bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three dimensional numerical validation and investigation on air cooling system of Li-ion battery used in hybrid electric vehicles
Authors: Chekuri Bhargav Ganesh , Subhasree Vaskuri Priyanka Satya , Kumar Chary S Shiva , Karuppa Thundil Raj R
Published: October 2019

The lithium ion batteries are most commonly used in hybrid electric vehicles for obtaining high energy density among the condemnatory issues that have been in automotive industry. As the thermal management system is very prominent in automotive batteries, an effective design consideration is to be carefully opted for cooling the battery. Especially, a forced cooling is followed as an empirical choice rather than natural cooling in the automotive industry. In this paper, a three dimensional battery pack with multiple cells and cooling passages is modelled and validated to maximize the durability and battery performance. An enumerated design of air-cooled system is validated from the literature and then numerically investigated the overall distribution of the temperature with different cases by changing the positions of the inlets and outlets of the battery to satisfy the thermal specification requirements of the battery. Since, a distinctive battery system is used in hybrid electric vehicle which contains multiple cells in parallel, cooling efficiency is accomplished by a uniform diffusion of air flow in the coolant passages which dissipates the heat evolved from the individual lithium-ion battery cell. The above four cases are compared and demonstrated that the efficient cooling performance is attained with the one inlet and one outlet which are placed at the opposite sides of the battery. This is acquired because, the faster the air flow rate, the more the system cools due to the high temperature dissipation.
Bio oil production from Agro waste residue: Thermochemical conversion to improve oil quality
Authors: Prasad K Midhun , Murugavelh S
Published: October 2019

Energy is the symbol of economical developments and human settlements. This study is carried out to find the effect of oil yield by optimization of temperature and residence time for the thermochemical conversion of solid waste into the liquid fuel by pyrolysis reaction in an auger reactor made of stainless steel with the heating rate of 10 °C/min with the maximum temperature range of 1000 °C. The agro waste of Tomato plant are left in land after harvesting which can be converted into usable carbon neutral liquid fuel by further processing. The experiment is carried in a different temperature ranges from 450, 500, 550, 600, 650 °C. Tomato plant is collected, dried in open solar drying until the sample weight remains constant to remove the bound moisture content. Then crushed into small pieces, and subjected to thermogravimetric analysis, proximate and ultimate analysis. Further the bio oil is characterised with GC-MS and FTIR to find the compounds present. The moto of this study is to find the convert the waste into high energy content liquid fuel.
A Hybrid Piezoelectric and Inductive Rotational Energy Harvester
Authors: Bianconi Jacob , Hallett Jesse , Pealo Jessica , Rashidi Reza
Published: October 2019

This paper presents the development of a rotational energy harvester that generates a power based on a combination of piezoelectric and electromagnetic methods. The device utilizes two piezoelectric beams and two inductors and potentially multiple elements on a stationary plate to maximize the harvested energy. The piezoelectric beams generate voltages when deflected with a rotating magnet. In addition, the inductors generate voltages when a magnet passes over them. In order to maximize the harvested energy and frequency, sixteen magnets were embedded in the rotating plate to excite the elements with a higher frequency. A 3D printer was used to make the enclosure, and stationary and rotating components of the device. An assembly of Arduino microcontroller, DC motor, IR sensor and LCD screen was used to test the device. The harvester utilized a closed loop feedback system to monitor rotational speed. The device was tested at various rotational speeds from 130 rpm to 510 rpm. Voltage output versus time graphs were analyzed for each speed. It was determined that raising the number of moving magnets and rotational speed increase not only the frequency but also the voltage amplitude in both piezoelectric beams and inductors. The developed energy harvesting device can be used in any existing rotational system such as vehicle tires, bicycles, rotating machines and exercise equipment.
The Quality Control of Oil Leakage in Weld Seam of Small Head Rod of a Common Piston Rod
Authors: Wang Zhi-ling
Published: October 2019

We study mainly the reasons of shallow insertion depth of positioning sleeve of piston rod, welding sequence, welding parameters and small foot size. Then, we take the following measures, such as improving the welding sequence and position, strictly controlling welding process parameters, improving the quality awareness of welding operators and controlling the depth of positioning sleeve. Finally, we have perfectly controlled the quality problem of plugging and welding oil leakage of the small end rod.
Talking about New Technology and Equipment of Automatic Welding Application of Construction Machinery in the Future
Authors: Hu Min
Published: October 2019

This paper introduces the working principle and application of new automatic welding technology and welding equipment, analyzes the possibility of its application in construction machinery field, and expects to provide beneficial reference for improving the welding quality of XCMG machinery, reducing production cost and strengthening brand effect.
Experimental investigation of elastic wave propagation and inertia effects in extra soft gelatin material
Authors: Zeng H.B. , Bailly P.
Published: October 2019

In this paper, elastic wave propagation and inertia effects in gelatin-based soft material under impact loading is investigated. The dynamic test is principally performed by the classical SHPB (Split Hopkinson Pressure Bars) technique with highly sensitive piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) pressure sensors placed on the interfaces between the specimen and the bars. Digital image correlation (DIC) technique is conducted to measure the strong non- homogeneous strain field, the particle velocity, the the strain rate, the strain acceleration under transient stress state using high speed photography. The particle velocity and its gradient are used to extract the elastic wave velocity. Additionally, we derive closed-form equations for the additional axial stress produced by transverse inertia in the rectangular parallelepiped specimen under the non-equilibrium stress state. The amplitude of transverse inertial stress depends strongly on the strain rate and the strain acceleration. The transverse inertia results in a significant spike-like stress in the initial portion of inertial stress history and in the zone of the specimen near the impact side due to the acceleration stage of the impact test. It is obvious that the degree of inertia effects depends strongly on time steps and spatial positions.
Effect of Abutment Design Parameter on Mechanical Properties for Dental Implant System
Authors: Lu Xiuyuan , Zhang Xiao , Chen Jianyu , Chen Xianshuai
Published: October 2019

Abutments, as the intermediate connection between implant and crown vary on external characters decided by design parameters in order to suit for multiple clinical cases with the development of prosthodontics. The various angle, groove height (GH) and diameter of abutment brought different magnitude of stress to the dental implant system. Excessive stress concentration lead to fatigue fracture failure. Thus, in this study, parametric design and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) were combined to understand the effects of angled-abutment GH and diameter on the mechanical properties of the implant system. 30 models of abutment with varying angles (15° and 25°), diameters (4, 5 and 6mm) and GH (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5mm) were simulated and the values of Mises the equivalent stresses were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. The results demonstrated that the three design parameters had no influence on the area where stress concentration occurred and the diameter had no effect on the maximum stress while the GH had a significant influence (P<0.05).
Research on Plant Control Robotic Wire Control Chassis Control System
Authors: Du Yongcheng , Ai Changsheng , Sun Xuan , Bao Yequan , Li Weixin , Zhang Hui
Published: October 2019

In order to facilitate the independent operation of the wheeled plant protection robot, a wire-controlled chassis with wire control, modularization and generalization was designed and manufactured. The steering drive mode of the plant protection robot adopts front wheel drive rear wheel steering. The steer-by-wire system uses a steering motor to drive the steering gear and installs a corner sensor on the steering column to achieve closed-loop control of the steering. The throttle-by-wire system uses a PWM speed control method and uses a Hall sensor to achieve closed-loop speed control. The brake-by-wire system uses a dedicated drive to control the electric linear actuator for braking and closed loop control of the brake through the current loop. For the communication method, the CAN network is used to build the communication of each module. The results show that the line-controlled site can accurately follow the expected action value given by the decision-making system to ensure the accuracy and stability of the plant protection robot operation.
Newforms mod 𝑝 in squarefree level with applications to Monsky’s Hecke-stable filtration
Authors: Deo Shaunak , Medvedovsky Anna
Published: October 2019

We propose an algebraic definition of the space of

ℓ
\ell

-new mod-

p
p

modular forms for

Γ
0

(
N
ℓ
)

\Gamma _0(N\ell )

in the case that

ℓ
\ell

is prime to

N
N

, which naturally generalizes to a notion of newforms modulo

p
p

in squarefree level. We use this notion of newforms to interpret the Hecke algebras on the graded pieces of the space of mod-

2
2

level-

3
3

modular forms described by Paul Monsky. Along the way, we describe a renormalized version of the Atkin-Lehner involution: no longer an involution, it is an automorphism of the algebra of modular forms, even in characteristic

p
p

.
Variational principles for spectral radius of weighted endomorphisms of 𝐶(𝑋,𝐷)
Authors: Kwaśniewski Bartosz , Lebedev Andrei
Published: October 2019

We give formulas for the spectral radius of weighted endomorphisms

a
α
:
C
(
X
,
D
)
→
C
(
X
,
D
)

a\alpha : C(X,D)\to C(X,D)

,

a
∈
C
(
X
,
D
)

a\in C(X,D)

, where

X
X

is a compact Hausdorff space and

D
D

is a unital Banach algebra. Under the assumption that

α
\alpha

generates a partial dynamical system

(
X
,
φ
)

(X,\varphi )

, we establish two kinds of variational principles for

r
(
a
α
)

r(a\alpha )

: using linear extensions of

(
X
,
φ
)

(X,\varphi )

and using Lyapunov exponents associated with ergodic measures for

(
X
,
φ
)

(X,\varphi )

. This requires considering (twisted) cocycles over

(
X
,
φ
)

(X,\varphi )

with values in an arbitrary Banach algebra

D
D

, and thus our analysis cannot be reduced to any of the multiplicative ergodic theorems known so far.

The established variational principles apply not only to weighted endomorphisms but also to a vast class of operators acting on Banach spaces that we call abstract weighted shifts associated with

α
:
C
(
X
,
D
)
→
C
(
X
,
D
)

\alpha : C(X,D)\to C(X,D)

. In particular, they are far-reaching generalizations of formulas obtained by Kitover, Lebedev, Latushkin, Stepin, and others. They are most efficient when

D
=

B

(
F
)

D=\mathcal {B}(F)

, for a Banach space

F
F

, and endomorphisms of

B

(
F
)

\mathcal {B}(F)

induced by

α
\alpha

are inner isometric. As a by-product we obtain a dynamical variational principle for an arbitrary operator

b
∈

B

(
F
)

b\in \mathcal {B}(F)

and that its spectral radius is always a Lyapunov exponent in some direction

v
∈
F

v\in F

when

F
F

is reflexive.
Thomas Pynchon and Paul Thomas Anderson’sInherent Vice(s) and the Affective Politics of Nostalgia
Authors: Sandberg Eric
Published: October 2019

This essay examines Thomas Pynchon’s 2009 Inherent Vice and Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2014 adaptation of the novel. These works are closely connected, and can be effectively viewed as two parts of a single transmedia text which includes a novel, a film, and two trailers. All of the constituent parts of this meta-Inherent Vice are informed by their engagement with nostalgia. Yet it is precisely here that the texts diverge from each other most markedly, activating different types of nostalgia for different purposes. While much contemporary scholarship relies on Svetlana Boym’s reflective/restorative binary to conceptualize the phenomenon of nostalgia, this reading argues that a public/personal divide offers another perhaps more appropriate lens to view the differences between the two versions of Inherent Vice. Pynchon’s novel emphasizes the political potential and social aspects of nostalgia, while Anderson’s film focuses on its personal, affective impact.
Health and social care costs at the end of life: a matched analysis of linked patient records in East London
Authors: Jayatunga Wikum , Lewer Dan , Shand Jenny , Sheringham Jessica , Morris Stephen , George Julie
Published: October 2019

Background

care in the final year of life accounts for 10% of inpatient hospital costs in UK. However, there has been little analysis of costs in other care settings. We investigated the publicly funded costs associated with the end of life across different health and social care settings.

Method

we performed cross-sectional analysis of linked electronic health records of residents aged over 50 in a locality in East London, UK, between 2011 and 2017. Those who died during the study period were matched to survivors on age group, sex, deprivation, number of long-term conditions and time period. Mean costs were calculated by care setting, age and months to death.

Results

across 8,720 matched patients, the final year of life was associated with £7,450 (95% confidence interval £7,086–£7,842, P < 0.001) of additional health and care costs, 57% of which related to unplanned hospital care. Whilst costs increased sharply over the final few months of life in emergency and inpatient hospital care, in non-acute settings costs were less concentrated in this period. Patients who died at older ages had higher social care costs and lower healthcare costs than younger patients in their final year of life.

Conclusions

the large proportion of costs relating to unplanned hospital care suggests that end-of-life planning could direct care towards more appropriate settings and lead to system efficiencies. Death at older ages results in an increasing proportion of care costs relating to social care than to healthcare, which has implications for an ageing society.
Life-Expectancy Disparities Among Adults With HIV in the United States and Canada: The Impact of a Reduction in Drug- and Alcohol-Related Deaths Using the Lives Saved Simulation Model
Authors: Althoff Keri N , Chandran Aruna , Zhang Jinbing , Arevalo Wendy Miranda , Gange Stephen J , Sterling Timothy R , Gill M John , Justice Amy C , Palella Frank J , Rebeiro Peter F , Silverberg Michael J , Mayor Angel M , Horberg Michael A , Thorne Jennifer E , Rabkin Charles S , Mathews W Christopher , Klein Marina B , Humes Elizabeth , Lee Jennifer , Hogg Robert , Moore Richard D ,   North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD) of IeDEA
Published: October 2019

Improvements in life expectancy among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) receiving antiretroviral treatment in the United States and Canada might differ among key populations. Given the difference in substance use among key populations and the current opioid epidemic, drug- and alcohol-related deaths might be contributing to the disparities in life expectancy. We sought to estimate life expectancy at age 20 years in key populations (and their comparison groups) in 3 time periods (2004–2007, 2008–2011, and 2012–2015) and the potential increase in expected life expectancy with a simulated 20% reduction in drug- and alcohol-related deaths using the novel Lives Saved Simulation model. Among 92,289 PLWH, life expectancy increased in all key populations and comparison groups from 2004–2007 to 2012–2015. Disparities in survival of approximately a decade persisted among black versus white men who have sex with men and people with (vs. without) a history of injection drug use. A 20% reduction in drug- and alcohol-related mortality would have the greatest life-expectancy benefit for black men who have sex with men, white women, and people with a history of injection drug use. Our findings suggest that preventing drug- and alcohol-related deaths among PLWH could narrow disparities in life expectancy among some key populations, but other causes of death must be addressed to further narrow the disparities.
A Counter-Culture of Law: Jurisprudential Change and the Intellectual Origins of the Critical Legal Studies Movement
Authors: Salojärvi Juhana
Published: October 2019

Critical Legal Studies Movement (CLS) was a critical jurisprudential movement that developed during the 1970s, and came into being in 1977 when the first conference on critical legal studies was held. This article traces the intellectual origins of CLS, providing a comprehensive analysis on its history. The movement was, this article argues, a radical extension of the changes that had occurred in legal scholarship during the 1960s and early 1970s. Moreover, it was a result of a complex mixture of intellectual, scholarly, and political aspects, and it should not be reduced into any one of them.
Computerized stimuli for studying oddity effects
Authors: Dobbinson Khia E , Skarratt Paul A , Morrell Lesley J
Published: October 2019

Visually hunting predators must overcome the challenges that prey groups present. One such challenge is the confusion effect where an overburdened visual system means predators are unable to successfully target prey. A strategy to overcome confusion is the targeting of distinct, or odd, individuals (the oddity effect). In live prey experiments, manipulation of group member phenotypes can be challenging and prey may differ on more than the single feature one intends to define as odd. The use of highly controllable computerized stimuli to study predator–prey interactions is increasingly popular in the field of behavioral ecology. However, to our knowledge, the validity of computerized stimuli to study the oddity effect has not been established. Predator choice experiments were conducted using naive stickleback predators to ascertain whether the oddity effect could be demonstrated in the absence of live prey. We found evidence for both the oddity effect and preferential targeting of group edges and low-density regions, as would be predicted if predators targeted prey individuals to minimize confusion. The oddity effect was evident at a low threshold, above which dots were no longer perceived as odd and no longer attacked more often than expected by chance. We conclude that computerized stimuli are an improved, practical method for studying oddity effects while further validating the use of similar methods for studying other aspects of visual predation. In addition to higher control of “prey” appearance, the replacement of live prey animals with digital stimuli is ethically beneficial and reusing code improves experimental efficiency.
Order and disorder: abnormal 3D chromatin organization in human disease
Authors: Anania Chiara , Lupiáñez Darío G
Published: October 2019

A precise three-dimensional (3D) organization of chromatin is central to achieve the intricate transcriptional patterns that are required to form complex organisms. Growing evidence supports an important role of 3D chromatin architecture in development and delineates its alterations as prominent causes of disease. In this review, we discuss emerging concepts on the fundamental forces shaping genomes in space and on how their disruption can lead to pathogenic phenotypes. We describe the molecular mechanisms underlying a wide range of diseases, from the systemic effects of coding mutations on 3D architectural factors, to the more tissue-specific phenotypes resulting from genetic and epigenetic modifications at specific loci. Understanding the connection between the 3D organization of the genome and its underlying biological function will allow a better interpretation of human pathogenesis.
Feature selection may improve deep neural networks for the bioinformatics problems
Authors: Chen Zheng , Pang Meng , Zhao Zixin , Li Shuainan , Miao Rui , Zhang Yifan , Feng Xiaoyue , Feng Xin , Zhang Yexian , Duan Meiyu , Huang Lan , Zhou Fengfeng
Published: October 2019

Motivation

Deep neural network (DNN) algorithms were utilized in predicting various biomedical phenotypes recently, and demonstrated very good prediction performances without selecting features. This study proposed a hypothesis that the DNN models may be further improved by feature selection algorithms.

Results

A comprehensive comparative study was carried out by evaluating 11 feature selection algorithms on three conventional DNN algorithms, i.e. convolution neural network (CNN), deep belief network (DBN) and recurrent neural network (RNN), and three recent DNNs, i.e. MobilenetV2, ShufflenetV2 and Squeezenet. Five binary classification methylomic datasets were chosen to calculate the prediction performances of CNN/DBN/RNN models using feature selected by the 11 feature selection algorithms. Seventeen binary classification transcriptome and two multi-class transcriptome datasets were also utilized to evaluate how the hypothesis may generalize to different data types. The experimental data supported our hypothesis that feature selection algorithms may improve DNN models, and the DBN models using features selected by SVM-RFE usually achieved the best prediction accuracies on the five methylomic datasets.

Availability and implementation

All the algorithms were implemented and tested under the programming environment Python version 3.6.6.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Disruptive selection of shell colour in land snails: a mark–recapture study of Euhadra peliomphala simodae
Authors: Ito Shun , Konuma Junji
Published: October 2019

Many theoretical studies have suggested that disruptive selection plays an important role in phenotypic divergence, but few studies have determined the action of disruptive selection on phenotypic divergence via field studies. This study investigated the effect of disruptive selection on shell colour polymorphism in the Japanese land snail Euhadra peliomphala simodae to determine whether extreme phenotypes of snail shell colour are favoured over intermediate phenotypes. We conducted field surveys on an oceanic island with black, yellow and intermediate-coloured E. p. simodae snails. We captured and marked ~1800 individual snails and monitored their survival over 18 months. We quantified shell colours against images and examined the frequency distribution of shell colour variation. The variation exhibited a bimodal distribution with a far lower frequency of intermediate-coloured snails than of black or yellow snails. The population sizes of the three snail groups fluctuated synchronously with the changing seasons. Bayesian estimates showed lower survival rates for juvenile intermediate-coloured snails than for juvenile black and yellow snails, implying there was disruptive selection associated with shell colour. We suggest this disruptive selection may have resulted in the evolutionary divergence of the snail’s shell colour within the lineage having high shell colour variation.
Chinese Practice of Foucault’s ‘Disciplinary Power’ and its Effects on the Rehabilitation of Female Prisoners in China
Authors: Zhang Ao
Published: October 2019

The prison system of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been viewed by some scholars as effective in achieving the primary target of Chinese imprisonment: rehabilitation. This article aims to redress this argument. Drawing on interviews undertaken with 30 female parolees/ex-prisoners and 10 prison officers, this article argues that the Jifen Kaohe System in prison, which is strongly imprinted with Foucault’s theory of ‘disciplinary power’, is ineffective and is unable to make accurate judgements on the achievement of prisoners’ rehabilitation at selected women’s prisons. This article suggests that Foucault’s disciplinary power is theoretically problematic in producing a ‘new person’, not the least of its unawareness of contextualized culture, values and situations, and women’s agency in prison.
Multiple myeloma BM-MSCs increase the tumorigenicity of MM cells via transfer of VLA4-enriched microvesicles
Authors: Dabbah Mahmoud , Jarchowsky-Dolberg Osnat , Attar-Schneider Oshrat , Tartakover Matalon Shelly , Pasmanik-Chor Metsada , Drucker Liat , Lishner Michael
Published: October 2019

Multiple myeloma (MM) cells accumulate in the bone marrow (BM) where their interactions impede disease therapy. We have shown that microvesicles (MVs) derived from BM mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of MM patients promote the malignant traits via modulation of translation initiation (TI), whereas MVs from normal donors (ND) do not. Here, we observed that this phenomenon is contingent on a MVs’ protein constituent, and determined correlations between the MVs from the tumor microenvironment, for example, MM BM-MSCs and patients’ clinical characteristics. BM-MSCs’ MVs (ND/MM) proteomes were assayed (mass spectrometry) and compared. Elevated integrin CD49d (X80) and CD29 (X2) was determined in MM-MSCs’ MVs and correlated with patients’ staging and treatment response (free light chain, BM plasma cells count, stage, response to treatment). BM-MSCs’ MVs uptake into MM cell lines was assayed (flow cytometry) with/without integrin inhibitors (RGD, natalizumab, and anti-CD29 monoclonal antibody) and recipient cells were analyzed for cell count, migration, MAPKs, TI, and drug response (doxorubicin, Velcade). Their inhibition, particularly together, attenuated the uptake of MM-MSCs MVs (but not ND-MSCs MVs) into MM cells and reduced MM cells’ signaling, phenotype, and increased drug response. This study exposed a critical novel role for CD49d/CD29 on MM-MSCs MVs and presented a discriminate method to inhibit cancer promoting action of MM-MSCs MVs while retaining the anticancer function of ND-MSCs-MVs. Moreover, these findings demonstrate yet again the intricacy of the microenvironment involvement in the malignant process and highlight new therapeutic avenues to be explored.
Separation of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Flavonoid Glycosides from Oxytropis falcata Using 2D Preparative Chromatography
Authors: Chen Chen , Zhao Jingyang , Chen Jilin , Chi Ming , Liu Yuchao
Published: October 2019

Oxytropis falcata Bunge, known as “the King of Herbs” in Tibetan medicine, is used for treatment of hyperpyrexia, pain, wounds, inflammation and anthrax. However, it is difficult to isolate compound with high-purity from O. falcata because of its complexity. In this work, an efficient method was successfully established for the separation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG) flavonoid glycosides from O. falcata by 2D preparative chromatography (2D-HPLC). An ODS C18 preparative column was used for the first-dimension preparation, and the XCharge C18 preparative column with different separation selectivity to the ODS C18 stationary phase was used for the second-dimension preparation. Four HMG flavonoid glycosides (oxytroflavosides A–D) and two flavonoid glycosides (oxytroflavosides F and G) were separated with purities over 98%. Their structures were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The 2D-HPLC method used in this study is effective for preparative separation of HMG flavonoid glycosides from O. falcata. Additionally, this method shows great potential for the separation of flavonoid glycosides from other plant extracts.
Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanoparticles for Selective Solid Phase Extraction of Fluvoxamine in Human Urine and Plasma
Authors: Soleimani Mojtaba , Daryasari Ameneh Porgham , Joshani Parisa
Published: October 2019

In this work, the molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP-NPs) for the selective determination of fluvoxamine have been described. The polymer nanoparticles were synthesized by the polymerization of methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker, 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator and fluvoxamine as a template molecule. The MIP-NPs were characterized using techniques that included Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Imprinted fluvoxamine molecules were removed from the polymeric structure using acetonitrile in methanol (2:8; v/v) as the eluting solvent. The linear dynamic range for fluvoxamine was 10–1200 μg L−1. The developed method was successfully applied to the extraction of fluvoxamine in complex biological samples.
Hypoxia alters vulnerability to capture and the potential for trait-based selection in a scaled-down trawl fishery
Authors: Thambithurai Davide , Crespel Amelie , Norin Tommy , Rácz Anita , Lindström Jan , Parsons Kevin J , Killen Shaun S
Published: October 2019

Lay summary

Selective harvest of wild organisms by humans can influence the evolution of plants and animals, and fishing is recognized as a particularly strong driver of this process. Importantly, these effects occur alongside environmental change. Here we show that aquatic hypoxia can alter which individuals within a fish population are vulnerable to capture by trawling, potentially altering the selection and evolutionary effects stemming from commercial fisheries.
A key role for the novel coronary artery disease gene JCAD in atherosclerosis via shear stress mechanotransduction
Authors: Douglas Gillian , Mehta Vedanta , Al Haj Zen Ayman , Akoumianakis Ioannis , Goel Anuj , Rashbrook Victoria S , Trelfa Lucy , Donovan Lucy , Drydale Edward , Chuaiphichai Surawee , Antoniades Charalambos , Watkins Hugh , Kyriakou Theodosios , Tzima Ellie , Channon Keith M
Published: October 2019

Aims

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have consistently identified an association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and a locus on chromosome 10 containing a single gene, JCAD (formerly KIAA1462). However, little is known about the mechanism by which JCAD could influence the development of atherosclerosis.

Methods and results

Vascular function was quantified in subjects with CAD by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and vasorelaxation responses in isolated blood vessel segments. The JCAD risk allele identified by GWAS was associated with reduced FMD and reduced endothelial-dependent relaxations. To study the impact of loss of Jcad on atherosclerosis, Jcad−/− mice were crossed to an ApoE−/− background and fed a high-fat diet from 6 to16 weeks of age. Loss of Jcad did not affect blood pressure or heart rate. However, Jcad−/−ApoE−/− mice developed significantly less atherosclerosis in the aortic root and the inner curvature of the aortic arch. En face analysis revealed a striking reduction in pro-inflammatory adhesion molecules at sites of disturbed flow on the endothelial cell layer of Jcad−/− mice. Loss of Jcad lead to a reduced recovery perfusion in response to hind limb ischaemia, a model of altered in vivo flow. Knock down of JCAD using siRNA in primary human aortic endothelial cells significantly reduced the response to acute onset of flow, as evidenced by reduced phosphorylation of NF-КB, eNOS, and Akt.

Conclusion

The novel CAD gene JCAD promotes atherosclerotic plaque formation via a role in the endothelial cell shear stress mechanotransduction pathway.
Resistant hypertension: new insights and therapeutic perspectives
Authors: Ruilope Luis M , Rodríguez-Sánchez Elena , Navarro-García José Alberto , Segura Julian , Órtiz Alberto , Lucia Alejandro , Ruiz-Hurtado Gema
Published: October 2019

Resistant hypertension (RH) is a concept that currently goes beyond the classical definition of blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg in subjects receiving three or more drugs of different classes at maximally tolerated doses. Here, we review the clinical relevance of RH and the different types of RH-associated phenotypes, namely refractory hypertension, controlled resistant hypertension, and masked uncontrolled hypertension. We also discuss current drug strategies and future treatments for these high-risk phenotypes.
Full sternotomy and minimal access approaches for surgical aortic valve replacement: a multicentre propensity-matched study
Authors: Paparella Domenico , Malvindi Pietro Giorgio , Santarpino Giuseppe , Moscarelli Marco , Guida Piero , Fattouch Khalil , Margari Vito , Martinelli Luigi , Albertini Alberto , Speziale Giuseppe
Published: October 2019

OBJECTIVES

Surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) can be performed via a full sternotomy or a minimal access approach (mini-AVR). Despite long-term experience with the procedure, mini-AVR is not routinely adopted. Our goal was to compare contemporary outcomes of mini-AVR and conventional AVR in a large multi-institutional national cohort.

METHODS

A total of 5801 patients from 10 different centres who had a mini-AVR (2851) or AVR (2950) from 2011 to 2017 were evaluated retrospectively. Standard aortic prostheses were used in all cases. The use of the minimally invasive approach has increased over the years. The primary outcome is the incidence of 30-day deaths following mini-AVR and AVR. Secondary outcomes are the occurrence of major complications following both procedures. Propensity-matched comparisons were performed based on the multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

In the overall population patients who had AVR had an increased surgical risk based on the EuroSCORE, and the 30-day mortality rate was higher (1.5% and 2.3% in mini-AVR and AVR, respectively; P = 0.048). Propensity scores identified 2257 patients per group with similar baseline profiles. In the matched groups, patients who had mini-AVR, despite longer cardiopulmonary bypass (81 ± 32 vs 76 ± 28 min; P = 0.004) and cross-clamp (64 ± 24 vs 59 ± 21 min; P ≤ 0.001) times, had lower 30-day mortality rates (1.2% vs 2.0%; P = 0.036), reduced low cardiac output (0.8% vs 1.4%; P = 0.046) and reduced postoperative length of stay (9 ± 8 vs 10 ± 7 days; P = 0.004). Blood transfusions (36.4% vs 30.8%; P ≤ 0.001) and atrial fibrillation (26.0% vs 21.5%, P ≤ 0.001) were higher in patients who had the mini-AVR.

CONCLUSIONS

In a large multi-institutional recent cohort, minimal access approach aortic valve replacement is associated with reduced 30-day mortality rates and shorter postoperative lengths of stay compared to standard sternotomy. A prospective randomized trial is needed to overcome the possible biases of a retrospective study.
CEPI: Driving Progress Toward Epidemic Preparedness and Response
Authors: Gouglas Dimitrios , Christodoulou Mario , Plotkin Stanley A , Hatchett Richard
Published: October 2019

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was formed in the aftermath of the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak in west Africa to support the development of vaccines that could improve the world’s preparedness against outbreaks of epidemic infectious diseases. Since its launch in 2017, CEPI has mobilized more than US$750 million to support its mission to develop vaccines against agents such as Lassa virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and Nipah virus, as well as several rapid-response vaccine platforms to accelerate response times to unexpected epidemic threats. CEPI has also played a leading role in fostering institutional partnerships between public- and private-sector organizations to optimize allocation of resources for vaccine development against its priority pathogens. CEPI’s priorities include diversification of its current vaccine research and development investment portfolio to include additional pathogens, such as Rift Valley fever and chikungunya; establishment of technical and regulatory pathways for vaccine development across CEPI’s portfolio; development of sustainable manufacturing solutions for vaccine candidates nearing completion of safety and immunogenicity testing in humans; and creation of investigational stockpiles of its vaccine candidates for use in emergency situations. This commentary provides an overview of the global health challenges CEPI was established to address and its achievements to date, and indicates priorities for funding and coordination in the coming years.
Social Influence or Rational Choice? Two Models and Their Contribution to Explaining Class Differentials in Student Educational Aspirations
Authors: Zimmermann Thomas
Published: October 2019

Both the Wisconsin model of status attainment (WIM) and rational choice theory (RCT) indicate that social class differentials in student educational aspirations are partially determined by academic performance. Conditional on performance, the WIM predicts that social influence mechanisms explain the remaining class differentials, whereas RCT maintains that rational calculus factors provide the explanation. Both theories have rarely been compared directly using large-scale empirical data. Moreover, the appropriateness of these models has been questioned for highly stratified and selective educational systems such as Germany’s. In this article, we analyse the extent to which the WIM and RCT can explain the relationship between students’ social class origins and their educational aspirations. We use data from the National Educational Panel Study and analysed the aspirations of 4,896 ninth-graders in German schools along with data about their school performance, social class positions, social influences, and rational choice factors. Our mixed logit models largely confirm that both social influences and rational choice factors mediate class differentials. Five factors contribute the most: parents’ expectations, friends’ aspirations, the motive of status maintenance, costs, and perceived probability of success. This research confirms that both the WIM and RCT can each independently explain aspirations and class differentials in aspirations.
Changes in tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in French women: worrying trends
Authors: Olié Valérie , Pasquereau Anne , Assogba Frank A G , Arwidson Pierre , Nguyen-Thanh Viet , Chatignoux Edouard , Gabet Amélie , Delmas Marie-Christine , Bonaldi Christophe
Published: October 2019

Background

The high prevalence of smoking among French women since the 1970s has been reflected over the past decade by a strong impact on the health of women. This paper describes age and gender differences in France of the impact of smoking on morbidity and mortality trends since the 2000s.

Methods

Smoking prevalence trends were based on estimates from national surveys from 1974 to 2017. Lung cancer incidence were estimated from 2002–12 cancer registry data. Morbidity data for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation and myocardial infarction were assessed through hospital admissions data, 2002–15. For each disease, number of deaths between 2000 and 2014 came from the national database on medical causes of death. The tobacco-attributable mortality (all causes) was obtained using a population-attributable fraction methodology.

Results

The incidence of lung cancer and COPD increased by 72% and 100%, respectively, among women between 2002 and 2015. For myocardial infarction before the age of 65, the incidence increased by 50% between 2002 and 2015 in women vs. 16% in men and the highest increase was observed in women of 45–64-year-olds. Mortality from lung cancer and COPD increased by 71% and 3%, respectively, among women. The estimated number of women who died as a result of smoking has more than doubled between 2000 and 2014 (7% vs. 3% of all deaths).

Conclusions

The increase in the prevalence of smoking among women has a major impact on the morbidity and mortality of tobacco-related diseases in women and will continue to increase for a number of years.
Is there an association between socioeconomic status of General Practice population and postgraduate training practice accreditation? A cross-sectional analysis of Scottish General Practices
Authors: McCallum Marianne , Hanlon Peter , Mair Frances S , Mckay John
Published: October 2019

Background

Practice population socioeconomic status is associated with practice postgraduate training accreditation. General Practitioner recruitment to socioeconomically deprived areas is challenging, exposure during training may encourage recruitment.

Objectives

To determine the association of practice population socioeconomic deprivation score and training status, and if this has changed over time.

Methods

Cross-sectional study looking at socioeconomic deprivation and training status for all General Practices in Scotland (n = 982). Data from Information Services Division, from 2015, were combined with the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation to calculate weighted socioeconomic deprivation scores for every practice in Scotland. Scottish training body database identified training practices (n = 330). Mean deprivation score for training and non-training practices was calculated. Logistic regression was used to quantify the odds ratio of training status based on deprivation score, adjusted for practice list size, and compared with a similar 2009 analysis.

Results

Socioeconomic deprivation score is associated with training status, but is not significant when adjusted for practice list size [OR (adjusted) 0.87, 95% CI: 0.74–1.04]. In contrast, in 2009, adjusted deprivation score remained significant. Mean deprivation score in training and non-training practices remained similar at both time points [2015: 2.98 (SD 0.88) versus 3.17 (SD 0.81); 2009: 2.95 versus 3.19), with a more deprived mean score in non-training practices.

Conclusions

General practices in affluent areas remain more likely to train, although this association appears to be related to larger practice list sizes rather than socioeconomic factors. To ensure a variety of training environments training bodies should target, and support, smaller practices working in more socioeconomically deprived areas.
Utilization of different dissolved organic phosphorus sources by Symbiodinium voratum in vitro
Authors: Tian-Tian Liu , Ping Huang , Jia-Xing Liu , Zhi-Xin Ke , Ye-Hui Tan
Published: October 2019

This study examines the physiological responses of the Symbiodiniumvoratum (clade E) to two types of phosphates having different chemical bonds—phosphoesters (C-O-P bonds) and phosphonates (C-P bonds) to explore Symbiodinium cell growth and the molecular perspective of the P utilization process. Alkaline phosphatase (AP), PhnX, PhoA and PhoX expression was profiled for different P conditions using the RT-qPCR method. In a sterile system, Symbiodinium could decompose phosphoesters, such as ATP and glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P), into dissolved inorganic P (DIP) to supplement inorganic phosphorus but could not directly use phosphoesters for growth. The growth rate and photosynthetic efficiency of zooxanthellae in phosphoester-containing media did not significantly differ from those in the DIP group but were significantly inhibited in medium containing phosphonates such as N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine (glyphosate) and 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid (2-AEP), as well as in DIP-poor medium. The phosphonate group DIP concentration did not change remarkably, indicating that phosphonates can neither be directly used by zooxanthellae nor decomposed into DIP. Our RT-qPCR results support our views that the phosphoesters (C-O-P) had been hydrolyzed outside the cell before being absorbed into the Symbiodinium cell, and implies that PhnX, PhoA and PhoX are perhaps responsible for transporting DIP from medium into cells and for storage of DIP.
Carbohydrate active enzymes are affected by diet transition from milk to solid food in infant gut microbiota
Authors: Ye Lingqun , Das Promi , Li Peishun , Ji Boyang , Nielsen Jens
Published: October 2019

Infants experience a dramatic change in their food in the first year after birth when they shift from breast milk to solid food. This results in a large change in presence of indigestible polysaccharides, a primary energy resource of gut microbes. How the gut microbiota adapts to this dietary shift has not been well examined. Here, by using metagenomics data, we studied carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) of gut microbiota, which are essential enzymes catalyzing the breakdown of polysaccharides, during this dietary shift. We developed a new approach to categorize CAZyme families by food intake and found CAZyme families associated with milk or solid food. We also found CAZymes with most abundance in 12 months infants that are not associated with solid food or milk but may be related to modulating carbohydrates in the mucus. Additionally, the abundance of gut CAZymes were found to be affected by many other factors, including delivery modes and life style in adults. Taken together, our findings provide novel insights into the dynamic change of gut CAZymes in early human life and provide potential markers for food interference or gut microbiota restoration.
Biogenic silver nanoparticles as a more efficient contrivance for wound healing acceleration than common antiseptic medicine
Authors: Giri Ved Prakash , Pandey Shipra , Kumari Madhuree , Paswan Shravan Kumar , Tripathi Ashutosh , Srivastava Manjoosha , Rao Chandana Venketswara , Katiyar Ratna , Nautiyal Chandra Shekhar , Mishra Aradhana
Published: October 2019

A simple and facile way of using biogenic silver nanoparticles (BSNP) (10–20 nm) was developed for wound healing acceleration and suppression of wound infections. The BSNP were formulated in an ointment base, and the study to accelerate the wound healing process was conducted in a rat. The pH of the BSNP ointment, pH 6.8 ± 0.5, lies in normal pH range of the human skin, with good spreadability and diffusibility. The wound closure rate, as a percentage, was highest at day 3 for a BSNP ointment-treated wound at 22.77 ± 1.60%, while in an untreated control the rate was 10.99 ± 1.74%, for Betadine 14.73 ± 2.36% and for Soframycin 18.55 ± 1.37%, compared with day 0. A similar pattern of wound closure rate was found at days 7 and 11. The antibacterial activity of BSNP was evaluated against wound-infection-causing bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli by the agar diffusion method. The total bacterial counts in the wound area were enumerated by the colony forming unit method. The lowest number of bacterial counts was found in the BSNP-treated wound compared with the other groups. BSNP treatment at 7.5% concentration enhanced migration of fibroblasts in a scratch assay. These findings reveal BSNP as an efficient contrivance for wound healing acceleration and as an eco-friendly alternative therapeutic antimicrobial agent.
Impact of sequelae of visceral leishmaniasis and their contribution to ongoing transmission of Leishmania donovani
Authors: Duthie Malcolm S , Goto Yasuyuki , Ghosh Prakash , Mondal Dinesh
Published: October 2019

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Old World is caused by infection with Leishmania donovani. Although the numbers of new reported cases of VL in Africa have been relatively stable for several years, the low numbers currently reported on the Indian subcontinent suggest a positive impact of new treatments and intervention strategies. In both regions, however, VL relapse and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) maintain infectious reservoirs and therefore present a threat to control programs. In this review, we outline the evolving appreciation of PKDL as an impactful disease in its own right and discuss the various diagnostic methods that can be applied for the detection and characterization of PKDL cases. We also highlight the data that indicate the potential, and likely contribution, of PKDL cases to ongoing transmission of L. donovani.