bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of plasma gel as a new modality in treatment of atrophic acne scars
Authors: Elfar Nashwa N. , Hasby Eiman A.
Published: February 2020

Background

Postacne scarring is an unfortunate and frequent complication of acne, with varied morphological forms and associated significant psychological distress to patients.

Aim of the work

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of plasma gel injection alone and in combination with microneedling in treatment of atrophic postacne scars.

Patients and methods

Sixty patients with atrophic postacne scars were enrolled in this single blinded randomized controlled study. The patients were divided into three groups with 20 patients being treated with intradermal injection of plasma gel, 20 patients treated with dermaroller, and 20 patients subjected to combined plasma gel and dermaroller. Patients received four sessions at monthly intervals and were evaluated by clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical analysis.

Results

There was statistically significant improvement in postacne scars after treatment in all studied groups with variable degrees; the combined technique showed the best clinical improvement in postacne scars. There was an increase in newly formed collagen and elastic fibers with more organized and condensed bundles after the end of treatment.

Conclusion

Plasma gel showed a remarkable improvement for most patients after one session, providing a quick and easy solution for acne scars. The combination of dermaroller and plasma gel potentiated its effect with more improvement in scars.
Asian management of hypertension: Current status, home blood pressure, and specific concerns in Philippines (a country report)
Authors: Sison Jorge , Divinagracia Romeo , Nailes Jennifer
Published: February 2020

Incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the Philippines based on the Philippine Heart Association survey among hospital‐based population showed hypertension as the highest (38.6%), followed by stroke (30%), coronary artery disease (CAD) (17.5%), and heart failure (10.4%). Based on Philippine FNRI data, the prevalence of coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial diseases were 1.1%, 0.9%, and 1.0%, respectively. Cardiovascular risk factor prevalence were the following: diabetes at 3.9%, dyslipidemia at 72%, smoking at 31%, obesity at 4.9% (BMI), and 10.2% and 65.6% by waist‐hip ratio in men and women, respectively. In a more recent study on risk factors, urban dwellers were more hypertensive, overweight, obese, and with impaired fasting glucose. More smokers and dyslipidemia by high TC, high non‐HDL‐C, and low HDL‐C were seen in those living in the rural areas. Subjects with higher level of education were more overweight, obese and have dyslipidemia by a high TC, TG, and LDL‐C while there were more smokers, low HDL‐C, and hypertensive participants who have reached a lower level of education. Latest data on prevalence of hypertension were 28% equal for males and females. Unaware was 9%. Treatment rate was 56%, compliance was 57%, and BP control rate was 20%. Antihypertensive medications used were beta‐blockers (36%), calcium channel blockers (CCB) (33%), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) (28%), ACE inhibitors (5%), and centrally acting agents (4%). Mortality from CVD was stroke, mostly infarct (22.6%), myocardial infarction (6.5%), and Heart Failure (6.5%)
Phototherapy in the perspective of the chronicity of psoriasis
Authors: van de Kerkhof P.C.M. , de Gruijl F.R.
Published: February 2020

According to the guidelines for the treatment of psoriasis, phototherapy is given in courses of UVB exposure starting at 50–70% of the minimal erythema dose, MED, with subsequently incremental dosages, but keeping erythemal skin reactions to a minimum by restraining the dosages when necessary. In this review, this classical principle of short‐term near erythematogenic UVB therapy without further UVB maintenance therapy is challenged as it is evidently not optimal for psoriasis as a chronic condition. There is old experimental evidence supplemented with growing knowledge on the mode of action of phototherapy and more recent data on low‐level UVB regimens as maintenance therapy that should urge us to revisit our guidelines on phototherapy to address psoriasis for what it is: a chronic condition.
Clinical features of inherited neuropathy with BSCL2 mutations in Japan
Authors: Ishihara Satoshi , Okamoto Yuji , Tanabe Hajime , Yoshimura Akiko , Higuchi Yujiro , Yuan Jun‐Hui , Hashiguchi Akihiro , Ishiura Hiroyuki , Mitsui Jun , Suwazono Shugo , Oya Yasushi , Sasaki Masayuki , Nakagawa Masanori , Tsuji Shoji , Ohya Yusuke , Takashima Hiroshi
Published: February 2020

Heterozygous mutations in the Berardinelli‐Seip congenital lipodystrophy 2 (BSCL2) gene have been reported with different clinical phenotypes including Silver syndrome (SS)/spastic paraplegia 17 (SPG17), distal hereditary motor neuropathy type V (dHMN‐V), and Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth (CMT) disease type 2. We screened 407 Japanese patients who were clinically suspected of having CMT by exome sequencing and searched mutations in BSCL2. As a result, we identified five patients with heterozygous mutations in BSCL2. We confirmed three cases of known mutations (p.N88S and p.S90L) and two cases of novel mutations (p.N88T and p.S141A). The clinical features of the cases with known mutations in Japan were similar to those previously reported in other countries. In particular, there were many cases with sensory disturbance. The case with p.N88T mutation showed severe phenotype such as early onset age and prominent vocal cord paresis. The case with p.S141A mutation showed characteristics of demyelinating neuropathy such as CMT disease type 1 by electrophysiological examination. In this article, we report the clinical features and spread of cases with BSCL2 mutation in a Japanese cohort.
Dermal fillers do not induce upregulation of NLRP3 inflammasomes or expression of inflammatory cytokines in granulomas
Authors: Reinholz Markus , Clanner‐Engelshofen Benjamin M. , Heppt Markus V. , Marsela Enklajd , Kawakami Yoshio , Wiest Luitgard G. , French Lars E. , Stolz Wilhelm , Gauglitz Gerd G.
Published: February 2020

Background

Filling materials have increasingly been used in aesthetics over the last decades. Understanding the pathophysiology of granuloma formation as a very relevant unwanted side effect of filler application may be essential to help avoid these adverse events.

Aims

Our aim was to investigate the role of the inflammasome in the formation of filler granuloma, as a central column of the innate immune response.

Methods

RPMI 1640 medium was used for growth of THP‐1 cells and the induction of THP‐1 macrophages. Sonication was applied in order to crush the acrylic particles of the filler. ELISA was the method of analysis for the specific cytokines. Biopsy specimens of filler granuloma were analyzed by various immunohistochemical methods. GraphPad Prism 5 software was used for the statistical data analysis.

Results

Neither was the sensor NALP3 overexpressed, nor could an elevated expression of cleaved IL‐1β, IL‐18, or IFN‐γ be detected. Furthermore, no increased expression of IL‐8 or IL‐1β was detectable in vitro.

Conclusion

No increased inflammasome activation could be observed; however, filler granulomas were infiltrated with granulocytes and macrophages. Therefore, we speculate that an unspecific immune response might be the key player in the formation of filler granuloma.
A roadmap to build a phenotypic metric of ageing: insights from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Authors: Kuo P.‐L. , Schrack J. A. , Shardell M. D. , Levine M. , Moore A. Z. , An Y. , Elango P. , Karikkineth A. , Tanaka T. , de Cabo R. , Zukley L. M. , AlGhatrif M. , Chia C. W. , Simonsick E. M. , Egan J. M. , Resnick S. M. , Ferrucci L.
Published: February 2020

Over the past three decades, considerable effort has been dedicated to quantifying the pace of ageing yet identifying the most essential metrics of ageing remains challenging due to lack of comprehensive measurements and heterogeneity of the ageing processes. Most of the previously proposed metrics of ageing have been emerged from cross‐sectional associations with chronological age and predictive accuracy of mortality, thus lacking a conceptual model of functional or phenotypic domains. Further, such models may be biased by selective attrition and are unable to address underlying biological constructs contributing to functional markers of age‐related decline. Using longitudinal data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), we propose a conceptual framework to identify metrics of ageing that may capture the hierarchical and temporal relationships between functional ageing, phenotypic ageing and biological ageing based on four hypothesized domains: body composition, energy regulation, homeostatic mechanisms and neurodegeneration/neuroplasticity. We explored the longitudinal trajectories of key variables within these phenotypes using linear mixed‐effects models and more than 10 years of data. Understanding the longitudinal trajectories across these domains in the BLSA provides a reference for researchers, informs future refinement of the phenotypic ageing framework and establishes a solid foundation for future models of biological ageing.
Puberty and Transdiagnostic Risks for Mental Health
Authors: Mendle Jane , Beam Christopher R. , McKone Kirsten M. P. , Koch Mary Kate
Published: February 2020

Puberty in girls represents a notable period of vulnerability for different psychological disorders. The research literature has primarily considered external and contextual factors that might explain these rises in symptomatology. In the present study, we investigate relations of pubertal status and timing with individual cognitive, emotional, and behavioral tendencies, commonly identified as transdiagnostic processes, in a sample of N = 228 girls (Mage = 11.75 years). We also test whether these transdiagnostic processes mediate associations of pubertal status and pubertal timing with depressive symptoms. Results support greater endorsement of rumination, co‐rumination, negative urgency, and both anxious and angry rejection sensitivity in girls with more advanced pubertal status, as well as in girls with early pubertal timing. Higher levels of transdiagnostic processes fully mediated associations of pubertal status and timing with depressive symptoms at significant and marginally significant levels, respectively. Although the data are cross‐sectional, these findings offer promising preliminary evidence that transdiagnostic processes represent an important mental health risk in early adolescent girls.
James Baldwin, Christian Ethics, and the Recovery of Tradition
Authors: Larsen Sean
Published: February 2020

This essay uses James Baldwin’s thought about racism and homophobia as a critical lens for thinking about some influential strands of Christian ethics. The first part shows how Baldwin understood racism and homophobia and related them to one another by framing them as instances of spirit/flesh dualism and as effects of Christian supremacy. The second part relies on Baldwin’s categories to analyze and juxtapose the thought of select neo‐Anabaptist and neo‐Augustinian social ethicists. Like Baldwin, the ethicists I engage respond to the distorting power of Christian supremacy and of spirit/flesh dualism. Unlike Baldwin, these ethicists frame their response to Christian supremacy and dualism as a recovery of a more authentic or faithful Christian tradition. Baldwin, who often relied rhetorically and morally on Christian claims and frequently called on Christians to reflect the example of Jesus and the precepts of love, related to the tradition from the perspective of someone who had become an outsider to the church. He tended to focus instead on what the problems he described reflected about Christianity. The contrast with Baldwin helps identify two distinct retrieval strategies, which characterize the neo‐Anabaptist and neo‐Augustinian ethicists I discuss. One strategy seeks to preserve the integrity of Christian faith, and the other seeks to protect its essential decency. In what follows, I highlight some of the weaknesses of these approaches to tradition retrieval.
Reconciling economic concepts and person‐centred care of the older person with cognitive impairment in the acute care setting
Authors: Rushton Carole , Edvardsson David
Published: February 2020

Person‐centred care is a relatively new orthodoxy being implemented by modern hospitals across developed nations. Research demonstrating the merits of this style of care for improving patient outcomes, staff morale and organizational efficiency is only just beginning to emerge. In contrast, a significant body of literature exists showing that attainment of person‐centred care in the acute care sector particularly, remains largely aspirational, especially for older people with cognitive impairment. In previous articles, we argued that nurses work constantly to reconcile prevailing constructions of time, space, relationships, the body and ethics, to meet expectations that the care they provide is person‐centred. In this article, we explore key concepts of neo‐liberal thought which forms an important back‐story to the articles. Economic concepts, “efficiency” and “freedom” are examined to illustrate how nurses work to reconcile both the repressive and productive effects of economic power. We conclude the article by proposing a new research agenda aimed at building a more nuanced understanding of the messy actualities of nursing practice under the influences of neo‐liberalism, that illuminates the compromises and adaptations nurses have had to make in response to economic power.
Retrospective, single‐center case series of neonatal lupus
Authors: Wang Yixin Ally , Sibbald Cathryn , Moon Amanda T.
Published: February 2020

Background

Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) results from cross‐placental transfer of maternal autoantibodies. Neonates can present with cardiac, cutaneous, hepatobiliary, hematologic, and neurologic complications from antibody‐mediated organ toxicity. Scant evidence exists on long‐term clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with neonatal lupus.

Objectives

To characterize the autoantibody profile, laboratory, and clinical features of patients with NLE.

Materials/Methods

This was a single‐site retrospective cohort study of patients at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with NLE. Data were collected on clinical, laboratory, and autoantibody profile at time of presentation, as well as long‐term complications.

Results

Thirteen patients were included. Congenital cardiac findings were reported in 3 patients, with 1 having persistent cardiac sequelae. Cardiac manifestations were correlated with anti‐Ro/SSA positivity in our cohort. Two patients had neurologic findings, with good long‐term outcomes. Cutaneous findings were present in all patients, and many resolved without topical steroid treatment. Hematologic and hepatobiliary findings were common, but uncomplicated, with complete resolution by 6 months after initial presentation in all. Maternal rheumatologic disease, treatment, and race were not associated with systemic manifestations.

Conclusions

Patients born to mothers with positive anti‐Ro/SSA titers may benefit from routine cardiac monitoring in utero and at birth. Routine EEG or head ultrasound monitoring in patients who are autoantibody positive for NLE may be unnecessary. Information regarding long‐term outcomes in NLE can be used to guide familial counseling and the use of serial laboratory testing.
Diagnosis of pili trianguli et canaliculi by frozen section: A rapid and inexpensive method of diagnosis
Authors: Krenitsky Amanda , Dean Audrey , DiCarlo Christina , Bellus Gary , Hossler Eric
Published: February 2020

We present frozen section as a novel method in the diagnosis of pili trianguli et canaliculi that may serve as a more time‐ and resource‐ efficient alternative to current gold‐ standard electron microscopy. In this case series, three children between ages one and four presented with blonde hair unable to be combed into place. Frozen section was performed and evaluated under light microscopy with easy visualization of the hair shaft abnormality, consistent with the diagnosis of pili trianguli et canaliculi.
Phomopsis husk rot of macadamia in Australia and South Africa caused by novel Diaporthe species
Authors: Wrona Christopher J. , Mohankumar Vheena , Schoeman Maritha H. , Tan Yu P. , Shivas Roger G. , Jeff‐Ego Olumide S. , Akinsanmi Olufemi A.
Published: February 2020

Phomopsis husk rot (PHR) in macadamia is a disease of economic importance in major commercial production areas in Australia and South Africa. Effective control of PHR is hindered by limited knowledge about its aetiology and epidemiology. The diversity and pathogenicity of more than 50 isolates of Diaporthe associated with PHR in macadamia orchards in Australia and South Africa was assessed. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences of the ITS, tef1α, and tub2 gene loci revealed four novel clades that are described as Diaporthe australiana sp. nov., D. drenthii sp. nov., D. macadamiae sp. nov., and D. searlei sp. nov. Pathogenicity tests with representative isolates found that all four species caused PHR of varying severity between and within species, as well as between the two macadamia cultivars HAES 344 and HAES 816. The Australian species, D. australiana, was the most aggressive species compared with the three South African species. This study improves our understanding of the aetiology of PHR in macadamia and paves the way for more effective disease management.
It's costly punishment, not altruistic: Low midfrontal theta and state anger predict punishment
Authors: Rodrigues Johannes , Liesner Marvin , Reutter Mario , Mussel Patrick , Hewig Johannes
Published: February 2020

Punishment in economic games has been interpreted as “altruistic.” However, it was shown that punishment is related to trait anger instead of trait altruism in a third‐party dictator game if compensation is also available. Here, we investigated the influence of state anger on punishment and compensation in the third‐party dictator game. Therefore, we used movie sequences for emotional priming, including the target states anger, happy, and neutral. We measured the Feedback‐Related Negativity (FRN) and midfrontal theta band activation, to investigate an electro‐cortical correlate of the processing of fair and unfair offers. Also, we assessed single‐trial FRN and midfrontal theta band activation as a predictor for punishment and compensation. We found that punishment was linked to state anger. Midfrontal theta band activation, which has previously been linked to altruistic acts and cognitive control, predicted less punishment. Additionally, trait anger led to enhanced FRN for unfair offers. This led to the interpretation that the FRN depicts the evaluation of fairness, while midfrontal theta band activation captures an aspect of cognitive control and altruistic motivation. We conclude that we need to redefine “altruistic punishment” into “costly punishment,” as no direct link of altruism and punishment is given. Additionally, midfrontal theta band activation complements the FRN and offers additional insights into complex responses and decision processes, especially as a single trial predictor.
Inherited basement canyons: Impact on sediment distribution in the North Atlantic
Authors: Dam Gregers , Sønderholm Martin , Sørensen Erik Vest
Published: February 2020

Studies of basement‐bounded canyons in West Greenland show that these were long‐lasting features that extended inland for several hundreds of kilometres, acting as prominent sediment conduits sourcing the Albian–Palaeocene Nuussuaq Basin during several phases of basin evolution. The Ilulissat Icefjord canyon was the major conduit for sediment into the basin and provenance data indicate that it had a huge catchment area that extended to East Greenland. The Uparuaqqusuitsut canyon was also an important conduit for sediment in the northern part of the basin. It is suggested that the initial canyon formation occurred during uplift events in the Late Triassic and Late Jurassic when the deeply weathered basement surface formed during Early–Middle Triassic time was eroded. The recognition of these canyons as long‐lasting sediment conduits have huge implications for understanding the sediment distribution, source‐to‐sink studies and the palaeogeography of the North Atlantic basins.
Platelet depletion limits the severity but does not prevent the occurrence of experimental transfusion‐related acute lung injury
Authors: Cognasse Fabrice , Tariket Sofiane , Hamzeh‐Cognasse Hind , Arthaud Charles‐Antoine , Eyraud Marie‐Ange , Bourlet Thomas , Berthelot Philippe , Laradi Sandrine , Fauteux‐Daniel Sebastien , Garraud Olivier
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

Transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a severe pulmonary reaction due to blood transfusions. The pathophysiology of this complication is still not widely elucidated by the scientific community, especially regarding the direct role of blood platelets within the cellular mechanism responsible for the development of TRALI.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In this study, a mouse model was used to induce the development of antibody‐mediated acute lung injury through injections of lipopolysaccharide and an anti–major histocompatibility complex Class I antibody. BALB/c mice were pretreated with an anti‐GPIbα antibody, which induces platelet depletion, or ML354, a protease receptor 4 pathway inhibitor, 30 minutes before TRALI induction.

RESULTS

Depletion of platelets before TRALI induction appeared to reduce the severity of TRALI without completely inhibiting its development. Also, inhibition of platelet activation by ML354 did not prevent the onset of TRALI. Finally, the stimuli used for TRALI induction also triggered specific platelet activation upon ex vivo stimulation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that blood platelets are not critically required for TRALI induction, although they are to some extent involved in its pathophysiology.
Visual field motion during a body pull affects compensatory standing and stepping responses
Authors: St George Rebecca J. , Di Giulio Irene , Day Brian L.
Published: February 2020

Key points

It is unclear whether the visual input that accompanies a perturbation of a standing person can affect whether a recovery step is taken.

Visual motion speeds were manipulated during unexpected forward and backward shoulder pulls.

Visual motion that appeared slower than actual body motion reduced the initial in‐place resistance to the perturbation.

As a result of the modulation of the in‐place response, less pull force was needed to trigger a step when visual velocity appeared slower than normal.

The visuomotor postural response occurred earlier and was larger when the full‐field visual input was paired with a mechanical perturbation.

The present study aimed to determine how visual motion evoked by an upper body perturbation during standing affects compensatory postural responses. This was investigated by rotating the visual field forwards or backwards about the ankle, time‐locked to a forwards or backwards shoulder pull. Kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic responses were recorded to a range of pull forces over 160 trials in 12 healthy adults (mean ± SD = 31 ± 5.8 years). Stepping threshold forces and in‐place postural responses were compared between conditions. When the visual field moved in the same direction as the pull, so that the apparent velocity of the body was reduced (SLOW condition), the pull‐force required to induce a step was less than when the visual field either rotated in the opposite direction (FAST) or was unaltered (NATURAL). For in‐place responses, the body was displaced further in the direction of the pull in the SLOW condition. This was the result of a reduction in the resistive force from lower leg muscles 130 ms after the visual motion onset. In trials with no pull, the visual motion induced postural responses that were later (290 ms) and had smaller amplitudes compared to when visual motion is paired with an unexpected perturbation of the body. The results suggest that the apparent speed of the visual environment during a perturbation does influence whether a compensatory step is taken, not via a direct effect on the decision to step but by modulating the initial in‐place response.
A Numerical Method for Calculation of Ship–Ship Hydrodynamics Interaction in Shallow Water Accounting for Sinkage and Trim
Authors: Ren Huilong , Xu Chen , Zhou Xueqian , Sutulo Serge , Guedes Soares Carlos
Published: February 2020

Sinkage and trim, which often occur to ships moving in shallow water, do not only have an effect on the ship–ship hydrodynamic interaction forces but also increase the risk of grounding. Potential flow-based online calculation of ship–ship hydrodynamic interaction forces without accounting for dynamic sinkage and trim is able to capture the hydrodynamic interaction effects with fair accuracy; however, there are still discrepancies in many cases, especially in the case of shallow water. An algorithm based on the potential theory has been devised for real-time simulation of the hydrodynamic interaction between two ships in shallow water accounting for sinkage and trim. The shallow water condition is modeled using the mirror image method. The sinkage and trim are solved iteratively based on the principle of hydrodynamic balance, where a mesh trimming procedure is carried out when the waterline is changed. Simulations are performed with and without accounting for the sinkage and trim, and comparison with experimental results shows a fair agreement.
Experimental Study on Heat Transfer of Leading Edge Film-Cooling With Counter-Inclined Cylindrical and Laid-Back Holes
Authors: Ye Lin , Liu Cun-liang , Liu Feng , Yang Yu-quan , Zhu Hui-ren
Published: February 2020

The heat transfer coefficient of counterinclined film holes fed by different intake structures on the turbine vane leading edge (LE) model is experimentally investigated in this paper. A semicylinder model is adopted to model the vane leading edge, which is arranged with one single row of film holes per side, which are located from the stagnation at a 15-deg angle. The four leading edge models, which are the combinations of the hole-shapes (cylindrical hole and laid-back hole) and intake structures (plenum and impingement), are tested at four blowing ratios M. The contours of the heat transfer coefficient, which are characterized by the Frössling number Fr, since it includes the Reynold number effect, are acquired by the transient measurement technique based on double thermochromic liquid-crystals (LCs). The lateral-averaged Fr of the nonfilm-cooled model is provided by using the same experimental platform with an identical main-flow condition. It is then compared with the published data, which indicates the reliability of the present transient measurement techniques. The results illustrate that a core region with a higher heat transfer appears in the hole-exit downstream, and its distribution is slightly skewed to the inclination direction of the film holes. The shape of the high heat transfer region gradually inclines in the spanwise direction as M increases. The heat transfer in the region where the jet core flows through is relatively low, while the jet edge region is relatively high. The effect of impingement leads to the outflow of each hole becoming increasingly uniform, which can reduce the difference in the heat transfer between the region where the jet core flows through and the jet edge. The heat transfer strength may increase due to the intense turbulence caused by the introduction of the impingement. Compared with the cylindrical hole, the laid-back hole has a spanwise expansion feature, which makes the shape of the high heat transfer region wider in the spanwise direction and increases the heat transfer level. Additionally, the magnitude of the enhancement increases with an increasing M.
Rhizoglyphus mites (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) from Brazil, with complementary description of Rhizoglyphus vicantus Manson

Authors: Barbosa Marina F. C. , Moraes Gilberto J. De
Published: February 2020

Rhizoglyphus species are commonly found associated with subterranean plant organs, where they may lead to direct or indirect damages. The diversity of this genus in Brazil is poorly known and the most frequently mentioned species in the country is Rhizoglyphus echinopus (Fumouze & Robin). However, this species appears on the A1 quarantine list for Brazil. The objective of the present work was to report the Rhizoglyphus species that have been collected in agricultural environments in Brazil. In this study, five species are reported: R. caladii Manson, R. columbianus Oudemans, R. robini Claparède, R. setosus Manson and R. vicantus Manson. Among these, four are new records for Brazil (R. caladii, R. columbianus, R. setosus and R. vicantus).
Frequent Carbohydrate Ingestion Reduces Muscle Glycogen Depletion and Postpones Fatigue Relative to a Single Bolus
Authors: Menzies Campbell , Wood Michael , Thomas Joel , Hengist Aaron , Walhin Jean-Philippe , Jones Robbie , Tsintzas Kostas , Gonzalez Javier T. , Betts James A.
Published: February 2020

The timing of carbohydrate ingestion and how this influences net muscle glycogen utilization and fatigue has only been investigated in prolonged cycling. Past findings may not translate to running because each exercise mode is distinct both in the metabolic response to carbohydrate ingestion and in the practicalities of carbohydrate ingestion. To this end, a randomized, cross-over design was employed to contrast ingestion of the same sucrose dose either at frequent intervals (15 × 5 g every 5 min) or at a late bolus (1 × 75 g after 75 min) during prolonged treadmill running to exhaustion in six well-trained runners ( 61 ± 4 ml·kg−1·min−1). The muscle glycogen utilization rate was lower in every participant over the first 75 min of running (Δ 0.51 mmol·kg dm−1·min−1; 95% confidence interval [−0.02, 1.04] mmol·kg dm−1·min−1) and, subsequently, all were able to run for longer when carbohydrate had been ingested frequently from the start of exercise compared with when carbohydrate was ingested as a single bolus toward the end of exercise (105.6 ± 3.0 vs. 96.4 ± 5.0 min, respectively; Δ 9.3 min, 95% confidence interval [2.8, 15.8] min). A moderate positive correlation was apparent between the magnitude of glycogen sparing over the first 75 min and the improvement in running capacity (r = .58), with no significant difference in muscle glycogen concentrations at the point of exhaustion. This study indicates that failure to ingest carbohydrates from the outset of prolonged running increases reliance on limited endogenous muscle glycogen stores—the ergolytic effects of which cannot be rectified by subsequent carbohydrate ingestion late in exercise.
Strategies shift as coronavirus pandemic looms
Authors: Cohen Jon , Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: February 2020

The virus seems unstoppable, but mitigating its speed and impact is possible.
In Vitro
Activity of Beauvericin against All Developmental Stages of
Sarcoptes scabiei
Authors: Al Khoury Charbel , Nemer Nabil , Nemer Georges , Kurban Mazen , Bernigaud Charlotte , Fischer Katja , Guillot Jacques
Published: February 2020

Scabies is a frequent cutaneous infection caused by the mite
Sarcoptes scabiei
in a large number of mammals, including humans. As the resistance of
S. scabiei
against several chemical acaricides has been previously documented, the establishment of alternative and effective control molecules is required. In this study, the potential acaricidal activity of beauvericin was assessed against different life stages of
S. scabiei
var.
suis
and in comparison with dimpylate and ivermectin, two commercially available molecules used for the treatment of
S. scabiei
infection in animals and/or humans.
Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of
Campylobacter
Using a Microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip Device
Authors: Ma Luyao , Petersen Marlen , Lu Xiaonan
Published: February 2020

Increasing concerns of antibiotic-resistant
Campylobacter
spp. with regard to public health emphasize the importance of efficient and fast detection. This study described the timely identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of
Campylobacter
spp. by using a microfluidic device. Our developed method not only reduced the total analysis time, but it also simplified food sample preparation and chip operation for end users. Due to the miniaturized size of the lab-on-a-chip platform, the detection was achieved by using up to 1,000 times less of the reagents than with standard reference methods, making it a competitive approach for rapid screening and surveillance study in food industries. In addition, multiple clinically important
Campylobacter
species (
C. jejuni
,
C. coli
, and
C. lari
) could be tested by our device. This device has potential for wide application in food safety management and clinical diagnostics, especially in resource-limited regions.
Dermatomyositis presenting as heart failure revealed a concealed cervical malignancy: an infrequent clinical nexus
Authors: Ghosh Ritwik , Dubey Souvik , Chatterjee Subhankar , Biswas Rakesh
Published: February 2020

Dermatomyositis (DM) belongs to the spectrum of inflammatory myopathies which are a heterogeneous group of acquired disorders in which dysregulated immune system is thought to play a major pathologic role. Patients with DM generally present with characteristic skin manifestations with or without muscle weakness and pain. Although subclinical myocardial involvement in DM is well reported in literature, heart failure (HF) as its principal manifestation is extremely rare. Recognition of DM, a known paraneoplastic syndrome, should prompt clinicians to search for underlying malignancy. While gynaecological malignancies are common in association with DM, cervical cancer has rarely been heard of as an aetiology of paraneoplastic DM. We are reporting a case of DM in a postmenopausal woman presenting with advanced decompensated congestive HF with hidden squamous cell carcinoma of cervix.
Systematic approach to delivering prolonged field care in a prehospital care environment
Authors: Smith Michael , Johnston K , Withnall R
Published: February 2020

Background

This article describes a novel patient care algorithm which provides a Role 1 (R1) medic with a structured approach to delivering prolonged field care (PFC) in a resource-limited environment. PFC is a vital component of the operational patient care pathway providing the continuum of care from completion of a primary survey to the delivery to hospital care. Future operational environments are likely to have more fragile or extended lines of communication, potentially delaying evacuation to hospital care. This delay may lead to increases in patient morbidity and mortality. Effective PFC offers an opportunity to improve patient outcomes and help mitigate against this risk.

Methods

An initial prototype model of a PFC care process was developed using existing hospital-based guidance. A series of medical and trauma vignettes and best available evidence were used to refine the algorithm.

Results

The algorithm has been designed be used in conjunction with patient specific clinical guidance making the approach generalisable for all patient groups. For UK military, clinical guidance is provided by clinical guidelines for operations. The algorithm can be downloaded into a convenient format to be used on mobile devices or printed as an aide memoire.
Childhood adversities in UK treatment-seeking military veterans
Authors: Ross Jana , Armour C , Murphy D
Published: February 2020

Introduction

The long-term consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adult physical and mental health are well documented in the literature. The current study sought to examine this relationship in a sample of UK treatment-seeking military veterans.

Methods

The data were collected through a cross-sectional self-report survey from military veterans who have sought help for mental health difficulties from a veteran-specific UK-based charity. The response rate was 67.2% (n=403) and the effective sample for this study consisted of 386 male veterans. Participants’ history of ACEs and current mental/physical health difficulties were assessed. A latent class analysis was conducted to categorise participants into subgroups based on their ACEs and the relationship of these to the mental and physical health outcomes was examined.

Results

Five classes of veterans with different combinations of ACEs were identified. A total of 97% reported at least one ACE. There were minimal differences between the classes on mental and physical health outcomes, but the total number of ACEs was related to aggression, common mental health problems and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Conclusions

No combination of ACEs was specifically predictive of adverse mental/physical health difficulties in our sample. Instead, those with a higher number of ACEs may be more prone to developing problems with aggression, common mental health problems and PTSD. Assessing the history of childhood adversities in military veterans is therefore important when veterans are seeking help for mental health difficulties, as some of these may be related to childhood adversities and may need to be addressed in treatment.
Degenerated second main theorem for holomorphic curves into algebraic varieties
Authors: Shi Lei
Published: February 2020

In this paper, under the refinement of the subgeneral position, we give an improvement for the Second Main Theorem with truncated counting functions of algebraically non-degenerate holomorphic curves into algebraic varieties [Formula: see text] intersecting divisors in subgeneral position with some index.
Estimating the coupling strength of a Hamiltonian with four different measurement strategies
Authors: Jiang Yawen , Lin Jia-Yi , Wang Zhenkai , Zhang Han , Wu Shengjun
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we compare different measurement strategies for estimating coupling strength of a Hamiltonian. In particular, we estimate the coupling strength coefficient when the Hamiltonian couples the pointer (measuring device) momentum to an observable of the system. We compare the performance of the estimations via four different measurement strategies: measuring the position or the momentum of the pointer with or without postselection of the system state. Without postselection, it turns out that all the information of the coupling strength can be extracted by measuring the position of the pointer. As a contrast, no information of the coupling strength can be extracted if the momentum is measured without postselection. Hence, measuring the position is a better choice if postselection is not allowed. However, when postselection is employed, we find that no matter which observable is measured, one can always achieve a great amplification of the measurement outcome, which can be larger than the initial standard deviation of the pointer observable under certain circumstances, at an acceptable cost of losing a little accuracy for the estimation of the coupling strength. With postselection, the better choice of the observable to be measured depends on the characteristic of the measurement devices.
Ab initio study of structural stability and electronic properties of GeV in diamond
Authors: Tan Xin , Liu Zhixin , Liu Xuejie , Ren Yuan , Sun Shiyang , Jia Huiling
Published: February 2020

A complete theory is the guide and explanation of the experiment. According to the first principle, the stable structure of Ge vacancy color center (GeV) is the double vacancy center structure by using the constructed GeV color center supercell. The covalent radius and bond angle of GeV are explored by analyzing the microstructures. The electronic structure of GeV color center is calculated, and the charge transfers of GeV color center are explained, thereby demonstrating the existence of stable bonds. The principle of the energy-level transition of the GeV color center in terms of light emission is described. The effect of each element and energy level orbital is illustrated by the density-of-states diagram.
Light trapping enhancement via structure design
Authors: Bai Minyu , Liu Huan , Xie Fei , Zhao Jijie , Liu Weiguo , Xie Huikai
Published: February 2020

Light trapping is of great importance in many applications including photodetectors and solar cells. Silicon-based structures and hybrid devices were designed and studied to reduce reflection, thus enhance light trapping. The typical pillar array was analyzed concerning the pillar radius and distance between pillars first. The result showed that light reflection could be reduced from the range of 0.35–0.45 to the range of 0–0.3 with wavelength from 400 to 700 nm. What should be noted is that optimal size for light trapping changed when wavelength varied. Furthermore, hybrid structure was designed to increase light trapping. The results showed that the structure with random quantum dots (QDs) covering pillar array coated with two-dimensional (2D) material is an effective way to confine the light reflection under 0.1, thus promoting light trapping.
Trion formation and unconventional superconductivity in a three-dimensional model with short-range attraction
Authors: Kornilovitch Pavel
Published: February 2020

A three-fermion problem in a three-dimensional lattice with anisotropic hopping is solved by discretizing the Schrödinger equation in momentum space. Interparticle interaction comprises on-site Hubbard repulsion and in-plane nearest-neighbor attraction. By comparing the energy of three-fermion bound clusters (trions) with the energy of one pair plus one free particle, a trion formation threshold is accurately determined, and the region of pair stability is mapped out. It is found that the “close-packed” density of fermion pairs, which is associated with a maximum pair condensation temperature in this model, is the highest in a strongly anisotropic case. It is also argued that pair superconductivity with the highest critical temperature is always close to trion formation, which makes the system prone to phase separation and local charge ordering.
The finiteness of the first meeting time between a Gaussian jump and a Brownian particles in the fluid
Authors: Alzulaibani Alaa A.
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we present more analysis about the finiteness of the first meeting time between Gaussian jump and Brownian particles in the fluid. Rather than using the uniform integrability conditions which are detailed in El-Hadidy [Mod. Phys. Lett. B 33(22) (2019) 1950256], we show the triangular arrays of the random sequence that represents the probable positions of the first meeting at any time [Formula: see text], to get the stronger moment conditions which are sufficient for the finiteness of this time.
All-dielectric high saturation structural colors with Si3N4 metasurface
Authors: Hong Yunfan , Lei Yufang , Fang Xiaoming , Li Xingyi , Wen Wenlong , Zhang Lingxuan , Ge Suyang , Li Siqi
Published: February 2020

Structural colors engineering as a promising research area provides a high-resolution and environmental-friendly sustainable colors implementation. Here, metasurface-based concept was used to design waveguides and gratings of Si3N4 material on silicon dioxide substrates. The shift of reflection peaks can be controlled by structural parameters and efficiencies exceeded 90% with half height and width less than 10 nm. This induced structural color with superior saturation. Moreover, such nanostructures showed good sensitivity to polarization angle and incident angle of incident light. The proposed coloring devices look promising for applications in active color displays, imaging devices, and anti-counterfeiting and so on.
Dynamic Hybrid Graph Matching for Unsupervised Video-based Person Re-identification
Authors: Xu Xiaoyue , Chen Ying , Chen Qiaoyuan
Published: February 2020

Taking videos as nodes in a graph, graph matching is an effective technique for unsupervised video-based person re-identification (re-ID). However, most of existing methods are sensitive to noisy training data and mainly only focus on visual content relations between query and gallery videos, which may introduce large amount of false positives. To enhance the robustness to training data and alleviate the visual ambiguity, a Dynamic Hybrid Graph Matching (DHGM) method is proposed, which jointly considers both content and context information for person re-ID in an iterative manner. The content relations between video nodes are obtained by metric learning, based on which the context relation is acquired by encoding the bidirectional feature of each probe node relative to its graph neighbors. The model is iteratively updated during the process of graph construction for promoted distance measurement and further better matching performance. Experimental results on the PRID 2011 and iLIDS-VID datasets demonstrate the superiority of the DHGM.
Finite size of hadrons and HBT interferometry for hydrodynamic sources
Authors: Zhang Yong , Yin Hong-Jie , Wu Weihua
Published: February 2020

Hadrons formed in heavy-ion collisions are not point-like objects, they cannot occupy too close space-time points. When the two bosons are too close to each other, their constituents start to mix and they cannot be considered as bosons subjected to Bose–Einstein statistics, this effect is called the excluded volume effect. We study the excluded volume effect on Hanbury Brown–Twiss (HBT) for the sources with various sizes. The effect on HBT was shown in out, side and long directions, and it is more obvious for the source with a narrow space-time distribution. The correlation functions for high transverse momenta are more suppressed by the excluded volume effect.
Stability of cobalt-based Fischer–Tropsch catalyst supported on oxidized carbon nanotubes
Authors: Chernyak Sergei , Burtsev Alexander , Egorov Alexander , Maslakov Konstantin , Savilov Serguei , Lunin Valery
Published: February 2020

The stability of 20[Formula: see text]wt.% Co/CNT catalyst was tested in the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis and the structural transformations both in the catalyst and support were analyzed. The catalyst showed high conversion and stable selectivity during three weeks of the test, which was attributed to the optimal and stable cobalt particle size of [Formula: see text]13–14[Formula: see text]nm promoted by the support pre-oxidation. XPS, Raman, and nitrogen adsorption data revealed that the carefully chosen catalyst annealing and reduction conditions ensured the preservation of the support structure.
Comparison of Attentive and Explicit Eye Gaze Interfaces for Controlling Haptic Guidance of a Robotic Controller
Authors: Castellanos-Cruz Javier L. , Gómez-Medina María F. , Tavakoli Mahdi , Pilarski Patrick M. , Adams Kim
Published: February 2020

Children with physical impairments may face challenges during play due to limitations in reaching and handling objects. Telerobotic systems that provide guidance towards toys may help provide access to play, but intuitive methods to control the guidance are required. As a first step towards this, adults without physical impairments tested two eye gaze interfaces. One was an attentive user interface that predicts the target toy that users want to reach using a neural network, trained to recognize the movements performed on the user-side robot and the user’s point of gaze. The other interface was an explicit eye input interface that detects the toy that a user fixates on for at least 500[Formula: see text]ms. This study compared the performance and advantages of each interface in a whack-a-mole game. The purpose was to test the feasibility of activating haptic guidance towards toys with an attentive interface and to assure the safety of the system before children use it. The prediction accuracy of the attentive interface was 86.4% on average, compared to 100% with the explicit interface, thus, seven participants preferred using the explicit interface over the attentive interface. However, using the attentive user interface was significantly faster, and it was less tiring on the eyes. Ways to improve the accuracy of the attentive eye gaze interface are suggested.