bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Finnish study of intraoperative irrigation versus drain alone after evacuation of chronic subdural haematoma (FINISH): a study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Tommiska Pihla , Raj Rahul , Schwartz Christoph , Kivisaari Riku , Luostarinen T , Satopää Jarno , Taimela Simo , Järvinen Teppo , Ranstam Jonas , Frantzen Janek , Posti Jussi , Luoto Teemu M , Leinonen Ville , Tetri Sami , Koivisto Timo , Lönnrot Kimmo
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Chronic subdural haematomas (CSDHs) are one of the most common neurosurgical conditions. The goal of surgery is to alleviate symptoms and minimise the risk of symptomatic recurrences. In the past, reoperation rates as high as 20%–30% were described for CSDH recurrences. However, following the introduction of subdural drainage, reoperation rates dropped to approximately 10%. The standard surgical technique includes burr-hole craniostomy, followed by intraoperative irrigation and placement of subdural drainage. Yet, the role of intraoperative irrigation has not been established. If there is no difference in recurrence rates between intraoperative irrigation and no irrigation, CSDH surgery could be carried out faster and more safely by omitting the step of irrigation. The aim of this multicentre randomised controlled trial is to study whether no intraoperative irrigation and subdural drainage results in non-inferior outcome compared with intraoperative irrigation and subdural drainage following burr-hole craniostomy of CSDH.

Methods and analysis

This is a prospective, randomised, controlled, parallel group, non-inferiority multicentre trial comparing single burr-hole evacuation of CSDH with intraoperative irrigation and evacuation of CSDH without irrigation. In both groups, a passive subdural drain is used for 48 hours as a standard of treatment. The primary outcome is symptomatic CSDH recurrence requiring reoperation within 6 months. The predefined non-inferiority margin for the primary outcome is 7.5%. To achieve a 2.5% level of significance and 80% power, we will randomise 270 patients per group. Secondary outcomes include modified Rankin Scale, rate of mortality, duration of operation, length of hospital stay, adverse events and change in volume of CSDH.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the institutional review board of the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS/3035/2019 §238) and duly registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. We will disseminate the findings of this study through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

NCT04203550
Comparison of antibiotic prescribing records in two UK primary care electronic health record systems: cohort study using CPRD GOLD and CPRD Aurum databases
Authors: Gulliford Martin C , Sun Xiaohui , Anjuman Thamina , Yelland Eleanor , Murray-Thomas Tarita
Published: June 2020

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate recording of antibiotic prescribing from two primary care electronic health record systems.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

UK general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) databases: CPRD GOLD (Vision data) and CPRD Aurum (EMIS data). English CPRD GOLD general practices were analysed as a subgroup, as all CPRD Aurum practices were located in England.

Participants

158 305 patients were randomly sampled from CPRD Aurum and 160 394 from CPRD GOLD.

Outcome measures

Antibiotic prescriptions in 2017 were identified. Age-standardised and sex-standardised antibiotic prescribing rates per 1000 person years were calculated. Prescribing of individual antibiotic products and associated medical diagnoses was evaluated.

Results

There were 101 360 antibiotic prescriptions at 883 CPRD Aurum practices and 112 931 prescriptions at 290 CPRD GOLD practices, including 112 general practices in England. The age-standardised and sex-standardised antibiotic prescribing rate in 2017 was 512.6 (95% CI 510.4 to 514.9) per 1000 person years in CPRD Aurum and 584.3 (582.1 to 586.5) per 1000 person years in CPRD GOLD (505.2 (501.6 to 508.9) per 1000 person years if restricted to practices in England). The 25 most frequently prescribed antibiotic products were similar in both databases. One or more medical codes were recorded on the same date as an antibiotic prescription for 72 989 (74%) prescriptions in CPRD Aurum, 84 756 (78%) in CPRD GOLD and 28 471 (78%) for CPRD GOLD in England. Skin, respiratory and genitourinary tract infections were recorded for 39 035 (40%) prescriptions in CPRD Aurum, 41 326 (38%) in CPRD GOLD, with 15 481 (42%) in English CPRD GOLD practices only.

Conclusion

Estimates for antibiotic prescribing and infection recording were broadly similar in both databases suggesting similar recording across EMIS and Vision systems. Future research on antimicrobial stewardship can also be conducted using primary care data in CPRD Aurum.
Accessing emergency contraception pills from pharmacies: the experience of young women in London
Authors: Turnbull Gillian , Scott Rachel H , Mann Sue , Wellings Kaye
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Over-the-counter provision of emergency contraception pills (ECP) has increased since deregulation of progestogen-only formulations and is now the most common public health service provided by UK pharmacists. Important questions relate to women’s perceptions of their experience of receiving ECPs from pharmacists.

Methods

Qualitative study: in-depth interviews with young women reporting ECP use, recruited from clinic (10); pharmacy (6) and community settings (5) in London.

Results

Key advantages of pharmacy provision were ease and speed of access and convenience. Disadvantages included a less personal service, inadequate attention to information needs and to prevention of recurrence of ECP need, and unsupportive attitudes of pharmacy staff. Suggested service improvements included increasing privacy, providing more contraceptive advice, adopting a more empathetic approach and signposting follow-up services.

Conclusion

Pharmacies are important in the choice of settings from which ECPs can be obtained and many aspects of pharmacy provision are appreciated by young women. There is scope to further enhance pharmacists’ role.
Pros and cons of prosent as an alternative to traditional consent in medical research
Authors: Rahimzadeh Vasiliki Nataly
Published: June 2020

In their recent article, Porsdam Mannet alpropose to share biomedical research data more widely, securely and efficiently using blockchain technologies. 1 They present compelling arguments for how the blockchain presents both a technological innovation, and a deontologically grounded policy innovation to traditional research consent. Their proposal can be read in conversation with a rich body of evidence to suggest current consent processes are problematic on at least one of tripartite bases in biomedical research: that it be fully informed. This response attempts to further the author’s discussion of social justice discourse in, and of their proposed prosent model to enhance engagement among under-represented and vulnerable populations in research, specifically. Motivating this response is the view that advancing technological capabilities is no doubt necessary, but on its own insufficient to reinvigorate distributive, procedural and social justice as guiding principles for con/prosent processes. I offer three pros and cons to consider in effort to deepen the model’s commitments to social justice to historically marginalised groups in the biomedical research enterprise.
Republished: Competitive flow diversion of multiple P1 aneurysms: proposed classification
Authors: MacLean Mark Alexander , Huynh Thien J , Schmidt Matthias Helge , Pereira Vitor M , Weeks Adrienne
Published: June 2020

We report the case of a patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage and three aneurysms arising from the posterior communicating artery (Pcomm)-P1 complex, treated with endovascular coiling and competitive flow diversion. The largest and likely ruptured Pcomm aneurysm was treated with traditional coiling. Two smaller potentially ruptured aneurysms arose from the distal right posterior cerebral artery (PCA) P1 segment. After a failed attempt to treat with conventional flow diversion across the PCA-P1 segment, the P1 aneurysms were successfully treated with competitive flow diversion distal to the PCA-P1 segment from Pcomm to the P2 segment. Over 12 months, competitive flow diversion redirected flow to the right PCA territory via the internal carotid artery-Pcomm-P2, reducing the size of the PCA-P1 segment and obliterating the P1 aneurysms. Competitive flow diversion treatment should be considered for aneurysms occurring at the circle of Willis when traditional methods are not feasible. Herein, we introduce a novel classification for competitive flow diversion treatment.
Influence of moisture, nutrients, and distance from stream on early-stage mass loss of western red cedar leaf litter in headwater riparian forests
Authors: Ramey Tonya L. , Prescott Cindy E. , Richardson John S.
Published: June 2020

Western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D.Don) is a dominant species in forests of the Pacific Northwest in North America, but little is known about its decomposition in riparian habitat. We experimentally tested how early-stage mass loss of cedar leaf litter varied with distance from the stream (five distances from 1 to 40 m away) and responded to nutrient and water additions near four headwater streams in southwestern British Columbia. We ran three coarse-mesh litterbag trials in durations between five months to one year from January 2013 and January 2014. Litterbags were either untreated or given the following treatments: water additions during dry summer months, nitrogen and phosphorus additions, or additions of both. Control litterbags lost 21% initial mass over 12 months (January 2013 – January 2014), 20% over five months (January 2013 – June 2013), and 15% over eight months (June 2013 – January 2014). Rates of mass loss did not increase with water in any trial but did increase with nutrients in the 12-month trial. Litter located 40 m from the stream lost 7% more mass than that located 1 m away in this same trial. Our study indicates that cedar leaf litter mass loss responded primarily to nutrient additions.
Age-dependent stress response DNA demethylation and gene upregulation accompany nuclear and skeletal muscle remodeling following acute resistance-type exercise in rats
Authors: Rader Erik P. , Baker Brent A.
Published: June 2020

Efficacy of high-intensity resistance exercise becomes progressively compromised with aging. Previously, to investigate this, we developed a rodent model of high-intensity training consisting of stretch-shortening contractions (SSCs) and determined that following one month of training, young rats exhibit a robust stress response and 20% performance increase, whereas old rats display a muted stress response and 30% performance decrease. Whether these age-specific responses occur early in training and constitute primary factors in adaptation/maladaptation was not addressed. The aim of the present study was to characterize performance, remodeling, and stress response transcriptional profile 6–120 h following acute SSC exposure. For young rats, the stress response pathway was highly regulated (≥20 differentially expressed genes at each time point) and was accompanied by robust DNA demethylation, tissue remodeling, and isometric torque recovery. For old rats, a muted transcriptional profile (13 and 2 differentially expressed genes at 6 and 120 h, respectively) coincided with deficiencies in demethylation, muscle remodeling, and torque recovery. These findings occurred in the context of heightened chronic levels of stress response gene expression with aging. This demonstrates that age-related constitutive elevations in stress response gene expression was accompanied by diminished SSC-induced responsiveness in epigenomic regulation and tissue remodeling.
Investigating mechanical damage mechanisms of tapestries displayed at different angles using 2D DIC
Authors: Costantini Rosa , Lennard Frances , Alsayednoor Jafar , Harrison Philip
Published: June 2020

Tapestries represent a key but fragile component of many historic collections, as well as a complex challenge for textile conservators who aim to ensure their preservation. Indeed, the heterogeneity of materials, weaving features and conservation history make it difficult to predict the mechanical and physical behaviour of these objects, especially when hung for their display. The reported research postulates and investigates the role of different factors, namely relative humidity related strains and creep, in promoting the mechanical deterioration of tapestries. To track strain, the contactless full-field optical technique digital image correlation (DIC) was used. In particular, 2D DIC was successfully employed to monitor strains across large areas of a tapestry, demonstrating the occurrence of fatigue and creep damage mechanisms. While the former had the most influence on overall expansions and contractions, creep affected damaged areas. In addition, DIC was used for a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of sloping boards, a non-traditional display method chosen by an increasing number of European museums in an attempt to reduce strain across tapestries. Both theoretical analysis and experimental work showed that, when minimal friction is present, small angles, like 5° from the vertical, do not appear to promote noticeable reductions in strain.
Thresholds of ultraperipheral processes
Authors: Dremin I. M.
Published: June 2020

Threshold behavior of the cross-sections of ultraperipheral nuclear interactions is studied. Production of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] pairs as well as [Formula: see text] and parapositronium is treated. The values of corresponding energy thresholds are presented and the total cross-sections of these processes at the newly constructed NICA and FAIR facilities are estimated.
Spatial structural characteristics of a combustion flow field in an ethylene-fueled supersonic combustor with a rear-wall-expansion cavity
Authors: Li Guang-Xin , Sun Ming-Bo , Yang Yi-Xin , Wang Tai-Yu , Liu Yuan
Published: June 2020

A hybrid large eddy simulation (LES)/assumed subgrid probability density function (PDF) closure model was employed to investigate the structural characteristics of the combustion flow field in an ethylene-fueled supersonic combustor with a rear-wall-expansion cavity. The wall pressure distribution from numerical simulation was compared with experimental data, and the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The spatial distribution characteristics of combustion heat release in the flow field are obtained from the simulation results. The reaction heat release zone is mainly distributed in the cavity. The cavity shear layer forms a concentrated reaction zone that produces a large amount of chemical heat release, thus further maintaining local stable combustion and forming a flame base. The front part of the cavity shear layer has the highest temperature in the whole flow field. There is still excess fuel reaching the cavity rear wall and producing a certain intensity of reaction. In addition, a dispersed small flame intermittently forms in the downstream near-wall region. The premixed combustion mode dominates the cavity recirculation zone, while the combustion in the downstream region evidently shows a non-premixed mode.
Theoretical and experimental study on ultra-long unrepeated optical fiber link based on bidirectional Raman amplifier
Authors: Chi Ronghua , Lu Tao , Sun Xiaohan
Published: June 2020

In this paper, an ultra-long distance transmission fiber link based on bidirectional Raman amplifier is studied by theoretical simulation and experimental verification. The power evolution of pump and WDM signals in optical fiber in 355 km transmission link is simulated theoretically. The performance of the ultra-long distance system based on co-pump/counter-pump/bidirectional-pump Raman amplifier (CORA/CTRA/BiRA) are simulated. And the power budget is also predicted by simulation. The performance of 10*100 Gb/s signal transmission in 355 km fiber link based on bidirectional Raman amplifier are tested experimentally. The theoretical and experimental results are in good agreement.
Decomposition, Darboux transformation and soliton solutions for the (2 + 1)-dimensional integrable nonlocal “breaking soliton” equation
Authors: Zhu Xiaoming , Tian Kelei
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we investigate an integrable nonlocal “breaking soliton” equation, which can be decomposed into the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation and the nonlocal complex modified Korteweg–de Vries equation. As an application, with the use of this decomposition and Darboux transformation, the dark solitons, antidark solitons, rational dark solitons and rational antidark solitons of the considered equation are given explicitly. In particular, the interaction mechanisms of these solutions are discussed and illustrated through some figures.
ANALYSIS OF A REACTION–DIFFUSION EPIDEMIC MODEL WITH ASYMPTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Authors: FITZGIBBON W. E. , MORGAN J. J. , WEBB G. F. , WU Y.
Published: June 2020

We develop a dynamic model of an evolving epidemic in a spatially inhomogeneous environment. We analyze the model, as a system of reaction–diffusion partial differential equations, to predict the outbreak and spatio-temporal spread of the disease. The model features both an asymptomatic infectious stage and symptomatic infectious stage, with both the asymptomatic and the symptomatic infected populations dispersing through the susceptible population. We prove the existence and uniform boundedness of solutions, and investigate their long-time behavior. We apply the spatially homogeneous version of the model to the current COVID-19 epidemic in Brazil.
A SYSTEMATIC STUDY ON THE DIELECTRIC RELAXATION, ELECTRIC MODULUS AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF Al/Cu:TiO2∕n-Si (MOS) STRUCTURES/CAPACITORS
Authors: YILDIRIM M. , KOCYIGIT A.
Published: June 2020

The various levels (5%, 10% and 15%) of Cu-doped TiO2 thin films were grown on the [Formula: see text]-type silicon (Si) wafer by spin coating technique to obtain Al/(Cu:TiO[Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text]-Si (MOS) capacitors. Both the real and imaginary components of complex dielectric ([Formula: see text], complex electric modulus ([Formula: see text], loss tangent (tan [Formula: see text] and alternating electrical conductivity ([Formula: see text] of the obtained Al/(Cu:TiO[Formula: see text]-Si (MOS) capacitors were studied by taking into account the effects of Cu-doping levels into TiO2 viaimpedance spectroscopy method (ISM) in the wide range voltage ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V) and frequency (10[Formula: see text]kHz–1[Formula: see text]MHz). All the obtained dielectric parameters were obtained as strongly dependent on frequency, voltage and Cu doping level. The observed anomalous peak in the forward bias region both in the real and imaginary components of [Formula: see text], tan [Formula: see text], complex electric modulus ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were attributed to the Cu:TiO2 interlay er, series resistance ([Formula: see text], surface states ([Formula: see text], interfacial/surface and dipole polarizations. The higher values of [Formula: see text] at low and intermediate frequencies implied that [Formula: see text] have enough time to follow external ac signal, and also dipoles respond to the applied field to reorient themselves. Consequently, the fabricated Al/(Cu:TiO[Formula: see text]-Si can be successfully used as MOS capacitor or MOS-field-effect transistor (MOSFET) in the industrial applications in near future.
Totally geodesic subvarieties in the moduli space of curves
Authors: Ghigi Alessandro , Pirola Gian Pietro , Torelli Sara
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we study totally geodesic subvarieties [Formula: see text] of the moduli space of principally polarized abelian varieties with respect to the Siegel metric, for [Formula: see text]. We prove that if [Formula: see text] is generically contained in the Torelli locus, then [Formula: see text].
Localizability in κ-Minkowski spacetime
Authors: Lizzi Fedele , Manfredonia Mattia , Mercati Flavio
Published: June 2020

Using the methods of ordinary quantum mechanics, we study [Formula: see text]-Minkowski space as a quantum space described by noncommuting self-adjoint operators, following and enlarging T. Poulain and J.-C. Wallet, “[Formula: see text]-Poincaré invariant orientable field theories with at 1-loop: Scale-invariant couplings, preprint (2018), arXiv:1808.00350 [hep-th]. We see how the role of Fourier transforms is played in this case by Mellin transforms. We briefly discuss the role of transformations and observers.
Finite element analysis on the effect of martensitic transformation and plastic deformation on the stress concentration factor in a thin notched superelastic NiTi ribbon
Authors: Shayanfard Pejman , Šittner Petr , Heller Luděk , Šandera Pavel
Published: June 2020

The severe nonlinear behavior caused by the martensitic transformation (MT) and subsequent plastic deformation (PD) of detwinned martensite leads to a complex local stress redistribution at the location of stress risers of superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) components. Nevertheless, in the literature, the simple linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) equations are widely used in the evaluation of the fracture response of superelastic components which has resulted in obvious conflicts between the conclusions regarding the effect of MT on the fracture parameters, i.e. stress intensity factor (SIF) and material toughness. Furthermore, the linear elasticity method is frequently used in the literature to calculate the stress intensity range ([Formula: see text]) when the fatigue crack growth rate dependence on [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) is being evaluated. Moreover, the PD followed by MT is poorly considered in the fracture mechanics of SMAs. This paper presents a numerical investigation on the role of both MT and PD, as well as the notch acuity, on the evolution of notch-tip stresses and strains and stress concentration factor ([Formula: see text]) upon the incremental application of the macroscopic tensile load on a thin NiTi notched superelastic ribbon, to mimic the effects of MT and PD on the SIF of superelastic parts. It is revealed that MT results in drastic deviations of the notch-tip stress, as well as the stress concentration factor ([Formula: see text]), from that obtained in LEFM. Due to the heterogeneous evolution of MT, the trend of the deviations is not regular and unique upon monotonic external loading. Accordingly, the results represent the ineffectiveness of the LEFM method in the evolution of the stress concentration factor (hence, the SIF) and toughness in monotonic loading, as well as the stress intensity range ([Formula: see text]) under fatigue loading in SMA components.
Harvesting-Aware Optimal Communication Scheme for Infrastructure-Less Sensing
Authors: Sigrist Lukas , Ahmed Rehan , Gomez Andres , Thiele Lothar
Published: June 2020

Sensing systems for long-term monitoring constitute an important part of the emerging Internet of Things. In this domain, energy harvesting and infrastructure-less communication enable truly autonomous and maintenance-free operation of sensor nodes gathering long-term environmental data. Due to the infrastructure-less nature of the communication, receivers are not always available. The variable energy provided by the environment and the receiver’s mobility lead to non-deterministic node availability. In this work, we study infrastructure-less data transmission schemes to optimize communication when both senders and receivers exhibit intermittent behavior. We rely on the notion of data utility, describing the importance of sensed data to the receiver, to determine an optimal communication scheme. Deriving the communication policy that maximizes the utility of the received data is shown to be a convex optimization problem. The resulting scheme is implemented and validated on a batteryless Bluetooth Low Energy sensor node that communicates to commodity smartphones. Our evaluation demonstrates that the model accurately captures the application scenario with a maximum root-mean-square error of less than 0.016 in data reception probability. The communication scheme’s adaptiveness to variable harvesting conditions is experimentally demonstrated under varying harvesting conditions and is shown to significantly increase the data utility.
The Log-Approximate-Rank Conjecture Is False
Authors: Chattopadhyay Arkadev , Mande Nikhil S. , Sherif Suhail
Published: June 2020

We construct a simple and total Boolean function
F
=
f
○ XOR on 2
n
variables that has only
O
(√
n
) spectral norm,
O
(
n
2
) approximate rank, and
O
(
n
2.5
) approximate nonnegative rank. We show it has polynomially large randomized bounded-error communication complexity of Ω(√
n
). This yields the first exponential gap between the logarithm of the approximate rank and randomized communication complexity for total functions. Thus,
F
witnesses a refutation of the log-approximate-rank conjecture that was posed by Lee and Shraibman as a very natural analogue for randomized communication of the still unresolved log-rank conjecture for deterministic communication. The best known previous gap for any total function between the two measures is a recent 4th-power separation by Göös et al.

Additionally, our function
F
refutes Grolmusz’s conjecture and a variant of the log-approximate-nonnegative-rank conjecture suggested recently by Kol et al., both of which are implied by the log-approximate-rank conjecture. The complement of
F
has exponentially large approximate nonnegative rank. This answers a question of Lee [32], showing that approximate nonnegative rank can be exponentially larger than approximate rank. The inner function
F
also falsifies a conjecture about parity measures of Boolean functions made by Tsang et al. The latter conjecture implied the log-rank conjecture for XOR functions.

We are pleased to note that shortly after we published our results, two independent groups of researchers, Anshu et al. and Sinha and de Wolf, used our function
F
to prove that the quantum-log-rank conjecture is also false by showing that
F
has Ω(
n
1/6
) quantum communication complexity.
Combining SIMD and Many/Multi-core Parallelism for Finite-state Machines with Enumerative Speculation
Authors: Jiang Peng , Xia Yang , Agrawal Gagan
Published: June 2020

Finite-state Machine (FSM) is the key kernel behind many popular applications, including regular expression matching, text tokenization, and Huffman decoding. Parallelizing FSMs is extremely difficult because of the strong dependencies and unpredictable memory accesses. Previous efforts have largely focused on multi-core parallelization and used different approaches, including
speculative
and
enumerative
execution, both of which have been effective but also have limitations. With increasing width and improving flexibility in SIMD instruction sets, this article focuses on combining SIMD and many/multi-core parallelism for FSMs. We have developed a novel strategy, called
enumerative speculation
. Instead of speculating on a single state as in speculative execution or enumerating all possible states as in enumerative execution, our strategy speculates transitions from several possible states, reducing the prediction overheads of speculation approach and the large amount of redundant work in the enumerative approach. A simple lookback approach produces a set of guessed states to achieve high speculation success rates in our enumerative speculation. In addition, to enable continued scalability of enumerative speculation with a large number of threads, we have developed a parallel merge method. We evaluate our method with four popular FSM applications: Huffman decoding, regular expression matching, HTML tokenization, and Div7. We obtain up to 2.5× speedup using SIMD on 1 core and up to 95× combining SIMD with 60 cores of an Intel Xeon Phi. On a single core, we outperform the best single-state speculative execution version by an average of 1.6×, and in combining SIMD and many-core parallelism, outperform enumerative execution by an average of 2×. Finally, when evaluate on a GPU, we show that our parallel merge implementations are 2.02--6.74× more efficient than corresponding sequential merge implementations and achieve better scalability on an Nvidia V100 GPU.
Detection and Degradation of Stalled Nascent Chains via Ribosome-Associated Quality Control
Authors: Sitron Cole S. , Brandman Onn
Published: June 2020

Stalled protein synthesis produces defective nascent chains that can harm cells. In response, cells degrade these nascent chains via a process called ribosome-associated quality control (RQC). Here, we review the irregularities in the translation process that cause ribosomes to stall as well as how cells use RQC to detect stalled ribosomes, ubiquitylate their tethered nascent chains, and deliver the ubiquitylated nascent chains to the proteasome. We additionally summarize how cells respond to RQC failure.
Long weekend sleep is linked to stronger academic performance in male but not female pharmacy students
Authors: Leak Rehana Khan , Weiner Susan L. , Chandwani Manisha N. , Rhodes Diane C.
Published: June 2020

Poor sleep hygiene portends loss of physical and mental stamina. Therefore, maintaining a regular sleep/wake schedule on both weekdays and weekends is highly recommended. However, this advice runs contrary to the habits of university students who sleep late on weekends. Pharmacy students at Duquesne University sit for frequent examinations, typically commencing at 7:30 AM, and they complain about mental fatigue. Here, we tested the central hypothesis that longer sleep durations on both weekdays and weekends are linked to stronger academic performance in men and women. Students in their first professional year were administered three surveys to collect data on sleep habits and factors that might influence sleep, such as roommates, long commute times, and sleep interruptions. Grade point averages (GPAs) were collected from the Dean’s office, with individual permissions from the students. Longer weekend—but not weekday—sleep durations were significantly correlated with higher cumulative GPAs in men and not in women. Women achieved slightly higher cumulative GPAs than men. Students who fell asleep within 15 min of going to bed had higher professional-phase GPAs than those who fell asleep after an hour or more. Our observations cannot establish causal links, but, given the body of prior evidence on the salutary properties of sleep, men may reap more benefit from recovery sleep on weekends. Rather than recommending that students force themselves awake early on weekends in an attempt to maintain a consistent sleep routine, the real-life habits of students should also be given consideration.
W1,p Regularity of Weak Solutions to Maxwell’s Equations
Authors: Chen Zhihong
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we study the steady-state Maxwell’s equations. The weak solution defined in weak formulation is considered, and the global existence is obtained in general bounded open domain. The interior W1,p2≤p<∞ estimates of the weak solution are obtained, where the coefficient matrix is assumed to be BMO with small seminorm. The main analytical tools are the Vitali covering lemma, the maximal function technique, and the compactness method. We also consider the time-harmonic Maxwell’s equations and obtain the interior W1,p estimates.
Identifying the Symptom Severity in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder for Classification and Prediction: An Artificial Neural Network Approach
Authors: Shahzad Mirza Naveed , Suleman Muhammad , Ahmed Mirza Ashfaq , Riaz Amna , Fatima Khadija
Published: June 2020

The present study is aimed at identifying the most prominent determinants of OCD along with their strength to classify the OCD patients from healthy controls. The data for this cross-sectional study were collected from 200 diagnosed OCD patients and 400 healthy controls. The respondents were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed by using the Y-BOCS scale with the addition of a factor, worth of an individual in his family. The validity and reliability of data were assessed through Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) modeling was adopted to determine threatening determinants along with their strength to predict OCD in an individual. The results of ANN modeling depicted 98% accurate classification of OCD patients from healthy controls. The most contributing factors in determining the OCD patients according to normalized importance were the contamination and cleaning (100%); symmetric and perfection (72.5%); worth of an individual in the family (71.1%); aggressive, religious, and sexual obsession (50.5%); high-risk assessment (46.0%); and somatic obsessions and checking (24.0%).
RID: Evaluation of the Possible Inhibiting Effect of the Proinflammatory Signaling Induced by TNF-α through NF-κβ and AP-1 in Two Cell Lines of Breast Cancer
Authors: Monsalve F. A. , Rojas A. , Gonzalez I. , Perez R. , Añasco C. , Romero J. , Araya P. , Santos L. S. , Delgado-Lopez F.
Published: June 2020

Receptor internalization and degradation (RID), is a transmembrane protein coded within the E3 region expression cassette of adenoviruses. RID downregulates the cell surface expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR), and apoptosis antigen 1 (FAS), causing a reduction of the effects of their respective ligands. In addition, RID inhibits apoptosis by decreasing the secretion of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) by normal tissue cells. In this article, we report that RID inhibited chemokine expression in human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 but showed no effect in cell line MCF7. These dissimilar results may be due to the different molecular and functional properties of both cell lines. Therefore, it is necessary to replicate this study in other breast cancer cell models.
Trotting Motion of the Quadruped Model with Two Spinal Joints and Its Dynamics Features
Authors: Li Zhang , Tan Yuegang
Published: June 2020

The spine plays important roles in the quadruped locomotion. To investigate the effects of the spine on the quadruped trotting motion, firstly, a sagittal passive model is proposed which contains four massless springy legs and two passive spinal joints. To generate the trotting gait of the model, the multibody hybrid dynamics model is established based on the defined events. The combination of optimization tools is used to find the suitable solution space in which the model can maintain a periodic motion. It reveals that the quadruped trotting motion results from the coordinated features of the spine and the legs. By comparing the model with the rigid body, it is proven that the spinal joints can reduce the effect of the ground reaction forces on the body in a special velocity range. Then, a hybrid controller whose objective is to maintain the kinematic coordination between the spinal joints is applied and it replaces the passive spinal joints, and the results prove that it can make the model achieve a stable periodic motion. Finally, the prototype of the quadruped robot with two spinal joints based on the model is established and its trotting motion is achieved successfully. The experiment results also indicate the compliant effect of the spine on the motion performance. Consequently, the effects of the spine at trotting gait are helpful to guide the development of the quadruped robots.
Lagrangians, Gauge Functions, and Lie Groups for Semigroup of Second-Order Differential Equations
Authors: Musielak Z. E. , Davachi N. , Rosario-Franco M.
Published: June 2020

A set of linear second-order differential equations is converted into a semigroup, whose algebraic structure is used to generate novel equations. The Lagrangian formalism based on standard, null, and nonstandard Lagrangians is established for all members of the semigroup. For the null Lagrangians, their corresponding gauge functions are derived. The obtained Lagrangians are either new or generalization of those previously known. The previously developed Lie group approach to derive some equations of the semigroup is also described. It is shown that certain equations of the semigroup cannot be factorized, and therefore, their Lie groups cannot be determined. A possible solution of this problem is proposed, and the relationship between the Lagrangian formalism and the Lie group approach is discussed.
Noncoding RNAs in Diabetic Nephropathy: Pathogenesis, Biomarkers, and Therapy
Authors: Lv Jiarong , Wu Yu , Mai Yifeng , Bu Shizhong
Published: June 2020

The correlation between diabetes and systematic well-being on human life has long established. As a common complication of diabetes, the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been increasing globally. DN is known to be a major cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Till now, the molecular mechanisms for DN have not been fully explored and the effective therapies are still lacking. Noncoding RNAs are a class of RNAs produced by genome transcription that cannot be translated into proteins. It has been documented that ncRNAs participate in the pathogenesis of DN by regulating inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, cell proliferation, and other pathological processes. In this review, the pathological roles and diagnostic and therapeutic potential of three types of ncRNAs (microRNA, long noncoding RNA, and circular RNA) in the progression of DN are summarized and illustrated.
Association of Genetic Polymorphisms in TNFRSF11 with the Progression of Genetic Susceptibility to Gastric Cancer
Authors: Fan Yu , Gu Xuyu , Pan Huiwen , Dai Zhe , Zou Chen , Gao Zhenjun , Zhang Heng
Published: June 2020

Objective. To investigate the relationship between polymorphism of TNFRSF11 gene rs9533156 and rs2277438 and susceptibility to gastric cancer. Methods. A case-control study was conducted to select 577 cases of primary gastric cancer and 678 cases of normal control. We extracted whole blood genomic DNA and amplified the target gene fragment by PCR. The genotyping and allele were tested through the snapshot method. Results. In this case-control study, we observed that there was a difference in the genotype distribution of TNFRSF11 gene rs9533156 between the case group and the control group. The frequency distribution of TC heterozygous mutation in the case group was higher than that in the control group. The smoking rate in the case group (34.49%) was higher than that in the control group (27.29%), and the difference in frequency distribution between the two groups was statistically significant (P=0.006). Our findings suggest that TNFRSF11 rs9533156 is associated with susceptibility to GC, which is more evident among elderly patients (>62 years), nonsmokers, and patients who do not consume alcohol. The analysis of the relationship between the TNFSF11 gene rs9533156 site variant and clinical factors of gastric cancer showed that, compared with the tumor size <2 cm group, patients with tumor size ≥2 cm and whom carrying rs9533156 site mutations had a higher frequency distribution, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.022). Compared with the nonhyperglycemic group, the frequency distribution of patients with rs9533156 site mutations in the diabetes group was higher, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion. This study shows that there is a correlation between smoking and the occurrence of gastric cancer. Based on our research, the functional SNP TNFRSF11 TC genotype may be an indicator of individual susceptibility to GC. The mutation at rs9533156 may be related to the size of gastric cancer. The mutation rate of rs9533156 of TNFSF11 gene is higher in diabetic gastric cancer patients.
Contribution of Spatial Heterogeneity and Temporal-Spatial Change of Ecosystems to the Thermal Environment of Tourist Destinations: A Case Study of Sichuan-Chongqing Region, China
Authors: Chen Dechao , Xu Xinliang , Jiang Huailong , Sun Zongyao , Liu Luo , Qiao Zhi
Published: June 2020

Tourism development activities affect the structure and functions of ecosystems directly triggering changes in the thermal environment of tourism destinations and raising a need for sustainable development of the tourism industry. Using the 2005–2015 moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data on the land surface temperature combined with the land use data, the urban thermal environment contribution index (CI) of prefecture-level cities and ecosystem types corresponding to the study area in Sichuan-Chongqing region were quantitatively calculated under various seasonal and diurnal conditions in terms of the scales of administrative divisions and ecosystem types. The characteristics of the roles played by different cities and ecosystem types to contribute to the thermal environment of the metropolitan region were summarized, and the differences and changes in the corresponding contribution intensity of various ecosystem types were measured. The results indicate the following: (1) Different cities play different roles as the sources and sinks with respect to the thermal environment in the daytime and nighttime. Based on the diurnal differences of the contribution indices, cities can be divided into three types: the day-night heat source type, the day-sink and night-source type, and the day-night heat sink type. (2) The farmland and the grassland ecosystems are the most important source and sink landscapes in the thermal environment of the Sichuan-Chongqing Region, respectively. (3) The region is affected by the spatial arrangement of the internal ecosystems and its own development conditions, and, consequently, there are significant temporal-spatial variations and role transitions between heat source and heat sink regarding the contribution of different ecosystem types to the thermal environment of individual cities. It is important to scientifically regulate the thermal environment effect on tourism destinations and maintain the comfort and sustainable development through identifying the source and sink ecosystems of the thermal environment, controlling the quantity and spatial arrangement of the heat source ecosystems, and fully enabling the cooling effect of the heat sink ecosystems.
Clinical Characteristics and Surgical Management of Gastrointestinal Schwannomas
Authors: Wu Xin , Li Binglu , Zheng Chaoji , He Xiaodong
Published: June 2020

Objectives. Schwannomas are tumors arising from Schwan cells of the neural sheath. Gastrointestinal schwannomas (GS) are rare and easily confused with a heterogeneous group of neuroectodermal or mesenchymal neoplasms. The aim of the present study is to analyze the clinicopathological features, surgical management methods, and long‐term prognoses of GS patients. Methods. Between August 2004 and July 2019, 51 patients with GS were treated at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively. A database containing demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, imaging tests, operation details, pathological results, and prognoses was constructed and analyzed. Results. GS accounted for 2.0% of all schwannomas. The cohort comprised 19 men (37.3%) and 32 women (62.7%). The mean age was 55.7 ± 11.4 years. The most common symptom was abdominal pain (29.4%). Twenty‐seven patients (52.9%) were asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally. The most common tumor location of GS was the stomach (90.2%). S‐100 had the highest positive rate (100%) in immunohistochemical staining. Forty‐six patients (90.2%) were followed‐up at a mean period of 49.5 ± 41.4 months. Forty‐four patients (95.7%) survived without tumor, 1 patient survived with tumor, and 1 patient died. The 5‐year cumulative overall survival rate and cumulative disease‐free survival rate were 97.5% and 95.2%, respectively. Conclusion. GS are rare gastrointestinal tumors with favorable prognoses after surgical resection. Stomach is the most common site. Definitive diagnosis is determined by postoperative pathology. S‐100 expression has diagnostic significance.
Pulse Wave Analysis and Pulse Wave Velocity for Fistula Assessment
Authors: Mueller Niklas , Streis Joachim , Müller Sandra , Pavenstädt Hermann , Felderhoff Thomas , Reuter Stefan , Busch Veit
Published: June 2020

Background/Aims: Pulse wave analysis (PWA) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) provide information about arterial stiffness and elasticity, which is mainly used for cardiovascular risk stratification. In the presented prospective observational pilot study, we examined the hypothesis that radiocephalic fistula (RCF)-related changes of haemodynamics and blood vessel morphology including high as well as low flow can be seen in specific changes of pulse wave (PW) morphology. Methods: Fifty-six patients with RCF underwent local ambilateral peripheral PWA and PWV measurement with the SphygmoCor® device. Given that the output parameters of the SphygmoCor® are not relevant for the study objectives, we defined new suitable parameters for PWA in direct proximity to fistulas and established an appropriate analysing algorithm. Duplex sonography served as reference method. Results: Marked changes of peripheral PW morphology when considering interarm differences of slope and areas between the fistula and non-fistula arms were observed in the Arteria radialis, A. brachialis and arterialized Vena cephalica. The sum of the slope differences was found to correlate with an increased flow, while in patients with fistula failure no changes in PW morphology were seen. Moreover, PWV was significantly reduced in the fistula arm. Conclusion: Beside duplex sonography, ambilateral peripheral PWA and PWV measurements are potential new clinical applications to characterize and monitor RCF function, especially in terms of high and low flow.
An Update on Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Etiological Factors, Coexisting Diseases, and Complications
Authors: Khan Samiullah , Guo Xiaopei , Liu Tianyu , Iqbal Muhammad , Jiang Kui , Zhu Lanping , Chen Xin , Wang Bang-mao
Published: June 2020

Background: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an immune-mediated clinicopathological condition characterized by esophageal infiltration with eosinophils resulting in chronic inflammation and stricture. Summary: The recent increase in the incidence of EoE and the characteristic presentation of symptoms with difficulty swallowing and food bolus impaction has raised key concerns of clinicians as well as researchers. EoE often presents with dysphagia, food impaction, nausea, regurgitation or vomiting, and decreased appetite. It is more common in males, affecting both adults and children. The causative manner of this condition is complex and multifactorial. Throughout recent years, researchers have made a significant contribution to understanding the pathogenesis of EoE, genetic background, natural history, work on allergy, and standardization in the evaluation of disease activity. There is relatively high prevalence of EoE among the population, emphasizing the importance of this disease. Key messages: Esophageal involvement with eosinophils may be manifested as isolated or with coexisting conditions and should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis. This study aimed to provide gastroenterologists with novel insights into the evaluation of esophageal involvement with eosinophils and to pay special attention to the etiological factors, coexisting clinical diseases, and complications.