed in multiple somatic tissues from one male patient and in blood from the other male patient. Among 22 female patients harbouring a newly occurred PCDH19 variant identified by Sanger sequencing and MLPA, Sanger sequencing revealed two mosaic fathers (9%, 2/22), one with two affected daughters and the other with an affected child. Two asymptomatic mosaic fathers were confirmed as gonosomal mosaicism, with MAFs ranging from 4.16% to 37.38% and from 1.27% to 19.13%, respectively. In 11 families with apparent de novo variants, 1 female patient was identified as a mosaic with a blood MAF of 26.72%.

Conclusion

Our study provides new insights into phenotype-genotype correlations in PCDH19 related epilepsy and the finding of high-frequency mosaicism has important implications for genetic counselling.
Anthropometric measures associated with fat mass estimation in children and adolescents with HIV
Authors: Alves Junior Carlos A.S. , de Lima Luiz Rodrigo Augustemak , de Souza Michele Caroline , Silva Diego Augusto Santos
Published: October 2018

To verify the association between anthropometric indicators and body fat percentage estimated by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and air displacement plethysmography (ADP) in children and adolescents diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This cross-sectional study was carried out with 62 children and adolescents with HIV (aged 8 to 15 years). Body fat percentage was estimated by DXA and ADP. Anthropometric indicators were skinfolds (abdominal, triceps, subscapular, calf), perimeter relaxed arm (PRA), waist circumference (WC), perimeter neck, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, conicity index, and body adiposity index. Linear regressions were performed with 5% significance level. In boys (adjusted R2 (R2adj) = 0.38 to R2adj = 0.67) and girls (R2adj = 0.41 to R2adj = 0.57), all anthropometric indicators were associated with body fat percentage estimated by DXA. For boys, skinfolds were associated with body fat percentage estimated by ADP (R2adj = 0.18 to R2adj = 0.35). In girls, skinfolds (R2adj = 0.27 to R2adj = 0.44, BMI (R2adj = 0.31), PRA (R2adj = 0.36), and WC (R2adj = 0.26) were associated to body fat percentage by ADP. Abdominal skinfold was the indicator that most explained the variation in body fat percentage measured by DXA and ADP in both sexes. Anthropometric indicators are strongly associated with body fat, measured by reference methods, and can assist health professionals in monitoring the health of children and adolescents with HIV.
Effect of multiple micronutrient fortified milk consumption on vitamin D status among school-aged children in rural region of Morocco
Authors: Benjeddou Kaoutar , Qandoussi Latifa , Mekkaoui Bouchra , Rabi Baha , El Hamdouchi Asmaa , Raji Fatiha , Saeid Naima , Belghiti Hakim , Elkari Khalid , Aguenaou Hassan
Published: October 2018

Vitamin D deficiency is a health problem in both developed and developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of multi-vitamin fortified milk consumption on vitamin D status among children living in the mountainous region of Morocco. Children aged 7 to 9 years (n = 239; 49% of girls vs 51% of boys) participated in a double-blind longitudinal study, where they were divided in 2 groups: a fortified group that received daily 200 mL of fortified ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk enriched with 3 μg of vitamin D3 and a nonfortified group that received 200 mL of nonfortified UHT milk with a natural abundance of vitamin D3 (about 1.5 μg). Blood samples were collected 3 times (at baseline, then at the fourth and ninth months). The average weight, height, and z score of body mass index for age of participants were 22.8 ± 2.6 kg, 121.5 ± 5.2 cm, and –0.2 ± 0.6 kg/m2, respectively. At baseline, 47.5% of children had a concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D below 50 nmol/L. At the end of the study the prevalence of vitamin D <50 nmol/L decreased significantly by 37.6% in the fortified group. These results reveal prevalent vitamin D insufficiency (<50 nmol/L) during winter among rural Moroccan school-aged children, which seems to be better improved by consuming the fortified milk instead of the nonfortified one.
Ribbon-clasp T2-knots and semi-welded knots
Authors: Kawamura Kengo
Published: October 2018

The notion of ribbon-clasp surface-links is a generalization of ribbon surface-links. It is known that any ribbon [Formula: see text]-knot is presented by a welded knot, and then its knot group is isomorphic to the group of the welded knot. In this paper, we define the group of a semi-welded knot. We show that any ribbon-clasp [Formula: see text]-knot is presented by a semi-welded knot and that the knot group of the ribbon-clasp [Formula: see text]-knot is isomorphic to the group of the semi-welded knot.
Leavitt path algebras with bounded index of nilpotence
Authors: Rangaswamy Kulumani M. , Srivastava Ashish K.
Published: October 2018

In this paper we completely describe graphically Leavitt path algebras with bounded index of nilpotence. We show that the Leavitt path algebra [Formula: see text] has index of nilpotence at most [Formula: see text] if and only if no cycle in the graph [Formula: see text] has an exit and there is a fixed positive integer [Formula: see text] such that the number of distinct paths that end at any given vertex [Formula: see text] (including [Formula: see text], but not including the entire cycle [Formula: see text] in case [Formula: see text] lies on [Formula: see text]) is less than or equal to [Formula: see text]. Interestingly, the Leavitt path algebras having bounded index of nilpotence turn out to be precisely those that satisfy a polynomial identity. Furthermore, Leavitt path algebras with bounded index of nilpotence are shown to be directly-finite and to be [Formula: see text]-graded [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] rings. As an application of our results, we answer an open question raised in [S. K. Jain, A. K. Srivastava and A. A. Tuganbaev, Cyclic Modules and the Structure of Rings, Oxford Mathematical Monographs (Oxford University Press, 2012)] whether an exchange [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] ring has bounded index of nilpotence.
Application of 0D model of blood flow to study vessel abnormalities in the human systemic circulation: An in-silico study
Authors: Gul R. , Shahzad A. , Zubair M.
Published: October 2018

In this paper, a multi-compartment 0D model of the blood flow is considered to study the vessel abnormalities (stenoses and aneurysms) in the human systemic circulation (SC). In the complete SC, different levels of stenosis and aneurysms are artificially created by decreasing and increasing the vessel diameters respectively and their effects on pressure and flow are studied using sensitivity analysis (SA). Normalized local sensitivity analysis (LSA) is used to study the impact of stenosis and aneurysms on pressure and flow wave pattern. Furthermore, global sensitivity analysis (GSA), Sobol’s method is used to quantify the overall influence of stenoses and aneurysms in the complete SC.

The results of global sensitivity analysis revealed that the impact of both stenoses and aneurysms is strong within the individual structures (arm, legs, carotid bifurcation, aorta), while, aortic stenoses and aneurysms have effect on almost all downstream nodes. Moreover, the study could be useful for medical doctors, teachers and students to observe the hemodynamical changes in the SC with respect to vessel abnormalities, which could further help in making any clinical decision for patients having different levels of vessel abnormalities in any part or structure of the SC.
A novel iron modified montmorillonite composite and its enhanced performance for tetracycline hydrochloride adsorption
Authors: Yang Wei , Guo Sheng , Chen Jinyi , Naeem Abdul , Fida Hussain , Hamayun Muhammad
Published: October 2018

Iron-modified montmorillonite (Mt) composites with controlled interlayer spacing were successfully synthesized through Fenton-like process with the addition of different concentrations of Rhodamine B (RhB). The physicochemical properties of the resulting samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was worth noting that the adsorption efficiency of the composite for tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) increased with the increase of the RhB concentration during preparation. The maximum adsorption capacity of the as-prepared composite toward TC was 192.4[Formula: see text]mg/g, which was much higher than that of the Mt (144.9[Formula: see text]mg/g). Moreover, the as-prepared adsorbent showed high adsorption capacity of TC in a wide pH range of 3.0–9.0. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order equation and the Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting the mono-layer chemisorption of the adsorption process. The present work may provide a new strategy for the design and fabrication of functional clay-based materials.
Temperature-Dependent Magnetization Switching in FeGd Ferrimagnets
Authors: Fu Zuwei , Zhang Zongzhi , Liu Yaowen
Published: October 2018

Laser-induced magnetization switching in GdFe ferrimagnets strongly depends on the pulse duration. To gain insight into the ferrimagnetic switching process, Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert (LLG) spin dynamic modeling is performed at an atomistic-level with two sub-lattice systems. The switching dynamics triggered by laser pulses can be considered as two stages: Demagnetization stage by the laser pulse heating and re-magnetization at the cooling down stage after the pulse impulsion. By tuning the laser pulse duration, the intensity of demagnetization can be well controlled, by which the subsequent magnetization switching during the cooling process can be obtained. The simulation results indicate that the occurrence of the transient ferromagnetic-like (TFL) state is necessary during the magnetization switching process. Furthermore, the thermal temperature and heating time play an important role for the ferrimagnetic switching. In the overheating region, the random switching behavior appears because the TFL state is uncontrollable.
The Effect of Distal Phalanx Bony Dimensions in Suture Anchor Fixations of Tendon Avulsion
Authors: Samson Deepak , Gupta Manish
Published: October 2018

Background: The terminal phalanx of the fingers carries the attachment of the Flexor Digitorum Profundus (FDP) on the volar surface and the extensor on the dorsal surface. Avulsion of these tendons has traditionally been repaired with pull-through sutures. Recently, bone anchor sutures have been found to be of comparable biomechanical strength but with the added advantage of technical ease and fewer complications. However, the dimensions of the bone, at the site of insertion of the anchors, have never been studied.

Methods: Following some cases of penetration of the dorsal cortex by the anchors, we measured the antero-posterior dimensions of the terminal phalanx in 251 digits from plain radiographs and compared these with the dimensions of the commonly used bone anchors. We also compared male and female digits.

Results: The anchors were oversized in 76% of index, 78% of ring and 100% of little fingers in the female population and in 49%, 44% and 97% of index, ring and little fingers respectively in the male population.

Conclusions: This analysis of bone dimensions can be a useful guide to surgeons in choosing the appropriate implant for flexor tendon avulsions.
Ideal and real structures of different forms of carbon, with some remarks on their geological significance
Authors: Langenhorst Falko , Campione Marcello
Published: October 2018

Carbon is found in nature in a huge variety of allotropic forms and recent research in materials science has encouraged the development of technological materials based on nanocarbon. Carbon atoms with
sp
2
or
sp
3
hybridization can be thought of as building blocks. Following a bottom-up approach, we show how graphene and diamond molecules are built up and how their properties vary with size, reaching an upper limit with bulk graphite and diamond. Carbon atoms with
sp
2
hybridization give rise to an impressive number of different materials, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene nanoribbons, porous carbon and fullerene. As in any crystalline phase, the crystal structures of natural carbon allotropes (i.e. graphite and diamond) contain various types of imperfections. These so-called lattice defects are classified by their dimensions into 0D (point), 1D (line), 2D (planar) and 3D (volume) defects. Lattice defects control the physical properties of crystals and are often a fingerprint of the geological environment in which they formed and were modified. Direct observations of lattice defects are commonly accomplished by transmission electron microscopy. We present and discuss the ideal and real structures of carbon allotropes, the energetics of lattice defects and their significance in understanding geological processes and conditions.
From Visual Understanding to Complex Object Manipulation
Authors: Bütepage Judith , Cruciani Silvia , Kokic Mia , Welle Michael , Kragic Danica
Published: October 2018

Planning and executing object manipulation requires integrating multiple sensory and motor channels while acting under uncertainty and complying with task constraints. As the modern environment is tuned for human hands, designing robotic systems with similar manipulative capabilities is crucial. Research on robotic object manipulation is divided into smaller communities interested in, e.g., motion planning, grasp planning, sensorimotor learning, and tool use. However, few attempts have been made to combine these areas into holistic systems. In this review, we aim to unify the underlying mechanics of grasping and in-hand manipulation by focusing on the temporal aspects of manipulation, including visual perception, grasp planning and execution, and goal-directed manipulation. Inspired by human manipulation, we envision that an emphasis on the temporal integration of these processes opens the way for human-like object use by robots.
The Syntax–Prosody Interface
Authors: Bennett Ryan , Elfner Emily
Published: October 2018

This article provides an overview of current and historically important issues in the study of the syntax–prosody interface, the point of interaction between syntactic structure and phrase-level phonology. We take a broad view of the syntax–prosody interface, surveying both direct and indirect reference theories, with a focus on evaluating the continuing prominent role of prosodic hierarchy theory in shaping our understanding of this area of linguistics. Specific topics discussed in detail include the identification of prosodic domains, the universality of prosodic categories, the recent resurgence of interest in the role of recursion in prosodic structure, crosslinguistic variation in syntax–prosody mapping, prosodic influences on syntax and word order, and the influence of sentence processing in the planning and shaping of prosodic domains. We consider criticisms of prosodic hierarchy theory in particular, and provide an assessment of the future of prosodic hierarchy theory in research on the syntax–prosody interface.
Distributivity in Formal Semantics
Authors: Champollion Lucas
Published: October 2018

Distributivity in natural language occurs in sentences such as John and Mary (each) took a deep breath, when a predicate that is combined with a plurality-denoting expression is understood as holding of each of the members of that plurality. Language provides ways to express distributivity overtly, with words such as English each, but also covertly, when no one word can be regarded as contributing it. Both overt and covert distributivity occur in a wide variety of constructions. This article reviews and synthesizes influential approaches to distributivity in formal semantics and includes pointers to some more recent approaches. Theories of distributivity can be distinguished on the basis of how they answer a number of interrelated questions: To what extent can distributivity be attributed to what we know about the world, as opposed to the meanings of words or silent operators? What is the relationship between distributivity and plurality? Does distributivity always reach down to the singular individuals in a plurality? If not, under what circumstances is distributivity over subgroups possible, and what is its relation to distributivity over individuals?
Sepiapterin alleviates impaired gastric nNOS function in spontaneous diabetic female rodents through NRF2 mRNA turnover and miRNA biogenesis pathway
Authors: Gangula Pandu R. , Challagundla Kishore B. , Ravella Kalpana , Mukhopadhyay Sutapa , Chinnathambi Vijayakumar , Mittal Mukul K. , Sekhar K. Raja , Sampath Chethan
Published: October 2018

An impaired nitrergic system and altered redox signaling contribute to gastric dysmotility in diabetics. Our earlier studies show that NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and phase II antioxidant enzymes play a vital role in gastric neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) function. This study aims to investigate whether supplementation of sepiapterin (SEP), a precursor for tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) (a cofactor of NOS) via the salvage pathway, restores altered nitrergic systems and redox balance in spontaneous diabetic (DB) female rats. Twelve-week spontaneous DB and age-matched, non-DB rats, with and without dietary SEP (daily 20 mg/kg body wt for 10 days) treatment, were used in this study. Gastric antrum muscular tissues were excised to investigate the effects of SEP in nitrergic relaxation and the nNOS-nitric oxide (NO)-NRF2 pathway(s). Dietary SEP supplementation significantly ( P < 0.05) reverted diabetes-induced changes in nNOS dimerization and function; nitric oxide (NO) downstream signaling molecules; HSP-90, a key regulator of nNOSα activity and dimerization; miRNA-28 that targets NRF2 messenger RNA (mRNA), and levels of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis pathway components, such as DGCR8 (DiGeorge Syndrome Critical Region Gene 8) and TRBP (HIV1-1 transactivating response RNA-binding protein). These findings emphasize the importance of the BH4 pathway in regulating gastric motility functions in DB animals by modulating nNOSα dimerization in association with changes in enteric NRF2 and NO downstream signaling. Our results also identify a new pathway, wherein SEP regulates NRF2 mRNA turnover by suppressing elevated miRNA-28, which could be related to alterations in miRNA biogenesis pathway components.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study is the first to show a causal link between NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in gastric motility function. Our data demonstrate that critical regulators of the miRNA biosynthetic pathway are upregulated in the diabetic (DB) setting; these regulators were rescued by sepiapterin (SEP) treatment. Finally, we show that low dihydrofolate reductase expression may lead to impaired nNOS dimerization/function-reduced nitric oxide downstream signaling and elevate oxidative stress by suppressing the NRF2/phase II pathway through miRNA; SEP treatment restored all of the above in DB gastric muscular tissue. We suggest that tetrahydrobiopterin supplementation may be a useful therapy for patients with diabetes, as well as women with idiopathic gastroparesis.
Airway smooth muscle photorelaxation via opsin receptor activation
Authors: Yim Peter D. , Gallos George , Perez-Zoghbi Jose F. , Zhang Yi , Xu Dingbang , Wu Amy , Berkowitz Dan E. , Emala Charles W.
Published: October 2018

Nonvisual opsin (OPN) receptors have recently been implicated in blue light-mediated photorelaxation of smooth muscle in various organs. Since photorelaxation has not yet been demonstrated in airway smooth muscle (ASM) or in human tissues, we questioned whether functional OPN receptors are expressed in mouse and human ASM. mRNA, encoding the OPN 3 receptor, was detected in both human and mouse ASM. To demonstrate the functionality of the OPN receptors, we performed wire myography of ex vivo ASM from mouse and human upper airways. Blue light-mediated relaxation of ACh-preconstricted airways was intensity and wavelength dependent (maximum relaxation at 430-nm blue light) and was inhibited by blockade of the large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels with iberiotoxin. We further implicated OPN receptors as key mediators in functional photorelaxation by demonstrating increased relaxation in the presence of a G protein receptor kinase 2 inhibitor or an OPN chromophore (9- cis retinal). We corroborated these responses in peripheral airways of murine precision-cut lung slices. This is the first demonstration of photorelaxation in ASM via an OPN receptor-mediated pathway.
Transgenic overexpression of active HDAC4 in the heart attenuates cardiac function and exacerbates remodeling in infarcted myocardium
Authors: Zhang Ling X. , Du Jianfeng , Zhao Yu Tina , Wang Jianguo , Zhang Shouyan , Dubielecka Patrycja M. , Wei Lei , Zhuang Shougang , Qin Gangjian , Chin Y. Eugene , Zhao Ting C.
Published: October 2018

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a critical role in modulating cardiac function and ischemic injury. HDAC4 was found to be elevated and activated in response to injury. However, whether HDAC4 mediates cardiac function is currently unknown. In this study, we created myocyte-specific activated HDAC4 transgenic mice to examine the role of HDAC4 in mediating cardiac function during development and response to infarction. There are no differences in cardiac function and gross phenotype between wild-type and cardiomyocyte-specific HDAC4 transgenic mice at 1 mo of age. However, cardiac dysfunction and vascular growth deficiency were displayed in 6-mo-old HDAC4-transgenic mice compared with wild-type mice. Activation of HDAC4 increased heart and myocyte size, hypertrophic proteins, and interstitial fibrosis in 6-mo-old mice but not in 1-mo-old mice. To further define whether activated HDAC4 in the heart could impact myocardial function and remodeling, myocardial infarction was created in both wild-type and cardiomyocyte-specific HDAC4-transgenic mice. In myocardial infarction, the overexpression of activated HDAC4 exacerbated cardiac dysfunction and augmented cardiac remodeling and interstitial fibrosis, which was associated with the reduction of cardiokines in the heart. These results indicate the activation of HDAC4 as a crucial regulator for cardiac function in development and myocardial infarction.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We created myocyte-specific activated HDAC4-transgenic mice to examine the function of HDAC4 in mediating cardiac function. HDAC4 overexpression led to cardiac dysfunction, which was associated with increased hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis. Furthermore, the overexpression of activated HDAC4 exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, augmented remodeling, and increased apoptosis in the infarcted heart. This is the first demonstration that transgenic overexpression of HDAC4 is crucial for modulation of cardiac function and remodeling.
Modelling mucosal surface roughness in the human velopharynx: a computational fluid dynamics study of healthy and obstructive sleep apnea airways
Authors: Lambeth Christopher , Wang Ziyu , Kairaitis Kristina , Moshfegh Abouzar , Jabbarzadeh Ahmad , Amis Terence
Published: October 2018

We previously published a unique methodology for quantifying human velopharyngeal mucosal surface topography and found increased mucosal surface roughness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In fluid mechanics, surface roughness is associated with increased frictional pressure losses and resistance. This study used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to analyze the mechanistic effect of different levels of mucosal surface roughness on velopharyngeal airflow. Reconstructed velopharyngeal models from OSA and control subjects were modified, giving each model three levels of roughness, quantified by the curvature-based surface roughness index (CBSRI0.6) (range 24.8–68.6 mm−1). CFD using the k-ω shear stress transport turbulence model was performed (unidirectional, inspiratory, steady-state, 15l/min volumetric flow rate), and the effects of roughness on flow velocity, intraluminal pressure, wall shear stress, and velopharyngeal resistance ( Rv) were examined. Across all models, increasing roughness increased maximum flow velocity, wall shear stress, and flow disruption while decreasing intraluminal pressures. Linear mixed effects modeling demonstrated a log-linear relationship between CBSRI0.6and Rv, with a common slope (log( Rv)/CBSRI0.6) of 0.0079 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.0015–0.0143; P = 0.019] for all subjects, equating to a 1.9-fold increase in Rvwhen roughness increased from control to OSA levels. At any fixed CBSRI0.6, the estimated difference in log( Rv) between OSA and control models was 0.9382 (95% CI 0.0032–1.8732; P = 0.049), equating to an 8.7-fold increase in Rv. This study supports the hypothesis that increasing mucosal surface roughness increases velopharyngeal airway resistance, particularly for anatomically narrower OSA airways, and may thus contribute to increased vulnerability to upper airway collapse in patients with OSA.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Increased mucosal surface roughness in the velopharynx of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has recently been identified, but its role in OSA pathogenesis is unknown. This is the first study to model the impact of increased roughness on airflow mechanics in the velopharynx. We report that increasing roughness significantly affects airflow, increasing velopharyngeal resistance and potentially increasing the vulnerability to upper airway collapse, particularly in those patients with an already compromised anatomy.
Writing in a Polyaniline Film with Laser Beam and Stability of the Record: A Raman Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Morávková Zuzana , Bober Patrycja
Published: October 2018

Lines were drawn on polyaniline (PANI) salt films with laser beam, and then the samples were left to age in air at room temperature. Both the irradiated and intact parts of the sample and their ageing were studied with Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the laser-written record is reasonably stable. The degradation of polyaniline by laser irradiation and ageing was compared to the changes in PANI during heating. In all cases, deprotonation and crosslinking of PANI chains proceed but the relative rates of the processes vary with degradation conditions.
Dependence of Anterior Active Rhinomanometry Indices on Nasal Obstructive Disorders in Children with Atopic Bronchial Asthma Complicated by Nasal Symptoms
Authors: Eliseeva Tatyana I. , Krasilnikova Svetlana V. , Babaev Sergey Yu. , Novozhilov Alexey A. , Ovsyannikov Dmitry Yu. , Ignatov Stanislav K. , Kubysheva Nailya I. , Shakhov Andrey V.
Published: October 2018

Background. Atopic bronchial asthma (BA) in children is associated with upper airways pathology (UAP). Among them, a combination of allergic rhinitis (AR) and nasal obstructive disorders (NOD), including hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil (HPT) and anomalies of the intranasal structures (AINS), is abundant. In such patients, anterior active rhinomanometry (AARM) is an important method of examining nasal patency. However, NOD can influence the AARM parameters in children with BA and nasal symptoms, and this effect must be taken into account in clinical practice.Study goalwas to elucidate the effect of NOD on rhinomanometric parameters in this group of patients.Methods.Total of 66 children with BA and AR were examined with AARM, rhinovideoendoscopy, spirometry, and standard clinical tests allowing revealing the structure of comorbid pathologies. In order to avoid the influence of anthropometric parameters of children and their age on AARM parameters, a special index of reduced total nasal airflow was used.Results.It has been established that NOD, especially HPT, have a significant negative impact on the indices of anterior active rhinomanometry during the periods of both AR remission and AR exacerbation. The effect of AINS is much weaker and was remarkable only in combination with HPT.
Securely Outsourcing ID3 Decision Tree in Cloud Computing
Authors: Li Ye , Jiang Zoe L. , Wang Xuan , Fang Junbin , Zhang En , Wang Xianmin
Published: October 2018

With the wide application of Internet of Things (IoT), a huge number of data are collected from IoT networks and are required to be processed, such as data mining. Although it is popular to outsource storage and computation to cloud, it may invade privacy of participants’ information. Cryptography‐based privacy‐preserving data mining has been proposed to protect the privacy of participating parties’ data for this process. However, it is still an open problem to handle with multiparticipant’s ciphertext computation and analysis. And these algorithms rely on the semihonest security model which requires all parties to follow the protocol rules. In this paper, we address the challenge of outsourcing ID3 decision tree algorithm in the malicious model. Particularly, to securely store and compute private data, the two‐participant symmetric homomorphic encryption supporting addition and multiplication is proposed. To keep from malicious behaviors of cloud computing server, the secure garbled circuits are adopted to propose the privacy‐preserving weight average protocol. Security and performance are analyzed.
Clinical and Demographic Features of Basal Cell Carcinoma in North Jordan
Authors: Al-Qarqaz Firas , Marji Maha , Bodoor Khaldon , Almomani Rowida , Al Gargaz Wisam , Alshiyab Diala , Muhaidat Jihan , Alqudah Mohammad
Published: October 2018

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer affecting humans. It almost has no tendency for metastasis; however it can be destructive to surrounding tissue. Patients with darker skin colors have lower risk of developing skin cancers and the clinical characteristics may differ from populations with lighter skin colors.Methods. This is a retrospective clinical study (2003–2017). Data on age, gender, and location of tumor were collected and analyzed.Results. 335 cases were identified. Males tend to get BCC at a younger age than females. Face was the most common site in both males and females. Cheeks and nose were the most likely areas of the face to be involved. Scalp was the most common extrafacial site to be involved in males; however in females scalp was much less likely to be involved.Conclusion. BCC is less common in populations with darker skin. Males were more affected and at an earlier age compared to females. Facial skin followed by scalp was the most common site affected. Skin phototype, cultural and religious dress type, and different sun exposure behavior may explain many of the clinical and demographic findings related to BCC in patients with darker skin tones.
On Leaderless and Leader-Following Consensus for Heterogeneous Nonlinear Multiagent Systems via Discontinuous Distributed Control Protocol
Authors: Wang Fei , Yang Yongqing
Published: October 2018

This paper is concerned with consensus of heterogeneous nonlinear multiagent systems via distributed control. Both the cases of leaderless and leader-following are systematically investigated. Different from some existing results, completed consensus can be reached in this paper among heterogeneous multiagent network instead of bounded-consensus. First, a novel distributed control protocol is proposed, and some general consensus criterions are derived for multiagent systems without leader. Second, a leader with unknown but bounded input for the heterogeneous multiagent network is considered; aperiodically intermittent communications among followers are considered to avoid channel blocking in this case. Finally, two simulation examples are presented to verify the effectiveness of the main results.
Differential Cryptanalysis on Block Cipher Skinny with MILP Program
Authors: Zhang Pei , Zhang Wenying
Published: October 2018

With the widespread use of RFID technology and the rapid development of Internet of Things, the research of lightweight block cipher has become one of the hot issues in cryptography research. In recent years, lightweight block ciphers have emerged and are widely used, and their security is also crucial. Skinny-64/192 can be used to protect data security such as the applications of wireless multimedia and wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we use the new method to verify the security of Skinny-64/192. The method is called mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) which can characterize precisely the linear operation and nonlinear operation in a round function. By applying MILP program, we can automatically find a 11-round differential characteristic for Skinny-64/192 with the minimum number of active s-boxes. The probability of differential trail is 2-147, that is, far greater than 2-192 which is the probability of success for an exhaustive search. In addition, comparing this method with the one proposed by Sun et al., we also have a great improvement; that is, no new variables will be added in ShiftRows operation. It can reduce greatly the number of variables and improve the running speed of the computer. Besides, the experimental result proves that Skinny-64/192 is safe on 11-round differential analysis and validates the effectiveness of the MILP method.
Experimental Studies on the Behaviors of New Energy‐Saving Concrete Self‐Insulating Load‐Bearing Block Wall under Low‐Cycle Cyclic Loading
Authors: Osman Bashir H. , Chen Zhongfan
Published: October 2018

Masonry walls are usually designed to resist the effect of lateral and gravity loads resulting from wind or earthquake excitations. This research aimed at investigating the inelastic behavior of a new energy‐saving concrete self‐insulating load‐bearing block wall (ECSLBW) under in‐plane cyclic loading. To provide stronger bond between the concrete block units better than the ordinary concrete masonry units, a new masonry system of concrete blocks with special configurations was made. In this experiment, three new self‐insulated block wall specimens were designed, manufactured, and tested. Furthermore, self‐supporting structural column‐ring beam structure system was used to observe the failure mode of the walls. Moreover, the mechanical properties and seismic indexes of the walls under lateral low‐cyclic loading were analyzed, including hysteretic and skeleton curves, stiffness degradation, ductility, and energy losses. The results showed that the new energy‐saving block wall can meet the seismic shear calculation under 8‐degree rare earthquake and meet the antiseismic fortification target in 8‐degree area. Furthermore, self‐contained system can greatly improve the seismic shear capacity of the wall. Finally, the seismic shear capacity of the concrete column block masonry was calculated, and the technical application method of block masonry structure was recommended.
Minimizing Metro Transfer Waiting Time with AFCS Data Using Simulated Annealing with Parallel Computing
Authors: Liu Xiaobo , Huang Minghua , Qu Hezhou , Chien Steven
Published: October 2018

Coordinating train arrivals at transfer stations by altering their departure times can reduce transfer waiting time (TWT) and improve level of service. This paper develops a method to optimize train departure times from terminals that minimizes total TWT for an urban rail network with many transfer stations. To maintain service capacity and avoid operational complexity, dispatching headway is fixed. An integrated Simulated Annealing with parallel computing approach is applied to perform the optimization. To demonstrate model applicability and performance, the Shenzhen metro network is applied, where passenger flows (i.e., entry, transfer, and exit) at stations are approximated with the automatic fare collection system (AFCS) data. Results show that the total TWT can be significantly reduced.
Thermodynamic and Elastic Properties of Interstitial Alloy FeC with BCC Structure at Zero Pressure
Authors: Tinh Bui Duc , Hoc Nguyen Quang , Vinh Dinh Quang , Cuong Tran Dinh , Hien Nguyen Duc
Published: October 2018

The analytic expressions for the thermodynamic and elastic quantities such as the mean nearest neighbor distance, the free energy, the isothermal compressibility, the thermal expansion coefficient, the heat capacities at constant volume and at constant pressure, the Young modulus, the bulk modulus, the rigidity modulus, and the elastic constants of binary interstitial alloy with body‐centered cubic (BCC) structure, and the small concentration of interstitial atoms (below 5%) are derived by the statistical moment method. The theoretical results are applied to interstitial alloy FeC in the interval of temperature from 100 to 1000 K and in the interval of interstitial atom concentration from 0 to 5%. In special cases, we obtain the thermodynamic quantities of main metal Fe with BCC structure. Our calculated results for some thermodynamic and elastic quantities of main metal Fe and alloy FeC are compared with experiments.
A Structure-Driven Method for Information Retrieval-Based Software Change Impact Analysis
Authors: He Yun , Li Tong , Wang Wei , Lan Wei , Li Xiang
Published: October 2018

An important application of information retrieval technology is software change impact analysis. Existing information retrieval-based change impact analysis methods select a single method to transform the source code corpus into vectors in a process known as indexing. The single method is chosen from two primary methods, known as the bag-of-words and word embedding models, each having their specific advantages and disadvantages. The bag-of-words model records every word in the source code but ignores contextual information in the corpus. The word embedding model records the contextual information but loses detail for individual words. To address this problem, we propose a structure-driven method for information retrieval-based change impact analysis (named SDM-CIA). SDM-CIA integrates the bag-of-words and word embedding models based on the software’s structure. Our experiments using a standard benchmark shows that when compared with the existing methods, SDM-CIA improves on precision performance, recall performance, F-score performance, and MRR performance by an average of 3.65%, 3.82%, 3.6%, and 10.28%, respectively. Our experiments confirm the effectiveness of SDM-CIA.
The Strong Local Diagnosability of a Hypercube Network with Missing Edges
Authors: Xie Min , Liang Jiarong , Xiong Xi
Published: October 2018

In the research on the reliability of a connection network, diagnosability is an important problem that should be considered. In this article, a new concept regarding diagnosability, called strong local diagnosability (SLD), which describes the local status of the strong diagnosability (SD) of a system, is presented. In addition, a few important results related to the SLD of a node of a system are presented. Based on these results, we conclude that in a hypercube network of n dimensions, denoted by Qn, the SLD of a node is equal to its degree when n⩾4. Moreover, we explore the SLD of a node of an incomplete hypercube network. We determine that the SLD of a node is equal to its remaining degree (RD) in an incomplete hypercube network, which is true provided that the number of faulty edges in this hypercube network does not exceed (n − 3). Finally, we discuss the SLD of a node for an incomplete hypercube network and obtain the following results: if the minimum RD of nodes in an incomplete hypercube network of n‐dimensions is greater than 3, then the SLD of any node is still equal to its RD provided that the number of faulty edges does not exceed 7(n − 3) − 1. If the RD of each node is greater than 4, then the SLD of each node is also equal to its RD, no matter how many faulty edges exist in Qn.
Treatment-Related Adverse Effects in Lung Cancer Patients after Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy
Authors: Morias Stamati , Marcu Loredana G. , Short Michala , Giles Eileen , Potter Andrew , Shepherd Justin , Gierlach Thanh , Bezak Eva
Published: October 2018

Introduction. Lung cancer is a disease which, despite the advancements in treatment, still has a very poor 5-year survival rate. Stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) is a highly advanced, sophisticated, and safe treatment which allows patients with early stage lung cancer to be treated effectively without invasive procedures and with excellent clinical outcomes. Avoiding surgery minimises morbidity and recovery time, bettering patients’ quality of life. Furthermore, SABR allows patients unsuitable for surgery to still undergo curative treatment. Methods. We aimed to review SABR-related normal tissue toxicities reported in the literature. While many studies assess safety, clinical efficacy, and disease control of SABR for lung cancer, the number of comprehensive reviews that analyse SABR-related side-effects is scarce. This integrative review summarises the toxicities reported in literature based on published clinical trials and tumour location (central or peripheral tumours) for available SABR techniques. Given that the majority of the clinical studies did not report on the statistical significance (e.g., p-values and confidence intervals) of the toxicities experienced by patients, statistical analyses cannot be performed. As a result, adverse events are compiled from clinical reports; however, due to various techniques and nonstandard toxicity reports, no meta-analysis is possible at the current stage of reported data. Results. When comparing lobectomy and SABR in phase III trials, surgery resulted in increased procedure-related morbidity. In phase II trials, very few studies showed high grade toxicities/fatalities as a result of SABR for lung cancer. Gross target volume size was a significant predictor of toxicity. An ipsilateral mean lung dose larger than 9 Gy was significantly associated with radiation pneumonitis. Conclusions. Based on the studies reviewed SABR is a safe treatment technique for lung cancer; however, further well-designed phase III randomised clinical trials are required to produce timely conclusive results and to enable their comparison and statistical analysis.