bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One‐year safety, healing and amputation rates of Wagner 3‐4 diabetic foot ulcers treated with cryopreserved umbilical cord (TTAX01)
Authors: Marston William A. , Lantis John C. , Wu Stephanie C. , Nouvong Aksone , Clements John Randolph , Lee Tommy D. , McCoy Nicholas D. , Slade Herbert B. , Tseng Scheffer C.
Published: May 2020

An open label, multicenter 16‐week trial of cryopreserved human umbilical cord (TTAX01) was previously undertaken in 32 subjects presenting with a Wagner grade 3 or 4 diabetic foot ulcer, with 16 (50%) of these having confirmed closure following a median of one product application (previous study). All but two subjects (30/32; 94%) consented to participate in this follow‐up study to 1‐year postexposure. No restrictions were placed on treatments for open wounds. At 8‐week intervals, subjects were evaluated for adverse events (AEs) and wound status (open or closed). Average time from initial exposure to end of follow‐up was 378 days (range 343‐433), with 29 of 30 (97%) subjects completing a full year. AEs were all typical for the population under study, and none were attributed to prior exposure to TTAX01. One previously healed wound re‐opened, one previously unconfirmed closed wound remained healed, and nine new wound closures occurred, giving 25 of 29 (86.2%) healed in the ITT population. Three of the new closures followed the use of various tissue‐based products. Three subjects whose wounds were healed required subsequent minor amputations due to osteomyelitis, one of which progressed to a major amputation (1/29; 3.4%). One additional subject underwent two minor amputations prior to healing. Overall, the study found TTAX01 to be safe in long‐term follow‐up and associated with both a low rate of major amputation and a higher than expected rates of healing.
Escherichia coli
Small Proteome
Authors: Hemm Matthew R. , Weaver Jeremy , Storz Gisela
Published: May 2020

Escherichia coli
was one of the first species to have its genome sequenced and remains one of the best-characterized model organisms. Thus, it is perhaps surprising that recent studies have shown that a substantial number of genes have been overlooked. Genes encoding more than 140 small proteins, defined as those containing 50 or fewer amino acids, have been identified in
E. coli
in the past 10 years, and there is substantial evidence indicating that many more remain to be discovered. This review covers the methods that have been successful in identifying small proteins and the short open reading frames that encode them. The small proteins that have been functionally characterized to date in this model organism are also discussed. It is hoped that the review, along with the associated databases of known as well as predicted but undetected small proteins, will aid in and provide a roadmap for the continued identification and characterization of these proteins in
E. coli
as well as other bacteria.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Bacillus
sp. Strain EKM601B (Phylum
Firmicutes
), Living inside the Seeds of
Luffa acutangula
(Chinese Okra)
Authors: Khalaf Eman M. , Raizada Manish N.
Published: May 2020

Presented here is the draft genome sequence of
Bacillus
sp. strain EKM601B, which contains 4,199,360 bp in 73 contigs. This candidate endophyte was isolated from surface-sterilized dry seeds of
Luffa acutangula
(Chinese okra) and demonstrated diverse plant-beneficial functions and antagonism against soilborne pathogens
in vitro
.
Whole-Genome Sequences of an Abortive Bacillus safensis Strain Isolated from a Mare’s Uterus
Authors: Little Sara V. , Hillhouse Andrew E. , Lawhon Sara D.
Published: May 2020

This is a report of two
Bacillus safensis
genomes sequenced from separate cultures isolated from the uterus of a 16-year-old Westphalian mare that aborted a dead fetus. This strain represents the first case of a
B. safensis
-associated equine abortion and the first case of infection caused by this bacterium.
Three-dimensional model of a mushwad and its implications for the evolution of an Appalachian subrecess in northwestern Georgia
Authors: Cook* Brian S. , Thomas William A.
Published: May 2020

In a well-defined subrecess in the Appalachian thrust belt in northwestern Georgia, two distinct fold trains intersect at ~50° in the down-plunge depression of the Floyd synclinorium. A mushwad (ductile duplex) of tectonically thickened weak-layer rocks (primarily the shale-dominated Cambrian Conasauga Formation) filled the space beneath folds and faults of the overlying Cambrian–Ordovician regional stiff layer (mushwad roof). Measurements of the mushwad thickness from balanced cross sections provide the basis for three-dimensional (3-D) models. Tectonically thickened weak-layer shales in a model using a simple line-length balance of the stiff layer have a volume of ~64% of the volume in the deformed-state model, indicating that this balanced reconstruction is not appropriate. Previous work demonstrated deposition of a thick mud-dominated succession in a basement graben to balance the volume. A 3-D model incorporating a thick Conasauga Formation shale succession deposited in a basement graben yields good correspondence to the deformed-state mushwad volume. That model requires vertical separation on the graben boundary faults greater than the present small-magnitude separation; unconformable truncation of the upper part of the Cambrian–Ordovician carbonate succession documents Ordovician inversion of the graben boundary faults. In the 3-D models, the distribution of thickness in the deformed state suggests movement of weak-layer shale out of the planes of cross sections and up plunge away from the structural depression of the Floyd synclinorium. Out-of-plane tectonic translation is consistent with a relatively uniform depositional thickness of ~800 m, which allows calculation of the magnitude of vertical separation on basement faults during Conasauga Formation deposition.
Clinical relevance of the in situ assay for HBV DNA: a cross-sectional study in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Liu Danping , Xu Tong , Shi Bisheng , Lu Wei , Zheng Ye , Feng Yanling , Yuan Zhenghong , Zhang Xiaonan , Zhang Zhanqing
Published: May 2020

Aims

The visualisation of HBV DNA in liver sections of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in our previous report uncovered a mosaic distribution of viral antigens and nucleic acids. Here we aim to further explore the clinical utility of the in situ hybridisation (ISH) assay for HBV DNA.

Method

ISH of HBV DNA along with immunohistochemistry (IHC) of HBsAg, HBcAg and routine histopathology analysis was performed in 313 treatment-naive patients with CHB. Serum HBcrAg and HBcAb titre were also measured in addition to basic biochemical and virological parameters.

Results

The ISH of HBV DNA, HBsAg and HBcAg showed 95.2%, 97.1% and 42.8% positive rate, respectively. The staining pattern of HBV DNA differs significantly with that of HBsAg. Intrahepatic HBV DNA exhibited high-level of correlations with viral load, HBcrAg and HBsAg titre. In HBeAg-negative patients, higher intrahepatic HBV DNA is associated with histological evidence of liver inflammation and fibrosis, whereas no such trend was observed in HBeAg-positive patients. Finally, a triple staining protocol that combined the detection of HBV DNA, HBsAg and collagen fibre was developed to enable better evaluation of viral replication and antigen expression in the context of disease progression.

Conclusions

The ISH assay for HBV DNA reflects the vigour of intrahepatic viral replication. It is complementary to the routine IHC assay for viral antigens and also related to the histopathological progression of liver diseases. The application of the HBV DNA ISH assay may help a better evaluation of virological and pathological condition of patients with CHB.
Gene of the month:APOL1
Authors: Raghubeer Shanel , Pillay Tahir S , Matsha Tandi Edith
Published: May 2020

Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) is a protein encoded by theAPOL1gene, found only in humans and several primates. Two variants encoding two different isoforms exist forAPOL1, namely G1 and G2. These variants confer increased protection against trypanosome infection, and subsequent African sleeping sickness, and also increase the likelihood of renal disease in individuals of African ancestry.APOL1mutations are associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease, inflammation, and exacerbation of systemic lupus erythematosus-associated renal dysfunction. This review serves to outline the structure and function of APOL1, as well as its role in several disease outcomes.
Flow analysis of biconvective heat and mass transfer of two-dimensional couple stress fluid over a paraboloid of revolution
Authors: Zeeshan Ahmed , Ali Zeeshan , Gorji Mohammad Rahimi , Hussain Farooq , Nadeem S.
Published: May 2020

In this paper, two-dimensional non-Newtonian couple stress fluid flow over the upper horizontal surface of a paraboloid (uhsp) (shaped like a submarine or any aerodynamical automobile) is investigated. At the freestream, a stretching of the fluid layer is assumed along with catalytic surface reaction which tends to induce the flow in the fluid-saturated domain. The problem is modeled by engaging laws of conservation for mass, momentum, heat and concentration. Velocity components are converted to stream functions and similarity transformations to reduce the dependent and independent variables in the partial differential equation describing the flow. Stream functions ideally satisfy continuity equation and transformation to reduce the PDEs to the system of coupled nonlinear ODEs. The numerical solution of these equations is obtained using the shooting-RKF method. The graphical results show that both the lateral and horizontal velocities decrease by increasing the couple stress material parameter and cause the temperature to rise. The thermal boundary layer decreases subject to the thickness parameter and has appositive effects on concentration boundary layer. Finally, numerical results have also been tabulated.
Arbitrary shaped acoustic omnidirectional absorber based on transformation theory
Authors: Xu Weikai , Tang Yingchun , Zhang Meng , Qi Wuchao , Wang Wei
Published: May 2020

In this study, an arbitrary shaped acoustic omnidirectional absorber (AOA) is achieved for absorbing incoming acoustic/elastic waves in the ambient environment. Using the transformation acoustics theory, we present a theoretical framework for two-dimensional acoustic path guidance around arbitrary shapes for which the material parameters in the transformed space can be obtained analytically. Results indicate that the transformed space is distorted rather than compressed; numerical simulations confirm that these absorbers exhibit a remarkably large absorption and that the proposed method can control acoustic absorption for arbitrary geometries of interest. This method can potentially be applied to sound absorption and noise control.
Thermodynamic inconsistency of the conventional theory of superconductivity
Authors: Hirsch J. E.
Published: May 2020

A type I superconductor expels a magnetic field from its interior to a surface layer of thickness [Formula: see text], the London penetration depth. [Formula: see text] is a function of temperature, becoming smaller as the temperature decreases. Here we analyze the process of cooling (or heating) a type I superconductor in a magnetic field, with the system remaining always in the superconducting state. The conventional theory predicts that Joule heat is generated in this process, the amount of which depends on the rate at which the temperature changes. Assuming the final state of the superconductor is independent of history, as the conventional theory assumes, we show that this process violates the first and second laws of thermodynamics. We conclude that the conventional theory of superconductivity is internally inconsistent. Instead, we suggest that the alternative theory of hole superconductivity may be able to resolve this problem.
Does facial appearance of dentofacial deformity influence the need for orthognathic surgery: The Malaysian perception
Authors: Abdul Halim Chong Fatin Halini , Md Salleh Siti Nuriyah , Abu Bakar Noraini , Ismail Izzati Nabilah
Published: May 2020

Aim: This study evaluates perception toward facial appearance in dentofacial deformity and the need for orthognathic surgery among the public with and without dental backgrounds.

Materials and Methods: A questionnaire consisting of 12 facial photographs of cases with dentofacial deformity or malocclusion in varying severity was used. A hundred individuals were selected to answer the questionnaire. The perception of facial appearance (FAS), treatment need score (TNS), and knowledge regarding dentofacial deformity were used for the evaluation.

Results: Significant differences were found between dental and non-dental when the respondents’ knowledge in all the questionnaire items ([Formula: see text].05) was assessed. However, no significant difference was found in the mean of FAS and TNS in all the presented cases (normal, borderline, severe). Pearson correlation between perceived FAS and TNS was statistically negative for severe and normal cases, whereby a decrease in FAS for severe cases showed an increase in TNS, and an increase in FAS for normal cases showed a decrease in TNS.

Conclusion: Respondents with dental background had sound knowledge of dentofacial deformity. A poorly attractive respondent with dentofacial deformity showed a greater need for orthognathic surgery.
Trajectory Following with a MAV Under Rotor Fault Conditions
Authors: Pose Claudio , Presenza Francisco , Mas Ignacio , Giribet Juan I.
Published: May 2020

Lately, a novel multirotor aerial vehicle capable of handling single rotor failures was presented. When a rotor fails, physically reconfiguring one of the remaining rotors of a hexarotor allows to compensate for maneuverability limitations. In this work, experimental results show the performance of the vehicle in a trajectory-following task in both nominal and fault conditions.
How Distortions Alter the Impacts of International Trade in Developing Countries
Authors: Atkin David , Khandelwal Amit K.
Published: May 2020

Substantial research in development economics has highlighted the presence of weak institutions, market failures, and distortions in developing countries. Yet much of the knowledge generated in international trade comes from workhorse models that abstract from these frictions. This review summarizes the recent literature that assesses how these characteristics interact (or may interact) with trade reforms, resulting in different impacts in developing countries relative to what we would expect in developed countries. We discuss understudied areas that warrant further research.
Social Networks and Migration
Authors: Munshi Kaivan
Published: May 2020

The frictions that restrict migration are among the largest sources of inefficiency in the global economy. The first step in designing policies to address these frictions is to understand the fundamental forces that drive migration. However, the Roy model—the workhorse model of migration in economics—does a poor job of explaining many important features of this phenomenon. This limitation can be rectified by adding migrant networks to the Roy model. A rich qualitative literature in the social sciences has documented the role played by social networks in supporting migrants in their new locations. Economists have advanced this literature by identifying and quantifying the contribution of these networks to migration. Although much progress has been made over the past two decades, important gaps in the literature remain: Migrant assimilation has received little theoretical or empirical attention, and a richer characterization of the social interactions that support these networks is needed to tie research on migration to the economic literature on networks.
Progress in Biological Control of Weeds with Plant Pathogens
Authors: Morin Louise
Published: May 2020

Plant pathogens have played an important role in weed biological control since the 1970s. So far, 36 fungal pathogens have been authorized for introduction across 18 countries for the classical biological control of weeds. Their safety record has been excellent, but questions continue to be asked about the risk that they could transfer to other plants. Quantitative data documenting their impact on the weed populations are still limited. Of the 15 bioherbicides based on living microorganisms that have ever been registered, only two were commercially available at the time of this review. The development and commercialization of bioherbicides in affluent countries are still plagued by technological hurdles and limited market potential. Not-for-profit small-scale production and distribution systems for bioherbicides in low-income countries may have potential as an inexpensive approach to controlling pervasive weeds. The types of research underpinning biological control approaches and challenges encountered are highlighted using specific examples.
Probing the Influence of the Carbon Support on the Activity of Fe-N3/C Model Active Sites for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Fruehwald Holly M. , Ebralidze Iraklii I. , Melino Peter D. , Zenkina Olena V. , Easton E. Bradley
Published: May 2020

We report here an investigation of the role that various carbon supports have on a model non-precious metal catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) prepared through a molecularly defined terpyridine moiety covalently embedded onto various high surface area carbons (Black Pearls 2000, Ketjen Black 600, Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes). A terpyridine modified catalyst has been previously prepared and allowed for the controlled deposition of one specific and unique N3/C active site on the surface of the support. The effect of changing the porosity and surface area of the carbon was analyzed for its oxygen reduction reaction activity and characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, pore size determination, and rotating disk measurements. This system showed that when a more microporous support was used the activity for the oxygen reduction reaction was significantly decreased in acidic media, this could be explained by the differences in the formation and overall accessibility of the active sites on the high surface area supports.
(Invited) Electrochemo-Mechanical Effects for All-Solid-State Li Batteries Employing Sulfide Inorganic Solid Electrolytes
Authors: Jung Sung Hoo , Kim Un-Hyuck , Jun Seunggoo , Yoon Chong Seung , Sun Yang-Kook , Jung Yoon Seok
Published: May 2020

All-solid-state Li or Li-ion batteries (ASLBs) have been emerged as a promising alternative battery to address the safety concerns and the limited energy densities for conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Particularly, deformable sulfide solid electrolyte (SE) materials are able to be integrated with electrode active materials into bulk-type ASLBs by simple cold-pressing process. Moreover, Li+ conductivities of several sulfide SEs are in the order of 10-2 S cm-1. Unfortunately, performances of the resulting ASLBs operating at room temperature were below par, which has been attributed to the narrow electrochemical stability windows of sulfide SE materials and the poor chemical compatibility between sulfide SEs and electrode active materials. Development of interfacial engineering (e.g., protective coatings such as LiNbO3 and Li3-xB1-xCxO3) could show significantly improved performances.

Recently, it has been shown that the changes in volumetric strains upon repeated charge-discharge cycles could cause ionic contact loss in the composite electrodes and result in capacity fading for ASLBs. This is in contrast to conventional LIB electrodes where liquid electrolytes keep ionic contacts by simple wetting. However, previous works on such “electrochemo-mechancial” effects on the performance of ASLBs are scarce.

In this presentation, we report on our recent findings on the overlooked but dominant electrochemo-mechanical effects for Ni-rich layered cathode materials for ASLBs. While the conventional Li[Ni,Co,Mn]O2 (NCM) having randomly oriented grains suffers from severe disintegration of secondary particles even at the initial cycle, full-concentration gradient NCM (FCG-NCM) retains its mechanical integrity after 100 cycles. Accordingly, their cycling stability shows huge differences, manifesting the importance of microstructural electro-chemomechanics for NCM in all-solid-state batteries. Furthermore, high resolution operando electrochemical pressiometry developed for NCM/graphite ASLBs reveals meaningful information which is complementary to the electrochemical data. Detailed discussion will be presented.

References

[1] K. H. Park, Q. Bai, D. H. Kim, D. Y. Oh, Y. Zhu, Y. Mo, Y. S. Jung, Adv. Energy Mater.
2018, 8, 1800035.
Prediction of Drug Side Effects with a Refined Negative Sample Selection Strategy
Authors: Liang Haiyan , Chen Lei , Zhao Xian , Zhang Xiaolin
Published: May 2020

Drugs are an important way to treat various diseases. However, they inevitably produce side effects, bringing great risks to human bodies and pharmaceutical companies. How to predict the side effects of drugs has become one of the essential problems in drug research. Designing efficient computational methods is an alternative way. Some studies paired the drug and side effect as a sample, thereby modeling the problem as a binary classification problem. However, the selection of negative samples is a key problem in this case. In this study, a novel negative sample selection strategy was designed for accessing high-quality negative samples. Such strategy applied the random walk with restart (RWR) algorithm on a chemical-chemical interaction network to select pairs of drugs and side effects, such that drugs were less likely to have corresponding side effects, as negative samples. Through several tests with a fixed feature extraction scheme and different machine-learning algorithms, models with selected negative samples produced high performance. The best model even yielded nearly perfect performance. These models had much higher performance than those without such strategy or with another selection strategy. Furthermore, it is not necessary to consider the balance of positive and negative samples under such a strategy.
Serum Antibody and Glomerular Antigen of Antiphospholipase A2 Receptor in Chinese Patients with Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy
Authors: Zhang Qiu-hua , Wu Mian , Hu Zhi-gang , Liu Xiao-bin , Huang Biao , Zhang Yi , Liu Bin , Zhu Yu-shan , Wang Liang , Sun Zhu-xing
Published: May 2020

Background. M‐type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) is the first autoantigen responsible for idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). However, serum PLA2R antibody (PLA2R‐Ab) can be inaccurate in distinguishing between IMN and secondary membranous nephropathy, while renal PLA2R antigen (PLA2R‐Ag) emerges as an ancillary diagnostic. The present study is aimed at examining the associations between PLA2R‐Ab in sera and PLA2R‐Ag in kidneys in IMN patients. Methods. A total of 93 patients with IMN were retrospectively identified. Their serum PLA2R‐Ab and renal PLA2R‐Ag expression levels were determined, and the clinical correlations between these parameters and clinical features were examined. Results. The sensitivities of serum PLA2R‐Ab and renal PLA2R‐Ag for diagnosing IMN were 74.2% and 88.2%, respectively (P < 0.001), with poor consistency. Higher serum PLA2R‐Ab levels were correlated to stronger renal PLA2R‐Ag expression (P = 0.048). Patients with positive PLA2R‐Ab significantly differed from those with negative levels, in terms of proteinuric levels over 24 hours (4.54 vs. 3.46 g/day, P = 0.015) and serum albumin (23.28 vs. 27.95 g/L, P = 0.038). Among patients with positive renal PLA2R‐Ag, patients with positive PLA2R‐Ab had significantly higher 24‐hour proteinuria, when compared to patients with negative PLA2R‐Ab (4.57 vs. 3.08 g/day, P = 0.005). Among those with positive PLA2R‐Ab in sera, their PLA2R‐Ab levels were correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration and serum creatinine. Conclusion. Serum PLA2R‐Ab exhibits a closer correlation with proteinuric severity and renal function, when compared to renal PLA2R‐Ag.
CpG-Oligodeoxynucleotides Alleviate Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide-Induced Macrophage Apoptosis by Regulating Mitochondrial Function and Suppressing ROS Production
Authors: Qu Yibai , Yang Chunxiu , Li Xueyang , Luo Haihua , Li Shan , Niu Mengwei , Chen Peng , Yan Zhengzheng , Jiang Yong
Published: May 2020

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are related to disease pathogenesis. Oligodeoxynucleotide containing CpG motifs (CpG ODN) demonstrate possibilities for immunotherapy applications. The aim of the present work is to explore the underlying mechanism of the cytoprotective function of CpG ODN by employing the oxidative stress modulation in immune cells. We used the imaging flow cytometry to demonstrate that tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and ROS production in RAW264.7 cells. After pretreatment with CpG ODN, the percentage of apoptotic cells and ROS production was both markedly reduced. The decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) induced by t-BHP was partially reversed by CpG ODN. The t-BHP induced upregulation of the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 9, cleaved-PARP, and bax) was notably decreased in the presence of CpG ODN. Furthermore, we found that CpG ODN enhanced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt to inhibit ROS production. In conclusion, the protective effect of CpG ODN in mitigation of t-BHP-induced apoptosis is dependent on the reduction of ROS.
Unveiling the Role of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress on Age-Related Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: de Almeida Arthur José Pontes Oliveira , de Almeida Rezende Mathania Silva , Dantas Sabine Helena , de Lima Silva Sonaly , de Oliveira Júlio César Pinheiro Lúcio , de Lourdes Assunção Araújo de Azevedo Fátima , Alves Rayanne Maira Felix Ribeiro , de Menezes Geovânia Maria Sales , dos Santos Pablo Ferreira , Gonçalves Tays Amanda Felisberto , Schini-Kerth Valérie B. , de Medeiros Isac Almeida
Published: May 2020

The global population above 60 years has been growing exponentially in the last decades, which is accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of age-related chronic diseases, highlighting cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure. Aging is the main risk factor for these diseases. Such susceptibility to disease is explained, at least in part, by the increase of oxidative stress, in which it damages cellular components such as proteins, DNA, and lipids. In addition, the chronic inflammatory process in aging “inflammaging” also contributes to cell damage, creating a stressful environment which drives to the development of CVDs. Taken together, it is possible to identify the molecular connection between oxidative stress and the inflammatory process, especially by the crosstalk between the transcription factors Nrf-2 and NF-κB which are mediated by redox signalling and are involved in aging. Therapies that control this process are key targets in the prevention/combat of age-related CVDs. In this review, we show the basics of inflammation and oxidative stress, including the crosstalk between them, and the implications on age-related CVDs.
Positive Microbiological Findings at the Site of Presumed Aseptic Revision Arthroplasty Surgery of the Hip and Knee Joint: Is a Surgical Revision Always Necessary?
Authors: Anagnostakos Konstantinos , Thiery Andreas , Meyer Christof , Sahan Ismail
Published: May 2020

Little is known about patients that undergo presumed aseptic revision arthroplasty surgery of the hip and knee joint and having positive microbiological findings of the intraoperatively taken tissue samples. 228 “aseptic” operations were retrospectively analyzed from prospectively collected data with regard to the following parameters: demographic data; reasons for primary and revision surgery, respectively; time between primary and revision surgery; preoperative laboratory findings; microbiological and histopathological findings; type and length of systemic antibiotic therapy; clinical outcome; and follow‐up. Identification of microorganisms was present in 8.8% of the cases (9.3% of the hip and 7.8% of the knee cases). Preoperatively, the median CRP value was 8.4 mg/l (normal values 0‐5.0 mg/l) and the median WBC count 8,100 × 106/l (normal values 3, 700‐10,100 × 106/l). The most common identified organism was methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in 30%, followed by viridans streptococci in 15% of the cases. In 7 cases, the microbiological findings were interpreted as a contamination, and no antibiotic therapy was administered. In the other cases, a systemic antibiotic therapy was applied for a time period between 2 weeks and 3 months. 68.4% of the patients did not have any infectious complications at a median follow‐up of 20 (3‐42) months. The present study indicates that more than 2/3 of the cases with positive microbiological findings at the site of presumed aseptic revision arthroplasty surgery of the hip and knee joint can be successfully treated conservatively and they do not require any further surgical therapy.
Sacral Rheumatoid Nodule: An Unusual Indication for Coccygectomy
Authors: Porter Zachary R. , Mejia-Munne Juan C. , Krueger Bryan M. , Kosty Jennifer A. , Ngwenya Laura B.
Published: May 2020

Here, we present a case report of a woman who presented with a large sacral rheumatoid nodule. This patient failed conservative treatment and presented in search of a surgical solution. We successfully removed her rheumatoid nodule using a surgical approach typically reserved for traumatic coccydynia. We show how coccygectomy, although a rare surgical procedure, was effective in treatment of a large rheumatoid nodule.
Alphavirus Replication: The Role of Cardiac Glycosides and Ion Concentration in Host Cells
Authors: Souza-Souza Kauê F. C. , Gonçalves-de-Albuquerque Cassiano F. , Cirne-Santos Cláudio , Paixão Izabel C. N. P. , Burth Patrícia
Published: May 2020

Alphaviruses are arthropod‐borne viruses that can cause fever, rash, arthralgias, and encephalitis. The mosquito species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the most frequent transmitters of alphaviruses. There are no effective vaccines or specific antivirals available for the treatment of alphavirus‐related infections. Interestingly, changes in ion concentration in host cells have been characterized as critical regulators of the alphavirus life cycle, including fusion with the host cell, glycoprotein trafficking, genome translation, and viral budding. Cardiac glycosides, which are classical inhibitors of the Na+ K+ ATPase (NKA), can inhibit alphavirus replication although their mechanisms of action are poorly understood. Nonetheless, results from multiple studies suggest that inhibition of NKA may be a suitable strategy for the development of alphavirus‐specific antiviral treatments. This review is aimed at exploring the role of changes in ion concentration during alphavirus replication and at considering the possibility of NKA as a potential therapeutic target for antiviral drugs.
Dynamic Interference Optimization in Cognitive Radio Networks for Rural and Suburban Areas
Authors: Martinez Alonso Rodney , Plets David , Deruyck Margot , Martens Luc , Guillen Nieto Glauco , Joseph Wout
Published: May 2020

In this paper, we investigate the coexistence of cognitive radio networks on TV white spaces for rural and suburban connectivity. Although experimental models and laboratory measurements defined the maximum interference threshold for TV white space technologies for general use cases, our research found that in real wireless rural and suburban scenarios, severe interference to the broadcasting services might occur. This is particularly relevant when the traffic load of the telecom base stations (BSs) exceeds 80% of their maximum capacity. We propose a dynamic management algorithm for minimizing the interference, based on a centralized access control architecture for cognitive radio wireless networks. In an experimental emulation for assessing the impact of cognitive radio interference on the broadcasting service’s QoE, our method reduced the perceived video distortion by the broadcasting users by at least 50% and 27.5% in a rural and suburban scenario, respectively, while the spectrum usage is increased by just 8%.
Research on Phase Combination and Signal Timing Based on Improved K-Medoids Algorithm for Intersection Signal Control
Authors: Shen Guojiang , Zhu Xiangyu , Xu Wei , Tang Longfeng , Kong Xiangjie
Published: May 2020

Aiming at the problem of intersection signal control, a method of traffic phase combination and signal timing optimization based on the improved K-medoids algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the improvement of the traditional K-medoids algorithm embodies in two aspects, namely, the selection of the initial medoids and the parameter k, which will be applied to the cluster analysis of historical saturation data. The algorithm determines the initial medoids based on a set of probabilities calculated from the distance and determines the number of clusters k based on an exponential function, weight adjustment, and elbow ideas. Secondly, a phase combination model is established based on the saturation and green split data, and the signal timing is optimized through a bilevel programming model. Finally, the algorithm is evaluated over a certain intersection in Hangzhou, and results show that this algorithm can reduce the average vehicle delay and queue length and improve the traffic capacity of the intersection in the peak hour.
Use of the Nuclear Matrix Protein 22 BladderChek Test for the Detection of Primary and Recurrent Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Xia Chang-sheng , Fan Chun-hong , Su Ming , Wang Qing-song , Bao Hui-zhang
Published: May 2020

Objective. To evaluate the performance of the nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) BladderChek test in urothelial carcinoma (UC). Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 1318 patients who performed the NMP22 BladderChek tests. Of them, 103 were primary UC patients, 90 were surgical treatment UC patients, and 1125 were benign disease patients. The performance of the NMP22 BladderChek test for the diagnosis of primary and recurrent UC was evaluated. Moreover, the performance of urine cytology and the NMP22 BladderChek test for the diagnosis of primary UC was compared in 90 available subjects including 48 primary UC patients and 42 benign disease patients. Results. The sensitivity and specificity of the NMP22 BladderChek test were 37.9% and 95.8%, respectively, for the diagnosis of primary UC (n=1228). The corresponding parameters of the NMP22 BladderChek test were 31.0% and 88.5%, respectively, for the diagnosis of recurrent UC (n=90). The sensitivity and specificity of urine cytology were 54.2% and 97.6%, respectively, for the diagnosis of primary UC (n=90); the corresponding parameters of the NMP22 BladderChek test were 41.7% and 83.3%, respectively; the corresponding parameters of the two tests combination were 64.6% and 83.3%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the performance between the NMP22 BladderChek test and urine cytology or the combination of two tests (P=0.017 and 0.001, respectively). Conclusions. The NMP22 BladderChek test has a low sensitivity for detecting primary and recurrent UC. Urine cytology is superior to the NMP22 BladderChek test, and combined use of the two tests improves the sensitivity in the detection of primary UC.
Higher Serum CCN3 Is Associated with Disease Activity and Inflammatory Markers in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Wei Yingying , Peng Linan , Li Yi , Zhang Na , Shang Ke , Duan Lihua , Zhong Jixin , Chen Jie
Published: May 2020

Nephroblastoma overexpressed protein (NOV/CCN3), the early discovered member of the CCN family, has recently been suggested to be involved in a number of inflammatory processes, including wound healing, alveolar epithelial cell inflammation, cancer metastasis, and macrophage foam cell formation. However, the role of CCN3 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a classic autoimmune and inflammatory disease, remains elusive. RA is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that eventually leads to cartilage and bone destruction and joint dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the potential of serum CCN3 as a biomarker for RA. The serum levels of CCN3 were measured by ELISA. The clinical and laboratory parameters were collected from a clinical record system, and disease activity was determined by joint disease activity score 28 (DAS28). Our results showed that the serum levels of CCN3 were significantly increased in RA patients compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the CCN3 level was positively correlated with DAS28 (CRP), DAS28 (ESR), and the level of anti-CCP Ab, an autoantibody highly specific for RA. Furthermore, CCN3 showed a positive correlation with inflammatory cytokine IL-6, while no significant correlation with TNF-α was observed. These data suggest that CCN3 plays an important role in the development of RA and might be a potential disease activity biomarker for RA.
Pathological Features and Surgical Strategies of Cervical Deformity
Authors: Sun Xiangyao , Sun Siyuan , Kong Chao , Wang Wei , Zhang Tongtong , Ding Junzhe , Li Xiangyu , Lu Shibao
Published: May 2020

Cervical deformity (CD) is a kind of disorder influencing cervical alignment. Although the incidence of CD is not high, this deformity can cause not only pain but also difficulties in daily activities such as swallowing and maintaining upright position. Even though the common cause of cervical deformity is still controversial, previous studies divided CD into congenital deformity and secondary deformity; secondary deformity includes iatrogenic and noniatrogenic deformity according to pathogenic factors. Due to the lack of relevant studies, a standardized evaluation for CD is absent. Even though the assessment of preoperative condition and surgical planning mainly rely on personal experience, the evaluation methods could still be summarized from previous studies. The objective in this article is to summarize studies on cervical scoliosis, identify clinical problems, and provide directions for researchers interested in delving deep into this specific topic. In this review, we found that the lack of standard classification system could lead to an absence of clinical guidance; in addition, the osseous landmarks and vascular distributions could be variable in CD patients, which might cause the risk of vascular or neurological complications; furthermore, multiple deformities were usually presented in CD patients, which might cause chain reaction after the correction of CD; this would prevent surgeons from choosing realignment surgery that is effective but risky.
Effects of Platelet‐Rich Plasma on Proliferation, Viability, and Odontogenic Differentiation of Neural Crest Stem‐Like Cells Derived from Human Dental Apical Papilla
Authors: Li Junyuan , Xiang Lusai , Guan Chenyu , Yang Xin , Hu Xiaoli , Zhang Xiaolei , Zhang Wen
Published: May 2020

Objective. This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) on proliferation, viability, and odontogenic differentiation of neural crest stem‐like cells (NCSCs) derived from human dental apical papilla. Materials and Methods. Cells from apical papillae were obtained and then induced to form neural spheres. The expression of NCSC markers p75NTR and HNK‐1 in neural sphere cells was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Human PRP was prepared by a 2‐step centrifugation method and activated by CaCl2 and thrombin. The concentrations of PDGF‐BB and TGF‐β1 in whole blood and PRP were measured by an ELISA kit. PRP in five different concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 25%) was applied to culture NCSCs. On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th days, cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK8. Cell viability was tested by a live/dead staining kit. mRNA and protein expression of DSPP and BMP4 were analyzed by RT‐qPCR and western blot, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed by a one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test or t‐test. Results. Dental apical papilla cells formed neural spheres, from which cells displayed positive expression of p75NTR and HNK‐1. The concentrations of PDGF‐BB and TGF‐β1 in PRP were about 3.5‐fold higher than those in whole blood. 5% and 10% PRP significantly promoted proliferation of NCSCs, while 25% and 50% PRP inhibited cell proliferation from Day 3 to Day 7. Low‐concentration (2.5%, 5%, and 10%) PRP slightly improved viability of NCSCs on Day 7. On the other hand, high‐concentration (25% and 50%) PRP significantly inhibited viability of NCSCs from Day 3 to Day 7. RT‐qPCR and western blot results indicated that 10% PRP could promote odontogenic differentiation of NCSCs on Day 7. mRNA and protein expression of DSPP and BMP4 were significantly upregulated in the 10% PRP group compared to those in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions. PRP is a simply acquirable blood derivative which contains high concentration of growth factors like PDGF‐BB and TGF‐β1. PRP in a proper concentration could promote proliferation, viability, and odontogenic differentiation of NCSCs derived from human dental apical papilla.
Dynamic Mechanical, Dielectrical, and Rheological Analysis of Polyethylene Terephthalate/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites Prepared by Melt Processing
Authors: Bitenieks Juris , Merijs Meri Remo , Zicans Janis , Buks Krisjanis
Published: May 2020

The polyethylene terephthalate/carbon nanotube (PET/CNT) nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing using a twin screw extruder. CNT content was varied up to 5 wt. %. Morphology as well as dynamic mechanical, calorimetric, and rheological properties of the PET/CNT nanocomposites was investigated. Morphological studies indicated that CNT bundles are regularly distributed within the polymer matrix creating a connected network structure which significantly affects the nanocomposite properties. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis revealed increase in storage and loss modules of the investigated PET nanocomposites by increasing the content of CNTs. Differential scanning calorimetry results demonstrated increase in crystallinity of the investigated PET nanocomposites upon addition of the nanofiller. Rheological studies demonstrated that CNT addition up to 5 wt. % caused increment in complex viscosity and storage modulus. Rheological percolation threshold was observed to be 0.83 wt. % of CNT concentration, respectively.
Organ-Protective Effects and the Underlying Mechanism of Dexmedetomidine
Authors: Bao Naren , Tang Bing
Published: May 2020

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a highly selectiveα2 adrenergic receptor (α2AR) agonist currently used in clinical settings. Because DEX has dose-dependent advantages of sedation, analgesia, antianxiety, inhibition of sympathetic nervous system activity, cardiovascular stabilization, and significant reduction of postoperative delirium and agitation, but does not produce respiratory depression and agitation, it is widely used in clinical anesthesia and ICU departments. In recent years, much clinical study and basic research has confirmed that DEX has a protective effect on a variety of organs, including the nervous system, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and small intestine. It acts by reducing the inflammatory response in these organs, activating antiapoptotic signaling pathways which protect cells from damage. Therefore, based on wide clinical application and safety, DEX may become a promising clinical multiorgan protection drug in the future. In this article, we review the physiological effects related to organ protection inα2AR agonists along with the organ-protective effects and mechanisms of DEX to understand their combined application value.
Light Tetraquark State Candidates
Authors: Wang Zhi-Gang
Published: May 2020

In this article, we study the axialvector-diquark-axialvector-antidiquark type scalar, axialvector, tensor, and vector sss¯s¯ tetraquark states with the QCD sum rules. The predicted mass mX=2.08±0.12 GeV for the axialvector tetraquark state is in excellent agreement with the experimental value 2062.8±13.1±4.2 MeV from the BESIII collaboration and supports assigning the new X state to be a sss¯s¯ tetraquark state with JPC=1+−. The predicted mass mX=3.08±0.11 GeV disfavors assigning ϕ2170 or Y2175 to be the vector partner of the new X state. As a byproduct, we obtain the masses of the corresponding qqq¯q¯ tetraquark states. The light tetraquark states lie in the region about 2 GeV rather than 1 GeV.
Procalcitonin Identifies Bacterial Coinfections in Vietnamese Children with Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus Pneumonia
Authors: Do Quyet , Dao Tuan Minh , Nguyen Tran Ngoc Thi , Tran Quynh Anh , Nguyen Hau Thi , Ngo Tam Thi
Published: May 2020

This study assessed the diagnostic value of interleukin‐ (IL‐) 6, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) in differentiating severe pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) alone and RSV with bacterial coinfections among Vietnamese children under 5 years old. A cross‐sectional study on 70 children with severe RSV pneumonia was conducted. IL‐6, hs‐CRP, and PCT tests were performed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to measure the diagnostic values of PCT, IL‐6, and hs‐CRP. Of 70 children, 11 children were confirmed to have bacterial coinfections. The most common bacterial coinfection was Haemophilus influenzae. This study underlined that inflammatory biomarkers such as PCT had a moderate‐to‐high capability of disseminating severe pneumonia children with RSV alone or RSV and bacterial coinfections. This may support clinicians in administrating appropriate antibiotics to children suffering from severe RSV pneumonia.
Autophagy and mTOR Pathways Mediate the Potential Renoprotective Effects of Vitamin D on Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Khodir Suzan A. , Samaka Rehab M. , Ameen Omnia
Published: May 2020

Introduction. Not only is diabetic nephropathy (DN) the most common cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide, but it also increases the risk of mortality up to fourteen times compared to normoalbuminuric diabetic patients. Aim. The aim of the current study was the evaluation of the renoprotective effects of vitamin D in DN and the possible interplay between autophagy and mTOR pathways. Materials and Methods. Fifty male Wistar albino rats were divided (10/group) into control, DN group, insulin-treated DN group, vitamin D-treated DN group, and combined insulin and vitamin D-treated DN group. Assessments of systolic blood pressure, albuminuria, creatinine clearance, serum glucose, insulin, urea, creatinine, inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers, and rat kidney gene expression of mTOR were performed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical assessments of autophagy marker LC3 in rat kidneys were also performed. Results. DN was associated with significant increases in SBP, urinary albumin, serum glucose, urea, creatinine, inflammatory cytokines, MDA, and mTOR gene expression (P<0.05). However, there was significant decrease in creatinine clearance, serum insulin, GSH, and H score value of LC3 when compared with control group (P<0.05). The combination of insulin and vitamin D treatment significantly restored DN changes when compared with the other treated groups, except in oxidative stress markers where there was an insignificant difference between the combination-treated and insulin-treated groups (P>0.05). Conclusion. It has been concluded that vitamin D is a potent adjuvant therapy in treatment of DN via downregulation of mTOR gene expression, stimulation of autophagy, and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypotensive effects.
Eigenvalue Criteria for Existence of Positive Solutions to Fractional Boundary Value Problem
Authors: Lian Wen , Bai Zhanbing
Published: May 2020

The existence and multiplicity of positive solutions for the nonlinear fractional differential equation boundary value problem (BVP) DC0+αyx+fx,yx=0,   0<x<1, y0=y′1=y″0=0 is established, where 2<α≤3,  CD0+α is the Caputo fractional derivative, and f:0,1×0,∞⟶0,∞ is a continuous function. The conclusion relies on the fixed-point index theory and the Leray-Schauder degree theory. The growth conditions of the nonlinearity with respect to the first eigenvalue of the related linear operator is given to guarantee the existence and multiplicity.