bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Approaches for the identification of driver mutations in cancer: A tutorial from a computational perspective
Authors: Cutigi Jorge Francisco , Evangelista Adriane Feijo , Simao Adenilso
Published: February 2020

Cancer is a complex disease caused by the accumulation of genetic alterations during the individual’s life. Such alterations are called genetic mutations and can be divided into two groups: (1) Passenger mutations, which are not responsible for cancer and (2) Driver mutations, which are significant for cancer and responsible for its initiation and progression. Cancer cells undergo a large number of mutations, of which most are passengers, and few are drivers. The identification of driver mutations is a key point and one of the biggest challenges in Cancer Genomics. Many computational methods for such a purpose have been developed in Cancer Bioinformatics. Such computational methods are complex and are usually described in a high level of abstraction. This tutorial details some classical computational methods, from a computational perspective, with the transcription in an algorithmic format towards an easy access by researchers.
Recurrence coefficients of Toda-type orthogonal polynomials I. Asymptotic analysis
Authors: Dominici Diego
Published: February 2020

We study the three-term recurrence coefficients [Formula: see text] of polynomial sequences orthogonal with respect to a perturbed linear functional depending on a variable [Formula: see text] We obtain power series expansions in [Formula: see text] and asymptotic expansions as [Formula: see text] We use our results to settle some conjectures proposed by Walter Van Assche and collaborators.
The genus of the subgroup graph of a finite group
Authors: Lucchini Andrea
Published: February 2020

For a finite group [Formula: see text] denote by [Formula: see text] the genus of the subgroup graph of [Formula: see text] We prove that [Formula: see text] tends to infinity as either the rank of [Formula: see text] or the number of prime divisors of [Formula: see text] tends to infinity.
Estimation of Wave Reflection Coefficient by Semi-Analytical Method in an Acoustic Black Hole Beam
Authors: Cao Shuai , Lee Heow Pueh , Lim Kian Meng
Published: February 2020

Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) has been deployed into beam-plate structures with the passive damping system to enhance its performance in absorbing flexural waves. The wave reflection coefficient can be used to measure this performance. This paper proposes a semi-analytical method to estimate the wave reflection coefficient, which is based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). The proposed method is validated by the exact solution for the wave analysis on the quadratic ABH beam. By this method, this study also investigates the performances of power-law ABH beams with exponent [Formula: see text] and 10. The numerical results indicate that the wave reflection coefficient of ABH shows a decreasing trend as frequency increases. Moreover, the validity condition of the geometrical acoustic approach (GAA) is explored through error analysis on the estimated wave reflection coefficient. An envelope of this condition is presented to recommend conservative criteria for GAA.
Fault-free Hamiltonian cycle including given edges in folded hypercubes with faulty edges
Authors: Cheng Dongqin
Published: February 2020

The folded hypercube is an important interconnection network for multiprocessor systems. Let [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] denote an [Formula: see text]-dimensional folded hypercube. For a given fault-free edge set [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] and a faulty edge set [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], in this paper we prove that [Formula: see text] contains a fault-free Hamiltonian cycle including each edge of [Formula: see text] if and only if the subgraph induced by [Formula: see text] is linear forest. Furthermore, we give the definitions of the distance among three vertex-disjoint edges and the distance between a vertex and a vertex set. For three vertex-disjoint edges [Formula: see text], the distance among them is denoted by [Formula: see text]. For a vertex [Formula: see text] and a vertex set [Formula: see text], the distance between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is denoted by [Formula: see text].
Revision of the Azorean catalogue of tsunamis
Authors: Cabral N.
Published: February 2020

The Azores islands, owing to their complex geographical and geodynamic setting, are exposed to tsunami events associated with different triggering mechanisms, local or distant. Since the settlement of the Azores, in the fifteenth century, there have been numerous accounts that relate coastal area flooding episodes with unusually high waves that caused death and destruction. In this work is presented a review and a characterization of the different events registered in the archipelago that can be associated with tsunamigenic phenomena. For this purpose, diverse documentation was collected such as chronics, manuscripts, newspaper articles and magazines, scientific publications and international databases available online. Thus, new relevant information allowed better characterization of some events. Furthermore, it was possible to add new entries and to discard others included in previous compilations owing to a lack of quality in historical sources or instrumental records. Some teletsunamis, among them the 1 November 1755 which killed six people on Terceira Island, regional and local tsunamis were identified. Although the majority of these events result from tectonic sources, some were also triggered by landslides, such as the 9 July 1847 Quebrada Nova tsunami which killed 10 people on Flores and Corvo islands, and by meteorological phenomena.
A Social Force Based Pedestrian Motion Model Considering Multi-Pedestrian Interaction with a Vehicle
Authors: Yang Dongfang , Özgüner Ümit , Redmill Keith
Published: February 2020

Pedestrian motion modeling in mixed traffic scenarios is crucial to the development of autonomous systems in transportation related applications. This work investigated how pedestrian motion is affected by surrounding pedestrians and vehicles, i.e., vehicle-pedestrian interaction. A social force based pedestrian motion model was proposed, in which the effect of surrounding pedestrians was improved and the effect of vehicles was newly designed. Variable constraints dependent on vehicle influence as well as nearby pedestrian density were imposed on the velocity and acceleration of the pedestrian motion. This work focuses on fundamental patterns of multi-pedestrian interaction with a low speed vehicle (front, back, and lateral interaction in open space). In other words, the application of the model is not restricted to specific scenarios such as crosswalks. Parameters of the proposed model were calibrated by the genetic algorithm (GA) based on trajectory data of the same vehicle-pedestrian interaction patterns from controlled experiments. The proposed model is able to simulate complex self-designed vehicle-pedestrian interaction scenarios. The effectiveness of the proposed model was validated by comparing the simulated trajectories with ground truth trajectories under the same initial conditions, and by evaluating the pedestrian behavior of avoiding vehicle in the simulation of self-designed scenarios.
Semi-supervised Trajectory Understanding with POI Attention for End-to-End Trip Recommendation
Authors: Zhou Fan , Wu Hantao , Trajcevski Goce , Khokhar Ashfaq , Zhang Kunpeng
Published: February 2020

Trip planning/recommendation is an important task for a plethora of applications in urban settings (e.g., tourism, transportation, social outings), relying on services provided by Location-Based Social Networks (LBSN). To provide greater context-awareness in trajectory planning, LBSNs combine historical trajectories of users for generating various hand-crafted features—e.g., geo-tags of photos taken by tourists and textual characteristics derived from reviews. Those features are used to learn tourists’ preferences, which are then used to generate a travel plan recommendation. However, many such features are extracted based on prior knowledge or empirical analysis specific to particular datasets, rendering the corresponding solutions not to be generalizable to diverse data sources. Thus, one important question for managing mobility is how to learn an accurate tour planning model based solely on POI visits or user check-ins and without the efforts of hand-crafted feature engineering. Inspired by recent successes of deep learning in sequence learning, we develop a solution to the tour planning problem based on the semi-supervised learning paradigm. An important aspect of our solution is that it does not involve any feature engineering. Specifically, we propose the Trip Recommendation method via trajectory Encoder and Decoder—a novel end-to-end approach encoding historical trajectories into vectors, while capturing both the intrinsic characteristics of individual POIs and the transition patterns among POIs. We also incorporate historical attention mechanism in our sequence-to-sequence trip recommendation task to improve the effectiveness. Experiments conducted on multiple publicly available LBSN datasets demonstrate significantly superior performance of our method.
Making Sharper Peaks for Reverse-Phase Liquid Chromatography of Proteins
Authors: Bupp Charles R. , Wirth Mary J.
Published: February 2020

Protein separations have gained increasing interest over the past two decades owing to the dramatic growth of proteins as therapeutics and the completion of the Human Genome Project. About every decade, the field of protein high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) seems to mature, having reached what appears to be a theoretical limit. But then scientists well versed in the basic principles of HPLC invented a way around the limit, generating another decade of exciting progress. There is still the need for higher resolution and better compatibility with mass spectrometry because it is an essential tool for identification of proteins and their modifications. To make advances, the fundamental principles need to be understood. This review covers recent advances and current needs in the context of the principles that underlie the many contributions to peak broadening.
Distinct hemodynamic responses to (pyr)apelin-13 in large animal models
Authors: Tune Johnathan D. , Baker Hana E. , Berwick Zachary , Moberly Steven P. , Casalini Eli D. , Noblet Jillian N. , Zhen Eugene , Kowala Mark C. , Christe Michael E. , Goodwill Adam G.
Published: February 2020

This study tested the hypothesis that (pyr)apelin-13 dose-dependently augments myocardial contractility and coronary blood flow, irrespective of changes in systemic hemodynamics. Acute effects of intravenous (pyr)apelin-13 administration (10 to 1,000 nM) on blood pressure, heart rate, left ventricular pressure and volume, and coronary parameters were measured in dogs and pigs. Administration of (pyr)apelin-13 did not influence blood pressure ( P = 0.59), dP/d tmax ( P = 0.26), or dP/d tmin ( P = 0.85) in dogs. However, heart rate dose-dependently increased > 70% ( P < 0.01), which was accompanied by a significant increase in coronary blood flow ( P < 0.05) and reductions in left ventricular end-diastolic volume and stroke volume ( P < 0.001). In contrast, (pyr)apelin-13 did not significantly affect hemodynamics, coronary blood flow, or indexes of contractile function in pigs. Furthermore, swine studies found no effect of intracoronary (pyr)apelin-13 administration on coronary blood flow ( P = 0.83) or vasorelaxation in isolated, endothelium-intact ( P = 0.89) or denuded ( P = 0.38) coronary artery rings. Examination of all data across (pyr)apelin-13 concentrations revealed an exponential increase in cardiac output as peripheral resistance decreased across pigs and dogs ( P < 0.001; R2 = 0.78). Assessment of the Frank-Starling relationship demonstrated a significant linear relationship between left ventricular end-diastolic volume and stroke volume across species ( P < 0.001; R2 = 0.70). Taken together, these findings demonstrate that (pyr)apelin-13 does not directly influence myocardial contractility or coronary blood flow in either dogs or pigs.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our findings provide much needed insight regarding the pharmacological cardiac and coronary effects of (pyr)apelin-13 in larger animal preparations. In particular, data highlight distinct hemodynamic responses of apelin across species, which are independent of any direct effect on myocardial contractility or perfusion.
Target Recognition of Synthetic Aperture Radar Images Based on Two-Phase Sparse Representation
Authors: Li Wen , Yang Jun , Ma Yide
Published: February 2020

A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) target recognition method is proposed via linear representation over the global and local dictionaries. The collaborative representation is performed on the local dictionary, which comprises of training samples from a single class. Then, the reconstruction errors as for representing the test sample reflect the absolute representation capabilities of different training classes. Accordingly, the target label can be directly decided when one class achieves a notably lower reconstruction error than the others. Otherwise, several candidate classes with relatively low reconstruction errors are selected as the candidate classes to form the global dictionary, based on which the sparse representation-based classification (SRC) is performed. SRC also produces the reconstruction errors of the candidate classes, which reflect their relative representation capabilities for the test sample. As a comprehensive consideration, the reconstruction errors from the collaborative representation and SRC are fused for decision-making. Therefore, the proposed method could inherit the high efficiency of the collaborative representation. In addition, the selection of the candidate training classes also relieves the computational burden during SRC. By combining the absolute and relative representation capabilities, the final classification accuracy can also be improved. During the experimental evaluation, the Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition (MSTAR) dataset is employed to test the proposed method under several different operating conditions. The proposed method is compared with some other SAR target recognition methods simultaneously. The results show the superior performance of the proposed method.
The Inhibition of Aldose Reductase Accelerates Liver Regeneration through Regulating Energy Metabolism
Authors: Li Chang Xian , Wang Hong Wei , Jiang Wang Jie , Li Gao Chao , Zhang Yao Dong , Luo Chen Huan , Li Xiang Cheng
Published: February 2020

Objectives. Our previous study showed that aldose reductase (AR) played key roles in fatty liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury by regulating inflammatory response and energy metabolism. Here, we aim to investigate the role and mechanism of AR in the regeneration of normal and fatty livers after liver surgery. Methods. The association of AR expression with liver regeneration was studied in the rat small-for-size liver transplantation model and the mice major hepatectomy and hepatic IR injury model with or without fatty change. The direct role and mechanism of AR in liver regeneration was explored in the AR knockout mouse model. Results. Delayed regeneration was detected in fatty liver after liver surgery in both rat and mouse models. Furthermore, the expression of AR was increased in liver after liver surgery, especially in fatty liver. In a functional study, the knockout of AR promoted liver regeneration at day 2 after major hepatectomy and IR injury. Compared to wild-type groups, the expressions of cyclins were increased in normal and fatty livers of AR knockout mice. AR inhibition increased the expressions of PPAR-α and PPAR-γ in both normal liver and fatty liver groups after major hepatectomy and IR injury. In addition, the knockout of AR promoted the expressions of SDHB, AMPK, SIRT1, and PGC1-α in liver, which regulated mitochondrial biogenesis and energy metabolism. Conclusions. The knockout of AR promoted the regeneration of normal and fatty livers through regulating energy metabolism. AR may be a new potential therapeutic target to accelerate liver regeneration after surgery.
Minimal Open Access Ileocolic Resection in Complicated Crohn’s Disease of the Terminal Ileum
Authors: Sica Giuseppe S. , Di Carlo Sara , D’Ugo Stefano , Arcudi Claudio , Siragusa Leandro , Fazzolari Laura , Biancone Livia , Monteleone Giovanni , Cardi Maurizio , Sibio Simone
Published: February 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility to undertake an ileocolic resection in complex Crohn’s disease using a minimal open abdominal access using standard laparoscopic instruments. The incision was carried out over the previous McBurney scar, with a mean length of 6 cm. Seventy-two patients with complicated Crohn’s disease underwent IC resection in the considered period; 12 patients had a McBurney scar due to a previous appendectomy and represented the group of study. Feasibility and safety of the procedure were evaluated. Clinical data and outcome were compared with a control arm of 15 patients who had a standard laparoscopic IC resection, pooled out from our database among those who had a McBurney incision as service incision. Mean operative time and postoperative stay were significantly shorter in the study group. Blood loss and operative costs were also lower in the study group but did not reach statistical significance. Minimal open access ileocolic resection (MOAIR) through a small McBurney incision seems safe and feasible in complex Crohn’s disease. Some advantages over standard laparoscopic surgery could be found in surgical outcomes and costs.
Probiotics Fermented Bitter Melon Juice as Promising Complementary Agent for Diabetes Type 2: Study on Animal Model
Authors: Hartajanie Laksmi , Fatimah-Muis S. , Heri-Nugroho HS K. , Riwanto Ign , Sulchan M.
Published: February 2020

Background and Aim. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia/MC) contains charantin that has antidiabetic properties as an α-glucosidase inhibitor and antioxidative properties. Lactic acid fermentation using Lactobacillus fermentum LLB3 increased its antioxidative properties. The study was aimed to analyse the difference of the treatment that influences blood glucose and SOD level before and after treatment compared to acarbose. Experimental procedure. A total of 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Diabetes type 2 was induced by a single dose (60 mg/kg) of streptozotocin (STZ) and 120 mg/kg of nicotinamide, intraperitoneally. Following three days of STZ induction, the animals were randomly divided into four groups. Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were given acarbose 40 mg/100 g feed, MC 10 ml/kg body weight, fermented MC 10 ml/kg body weight, and distilled water, respectively, for 28 days. Glucose and SOD values were measured by spectrophotometer and ELISA, respectively. The difference between pretest and posttest data was analysed using the pair t-test. Data were analysed using ANOVA and Tukey HSD for post hoc analysis. Level of significance was set at 0.05. Results. Fasting glucose and postprandial blood glucose were significantly decreased in groups given MC and fermented MC but not as low as those in the acarbose group (p<0.001). The value of SOD significantly increased in groups given MC and fermented MC but not as high as those in the acarbose groups (p<0.001). Conclusion. Although MC gave significant results in increasing SOD and lowering fasting as well as postprandial blood glucose, fermented MC was better than MC, and acarbose still gave the best results.
Robust Control of Underwater Vehicle-Manipulator System Using Grey Wolf Optimizer-Based Nonlinear Disturbance Observer and H-Infinity Controller
Authors: Dai Yong , Wu Defeng , Yu Shuanghe , Yan Yan
Published: February 2020

This paper proposes a new trajectory tracking scheme for the constrained nonlinear underwater vehicle-manipulator system (UVMS). For overcoming the unmodeled uncertainties, external disturbances, and constraints of control inputs in the operation of UVMS, a modified constrained H∞ controller with a basic computed-torque controller (CTC) and a new designed nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO) are proposed. The CTC gives the nominal model-based control. The NDO is designed based on the system dynamics and used to online provide the estimation of the lumped disturbances. However, the designed NDO is an observer of biased estimation, i.e., it has a blind domain of disturbance estimation which cannot be rejected. In order to reject the biased estimation, the modified constrained H∞ controller is designed but with new features. To the best of our knowledge, the conventional H∞ robust controller is generally designed by calculating the Riccati equation offline and ignoring the constraints of control inputs made by the physical actuators, which are poor in handling the time-varying environment. In order to solve these issues, the modified constrained H∞ robust controller online optimized by grey wolf optimizer (GWO) is designed to ensure the control system has a compensation of the biased estimation, a satisfied constrained control input, and a fast calculation. In this paper, we modify the prior method of offline calculating the Riccati equation of the conventional H∞ robust controller to be an online optimization scheme and proposed a new constrained evaluation function. The new constrained evaluation function is online optimized by the GWO, which can both find out the constrained suboptimal control actions and compensate the biased estimation of the NDO for the UVMS. The whole system stability is proved. The effectiveness of the fast online calculation, tracking accuracy, and lumped disturbances rejection is shown by a series of UVMS simulations.
Cardiac Ameliorative Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract in High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Obesity in Rat Model
Authors: Mabrouki Lamia , Rjeibi Ilhem , Taleb Jihen , Zourgui Lazhar
Published: February 2020

The consumption of a high‐fat diet is linked to the development of obesity and considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaves (MEML) on the high‐fat diet‐ (HFD‐) induced obesity and cardiac damage in rats. MEML, at a dose of 200 mg/kg/bw and 400 mg/kg/bw, was orally administrated to obese rats for 12 weeks. M. oleifera leaves were proved to be rich in nutrients and minerals. Diversity of phenolic compounds in MEML was evidenced via LC‐ESI‐MS analysis. The chronic administration of HFD in rats led to an increase in the body weight gain, total cholesterol, and triglycerides and reduction in the HDL‐C levels. The obtained results indicated a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the cardiac marker enzyme level in obese rats. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the levels of cardiac catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities was accompanied with an increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the high‐fat diet group when compared to those of the control. The treatment with the MEML alleviated abnormalities in the serum biochemical parameters, balanced the antioxidant status, and reestablished the normal histological structure of the heart especially in the case of the higher concentration. Moringa oleifera leaves may be a promising candidate in the management of obesity and its related complications such as heart problems.
Performance of Tightly Coupled Integration of GPS/BDS/MEMS-INS/Odometer for Real-Time High-Precision Vehicle Positioning in Urban Degraded and Denied Environment
Authors: Liu Fei , Han Houzeng , Cheng Xin , Li Binghao
Published: February 2020

Global Navigation Satellite System Real-Time Kinematic (GNSS-RTK) technology is widely used in vehicle navigation, but in complex environments such as urban high-rise street, wooded street, overpass, and tunnel, satellite signals are prone to attenuation or even unavailability. It brings great challenges to the continuous high-precision navigation. For this reason, a tightly coupled (TC) integration algorithm for GPS (Global Positioning System)/BDS (BeiDou Navigation Satellite System)/MEMS-INS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System-Inertial Navigation System)/Odometer (GCIO) is proposed for vehicle navigation in complex urban environments. The accuracy improvement and ambiguity resolution (AR) performance are analysed in this research. First of all, the INS positioning error is constrained by fusion GPS/BDS (GC) and odometer; then, the predicted position information is used to aid GPS/BDS ambiguity resolution. In GNSS-denied environments, the odometer/INS integration is still carried out for continuous navigation. Real-time experiments are carried out in urban degraded and denied environments to validate the performance of the integrated system. In high-rise streets, the ambiguity fixing success rate of GCIO mode is 13.57% higher than that of GC mode. In the wooded street environment, the success rate has increased particularly significantly, by about 55 percent. The positioning accuracy analysis for open environment, high-rise street, wooded street, overpass, and tunnel is conducted. The experimental results show that in the above environment, the order of 0.1 m positioning accuracy can be achieved in the case of satellite outage for 1 minute, which can meet the positioning needs in most scenarios.
Multivehicle Cooperative Lane Change Control Strategy for Intelligent Connected Vehicle
Authors: Ni Jie , Han Jingwen , Dong Fei
Published: February 2020

In order to improve the safety, stability, and efficiency of lane change operating, this paper proposes a multivehicle-coordinated strategy under the vehicle network environment. The feasibility of collaborative lane change operation is established by establishing a gain function based on the incentive model. By comparing lane change gain with lane keeping gain, whether it is feasible to perform the collaboration under current conditions can be judged. Based on the model predictive control (MPC), a multiobjective optimization control function for cooperative lane change is established to realize the distributed control. A novel two-stage cooperative lane change framework is proposed, which divides the lane change process into the lane change phase and the longitudinal headway adjustment phase. It is significant to solve the difficult numerical problem caused by the dimension of collision-avoidance constraints and the nonlinearity of vehicle kinematics. In the first stage, the subject vehicle completes lane change operation. Both longitudinal and lateral movements of the vehicle are considered to optimize the acceleration and the error of following distance at this stage; in the second stage, the operation of adjusting longitudinal headway between vehicles in the target lane is completed, and at this period, only the longitudinal motion of the vehicle is considered to optimize the vehicle acceleration error. The rolling optimization time domain algorithm is used to solve the optimization control problem step by step. Finally, based on the US NGSIM open-source traffic flow database, the accuracy and feasibility of the proposed strategy are verified.
Molecular Irregularity Indices of Nanostar, Fullerene, and Polymer Dendrimers
Authors: Qing Xie , Wang Zhen , Munir Mobeen , Ahmad Haseeb
Published: February 2020

Dendrimers are highly branched organic macromolecules with successive layers of branch units surrounding a central core. Some properties like toxicity, entropy, and heats of vaporization of these dendrimers can be forecasted using topological indices. The present article is devoted to study of irregularity indices of three well-known classes of dendrimers, namely, nanostar dendrimer D[p], fullerene dendrimer NS4[p], and polymer dendrimerNS5[p], where p is the step size. We also see the relation of irregularity of these dendrimers on the step size graphically.
Effects of Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract on Obesity
Authors: Liu Miao , Yun Peng , Hu Ying , Yang Jiao , Khadka Rim Bahadur , Peng Xiaochun
Published: February 2020

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease resulting from excessive fat accumulation and/or abnormal distribution caused by multiple factors. As a major component of metabolic syndrome, obesity is closely related to many diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer. Hence, the problem of obesity cannot be ignored, and recent studies have shown that grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) has an antiobesity effect. This paper systematically reviews the research progress and potential mechanism of GSPE emphasizing on obesity prevention and treatment.
Sex Differences in Kidney Stone Disease in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Xiao Ying , Wei Ling , Xiong Xiaofen , Yang Yuan , Li Li , Yang Ming , Deng Fei , Sun Lin
Published: February 2020

Objectives: To investigate the characteristics of kidney stone disease (KSD) among the Chinese population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and identify sex-specific factors associated with KSD. Methods: A single-center, cross-sectional analysis was performed among Chinese patients with T2DM. KSD was identified by ultrasonography or computed tomography results. Demographic data, physical measurements, laboratory measurements, comorbidities, and related medication data were collected and analyzed. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the associated factors. Results: A total of 7,257 patients with T2DM were included in the study, of which 56.1% were male and 15.0% were diagnosed with KSD. The male-to-female ratio for KSD among T2DM patients was 1.35. Among all the T2DM patients, male gender, HOMA2-IR, uric acid, and renal cysts were independent risk factors for KSD development, whereas serum phosphorus and the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) were independent protective factors for KSD. Among male diabetic patients, triglycerides, HOMA2-IR, renal cysts, and urinary tract infections were all associated with a greater risk of KSD. In contrast, serum phosphorus was associated with a lower risk of KSD. Among female diabetic patients, systolic blood pressure and HOMA2-B were both contributing factors, and ACEIs acted as a protective factor for KSD. Conclusion: Among Chinese patients with T2DM, approximately 1 in 7 patients was affected by KSD, and the prevalence was twice as high as that in the general Chinese population. The factors associated with KSD varied by sex among T2DM patients. Focusing on these factors is beneficial for reducing the risk of KSD and delaying kidney damage in diabetic patients.
A Promising Innovative Treatment for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: The Use of C-Reactive Protein Selective Apheresis: Case Report
Authors: Boljevic Darko , Nikolic Aleksandra , Rusovic Sinisa , Lakcevic Jovana , Bojic Milovan , Balint Bela
Published: February 2020

Background: In patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with larger infarct size, transmural extent, and poor function of left ventricle and independently predict 30-day mortality. CRP-apheresis following STEMI showed to be feasible, safe, and has significant beneficial effect both on myocardial infarction size and wall motion. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the second published clinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of selective CRP-apheresis in the STEMI treatment using Spectra-Optia and Pentrasorb CRP-adsorber systems. Case Report: A 53-year-old female was referred with anterior STEMI. After percutaneous coronary intervention, patient received standard post-STEMI therapy according to current guidelines. Selective therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) was performed using Spectra-Optia (Terumo BCT; USA) and Pentrasorb CRP-adsorber (Pentracor GmbH; Germany) systems. Antecubital veins were used for vascular access and acid-citrate-dextrose solution (ACD formula A; total volume = 1,026 mL) was utilized as anticoagulant. The volume of processed blood was 15,600 mL. The removed “natural” plasma (total volume = 8,329 mL) was replaced with CRP-depleted autologous plasma (total volume = 8,085 mL). This intensive TPE-treatment was well tolerated, without adverse effects, or complications. The CRP plasma levels were: initial = 4.2 mg/L 6 h after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), pre-apheresis = 16.4 mg/L, and post-apheresis = 4.59 mg/L (CRP-depletion = 72%). There were neither significant changes observed in biochemistry nor any alterations in plasma hemostatic activity investigated before and after CRP-adsorption performed. Conclusion: Early performed CRP-apheresis is a promising innovative therapeutic approach for STEMI treatment that could provide a reduced size of infarction zone – with inferior occurrence of heart failure after AMI. However, precise and complete evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this treatment requires further multicenter randomized and larger clinical studies.
Unrecorded Alcohol Consumption in Seven European Union Countries
Authors: Manthey Jakob , Probst Charlotte , Kilian Carolin , Moskalewicz Jacek , Sierosławski Janusz , Karlsson Thomas , Rehm Jürgen
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Unrecorded alcohol, that is, alcohol not reflected in official statistics of the country where it is consumed, contributes markedly to overall consumption of alcohol. However, empirical data on unrecorded alcohol consumption are scarce, especially in high-income countries. This study measures the contribution of unrecorded alcohol in 7 member states of the European Union. Methods: Two categories of unrecorded consumption were assessed in general population surveys (reducing alcohol related harm Standardized European Alcohol Survey; n = 11,224): home-made alcohol and cross-border shopping. Country-specific logistic regressions were used to link respondent characteristics to odds of acquisition of unrecorded alcohol. Total per capita alcohol consumption was estimated under different assumptions of calculating unrecorded alcohol consumption. Results: Individuals with higher drinking levels were more likely to acquire unrecorded alcohol in all 7 countries. In some countries, male sex and more affluent social class were also positively linked to acquisition of unrecorded alcohol. There was a substantial contribution of unrecorded alcohol to overall consumption in 5 out of 7 member states (Croatia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Portugal), but not in Poland or Spain. In Greece, up to two-thirds of all alcohol consumed was estimated to be unrecorded. Conclusion: Unrecorded alcohol contributes to overall consumption even in high-income countries, and thus needs to be monitored. In monitoring, as many categories of unrecorded alcohol as possible should be clearly defined (e.g., surrogate alcohol) and included in future surveys.
A dupla face de um crítico: notas sobre “O homem dos avessos”, de Antonio Candido
Authors: Rosenbaum Yudith
Published: February 2020

A partir do ensaio “O homem dos avessos”, em que Antonio Candido analisa a obra Grande sertão: veredas, de Guimarães Rosa, pretendo mostrar o que chamo de dupla navegação do ensaísta no modo de compor a aná-lise. Trata-se de desentranhar do caminho analítico justamente o movimento duplo e ambíguo que Candido surpreende no autor mineiro, qual seja, a oscilação entre os passos enraizados no realismo, herdeiro da vertente crítica dos anos 30, e o voo inventivo e criativo que singulariza escritor e crítico. Selecionando passagens notáveis do ensaio, busco examinar essa dupla flutuação como procedimento crítico analógico à temática estudada por Candido.
Minhas aulas com Antonio Candido
Authors: Bernardini Aurora Fornoni
Published: February 2020

Este artigo partiu de anotações das aulas de Antonio Candido durante vários cursos ministrados por ele na FFLCH nos anos de 1970 a 1980 que foram aqui sintetizadas, no sentido de servirem como pró-memória para as aulas que eu mesma viria a ministrar em meus cursos de pós-graduação, nessa mesma Faculdade. A seleção visa dar os conceitos principais sobre os seguintes tópicos: a análise literária; a interpretação; o comentário; contribuições da retórica e da poética tradicionais; a explicação de textos; a estilística; o epílogo de Auerbach em Mimesis; o estruturalismo; a crítica temática; a análise ideológica; a análise literária como integração.
Sobre “O direito à literatura”, de Antonio Candido
Authors: Betti Maria Sílvia
Published: February 2020

Este artigo apresenta e discute as ideias centrais do ensaio “O direito à literatura”, de Antonio Cândido.
Narrativas autobiográficas de Ferreira Gullar
Authors: Chaves Reginaldo Sousa
Published: February 2020

O presente artigo tem como objetivo discutir as narrativas autobiográficas de Ferreira Gullar, poeta e intelectual brasileiro. Na diversidade de gêneros escritos pelo autor, identificamos um “momento autobiográfico” em que ele, recorrentemente, reorganiza suas relações com o passado a partir da urgência presente. Nessas escritas de si há a intenção de posicionar seu percurso e sua obra em um lugar de legitimidade no campo de forças da literatura e da cultura brasileira. Este trabalho aborda as releituras que o poeta realizou de sua própria trajetória no período que compreende a sua atuação nas neovanguardas concretas e neoconcretas até sua adesão às formas engajadas de agitação esquerdista. As narrativas de si que Gullar realizou entre o final dos anos cinquenta e começo dos anos sessenta encontram efetividade através de avanços e recuos de suas posições políticas e estéticas. Esses posicionamentos mantêm relação intrínseca com as turbulências sociais e culturais no Brasil durante a detonação do regime de exceção em 1964 e a repressão intensificada após o AI-5. Nessas escritas de si, o poeta deixa entrever tanto rupturas quanto permanências.
Objeto em perspectiva e sujeito em devir na epistemologia histórica de Gaston Bachelard
Authors: Souto Caio
Published: February 2020

A epistemologia histórica, que tem em Gaston Bachelard um de seus principais expoentes, foi criticada muitas vezes como sendo idealista, uma vez que interpretaria a evolução histórica das teorias científicas de um modo relativamente autônomo, independentemente de seu contexto social ou do sujeito humano produtor da ciência. Este artigo busca demonstrar como, ao menos no caso de Bachelard, há sim uma preocupação para com o sujeito da ciência, que está implicado na construção das teorias científicas, mas não como seu mero produtor, e sim como seu efeito. Trata-se do tema de uma pedagogia científica que se opera constituindo e modificando o sujeito de conhecimento na medida em que os objetos científicos, por sua vez, também são o efeito de uma mise-en-perspective do conhecimento.
Mixed Valvular Disease Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Quantification and Systematic Differentiation Using Clinical Measurements and Image‐Based Patient‐Specific In Silico Modeling
Authors: Keshavarz‐Motamed Zahra , Khodaei Seyedvahid , Rikhtegar Nezami Farhad , Amrute Junedh M. , Lee Suk Joon , Brown Jonathan , Ben‐Assa Eyal , Garcia Camarero Tamara , Ruano Calvo Javier , Sellers Stephanie , Blanke Philipp , Leipsic Jonathon , de la Torre Hernandez Jose M. , Edelman Elazer R.
Published: February 2020

Background

Mixed valvular disease (MVD), mitral regurgitation (MR) from pre‐existing disease in conjunction with paravalvular leak (PVL) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), is one of the most important stimuli for left ventricle (LV) dysfunction, associated with cardiac mortality. Despite the prevalence of MVD, the quantitative understanding of the interplay between pre‐existing MVD, PVL, LV, and post‐TAVR recovery is meager.

Methods and Results

We quantified the effects of MVD on valvular‐ventricular hemodynamics using an image‐based patient‐specific computational framework in 72 MVD patients. Doppler pressure was reduced by TAVR (mean, 77%; N=72;
P
<0.05), but it was not always accompanied by improvements in LV workload. TAVR had no effect on LV workload in 22 patients, and LV workload post‐TAVR significantly rose in 32 other patients. TAVR reduced LV workload in only 18 patients (25%). PVL significantly alters LV flow and increases shear stress on transcatheter aortic valve leaflets. It interacts with mitral inflow and elevates shear stresses on mitral valve and is one of the main contributors in worsening of MR post‐TAVR. MR worsened in 32 patients post‐TAVR and did not improve in 18 other patients.

Conclusions

PVL limits the benefit of TAVR by increasing LV load and worsening of MR and heart failure. Post‐TAVR, most MVD patients (75% of N=72;
P
<0.05) showed no improvements or even worsening of LV workload, whereas the majority of patients with PVL, but without that pre‐existing MR condition (60% of N=48;
P
<0.05), showed improvements in LV workload. MR and its exacerbation by PVL may hinder the success of TAVR.
Waiting (and Paying) for Godot: Analyzing the Systemic Consequences of the Solidarity Crisis in EU Asylum Law
Authors: Marin Luisa
Published: February 2020

What is left of the principle of solidarity in the context of EU asylum law?

The aim of this article is to analyze the follow-up of the solidarity crisis the EU has experienced with the failure of relocation schemes. Relocation schemes have tried to alleviate the consequences of the so-called migration crisis of 2015–2016, but did not prove to be successful, because of the low relocation rates, in addition to open contestation by states of the Visegrad group.

Against the background of the stalemate of the reform of the Dublin Regulation, the article analyzes ‘measures’ adopted after the failure of relocation schemes, focusing in particular on administrative arrangements to counter secondary movements and ‘ad hoc’ temporary disembarkation schemes. Both measures are aiming at fixing longstanding questions (e.g., limiting secondary movements, providing safe disembarkation for irregular migrants): in the first case, States proceed at bilateral level with arrangements creating fast-track returns and stopping secondary movements; in the second case, the EU is trying to support states’ arrangements for disembarkation of migrants after SAR operations.

The article shows that, while reforms of legislative instruments are not progressing, Member States and, to some extent, also EU institutions are going down the lane of ‘operational and informal arrangements’, which are ‘bricolage solutions’ to counterbalance undesired effects of the status quo, while waiting for structural solutions that are necessary but not in sight.

The article discusses the dangers of such a trend toward informal operational solutions, as a challenge to the EU as a system of governance based on the rule of law.
History, Memory of Slavery and Research Film in Brazil
Authors: Mattos Hebe , Abreu Martha , Castro Isabel
Published: February 2020

This article examines the experience of making a set of four research films that collectively comprise the “Present Past” collection (http://www.labhoi.uff.br/passadospresentes/en/filmes_passados.php). The films were developed based on the oral history project “Memories of Slavery” (1995–2005) and the subsequent visual oral history project “Present Pasts” from 2005 to 2012, conducted at the Laboratory of Oral History and Image of Federal Fluminense University in Brazil (LABHOI/UFF). The article analyzes the process of creating each film, discussing the relationships between history, memory, and politics, and considering the contributions that film as a medium brings to historical research.
Hierarchical porous biomass activated carbon for hybrid battery capacitors derived from persimmon branches
Authors: Peng Jiaxin , Yu Juan , Meng Bicheng , Wang Lejie , Zhang Xingliang , Cheng Wudan , Wen Penghui , Zhao Junkai , Li Linbo , Fang Zhao
Published: February 2020

Activated carbon materials are used in hybrid battery capacitors. They reduce energy density of devices, and can greatly improve the cycle life and power density. Herein, we used fast-growing persimmon branches in Shaanxi as a biomass carbon source. The persimmon branch activated carbon
(PB-AC850) material was found to exhibit abundant graded pore structure similar to graphite structure after KOH activation. The macro/mesoporous structure in PB-AC850 facilitated the ions (solvated PF-6 ) transport, resulting in much better rate capability as compared
to commercial activated carbon. It was moreover found from preparation of the hybrid battery capacitor that the addition of activated carbon reduced resistance and polarization of the device. LFP+PB-AC850 exhibited excellent cycle stability with high to 93.4% capacity reservation after 500
cycles at 5C.
Identification and analysis of fluoride-resistant Streptococcus mutans genomic mutation based on silicon solid nanopore
Authors: Zhang Hong , Du Aobo , Hong Lihua , Wang Ying , Cheng Boqun , Zhang Zhimin
Published: February 2020

This aim of this study was to identify the genomic mutations present in fluoride-resistant Streptococcus mutans (strain UA159-FR) using next generation sequencing, and to establish the role of these mutations by comparing fluoride-sensitive (UA159) and UA159-FR strains. In this
paper, the genome of UA159-FR strains was sequenced by PacBio RS and IIIumina sequencing platform using silica-based nanopore. The genomic alignment to the reference S. mutans strain UA159 (NC_004350) was conducted using MUMmer 3.22 to list all the structural variations (SVs), single
nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels. A second round of Sanger sequencing of all regions in which the relevant mutations (SVs, indels, and SNPs) were identified was conducted to confirm these findings. In addition, blast comparison of virulence factor sequence was carried out. In order
to explore the effect of the mutant gene against S. mutans, the KEGG pathway, COG function and go enrichment of the annotated gene were analyzed. Expressions of these variants were compared between S. mutans UA159 and UA159-FR through RT-qPCR. Genome sequencing revealed the presence
of a single 2,031,692 bp circular chromosome, including 1940 ORFs, of which the G+C content was 37.46%. In addition, 35 genomic SNPs and 5 SVs type in UA159-FR were identified through an extensive bioinformatics analysis. The results of indel analysis showed that there was no insertion or
deletion of genes in UA159 and UA159- FR; Synteny analysis showed that the gene of UA159 was collinear with UA159-FR, which further indicated that the main type of gene mutation was single base mutation. By comparing the amino acid sequences of UA159-FR samples with virulence factors, blast
obtained 92 virulence factors, among which, ciaH, eno and pykF had gene mutations. The mutations of ciaH, eno and pykF may be responsible for the functional changes of Streptococcus. At the same time, enrichment analysis showed that the expression genes of S.
mutans were mainly enriched in KEGG pathway such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, citric acid cycle (TCA cycle), pentose phosphate pathway, involved in DNA replication, and related to biological processes such as cell development and cell metabolism. ciaH, eno and pykF were
involved in these processes. In summary, this study highlights new mutations in fluoride-resistant bacteria that may enhance our current understanding of fluoride-resistant pathways in microorganisms. It has been proved that silicon based nanopores and nanopores arrays can detect gene sequences
sensitively and can be used as the main means of gene sequencing in the next generation.