bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combining Antidepressants with β‐Blockers: Evidence of a Clinically Significant CYP2D6 Drug Interaction
Authors: Shin Jaekyu , Hills Nancy K. , Finley Patrick R.
Published: April 2020

Background

The β‐blockers and antidepressants are two of the most commonly prescribed drug classes in the United States. Several antidepressants are potent inhibitors of cytochrome P450 2D6 liver enzymes (CYP2D6) and can increase the plasma concentrations of certain β‐blockers when administered concomitantly, potentially leading to serious medical consequences such as hypotension, bradycardia, and falls.

Objective

The primary objective of this investigation was to determine whether initiating an antidepressant in patients receiving β‐blockers increased the risk of hemodynamic adverse events. Our primary outcome was time to hospital admissions or emergency department (ED) visits for an International Classification of Diseases‐9 diagnosis suggestive of excessive β‐blockade.

Methods

We conducted a survival analysis for adults continuously enrolled in the California Medicaid system (Medi‐Cal) between 2004 and 2012. Eligible patients were required to be receiving β‐blocker medications that are primarily CYP2D6 substrates (e.g., metoprolol, propranolol, or carvedilol). Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed for patients who concurrently received antidepressants with β‐blockers. An additional multivariable analysis analyzed the association of this combination upon hospitalizations or ED visits for all causes.

Results

A total of 21,292 beneficiaries met the inclusion criteria, and 4.3% of patients required hospitalization or ED visits within 30 days of co‐medication. In multivariable analysis, patients receiving antidepressants with moderate to strong CYP2D6 inhibitory potential (fluoxetine, paroxetine, duloxetine, or bupropion) had a greater risk for hospitalization or ED visits for hemodynamic events than those initiated on antidepressants with weak CYP2D6 inhibition for 30 days or less when each was compared with patients receiving no antidepressants (hazard ratio [HR] 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–2.81; p=0.04 vs HR 1.24; 95% CI 0.82–1.88; p=0.30). Other demographic variables associated with increased morbidity included advanced age, male sex, higher β‐blocker doses, and African American race or Hispanic ethnicity.

Conclusions

Results of this analysis suggest that initiation of certain antidepressants was associated with an increased risk for serious medical sequelae among patients concurrently receiving β‐blockers. Greater risk was observed with antidepressants that potently inhibit the CYP2D6 enzyme, implying that increased morbidity may be mediated by a metabolic drug interaction.
Maintenance Strategies After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Culos Kathryn A. , Gatwood Katie S. , Byrne Michael
Published: April 2020

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is an essential component of potentially curative therapy for patients with hematologic malignancies. High‐dose chemotherapy with autologous (auto) stem cell rescue is used to overcome chemoresistance in multiple myeloma, non‐Hodgkin lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma. Alternatively, poor‐risk acute leukemias rely on the graft versus leukemia effect of allogeneic (allo) products. Long‐term remissions are feasible with both auto‐ and allo‐HCT; however, disease relapse is the leading cause of death after HCT for many patients. In recognition of this, novel therapies are being investigated in the upfront, relapsed/refractory, and post‐HCT maintenance settings to deepen response and maintain disease control. To date, the most robust data to support this approach are in multiple myeloma, where post‐transplant maintenance therapy has improved clinical outcomes. In Hodgkin lymphoma, patients with high‐risk features may benefit from post–auto‐HCT vedotin (BV) regardless of pre‐HCT BV exposure. Apart from mantle cell lymphoma, where rituximab maintenance is generally accepted, post–auto‐HCT maintenance in other forms of NHL is less established. In patients who undergo allo‐HCT, the utilization of maintenance therapy is an important component of improving post‐HCT outcomes, however, an individualized approach that considers patient factors such as residual toxicity from HCT, an immature graft with poor graft function, infection, and graft‐versus‐host disease create a complex environment for aggressive interventions. Initiation of directed agents in patients with identified mutations prior to allo‐HCT, including FLT3 in acute myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome in acute lymphoid leukemia have generally improved post‐HCT outcomes. Ongoing studies are exploring the safety and efficacy of additional maintenance strategies post–allo‐HCT in an effort to further improve post‐HCT outcomes.
On the design of control charts with guaranteed conditional performance under estimated parameters
Authors: Does Ronald J.M.M. , Goedhart Rob , Woodall William H.
Published: April 2020

When designing control charts the in‐control parameters are unknown, so the control limits have to be estimated using a Phase I reference sample. To evaluate the in‐control performance of control charts in the monitoring phase (Phase II), two performance indicators are most commonly used: the average run length (ARL) or the false alarm rate (FAR). However, these quantities will vary across practitioners due to the use of different reference samples in Phase I. This variation is small only for very large amounts of Phase I data, even when the actual distribution of the data is known. In practice, we do not know the distribution of the data, and it has to be estimated, along with its parameters. This means that we have to deal with model error when parametric models are used and stochastic error because we have to estimate the parameters. With these issues in mind, choices have to be made in order to control the performance of control charts. In this paper, we discuss some results with respect to the in‐control guaranteed conditional performance of control charts with estimated parameters for parametric and nonparametric methods. We focus on Shewhart, exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA), and cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts for monitoring the mean when parameters are estimated.
Robust constrained control of piecewise affine systems through set‐based reachability computations
Authors: Desimini Riccardo , Prandini Maria
Published: April 2020

This article addresses finite‐horizon robust control of a piecewise affine system affected by uncertainty and characterized by different affine dynamics (modes) associated with a polyhedral partition of the state space. The goal is to design a static state‐feedback control law that maintains the state of the system within given—possibly time‐varying—sets, subject to actuation constraints. The proposed approach rests on two phases: a reference mode sequence with a sufficiently large robustness level is determined first, and then a tracking state‐feedback control law defined on the reach sets of the controlled system is designed to counteract uncertainty and maintain the reach sets within the reference sequence. If this is not possible and the reach sets split over different modes, then, further reference mode sequences and tracking controllers are computed. The designed state‐feedback control law is represented through a collection of controllers defined on precomputed reach sets of the closed‐loop control system. Performance of the approach is shown on some numerical examples.
Predictive models of fish microhabitat selection in multiple sites accounting for abundance overdispersion
Authors: Plichard Laura , Forcellini Maxence , Le Coarer Yann , Capra Hervé , Carrel Georges , Ecochard René , Lamouroux Nicolas
Published: April 2020

Microhabitat selection models are frequently used in rivers to evaluate anthropogenic effects on aquatic organisms. Fish models are generally developed from few rivers, with debatable statistical treatments for coping with overdispersed abundance distributions. Analyses of data from multiple rivers are needed to test their transferability and increase their relevance for stakeholders. Using 3,528 microhabitats sampled in nine French rivers during 129 surveys, we developed models for 35 specific size classes of 22 fish species. We used mixed‐effects generalized linear models (accounting for multiple surveys), involving B‐spline transformations (accounting for nonlinear responses) and assuming a negative binomial distribution (accounting for abundance overdispersion). We compared models of increasing complexity: no selection (M1), an “average” selection similar in all surveys (M2), two models with different selection across surveys (M3–M4). Of 132 univariate cases (specific size classes by habitat), 63% indicated selection for depth, 71% for velocity, 45% for substratum size and 13% for substratum heterogeneity. A total of 50 models were retained, involving 26/35 specific size classes. Model fits indicated low explained deviance (R2MF < 0.19) and higher rank correlations (ρ < 0.69) between observed and modelled values. However, Bayesian posterior predictive checks validated these results since excellent fits would generate R2MF lower than 0.59 and ρ lower than 0.78. We found high transferability among rivers and dates, because (a) M2 was the most appropriate in 26/50 cases; (b) the R2MF and ρ values by M2 was, respectively, 72% and 75% of that explained by the complex M4 and (c) independent river cross‐validations showed good transferability. Bivariate models for selected specific size classes improved univariate model fits (ρ from 0.30 to 0.38). Overall, using a nonlinear mixed‐effect approach, our results confirmed the relevance of “average” models based on several rivers for developing helpful e‐flow tools. Finally, our modelling approach opens opportunities for integrating additional effects as the spatial distribution of competitors.
Mercaptoalkanoic Acid‐Induced Band Gap Attenuation of Copper Selenide Quantum Dot
Authors: Pacoste Laura C. , Jijana Abongile N. , Feleni Usisipho , Iwuoha Emmanuel
Published: April 2020

Copper selenide quantum dot (CuSeQD) materials functionalised with mercaptoalkanoic acids {3‐mercaptopropionic acid (3‐MPA), 6‐mercaptohexanoic acid (6‐MHA) and mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA)} were synthesized by a reproducible aqueous colloidal technique at room temperature. The impact of the capping agents on the size and the crystallinity of the CuSeQD materials, were investigated by small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopic techniques, respectively. SAXS results confirmed that 6‐MHA‐CuSeQD had the smallest average particle core size when dried, whereas MSA‐CuSeQD had the smallest size in aqueous solution, though with a tendency to aggregate. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements indicated strong bonding of the capping agents to CuSe particles, with MSA being the weakest binding agent, as confirmed by comparatively, low Zeta potential(ζ=−31.1 mV) and high polydispersity index (0.469) values. UV‐Vis absorption studies confirmed a large blue shift of the band gap for the QD compared to the bulk material, with characteristic absorption band (λ) and direct band gap (Egd) values being (λ=435 nm, Egd=8.0 eV), (λ=400 nm, Egd=5.6 eV) and (λ=340 nm, Egd=4.0 eV), for 6‐MHA‐CuSeQD, 3‐MPA‐CuSeQD and MSA‐CuSeQD, respectively. As supported by the formal potential values for 6‐MHA‐CuSeQD (E0′≈120 mV), 3‐MPA‐CuSeQD (E0′≈159 mV) and MSA‐CuSeQD (E0′≈183 mV), the smaller the particle size, the lower the potential required for the application of the quantum dots in an electron transfer process.
L–Cysteine/Hydrotalcite Hybrid for Collaborative Removal of Cu(II), Hg(II) and Pb(II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions: Different Metal Ions Require Different Mechanisms
Authors: Luo Bingbing , Chen Meng , Chen Feifei , Xue Zhiyong
Published: April 2020

The L‐cysteine/hydrotalcite hybrid has been synthesized by incorporating L‐cysteine anion into the interlayer of hydrotalcite. The sample is purposed for the removal of Cu2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+ from aqueous solutions. The structure and morphology of L‐cysteine/hydrotalcite are characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM and BET. The effects of various physic‐chemical factors such as pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time are investigated. The maximum adsorption capacities of L‐cysteine/ hydrotalcite for Cu2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+ are 157.99, 81.24 and 215.90 mg/g, respectively, which are obviously higher than those of the pristine hydrotalcite. The adsorption kinetics are fitted by the pseudo‐second order model. The adsorption isotherms are well described by the Langmuir equation. As confirmed by XRD and XPS analysis, a mechanism for adsorbed Cu2+ in the form of coordinated complexes and isomorphous substitution is proposed. In contrast, a precipitation mechanism is suggested for adsorbed Hg2+ and Pb2+. The results demonstrate that L‐cysteine/hydrotalcite is a promising adsorbents for efficient elimination toxic metal ions from wastewater.
Looking beyond formal organization: How public managers organize voluntary work by adapting to deviance
Authors: Lauritzen Ghita Dragsdahl
Published: April 2020

This article suggests a system‐theoretical re‐reading of formal membership and inclusion within three public organizations that operate under the umbrella of a single municipality and incorporate volunteers into their welfare activities. While volunteers are a treasured resource in public organizations, those organizations face challenges when seeking to address volunteers with their formal structures. This article explores these issues in a Danish municipality in three different organizational settings that use volunteers to support children, the elderly, and city planning. It adds to research on voluntary work by illustrating a set of strategies for organizing volunteers that are radically different from the more controlling strategies that have previously been studied. These alternative strategies include postponing decisions, leading by coincidences, informal organization, and tolerating disruptive behaviour. Based on these findings, this article suggests new forms of inclusion and organizational deviance that can both enhance the flexibility of the organizational system and risk destabilizing its structures.
Report of the Nomenclature Committee for Fossils: 12
Authors: Herendeen Patrick S.
Published: April 2020

The following ten generic names are recommended for conservation: Monoletes against Zonalosporites, Punctatisporites Ibrahim against Punctatisporites R. Potonié & Gelletich, Speciososporites against Reticulatosporites, Zonalesporites Ibrahim with that spelling against Zonalessporites R. Potonié & Gelletich and Macrosporites, Polypodiaceoisporites to make it legitimate and, if necessary, against Zonalessporites R. Potonié & Gelletich, Voltziopsis with a conserved type, Laurinoxylon against Ulminium, Apiculatisporis against Apiculatisporites, Caryapollenites with a conserved type, Palmoxylon against Fasciculites and Perfossus. The following three generic names are recommended for rejection: Laurinium, Cottaites, Pollenites. The following one family name is not recommended for conservation: Zosterophyllaceae against Sciadophytaceae. The Committee judged the differential diagnosis for the name Pollenites to be adequate for valid publication.
Global regularity of 2D tropical climate model with zero thermal diffusion
Authors: Ye Zhuan
Published: April 2020

This article studies the global regularity problem of the two‐dimensional zero thermal diffusion tropical climate model with fractional dissipation, given by in the barotropic mode equation and by in the first baroclinic mode of the vector velocity equation. More precisely, we show that the global regularity result holds true as long as with . In addition, with no dissipation from both the temperature and the first baroclinic mode of the vector velocity, we also establish the global regularity result with the dissipation strength at the logarithmically supercritical level. Finally, our arguments can be extended to obtain the corresponding global regularity results of the higher dimensional cases.
Large-d phase transitions in holographic mutual information
Authors: Colin-Ellerin Sean , Hubeny Veronika E. , Niehoff Benjamin E. , Sorce Jonathan
Published: April 2020

Abstract

In the AdS/CFT correspondence, the entanglement entropy of subregions in the boundary CFT is conjectured to be dual to the area of a bulk extremal surface at leading order in G

N
in the holographic limit. Under this dictionary, distantly separated regions in the CFT vacuum state have zero mutual information at leading order, and only attain nonzero mutual information at this order when they lie close enough to develop significant classical and quantum correlations. Previously, the separation at which this phase transition occurs for equal-size ball-shaped regions centered at antipodal points on the boundary was known analytically only in 3 spacetime dimensions. Inspired by recent explorations of general relativity at large-d, we compute the separation at which the phase transition occurs analytically in the limit of infinitely many spacetime dimensions, and find that distant regions cannot develop large correlations without collectively occupying the entire volume of the boundary theory. We interpret this result as illustrating the spatial decoupling of holographic correlations in the large-d limit, and provide intuition for this phenomenon using results from quantum information theory. We also compute the phase transition separation numerically for a range of bulk spacetime dimensions from 4 to 21, where analytic results are intractable but numerical results provide insight into the dimension-dependence of holographic correlations. For bulk dimensions above 5, our exact numerical results are well approximated analytically by working to next-to-leading order in the large-d expansion.
Getting a THUMP from a WIMP
Authors: Davoudiasl Hooman , Mohlabeng Gopolang
Published: April 2020

Abstract

Producing an acceptable thermal relic abundance of dark matter with masses ≫ 102 TeV is a challenge. We propose a novel mechanism where GeV-scale states establish a tiny thermal relic abundance for dark matter, which is later promoted to ultra massive status by a very light scalar. We refer to this dark matter as a THermal Ultra Massive Particle (THUMP). Direct detection of THUMPs can be naturally expected due to large scattering cross sections mediated by low mass states that couple THUMPs to the Standard Model. Our model generically leads to signals for the associated GeV-scale states at accelerator experiments.
A direct link between unflavored leptogenesis and low-energy CP violation via the one-loop quantum corrections
Authors: Xing Zhi-zhong , Zhang Di
Published: April 2020

Abstract

In the type-I seesaw mechanism the Casas-Ibarra (CI) parametrization provides a convenient description of the Dirac neutrino mass matrix in terms of the light and heavy Majorana neutrino masses, the lepton flavor mixing matrix U and an unknown complex orthogonal matrix O. If O is assumed to be real, it will be impossible to generate unflavored thermal leptogenesis via the lepton-number-violating and CP-violating decays of the lightest heavy Majorana neutrino. We find that this observation can be invalidated after small but unavoidable quantum corrections to the CI parametrization are taken into account with the help of the one-loop renormalization-group equations (RGEs) between the seesaw and electroweak scales. We illustrate a novel and viable unflavored leptogenesis scenario of this kind based on the RGEs in the seesaw-extended standard model, and show its direct link to the CP-violating phases of U at low energies.
Hepatitis B virus X protein promotes liver cell pyroptosis under oxidative stress through NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Authors: Xie Wen-hui , Ding Jian , Xie Xiao-xia , Yang Xiao-huang , Wu Xiao-Fan , Chen Zhi-xin , Guo Qi-lan , Gao Wen-yu , Wang Xiao-zhong , Li Dan
Published: April 2020

Objective

Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) is a pivotal factor for HBV-induced hepatitis. Herein, we sought to investigate HBx-mediated NLR pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and pyroptosis under oxidative stress.

Methods

The effect of HBx on the NLRP3 inflammasome was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunofluorescence in hepatic HL7702 cells. Pyroptosis was evaluated by western blotting, lactate dehydrogenase release, propidium iodide staining, and transmission electron microscopy. NLRP3 expression in the inflammasome from liver tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry.

Results

In hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-stimulated HL7702 cells, HBx triggered the release of pro-inflammatory mediators apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1); activated NLRP3; and initiated pro-inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis). HBx localized to the mitochondria, where it induced mitochondrial damage and production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS). Treatment of HL7702 cells with a mitoROS scavenger attenuated HBx-induced NLRP3 activation and pyroptosis. Expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, and IL-1β in liver tissues from patients were positively correlated with HBV DNA concentration.

Conclusions

The NLRP3 inflammasome was activated by elevated mitoROS levels and mediated HBx-induced liver inflammation and hepatocellular pyroptosis under H2O2-stress conditions.
Generalized solutions for a system of partial differential equations arising from urban crime modeling with a logistic source term
Authors: Heihoff Frederic
Published: April 2020

We consider the system with$$\rho \in {\mathbb {R}}, \mu> 0, \chi > 0$$ρ∈R,μ>0,χ>0in a bounded domain$$\Omega \subseteq {\mathbb {R}}^2$$Ω⊆R2with smooth boundary. While very similar to chemotaxis models from biology, this system is in fact inspired by recent modeling approaches in criminology to analyze the formation of crime hot spots in cities. The key addition here in comparison with similar models is the logistic source term. The central complication this system then presents us with, apart from us allowing for arbitrary$$\chi > 0$$χ>0, is the nonlinear growth termuvin the second equation as it makes obtaining a priori information forvrather difficult. Fortunately, it is somewhat tempered by its negative counterpart and the logistic source term in the first equation. It is this interplay that still gives us enough access to a priori information to achieve the main result of this paper, namely the construction of certain generalized solutions to ($$\star $$⋆). To illustrate how close the interaction of theuvterm in the second equation and the$$-\mu u^2$$-μu2term in the first equation is to granting us classical global solvability, we further give a short argument showing that strengthening the$$-\mu u^2$$-μu2term to$$-\mu u^{2+\gamma }$$-μu2+γwith$$\gamma > 0$$γ>0in the first equation directly leads to global classical solutions.
Feasibility of a Cellular Telephone Follow‐Up Program After Injury in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Christie S. Ariane , Mbianyor M. Agbor , Dissak‐Delon Fanny N. , Tanjong Mary M. , Chichom‐Mefire Alain , Dicker Rochelle A. , Juillard Catherine
Published: April 2020

Background

Injury disproportionately affects persons in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC). Most LMIC lack capacity for routine follow‐up care, likely resulting in complications and disability. Cellular telephones may provide a new tool to improve health outcomes. The objective of this study was to establish the feasibility of a mobile health follow‐up program after injury in Cameroon.

Methods

Between February and October 2017, all injured patients admitted to a regional hospital in Cameroon were asked for mobile phone numbers as part of an existing trauma registry. Patients were contacted 2 weeks after leaving the hospital discharge to participate in a short triage survey. Data on program feasibility and patient condition were collected.

Results

Of 1180 injured patients who presented for emergency care, 83% provided telephone numbers, 62% were reached, and 48% (565) of all injured patients ultimately participated in telephone follow‐up. Successfully contacted patients were reached after an average of 1.76 call attempts (SD 1.91) and median call time was 4.43 min (IQR 3.67–5.36). Five patients (1%) had died from their injuries at the time of follow‐up. Among surveyed patients, 27% required ongoing assistance to complete activities of daily living. Nearly, half (47%) of patients reported inability to take medicines or care for their injury as instructed at discharge. Adequate pain control was achieved in only 38% of discharged patients.

Conclusion

Pilot data suggest considerable under treatment of injury in Cameroon. Mobile telephone follow‐up demonstrates potential as a feasible tool for screening discharged patients who could benefit from further care.
Influence of the Glissonean Pedicle Transection Approach in Spiegel Lobe‐Preserving Left Hepatectomy on Spiegel Lobe Volume and Remnant Liver Functions
Authors: Kamitani Naoki , Nomi Takeo , Hokuto Daisuke , Yoshikawa Takahiro , Matsuo Yasuko , Sho Masayuki
Published: April 2020

Background

The extrahepatic surgical technique in liver resection can be divided into glissonean pedicle transection and glissonean separated transection approaches. In this study, we compared remnant liver function and liver regeneration involving the Spiegel lobe between these two approaches regarding Spiegel lobe‐preserving left hepatectomy.

Methods

We enrolled 31 patients who underwent Spiegel lobe‐preserving left hepatectomy for malignant hepatobiliary diseases between April 2008 and January 2020. The postoperative Spiegel lobe volume was measured using a volume analyzer at 3 and 6 months postoperatively.

Results

Of the 31 patients, 22 and 9 were included in the glissonean separated transection and glissonean pedicle transection groups, respectively. There was no significant between‐group difference in the preoperative Spiegel lobe volume. However, the volumes at 3 and 6 months postoperatively were significantly larger in the glissonean pedicle transection group than in the glissonean transection group (29.92 mL vs. 13.00 mL; P < 0.001 and 28.43 mL vs. 15.01 mL; P < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant between‐group difference in postoperative remnant liver function.

Conclusions

The postoperative Spiegel lobe volume was larger, and liver regeneration was better with the glissonean pedicle transection approach because of transection for Spiegel branch of the portal vein. It is desirable to preserve Spiegel branch in possible cases when surgeons select the glissonean separated transection approach based on the location and size of the tumors.
Food system perspective on fisheries and aquaculture development in Asia
Authors: Tezzo Xavier , Bush Simon R. , Oosterveer Peter , Belton Ben
Published: April 2020

This paper reviews development research and policies on freshwater fish in South and Southeast Asia. We conduct a systematic review of academic literature from three major science-based policy institutions to analyze development research and policies that have accompanied the ongoing transition from freshwater capture fisheries to aquaculture in the region. Using a ‘food fish system’ framework allows for the identification and systematic comparison of assumptions underpinning dominant development policies. We analyze the interrelations between the production, provisioning, and consumption of wild and farmed fish and demonstrate a shift toward food fish systems thinking in the sampled literature. We discuss gaps and weaknesses in the literature, as identified through the application of the food fish systems framework and present an agenda for future research aimed at securing the potential of fish as food.
Smoking-Related DNA Methylation is Differentially Associated with Cadmium Concentration in Blood
Authors: Lee Jae-Eun , Kim Hye-Ryun , Lee Mee-hee , Kim Nam-Hee , Wang Kyoung-Min , Lee Sang-hyeop , Park Ok , Hong Eun-Jung , Youn Jong-Woo , Kim Young-Youl
Published: April 2020

Tobacco smoking, a risk factor for several human diseases, can lead to alterations in DNA methylation. Smoking is a key source of cadmium exposure; however, there are limited studies examining DNA methylation alterations following smoking-related cadmium exposure. To identify such cadmium exposure-related DNA methylation, we performed genome-wide DNA methylation profiling using DNA samples from 50 smokers and 50 non-smokers. We found that a total of 136 CpG sites (including 70 unique genes) were significantly differentially methylated in smokers as compared to that in non-smokers. The CpG site cg05575921 in the AHRR gene was hypomethylated (Δ ß >  − 0.2) in smokers, which was in accordance with previous studies. The rs951295 (within RNA gene LOC105370802) and cg00587941 sites were under-methylated by > 15% in smokers, whereas cg11314779 (within CELF6) and cg02126896 were over-methylated by ≥ 15%. We analyzed the association between blood cadmium concentration and DNA methylation level for 50 smokers and 50 non-smokers. DNA methylation rates of 307 CpG sites (including 207 unique genes) were significantly correlated to blood cadmium concentration (linear regression P value < 0.001). The four significant loci (cg05575921 and cg23576855 in AHRR, cg03636183 in F2RL3, and cg21566642) were under-methylated by > 10% in smokers compared to that in non-smokers. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that DNA methylation levels of rs951295, cg00587941, cg11314779, and cg02126896 sites may be new putative indicators of smoking status. Furthermore, we showed that these four loci may be differentially methylated by cadmium exposure due to smoking.
On the quasi-isometric and bi-Lipschitz classification of 3D Riemannian Lie groups
Authors: Fässler Katrin , Le Donne Enrico
Published: April 2020

This note is concerned with the geometric classification of connected Lie groups of dimension three or less, endowed with left-invariant Riemannian metrics. On the one hand, assembling results from the literature, we give a review of the complete classification of such groups up to quasi-isometries and we compare the quasi-isometric classification with the bi-Lipschitz classification. On the other hand, we study the problem whether two quasi-isometrically equivalent Lie groups may be made isometric if equipped with suitable left-invariant Riemannian metrics. We show that this is the case for three-dimensional simply connected groups, but it is not true in general for multiply connected groups. The counterexample also demonstrates that ‘may be made isometric’ is not a transitive relation.
Co-cultured non-marine ostracods from a temporary wetland harbor host-specific microbiota of different metabolic profiles
Authors: Olszewski Paweł , Bruhn-Olszewska Bożena , Namiotko Lucyna , Sell Jerzy , Namiotko Tadeusz
Published: April 2020

Rapid development of high-throughput sequencing methods and metagenomics revealed a diverse world of microbiota associated with multicellular organisms. Although recent discoveries indicate that freshwater invertebrates are hosts for specific bacteria, it is still unknown if this specificity is driven by host-derived factors or by the environment, especially in animals with diapause in ephemeral habitats, where parents and offspring are separated in time and space. In this work, using both low-throughput molecular approach and Next-generation sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA gene, we present a taxonomic analysis of bacteria associated with two species of non-marine ostracods Sclerocypris tuberculata and Potamocypris mastigophora raised from diapausing eggs and co-cultured in laboratory conditions. Our analysis showed that despite sharing the same environment, each ostracod host developed distinct bacterial communities. The major difference was caused by the dominance of the family Comamonadaceae (Betaproteobacteria) in P. mastigophora and the Aeromonadaceae (Gammaproteobacteria) in S. tuberculata. Furthermore, prediction of metabolic pathways in metagenomes, revealed that microbiota of P. mastigophora exhibit higher number of sequences associated with the membrane transport and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism. Our study not only provides an insight into microbiota of non-marine ostracods but also shows that different ostracod species host functionally distinct bacterial communities.
Representations of Infinite Tree Sets
Authors: Gollin J. Pascal , Kneip Jakob
Published: April 2020

Tree sets are abstract structures that can be used to model various tree-shaped objects in combinatorics. Finite tree sets can be represented by finite graph-theoretical trees. We extend this representation theory to infinite tree sets. First we characterise those tree sets that can be represented by tree sets arising from infinite trees; these are precisely those tree sets without a chain of order type ω + 1. Then we introduce and study a topological generalisation of infinite trees which can have limit edges, and show that every infinite tree set can be represented by the tree set admitted by a suitable such tree-like space.
Internationalists and locals: international research collaboration in a resource-poor system
Authors: Kwiek Marek
Published: April 2020

The principal distinction drawn in this study is between research “internationalists” and “locals.” The former are scientists involved in international research collaboration while the latter group are not. These two distinct types of scientist compete for academic prestige, research funding, and international recognition. International research collaboration proves to be a powerful stratifying force. As a clearly defined subgroup, internationalists are a different academic species, accounting for 51.4% of Polish scientists; predominantly male and older, they have longer academic experience and higher academic degrees and occupy higher academic positions. Across all academic clusters, internationalists consistently produce more than 90% of internationally co-authored publications, representing 2320% of locals’ productivity for peer-reviewed articles and 1600% for peer-reviewed article equivalents. Internationalists tend to spend less time than locals on teaching-related activities, more time on research, and more time on administrative duties. Based on a large-scale academic survey (N = 3704), some new predictors of international research collaboration were identified by multivariate analyses. The findings have global policy implications for resource-poor science systems “playing catch-up” in terms of academic careers, productivity patterns, and research internationalization policies.
The Molecular Cloud Lifecycle
Authors: Chevance Mélanie , Kruijssen J. M. Diederik , Vazquez-Semadeni Enrique , Nakamura Fumitaka , Klessen Ralf , Ballesteros-Paredes Javier , Inutsuka Shu-ichiro , Adamo Angela , Hennebelle Patrick
Published: April 2020

Giant molecular clouds (GMCs) and their stellar offspring are the building blocks of galaxies. The physical characteristics of GMCs and their evolution are tightly connected to galaxy evolution. The macroscopic properties of the interstellar medium propagate into the properties of GMCs condensing out of it, with correlations between e.g. the galactic and GMC scale gas pressures, surface densities and volume densities. That way, the galactic environment sets the initial conditions for star formation within GMCs. After the onset of massive star formation, stellar feedback from e.g. photoionisation, stellar winds, and supernovae eventually contributes to dispersing the parent cloud, depositing energy, momentum and metals into the surrounding medium, thereby changing the properties of galaxies. This cycling of matter between gas and stars, governed by star formation and feedback, is therefore a major driver of galaxy evolution. Much of the recent debate has focused on the durations of the various evolutionary phases that constitute this cycle in galaxies, and what these can teach us about the physical mechanisms driving the cycle. We review results from observational, theoretical, and numerical work to build a dynamical picture of the evolutionary lifecycle of GMC evolution, star formation, and feedback in galaxies.
Plattform-Regulierung. Koordination von Märkten und Kuratierung von Sozialität im Internet
Authors: Dolata Ulrich
Published: April 2020

Die führenden Internetkonzerne sind mit ihren weitläufig vernetzten Plattformen im Laufe der 2010er-Jahre zu den entscheidenden Akteuren der Gestaltung und regulativen Einfassung des Internets geworden. Der Aufsatz geht der Frage nach, über welche Ansatzpunkte und Mechanismen sie ihre Rolle als strukturbildende, regelsetzende und handlungskoordinierende Kernakteure im heutigen Web ausfüllen. Im Zentrum stehen dabei zwei wesentliche Regelungsbereiche: zum einen die privatwirtschaftliche Organisierung und Regulierung von Märkten, auf denen sie als Plattformbetreiber selbst die Marktprozesse koordinieren und die Wettbewerbsbedingungen festlegen, und zum anderen die technisch vermittelte Strukturierung und Kuratierung sozialer Verhältnisse und sozialen Verhaltens, durch die die Plattformbetreiber sehr weitreichende soziale Ordnungs- und Regulierungsfunktionen übernehmen und die institutionellen Grundlagen für eine privatwirtschaftlich verfasste Gesellschaftlichkeit im Web schaffen. Die wenigen großen Plattformen, die heute weite Teile des privaten und öffentlichen Lebens im Internet ermöglichen und prägen, lassen sich – so die These des Aufsatzes – als ausdifferenzierte gesellschaftliche Strukturen mit distinkter institutioneller Basis fassen, die die Plattformbetreiber über eigene Regeln, Regulierungen und Koordinationsgremien maßgeblich prägen und kontrollieren. Dies reicht bis hin zur Übernahme bislang staatlichen Instanzen vorbehaltener quasi-hoheitlicher Aufgaben durch die Unternehmen, die sich demokratischer Legitimation und Kontrolle weitgehend entziehen können.
Experimental study on the particle flow patterns in a cyclone dipleg with a trickle valve
Authors: Yan Chao-Yu , Sun Guo-Gang , Chen Jian-Yi , Wei Yao-Dong , Lu Chun-Xi
Published: April 2020

An experimental apparatus including a dipleg and a trickle valve was established to simulate the operation of a suspended dipleg-trickle valve system of cyclone used in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. The flow regimes in the dipleg and the discharge modes in the trickle valve were studied by combining the observation of experimental phenomena with the analysis of transient pressure fluctuation. The results show that the flow regimes in the dipleg have two types—the dilute–dense phase coexisting falling flow and the dilute falling flow. Correspondingly, the trickle valve also has two discharge modes—the intermittent periodic dumping discharge and the continuous trickling discharge. The power spectrum density of pressure fluctuation displays that the gas–solids flow in the dipleg-trickle valve system is characterized by a low-frequency pulsation. The coherence coefficient explains the origin and propagation of pressure fluctuation in the system. Eventually, a map describing the flow regimes and discharge modes related to the operation parameters was proposed, which can provide a helpful guidance for the operation of cyclone dipleg-trickle valve system in FCC unit.
Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater quality for few habitations of Chandel District, Manipur (India)
Authors: Alam Wazir , Singh K. Sonamani , Gyanendra Yumnam , Laishram Ranu J. , Nesa Nashimun
Published: April 2020

A preliminary hydrogeochemical investigation of groundwater quality for spatially distributed habitations of Chandel district of Manipur was carried out with an objective to assess the suitability of groundwater for different anthropogenic uses. Altogether, eighteen (18) physico-chemical parameters including in situ parameters and major ions were analysed for classification and hydrogeochemical characterisation of groundwater resources of the study area. Some of the anions such as Cl− and SO42− were found in exceeding concentrations. Similarly, 23.1% samples exceed fluoride (F−) concentration beyond the permissible limit of 1.5 mg/l. The water quality index of the groundwater samples of the habitations was found to be influenced by the elevated concentrations of water quality parameters such as F−, EC, TDS, salinity, Cl− and SO42−. The geochemical analysis reveals that the majority of geochemical facies of the groundwater samples are dominated by Na+–Ca2+–Mg2+–Cl−–HCO3−–SO42− type of water resulting from rock-weathering geochemical process. Bivariate and multivariate analysis indicates the influences of hydrogeochemical interactions in the aquifer on the overall water quality. The irrigational water quality indices demonstrate that the water qualities of most of the sources are within the acceptable range except for few samples with high salinity and alkali hazards.
The role of sarcopenia questionnaires in hospitalized patients with chronic heart failure
Authors: Zhao Wenxue , Lu Miao , Wang Xiangming , Guo Yan
Published: April 2020

Objectives

To compare the diagnostic value of the SARC-F, MRSA-7 and MRSA-5 questionnaires in screening for sarcopenia in inpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Patients

A total of 355 CHF patients hospitalized from January 2019 to August 2019 who met the study’s selection criteria were included in the analysis.

Measurements

Handgrip strength and gait speed were measured, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was used to estimate appendicular skeletal muscle mass. The sensitivity/specificity of the SARC-F, MRSA-7 and MRSA-5 questionnaires was evaluated.

Results

The diagnostic criteria of the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) were used as the gold standard for diagnosing sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 55.8% according to the AWGS diagnostic criteria, 31.0% according to the SARC-F, 73.0% according to the MRSA-7, and 71.3% according to the MRSA-5. Using the AWGS criteria as the gold standard, the SARC-F had a sensitivity of 52.5% and a specificity of 96.2% in the whole study population, the MRSA-7 had a sensitivity of 92.4% and a specificity of 51.6%, and the MRSA-5 had a sensitivity of 93.9% and a specificity of 57.3%. The areas under the ROC curves for the SARC-F, MRSA-7 and MRSA-5 were 0.78, 0.74 and 0.77, respectively.

Conclusions

The MSRA-7 and MSRA-5 may serve as novel screening tools for sarcopenia in hospitalized patients with CHF. The SARC-F, a classic screening tool, is also suitable for this population. The MSRA-7 and MSRA-5 have better sensitivity, whereas the SARC-F has better specificity.
A Comparison of Tact Training and Bidirectional Intraverbal Training in Teaching a Foreign Language: A Refined Replication
Authors: Daly Damien , Dounavi Katerina
Published: April 2020

The present study aimed to replicate the findings of Dounavi (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,47(1), 165–170 2014) by evaluating the effects of foreign tact and bidirectional intraverbal training on emergent verbal relations. Training involved teaching three English-speaking adults to tact visual stimuli according to their foreign (French) referents, and to vocally emit the reverse relation following the presentation of written words in native-to-foreign (English-to-French) and foreign-to-native (French-to-English) intraverbal relations. A modified multiple probe design using pre- and posttraining probes was used to assess the efficacy of each training method in teaching a small foreign language vocabulary and to probe for emergent relations following training. The findings showed that foreign tact and native-to-foreign intraverbal training was more efficient and resulted in greater emergent responding than training in the foreign-to-native relation. Follow-up probes were conducted 4 weeks after the posttraining probes to evaluate the levels of responding for each of the trained and emergent relations. Results from maintenance probes were varied across the trained and emergent relations; it is interesting that the levels of responding in the emergent relations was greater.
Environment-Stable CoxNiy Encapsulation in Stacked Porous Carbon Nanosheets for Enhanced Microwave Absorption
Authors: Liang Xiaohui , Man Zengming , Quan Bin , Zheng Jing , Gu Weihua , Zhang Zhu , Ji Guangbin
Published: April 2020

Magnetic/dielectric@porous carbon composites, derived from metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with adjustable composition ratio, have attracted wide attention due to their unique magnetoelectric properties. In addition, MOFs-derived porous carbon-based materials can meet the needs of lightweight feature. This paper reports a simple process for synthesizing stacked CoxNiy@C nanosheets derived from CoxNiy-MOFs nanosheets with multiple interfaces, which is good to the microwave response. The CoxNiy@C with controllable composition can be obtained by adjusting the ratio of Co2+ and Ni2+. It is supposed that the increased Co content is benefit to the dielectric and magnetic loss. Additionally, the bandwidth of CoNi@C nanosheets can take up almost the whole Ku band. Moreover, this composite has better environmental stability in air, which characteristic provides a sustainable potential for the practical application.
Schilddrüse und Schwangerschaft: Schein und Sein
Authors: Promintzer-Schifferl Miriam , Krebs Michael
Published: April 2020

Potentielle Funktionsstörungen der Schilddrüse treten bei bis zu 15 % aller Schwangeren auf und gehören damit zu den häufigsten Fragestellungen, mit denen ÄrztInnen im Rahmen der Betreuung von Frauen mit Kinderwunsch/Schwangerschaft in der klinischen Praxis konfrontiert sind. Die Grundzüge der neuen Empfehlungen der Fachgesellschaften und eine Auswahl der aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Literatur sollen hier diskutiert werden, um dem klinisch tätigen Arzt einen Überblick über neue Entwicklungen zu geben.
The concept of EmPatGen (Emotional Pattern Generator)
Authors: Trautmann Laura , Piros Attila
Published: April 2020

Nowadays, the aesthetic appearance of a product becomes more and more important in several industries. Psychologic studies and researches highlighted that beside the functionality of a product, aesthetic appearance is one of the key factors of the decision-making process before buying a product. The geometric properties—such as basic geometries and lines—of patterns that are simple structures, usually consist of replication of simple elements or their mathematically described modifications. These are all in connection with human emotions. A software called EmPatGen (Emotional Pattern Generator) has been developed that creates patterns automatically based on user preferences. The focus of this research is to support the work of product designers in the automotive industry. With the aid of this program, they are able to design the most aesthetically pleasing car interiors and fulfill specific customer requirements in a much easier manner. This study focuses on the connections of basic geometries and lines created with the introduction of a novel pattern generator program and mathematical model which is based on fuzzy logic.