bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complications and discomfort after research bronchoscopy in the MicroCOPD study
Authors: Leiten Elise Orvedal , Eagan Tomas Mikal Lind , Martinsen Einar Marius Hjellestad , Nordeide Eli , Husebø Gunnar Reksten , Knudsen Kristel Svalland , Lehmann Sverre , Svanes Øistein , Bakke Per Sigvald , Nielsen Rune
Published: March 2020

Background

Data on discomfort and complications from research bronchoscopy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma is limited. We present complications and discomfort occurring within a week after bronchoscopy, and investigate personal and procedural risk factors.

Methods

239 subjects with COPD, asthma or without lung disease underwent research bronchoscopies as part of a microbiome study of the lower airways (the MicroCOPD study). Bronchoscopy was done in the supine position with oral scope insertion with the option of light conscious alfentanil sedation. Sampling consisted of protected specimen brushes, bronchoalveolar lavage, small volume lavage and for some, endobronchial biopsies. Bleeding, desaturation, cough, haemodynamic changes, dyspnoea and other events that required an unplanned intervention or early termination of bronchoscopy were prospectively recorded. Follow-up consisted of a telephone interview where subjects rated discomfort and answered questions about fever sensation and respiratory symptoms in the week following bronchoscopy.

Results

An unplanned intervention or early termination of bronchoscopy was required in 25.9% of bronchoscopies. Three subjects (1.3%) experienced potentially severe complications, of which all recovered without sequelae. COPD subjects experienced more dyspnoea than controls. Sedation and lower age was associated with less unplanned intervention or premature termination. About half of the subjects (47.7%) reported fever. Discomfort was associated with postprocedural fever, dread of bronchoscopy, higher score on the COPD Assessment Test and never-smoking. In subjects undergoing more than one bronchoscopy, the first bronchoscopy was often predictive for complications and postprocedural fever in the repeated bronchoscopy.

Conclusion

Research bronchoscopies were not associated with more complications or discomfort in COPD subjects. 47.7% experienced postbronchoscopy fever sensation, which was associated with discomfort.
Demographic changes in US trampoline-related injuries from 1998 to 2017: cause for alarm
Authors: Fitzgerald Ryan E , Freiman Serena M , Kulwin Robert , Loder Randall
Published: March 2020

Background

Recreational sports facilities with trampolines have become increasingly popular, and trampoline-related injuries incurred have been increasing. The goal of this study was to determine impact of recreational sports facilities on trampoline-associated injuries.

Methods

An epidemiological study was performed using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). All patients in the NEISS database coded for trampoline injury were included. Statistical analyses were performed comparing home trampoline injuries (HTIs) and recreational sports facilities-related trampoline injuries (RSIs) for standard demographic variables using appropriated weighted statistical methods.

Results

There were an estimated 1 376 659 emergency department (ED) visits for trampoline related injuries from 1998 to 2017; 125 811 were RSIs and 1 227 881 were HTIs. Between 2004 and 2017, the number of RSIs increased rapidly, while HTIs decreased. RSIs more often presented to large hospitals and HTIs to smaller ones. Strain/sprains were more associated with RSIs, whereas HTIs sustained more internal organ injuries. Lower extremity fractures occurred more frequently in RSIs and upper extremity fractures in HTIs. There was a greater percentage of RSIs in 15–34 years old age group (28.2% vs 13.6%). There were no differences by gender and race between HTIs and RSIs.

Conclusions

The rapid expansion in recreational sports facilities with trampolines coincided with increasing RSIs. RSIs differed from HTIs regarding changes over time, hospital size, diagnosis and injury location. Recreational sports facilities with trampolines pose a public health hazard.
Pathogenic variants in TNRC6B cause a genetic disorder characterised by developmental delay/intellectual disability and a spectrum of neurobehavioural phenotypes including autism and ADHD
Authors: Granadillo Jorge Luis , P.A. Stegmann Alexander , Guo Hui , Xia Kun , Angle Brad , Bontempo Kelly , Ranells Judith D , Newkirk Patricia , Costin Carrie , Viront Joleen , Stumpel Constanze T , Sinnema Margje , Panis Bianca , Pfundt Rolph , Krapels Ingrid P C , Klaassens Merel , Nicolai Joost , Li Jinliang , Jiang Yuwu , Marco Elysa , Canton Ana , Latronico Ana Claudia , Montenegro Luciana , Leheup Bruno , Bonnet Celine , M. Amudhavalli Shivarajan , Lawson Caitlin E , McWalter Kirsty , Telegrafi Aida , Pearson Richard , Kvarnung Malin , Wang Xia , Bi Weimin , Rosenfeld Jill Anne , Shinawi Marwan
Published: March 2020

Background

Rare variants in hundreds of genes have been implicated in developmental delay (DD), intellectual disability (ID) and neurobehavioural phenotypes. TNRC6B encodes a protein important for RNA silencing. Heterozygous truncating variants have been reported in three patients from large cohorts with autism, but no full phenotypic characterisation was described.

Methods

Clinical and molecular characterisation was performed on 17 patients with TNRC6B variants. Clinical data were obtained by retrospective chart review, parent interviews, direct patient interaction with providers and formal neuropsychological evaluation.

Results

Clinical findings included DD/ID (17/17) (speech delay in 94% (16/17), fine motor delay in 82% (14/17) and gross motor delay in 71% (12/17) of subjects), autism or autistic traits (13/17), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (11/17), other behavioural problems (7/17) and musculoskeletal findings (12/17). Other congenital malformations or clinical findings were occasionally documented. The majority of patients exhibited some dysmorphic features but no recognisable gestalt was identified. 17 heterozygous TNRC6B variants were identified in 12 male and five female unrelated subjects by exome sequencing (14), a targeted panel (2) and a chromosomal microarray (1). The variants were nonsense (7), frameshift (5), splice site (2), intragenic deletions (2) and missense (1).

Conclusions

Variants in TNRC6B cause a novel genetic disorder characterised by recurrent neurocognitive and behavioural phenotypes featuring DD/ID, autism, ADHD and other behavioural abnormalities. Our data highly suggest that haploinsufficiency is the most likely pathogenic mechanism. TNRC6B should be added to the growing list of genes of the RNA-induced silencing complex associated with ID/DD, autism and ADHD.
Gene discoveries in autism are biased towards comorbidity with intellectual disability
Authors: Jensen Matthew , Smolen Corrine , Girirajan Santhosh
Published: March 2020

Background

Autism typically presents with highly heterogeneous features, including frequent comorbidity with intellectual disability (ID). The overlap between these phenotypes has confounded the diagnosis and discovery of genetic factors associated with autism. We analysed pathogenic de novo genetic variants in individuals with autism who had either ID or normal cognitive function to determine whether genes associated with autism also contribute towards ID comorbidity.

Methods

We analysed 2290 individuals from the Simons Simplex Collection for de novo likely gene-disruptive (LGD) variants and copy-number variants (CNVs), and determined their relevance towards IQ and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) measures.

Results

Individuals who carried de novo variants in a set of 173 autism-associated genes showed an average 12.8-point decrease in IQ scores (p=5.49×10−6) and 2.8-point increase in SRS scores (p=0.013) compared with individuals without such variants. Furthermore, individuals with high-functioning autism (IQ >100) had lower frequencies of de novo LGD variants (42 of 397 vs 86 of 562, p=0.021) and CNVs (9 of 397 vs 24 of 562, p=0.065) compared with individuals who manifested both autism and ID (IQ <70). Pathogenic variants disrupting autism-associated genes conferred a 4.85-fold increased risk (p=0.011) for comorbid ID, while de novo variants observed in individuals with high-functioning autism disrupted genes with little functional relevance towards neurodevelopment.

Conclusions

Pathogenic de novo variants disrupting autism-associated genes contribute towards autism and ID comorbidity, while other genetic factors are likely to be causal for high-functioning autism.
Transradial approach for neurointerventions: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Joshi Krishna C , Beer-Furlan André , Crowley R Webster , Chen Michael , Munich Stephan A
Published: March 2020

Background

Despite the recent increase in the number of publications on diagnostic cerebral angiograms using transradial access (TRA), there have been relatively few regarding TRA for neurointerventional cases. Questions of feasibility and safety may still exist among physicians considering TRA for neurointerventional procedures.

Methods

A systematic literature review was performed following PRISMA guidelines. Three online databases (MedLine via PubMed, Scopus and Embase) were searched for articles published between January 2000 and December 2019. Search terms included “Transradial access”, “Radial Access”, “Radial artery” AND “Neurointerventions". The reference lists of selected articles and pertinent available non-systematic analysis were reviewed for other potential citations. Primary outcomes measured were access site complications and crossover rates.

Results

Twenty-one studies (n=1342 patients) were included in this review. Two of the studies were prospective while the remaining 19 were retrospective. Six studies (n=616 patients) included TRA carotid stenting only. The rest of the studies included treatment for cerebral aneurysms (n=423), mechanical thrombectomy (n=127), tumor embolization (n=22), and other indications (n=154) such as angioplasty and stenting for vertebrobasilar stenosis, balloon test occlusion, embolization of dural arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous malformation, chemotherapeutic drug delivery, intra-arterial thrombolysis, and arterial access during a venous stenting procedure. Two (0.15%) major complications and 37 (2.75%) minor complications were reported. Sixty-four (4.77%) patients crossed over to transfemoral access for completion of the procedure. Seven (0.52%) patients crossed over due to access failure and 57 (4.24%) patients crossed over to TFA due to inability to cannulate the target vessel.

Conclusion

This systematic review demonstrates that TRA has a relatively low rate of access site complications and crossovers. With increasing familiarity, development of TRA-specific neuroendovascular devices, and the continued reports of its success in the literature, TRA is expected to become more widely used by neurointerventionalists.
Growth stunted in half a litter of puppies due to intestinal parasitism
Authors: Frada Maria , Machado João , Coutinho Teresa , Lopes Ana Patrícia , Ginja Mario M D
Published: March 2020

Four puppies of Estrela mountain dog breed, out of a litter of nine, eight weeks of age, and with poor body condition, poor appetite, pica (geophagia) and stunted growth from the fifth week of age, were attended at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. On physical examination, it was concluded that the puppies were severely underweight. Rectal examination showed dark faeces. Nevertheless, the puppies were alert, responsive and interested in wet food. Haematological, biochemical, faecal, radiographic, ultrasonographic and CT studies were performed. The main abnormalities detected were mild anaemia and intestinal parasitism caused by Giardia species and coccidia. The puppies started to be fed with wet food and were treated with metronidazole, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim for intestinal parasitism. The puppies regained their appetite and growth, and their body condition gradually improved. At 12 weeks of age the puppies were completely healthy, without evidence of sequela, and living with their new owners.
Inclusion of female participants in cardiovascular research: a case study of Ontario NSERC-funded programs
Authors: Wilson Ria , Adams Mary Louise , Pyke Kyra E.
Published: March 2020

This study explored inclusion of female participants in Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant (NSERC-DG)-funded human cardiovascular research at Ontario universities between 2010–2018. Ninety-six publications were examined and 4 principal investigators were interviewed. Females were excluded/underrepresented in 63% of publications with 49% male-only and 5% female-only samples. The sex-bias appears to be explained by dependence on research knowledge and methodologies that maintain and reproduce a firmly established discourse of the male norm.

Novelty Female participants were underrepresented in NSERC DG-funded cardiovascular research at Ontario universities between 2010–2018.
Zircon U–Pb dating and sulfide Re–Os isotopes of the Xiarihamu Cu–Ni sulfide deposit in Qinghai Province, Northwestern China
Authors: Li Haoran , Qian Ye , Sun Fengyue , Sun Jinlei , Wang Guan
Published: March 2020

The Xiarihamu Cu–Ni sulfide deposit is the second-largest Cu–Ni deposit in China, located in the Eastern Kunlun orogenic belt. However, despite previous study, the formation and evolution of this deposit remains a key unknown in the tectonic evolution of the Eastern Kunlun Orogenic Belt. Moreover, the petrogenesis of the ore-bearing rocks and the nature of ore genesis are the subjects of ongoing debate. Here, we present detailed field observations, petrology, zircon U–Pb geochronology, and Re–Os isotopic analyses to constrain the timing and genesis of the Xiarihamu Cu–Ni sulfide deposit. Sulfides from the massive ores yielded a Re–Os isotopic isochron age of 408 ± 11 Ma. Four samples from the ore-bearing Xiarihamu mafic–ultramafic intrusions yielded zircon U–Pb ages of 423.1 ± 2 Ma, 422.9 ± 3.1 Ma, 422.7 ± 2.3 Ma, and 422.6 ± 2.7 Ma, respectively, indicating that the ore formed during the Silurian. The calculated initial 187Os/188Os ratio and γOs values ranged from 0.5109 to 0.8499 and from 311 to 584, respectively, indicating that crustal contamination played an extremely important role in triggering sulfide saturation. In combination with previous research, drill core observations and Re–Os data provide robust evidence for multiple pulses of magma replenishment throughout the process of ore genesis. Based on this evidence, the large-scale magmatic Cu–Ni mineralization in Xiarihamu likely occurred in a post-collisional setting related to tectonic slab breakoff.
Gut microbiota dysbiosis in polycystic ovary syndrome: association with obesity — a preliminary report
Authors: Liang Yuanjiao , Ming Qi , Liang Jinlan , Zhang Yan , Zhang Hong , Shen Tao
Published: March 2020

The objective was to explore if and how the microbiota changed in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women compared with healthy women. Eight obese PCOS (PO group), 10 nonobese PCOS (PN group), and nine healthy normal weight women (control) (C group) were enrolled. Insulin (INS), testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen (E2), and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were detected with radioimmunoassay. Antimullerian hormone (AMH), fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were determined by a chemiluminescence immunoassay, glucose oxidase method, and HPLC, respectively. Gut microbiota composition was evaluated by PCR. Alpha diversity was assessed using Chao1 and the Shannon index. PCOS women showed significantly higher T, LH, and LH/FSH and lower FSH levels than the C group (p < 0.05). The AMH level was significantly higher in the PO than in the PN group (p < 0.05). The PO group presented a significantly higher fasting INS level and HMOA-IR scores than the other groups, lower observed SVs and alpha diversity than the C group, higher beta diversity than the PN group (p < 0.05), and decreased abundances of genera (mainly butyrate producers). Regression analysis showed that decreased abundances of several genera were correlated with higher circulating T and impaired glucose metabolism. PCOS is associated with changes in the gut microbiota composition. Obesity has a driving role in the development of dysbiotic gut microbiota in PCOS.
Testing fundamental physics with photon frequency shift
Authors: Buoninfante Luca , Lambiase Gaetano , Stabile Antonio
Published: March 2020

We propose a high precision satellite experiment to further test Einstein’s General Relativity and constrain extended theories of gravity. We consider the frequency shift of a photon radially exchanged between two observers located on Earth and on a satellite in circular orbit in the equatorial plane. In General Relativity there exists a peculiar satellite-distance at which the static contribution to the frequency shift vanishes since the effects induced by pure gravity and special relativity compensate, while it can be non-zero in modified gravities, like in models with screening mechanisms. As an experimental device placed on the satellite we choose a system of hydrogen atoms which can exhibit the 1 s spin-flip transition from the singlet (unaligned proton-electron spins) to the triplet (aligned proton-electron spins) state induced by the absorption of photons at 21.1 cm. The observation of an excited state would indicate that the frequency of the emitted and absorbed photon remains unchanged according to General Relativity. On the contrary, a non-zero frequency shift, as predicted in extended theories of gravity, would prevent the spin-flip transition and the hydrogen atoms from jumping into the excited state. Such a detection would signify a smoking-gun signature of new physics beyond special and general relativity.
Growth index of matter perturbations in the light of Dark Energy Survey
Authors: Basilakos Spyros , Anagnostopoulos Fotios K.
Published: March 2020

We study how the cosmological constraints from growth data are improved by including the measurements of bias from Dark Energy Survey (DES). In particular, we utilize the biasing properties of the DES Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) and the growth data provided by the various galaxy surveys in order to constrain the growth index ($$\gamma $$γ) of the linear matter perturbations. Considering a constant growth index we can put tight constraints, up to $$\sim 10\%$$∼10% accuracy, on $$\gamma $$γ. Specifically, using the priors of the Dark Energy Survey and implementing a joint likelihood procedure between theoretical expectations and data we find that the best fit value is in between $$\gamma =0.64\pm 0.075$$γ=0.64±0.075 and $$0.65\pm 0.063$$0.65±0.063. On the other hand utilizing the Planck priors we obtain $$\gamma =0.680\pm 0.089$$γ=0.680±0.089 and $$0.690\pm 0.071$$0.690±0.071. This shows a small but non-zero deviation from General Relativity ($$\gamma _{\mathrm{GR}}\approx 6/11$$γGR≈6/11), nevertheless the confidence level is in the range $$\sim 1.3-2\sigma $$∼1.3-2σ. Moreover, we find that the estimated mass of the dark-matter halo in which LRGs survive lies in the interval $$\sim 6.2 \times 10^{12} h^{-1} M_{\odot }$$∼6.2×1012h-1M⊙ and $$1.2 \times 10^{13} h^{-1} M_{\odot }$$1.2×1013h-1M⊙, for the different bias models. Finally, allowing $$\gamma $$γ to evolve with redshift [Taylor expansion: $$\gamma (z)=\gamma _{0}+\gamma _{1}z/(1+z)$$γ(z)=γ0+γ1z/(1+z)] we find that the $$(\gamma _{0},\gamma _{1})$$(γ0,γ1) parameter solution space accommodates the GR prediction at $$\sim 1.7-2.9\sigma $$∼1.7-2.9σ levels.
Parsimonious Minimal Learning Machine via Multiresponse Sparse Regression
Authors: Dias Madson L. D. , Maia Átilla N. , da Rocha Neto Ajalmar R. , Gomes João P. P.
Published: March 2020

The training procedure of the minimal learning machine (MLM) requires the selection of two sets of patterns from the training dataset. These sets are called input reference points (IRP) and output reference points (ORP), which are used to build a mapping between the input geometric configurations and their corresponding outputs. In the original MLM, the number of input reference points is the hyper-parameter and the patterns are chosen at random. Therefore, the conventional proposal does not consider which patterns will belong to each reference point group, since the model does not implement an appropriate way of selecting the most suitable patterns as reference points. Such an approach can impact on the decision function in terms of smoothness, resulting in high complexity models. This paper introduces a new approach to select IRP for MLM applied to classification tasks. The optimally selected minimal learning machine (OS-MLM) relies on the multiresponse sparse regression (MRSR) ranking method and the leave-one-out (LOO) criterion to sort the patterns in terms of relevance and select an appropriate number of input reference points, respectively. The experimental assessment conducted on UCI datasets reports the proposal was able to produce sparser models and achieve competitive performance when compared to the regular strategy of selecting MLM input RPs.
Rigidly rotating gravitationally bound systems of point particles, compared to polytropes
Authors: Hopstad Yngve , Myrheim Jan
Published: March 2020

In order to simulate rigidly rotating polytropes, we have simulated systems of [Formula: see text] point particles, with [Formula: see text] up to 1800. Two particles at a distance [Formula: see text] interact by an attractive potential [Formula: see text] and a repulsive potential [Formula: see text]. The repulsion simulates the pressure in a polytropic gas of polytropic index [Formula: see text]. We take the total angular momentum [Formula: see text] to be conserved, but not the total energy [Formula: see text]. The particles are stationary in the rotating coordinate system. The rotational energy is [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the moment of inertia. Configurations, where the energy [Formula: see text] has a local minimum, are stable. In the continuum limit [Formula: see text], the particles become more and more tightly packed in a finite volume, with the interparticle distances decreasing as [Formula: see text]. We argue that [Formula: see text] is a good parameter for describing the continuum limit. We argue further that the continuum limit is the polytropic gas of index [Formula: see text]. For example, the density profile of the nonrotating gas approaches that computed from the Lane–Emden equation describing the nonrotating polytropic gas. In the case of maximum rotation, the instability occurs by the loss of particles from the equator, which becomes a sharp edge, as predicted by Jeans in his study of rotating polytropes. We describe the minimum energy nonrotating configurations for a number of small values of [Formula: see text].
Should OEMs Outsource Remanufacturing to Retailers?
Authors: Qian Zhifeng , Chai Junwu , Li Hengyu , Yan Wei , Chen Hong
Published: March 2020

In recent times, sustainability has become more important for businesses. Accordingly, product remanufacturing has emerged as an interesting topic, as it is generally considered as a profitable and environmentally friendly end-of-use management option for several products. While extant literature on remanufacturing has comprehensively studied the topic of outsourcing, it has failed to recognize that retailers also have the flexibility to engage in remanufacturing. However, in recent years, several brand name retailers have established remanufacturing operations. The following question arises: Should original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) outsource their remanufacturing operations to their retailers? To answer this question, two models are developed in which an OEM interacts with an independent retailer on remanufacturing operations with the option to either remanufacture all products in-house (Model M) or outsource remanufacturing to their retailer (Model R). The result shows that although model M potentially facilitates greater economic, social, and environmental sustainability, it has costs for the retailer. Finally, a revenue-sharing contract is proposed to achieve a “win-win-win” outcome that has economic, social, and environmental benefits for all parties.
A High Gain Novel Double-Boost Converter for DC Microgrid Applications
Authors: Chakravarthi B. N. Ch. V. , Siva Krishna Rao G. V.
Published: March 2020

In solar photovoltaic (PV)-based DC microgrid systems, the voltage output of the classical DC–DC converter produces very less voltage as a result of poor voltage gain. Therefore, cascaded DC–DC boost converters are mandatory for boosting the voltage to match the DC microgrid voltage. However, the number of devices utilized in the DC–DC conversion stage becomes higher and leads to more losses. Thereby, it affects the system efficiency and increases the complication of the system and cost. In order to overcome this drawback, a novel double-boost DC–DC converter is proposed to meet the voltage in DC microgrid. Also, this paper discusses the detailed operation of maximum power point (MPP) tracking techniques in the novel double-boost DC–DC converter topology. The fundamental [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] characteristics of solar photovoltaic system, operational details of MPP execution and control strategies for double-boost DC/DC converter are described elaborately. The proposed converter operation and power injection into the DC microgrid are verified through the real-time PSCAD simulation and the validation is done through the experiment with hardware module which is indistinguishable with the simulation platform.
Improvement on Curve Negotiation Performance of Suspended Monorail Vehicle Considering Flexible Guideway
Authors: He Qinglie , Cai Chengbiao , Zhu Shengyang , Wang Kaiyun , Jiang Yongzhi , Zhai Wanming
Published: March 2020

This work presents the investigation and improvement on curve negotiation performance of suspended monorail vehicle considering a flexible guideway. First, a spatial train–guideway interaction model of suspended monorail system (SMS) is established based on the secondary development of ANSYS software. Then, the dynamic analysis of the train over the flexible curved guideway is conducted, and the curve negotiation performance of the vehicle and the guideway vibration feature are revealed. Subsequently, several crucial design parameters that significantly influence the curve negotiation performance of the vehicle are found, and their influences on the train–guideway dynamic responses are systematically investigated. Finally, by comprehensively considering the dynamic indexes of the vehicle–guideway system, the optimal ranges of these crucial design parameters are obtained. Results show that decreasing the radial stiffness of guiding tyre can effectively reduce the lateral vibration levels of vehicle and guideway, but it would increase the lateral displacements of the bogie and hanging beam; and the radial stiffness is finally suggested to be around 1[Formula: see text]kN/mm by comprehensively considering all dynamic indexes. Increasing the initial compression displacement of guiding tyre can well limit the lateral displacements of the bogie and the hanging beam, thus enhancing the train running safety; however, it would intensify the vehicle-guideway lateral vibration level; especially, the optimal initial compression displacement of guiding tyre is related to its radial stiffness characteristics. To ensure a good curve negotiation performance of vehicle and guideway vibration level, the stiffness of the anti-roll torsion bar and the initial gradient angle of the installed trapezoid four-link suspended device are suggested to be 1.0[Formula: see text]MNm/rad and 65–[Formula: see text], respectively.
Nonaffine latin quandles of order 2k
Authors: Nagy Tomáš
Published: March 2020

We prove that a nonaffine latin quandle (also known as left distributive quasigroup) of order [Formula: see text] exists if and only if [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. The construction is expressed in terms of central extensions of affine quandles.
Atoms in quasilocal integral domains and Cohen–Kaplansky domains
Authors: Anderson D. D. , Bombardier K.
Published: March 2020

Let [Formula: see text] be a quasilocal integral domain. We investigate the set of irreducible elements (atoms) of [Formula: see text]. Special attention is given to the set of atoms in [Formula: see text] and to the existence of atoms in [Formula: see text]. While our main interest is in local Cohen–Kaplansky (CK) domains (atomic integral domains with only finitely many nonassociate atoms), we endeavor to obtain results in the greatest generality possible. In contradiction to a statement of Cohen and Kaplansky, we construct a local CK domain with precisely eight non-associate atoms having an atom in [Formula: see text].
ROC
Authors: Anderson Jeff , Kayraklioglu Engin , Sun Shuai , Crandall Joseph , Alkabani Yousra , Narayana Vikram , Sorger Volker , El-Ghazawi Tarek
Published: March 2020

Due to the end of Moore’s law and Dennard scaling, we are entering a new era of processors. Computing systems are increasingly facing power and performance challenges due to both device- and circuit-related challenges with resistive and capacitive charging. Non-von Neumann architectures are needed to support future computations through innovative post-Moore’s law architectures. To enable these emerging architectures with high-performance and at ultra-low power, both parallel computation and inter-node communication on-the-chip can be supported using photons. To this end, we introduce ROC, a reconfigurable optical computer that can solve partial differential equations (PDEs). PDE solvers form the basis for many traditional simulation problems in science and engineering that are currently performed on supercomputers. Instead of solving problems iteratively, the proposed engine uses a resistive mesh architecture to solve a PDE in a single iteration (one-shot). Instead of using actual electrical circuits, the physical underlying hardware emulates such structures using a silicon-photonics mesh that splits light into separate pathways, allowing it to add or subtract optical power analogous to programmable resistors. The time to obtain the PDE solution then only depends on the time-of-flight of a photon through the programmed mesh, which can be on the order of 10’s of picoseconds given the millimeter-compact integrated photonic circuit. Numerically validated experimental results show that, over multiple configurations, ROC can achieve several orders of magnitude improvement over state-of-the-art GPUs when speed, power, and size are taken into account. Further, it comes within approximately 90% precision of current numerical solvers. As such, ROC can be a viable reconfigurable, approximate computer with the potential for more precise results when replacing silicon-photonics building blocks with nanoscale photonic lumped-elements.
Linear-time String Indexing and Analysis in Small Space
Authors: Belazzougui Djamal , Cunial Fabio , Kärkkäinen Juha , Mäkinen Veli
Published: March 2020

The field of
succinct data structures
has flourished over the past 16 years. Starting from the compressed suffix array by Grossi and Vitter (STOC 2000) and the FM-index by Ferragina and Manzini (FOCS 2000), a number of generalizations and applications of string indexes based on the Burrows-Wheeler transform (BWT) have been developed, all taking an amount of space that is close to the input size in bits. In many large-scale applications, the construction of the index and its usage need to be considered as one unit of computation. For example, one can compare two genomes by building a common index for their concatenation and by detecting common substructures by querying the index. Efficient string indexing and analysis in small space lies also at the core of a number of primitives in the data-intensive field of high-throughput DNA sequencing.

We report the following advances in string indexing and analysis: We show that the BWT of a string
T
∈ {1,…,σ}

n

can be built in deterministic
O
(
n
) time using just
O
(
n
log σ) bits of space, where σ ≤
n
. Deterministic linear time is achieved by exploiting a new
partial rank
data structure that supports queries in constant time and that might have independent interest. Within the same time and space budget, we can build an index based on the BWT that allows one to enumerate all the internal nodes of the suffix tree of
T
. Many fundamental string analysis problems, such as maximal repeats, maximal unique matches, and string kernels, can be mapped to such enumeration and can thus be solved in deterministic
O
(
n
) time and in
O
(
n
log σ) bits of space from the input string by tailoring the enumeration algorithm to some problem-specific computations.

We also show how to build many of the existing indexes based on the BWT, such as the
compressed suffix array
, the
compressed suffix tree
, and the
bidirectional BWT index
, in
randomized
O
(
n
) time and in
O
(
n
log σ) bits of space. The previously fastest construction algorithms for BWT, compressed suffix array and compressed suffix tree, which used
O
(
n
log σ) bits of space, took
O
(
n
log log σ) time for the first two structures and
O
(
n
log
ϵ
n
) time for the third, where ϵ is any positive constant smaller than one. Alternatively, the BWT could be previously built in linear time if one was willing to spend
O
(
n
log σ log log
σ
n
) bits of space. Contrary to the state-of-the-art, our bidirectional BWT index supports every operation in constant time per element in its output.
Approximation Algorithms for Maximin Fair Division
Authors: Barman Siddharth , Krishnamurthy Sanath Kumar
Published: March 2020

We consider the problem of allocating indivisible goods
fairly
among
n
agents who have additive and submodular valuations for the goods. Our fairness guarantees are in terms of the
maximin share
, which is defined to be the maximum value that an agent can ensure for herself, if she were to partition the goods into
n
bundles, and then receive a minimum valued bundle. Since maximin fair allocations (i.e., allocations in which each agent gets at least her maximin share) do not always exist, prior work has focused on approximation results that aim to find allocations in which the value of the bundle allocated to each agent is (multiplicatively) as close to her maximin share as possible. In particular, Procaccia and Wang (2014) along with Amanatidis et al. (2015) have shown that under additive valuations, a 2/3-approximate maximin fair allocation always exists and can be found in polynomial time. We complement these results by developing a simple and efficient algorithm that achieves the same approximation guarantee.

Furthermore, we initiate the study of approximate maximin fair division under
submodular valuations
. Specifically, we show that when the valuations of the agents are
nonnegative
,
monotone
, and submodular, then a 0.21-approximate maximin fair allocation is guaranteed to exist. In fact, we show that such an allocation can be efficiently found by using a simple round-robin algorithm. A technical contribution of the article is to analyze the performance of this combinatorial algorithm by employing the concept of
multilinear extensions
.
Immune-Based Approaches for the Treatment of Pediatric Malignancies
Authors: Bosse Kristopher R. , Majzner Robbie G. , Mackall Crystal L. , Maris John M.
Published: March 2020

Immune-based therapies have now been credentialed for pediatric cancers with the robust efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for pediatric B cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), offering a chance of a cure for children with previously lethal disease and a potentially more targeted therapy to limit treatment-related morbidities. The developmental origins of most pediatric cancers make them ideal targets for immune-based therapies that capitalize on the differential expression of lineage-specific cell surface molecules such as antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, or CAR T cells, while the efficacy of other therapies that depend on tumor immunogenicity such as immune checkpoint inhibitors has been limited to date. Here we review the current status of immune-based therapies for childhood cancers, discuss challenges to developing immunotherapeutics for these diseases, and outline future directions of pediatric immunotherapy discovery and development.
A story of liver and gut microbes: how does the intestinal flora affect liver disease? A review of the literature
Authors: Giuffrè Mauro , Campigotto Michele , Campisciano Giuseppina , Comar Manola , Crocè Lory Saveria
Published: March 2020

Each individual is endowed with a unique gut microbiota (GM) footprint that mediates numerous host-related physiological functions, such as nutrient metabolism, maintenance of the structural integrity of the gut mucosal barrier, immunomodulation, and protection against microbial pathogens. Because of increased scientific interest in the GM, its central role in the pathophysiology of many intestinal and extraintestinal conditions has been recognized. Given the close relationship between the gastrointestinal tract and the liver, many pathological processes have been investigated in the light of a microbial-centered hypothesis of hepatic damage. In this review we introduce to neophytes the vast world of gut microbes, including prevalent bacterial distribution in healthy individuals, how the microbiota is commonly analyzed, and the current knowledge of the role of GM in liver disease pathophysiology. Also, we highlight the potentials and downsides of GM-based therapy.
Evaluation of cisplatin-induced injury in human kidney organoids
Authors: Digby Jenny L. M. , Vanichapol Thitinee , Przepiorski Aneta , Davidson Alan J. , Sander Veronika
Published: March 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a major global healthcare problem, and there is a need to develop human-based models to study AKI in vitro. Toward this goal, we have characterized induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human kidney organoids and their response to cisplatin, a chemotherapeutic drug that induces AKI and preferentially damages the proximal tubule. We found that a single treatment with 50 µM cisplatin induces hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 1 ( HAVCR1) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 ( CXCL8) expression, DNA damage (γH2AX), and cell death in the organoids but greatly impairs organoid viability. DNA damage was not specific to the proximal tubule but also affected the distal tubule and interstitial cell populations. This lack of specificity correlated with low expression of proximal tubule-specific SLC22A2/organic cation transporter 2 ( OCT2) for cisplatin. To improve viability, we developed a repeated low-dose regimen of 4 × 5 µM cisplatin over 7 days and found this caused less toxicity while still inducing a robust injury response that included secretion of known AKI biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines. This work validates the use of human kidney organoids to model aspects of cisplatin-induced injury, with the potential to identify new AKI biomarkers and develop better therapies.
Hepatic proteome analysis reveals altered mitochondrial metabolism and suppressed acyl-CoA synthetase-1 in colon-26 tumor-induced cachexia
Authors: Khamoui Andy V. , Tokmina-Roszyk Dorota , Rossiter Harry B. , Fields Gregg B. , Visavadiya Nishant P.
Published: March 2020

Cachexia is a life-threatening complication of cancer traditionally characterized by weight loss and muscle dysfunction. Cachexia, however, is a systemic disease that also involves remodeling of nonmuscle organs. The liver exerts major control over systemic metabolism, yet its role in cancer cachexia is not well understood. To advance the understanding of how the liver contributes to cancer cachexia, we used quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics to identify hepatic pathways and cellular processes dysregulated in mice with moderate and severe colon-26 tumor-induced cachexia; ~300 differentially expressed proteins identified during the induction of moderate cachexia were also differentially regulated in the transition to severe cachexia. KEGG pathway enrichment revealed representation by oxidative phosphorylation, indicating altered hepatic mitochondrial function as a common feature across cachexia severity. Glycogen catabolism was also observed in cachexic livers along with decreased pyruvate dehydrogenase protein X component (Pdhx), increased lactate dehydrogenase A chain (Ldha), and increased lactate transporter Mct1. Together this suggests altered lactate metabolism and transport in cachexic livers, which may contribute to energetically inefficient interorgan lactate cycling. Acyl-CoA synthetase-1 (ACSL1), known for activating long-chain fatty acids, was decreased in moderate and severe cachexia based on LC-MS/MS analysis and immunoblotting. ACSL1 showed strong linear relationships with percent body weight change and muscle fiber size (R2 = 0.73–0.76, P < 0.01). Mitochondrial coupling efficiency, which is compromised in cachexic livers to potentially increase energy expenditure and weight loss, also showed a linear relationship with ACSL1. Findings suggest altered mitochondrial and substrate metabolism of the liver in cancer cachexia, and possible hepatic targets for intervention.
Image Retrieval Based on a Multi-Integration Features Model
Authors: Chu Kai , Liu Guang-Hai
Published: March 2020

Feature integration theory can be regarded as a perception theory, but the extraction of visual features using such a theory within the CBIR framework is a challenging problem. To address this problem, we extract the color and edge features based on a multi-integration features model and use these for image retrieval. A novel and highly simple but efficient visual feature descriptor, namely, a multi-integration features histogram, is proposed for image representation and content-based image retrieval. First, a color image is converted from the RGB to the HSV color space, and the color features and color differences are extracted. Then, the color differences are calculated to extract the edge features using a set of simple integration processes. Finally, combining the color, edge, and spatial layout features allows representing the image content. Experiments show that our method produces results comparable to existing and well-known methods on three datasets that contain 25,000 natural images. The performances are significantly better than that of the BOW histogram, local binary pattern histogram, histogram of oriented gradient, and multi-texton histogram, with performances similar to the color volume histogram.
Robust H∞ Control for Path Tracking of Network-Based Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Chen Changfang , Shu Minglei , Wang Yinglong , Liu Ruixia
Published: March 2020

This paper investigates the robust H∞ path-tracking control problem of network-based autonomous vehicles (AVs) with delay and packet dropout. Generally, both network-induced delay and packet dropout bring negative effects on the system stability and performance. A robust H∞ control scheme is proposed to realize the desired path tracking and lateral stability. The closed-loop system is asymptotically stable with the prescribed H∞ disturbance attention level if there exist some matrices satisfying certain linear matrix inequality (LMI) conditions. Furthermore, the proposed controller is robust to the parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. Simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Removal of Cd(II) and Cu(II) from Aqueous Solution by Na+-Modified Pisha Sandstone
Authors: Wang Xia , Cui Yongxing , Peng Qi , Fan Chenbin , Zhang Zhiqin , Zhang Xingchang
Published: March 2020

Heavy metals have caused serious environmental issues, which are enriched during open-cast coal mining. It is urgent to develop sustainable remediation materials to protect and restore the contaminated soil and aquifers in mining areas. The feasibility of applying Pisha sandstone (PS) and Na+-modified Pisha sandstone (Na-PS) for adsorption of heavy metals was evaluated. Na-PS exhibited maximum Cd(II) and Cu(II) removal rates of 65.9% and 99.8%, respectively, exceeding the corresponding values for PS (8.2% and 1.3%, respectively) in 1 × 10−3 M solution. Efficient heavy metals adsorption occurred in the pH range 5.0–6.0. The adsorption of Cu(II) and Cd(II) on PS and Na-PS was characterized by kinetic models and adsorption isotherms and was well represented by pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 > 0.99) and the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The values of the thermodynamic parameters indicated that the interactions were spontaneous endothermic reactions. Binary solutions adsorption isotherms indicated that the linearity of the adsorption amount and initial concentration of Cu(II) and Cd(II) was better in certain ranges and the adsorbents were selective towards Cu(II) rather than Cd(II). Therefore, PSs can be used as excellent adsorbents for Cu(II) and Cd(II) remediation from contaminated surface water.
Immunotherapy: Newer Therapeutic Armamentarium against Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Singh Saurabh Pratap , Singh Richa , Gupta Om Prakash , Gupta Shalini , Brahma Bhatt Madan Lal
Published: March 2020

Mounting evidence from the literature suggests the existence of a subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in almost all types of human cancers. These CSCs possessing a self-renewal capacity inhabit primary tumors and are more defiant to standard antimitotic and molecularly targeted therapies which are used for eliminating actively proliferating and differentiated cancer cells. Clinical relevance of CSCs emerges from the fact that they are the root cause of therapy resistance, relapse, and metastasis. Earlier, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were established as cancer treatment modalities, but recently, immunotherapy is also gaining importance in the management of various cancer patients, mostly those of the advanced stage. This review abridges potential off-target effects of inhibiting CSC self-renewal pathways on immune cells and some recent immunological studies specifically targeting CSCs on the basis of their antigen expression profile, even though molecular markers or antigens that have been described till date as expressed by cancer stem cells are not specifically expressed by these cells which is a major limitation to target CSCs. We propose that owing to CSC stemness property to mediate immunotherapy response, we can apply a combination therapy approach by targeting CSCs and tumor microenvironment (TME) along with conventional treatment strategies as an effective means to eradicate cancer cells.
The Brain-Heart Connection in Takotsubo Syndrome: The Central Nervous System, Sympathetic Nervous System, and Catecholamine Overload
Authors: Wang Xiaopu , Pei Junyu , Hu Xinqun
Published: March 2020

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also known as stress cardiomyopathy, is a type of acute heart failure syndrome triggered by intense psychological or physiological stress. TTS typically manifests as acute chest pain, dyspnea or syncope that mimics an acute myocardial infarction but does not involve coronary artery obstruction. The current understanding of the pathogenesis of TTS suggests that sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation plays a central role. Specifically, stress can activate the SNS and lead to the over-release of catecholamine, which have toxic effects on myocardial tissue when present at excessive levels. However, the brain changes associated with TTS and the connection between the brain and the heart in patients with this disease remain unclear. In recent years, several published reports have revealed the role of this brain-heart connection in the pathogenesis of TTS. This review summarizes recent studies regarding SNS activation, catecholamine overload, and the brain-heart connection in patients with TTS from both pathophysiological and mechanistic aspects.