bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiometabolic importance of 1-h plasma glucose in obese subjects
Authors: Haverals Lien , Van Dessel Kristof , Verrijken An , Dirinck Eveline , Peiffer Frida , Verhaegen Ann , De Block Christophe , Van Gaal Luc
Published: May 2019

Background/objectives

To study the importance and clinical usefulness of the 1-h plasma glucose (1hPG) in a Caucasian obese population with regard to the presence of prediabetes, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Subjects/methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 2439 overweight or obese subjects. All received an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) using the American Diabetes Association criteria. ROC-curves were used to compare the sensitivity and (1-specificity) of 1hPG versus FPG and 2hPG to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes.

Results

Of 2439 patients (72.1% female) (age 43 ± 13 years, BMI 37.9 (34.6–41.6) kg/m2), 1262 (51.7%) had a 1hPG ≥ 155 mg/dL. The prevalence of prediabetes was 33.8% and of diabetes 9.8%. In these 240 diabetic patients, only 1.6% (four patients) did not show a 1hPG ≥ 155 mg/dL. Subjects with 1hPG ≥ 155 mg/dL were more insulin resistant (p < 0.001), had a higher waist (p < 0.001), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), microalbuminuria (p < 0.001), PAI-1 (p < 0.001), and worse lipid profile (p < 0.001) than subjects with 1hPG < 155 mg/dL. MetS was present in 64.1% of subjects with 1hPG ≥ 155 mg/dL versus 42.5% of subjects with 1hPG < 155 mg/dL (p < 0.001). In the group with 1hPG ≥ 155 mg/dL 32.6% had a normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 48.9% had prediabetes, and 18.5% was diagnosed with T2DM compared to 81.7% NGT, 17.7% prediabetes, and 0.6% T2DM in subjects with 1hPG < 155 mg/dL (p < 0.001). Among NGT subjects, 30.0% had a 1hPG ≥ 155 mg/dL and showed higher HOMA-IR (p = 0.008), VAT (p < 0.001), blood pressure (p < 0.001), and worse lipid profile (p = 0.001). Compared to 1hPG < 155 mg/dL, the sensitivity and specificity of 1hPG ≥ 155 mg/dL of prediabetes were 74.8% and 60.0% and for diabetes 97.1% and 53.2%, respectively.

Conclusions

This study supports the role of 1hPG value as a valuable tool in the detection of obese subjects at high risk for T2DM and MetS.
Microglia in post-mortem brain tissue of patients with bipolar disorder are not immune activated
Authors: Sneeboer Marjolein A. M. , Snijders Gijsje J. L. J. , Berdowski Woutje M. , Fernández-Andreu Alba ,   Psychiatric Donor Program of the Netherlands Brain Bank (NBB-Psy), van Mierlo Hans C. , Berdenis van Berlekom Amber , Litjens Manja , Kahn René S. , Hol Elly M. , de Witte Lot D.
Published: May 2019

Genetic, epidemiological, and biomarker studies suggest that the immune system is involved in the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder (BD). It has therefore been hypothesized that immune activation of microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, is associated with the disease. Only a few studies have addressed the involvement of microglia in BD so far and a more detailed immune profiling of microglial activation is lacking. Here, we applied a multi-level approach to determine the activation state of microglia in BD post-mortem brain tissue. We did not find differences in microglial density, and mRNA expression of microglial markers in the medial frontal gyrus (MFG) of patients with BD. Furthermore, we performed in-depth characterization of human primary microglia isolated from fresh brain tissue of the MFG, superior temporal gyrus (STG), and thalamus (THA). Similarly, these ex vivo isolated microglia did not show elevated expression of inflammatory markers. Finally, challenging the isolated microglia with LPS did not result in an increased immune response in patients with BD compared to controls. In conclusion, our study shows that microglia in post-mortem brain tissue of patients with BD are not immune activated.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor as a possible predictor of electroconvulsive therapy outcome
Authors: van Zutphen Elisabeth Maria , Rhebergen Didi , van Exel Eric , Oudega Mardien Leoniek , Bouckaert Filip , Sienaert Pascal , Vandenbulcke Matthieu , Stek Max , Dols Annemieke
Published: May 2019

While brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown to predict response to pharmacotherapy in depression, studies in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are small and report conflicting results. This study assesses the association between pre-treatment BDNF levels and ECT outcome in severe late-life unipolar depression (LLD). The potential of BDNF as a clinical predictor of ECT outcome was subsequently evaluated. Characteristics associated with low and high BDNF subgroups were determined as well. Ninety-four patients diagnosed with LDD referred for ECT were included. Fasting serum BDNF levels were determined before ECT. Remission and response, measured with the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, were the outcomes. The association between BDNF and ECT outcome was analysed with logistic regression and Cox regression. The clinical usefulness of BDNF was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Associations between clinical characteristics and low versus high BDNF levels were examined with T tests, chi-squared tests and Mann−Whitney tests. The odds of remission decreased with 33% for every five units increase of BDNF levels (OR 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.47–0.96; p = 0.03); however, neither the association with time to remission nor the associations with response nor the adjusted models were significant. The area under the ROC (0.66) implied a poor accuracy of BDNF as a clinical test. Clinical characteristics associated with BDNF were inclusion site, physical comorbidities and duration of the index episode. To conclude, although there is an association between pre-treatment BDNF levels and ECT outcome, BDNF cannot be considered an eligible biomarker for ECT outcome in clinical practice.
Chirality-driven ferroelectricity in LiCuVO4
Authors: Ruff Alexander , Lunkenheimer Peter , Krug von Nidda Hans-Albrecht , Widmann Sebastian , Prokofiev Andrey , Svistov Leonid , Loidl Alois , Krohns Stephan
Published: May 2019

Chirality or the handedness of objects is of prime importance in life science, biology, chemistry, and physics. It is also a major symmetry ingredient in frustrated magnets revealing spin-spiral ground states. Vector-chiral phases, with the twist (either clock- or counter clock-wise) between neighboring spins being ordered, but with disorder with respect to the angles between adjacent spins, have been predicted almost five decades ago. Experimental proofs, however, are rare and controversial. Here, we provide experimental evidence for such a phase in LiCuVO4, a one-dimensional quantum magnet with competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions. The vector-chiral state is identified via a finite ferroelectric polarization arising at temperatures well above the multiferroic phase exhibiting long-range three-dimensional spin-spiral and polar order. On increasing temperatures, spin order becomes suppressed at TN, whereas chiral long-range order still exist, leaving a temperature window with chirality-driven ferroelectricity in the presence of an external magnetic field.
Cross-feedback with Partner Contributes to Performance Accuracy in Finger-tapping Rhythm Synchronization between One Leader and Two Followers
Authors: Ogata Taiki , Katayama Takahiro , Ota Jun
Published: May 2019

As observed in musical ensembles, people synchronize with a leader together with other people. This study aimed to investigate whether interdependency with a partner improves performance accuracy in rhythm synchronization with the leader. Participants performed a synchronization task via auditory signal by finger tapping in which two followers simultaneously synchronized with a leader: an isochronous metronome or a human leader with or without feedback from the followers. This task was conducted with and without cross-feedback (CFB) between the followers. The followers’ weak mutual tempo tracking via the CFB and the followers’ strong tempo tracking to the leader improved the tempo stability. Additionally, because the interdependency between the followers was weaker than the followers’ dependency on the human leader, the CFB did not enlarge the synchronization error between the human leader and the followers, which occurred in synchronization with the metronome. Thus, the CFB between the followers contributed to accuracy in synchronization with the human leader. The results suggest that in ensembles, players should strongly attend to the leader and should attempt to be less conscious of partners to maintain the appropriate balance between influences from the leader and partners.
FN1, SPARC, and SERPINE1 are highly expressed and significantly related to a poor prognosis of gastric adenocarcinoma revealed by microarray and bioinformatics
Authors: Li Li , Zhu Zuan , Zhao Yanchao , Zhang Qi , Wu Xiaoting , Miao Bei , Cao Jiang , Fei Sujuan
Published: May 2019

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC), also known as stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), is one of the most lethal malignancies in the world. It is vital to classify and detect the hub genes and key pathways participated in the initiation and progression of GAC. In this study, we collected and sequenced 15 pairs of GAC tumor tissues and the adjacent normal tissues. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis were used to annotate the unique biological significance and important pathways of enriched DEGs. Moreover, we constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network by Cytoscape and conducted KEGG enrichment analysis of the prime module. We further applied the TCGA database to start the survival analysis of these hub genes by Kaplan-Meier estimates. Finally, we obtained total 233 DEGs consisted of 64 up-regulated genes and 169 down-regulated genes. GO enrichment analysis found that DEGs most significantly enriched in single organism process, extracellular region, and extracellular region part. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that DEGs most significantly enriched in Protein digestion and absorption, Gastric acid secretion, and ECM-receptor interaction. Furthermore, the PPI network showed that the top 10 hub genes in GAC were IL8, COL1A1, MMP9, SST, COL1A2, TIMP1, FN1, SPARC, ALDH1A1, and SERPINE1 respectively. The prime gene interaction module in PPI network was enriched in protein digestion and absorption, ECM receptor interaction, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and pathway in cancer. Survival analysis based on the TCGA database found that the expression of the FN1, SERPINE1, and SPARC significantly predicted poor prognosis of GAC. Collectively, we identified several hub genes and key pathways associated with GAC initiation and progression by analyzing the microarray data on DEGs, which provided a detailed molecular mechanism underlying GAC occurrence and progression.
A novel strategy to engineer pre-vascularized 3-dimensional skin substitutes to achieve efficient, functional engraftment
Authors: Miyazaki Hiromi , Tsunoi Yasuyuki , Akagi Takami , Sato Shunichi , Akashi Mitsuru , Saitoh Daizoh
Published: May 2019

Autologous split-thickness skin grafts are the preferred treatment for excised burn wounds, but donor sites for autografting are often limited in patients with extensive burns. A number of alternative treatments are already in use to treat large burns and ulcers. Despite intense efforts to develop tissue-engineered skin, delayed or absent vascularization is one of the major reasons for tissue-engineered skin engraftment failure. To overcome these problems, we developed a scaffold-free 3-dimensional (3D) skin substitute containing vascular networks that combine dermal fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and epidermal keratinocytes based on our layer-by-layer cell coating technique. We transplanted the pre-vascularized 3D skin substitutes onto full-thickness skin defects on severe combined immunodeficiency mice to assess their integration with the host tissue and effects on wound healing. We used non-vascularized 3D skin substitutes as a control. Vessels containing red blood cells were evident in the non-vascularized control by day 14. However, blood perfusion of the human-derived vasculature could be detected within 7 days of grafting. Moreover, the pre-vascularized 3D skin substitutes had high graft survival and their epidermal layers were progressively replaced by mouse epidermis. We propose that a novel dermo-epidermal 3D skin substitute containing blood vessels can promote efficient reconstruction of full-thickness skin defects.
Association between depressive-symptom trajectories and cognitive function in the late middle-aged and older population: results of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Authors: Choi Dong-Woo , Han Kyu-Tae , Jeon Jooeun , Jang Sung-In , Kim Seung Ju , Park Eun-Cheol
Published: May 2019

This study investigated the association between depressive symptoms and cognitive function according to four different trajectories of depressive symptoms in the late middle-aged and older South Korean population. Panel data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing were analyzed. We used latent class trajectory models to identify four trajectories of depressive symptoms. We performed linear mixed-effects regression analysis to assess associations between depressive-symptom trajectories and MMSE scores. Of 4,374 participants, 18.4%, 4.9%, 55.2%, and 21.5% were classified as having a low, increasing, moderate declining, and high depressive-symptom trajectory, respectively. Individuals with an increasing trajectory (β = −0.729, P ≤ 0.001), moderate trajectory (β = −0.278, P = 0.003), and high trajectory (β = −1.605, P ≤ 0.001) had lower MMSE scores compared with those in the low trajectory group. These relationships were particularly strong among women; individuals who were physically inactive; those who were separated, divorced, or single; and those with hypertension or cerebrovascular disease. Each trajectory group for depressive symptoms was associated with cognitive decline. Moreover, female, physically inactive, and single individuals, as well as those with hypertension and cerebrovascular disease should be particularly mindful of their mental and physical health to prevent cognitive decline.
High precision computer-generated moiré profilometry
Authors: Li Chengmeng , Cao Yiping , Wang Lu , Wan Yingying , Fu Guangkai , Wang Yapin , Chen Cheng
Published: May 2019

Recently, a computer-generated moiré profilometry was proposed by our research group. It can effectively avoid the influence of the transient caused by moiré fringes’ direct acquisition and generally owns a higher accuracy. But when the spatial spectrum of the captured deformed pattern is severely aliased caused by the measured object, the accuracy of this method may be affected to some extent due to the impure background light component extraction. So, a high precision computer-generated moiré profilometry based on background light component’s accurate elimination is proposed. By adding an additional special phase-shifting sinusoidal grating to accurately extract valid information in the spatial domain and improve the sinusoidal feature of the pattern, the measurement precision can be improved effectively. Though the single-shot feature is broken, the real-time measuring feature is still maintained successfully. Experimental results show the feasibility and validity of the proposed method.
Collaborative Activities of Noradrenaline and Natriuretic Peptide for Glucose Utilization in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Uno Goki , Nagoshi Tomohisa , Yoshii Akira , Inoue Yasunori , Tanaka Yoshiro , Kimura Haruka , Ito Satoshi , Ogawa Kazuo , Tanaka Toshikazu D. , Minai Kosuke , Ogawa Takayuki , Kawai Makoto , Yoshimura Michihiro
Published: May 2019

Glucose is an important preferential substrate for energy metabolism during acute coronary syndrome (ACS) attack, although insulin resistance (IR) increases during ACS. Increasing evidence indicates that natriuretic peptides (NP) regulate glucose homeostasis. We investigated possible compensatory actions of NP in collaboration with other neurohumoral factors that facilitate glucose utilization during ACS. The study population consisted of 1072 consecutive cases with ischemic heart disease who underwent cardiac catheterization (ACS, n = 216; non-ACS, n = 856). Among ACS subjects, biochemical data after acute-phase treatment were available in 91 cases, defined as ACS-remission phase (ACS-rem). Path models based on covariance structure analyses were proposed to clarify the direct contribution of B-type NP (BNP) and noradrenaline to glucose and HOMA-IR levels while eliminating confounding biases. In non-ACS and ACS-rem subjects, although noradrenaline slightly increased glucose and/or HOMA-IR levels (P < 0.03), BNP did not significantly affect them. In contrast, in ACS subjects, high noradrenaline was a significant cause of increases in glucose and HOMA-IR levels (P < 0.001), whereas high BNP was a significant cause of decreases in both parameters (P < 0.005). These findings indicate that BNP and noradrenaline coordinately activate glucose metabolism during ACS, with noradrenaline increasing glucose levels, as an energy substrate, while BNP improves IR and promotes glucose utilization.
The antioxidant and DNA-repair enzyme apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 limits the development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis partly by modulating the immune system
Authors: Maruyama Keisuke , Nakagawa Naoki , Aonuma Tatsuya , Saito Yukihiro , Hayasaka Taiki , Kano Kohei , Horiuchi Kiwamu , Takehara Naofumi , Kawabe Jun-ichi , Hasebe Naoyuki
Published: May 2019

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is a multifunctional protein that controls the cellular response to oxidative stress and possesses DNA-repair functions. It has important roles in the progression and outcomes of various diseases; however, its function and therapeutic prospects with respect to kidney injury are unknown. To study this, we activated APE1 during kidney injury by constructing an expression vector (pCAG-APE1), using an EGFP expression plasmid (pCAG-EGFP) as a control. We performed unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) as a model of tubulointerstitial fibrosis on ICR mice before each vector was administrated via retrograde renal vein injection. In this model, pCAG-APE1 injection did not produce any adverse effects and significantly reduced histological end points including fibrosis, inflammation, tubular injury, and oxidative stress, as compared to those parameters after pCAG-EGFP injection. qPCR analysis showed significantly lower expression of Casp3 and inflammation-related genes in pCAG-APE1-injected animals compared to those in pCAG-EGFP-injected UUO kidneys. RNA-Seq analyses showed that the major transcriptional changes in pCAG-APE1-injected UUO kidneys were related to immune system processes, metabolic processes, catalytic activity, and apoptosis, leading to normal kidney repair. Therefore, APE1 suppressed renal fibrosis, not only via antioxidant and DNA-repair functions, but also partly by modulating the immune system through multiple pathways including Il6, Tnf, and chemokine families. Thus, therapeutic APE1 modulation might be beneficial for the treatment of renal diseases.
Prevalence and characterization of Clostridium perfringens toxinotypes among patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea in Iran
Authors: Azimirad Masoumeh , Gholami Fatemeh , Yadegar Abbas , Knight Daniel R. , Shamloei Sharareh , Aghdaei Hamid Asadzadeh , Zali Mohammad Reza
Published: May 2019

Clostridium perfringens has emerged as an important cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), particularly in the hospital environment. Here we investigated the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of C. perfringens isolated from 2280 fecal samples from Iranian diarrheal patients suspected of having AAD. Overall, AAD was diagnosed in 13.3% (303/2280) of patients and associated with advanced age (>50 years, P = 0.001). A total of 106 C. perfringens isolates were cultured from AAD (n = 68) and non-AAD (n = 38) groups, with toxinotypes A and F comprising 84% and 16% of isolates, respectively. Notably, 41.2% of type F strains were also cpb2-positive and enterotoxigenic cpe-positive strains were detected in 13.2% of the isolates from AAD patients. Genes associated with the VirR/VirS signal transduction (virR, virS) and accessory gene regulator (agrB, agrD) systems were detected in 56.6% and 67% of the isolates, respectively, and peptides of the quorum-sensing modulator, AgrD were highly conserved across all strains. The high prevalence of C. perfringens in Iranian AAD patients suggests that diagnostic laboratories in this region should consider screening for C. perfringens in cases of suspected AAD, especially if the specimen is negative for other pathogens and/or the patients are aged >50 years.
Dose-dependent effects of chronic alcohol drinking on peripheral immune responses
Authors: Sureshchandra Suhas , Raus Anthony , Jankeel Allen , Ligh Brian Jin Kee , Walter Nicole A. R. , Newman Natali , Grant Kathleen A. , Messaoudi Ilhem
Published: May 2019

It is well established that chronic heavy alcohol drinking (CHD) results in significant organ damage, increased susceptibility to infections, and poor outcomes following injury. In contrast, chronic moderate drinking (CMD) has been associated with improved cardiovascular health and immunity. These differential outcomes have been linked to alterations in both innate and adaptive branches of the immune system; however, the mechanisms remain poorly understood. To address this question, we determined the impact of chronic drinking on the transcriptional and functional responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) collected from male rhesus macaques classified as CMD or CHD after 12 months of voluntary ethanol self-administration. Our analysis suggests that chronic alcohol drinking, regardless of dose alters resting transcriptomes of PBMC, with the largest impact seen in innate immune cells. These transcriptional changes are partially explained by alterations in microRNA profiles. Additionally, chronic alcohol drinking is associated with a dose dependent heightened inflammatory profiled at resting and following LPS stimulation. Moreover, we observed a dose-dependent shift in the kinetics of transcriptional responses to LPS. These findings may explain the dichotomy in clinical and immunological outcomes observed with moderate versus heavy alcohol drinking.
Observationally constrained aerosol–cloud semi-direct effects
Authors: Allen Robert J. , Amiri-Farahani Anahita , Lamarque Jean-Francois , Smith Chris , Shindell Drew , Hassan Taufiq , Chung Chul E.
Published: May 2019

Absorbing aerosols, like black carbon (BC), give rise to rapid adjustments, and the associated perturbation to the atmospheric temperature structure alters the cloud distribution. The level of scientific understanding of these rapid cloud adjustments—otherwise known as semi-direct effects (SDEs)—is considered low, with models indicating a likely negative (−0.44 to +0.1 Wm−2) forcing. Recent studies suggest this negative SDE is primarily driven by decreases in high-level clouds and enhanced longwave cooling. Here, we investigate the SDE using multiple models driven by observationally constrained fine-mode aerosol forcing without dust and sea salt. Unlike aerosol simulations, which yield a relatively vertically uniform aerosol atmospheric heating profile with significant upper-tropospheric heating, observation-based heating peaks in the lower-troposphere and then decays to zero in the mid-troposphere. We find a significant global annual mean decrease in low- and mid-level clouds, and weaker decreases in high-level clouds, which leads to a positive SDE dominated by shortwave radiation. Thus, in contrast to most studies, we find a robust positive SDE, implying cloud adjustments act to warm the climate system. Sensitivity tests with identical average, but vertically uniform observationally constrained aerosol atmospheric heating result in a negative SDE, due to enhanced longwave cooling as a result of large reductions in high-level clouds. Our results therefore suggest that model simulations lead to a negatively biased SDE, due to an aerosol atmospheric heating profile that is too vertically uniform.
Vapor growth of binary and ternary phosphorus-based semiconductors into TiO2 nanotube arrays and application in visible light driven water splitting
Authors: Üzer Ebru , Kumar Pawan , Kisslinger Ryan , Kar Piyush , Thakur Ujwal Kumar , Shankar Karthik , Nilges Tom
Published: May 2019

Polyphosphide–TiO2 hybrid materials, like SnIP@TiO2, are used as photocatalysts for PEC-water-oxidation: SnIP a double helix semiconductor reacted as nanofibers onto and into TiO2 nanotube arrays. Due to synergetic effects an enhanced water splitting performance was found.
Flexible quasi-solid-state zinc ion batteries enabled by highly conductive carrageenan bio-polymer electrolyte
Authors: Huang Yuan , Liu Jiuwei , Zhang Jiyan , Jin Shunyu , Jiang Yixiang , Zhang Shengdong , Li Zigang , Zhi Chunyi , Du Guoqing , Zhou Hang
Published: May 2019

The zinc ion batteries with KCR electrolyte show a high specific capacity and fast charging and discharging capability.
Solvent-driven structural topology involving energetically significant intra- and intermolecular chelate ring contacts and anticancer activities of Cu(ii) phenanthroline complexes involving benzoates: experimental and theoretical studies
Authors: Bhattacharyya Manjit K. , Saha Utpal , Dutta Debajit , Das Amal , Verma Akalesh K. , Frontera Antonio
Published: May 2019

Solvent driven structural topology and in vitro anticancer evaluation of two new Cu(ii) complexes considering cytotoxicity, apoptosis and molecular docking.
Metal–organic framework derived hollow porous CuO–CuCo2O4 dodecahedrons as a cathode catalyst for Li–O2 batteries
Authors: Zhen Shu-ying , Wu Hai-tao , Wang Yan , Li Na , Chen Hao-sen , Song Wei-li , Wang Zhen-hua , Sun Wang , Sun Ke-ning
Published: May 2019

Metal–organic framework derived porous CuO–CuCo2O4 dodecahedrons as a cathode catalyst for Li–O2 batteries with significantly enhanced rate and cyclic performance.
Enhanced surface wettability and innate activity of an iron borate catalyst for efficient oxygen evolution and gas bubble detachment
Authors: Dastafkan Kamran , Li Yibing , Zeng Yachao , Han Li , Zhao Chuan
Published: May 2019

Alternating dip-coating of iron borate on nickel foam provides surface wettability towards achieving a low-adhesion oxygen evolution electrode.
Vacancy-coordinated hydrogen evolution reaction on MoO3−x anchored atomically dispersed MoRu pairs
Authors: Liu Suli , Chen Cheng , Zhang Yuefeng , Zheng Qiuhui , Zhang Sudi , Mu Xueqin , Chen Changyun , Ma Jianmin , Mu Shichun
Published: May 2019

Enhanced electrocatalytic HER is demonstrated by constructing atomically dispersed MoRu pairs with abundant dangling unsaturated O and Ru vacancies on rGO-MoO3−x using an in situ versatile electrostatic assembly strategy.
Energy‐efficiency fog computing resource allocation in cyber physical internet of things systems
Authors: Chen Xincheng , Zhou Yuchen , He Bintao , Lv Lu
Published: May 2019

Cyber physical internet of things systems (CPIoTs), taking advantages of cyber physical systems, have been considered as a promising technology to provide better interaction and interoperability among various machines. However, the development of CPIoTs suffers severely from big data. In this context, fog computing is proposed to handle the big data bottleneck of CPIoTs. In this study, the authors focus on the joint optimisation of the communication resources and computation resources in fog computing‐based CPIoTs to maximise the overall system energy efficiency, in which multiple fog nodes and end users are taken into consideration. Moreover, since the channel estimation error will become serious with the expanding scale, the imperfect channel state information is considered in this study. The formulated optimisation problem is a mixed integer non‐linear problem which is indeed non‐deterministic polynomial hard, hence a probability distribution method is proposed to reformulate the problem into a non‐probability form, and the resource allocation algorithm based on Dinkelbach algorithm and Lagrange duality approach is adopted to tackle the problem efficiently. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, especially when the scales are enormous.
Dynamic infinity‐norm constrained control allocation for attitude tracking control of overactuated combined spacecraft
Authors: Huang Xiuwei , Duan Guang‐Ren
Published: May 2019

In this study, a dynamic (infinity‐norm) constrained control allocation scheme is designed for attitude tracking control of combined spacecraft with inertia uncertainties and external disturbances. A disturbance‐observer‐based constrained backstepping control law is developed to generate the control command signals considering non‐symmetric constraints on control input, where the lumped disturbance containing inertia uncertainties and external disturbances is compensated by the output of stable non‐linear disturbance observer. The control scheme can guarantee that the attitude and angular velocity tracking error converge to small neighbourhood of zero by appropriately tuning the control parameters. With the consideration of physical amplitude and rate constraints on actuators, the dynamic constrained control allocation problem is solved by linear programming technique. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed disturbance‐observer‐based constrained backstepping control method and the dynamic constrained control allocation algorithm.
Optimal integral minus proportional derivative controller design by evolutionary algorithm for thermal‐renewable energy‐hybrid power systems
Authors: Kler Dhruv , Kumar Vineet , Rana Kanwar P.S.
Published: May 2019

The goal of this work is to investigate the application of integral minus proportional derivative (IPD) controller for the automatic generation control (AGC) problem comprising of a two‐area thermal system integrated with renewable energy (RE)‐based sources such as wind, solar and fuel cells. In order to facilitate a realistic environment, each thermal system is equipped with a governor dead band, reheat turbine and generation rate constraint. Moreover, each RE‐based power system is modelled by incorporating certain drift and random variations as the key characteristic of RE‐based sources. The control performance of IPD is compared with the PID and PI controllers all tuned using an evolutionary technique genetic algorithm by incorporating a step load perturbation in both areas. In order to verify the effectiveness of the control scheme, detailed performance investigations are carried out using random variations in load perturbations and in RE‐based power. In addition, sensitivity analysis is also included for wider variations in system parameters in order to test robustness. Based on the extensive simulations for robustness and accuracy, it was observed that IPD outperforms the other controllers and therefore serves as a promising solution to the problem of AGC.
Applying WCACG modified process is beneficial on reduced door-to-balloon time of acute STEMI patients
Authors: Li Qiao-Wen , Liu Xiao-Jian , Li Jin-Hua , Zhang Guo-Qi , Chen Su-Min , Huang Chao-Long , Qiu Min , Li Yue-Liang , Duan Peng , Weng Yi-Jiun , Zhang Xiao-Yong , Huang Chih-Yang
Published: May 2019

Background: Various systems have employed with the objective to reduce the time from emergency medical services contact to balloon inflammation for ST-elevation myocardial infraction (STEMI) patients. The WCACG message system was used to an alternative communication platform to improve confirmation of the diagnosis and movement to treatment, resulted in shorten the door-to-balloon (D-to-B) time for STEMI patients.

Methods: We collected 366 STEMI patients admitted at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People’s Hospital, Department of Cardiology, during the period from June 2013 to October 2015. The patients were divided into two groups one underwent the current GC processes and the other group was handled using WCACG system. We compared between two groups with several indicators including D-to-B time, duration of hospitalization, associated costs, and incidence of adverse cardiovascular events.

Results: The results show that the new method with WCACG system significantly reduced the average D-to-B time (from 100.42 ± 25.14 mins to 79.81 ± 20.51 mins, P < 0.05) compared to the GC processes, and also reduced the duration, costs and undesirable cardiac incidence during hospitalization.

Conclusions: The modified WCACG process is an applicable system to save pieces of time and efficiently integrate the opinions of experts in emergency.
Monomicrobial non-neutrocytic bacterascites caused by aeromonas hydrophila in a patient with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Lin Chen-Sheng , Lin Cheng-Wen
Published: May 2019

Aeromonas peritonitis is a rare, but serious infection, as associated with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, peritonitis in chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, and intestinal perforation. Here, we reported a case of monomicrobial non-neutrocytic bacterascites caused by Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila). The patient, a 57-year-old man who had a history of alcoholic liver disease and chronic hepatitis C-related Child- Pugh class C liver cirrhosis, was admitted to our hospital with fever, dyspnea and a localized wound pain over left ankle. Ascitic fluid analysis demonstrated that ascitic polymorphonuclear cell count was 30 cells/ mm3. Empirical antimicrobial treatment with a combination of ceftriaxone and clindamycin were administered. However, the patient died due to fatal septic shock on Day 3. His blood and ascites cultures were positive for A. hydrophila. The case report presents the diagnosis, management, and literature review of Aeromonas monomicrobial non-neutrocytic bacterascites.
Et si la climatologie devenait une science sociale comme les autres ? À propos du colloque « Entre connaissance et action : regards croisés sur les enjeux climatiques et environnementaux »
Authors: Chateauraynaud Francis , Dubois Cathy
Published: May 2019

Cet article revient sur les échanges qui ont eu lieu lors du colloque « Entre connaissance et action : regards croisés sur les enjeux climatiques et environnementaux » organisé au Centre national d’études spatiales à Paris en décembre 2016. Les climatologues évoquent parfois une certaine indifférence des sciences humaines et sociales face à leurs appels à la mobilisation pour « la cause du climat ». Or, des programmes de recherche récents ont favorisé des coopérations entre chercheurs de différentes disciplines, révélant aux participants l’intérêt de confrontations continues de leurs approches. Cette synthèse critique restitue les principaux enseignements de cette journée et invite à aller encore plus loin, en considérant la climatologie comme une science sociale capable de relier logique axiomatique et logique phénoménologique.
Effects of dance therapy after gastric bypass on quality of life, self-esteem and self-assessment of body size
Authors: Muller-Pinget Solange , Lagger Gregoire , Somers Florence , Allet Lara , Golay Alain
Published: May 2019

Introduction: In order to motivate patients who have undergone bariatric surgery to take care of themselves and reconstruct their self-image, it proves essential to help them to focus on the body-subject (perceptual and affective sensory feelings). Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of dance therapy on the patient’s experience of the body, self-esteem, and body esteem, as well as on quality of life and self-assessment of body size after gastric bypass and weight stabilization. Methods: Eleven patients participated in a dance therapy program for 90 minutes per week over 18 weeks. The effects on self-esteem, quality of life, body esteem and body image were measured using self-questionnaires. Results: The results after dance therapy showed an improvement in quality of life p < 0.000. Body esteem and self-esteem improved significantly (p < 0.000). However, a divergence remains, or may even be larger, between actual BMI and self-assessment of body size after gastric bypass, even in patients who are no longer obese after the bariatric surgery. Conclusion: After 18 weeks of dance therapy, patients who attended a patient education preparation course and underwent gastric bypass develop a perception of their experienced body that enables them to significantly improve their quality of life, self-esteem, and body esteem.
Is radius bone mineral density helpful for fracture risk assessment?
Authors: Biver Emmanuel
Published: May 2019

Although peripheral DXA is not recommended for the diagnosis of osteoporosis or to monitor osteoporotic treatments, its use for fracture risk assessment is supported by several studies. In addition, its potential interest is supported by the recent demonstration, in prospective cohorts, of the contribution of distal radius microstructure and strength, assessed by high-resolution peripheral QCT (HRpQCT), to predict incident fractures beyond the classical clinical tools (femoral neck BMD and FRAX). Indeed, areal BMD measured by DXA at the ultra-distal radius is highly correlated with bone strength derived from HRpQCT measurements at the same site. Ultra-distal radius areal BMD is therefore highly associated with fracture risk, with associations of higher magnitude than at the “classically recommended” one-third distal radius. Furthermore, ultra-distal radius areal BMD is also associated with incident fractures in non-osteoporotic women in women with T-score > –2.5 SD on hip and spine DXA or women with FRAX score below the intervention threshold for age. Since more than half of low-trauma fractures occur in individuals not identified as being at high risk by BMD testing at the spine or hip, radius bone mineral density may help to refine fracture risk in patients with osteopenia defined by central DXA (spine or hip), or relatively few clinical risk factors.
Influence of vitamin D on fracture reduction among older adults: a discussion of recent meta-analysis findings
Authors: Bischoff-Ferrari Heike A.
Published: May 2019

Recent meta-analyses on vitamin D and fracture reduction have led physicians and patients to question current guidelines on vitamin D. In this review of four recent meta-analyses, we summarize these meta-analyses with regard to target group and relevance to current guidelines. Importantly, two of the recent meta-analyses target adults age 50 years and older without osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency where trial data is still very limited and does not reflect the target group of older adults age 65 and older vulnerable to both osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency. One other meta-analysis has a focus on vitamin D plus calcium with significant benefits for both total and hip fractures, and one excludes these trials and shows no benefit plus has been questioned for several limitations with regard to study design. In summary, for older adults at increased risk for fractures and/or vitamin D deficiency, it is still reasonable to take 800 to 1000 IU vitamin D per day, following current recommendations. Reducing the risk of fractures among vulnerable older adults age 65 and older, at risk of vitamin D deficiency and fractures, remains a major public health target.
Metastasiertes ALK-positives NSCLC Stadium IV
Authors: Kretzschmar Alexander
Published: May 2019

Mit einer raschen Behandlung von ALK-positiven Patienten mit einem nicht-kleinzelligen Lungenkarzinom (NSCLC) Stadium IV mit einem ALK-Inhibitor kann das Gesamtüberleben (OS) in der klinischen Praxis selbst in diesem vorgerückten Krankheitsstadium noch sehr deutlich verlängert wurden. In einer retrospektiven monozentrischen Studie überlebten die 100 Patienten im Median 6,8 Jahre (81 Monate). Weder Hirnmetastasen noch das Jahr der Diagnose beeinflussten das OS.
Osteosklerotisch wachsendes Meningeom des Os frontale
Authors: Schrum Anna , Coras Roland , Andresen Reimer
Published: May 2019

Meningeome zählen zu den häufigsten, benignen intrakraniellen Tumoren. Überwiegend zeigen sie ein duraständiges nach intrakraniell gerichtetes Wachstum. Extradural wachsende Meningeome sind selten und manifestieren sich größtenteils in Knochengewebe. Eine durale Komponente kann vorliegen. Der Großteil dieser Entitäten zeigt ein osteoblastisches Wachstum. Osteolytisch-destruierende und Mischformen kommen ebenfalls vor. Wir berichten über den Fall einer 76-jährigen Patientin mit dem Zufallsbefund eines osteosklerotisch wachsenden Tumors des Os frontale. Zum Ausschluss einer malignen Genese wurde eine Biopsie entnommen. Der histologische Befund ergab den seltenen Befund eines primär intraossären Meningeoms.
Qualitätsgesicherte Molekulardiagnostik
Authors: Bubenzer Rainer
Published: May 2019

Die molekulare Diagnostik ist nur ein Baustein der gesamten Diagnostik und Therapie. Am wesentlichsten bei der Krebsdiagnostik bleibt die Morphologie“, betonte Prof. Thilo Weichert, München, vom Vorstand der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Pathologie, auf einer Presseveranstaltung zum Thema qualitätsgesicherte Molekulardiagnostik in der Onkologie. Hintergrund der Veranstaltung war die Vorstellung eines gemeinsamen Positionspapiers, welches die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hämatologie und Medizinische Onkologie (DGHO) in Kooperation mit anderen Fachgesellschaften erarbeitet hat. Angesichts der enormen Möglichkeiten, der hochkomplexen Analysen und den hohen Erwartungen an diese Methodik, soll das Positionspapier den Einsatz der Molekulardiagnostik in der Versorgung von Patientinnen und Patienten mit Krebs definieren.
Arzneimittelinteraktionen, die man kennen muss!
Authors: Voigt Niels , Ort Katharina , Sossalla Samuel
Published: May 2019

Arzneimittelinteraktionen (AMI) sind ein häufig unterschätztes Problem der modernen Medizin. Die Zahl älterer, multimorbider Patienten, die mehrere Wirkstoffe gleichzeitig einnehmen, nimmt stetig zu – der damit verbundene exponentielle Anstieg möglicher AMI ist fast unüberschaubar. Diese Übersicht stellt häufige, relevante AMI anhand von Beispielen dar und zeigt Strategien auf, wie sie in der Praxis frühzeitig erkannt und vermieden werden können.
Selenium-enriched flower-like of bismuth ferrite nanosheets assembly with associated magnetic properties
Authors: Rizwan Syed , Umar Muhammad , Babar Zaheer Ud Din , Awan Saif Ullah , Anis ur Rehman M.
Published: May 2019

Facile sol-gel synthesis method was used to prepare Selenium (Se) and Lanthanum (La) co-doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles for soft and hard ferromagnetic applications. La and Se doped bismuth ferrite nanostructures were fabricated using facile double-solvent sol-gel technique for, BiFe1-xSexO3 (BFSex) and Bi0.92La.08Fe1-xSexO3 (L8Sex), (where, x=0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) nanocomposites. The structural, morphological and magnetic properties of BFSex and L8Sex were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. Structural and morphological analysis reveals that BFSex and L8Sex transform from perovskite rhombohedral crystal structure of pure BiFeO3 to orthorhombic crystal structure by the co-substitution of Se and La. The SEM results revealed that the shape of the nanocomposites is continuously changed with increasing Se concentration starting first from nanoparticles shape to needle-like to the nanosheets and ending up to the self-growth flower-like structure under the same synthesis conditions. The magnetization of BFSex and L8Sex is large at initial Se concentration but the coercivity and squareness of the magnetic hysteresis increase with increases in Se concentration. The results revealed that various co-doped BFO novel nanostructures can be synthesized using simple and economical method for variable magnetic properties.
General modeling on substrate curvatures and film stresses in bilayer systems
Authors: Mu Qingsong
Published: May 2019

Based on the transform of reference plane of bending from substrate mid-plane to an optimum site, and synchronously involved with the hypothesis of a coupled lattice shared by atoms of two crystals on the both sides of interface between film and substrate, a new closed-form solution with symmetric form in mathematics for residual stress in a film-substrate system is developed. Examples are discussed for the thermal and epitaxial stresses. As the ratio of film thickness to substrate thickness becomes larger, stress given by the new solution differs obviously from those predicted by the previous solutions [For instances: G. G. Stoney, Proc. R. Soc. (London) A82, 172 (1909); L. B. Freund, J. A. Floro, and E. Chason, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 1987 (1999); and Q. S. Mu, AIP Adv. 8, 065224 (2018)], which may be considered as an extended modification of this paper to the existing studies.
Enhanced photocurrent and photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange in cobalt hydroxide loaded titanium dioxide film
Authors: Hu Taozheng , Wang Wengui , Han Diyi , Dong Wen
Published: May 2019

We report experimental investigation of the effect of the cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)2) decoration on the photocatalytic activity of the titanium dioxide (TiO2) films. We demonstrate that the decoration of Co(OH)2 is able to red-shift the absorption edge of the TiO2 film from UV to the visible light region, enhance the optical absorption, and facilitate the charge separation and transfer. As a result, the Co(OH)2-TiO2 composite film is found to exhibit much larger photocurrent and higher performance in photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange than the pure TiO2 film.
Mesoporous MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C nanoparticle as pH-responsive T1-T2* dual-modal magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent for tumor diagnosis
Authors: Duan Bei-chen , Xu Peng-ping , Guo Zhen , Chen Qian-wang
Published: May 2019

Mesoporous structured MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via a facile and efficient strategy, with negligible cytotoxicity and minor side efforts. The as-prepared MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs hold great potential in serving as pH-responsive T1-T2* dual-modal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast agents. The released Mn2+ shortened T1 relaxation time, meanwhile the superparamagnetic Fe3O4 enhanced T2 contrast imaging. The release rate of Mn ions reaches 31.66% under the condition of pH=5.0, which is similar to tumor microenvironment and organelles. Cytotoxicity assays show that MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs have minor toxicity, even at high concentrations. After intravenous injection of MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs, a rapid contrast enhancement in tumors was achieved with a significant enhancement of 132% after 24 h of the administration. Moreover, a significant decreasement of 53.8% was witnessed in T2 MR imaging signal. It demonstrated that MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs can act as both positive and negative MR imaging contrast agents. Besides, owing to the pH-responsive degradation of mesoporous MnSiO3, MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs can also be used as potential drug systems for cancer theranostics.
Effectiveness of the electric fish fence as a behavioural barrier at a pumping station
Authors: Egg Leonhard , Pander Joachim , Mueller Melanie , Geist Juergen
Published: May 2019

Dyke-based pumping stations have been linked with high fish mortalities during pumping events. Behavioural barriers like electric fish fences have been proposed as a promising solution to prevent entrainment of fish into pumps. In order to test the effectiveness of such barriers, the intake of a pumping station was equipped with a new generation electric fish fence while fish behaviour was observed with an adaptive resolution imaging sonar (ARIS) during non-electrified (reference) and electrified (treatment) operation modes. This study revealed the functionality of the fish fence as a behavioural barrier, with a fish turning rate of up to 72% at a mean water temperature of 4.3°C and a mean current velocity of 0.05ms–1. These field results suggest that new-generation electric fish fences may be a promising solution to reduce the effects of pumping stations on fish.