bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heritability of objectively assessed and self‐reported sedentary behavior
Authors: Schutte Nienke M. , Huppertz Charlotte , Doornweerd Stieneke , Bartels Meike , de Geus Eco J.C. , van der Ploeg Hidde P.
Published: March 2020

Understanding the sources of the large individual differences in sedentary behavior is of great importance as this behavior is associated with pre‐mature mortality and non‐communicable diseases. Here, we report on the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the variation in objectively assessed (accelerometer) sedentary behavior and self‐reported sitting and their shared genetic basis. In addition, the overlap of the genetic risk factors influencing sedentary time and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was estimated. A sample of 800 individuals (twins and their siblings) was equipped with an Actigraph accelerometer for 7 days and reported on their sitting time and time spent on MVPA on those days using the IPAQ‐SF. Genetic factors explained 56% (CI: 44%, 65%) of the individual differences in objective sedentary behavior (Actigraph) and 26% (CI: 0%, 51%) of the individual differences in self‐reported sedentary behavior (IPAQ‐SF). A modest correlation (0.33) was found between these measures, which was for 45% accounted for by genetic influences. The genetic correlation was 0.49 reflecting a partly overlapping set of genes that influenced both measurements. A modest correlation (−0.27) between Actigraph‐derived sedentary time and MVPA was found, which was 13% accounted for by genetic effects. The genetic correlation was −0.31, indicating that there are overlapping genetic variants that increase sedentary time and decrease MVPA or vice versa. To conclude, more than half of the individual differences in objective sedentary time could be attributed to genetic differences, while for self‐reported sitting this was much lower. In addition, using objective measurements, this study confirms that sedentary time is not simply the inverse of MVPA. Future studies are needed to understand the pathways translating genomic variation into variation in these behaviors and how this knowledge might feed into the development of health promotion interventions.
Outcome of intensity‐modulated radiation therapy‐based stereotactic radiation therapy for treatment of canine nasal carcinomas
Authors: Fox‐Alvarez Stacey , Shiomitsu Keijiro , Lejeune Amandine T. , Szivek Anna , Kubicek Lyndsay
Published: March 2020

Stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) has emerged as a convenient definitive treatment modality in veterinary medicine, but few studies exist evaluating outcome with treatment for canine nasal tumors, and no studies report the treatment of one single tumor histotype. This retrospective, observational study evaluates toxicity, response, and survival in 17 dogs with nasal carcinomas treated with SRT. Dogs received a median of 3000 centigray in three fractions via 6‐MV linear accelerator. Eighty‐eight percent of patients (n = 15) demonstrated clinical benefit. Of dogs with repeated CT imaging (n = 10), 60% (n = 6) achieved a partial response and 10% (n = 1) achieved a complete response. Median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 359 days. Median survival time (MST) was 563 days. Among dogs evaluable for acute toxicity, 50% (n = 10) developed low grade toxicity (grade 1, n = 4; grade 2, n = 1). No patients developed grade 3 toxicity. 16 dogs (87%) evaluable over the long term developed signs consistent with possible late toxicity. The majority of late toxicities were mild (alopecia, hyperpigmentation, and leukotrichia n = 10; ocular discharge and keratoconjunctivitis sicca n = 5). Thirty‐seven percent of patients (n = 6) developed seven possible grade 3 late toxicities (blindness, n = 3; fistula, n = 1; seizures, n = 3), which were difficult to distinguish from progressive disease in most patients. Of the prognostic factors evaluated (demographics, tumor stage, dosimetric data, epistaxis, facial deformity, clinical response, image‐based response, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, and chemotherapy), only clinical response was a positive prognostic factor on MST (P < .00). No factors were found to be significantly associated with PFS.
Computational Essays in the Physics Classroom
Authors: Odden Tor Ole B. , Burk John
Published: March 2020

Writing and argumentation are critical to both professional physics and physics education. They are both necessary to the practices of professional science like paper writing and peer review, and are increasingly emphasized in science education standards and best practices. Despite this, the skill of making an extended argument in writing is often overlooked in physics classrooms, apart from certain isolated practices like lab notebooks or mathematical proofs.
Energy lab practicum: It’s all about the system
Authors: Gende Dolores , Hernandez Jesus
Published: March 2020

This article describes an AP Physics-level lab practicum to determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between a wooden block and a surface in a modified Atwood’s machine setup. The students may not use a dynamics approach to complete the task, only energy concepts. The only equipment they are allowed to use is a meterstick and a digital balance.
Genetically targeted chemical assembly of functional materials in living cells, tissues, and animals
Authors: Liu Jia , Kim Yoon Seok , Richardson Claire E. , Tom Ariane , Ramakrishnan Charu , Birey Fikri , Katsumata Toru , Chen Shucheng , Wang Cheng , Wang Xiao , Joubert Lydia-Marie , Jiang Yuanwen , Wang Huiliang , Fenno Lief E. , Tok Jeffrey B.-H. , Pașca Sergiu P. , Shen Kang , Bao Zhenan , Deisseroth Karl
Published: March 2020

From genetics to material to behavior

Introducing new genes into an organism can endow new biochemical functions or change the patterns of existing functions, but extending these manipulations to structure at the tissue level is challenging. Combining genetic engineering and polymer chemistry, Liu
et al.
directly leveraged complex cellular architectures of living organisms to synthesize, fabricate, and assemble bioelectronic materials (see the Perspective by Otto and Schmidt). An engineered enzyme expressed in genetically targeted neurons synthesized conductive polymers in tissues of freely moving animals. These polymers enabled modulation of membrane properties in specific neuron populations and manipulation of behavior in living animals.

Science
, this issue p.
1372
; see also p.
1303
Female toads engaging in adaptive hybridization prefer high-quality heterospecifics as mates
Authors: Chen Catherine , Pfennig Karin S.
Published: March 2020

Choosing mates wisely

Hybridization between species has long been seen as an accidental contributor to evolution in some cases and as a dead end in others. New evidence is emerging, however, that hybridization may have played important, and nonrandom, roles in adaptation. Chen and Pfennig describe just such a case where female Plains spadefoot toads preferentially choose males from another toad species, the Mexican spadefoot, as mates, but only under certain environmental conditions (see the Perspective by Zuk). The offspring of this preferred hybrid mating event have higher fitness than nonhybrids in the same environment. Thus, not only do hybrids have an advantage, but females of one species are exerting a selective influence on the other species.

Science
, this issue p.
1377
; see also p.
1304
Selective targeting of BD1 and BD2 of the BET proteins in cancer and immunoinflammation
Authors: Gilan Omer , Rioja Inmaculada , Knezevic Kathy , Bell Matthew J. , Yeung Miriam M. , Harker Nicola R. , Lam Enid Y. N. , Chung Chun-wa , Bamborough Paul , Petretich Massimo , Urh Marjeta , Atkinson Stephen J. , Bassil Anna K. , Roberts Emma J. , Vassiliadis Dane , Burr Marian L. , Preston Alex G. S. , Wellaway Christopher , Werner Thilo , Gray James R. , Michon Anne-Marie , Gobbetti Thomas , Kumar Vinod , Soden Peter E. , Haynes Andrea , Vappiani Johanna , Tough David F. , Taylor Simon , Dawson Sarah-Jane , Bantscheff Marcus , Lindon Matthew , Drewes Gerard , Demont Emmanuel H. , Daniels Danette L. , Grandi Paola , Prinjha Rab K. , Dawson Mark A.
Published: March 2020

Bromodomain inhibitors revisited

Bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins contribute to the pathogenesis of cancer and immune diseases through their effects on transcriptional regulation. BET proteins contain two nearly identical bromodomains, BD1 and BD2, structural modules that have attracted great interest as targets for drug development. First-generation drugs that inhibited both BD1 and BD2 showed promising therapeutic activity in preclinical models but proved to be less efficacious in clinical trials. Gilan
et al.
took a different approach and designed drugs that selectively inhibited BD1 or BD2 (see the Perspective by Filippakopoulos and Knapp). They found that BD1 and BD2 inhibitors altered gene expression in different ways and that BD2 inhibitors had greater therapeutic activity than BD1 inhibitors in preclinical models of inflammation and autoimmune disease.

Science
, this issue p.
387
; see also p.
367
Challenges of human nutrition research
Authors: Hall Kevin D.
Published: March 2020

Facilities to house and feed subjects could increase rigor and advance nutrition science
Hope on the horizon for inherited blindness
Authors: György Bence
Published: March 2020

In a clinical trial, gene therapy for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa improved vision.
Metronidazole-Treated Porphyromonas gingivalis Persisters Invade Human Gingival Epithelial Cells and Perturb Innate Responses
Authors: Wang Chuan , Cheng Tianfan , Li Xuan , Jin Lijian
Published: March 2020

Periodontitis as a biofilm-associated inflammatory disease is highly prevalent worldwide. It severely affects oral health and yet closely links to systemic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Porphyromonas gingivalis
as a “keystone” periodontopathogen drives the shift of microbe-host symbiosis to dysbiosis and critically contributes to the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Persisters represent a tiny subset of biofilm-associated microbes highly tolerant to lethal treatment of antimicrobials, and, notably, metronidazole-tolerant
P. gingivalis
persisters have recently been identified by our group.
The Lon-1 Protease Is Required by Borrelia burgdorferi To Infect the Mammalian Host
Authors: Thompson Christina , Mason Charlotte , Parrilla Shidoya , Ouyang Zhiming
Published: March 2020

Borrelia burgdorferi
encodes a functional homolog of canonical Lon protease termed Lon-2. In addition,
B. burgdorferi
encodes a second Lon homolog called Lon-1. Recent studies suggest that Lon-1 may function differently from the prototypical Lon protease. However, the function of Lon-1 in
B. burgdorferi
biology remains virtually unknown. Particularly, the contribution of Lon-1 to
B. burgdorferi
fitness and infection remains hitherto unexplored.
Non-relativistic eigensolutions of molecular and heavy quarkonia interacting potentials via the Nikiforov Uvarov method
Authors: Omugbe Ekwevugbe
Published: March 2020

In this paper, the analytical eigensolutions of the radial Schrödinger equation are obtained using the Nikiforov Uvarov method. Special cases of the modeled potential were discussed. The energy eigenvalues expressions for both quarkonia and diatomic molecular interacting systems are obtained. Furthermore, the masses of the charmonium and bottomonium mesons were computed. The vibrational energy levels, inertia rotational constant, and first two centrifugal distortion constants of the Kratzer–Fues oscillator were obtained in closed form. The results obtained are in excellent agreement with the results in the literature.
Commercial value of trawl macrofauna of the North Pacific and adjacent seas
Authors: Volvenko Igor V. , Gebruk Andrey V. , Katugin Oleg N. , Ogorodnikova Alla A. , Vinogradov Georgy M. , Maznikova Olga A. , Orlov Alexei M.
Published: March 2020

A checklist of 1541 animal species from the Chukchi, Bering, Okhotsk, and Japan seas and the North Pacific Ocean was generated based on 459 research vessel surveys (68 903 trawl tows at depths from 5 to 2200 m) in the period 1977–2014. The study area spanned over 25 million km2. For each species, the scientific name is given, as well as English and Russian common names, along with the following details: areas where species were collected, trawl type (benthic and (or) midwater), real or potential commercial importance, and possible product yield and minimum wholesale prices. Almost 20% of species in trawl catches had no commercial value, and >50% were cheap or very cheap (US$0.5–$2·kg−1). Only 3.3% of species were expensive and very expensive (US$10–$30·kg−1), and their numbers increased from north to south. About 33% of species can be considered as unexploited reserves for fisheries. These are mainly small fishes and invertebrates, with total biomass many times exceeding that of currently exploited biological resources. Product output for most species exceeded 90% of the raw mass. Occurrence of such species was much higher in the pelagic zone than on the seafloor. The most abundant local commercial species are characterized by significant natural fluctuations in abundance. Therefore, a sustainable fishery in the region can be secured (among other factors) by expansion of the assortment of commercial bioresources. A regional supply of bioresources provides such an opportunity. The checklist can be used for development of bioresource management, aquaculture and conservation, assessment of environmental damage caused by climate change, and (or) anthropogenic impact (including pollution, man-made hydro-technical constructions, oil–gas extractions, nuclear reactor accidents, etc.).
Design and experimental study of the self-adaptive splitting technology of lotus seeds
Authors: Lu Ange , Ma Qiucheng , Ma Jie
Published: March 2020

The lotus plumule has high medicinal value and is an important part of the lotus seed. Usually, the lotus seed must be split symmetrically into two halves through a splitting process to obtain an intact lotus plumule. However, this process is difficult to mechanize and automate, as different lotus seeds are of different sizes. In this study, a novel automatic self-adaptive splitting technology (SAST) is proposed for lotus seeds, based on a specially designed combined linkage mechanism and a roller pair centering mechanism. The technology can automatically adjust the position of the splitting point taper punch according to the size of the lotus seed and ensure that the tip of the punch is on the axis of the lotus seed. First, the centering deviation of the centering mechanism was analyzed. A mathematical model for the SAST was developed, and the key parameters were optimized using the firefly algorithm. An automatic splitting machine and a test bench were designed for centering deviation measurements, and both centering and splitting experiments were conducted. The generated maximum centering deviation of the SAST was <0.176 mm; the highest accurate splitting rates of 95% and 93.05% were achieved for unclassified and graded lotus seeds, respectively.
Gravitational production of dark matter in the Peebles–Vilenkin model
Authors: Haro Jaume
Published: March 2020

The gravitational production of superheavy dark matter, in the Peebles-Vilenkin quintessential inflation model, is studied in two different scenarios: When the particles, whose decay products reheat the universe after the end of the inflationary period, are created gravitationally, and when are produced via instant preheating. We show that the viability of both scenarios requires that the mass of the superheavy dark matter to be approximately between $$10^{16}$$1016 and $$10^{17}~\hbox {GeV}$$1017GeV.
Excited $$\varOmega _b$$ baryons and fine structure of strong interaction
Authors: Chen Hua-Xing , Cui Er-Liang , Hosaka Atsushi , Mao Qiang , Yang Hui-Min
Published: March 2020

The heavy baryon system bounded by the strong interaction has a rich internal structure, so its mass spectra can have the fine structure similar to the line spectra of atom bounded by the electromagnetic interaction. We systematically study the internal structure of P-wave $$\varOmega _b$$Ωb baryons and calculate their D-wave decay properties. The present study, together with our previous studies on their mass spectra and S-wave decay properties, suggest that all the four excited $$\varOmega _b$$Ωb baryons recently discovered by LHCb can be well explained as P-wave $$\varOmega _b$$Ωb baryons, and their beautiful fine structure is directly related to the rich internal structure of P-wave $$\varOmega _b$$Ωb baryons.
Splitting-up scheme for the stochastic Cahn–Hilliard Navier–Stokes model
Authors: Deugoue Gabriel , Moghomye Boris Jidjou , Medjo Theodore Tachim
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we consider a stochastic Cahn–Hilliard Navier–Stokes system in a bounded domain of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. The system models the evolution of an incompressible isothermal mixture of binary fluids under the influence of stochastic external forces. We prove the existence of a global weak martingale solution. The proof is based on the splitting-up method as well as some compactness method.
MULTI-HOP GENERALIZED CORE PERCOLATION ON COMPLEX NETWORKS
Authors: SHANG YILUN
Published: March 2020

Recent theoretical studies on network robustness have focused primarily on attacks by random selection and global vision, but numerous real-life networks suffer from proximity-based breakdown. Here we introduce the multi-hop generalized core percolation on complex networks, where nodes with degree less than [Formula: see text] and their neighbors within [Formula: see text]-hop distance are removed progressively from the network. The resulting subgraph is referred to as [Formula: see text]-core, extending the recently proposed [Formula: see text]-core and classical core of a network. We develop analytical frameworks based upon generating function formalism and rate equation method, showing for instance continuous phase transition for [Formula: see text]-core and discontinuous phase transition for [Formula: see text]-core with any other combination of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We test our theoretical results on synthetic homogeneous and heterogeneous networks, as well as on a selection of large-scale real-world networks. This unravels, e.g., a unique crossover phenomenon rooted in heterogeneous networks, which raises a caution that endeavor to promote network-level robustness could backfire when multi-hop tracing is involved.
A MINIMAL AGENT-BASED MODEL FOR THE SIZE-FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF FIRMS
Authors: GONZÁLEZ-LÓPEZ RICARDO , GÓMEZ JAVIER B. , PACHECO AMALIO F.
Published: March 2020

A cellular automaton model called the Firm Dynamics Model (FDM) is introduced to simulate the dynamics of firms within an economy. The model includes the growth of firms and their mergers and exits. The main objective is to compare the size-frequency distributions in the model with the empirical firm size distributions of several countries (USA, UK, Spain and Sweden). The empirical size distributions were assembled from business censuses and additional information on the country’s largest companies in terms of the number of employees. For the four datasets analyzed here, the firm size distribution is compatible with a power law of the Pareto type with an exponent of close to two (for the probability density). For its part, the model delivers two different size-frequency distributions depending on the type of merger that firms can undergo: the friendly-merger version gives rise to subcritical distributions with an exponential tail, whereas the aggressive-merger version produces power-law distributions. The simulation model was run with underlying lattices in one, two and three dimensions in order to compare the simulated power-law exponent with the empirical one. The best agreement was obtained with the two-dimensional aggressive-merger model version, for which the power-law exponent is [Formula: see text], as compared with an empirical exponent of [Formula: see text] (average over the four datasets). Further simulations with the model on a Bethe lattice confirm that the two-dimensional model provides the best fit to the empirical exponent.
Detecting Misogyny and Xenophobia in Spanish Tweets Using Language Technologies
Authors: Plaza-Del-Arco Flor-Miriam , Molina-González M. Dolores , Ureña-López L. Alfonso , Martín-Valdivia M. Teresa
Published: March 2020

Today, misogyny and xenophobia are some of the most important social problems. With the increase in the use of social media, this feeling of hatred toward women and immigrants can be more easily expressed, and therefore it can have harmful effects on social media users. For this reason, it is important to develop systems capable of detecting hateful comments automatically. In this article, we analyze the hate speech in Spanish tweets against women and immigrants conducting classification experiments using different approaches. Moreover, we create appropriate language resources for hate speech detection in Spanish.
Sub-Population Specific Models of Couples’ Conflict
Authors: Gupta Krit , Gujral Aditya , Chaspari Theodora , Timmons Adela C. , Han Sohyun , Kim Yehsong , Barrett Sarah , Sichko Stassja , Margolin Gayla
Published: March 2020

Interpersonal conflict between couples is a significant source of stress with long-lasting effects on partners’ physical and psychological health. Motivated by findings in psychological science, we study how couples with distinct relationship functioning characteristics experience conflict in real life. We propose sub-population specific machine learning models using hierarchical and adaptive learning frameworks to automatically detect interpersonal conflict through the ambulatory monitoring of couples’ physiological signals, audio samples, and linguistic indices. Results indicate that the proposed models outperform a general model learned for the entire population and separate models independently trained on each sub-population, providing a foundation toward personalized health applications.
A Multilingual Evaluation for Online Hate Speech Detection
Authors: Corazza Michele , Menini Stefano , Cabrio Elena , Tonelli Sara , Villata Serena
Published: March 2020

The increasing popularity of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has led to a rise in the presence of hate and aggressive speech on these platforms. Despite the number of approaches recently proposed in the Natural Language Processing research area for detecting these forms of abusive language, the issue of identifying hate speech at scale is still an unsolved problem. In this article, we propose a robust neural architecture that is shown to perform in a satisfactory way across different languages; namely, English, Italian, and German. We address an extensive analysis of the obtained experimental results over the three languages to gain a better understanding of the contribution of the different components employed in the system, both from the architecture point of view (i.e., Long Short Term Memory, Gated Recurrent Unit, and bidirectional Long Short Term Memory) and from the feature selection point of view (i.e., ngrams, social network–specific features, emotion lexica, emojis, word embeddings). To address such in-depth analysis, we use three freely available datasets for hate speech detection on social media in English, Italian, and German.
How Does Fitbit Measure Brainwaves
Authors: Liang Zilu , Ploderer Bernd
Published: March 2020

Consumer sleep-tracking devices provide an unobtrusive and affordable way to learn about personal sleep habits. Recent research focused primarily on the information provided by such devices, i.e., whether the information is accurate and meaningful to people. However, little is known about how people judge the credibility of such information, and how the functionality and the design may influence such judgements. Hence, the aim of this research was to examine how consumers assess the credibility of sleep-tracking devices. We conducted a qualitative study with 22 participants who tracked their sleep for 3 nights with three different devices: Fitbit Charge 2, Neuroon EEG, and SleepScope, a medical sleep monitor. Based on semi-structured interviews, we found that people assess the credibility of sleep-tracking devices based not only on the credibility of sleep data per se, but also on device functionality, interface design and physical appearance. People found it difficult to judge credibility, because of the complexities of sleep stages and micro-arousals (sleep fallacy) and the black boxed nature of devices (black box fallacy), and also because of the misalignment between objective sleep measures and subjective sleep quality. We discuss the significance of design and functionality on the credibility of personal health technologies and highlight design challenges and opportunities to enhance their credibility.
Extracellular vesicle miRNA-21 is a potential biomarker for predicting chronic lung disease in premature infants
Authors: Go Hayato , Maeda Hajime , Miyazaki Kyohei , Maeda Ryo , Kume Yohei , Namba Fumihiko , Momoi Nobuo , Hashimoto Koichi , Otsuru Satoru , Kawasaki Yukihiko , Hosoya Mitsuaki , Dennery Phyllis A
Published: March 2020

Premature infants are often exposed to positive pressure ventilation and supplemental oxygen, which leads to the development of chronic lung disease (CLD). There are currently no standard serum biomarkers used for prediction or early detection of patients who go on to develop CLD. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a novel class of naturally occurring, short, noncoding substances that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and cause translational inhibition and/or mRNA degradation and present in body fluids packaged in extracellular vesicles (EVs), rendering them remarkably stable. Our aim was to evaluate miRNAs identified in serum EVs of premature infants as potential biomarkers for CLD. Serum EVs were extracted from premature infants at birth and on the 28th day of life (DOL). Using a human miRNA array, we identified 62 miRNAs that were universally expressed in CLD patients and non-CLD patients. Of the 62 miRNAs, 59 miRNAs and 44 miRNAs were differentially expressed on DOL0 and DOL28 in CLD and non-CLD patients, respectively. Of these miRNAs, serum EV miR-21 was upregulated in CLD patients on DOL28 compared with levels at birth and downregulated in non-CLD patients on DOL28 compared with levels at birth. In neonatal mice exposed to hyperoxia for 7days, as a model of CLD, five miRNAs (miR-34a, miR-21, miR-712, miR-682, and miR-221) were upregulated, and 7 miRNAs (miR-542–5p, miR-449a, miR-322, miR-190b, miR-153, miR-335–3p, miR-377) were downregulated. MiR-21 was detected as a common miRNA that changed in CLD patients and in the hyperoxia exposed mice. We conclude that EV miR-21 may be a biomarker of CLD.
Evaluation of Nematocidal Action against Caenorhabditis elegans of Essential Oil of Flesh Fingered Citron and Its Mechanism
Authors: Piao Xixi , Sun Min , Yi Fengping
Published: March 2020

Essential oils from flesh fingered citrons were obtained by mechanical pressing extraction under optimal conditions. Thirty-three components, representing 78.25% of the total oil, were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In this study, we explored the toxicity of the essential oil of flesh fingered citrons and the associated regulatory mechanism using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. The mortality experiment showed that the LD50 value is 1.48 mg/ml. Oxidative stress experiments showed that essential oils of flesh fingered citrons can reduce the antioxidation of nematodes and can shorten their lifespan. In survival rate experiments for verification, d-limonene had a nematocidal effect by destroying the waterproof protective layer on the surface of the worm. β-Pinene can interfere with the normal growth of nematodes according to behavioral experiments, and reproduction experiments showed that α-pinene has very strong nematocidal properties. γ-Terpinene also has good nematocidal activity. The results demonstrated that the essential oil of flesh fingered citron has great potential to act as a new nematicide.
Effects of Land Finance on Resource Misallocation in Chinese Cities during 2003–2017: A Dynamic Panel Econometric Analysis
Authors: Qu Yongcuomu , Zhang Ziqiong , Feng Yanchao
Published: March 2020

Based on the review of previous studies and the analysis of the dynamic changes of misallocation of capital and labour in China during 2003–2017, this study has adopted the Dynamic Panel Econometric Model to investigate the effects of land finance on resource misallocation at national, regional, and urban tier levels. The results show that resource misallocation has a significant feature of temporal dependence, while the misallocations of capital and labour in China have experienced different dynamic changes during the investigation period. In addition, land finance has aggravated resource misallocation at the national level, while spatial heterogeneity is established at regional and urban tier levels, which deserves much more attention in further studies. The conclusions will not only provide a relatively scientific and accurate reference for the effective allocation of production factors but also be conducive to the coordinated and sustainable development of China’s economy in the long run.
Clinical and Metabolic Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid Associated with Two Different Doses of Myo-Inositol in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Fruzzetti Franca , Benelli Elena , Fidecicchi Tiziana , Tonacchera Massimo
Published: March 2020

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effects of a treatment with α-lipoic acid (ALA) associated with two different doses of myo-inositol (MI) on clinical and metabolic features of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Eighty-eight women received the treatment, and 71 among them had complete clinical charts and were considered eligible for this study. All women were treated with 800 mg of ALA per day: 43 patients received 2000 mg of MI and 28 received 1000 mg of MI per day. Menstrual cyclicity, BMI, FSH, LH, estradiol, testosterone, androstenedione, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and insulin response to a 2 h OGTT were evaluated before and after 6 months of treatment. The presence of diabetic relatives (DRs) was investigated. Cycle regularity was improved in 71.2% of women. The improvement of menstrual cyclicity occurred regardless of the state of IR and the presence of DRs of the patients. Women with IR mainly showed a significant improvement of metabolic parameters, while those without IR had significant changes of reproductive hormones. Patients with DRs did not show significant changes after the treatment. 85.7% of women taking 2000 mg of MI reported a higher improvement of menstrual regularity than those taking 1000 mg of MI (50%; p<0.01). In conclusion, ALA + MI positively affects the menstrual regularity of women with PCOS, regardless of their metabolic phenotype, with a more evident effect with a higher dose of MI. This effect seems to be insulin independent. The presence of IR seems to be a predictor of responsivity to the treatment in terms of an improvement of the metabolic profile.
Into a Shaking Limbo: Case Report of a Nonneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis with Faciobrachial Dystonic Seizures and Parkinsonism
Authors: Renga Vijay
Published: March 2020

This case report describes a rare but classic presentation of a non-paraneoplastic, antibody-mediated limbic encephalitis. The clinical course did put us in a limbo as it evolved from seizure to Parkinsonism and then from metastasis to stroke, before it finally announced itself by its pathognomonic finding. Knowledge of this rare condition is important as early identification and treatment can change the course.
Effects of Electroacupuncture Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Chronic Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Xing Jia , Wu Xi , Liu Hongxia , Wang Jialin , Jiang Siyuan , Lozada Aileen , Wang Yifan
Published: March 2020

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of spirit‐regulating electroacupuncture (EA), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and combined EA/CBT to treat insomnia. Methods. In this prospective clinical study, patients were randomly assigned to receive EA, CBT, or EA/CBT. Outcomes were assessed using PSQI, ISI, ESS, DBAS‐16, HAM‐A, and HAM‐D at two‐ and four‐week follow‐up. Results. Overall, the PSQI and ISI scores decreased after treatment in all three groups. At two‐week follow‐up, the EA/CBT group obtained lower PSQI and ISI scores than the EA group. The daytime functional factor score in the EA group was lower than that of the CBT group after the second week of treatment, and the EA/CBT PSQI score was lower than that of the CBT group on the second week of follow‐up. In comparison with baseline, the EA group had a decreased ESS score after the second and fourth weeks of treatment, while the ESS score increased in the CBT group after the fourth week of treatment. ESS scores were unchanged following treatment in the EA/CBT group. After the second and fourth weeks of treatment, the ESS scores from the CBT group were higher than the EA group. The DBAS‐16 decreased in the CBT and EA/CTB groups, while the EA group had a higher DBAS‐16 score. In all three groups, HAM‐A and HAM‐D scores decreased after treatment; the EA/CBT HAM‐A and HAM‐D scores were lower than the other two groups. Conclusion. 1. Spirit‐regulating EA therapy is effective. In terms of improving sleep quality and mood, EA has the same effect as CBT and can improve daytime function earlier. 2. The curative effect of the EA/CBT group lasts longer than that of the EA group, and EA/CBT is better at improving daytime function compared to CBT alone and better at improving mood compared to CBT or EA alone.
The Positivity of Numerical Method for Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible Epidemic Model
Authors: Feng Feng , Wang Zong
Published: March 2020

Sudden environmental perturbations may affect the positivity of the solution of the susceptible-infected-recovered-susceptible (SIRS) model. Most of the SIRS epidemic models have no analytical solution. Thus, in order to find the appropriate solution, the numerical technique becomes more essential for us to solve the dynamic behavior of epidemics. In this paper, we are concerned with the positivity of the numerical solution of a stochastic SIRS epidemic model. A new numerical method that is the balanced implicit method (BIM) is set, which preserves the positivity under given conditions. The BIM method can maintain positive numerical solution. An illustrative numerical instance is presented for the numerical BIM of the stochastic SIRS model.
Flexible Bus Route Optimization for Multitarget Stations
Authors: Ji-yang Sun , Jian-ling Huang , Yan-yan Chen , Pan-yi Wei , Jian-lin Jia
Published: March 2020

This paper proposes a flexible bus route optimization model for efficient public city transportation systems based on multitarget stations. The model considers passenger demands, vehicle capacities, and transportation network and aims to solve the optimal route, minimizing the vehicles’ running time and the passengers’ travel time. A heuristic algorithm based on a gravity model is introduced to solve this NP-hard optimization problem. Simulation studies verify the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed model and algorithm. The results show that the total number of vehicles needed to complete the service is 17–21, the average travel time of each vehicle is 24.59 minutes, the solving time of 100 sets of data is within 25 seconds, and the average calculation time is 12.04 seconds. It can be seen that under the premise of real-time adjustment of connection planning time, the optimization model can satisfy the passenger’s dynamic demand to a greater extent, and effectively reduce the planning path error, shorten the distance and travel time of passengers, and the result is better than that of the flexible bus scheduling model which ignores the change of connection travel time.
Parametric Design and Kansei Engineering in Goblet Styling Design
Authors: Wu Fong-Gong , Yu Chii-Zen
Published: March 2020

In this study, we developed a computer-aided product design method for goblet styling design based on two methods. The first was parametric design derived from an adjustable cam mechanism, which was used for shape generation, and the second was Kansei engineering, which was used for shape evaluation. In the shape generation method, motion curves from an adjustable cam were used. Designers can collect feature point data from existing products to define the boundary conditions of adjustable cam motion equations; furthermore, adjustable motion curves allow parametric design. Through adjusting a single parameter, motion curves were changed to be used as projective curves for the styling design of goblets. Then, a coordinate transformation method was applied to support the three-dimensional styling design of goblets. In the shape evaluation method, some goblet stylings were regularly selected to determine adjective degrees by production design experts. Adjective degrees for goblets that had not been selected were determined through interpolation. Market demand was defined as the preference of customers for specific adjective degrees for goblets.
Non-Nodal CD5-Negative Mantle Cell Lymphoma with Secondary TP53 Deletion
Authors: McCall Robert K. , Pang Changlee S. , Pettenati Mark J.
Published: March 2020

Mantle cell lymphoma is a non-Hodgkin lymphoproliferative neoplasm with several clinical and morphologic variants linked, primarily, through genetic derangement of the cyclin D1 locus. Aberrant phenotypes have been described, though prognostic data in such cohorts are limited due to a paucity of cases. We report a case of mantle cell lymphoma with non-nodal clinical presentation, aberrant loss of CD5 expression, and concomitant cytogenetic deletion of 17p. While non-nodal disease is often associated with an improved prognosis in mantle cell lymphoma, this 67-year-old patient experienced a more challenging clinical course with a poor initial response to chemotherapy. Therefore, this case may represent a type of non-nodal mantle cell lymphoma with a prognosis similar to that of classical cases due to the additional phenotypic and genetic alterations found in this patient.
Influence of Underpinning Pile Drilling Construction on the Bearing Behavior of Existing Loaded Foundation Piles: Case Study
Authors: Shan Hua-feng , Xia Tang-dai , Yu Feng , Tao Hai-bing , He Shao-heng
Published: March 2020

The mechanism of drilling borehole and its influence on the bearing behavior of existing foundation piles are unclear, hindering the application of excavation techniques. This paper proposes a new excavation scheme for high‐rise buildings in downtown and develops theoretical formulas to calculate the skin friction and end resistance of existing foundation piles affected by adjacent borehole drilling for installing underpinning piles. These underpinning piles are installed and connected with the existing pile by the head cap before excavation. In a case study, the parameter analysis was then performed to understand the effect of underpinning construction on the bearing behavior of existing foundation piles in terms of skin friction and end resistance. The results show that borehole diameter, depth of drilling borehole, distance between the existing foundation pile and drilling borehole, and number of boreholes have a negligible influence on the end resistance of existing foundation piles. The effect of drilling parameters on the skin friction of existing foundation pile, as well as the influence extent, varies for different parameters. The depth of drilling borehole and the number of boreholes have significant influence and thus should be considered in real engineering design while the borehole diameter and the pile‐pile distance have a negligible effect. The proposed new excavation technique could be potentially adopted for real engineering design of underneath excavation projects for high‐rise buildings in downtown.
The Interplay between Slow-Cycling, Chemoresistant Cancer Cells and Fibroblasts Creates a Proinflammatory Niche for Tumor Progression
Authors: Cho Jaebeom , Lee Hyo-Jong , Hwang Su Jung , Min Hye-Young , Kang Han Na , Park A-Young , Hyun Seung Yeob , Sim Jeong Yeon , Lee Ho Jin , Jang Hyun-Ji , Suh Young-Ah , Hong Sungyoul , Shin Young Kee , Kim Hye Ryun , Lee Ho-Young
Published: March 2020

Quiescent cancer cells are believed to cause cancer progression after chemotherapy through unknown mechanisms. We show here that human non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line-derived, quiescent-like, slow-cycling cancer cells (SCC) and residual patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors after chemotherapy experience activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6)-mediated upregulation of various cytokines, which acts in a paracrine manner to recruit fibroblasts. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) underwent transcriptional upregulation of COX2 and type I collagen (Col-I), which subsequently triggered a slow-to-active cycling switch in SCC through prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)- and integrin/Src-mediated signaling pathways, leading to cancer progression. Both antagonism of ATF6 and cotargeting of Src/COX2 effectively suppressed cytokine production and slow-to-active cell cycling transition in SCC, withholding cancer progression. Expression of COX2 and Col-I and activation of Src were observed in patients with NSCLC who progressed while receiving chemotherapy. Public data analysis revealed significant association between COL1A1 and SRC expression and NSCLC relapse. Overall, these findings indicate that a proinflammatory niche created by the interplay between SCC and CAF triggers tumor progression.

Significance:

Cotargeting COX2 and Src may be an effective strategy to prevent cancer progression after chemotherapy.
A Feedback Loop Comprising EGF/TGFα Sustains TFCP2-Mediated Breast Cancer Progression
Authors: Zhao Yi , Kaushik Neha , Kang Jae-Hyeok , Kaushik Nagendra Kumar , Son Seung Han , Uddin Nizam , Kim Min-Jung , Kim Chul Geun , Lee Su-Jae
Published: March 2020

Stemness and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) are two fundamental characteristics of metastasis that are controlled by diverse regulatory factors, including transcription factors. Compared with other subtypes of breast cancer, basal-type or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has high frequencies of tumor relapse. However, the role of alpha-globin transcription factor CP2 (TFCP2) has not been reported as an oncogenic driver in those breast cancers. Here, we show that TFCP2 is a potent factor essential for EMT, stemness, and metastasis in breast cancer. TFCP2 directly bound promoters of EGF and TGFα to regulate their expression and stimulate autocrine signaling via EGFR. These findings indicate that TFCP2 is a new antimetastatic target and reveal a novel regulatory mechanism in which a positive feedback loop comprising EGF/TGFα and AKT can control malignant breast cancer progression.

Significance:

TFCP2 is a new antimetastatic target that controls TNBC progression via a positive feedback loop between EGF/TGFα and the AKT signaling axis.
T-Cell Infiltration and Adaptive Treg Resistance in Response to Androgen Deprivation With or Without Vaccination in Localized Prostate Cancer
Authors: Obradovic Aleksandar Z. , Dallos Matthew C. , Zahurak Marianna L. , Partin Alan W. , Schaeffer Edward M. , Ross Ashley E. , Allaf Mohamad E. , Nirschl Thomas R. , Liu David , Chapman Carolyn G. , O'Neal Tanya , Cao Haiyi , Durham Jennifer N. , Guner Gunes , Baena-Del Valle Javier A. , Ertunc Onur , De Marzo Angelo M. , Antonarakis Emmanuel S. , Drake Charles G.
Published: March 2020

Purpose:

Previous studies suggest that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) promotes antitumor immunity in prostate cancer. Whether a vaccine-based approach can augment this effect remains unknown.

Patients and Methods:

We conducted a neoadjuvant, randomized study to quantify the immunologic effects of a GM-CSF–secreting allogeneic cellular vaccine in combination with low-dose cyclophosphamide (Cy/GVAX) followed by degarelix versus degarelix alone in patients with high-risk localized prostate adenocarcinoma who were planned for radical prostatectomy.

Results:

Both Cy/GVAX plus degarelix and degarelix alone led to significant increases in intratumoral CD8+ T-cell infiltration and PD-L1 expression as compared with a cohort of untreated, matched controls. However, the CD8+ T-cell infiltrate was accompanied by a proportional increase in regulatory T cells (Treg), suggesting that adaptive Treg resistance may dampen the immunogenicity of ADT. Although Cy/GVAX followed by degarelix was associated with a modest improvement in time-to-PSA progression and time-to-next treatment, as well as an increase in PD-L1, there was no difference in the CD8+ T-cell infiltrate as compared with degarelix alone. Gene expression profiling demonstrated that CHIT1, a macrophage marker, was differentially upregulated with Cy/GVAX plus degarelix compared with degarelix alone.

Conclusions:

Our results highlight that ADT with or without Cy/GVAX induces a complex immune response within the prostate tumor microenvironment. These data have important implications for combining ADT with immunotherapy. In particular, our finding that ADT increases both CD8+ T cells and Tregs supports the development of regimens combining ADT with Treg-depleting agents in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Trends in Infective Endocarditis Hospitalizations, Characteristics, and Valve Operations in Patients With Opioid Use Disorders in the United States: 2005–2014
Authors: Mori Makoto , Brown Kelly J. , Bin Mahmood Syed Usman , Geirsson Arnar , Mangi Abeel A.
Published: March 2020

Background

To evaluate changes in patient characteristics and outcomes for infective endocarditis (IE) related to opioid use disorder (OUD), we used the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) to characterize the trend in hospitalizations for patients with IE with and without OUD and those treated medically and surgically.

Methods and Results

Temporal trends in hospitalization characteristics for patients with IE with and without OUD and those treated medically and surgically were estimated via the NIS data in 2005–2014. Hospitalizations for OUD and IE increased from 119 to 202 and from 12 to 15 cases per 100 000 between 2005 and 2014, respectively. Hospitalizations with OUD among all IE hospitalizations increased from 6.3% in 2005 to 11.6% in 2014. Among all IE hospitalizations, patients being admitted for IE in the setting of OUD were younger compared with the cohort of IE without OUD (aged 37.6±0.21 years versus 60.9±0.16 years). Myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure were more common in patients without OUD. The OUD cohort more frequently had liver disease (46.0% versus 10.8%) and immunosuppressed status (4.3% versus 2.1%). Valve operations for IE accounted for 10.2% of all valve operations in 2005, and this increased to 12.7% in 2014. These proportions were similar between OUD (11.4%) and non‐OUD (11.1%) cohorts. Operative mortality was lower in patients with OUD (4.3% versus 9.4%,
P
<0.001).

Conclusions

IE associated with OUD has a distinct phenotype and has become more prevalent. Surgical outcomes are favorable and operations were performed in similar proportions of patients who had IE with OUD compared with patients who had IE without OUD.