bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of MRI to predict symptomatic haemorrhagic transformation after thrombolysis for cerebral ischaemia
Authors: Caparros François , Kuchcinski Gregory , Drelon Agathe , Casolla Barbara , Moulin Solene , Dequatre-Ponchelle Nelly , Henon Hilde , Cordonnier Charlotte , Pruvo Jean-Pierre , Leys Didier
Published: February 2020

Background and objective

Predictors of symptomatic haemorrhagic transformation (s-HT) of cerebral ischaemia after intravenous recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (rt-PA) were identified in studies using CT scans. We evaluated whether MRI can identify other predictors.

Method

We analysed predictors of s-HT in a cohort of consecutive patients who received intravenous rt-PA for cerebral ischaemia after MRI at baseline. We used receiver operating characteristic curves considering an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.70 or higher as indicating acceptable discrimination.

Results

Of 944 patients, 49 patients (5.2%) developed s-HT. Clinical factors independently associated with s-HT were age (adjusted OR (adjOR) 1.03 for 1 year increase; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05), excessive alcohol consumption (adjOR 3.13; 95% CI 1.32 to 7.42), recent transient ischaemic attack (adjOR 2.88; 95% CI 1.04 to 7.95) and baseline national institutes of health stroke scale score (adjOR 1.06 for 1 point increase; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.10). MRI predictors were vascular hyperintensities (adjOR 3.89; 95% CI 1.50 to 10.08), old infarcts (adjOR 2.01; 95% CI 1.11 to 3.66) and volume of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) abnormality (adjOR 1.02 for 1 cm3 increase; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03). The only variable with an acceptable discrimination was volume of DWI abnormality (AUC 0.72; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.79), a value of 4 cm3 predicting s-HT with a 78% sensitivity and 58% specificity. Variables that can be assessed only with MRI did not predict s-HT.

Conclusion

Although the volume of DWI abnormality predicts s-HT, other imaging characteristics that can only be assessed with MRI were not significantly associated with s-HT.

Trial
registration number

NCT01614080
Partial ectogenesis: freedom, equality and political perspective
Authors: Romanis Elizabeth Chloe
Published: February 2020

In this commentary, I consider how Giulia Cavaliere’s arguments about the limited reach of the current justifications offered for full ectogenesis in the bioethical literature apply in the context of partial ectogenesis. I suggest that considering the extent to which partial ectogenesis is freedom or equality promoting is more urgent because of the more realistic prospect of artificial womb technology being utilised to facilitate partial gestation extra uterum as opposed to facilitating complete gestation from conception to term. I highlight concerns about potentially harmful social narratives surrounding pregnancy and about the current legal framework surrounding gestation limiting access to technology in the advent of partial ectogenesis. I do not advocate that these concerns mean that we ought not develop artificial wombs, but like Cavaliere I suggest that we must be mindful of these concerns, and I posit that legal reform must accompany technological developments. Ectogenesis as a political perspective, through which we consider the value in social reproduction and the experiences of pregnant people, is useful to prevent political capture of this technology for regressive policies. Using this perspective to examine the law is also a useful tool to expose just how restrictive the law is in relation to gestation and female reproductive health.
Acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for simple obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhong Yu-Mei , Luo Xiao-Chao , Chen Yang , Lai De-Li , Lu Wen-Ting , Shang Ya-Nan , Zhang Lin-Lin , Zhou Hai-Yan
Published: February 2020

Obesity is a growing chronic health problem worldwide. Studies about acupuncture for obesity treatment are many. But there are some doubts about the effectiveness of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in treating obesity due to its lack of medical evidence. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of acupuncture for obesity treatment and provide clinic evidence. Four English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) and four Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese BioMedical Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database and Wan-Fang Data) were searched from their receptions to August 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using the comparison between acupuncture and sham acupuncture to treat simple obesity were included. The primary outcome of body mass index (BMI) would be used to measure the effect of acupuncture on obesity. According to the trial data extraction form based on the Cochrane Handbook, two reviewers separately extracted the data. Risk of bias of the RCTs was assessed by the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. The study included 8 RCTs with 403 patients. When compared with sham acupuncture, acupuncture showed obviously effect in BMI reduction (MD=1.0kg/m2, 95% CI=0.6 to 1.4, P<0.001). There was also significant reduction in body weight (MD=1.85kg, 95%CI=0.82 to 2.88, p<0.001), WC (MD=0.97cm, 95%CI=0.24 to 1.71, p=0.01) and body fat mass percentage (MD=1.01, 95%CI=0.25 to 1.77, p<0.05). However, WHR (MD=0.01, 95%CI=0 to 0.03, p>0.05) was not statistically and significantly different between the acupuncture and control groups. Adverse effects were reported in 3 studies. The review suggests that acupuncture is an effective therapy for simple obesity rather than a placebo effect. This potential benefit needs to be further evaluated by longer-term and more rigorous RCTs.
Timing matters: real-world effectiveness of early combination of biologic and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for treating newly diagnosed polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Huang Bin , Qiu Tingting , Chen Chen , Zhang Yin , Seid Michael , Lovell Dan , Brunner Hermine I , Morgan Esi M
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To compare real-world effectiveness of two adaptive treatment strategies of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in treating children with newly diagnosed polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pcJIA): early aggressive use of biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) in combination with conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs) versus conservative delayed use of bDMARDs following the initial csDMARD prescription.

Methods

A single-centre newly diagnosed DMARD-naive pcJIA patient database (n=465) was derived from the electronic medical records between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2018. The primary study endpoints were clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (cJADAS) at 6 and 12 months following the first DMARD prescription. The secondary study endpoint was Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) generic total score at 12 months. Averaged causal treatment effects were assessed using a Bayesian non-parametric casual inference method.

Results

Both cJADAS and PedsQL improve over time, regardless of the treatment strategies. Compared with the conservative approach, early aggressive approach is more effective in reducing cJADAS (mean −2.17, 95% CI −3.77 to −0.56) by 6 months. Adding bDMARD after 6 months to the initial treatment provides very little added benefit. The averaged treatment effect was 6.35 (95% CI −5.89 to 18.58) improvement in PedsQL at 12 months.

Conclusions

Timing matters—early aggressive use with bDMARDs is more effective than conservative delayed treatment in lowering disease activity after 6 and 12 months of treatment.
Numerical investigation on the effect of bluntness factor on scouring mechanism by using lenticular geometry piers
Authors: Hassanzadeh Yousef , Khosravi Milad , Kardan Nazila
Published: February 2020

Local scour and flow field around cylinders with lenticular geometry and different bluntness factors under the clear-water state were investigated numerically. To examine the scouring, large eddy simulation with a WMLES-Omega sub-grid model incorporating the sediment transport and morphodynamic model was applied. Streamlined geometry of the pier significantly affected the scour pattern and flow field in the lenticular model with length to width ratio of 5 and bluntness factor of zero. In the mentioned case, a very small scoured region was estimated at the sides of the pier, so it can be concluded that scour depth and scoured region decreases as the length to width ratio increases. Investigation of the scouring process and the flow field revealed that, the flow separation can affect the scour mechanism more in comparison to down-flow.
Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution study of herpetotriol in rats by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Dong Zhaoyue , Tao Xueying , Deng Liqing , Ge Jingqiu , Quan Hong , Lan Xiaozhong , Liao Zhihua , Chen Min
Published: February 2020

Herpetotriol, a typical lignan in Herpetospermum pedunculosum Wall’s seeds that has long been used to treat icterhepatitis and indigestion and other related diseases in Tibet, is of potential hepatoprotection. This study aims to study the pharmacokinetics features of herpetotriol, including the blood drug concentration – time curve and tissue distribution. The ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was established to detect herpetotriol concentration in plasma and tissues, and the method showed good linearity from 10 to 2000 ng/mL (r ≥ 0.9972) and sensitivity (≥10 ng/mL). Our blood drug concentration – time curve indicated that herpetotriol was distributed quickly in rats with a Tmax value at about 0.083 h and eliminated rapidly with a clearance rate at 98.13 ± 8.05 and 137.04 ± 9.48 L·h–1·kg–1 with doses of 5 and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively. Although herpetotriol was detectable in all tested tissues, it has a higher concentration in liver than in heart, lung, spleen, and kidney, which is in line with its hepatoprotection. The pharmacokinetics features uncovered by the present study could provide more information for future pharmacological and toxicological study of herpetotriol.
Reflection positivity and complex analysis of the Yang–Mills theory from a viewpoint of gluon confinement
Authors: Kondo Kei-Ichi , Watanabe Masaki , Hayashi Yui , Matsudo Ryutaro , Suda Yutaro
Published: February 2020

In order to understand the confining decoupling solution of the Yang–Mills theory in the Landau gauge, we consider the massive Yang–Mills model which is defined by just adding a gluon mass term to the Yang–Mills theory with the Lorentz-covariant gauge fixing term and the associated Faddeev–Popov ghost term. First of all, we show that massive Yang–Mills model is obtained as a gauge-fixed version of the gauge-invariantly extended theory which is identified with the gauge-scalar model with a single fixed-modulus scalar field in the fundamental representation of the gauge group. This equivalence is obtained through the gauge-independent description of the Brout–Englert–Higgs mechanism proposed recently by one of the authors. Then, we reconfirm that the Euclidean gluon and ghost propagators in the Landau gauge obtained by numerical simulations on the lattice are reproduced with good accuracy from the massive Yang–Mills model by taking into account one-loop quantum corrections. Moreover, we demonstrate in a numerical way that the Schwinger function calculated from the gluon propagator in the Euclidean region exhibits violation of the reflection positivity at the physical point of the parameters. In addition, we perform the analytic continuation of the gluon propagator from the Euclidean region to the complex momentum plane towards the Minkowski region. We give an analytical proof that the reflection positivity is violated for any choice of the parameters in the massive Yang–Mills model, due to the existence of a pair of complex conjugate poles and the negativity of the spectral function for the gluon propagator to one-loop order. The complex structure of the propagator enables us to explain why the gluon propagator in the Euclidean region is well described by the Gribov–Stingl form. We try to understand these results in light of the Fradkin–Shenker continuity between confinement-like and Higgs-like regions in a single confinement phase in the complementary gauge-scalar model.
Nonlinear pulses at the interface and its relation to state and temperature
Authors: Kang Kevin H. , Schneider Matthias F.
Published: February 2020

Environmental temperature has a well-conserved effect on the pulse velocity and excitability of excitable biological systems. The consistency suggests that the cause originates from a fundamental principle. A physical (hydrodynamic) approach has proposed that the thermodynamic state of the hydrated interface (e.g., plasma membrane) determines the pulse behavior. This implies that the temperature effect happens because the environmental temperature affects the state of the interface in any given system. To test the hypothesis, we measured temperature-dependent phase diagrams of a lipid monolayer and studied the properties of nonlinear acoustic pulses excited along the membrane. We observed that the membrane in the fluid-gel transition regime exhibited lower compressibility (i.e., stiffer) overall with increasing temperature. Nonlinear pulses excited near the transition state propagated with greater velocity with increasing temperature, and these observations were consistent with the compressibility profiles. Excitability was suppressed significantly or ceased completely when the state departed too far from the transition regime either by cooling or by heating. The overall correlation between the pulses in the membrane and in living systems as a function of temperature supports the view that the thermodynamic state of the interface and phase transition are the key to understanding pulse propagation in excitable systems.

Graphical abstract
Gluons and sea quarks in the proton at low scales
Authors: Diehl M. , Stienemeier P.
Published: February 2020

We study the evolution of parton distributions down to low scales by considering several of their Mellin moments. For the initial conditions, we use a broad array of current parton density fits. Confirming earlier findings in the literature, we conclude that current determinations of parton distributions are incompatible with the idea that gluon or antiquark densities are generated by purely perturbative radiation as it is encoded in the DGLAP evolution equations.
Fifty years of the calculation of the density of particles created in the early Friedmann Universe
Authors: Grib A. A. , Pavlov Yu. V.
Published: February 2020

The problem of particle creation in cosmology concerning whether the results for the number of particles are infinite or finite is discussed for scalar and spinor particles in Friedmann expanding Universe. It is shown that the results are always finite if one puts in case of scalar particles creation a special term into the Lagrangian. Numerical estimates of the effect of particle creation are made. The role of creation of superheavy particles in cosmology is discussed.
Some remarks on axion dark matter, dark energy and energy of the quantum vacuum
Authors: Mostepanenko V. M.
Published: February 2020

In connection with the problem of dark matter, we discuss recent results on constraining the parameters of axion-to-nucleon interaction following from the experiment on measuring the difference of Casimir forces. It is shown that this experiment not only leads to competitive constraints, but provides stronger support to other constraints obtained in Casimir physics so far. The description of dark energy by means of cosmological constant originated from the quantum vacuum is considered in terms of the renormalization procedures in quantum field theory. It is argued that only the renormalized value of cosmological constant directly connected with the observed density of dark energy is of physical significance, so that some statements in the literature concerning the vacuum catastrophe may be considered as an exaggeration.
Reconstruction procedure for nonlocal Gauss-Bonnet models
Authors: Elizalde Emilio , Pozdeeva Ekaterina O. , Vernov Sergey Yu.
Published: February 2020

We investigate the cosmological dynamics of nonlocally corrected gravity involving a function of the inverse d’Alembertian acting on the Gauss-Bonnet term. Casting the dynamical equations in local form, we derive the reconstruction procedure. We find conditions on the model parameters that are sufficient for the existence of de Sitter solutions and obtain these solutions explicitly.
A review on presentation attack detection system for fake fingerprint
Authors: Agarwal Rohit , Jalal A. S. , Arya K. V.
Published: February 2020

Fingerprint recognition systems are susceptible to artificial spoof fingerprint attacks, like molds manufactured from polymer, gelatin or Play-Doh. Presentation attack is an open issue for fingerprint recognition systems. In a presentation attack, synthetic fingerprint which is reproduced from a real user is submitted for authentication. Different sensors are used to capture the live and fake fingerprint images. A liveness detection system has been designed to defeat different classes of spoof attacks by differentiating the features of live and fake fingerprint images. In the past few years, many hardware- and software-based approaches are suggested by researchers. However, the issues still remain challenging in terms of robustness, effectiveness and efficiency. In this paper, we explore all kinds of software-based solution to differentiate between real and fake fingerprints and present a comprehensive survey of efforts in the past to address this problem.
The porosity formation mechanism in the laser-welded butt joint of 8 mm thickness Ti-6Al-4V alloy: Effect of welding speed on the metallurgical pore formation
Authors: Tian Deyong , Gao Zhuanni , Wang Feiyun , Yan Tingyan , Yu Min , Zhan Xiaohong
Published: February 2020

The high energy density beam welding techniques, such as laser and electron beam welding process, have been widely used in industrial applications. In this study, the butt structures of Ti-6Al-4V alloys with the thickness up to 8 mm are successfully joined by the laser welding process. The macromorphology and microstructures of the welded joints are investigated by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The penetration increases from 5.91 mm to 9.37 mm with the decrease of welding speed from 1.2 m/min to 0.8 m/min under the condition of equal laser power. The acicular [Formula: see text] is formed in the fusion zone, resulting from high cooling rate during the process. The metallurgical porosity formation is proposed by investigating the distribution of Al and H elements around the pores. It is concluded that the pores in the weld bead are induced by aluminum vapor and hydrogen gas from the molten pool. The diameter of metallurgical pore has a tendency to increase with the decrease of welding speed.
Numerical investigation of the cavitating flow structure with special emphasis on the vortex identification method
Authors: Chen Jie , Wang Chang-Chang , Wang Guoyu , Huang Biao
Published: February 2020

The three kinds of vortex identification methods, namely, [Formula: see text] criterion, [Formula: see text] criterion and [Formula: see text] method, are then employed to investigate the physical interactions between the cavitation and vortex dynamics around two-dimensional Clark-Y hydrofoil. The results show that compared to the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] criterion, the [Formula: see text] method can capture the vortex structures with both strong and weak vortices, especially for the weak vortices located in the boundary of the cavity and the back region of the re-entrant flow. A proper value of [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] method based on the previous studies is then suggested to avoid the pseudo-vortex structure in cavitating flow field due to division by zero. The modified [Formula: see text] method with a proper [Formula: see text] is then applied to analyze the details of vortical structures in the growth of attached cavity, the re-entrant flow development stage and the cloud cavity shedding stage. The results show that the vortical structures are captured in the boundary and rear region of the attached cavity, the intensity and complexity of strong vortices in the rear boundary region of re-entrant flow increased with its development, and the strength and area of vortical structures at the trailing edge of hydrofoil increased with propulsion of cloud cavity before it sheds completely.
Structural aspects of thermal properties of AgCuS compound
Authors: Aliyev Y. I. , Asadov Y. G. , Ilyasli T. M. , Mammadov F. M. , Naghiyev T. G. , Ismayilova Z. A. , Mirzayev M. N. , Jabarov S. H.
Published: February 2020

The crystal structure and thermal properties of AgCuS compound were investigated at high temperature ranges. It was found that the crystal structure of these compounds has orthorhombic symmetry with Cmcm space group at the normal condition and room temperature. The phase transition to cubic symmetry with Fm3m space group is observed at [Formula: see text] temperature. The endoeffect was observed with a central peak at [Formula: see text] in the differential thermal analysis. The temperature dependence on heat capacity was obtained in the range of [Formula: see text] temperature. Thermodynamic parameters have been determined: enthalpy and heat capacity. The value of enthalpy was calculated according to the temperature of the phase transition.
Endlessly single-mode photonic crystal fiber with high birefringence for sensing applications
Authors: Sharma Mohit , Dixit Vaishali , Konar S. , Ahmed Kawsar , Dhasarathan Vigneswaran
Published: February 2020

A novel type of highly birefringent photonic crystal fiber is designed, which yields to promise a very large birefringence [Formula: see text] with flat dispersion at the operating wavelength 1550 nm. By employing the FDTD method, other properties, such as dispersion, walk-off effect and [Formula: see text]-parameters, are highly optimized using lattice period of air holes.
The first archaeointensity records from New Zealand: evidence for a fifteenth century AD archaeomagnetic ‘spike’ in the SW Pacific Region?
Authors: Turner Gillian M. , Kinger Rimpy , McFadgen Bruce , Gevers Monique
Published: February 2020

Hangi stones, used to retain heat in traditional Maori earth ovens (hangi), may carry records of Earth's magnetic field when they were last used. Sixteen archaeological features, including 12 hangi, from eight sites were sampled and their palaeomagnetic data used to construct the first archaeointensity record for New Zealand, covering the past 700 years. A combination of radiocarbon dating of associated charcoal and archaeomagnetic dating of palaeomagnetic directions was used to obtain a ‘preferred’ date of each palaeointensity. A plot of virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) for the SW Pacific region outlines steady VADM values of about 8 × 10
22
A m
2
from 1000 to 1300 AD and 9.5 × 10
22
A m
2
from 1500 AD to the present, with a sharp peak in the early fifteenth century when the VADM reached about 13 × 10
22
A m
2
. This peak bears many similarities to archaeomagnetic ‘jerks’ and ‘spikes’ in Northern Hemisphere records from the first millennia BC and AD. However, it is the first such feature to be found in the Southern Hemisphere at this date, suggesting, in accordance with recent modelling, that it may be a feature of the non-dipole field, associated with rapid growth and decay of an intense flux patch on the core–mantle boundary.
Seafloor morphology and sediment magnetic fabric in a putative 1771 Meiwa tsunami source region in the southern Ryukyu Islands, SW Japan
Authors: Kanamatsu Toshiya , Ikehara Ken , Misawa Ayanori
Published: February 2020

The Meiwa tsunami of AD 1771 is regarded as an extremely strong tsunami event causing devastating damage in Japan in historical times. Earlier studies explored the possibility that a submarine landslide enhanced the Meiwa tsunami waves. We collected detailed seafloor bathymetry data, sub-bottom structure data and surface sediments in a putative Meiwa tsunami source region to ascertain any signature related to a submarine landslide in the forearc region, which is located south of Ishigaki-jima. The forearc-region seafloor is characterized by its surface submarine landslide morphology. However, the investigated magnetic fabric of surface sediment revealed that there was no landslide mass deposit during historical times. The described landslide morphology in the basin is unrelated to the generation or enhancement of the AD 1771 Meiwa tsunami, although the disturbed relief in the topography of the study area indicates that the forearc region is susceptible to slope failure because of its tectonic setting.
CFOF
Authors: Angiulli Fabrizio
Published: February 2020

We present a novel notion of outlier, called the Concentration Free Outlier Factor, or CFOF. As a main contribution, we formalize the notion of concentration of outlier scores and theoretically prove that CFOF does not concentrate in the Euclidean space for any arbitrary large dimensionality. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other proposals of data analysis measures related to the Euclidean distance for which it has been provided theoretical evidence that they are immune to the concentration effect. We determine the closed form of the distribution of CFOF scores in arbitrarily large dimensionalities and show that the CFOF score of a point depends on its squared norm standard score and on the kurtosis of the data distribution, thus providing a clear and statistically founded characterization of this notion. Moreover, we leverage this closed form to provide evidence that the definition does not suffer of the hubness problem affecting other measures in high dimensions. We prove that the number of CFOF outliers coming from each cluster is proportional to cluster size and kurtosis, a property that we call semi-locality. We leverage theoretical findings to shed lights on properties of well-known outlier scores. Indeed, we determine that semi-locality characterizes existing reverse nearest neighbor-based outlier definitions, thus clarifying the exact nature of their observed local behavior. We also formally prove that classical distance-based and density-based outliers concentrate both for bounded and unbounded sample sizes and for fixed and variable values of the neighborhood parameter. We introduce the fast-CFOF algorithm for detecting outliers in large high-dimensional dataset. The algorithm has linear cost, supports multi-resolution analysis, and is embarrassingly parallel. Experiments highlight that the technique is able to efficiently process huge datasets and to deal even with large values of the neighborhood parameter, to avoid concentration, and to obtain excellent accuracy.
A Unified Multi-view Clustering Algorithm Using Multi-objective Optimization Coupled with Generative Model
Authors: Mitra Sayantan , Hasanuzzaman Mohammed , Saha Sriparna
Published: February 2020

There is a large body of works on multi-view clustering that exploit multiple representations (or views) of the same input data for better convergence. These multiple views can come from multiple modalities (image, audio, text) or different feature subsets. Obtaining one consensus partitioning after considering different views is usually a non-trivial task. Recently, multi-objective based multi-view clustering methods have suppressed the performance of single objective based multi-view clustering techniques. One key problem is that it is difficult to select a single solution from a set of alternative partitionings generated by multi-objective techniques on the final Pareto optimal front. In this article, we propose a novel multi-objective based multi-view clustering framework that overcomes the problem of selecting a single solution in multi-objective based techniques. In particular, our proposed framework has three major components as follows: (i) multi-view based multi-objective algorithm, Multiview-AMOSA, for initial clustering of data points; (ii) a generative model for generating a combined solution having probabilistic labels; and (iii)
K
-means algorithm for obtaining the final labels. As the first component, we have adopted a recently developed multi-view based multi-objective clustering algorithm to generate different possible consensus partitionings of a given dataset taking into account different views. A generative model is coupled with the first component to generate a single consensus partitioning after considering multiple solutions. It exploits the latent subsets of the non-dominated solutions obtained from the multi-objective clustering algorithm and combines them to produce a single probabilistic labeled solution. Finally, a simple clustering algorithm, namely
K
-means, is applied on the generated probabilistic labels to obtain the final cluster labels. Experimental validation of our proposed framework is carried out over several benchmark datasets belonging to three different domains; UCI datasets, multi-view datasets, search result clustering datasets, and patient stratification datasets. Experimental results show that our proposed framework achieves an improvement of around 2%--4% over different evaluation metrics in all the four domains in comparison to state-of-the art methods.
Review—Recent Progress in Flexible and Stretchable Piezoresistive Sensors and Their Applications
Authors: Li Jing , Fang Lichen , Sun Bohan , Li Xixing , Kang Sung Hoon
Published: February 2020

The recent advances in wearable electronics and intelligent human-machine interface systems have garnered great interests in electromechanical sensors, which can measure and quantify physical stimuli. Among different types of electromechanical sensors, piezoresistive sensors have been extensively investigated due to the excellent sensitivity, simple construction, and durability. Especially, there have been remarkable developments of flexible and stretchable piezoresistive sensors for wearable devices by investigating novel material/structural strategies to obtain highly sensitive piezoresistive sensors with skin-like flexibility. Here, we give a comprehensive overview of the recent progress in flexible and stretchable piezoresistive sensors and their applications. Based on the material composition and structural characteristics, the piezoresistive sensors are categorized into three types—conductive polymeric composite, porous conductive material, and architected conductive material. Subsequently, we have summarized their transduction mechanisms, fabrication processes, sensing performances, and applications. Finally, we have discussed current challenges and future opportunities for piezoresistive sensors.
Modeling and Simulation of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery with Interdigitated Flow Field for Optimizing Electrode Architecture
Authors: Tsushima Shohji , Suzuki Takahiro
Published: February 2020

The fibrous electrodes used in redox flow batteries are a key component of the batteries and have a determining effect on their performance. In this work, a two-dimensional numerical model of redox flow batteries was developed and used to optimize the architecture of the electrodes employed in vanadium redox flow batteries with interdigitated flow fields. The developed model was validated and subsequently used to determine the optimized electrode architecture. During the optimization process, we considered the fiber diameter, porosity, and thickness of the fibrous electrode as well as the geometrical properties of the channel. Numerical simulations revealed that the cell performance can be improved significantly by employing electrodes consisting of finer fibers. We also show that multiple-parameter optimization that considers the electrode properties and channel geometry is essential for improving the design of redox flow batteries.
Review—Electrochemical Sensors Used in the Determination of Riboflavin
Authors: Negut Cioates Catalina
Published: February 2020

This review is dedicated to the electrochemical studies of riboflavin realized in the past five years. The work showed the real application of electrochemical sensors in the determination of riboflavin from different samples such as: pharmaceutical products, cow and powder milk, non-alcoholic beer or human plasma. The proposed electrodes used in all the studied research papers were based on carbon paste (CPE) or glassy carbon (GCE), modified with different electrocatalytic materials.
Ambient Ammonia Electrosynthesis from Nitrogen and Water by Incorporating Palladium in Bimetallic Gold–Silver Nanocages
Authors: Nazemi Mohammadreza , Soule Luke , Liu Meilin , El-Sayed Mostafa A.
Published: February 2020

Electrosynthesis of ammonia using nitrogen and water provides a potential alternative to the thermochemical process (Haber-Bosch) in a clean, sustainable, and decentralized way when electricity is generated from renewable sources. To enable the widespread commercialization of this technology, an electrocatalyst to convert nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) with high selectivity and activity must be developed. Here, we report our findings in the investigation into the role of incorporating palladium (Pd) in bimetallic Au-Ag nanocages on the electrocatalytic activity of the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak position of the resulting trimetallic nanoparticles is tuned with Pd concentration, achieving the highest electrocatalytic NRR activity (NH3 yield rate = 5.80 μg cm−2 h−1, Faradaic efficiency = 48.94%) using Au-Ag-Pd-850 nanoparticles at −0.3 V vs RHE. This activity corresponds to the production energy efficiency of 28.9% with an electrical energy input of 19.1 MWh / ton NH3. The enhanced NRR activity is attributed mainly to the formation of a highly porous Pd layer with remarkably high surface area active for NRR. In addition, operando surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is used to probe the mechanism of NRR on the trimetallic nanostructures and to identify the intermediate species at the electrode-electrolyte interface.
Regulation of Cyclooxygenase 2 by Filifactor alocis in Fibroblastic and Monocytic Cells
Authors: Nokhbehsaim Marjan , Nogueira Andressa V. B. , Nietzsche Sandor , Eick Sigrun , Deschner James
Published: February 2020

Periodontitis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease triggered by a synergistic and dysbiotic microbiota present in the oral biofilm. This in vitro study is aimed at evaluating the regulation of cyclooxygenase (COX)2 expression and production by the periodontopathogen Filifactor alocis in human gingival fibroblastic (HGF-1) and monocytic (THP-1) cells and also at investigating the underlying cellular pathway mechanisms. HGF-1 and THP-1 cells were exposed either to F. alocis or to the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) for 1 and 2 d to examine the COX2 expression by qPCR. COX2 protein levels were evaluated by ELISA in F. alocis-stimulated cells. Both types of cells were also stimulated with a blocking toll-like receptor (TLR)2 antibody or specific inhibitors against MAPKs. F. alocis significantly (p<0.05) increased COX2 at both transcriptional and protein levels in both HGF-1 and THP-1 cells. Moreover, the stimulatory effect of F. alocis on COX2 was more pronounced in HGF-1 cells in comparison to THP-1 cells. F. alocis upregulated the COX2 expression in a dose-dependent manner in both type cells at 1 d. TNFα also significantly (p<0.05) increased the COX2 expression in both cells. After preincubation of HGF-1 and THP-1 cells either with a neutralizing anti-TLR2 antibody or with specific MAPK inhibitors, the F. alocis-upregulated COX2 expression was significantly (p<0.05) suppressed at 1 d. Our in vitro study provides original evidence that F. alocis stimulates COX2 production in fibroblastic and monocytic cells through TLR2 and MAPK mechanisms, suggesting a role of this periodontopathogen in the etiopathogenesis of periodontitis.
Acupuncture Induces Reduction in Limbic-Cortical Feedback of a Neuralgia Rat Model: A Dynamic Causal Modeling Study
Authors: Ma Zhen-Zhen , Lu Ye-Chen , Wu Jia-Jia , Xing Xiang-Xin , Hua Xu-Yun , Xu Jian-Guang
Published: February 2020

Background. Neuropathic pain after brachial plexus avulsion remained prevalent and intractable currently. However, the neuroimaging study about neural mechanisms or etiology was limited and blurred. Objective. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of electroacupuncture on effective connectivity and neural response in corticolimbic circuitries during implicit processing of nociceptive stimulus in rats with brachial plexus pain. Methods. An fMRI scan was performed in a total of 16 rats with brachial plexus pain, which was equally distributed into the model group and the electroacupuncture group. The analysis of task-dependent data determined pain-related activation in each group. Based on those results, several regions including AMY, S1, and h were recruited as ROI in dynamic causal modeling (DCM) analysis comparing evidence for different neuronal hypotheses describing the propagation of noxious stimuli in regions of interest and horizontal comparison of effective connections between the model and electroacupuncture groups. Results. In both groups, DCM revealed that noxious stimuli were most likely driven by the somatosensory cortex, with bidirectional propagation with the hypothalamus and amygdala and the interactions in them. Also, the 3-month intervention of acupuncture reduced effective connections of h-S1 and AMY-S1. Conclusions. We showed an evidence that a full connection model within the brain network of brachial plexus pain and electroacupuncture intervention reduces effective connectivity from h and AMY to S1. Our study for the first time explored the relationship of involved brain regions with dynamic causal modeling. It provided novel evidence for the feature of the organization of the cortical-limbic network and the alteration caused by acupuncture.
Expression of Selected Connexin and Aquaporin Genes and Real‐Time Proliferation of Porcine Endometrial Luminal Epithelial Cells in Primary Culture Model
Authors: Wojtanowicz-Markiewicz Katarzyna , Kulus Magdalena , Knap Sandra , Kocherova Ievgenia , Jankowski Maurycy , Stefańska Katarzyna , Jeseta Michal , Piotrowska-Kempisty Hanna , Bukowska Dorota , Zabel Maciej , Mozdziak Paul , Nowicki Michał , Kempisty Bartosz , Antosik Paweł
Published: February 2020

Luminal epithelial cells are the first embryonic‐maternal contact site undergoing very specific changes associated with reproductive processes. Cells prepare for embryo development by increasing their volume, with the help of aquaporins that provide a transcellular path of rapid water movement during the secretion and absorption of fluids, as well as connexins enabling the flow of inorganic ions and small molecules. In this work, we have examined how AQPs and Cx’s behave in luminal epithelium primary cell culture. Cells obtained from porcine specimen during slaughter were primarily in vitro cultured for 7 days. Their proliferation patterns were then analyzed using RTCA, with the expression of genes of interest evaluated with the use of immunofluorescence and RT‐qPCR. The results of these changes of gene of interest expression were analyzed on each of the seven days of the porcine luminal primary cell culture. Our study showed that the significant changes were noted in the case of Cx43, whose level of protein expression and distribution increases after 120 hours of culture, when the cells enter the lag phase, and maintains an upward trend until the end of the culture. We noted an increase in AQP4, AQP7, AQP8, and AQP11 levels throughout the entire culture period, while the largest differences in expression were found in AQP3, AQP4, and AQP10. The obtained results could become a point of reference for further in vivo and clinical research. Experiments conducted with these proteins showed that they influence the endometrial fluid content during the oestrous cycle and participate in the process of angiogenesis, which intensifies during endometrial development.
Comparative Analysis of Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells and Their Secretome for Auricular Cartilage Regeneration
Authors: Oh Se-Joon , Choi Kyung-Un , Choi Sung-Won , Kim Sung-Dong , Kong Soo-Keun , Lee Seokwhan , Cho Kyu-Sup
Published: February 2020

Adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) can repair auricular cartilage defects. Furthermore, stem cell secretome may also be a promising biological therapeutic option, which is equal to or even superior to the stem cell. We explored the therapeutic efficacies of ADSCs and their secretome in terms of rabbit auricular cartilage regeneration. ADSCs and their secretome were placed into surgically created auricular cartilage defects. After 4 and 8 weeks, the resected auricles were histopathologically and immunohistochemically examined. We used real-time PCR to determine the levels of genes expressing collagen type II, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). ADSCs significantly improved auricular cartilage regeneration at 4 and 8 weeks, compared to the secretome and PBS groups, as revealed by gross examination, histopathologically and immunohistochemically. ADSCs upregulated the expression of collagen type II, TGF-β1, and IGF-1 more so than did the secretome or PBS. The expression levels of collagen type II and IGF-1 were significantly higher at 8 weeks than at 4 weeks after ADSC injection. Although ADSCs thus significantly enhanced new cartilage formation, their secretome did not. Therefore, ADSCs may be more effective than their secretome in the repair of auricular cartilage defect.
Heat Transfer and Ablation Prediction of Carbon/Carbon Composites in a Hypersonic Environment Using Fluid-Thermal-Ablation Multiphysical Coupling
Authors: Sun Xuewen , Yang Haibo , Mi Tao
Published: February 2020

Carbon/carbon composites are usually used as a thermal protection material in the nose cap and leading edge of hypersonic vehicles. In order to predict the thermal and ablation response of a carbon/carbon model in a hypersonic aerothermal environment, a multiphysical coupling model is established taking into account thermochemical nonequilibrium of a flow field, heat transfer, and ablation of a material. A mesh movement algorithm is implemented to track the ablation recession. The flow field distribution and ablation recession are studied. The results show that the fluid-thermal-ablation coupling model can effectively predict the thermal and ablation response of the material. The temperature and heat flux in the stationary region of the carbon/carbon model change significantly with time. As time goes on, the wall temperature increases and the heat flux decreases. The ablation in the stagnation area is more serious than in the lateral area. The shape of the material changes, and the radius of the leading edge increases after ablation. The fluid-thermal-ablation coupling model can be used to provide reference for the design of a thermal protection system.
Enhanced Lipid Accumulation and Metabolism Are Required for the Differentiation and Activation of Tumor-Associated Macrophages
Authors: Su Pan , Wang Qiang , Bi Enguang , Ma Xingzhe , Liu Lintao , Yang Maojie , Qian Jianfei , Yi Qing
Published: February 2020

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are important tumor-promoting cells. However, the mechanisms underlying how the tumor and its microenvironment reprogram these cells remain elusive. Here we report that lipids play a crucial role in generating TAMs in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Macrophages from both human and murine tumor tissues were enriched with lipids due to increased lipid uptake by macrophages. TAMs expressed elevated levels of the scavenger receptor CD36, accumulated lipids, and used fatty acid oxidation (FAO) instead of glycolysis for energy. High levels of FAO promoted mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, production of reactive oxygen species, phosphorylation of JAK1, and dephosphorylation of SHP1, leading to STAT6 activation and transcription of genes that regulate TAM generation and function. These processes were critical for TAM polarization and activity, both in vitro and in vivo. In summary, we highlight the importance of lipid metabolism in the differentiation and function of protumor TAMs in the TME.

Significance:

This study highlights the role of lipid metabolism in the differentiation and function of TAMs and suggests targeting TAM fatty acid oxidation as a potential therapeutic modality for human cancers.
Circulating Tumor Cells and Early Relapse in Node-positive Melanoma
Authors: Lucci Anthony , Hall Carolyn S. , Patel Sapna P. , Narendran Boomadevi , Bauldry Jessica B. , Royal Richard E. , Karhade Mandar , Upshaw Joshua R. , Wargo Jennifer A. , Glitza Isabella C. , Wong Michael K.K. , Amaria Rodabe N. , Tawbi Hussein A. , Diab Adi , Davies Michael A. , Gershenwald Jeffrey E. , Lee Jeffrey E. , Hwu Patrick , Ross Merrick I.
Published: February 2020

Purpose:

There is a need for sensitive, reproducible biomarkers for patients with stage III melanoma to guide clinical decision making. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be detected in patients with melanoma; however, there are limited data regarding their significance in stage III disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether CTCs are associated with early relapse in stage III melanoma.

Experimental Design:

We prospectively assessed CTCs at first presentation in clinic (baseline) for 243 patients with stage III melanoma. CTCs were measured using the CellSearch System. Relapse-free survival (RFS) was compared between patients with one or more baseline CTC versus those with no CTCs. Log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were applied to establish associations of CTCs with RFS.

Results:

At least one baseline CTC was identified in 90 of 243 (37%) patients. Forty-five (19%), 67 (28%), 118 (49%), and 13 (5%) patients were stage IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, or IIID, respectively. CTC detection was not associated with substage, or primary tumor characteristics. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that the detection of ≥1 baseline CTC was significantly associated with decreased 6-month RFS [log-rank, P < 0.0001; HR, 3.62, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.78–7.36; P < 0.0001] and 54-month RFS (log-rank, P = 0.01; HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.13–2.54; P = 0.01).

Conclusions:

≥1 CTC was independently associated with melanoma relapse, suggesting that CTC assessment may be useful to identify patients at risk for relapse who could derive benefit from adjuvant therapy.