bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Heat Insulation Shotcrete Mixed with Basalt and Plant Fibers
Authors: Huang Jin-kun , Pang Jian-yong , Liu Guang-cheng , Mo Yi-xin , Jiang Ping-wei , Su Qiang
Published: June 2019

An orthogonal set of experiments was performed on common shotcrete, where the coarse and fine aggregates were substituted with ceramsite and pottery sand, while basalt and plant fibers were also added. The influence of ceramsite, pottery sand, basalt fiber, and plant fiber on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of shotcrete was investigated, and the relevant mechanisms were analyzed using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the admixtures formed a stable state in the concrete matrix when the coarse and fine aggregates were substituted by 5 mass% of ceramsite and 10 mass% of pottery sand, respectively, and with 0.15 and 0.2 vol.% basalt fiber and plant fiber, respectively. At this point, the cement hydration was normal, and the strength of the concrete was relatively higher than other groups. The ceramsite and pottery sand formed a uniformly distributed porous structure in the concrete matrix, thereby reducing the thermal conductivity of the concrete.
Dynamic Shear Properties of Recycled Waste Steel Slag Used as a Geo‐Backfill Material
Authors: Wang Liyan , Yan Jiatao , Wang Qi , Wang Binghui , Gong Wenxue
Published: June 2019

Waste steel slag is a recycled industrial solid waste and is sometimes used as backfills, but the dynamic shear properties of waste steel slag have not been researched at present. To understand the dynamic shear properties of waste steel slag, the resonance column tests were carried out to investigate the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio of the steel slag considering the effect of the relative density of steel slag and confining pressure. The maximum dynamic shear modulus was discussed, and the dynamic model of the steel slag was constructed by the Hardin–Drnevich model. The regression analysis of the normalized dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio of the steel slag showed that the dynamic model was very fit for the steel slag. The comparisons of the dynamic shear properties of the steel slag with those of Nanjing fine sand and Fujian standard sand showed that the steel slag had similar dynamic shear resistance to Fujian standard sand and had potential to become a substitute for sand in the practical geotechnical engineering in the future.
Accumulation of NH4+ and NO3− inside Biofilms of Natural Microbial Consortia: Implication on Nutrients Seasonal Dynamic in Aquatic Ecosystems
Authors: Kurniawan Andi , Yamamoto Tatsuya
Published: June 2019

Microbial biofilms are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems. Inside the biofilm is the nutrient-rich microenvironment promoted by the accumulation of the nutrient ions such as NH4+ and NO3− from surrounding water. The present study investigated the characteristics of NH4+ and NO3− accumulation into the biofilm of natural microbial consortia collected from Lake Biwa, Japan. The results showed the following: (1) the concentrations of NH4+ and NO3− inside the biofilm were much higher than those in the surrounding water; (2) the nutrient ion concentration inside the biofilm changed in synchrony with those in the surrounding water; (3) biofilm polymers have both positively and negatively charged sites; (4) electrostatic attractive interactions between the charged sites on biofilm polymers and oppositely charged ions outside the biofilm seem to play important roles in the accumulation of nutrient ions into the biofilm from the surrounding water; (5) the bacterial community structure differs between the biofilm and surrounding water. The present study revealed that the accumulation of nutrient ions into the biofilm indicates the removal of these ions from water outside the biofilm. According to the result of this study, accumulation of ions such as NH4+ and NO3− into the biofilm of natural microbial consortia may have implications on nutrients seasonal dynamic in aquatic ecosystems.
Deconstructing the Gel’fand–Yaglom Method and Vacuum Energy from a Theory Space
Authors: Kan Nahomi , Shiraishi Kiyoshi
Published: June 2019

The discrete Gel’fand–Yaglom theorem was studied several years ago. In the present paper, we generalize the discrete Gel’fand–Yaglom method to obtain the determinants of mass matrices which appear in current works in particle physics, such as dimensional deconstruction and clockwork theory. Using the results, we show the expressions for vacuum energies in such various models.
A Multistory Building Evacuation Model Based on Multiple‐Factor Analysis
Authors: Zhou Yang , Wu Tanghong , Zhang Gaofan , Fan Zichuan
Published: June 2019

Emergency evacuation is an important issue in public security. To make a considerate plan, various situations are presented including blocking the accident area and letting the emergency access path available. In order to offer dynamic evacuation routes due to different circumstances, a multistory building evacuation model is proposed. Firstly, to analyse the patency of the building, an evacuation formula is applied after binary processing. The function of evacuation time and some other parameters is given by means of regression analysis. Secondly, the cellular automata (CA) algorithm was applied to illustrate the effect of the bottleneck. The response of evacuation time could be approximately optimized through calculating time step of the CA simulation. Finally, the value of maximum evacuation population density could be determined according to the analysis of CA simulation results, which was related to the switch state of the emergency channel. The emergency evacuation model was simulated by using the Louvre museum as an example. The results of the simulation presented some feasible evacuation routes in all kinds of situations. Furthermore, the functional relationship would also be given among evacuation time with the diversity of tourists, pedestrian density, and width of exits. It can give a different perspective that the multistory building evacuation model shows excellent adaptability to different circumstances.
Prognostic Role of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen in Cervical Cancer: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Zhenhua , Shi Hongtai
Published: June 2019

Objective. To systematically evaluate the significance of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) in the prognosis of cervical cancer. Methods. Literature from Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library was retrieved to collect all English literature on the correlation between SCC-Ag and cervical cancer prognosis, and the quality of literature collected was assessed based on evaluation criteria. The heterogeneity, sensitivity, and specificity were detected using the StataSE12.0 software, and the correlation between SCC-Ag and cervical cancer prognosis as the effect variables was assessed using the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Moreover, the forest map and funnel plot were drawn. Results. A total of 17 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were selected. The high expression of SCC-Ag was significantly correlated with the poor prognosis of cervical cancer (HR=2.22, 95% CI=1.38−3.57, P=0.002). The disease-free survival (DFS) was higher in low SCC-Ag expression patients than in high SCC-Ag expression patients (HR=2.17, 95% CI=1.84−2.57, P<0.001). The progression-free survival (PFS) was inferior in patients with a high SCC-Ag expression (HR=2.70, 95% CI=1.11−6.53, P=0.028). Conclusion. SCC-Ag is an important prognostic factor for cervical cancer, and its high expression is significantly correlated with a poor prognosis of the disease.
Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy: Assessment of the Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine Three-Dose Policy on Birth Outcomes in Rural Northern Ghana
Authors: Anto Francis , Agongo Ibrahim Haruna , Asoala Victor , Awini Elizabeth , Oduro Abraham Rexford
Published: June 2019

Background. Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) decreases placental parasitaemia and improves birth outcomes. Currently, WHO recommends three or more doses of SP given during antenatal care (ANC), spaced one month apart after 16 weeks of gestation till delivery. This study determined the level of uptake of SP and its association with birth outcomes in rural northern Ghana. Methods. A survey was carried out at the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo, Ghana, among mothers who had delivered within ten weeks and were seeking postnatal care. Data on time of first ANC, number of visits, receipt of IPTp-SP, and birth outcomes were extracted from the antenatal records of 254 mothers. Mothers were interviewed on their background characteristics and obstetric history. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were carried out to determine association between antenatal indicators, uptake of IPTp-SP, and birth outcomes using Stata version 13. Results. Uptake of three-five doses of SP was IPT3 =76.4%, IPT4 =37.3%, and IPT5 = 16.0%. Receipt of first dose of SP at 16, 17-24, and 25-36 weeks of gestation was 16.9%, 56.7%, and 26.4%, respectively. Taking the first dose of SP during the second trimester allowed for taking ≥3 doses of SP compared to taking the first dose during the third trimester (χ2 = 60.1, p<0.001). Women who made ≥4 visits were more likely to receive ≥3 doses of SP compared to those who made <4 visits (χ2 = 87.6, p<0.001). Women who received ≥ 3 doses of SP were more likely (OR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.69-6.33) to give birth at term and also have normal weight babies (OR =4.0; 95% CI: 1.98-8.06). Conclusion. Uptake of three or more doses of SP contributed to improved pregnancy outcomes. Increased efforts towards improving early ANC attendance could increase uptake of SP and improve pregnancy outcomes.
S. Giovanni Varieties (Pyrus communis L.): Antioxidant Properties and Phytochemical Characteristics
Authors: Azzini Elena , Maiani Giuseppe , Durazzo Alessandra , Foddai Maria Stella , Intorre Federica , Venneria Eugenia , Forte Valentina , Lucchetti Sabrina , Ambra Roberto , Pastore Gianni , Silveri Donato Domenico , Maiani Gianluca , Polito Angela
Published: June 2019

In order to evaluate and identify the antioxidant properties and the phytochemical characteristics, as well as the role of the genetic background and the different fruit parts in the definition of fruit quality, we characterized the existing germplasm through nuclear simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and evaluated the genetic divergence between ancient S. Giovanni varieties (Pyrus communis L.) and different types of grafting in relation to some variables of fruit quality. On the peel and pulp of pear varieties, the contents of flavanols, flavonols, and hydroxycinnamic acids as well as total antioxidant capacity were assessed. Their role in plant defences was confirmed by a significantly higher amount in the peel (206.66±44.27, 48.45±13.65, and 31.11±11.94 mg/100 g, respectively) of S. Giovanni pears than in the pulp (71.45±34.94, 1.62±0.83, and 17.05±5.04 mg/100 g, respectively). Data obtained using capillary analysis of SSR indicate unequivocally that the four samples of San Giovanni varieties can be divided into 3 different genetic groups. Cultivar and the different parts of the fruit can exert an action in the definition of the quality product. The use of local varieties and ecotypes can be considered a valid tool to improve food quality and at the same time to support local agrobiodiversity.
Projection Analysis Optimization for Human Transition Motion Estimation
Authors: Li Wanyi , Zhang Feifei , Chen Qiang , Zhang Qian
Published: June 2019

It is a difficult task to estimate the human transition motion without the specialized software. The 3-dimensional (3D) human motion animation is widely used in video game, movie, and so on. When making the animation, human transition motion is necessary. If there is a method that can generate the transition motion, the making time will cost less and the working efficiency will be improved. Thus a new method called latent space optimization based on projection analysis (LSOPA) is proposed to estimate the human transition motion. LSOPA is carried out under the assistance of Gaussian process dynamical models (GPDM); it builds the object function to optimize the data in the low dimensional (LD) space, and the optimized data in LD space will be obtained to generate the human transition motion. The LSOPA can make the GPDM learn the high dimensional (HD) data to estimate the needed transition motion. The excellent performance of LSOPA will be tested by the experiments.
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with Muscle Atrophy and Reduced Mitochondrial Function in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain
Authors: Dzik Katarzyna Patrycja , Skrobot Wojciech , Kaczor Katarzyna Barbara , Flis Damian Jozef , Karnia Mateusz Jakub , Libionka Witold , Antosiewicz Jedrzej , Kloc Wojciech , Kaczor Jan Jacek
Published: June 2019

Recent studies show that vitamin D deficiency may be responsible for muscle atrophy. The purpose of this study was to investigate markers of muscle atrophy, signalling proteins, and mitochondrial capacity in patients with chronic low back pain with a focus on gender and serum vitamin D level. The study involved patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) qualified for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). Patients were divided into three groups: supplemented (SUPL) with vitamin D (3200 IU/day for 5 weeks), placebo with normal levels of vitamin D (SUF), and the placebo group with vitamin D deficiency (DEF). The marker of muscle atrophy including atrogin-1 and protein content for IGF-1, Akt, FOXO3a, PGC-1α, and citrate synthase (CS) activity were determined in collected multifidus muscle. In the paraspinal muscle, IGF-1 levels were higher in the SUF group as compared to both the SUPL and DEF groups (p<0.05). In the SUPL group, we found significantly increased protein content for pAkt (p<0.05) and decreased level of FOXO3a (p<0.05). Atrogin-1 content was significantly different between men and women (p<0.05). The protein content of PGC-1α was significantly higher in the SUF group as compared to the DEF group (p<0.05). CS activity in the paraspinal muscle was higher in the SUPL group than in the DEF group (p<0.05). Our results suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with elevated oxidative stress, muscle atrophy, and reduced mitochondrial function in the multifidus muscle. Therefore, vitamin D-deficient LBP patients might have reduced possibilities on early and effective rehabilitation after PLIF surgery.
Emerging Role of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Pathogenesis of Haematological Malignancies
Authors: Cominal Juçara Gastaldi , da Costa Cacemiro Maira , Pinto-Simões Belinda , Kolb Hans-Jochem , Malmegrim Kelen Cristina Ribeiro , Castro Fabíola Attié de
Published: June 2019

Homoeostasis of bone marrow microenvironment depends on a precise balance between cell proliferation and death, which is supported by the cellular-extracellular matrix crosstalk. Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are the key elements to provide the specialized bone marrow microenvironment by supporting, maintaining, and regulating the functions and fate of haematopoietic stem cells. Despite the great potential of MSC for cell therapy in several diseases due to their regenerative, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties, they can also contribute to modulate tumor microenvironment. The extracellular vesicles that comprise exosomes and microvesicles are important mediators of intercellular communication due to their ability to change phenotype and physiology of different cell types. These vesicles may interact not only with neighbouring cells but also with cells from distant tissues to either maintain tissue homoeostasis or participate in disease pathogenesis. This review focuses on the current knowledge about the physiological role of MSC-extracellular vesicles, as well as their deregulation in haematological malignancies and their potential applications as biomarkers for diagnosis, progression, and treatment monitoring of such diseases.
Kinematical Research of Free-Floating Space-Robot System at Position Level Based on Screw Theory
Authors: Wang Yong , Liang Xiaojun , Gong Kejie , Liao Ying
Published: June 2019

Kinematics of a free-floating space-robot system is a fundamental and complex subject. Problems at the position level, however, are not considered sufficiently because of the nonholonomic property of the system. Current methods cannot handle these problems simply and efficiently. A novel and systematical modeling approach is provided; forward and inverse kinematics at the position level are deduced based on the product of exponentials (POE) formula and conservation of linear momentum. The whole deduction process is concise and clear. More importantly, inertial tensor parameters are not introduced. Then, three situations with different known variables are mainly studied. Due to the complexity of inverse kinematical equations, a numerical method is proposed based on Newton’s iteration method. Two calculation examples are given, a dual-arm planar model and a single-arm spatial model; both forward and inverse kinematical solutions are given, while inverse kinematical results are compared with simulation results of Adams. The results indicate that the proposed methods are quite accurate and efficient.
Protease-Activated Receptor Type 1 Activation Enhances Osteogenic Activity in Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells
Authors: Rovai Emanuel Silva , Ambrósio Lucas Macedo Batitucci , de França Bruno Nunes , de Oliveira Letícia Rodrigues , Gasparoni Letícia Miquelitto , Sipert Carla Renata , Holzhausen Marinella
Published: June 2019

Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) has been associated to tissue repair and bone healing. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of PAR1 activation on the osteogenic activity of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). PDLSCs were cultured in the presence of PAR1-selective agonist peptide (100 nM), thrombin (0.1 U/mL), or PAR1 antagonist peptide (100 nM). Calcium deposits, calcium concentration (supernatant), alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), cell proliferation, and gene (qPCR) and protein expression (ELISA assay) of osteogenic factors were assessed at 2, 7, and 14 days. PAR1 activation led to increased calcium deposits (p<0.05), calcium concentration (p<0.05), ALP activity (p<0.05), and cell proliferation (p<0.05). Further, PAR1 activation may increase gene and protein expression of Runx2 (p<0.05) and OPG (p<0.05). In conclusion, PAR1 activation increases osteogenic activity of PDLSCs, providing a possible new strategy for periodontal regenerative therapies.
A Modified Dragonfly Optimization Algorithm for Single- and Multiobjective Problems Using Brownian Motion
Authors: Acı Çiğdem İnan , Gülcan Hakan
Published: June 2019

The dragonfly algorithm (DA) is one of the optimization techniques developed in recent years. The random flying behavior of dragonflies in nature is modeled in the DA using the Levy flight mechanism (LFM). However, LFM has disadvantages such as the overflowing of the search area and interruption of random flights due to its big searching steps. In this study, an algorithm, known as the Brownian motion, is used to improve the randomization stage of the DA. The modified DA was applied to 15 single-objective and 6 multiobjective problems and then compared with the original algorithm. The modified DA provided up to 90% improvement compared to the original algorithm’s minimum point access. The modified algorithm was also applied to welded beam design, a well-known benchmark problem, and thus was able to calculate the optimum cost 20% lower.
Poincaré Bifurcation of Limit Cycles from a Liénard System with a Homoclinic Loop Passing through a Nilpotent Saddle
Authors: Wei Minzhi , Cai Junning , Zhu Hongying
Published: June 2019

In present paper, the number of zeros of the Abelian integral is studied, which is for some perturbed Hamiltonian system of degree 6. We prove the generating elements of the Abelian integral from a Chebyshev system of accuracy of 3; therefore there are at most 6 zeros of the Abelian integral.
Glutathione Transferase P1 Polymorphism Might Be a Risk Determinant in Heart Failure
Authors: Simeunovic Dejan , Odanovic Natalija , Pljesa-Ercegovac Marija , Radic Tanja , Radovanovic Slavica , Coric Vesna , Milinkovic Ivan , Matic Marija , Djukic Tatjana , Ristic Arsen , Risimic Dijana , Seferovic Petar , Simic Tatjana , Simic Dragan , Savic-Radojevic Ana
Published: June 2019

Disturbed redox balance in heart failure (HF) might contribute to impairment of cardiac function, by oxidative damage, or by regulation of cell signaling. The role of polymorphism in glutathione transferases (GSTs), involved both in antioxidant defense and in regulation of apoptotic signaling pathways in HF, has been proposed. We aimed to determine whether GST genotypes exhibit differential risk effects between coronary artery disease (CAD) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) in HF patients. GSTA1, GSTM1, GSTP1, and GSTT1 genotypes were determined in 194 HF patients (109 CAD, 85 IDC) and 274 age- and gender-matched controls. No significant association was found for GSTA1, GSTM1, and GSTT1 genotypes with HF occurrence due to either CAD or IDC. However, carriers of at least one variant GSTP1∗Val (rs1695) allele were at 1.7-fold increased HF risk than GSTP1∗Ile/Ile carriers (p=0.031), which was higher when combined with the variant GSTA1∗B allele (OR=2.2, p=0.034). In HF patients stratified based on the underlying cause of disease, an even stronger association was observed in HF patients due to CAD, who were carriers of a combined GSTP1(rs1695)/GSTA1 “risk-associated” genotype (OR=2.8, p=0.033) or a combined GSTP1∗Ile/Val+Val/Val (rs1695)/GSTP1∗AlaVal+∗ValVal (rs1138272) genotype (OR=2.1, p=0.056). Moreover, these patients exhibited significantly decreased left ventricular end-systolic diameter compared to GSTA1∗AA/GSTP1∗IleIle carriers (p=0.021). Higher values of ICAM-1 were found in carriers of the GSTP1∗IleVal+∗ValVal (rs1695) (p=0.041) genotype, whereas higher TNFα was determined in carriers of the GSTP1∗AlaVal+∗ValVal genotype (rs1138272) (p=0.041). In conclusion, GSTP1 polymorphic variants may determine individual susceptibility to oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction in HF.
The Evolving View of Coronary Artery Calcium: A Personalized Shared Decision-Making Tool in Primary Prevention
Authors: Dzaye Omar , Reiter-Brennan Cara , Osei Albert D. , Orimoloye Olusola A. , Uddin S. M. Iftekhar , Mirbolouk Mohammadhassan , Blaha Michael J.
Published: June 2019

The 2018 American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) cholesterol management guideline considers current evidence on coronary artery calcium (CAC) testing while incorporating learnings from previous guidelines. More than any previous guideline update, this set encourages CAC testing to facilitate shared decision making and to individualize treatment plans. An important novelty is further separation of risk groups. Specifically, the current prevention guideline recommends CAC testing for primary atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention among asymptomatic patients in borderline and intermediate risk groups (5–7.5% and 7.5–20% 10-year ASCVD risk). This additional sub-classification reflects the uncertainty of treatment strategies for patients broadly considered to be “intermediate risk,” as treatment recommendations for high and low risk groups are well established. The 2018 guidelines, for the first time, clearly recognize the significance of a CAC score of zero, where intensive statin therapy is likely not beneficial and not routinely recommended in selected patients. Lifestyle modification should be the focus in patients with CAC = 0. In this article, we review the recent AHA/ACC cholesterol management guideline and contextualize the transition of CAC testing to a guideline-endorsed decision aid for borderline-to-intermediate risk patients who seek more definitive risk assessment as part of a clinician-patient discussion. CAC testing can reduce low-value treatment and focus primary prevention therapy on those most likely to benefit.
A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence for Adducin Family Gene Polymorphisms and Hypertension
Authors: Zhang Jing rui , Hu Wan ning , Li Chang yi
Published: June 2019

Hypertension is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases that seriously endangers human health and has become a significant public health problem worldwide. In the vast majority of patients, the cause of hypertension is unknown, called essential hypertension (EH), accounting for more than 95% of total hypertension. Epidemiological and genetic studies of humans and animals provide strong evidence of a causal relationship between high salt intake and hypertension. Adducin is one of the important candidate genes for essential hypertension. Adducin is a heterodimeric or heterotetrameric protein that consists ofα,β, andγsubunits; the three subunits are encoded by genes (ADD1,ADD2, andADD3) that map to three different chromosomes. Animal model experiments and clinical studies suggest that changes in single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at part of the adducin family gene increase the Na+-K+-ATPase activity of the renal tubular basement membrane and increase the reabsorption of Na+by renal tubular epithelial cells, which may cause hypertension. This review makes a summary on the structure, function, and mechanism of adducin and the role of adducin on the onset of EH, providing a basis for the early screening, prevention, and treatment of EH.
Concomitant Sjögren’s Syndrome Was Not Associated with a Poorer Response or Outcomes in Ursodeoxycholic Acid-Treated Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Authors: Ni Ping , Men Ruoting , Shen Mengyi , Wang Tingting , Huang Chen , Fan Xiaoli , Yang Li
Published: June 2019

Aim. Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have at least 60% probability of having an autoimmune extrahepatic condition, with the most common being Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). The impacts of SS on the response and outcomes in ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-treated patients with PBC, however, remain unclear. The aim of this study was to document the biochemical responses and clinical outcomes of UDCA-treated patients with concomitant SS and to compare the findings to those of patients with PBC alone. Methods. Data from consecutive patients with PBC who visited West China Hospital affiliated with Sichuan University between October 2013 and October 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. Results. The study populations consisted of 226 patients with PBC alone and 56 with PBC/SS. The median ages, proportions of female patients, Fib-4 scores, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/platelet ratio index (APRI) at baseline in the two cohorts were similar. At presentation, patients with PBC/SS had higher serum IgG levels and positive rates for serum antinuclear antibody (ANA) than patients with PBC alone (all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the rate of biochemical response to UDCA at 1 year in the PBC/SS and PBC alone groups. The UK-PBC risk scores and GLOBE scores in UDCA-treated patients in the two cohorts were also similar. During the follow-up period, the differences in the liver enzyme levels, Fib-4 scores, APRI, and incidence of liver-related adverse events were not significant. Conclusions. The results of this retrospective, single-center study suggest that the response and clinical outcomes of UDCA-treated patients with PBC are not adversely affected by concomitant SS.
Screening of Zoonotic Parasites in Playground Sandboxes of Public Parks from Subtropical Mexico
Authors: Pacheco-Ortega Gonzalo A. , Chan-Pérez José I. , Ortega-Pacheco Antonio , Guzmán-Marín Eugenia , Edwards Melissa , Brown Mark A. , Jiménez-Coello Matilde , Hernández-Cortazar Ivonne B.
Published: June 2019

The pathological agentsToxoplasma gondii, Ancylostoma caninum,andToxocara canisare widely distributed zoonotic parasites with high prevalence in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of DNA from these parasites in sand samples from the sand playgrounds in the southeastern region of Mexico. Samples of sand were collected from 68 playgrounds in public parks in the city of Merida, Yucatan, which is the main urban area in the southeast of Mexico. The samples were examined using nested PCR to detect the SAG1 gene fromToxoplasma gondii, and endpoint PCR for the amplification of ITS-2 and rRNA-ITS2 genes fromToxocara canisandAncylostoma caninum,respectively. The presence ofT. gondiiDNA was detected in 11.8% (8/68) samples, DNA fromA. caninumandT. caniswas not detected. Results indicate that playgrounds from the studied sandboxes are contaminated withT. gondiioocysts and may represent a risk of infection for people in contact with the sand, especially for preschoolers.
Oxidative Stress Produced by Hyperthyroidism Status Induces the Antioxidant Enzyme Transcription through the Activation of the Nrf-2 Factor in Lymphoid Tissues of Balb/c Mice
Authors: Costilla Melisa , Macri Delbono Rodrigo , Klecha Alicia , Cremaschi Graciela Alicia , Barreiro Arcos María Laura
Published: June 2019

Hyperthyroidism is an endocrine disorder characterized by excessive secretion of thyroid hormones T3 and T4. Thyroid hormones exert pleiotropic actions on numerous tissues and induce an overall increase in metabolism, with an increase in energy demand and oxygen consumption. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hyperthyroidism on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lymph node and spleen cells of euthyroid and hyperthyroid mice, analyzing antioxidant mechanisms involved in the restitution of the cellular redox state. For this, thirty female Balb/c (H-2d) mice were randomly divided into two groups: euthyroid (by treatment with placebo) and hyperthyroid (by treatment with 12 mg/l of T4 in drinking water for 30 days). We found a significant increase in ROS and an increase in the genomic and protein expression of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx-1) in lymph node and spleen cells of hyperthyroid mice. In vitro treatment with H2O2 (250 μM) of the lymphoid cells of euthyroid mice increased the expression levels of CAT and GPx-1. The hyperthyroidism increased the phosphorylation levels of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor) and the kinase activity of protein kinase C (PKC) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Additionally, we found an increase in the expression of the classic isoenzymes of PKCα, β and γ. In conclusion, these results indicated that the increase in ROS found in the hyperthyroid state induces the antioxidant enzyme transcription through the activation of the Nrf-2 factor in lymphoid tissues. This shows the influence of hyperthyroidism on the regulation of the cellular antioxidant system.
An Improved Convergence Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm with Random Sampling of Control Parameters
Authors: Sun Lijun , Song Xiaodong , Chen Tianfei
Published: June 2019

Although particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been widely used to address various complicated engineering problems, it still needs to overcome the several shortcomings of PSO, e.g., premature convergence and low accuracy. Its final optimization result is related to the control parameters selection; therefore, an improved convergence particle swarm optimization algorithm with random sampling of control parameters is proposed. For the proposed algorithm, the random sampling strategy of control parameters is designed, which can promote the flexibility of algorithm parameters and simultaneously enhance the updating randomness for both particle velocity and position. According to the convergence analysis of PSO, the sampling range for inertial weight is determined after both the acceleration factors have already been sampled in their respective value interval, to ensure convergence for every evolution step of algorithm. Besides that, in order to make full use of dimension information of some better particles, the stochastic correction approach on each dimension for the population optimum value has been adopted. The final experiments results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm further improves the convergence rate while maintaining higher convergence accuracy, compared with basic particle swarm optimization and other variants.
Convolutional Neural Networks for Recognition of Lymphoblast Cell Images
Authors: Pansombut Tatdow , Wikaisuksakul Siripen , Khongkraphan Kittiya , Phon-on Aniruth
Published: June 2019

This paper presents the recognition for WHO classification of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) subtypes. The two ALL subtypes considered are T-lymphoblastic leukaemia (pre-T) and B-lymphoblastic leukaemia (pre-B). They exhibit various characteristics which make it difficult to distinguish between subtypes from their mature cells, lymphocytes. In a common approach, handcrafted features must be well designed for this complex domain-specific problem. With deep learning approach, handcrafted feature engineering can be eliminated because a deep learning method can automate this task through the multilayer architecture of a convolutional neural network (CNN). In this work, we implement a CNN classifier to explore the feasibility of deep learning approach to identify lymphocytes and ALL subtypes, and this approach is benchmarked against a dominant approach of support vector machines (SVMs) applying handcrafted feature engineering. Additionally, two traditional machine learning classifiers, multilayer perceptron (MLP), and random forest are also applied for the comparison. The experiments show that our CNN classifier delivers better performance to identify normal lymphocytes and pre-B cells. This shows a great potential for image classification with no requirement of multiple preprocessing steps from feature engineering.
Brain Cortical and Hippocampal Dopamine: A New Mechanistic Approach for Eurycoma longifolia Well-Known Aphrodisiac Activity and Its Chemical Characterization
Authors: Ezzat Shahira M. , Ezzat Marwa I. , Okba Mona M. , Hassan Salah M. , Alkorashy Amgad I. , Karar Mennatallah M. , Ahmed Sherif H. , Mohamed Shanaz O.
Published: June 2019

Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Fam.: Simaroubaceae), known as Tongkat Ali (TA), has been known as a symbol of virility and sexual power for men. Metabolic profiling of the aqueous extract of E. longifolia (AEEL) using UPLC-MS/MS in both positive and negative modes allowed the identification of seventeen metabolites. The identified compounds were classified into four groups: quassinoids, alkaloids, triterpenes, and biphenylneolignans. AEEL is considered safe with oral LD50 cut-off >5000 mg/kg. Oral administration of 50, 100, 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg of AEEL for 10 consecutive days to Sprague-Dawley male rats caused significant reductions in mounting, intromission, and ejaculation latencies and increased penile erection index. AEEL increased total body weight and relative weights of seminal vesicles and prostate. Total and free serum testosterone and brain cortical and hippocampal dopamine content was significantly elevated in treated groups with no significant effects on serotonin or noradrenaline content.
Mechanical Properties of Bump‐Prone Coal with Different Porosities and Its Acoustic Emission‐Charge Induction Characteristics under Uniaxial Compression
Authors: Ding Xin , Xiao Xiaochun , Lv Xiangfeng , Wu Di , Xu Jun
Published: June 2019

Discreteness of mechanical property affected by the intimal damage, which emerged with various degrees of material composition and geological structure, is the difference in porosity macroscopically. Although various porosities directly affect fracture activity, damage evolution and mechanical behaviour of coal bring on the bump‐prone assessment error, and disaster happened “ahead of time” in deep underground energy source exploration, little research to date has focused on them. In this paper, the mechanical properties of bump‐prone coal samples with different porosities were studied by uniaxial compression test and the initial damage caused by gangue and organic fracture in coal observed by CT. The result indicated that the evolution of coal strength and the logarithm of porosity were expressed by a linear negative correlation and the elastic modules decreased with the initial damage increased. A new quantitative description of damage variables is established by theoretical derivation to reflect the process of cracks formation and expiation in coal, based on volumetric strain and initial porosity. According to the Mohr–Coulomb principle, the effective stress of coal sample with higher the porosity is more likely to reach the shear strength and destruction. The amplitudes and accumulation of AE energy and charge pulse indeed vary with the stress loading stages and strength. The frequency of AE waveform is dominated in three bands (1∼50 kHz, 100∼150 kHz, and 175∼200 kHz) and that of charge induction had one frequency band 1∼100 Hz, and the amplitudes of time domain and main frequency components increased with stress improved. Both of them originated from cracks and belong to homologous signals, crack development bound to be accompanied by stress wavelet, not necessarily free charge; meanwhile, charge pulse being emerged means there must be cracks interaction and the acoustic emission signals are generated prior to charge induction.
Direction and Stability of Hopf Bifurcation in a Delayed Solow Model with Labor Demand
Authors: ElFadily Sanaa , Kaddar Abdelilah , Najib Khalid
Published: June 2019

This paper is concerned with a delayed model of mutual interactions between the economically active population and the economic growth. The main purpose is to investigate the direction and stability of the bifurcating branch resulting from the increase of delay. By using a second order approximation of the center manifold, we compute the first Lyapunov coefficient for Hopf bifurcation points and we show that the system under consideration can undergo a supercritical or subcritical Hopf bifurcation and the bifurcating periodic solution is stable or unstable in a neighborhood of some bifurcation points, depending on the choice of parameters.
Evaluation of Selected Essential Elements in Khalas Dates from Date Palm Determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Brima Eid I.
Published: June 2019

In terms of nutrition, dates are an important commodity because they are a source of carbohydrates and minerals. Saudi Arabia is the second largest producer of dates worldwide. Khalas is the tenth most popular date type in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), but only limited information related to the levels of essential nutrients in Khalas dates is available. The concentrations of Mn, Cu, Zn, and Se were determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The average concentrations in wet weight were as follows (mg/kg): Mn (2.90 ± 0.54), Cu (1.78 ± 0.64), Zn (1.72 ± 0.42), and Se (0.10 ± 0.06). The calculated intakes (μg/kg bw day) per 100 g dates for each element were as follows: Mn (4.14), Cu (2.54), Zn (2.46), and Se (0.14), which represent 0.14%, 0.51%, 0.25%, and 0.2%, respectively, of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) recommended by the EFSA/WHO. It was found that levels of the analysed essential elements in up to 100 g of Khalas dates do not exceed the level set by the EFSA/WHO.
An Update on Corneal Biomechanics and Architecture in Diabetes
Authors: del Buey María A. , Casas Paula , Caramello Constanza , López Nuria , de la Rica Marisa , Subirón Ana B. , Lanchares Elena , Huerva Valentín , Grzybowski Andrzej , Ascaso Francisco J.
Published: June 2019

In the last decade, we have witnessed substantial progress in our understanding of corneal biomechanics and architecture. It is well known that diabetes is a systemic metabolic disease that causes chronic progressive damage in the main organs of the human body, including the eyeball. Although the main and most widely recognized ocular effect of diabetes is on the retina, the structure of the cornea (the outermost and transparent tissue of the eye) can also be affected by the poor glycemic control characterizing diabetes. The different corneal structures (epithelium, stroma, and endothelium) are affected by specific complications of diabetes. The development of new noninvasive diagnostic technologies has provided a better understanding of corneal tissue modifications. The objective of this review is to describe the advances in the knowledge of the corneal alterations that diabetes can induce.
Canonical Form of Reduced 3-by-3 Matrix with One Characteristic Root and with Some Zero Subdiagonal Elements
Authors: Shavarovskii B. Z.
Published: June 2019

A canonical form for a reduced matrix of order 3 with one characteristic root and with some zero subdiagonal elements is constructed. Thus, the problem of classification with respect to semiscalar equivalence of a selected set of polynomial matrices is solved.
Characteristics of Elderly Long-Term Care Residents Who Were Injured and Transferred to Hospital Emergency Departments in Korea: A Retrospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Namgung Myeong , Kim Keon , Lee Dong Hoon , Yune Ho Young , Wee Jung Hee , Kim Duk Ho , Kim Eui Chung , Lim Jee Yong
Published: June 2019

The objective of this retrospective multicenter study was to investigate the mechanism and characteristics of trauma experienced by patients aged ≥65 years who were transferred from a long-term care hospital to one of five university hospital emergency departments. Of 255,543 patients seen in one of the five emergency departments, 79 were transferred from a long-term care hospital because of trauma. The most common trauma mechanism was slipping down, with 33 (58.9%) patients, followed by falling from a bed (17.9%), striking an object such as a wall or corner (10.7%), overextending a joint (8.9%), and unknown mechanisms (3.6%). Many cases of slip (39.4%) occurred in relation to the bathroom. Comparing slip and fall from a bed, we found more hip fractures (95.2%) because of slipping down than falling from a bed (57.1%); traumatic brain injury only occurred in slip cases. These traumas cause significant morbidity in elderly patients; therefore, we sought to identify strategies that prevent slip in long-term care hospitals.
Severity Classification of Conjunctival Hyperaemia by Deep Neural Network Ensembles
Authors: Masumoto Hiroki , Tabuchi Hitoshi , Yoneda Tsuyoshi , Nakakura Shunsuke , Ohsugi Hideharu , Sumi Tamaki , Fukushima Atsuki
Published: June 2019

Conjunctival hyperaemia is a common clinical ophthalmological finding and can be a symptom of various ocular disorders. Although several severity classification criteria have been proposed, none include objective severity criteria. Neural networks and deep learning have been utilised in ophthalmology, but not for the purpose of classifying the severity of conjunctival hyperaemia objectively. To develop a conjunctival hyperaemia grading software, we used 3700 images as the training data and 923 images as the validation test data. We trained the nine neural network models and validated the performance of these networks. We finally chose the best combination of these networks. The DenseNet201 model was the best individual model. The combination of the DenseNet201, DenseNet121, VGG19, and ResNet50 were the best model. The correlation between the multimodel responses, and the vessel-area occupied was 0.737 (p<0.01). This system could be as accurate and comprehensive as specialists but would be significantly faster and consistent with objective values.
Comparison of the Effect of Fimasartan versus Valsartan on Blood Pressure Variability in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Double-Blind Randomized Trial
Authors: Shin Dong Hoon , Song Soohwa , Lee Yeong Bae
Published: June 2019

Higher blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with poor functional outcome and mortality in acute stroke. This randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the effect on BPV between fimasartan and valsartan (Boryung Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Eighty patients were randomly assigned to receive either valsartan or fimasartan after 7 days of acute ischemic stroke onset, for duration of 8 weeks. Of them, 62 patients completed the study [valsartan (n=31), fimasartan (n=31)]. We measured BP for 24 hours using ambulatory BP monitoring device before and after 8 weeks of starting BP medication. We calculated several indexes such as standard deviation (SD), weighted 24-hour BP with SD (wSD), coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability (ARV) to assess BPV and to compare indexes of BPV between 2 drugs. SD values of systolic BP in daytime, nighttime, and 24 h period (15.55±4.02 versus 20.55±8.77, P=0.006; 11.98±5.52 versus 16.47±6.94, P=0.007; 17.22±5.30 versus 21.45±8.51, P=0.024), wSD of systolic BP (8.27±3.01 versus 10.77±4.18, P=0.010), and ARV of systolic BP (15.85±6.17 versus 19.68±7.83, P=0.040) of patients receiving fimasartan after 8 weeks were significantly lower than patients receiving valsartan. In paired t-test, SD values of daytime, nighttime, and 24 h period of systolic BP of patients receiving fimasartan were significantly decreased after 8 weeks (15.55±4.02 versus 18.70±7.04, P=0.038; 11.98±5.52 versus 17.19±7.35, P=0.006; 17.22±5.30 versus 20.59±5.91, P=0.015). Our study showed that fimasartan had greater effect on reducing BPV after acute ischemic stroke than valsartan. Trials registry number is KCT0003254.
Arrangements of Resting State Electroencephalography as the Input to Convolutional Neural Network for Biometric Identification
Authors: Lai Chi Qin , Ibrahim Haidi , Abdullah Mohd Zaid , Abdullah Jafri Malin , Suandi Shahrel Azmin , Azman Azlinda
Published: June 2019

Biometric is an important field that enables identification of an individual to access their sensitive information and asset. In recent years, electroencephalography- (EEG-) based biometrics have been popularly explored by researchers because EEG is able to distinct between two individuals. The literature reviews have shown that convolutional neural network (CNN) is one of the classification approaches that can avoid the complex stages of preprocessing, feature extraction, and feature selection. Therefore, CNN is suggested to be one of the efficient classifiers for biometric identification. Conventionally, input to CNN can be in image or matrix form. The objective of this paper is to explore the arrangement of EEG for CNN input to investigate the most suitable input arrangement of EEG towards the performance of EEG-based identification. EEG datasets that are used in this paper are resting state eyes open (REO) and resting state eyes close (REC) EEG. Six types of data arrangement are compared in this paper. They are matrix of amplitude versus time, matrix of energy versus time, matrix of amplitude versus time for rearranged channels, image of amplitude versus time, image of energy versus time, and image of amplitude versus time for rearranged channels. It was found that the matrix of amplitude versus time for each rearranged channels using the combination of REC and REO performed the best for biometric identification, achieving validation accuracy and test accuracy of 83.21% and 79.08%, respectively.