bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smart Transport in road transport infrastructure
Authors: Evtiukov S A , Kurakina E V , Evtiukov S S
Published: June 2020

Introduction of new technologies in cities through effective interaction between people and modern IT management tools has introduced the concept of «smart city» able to independently manage its own resources, energy, space and information to improve life quality. One of the main components of a «smart city» is «smart transport» using latest communication technologies for efficient movement, monitoring of location, interaction between vehicles and other traffic elements, general traffic safety improvement resulting in a decrease in the accident number (tendency towards zero mortality). One of the ways to expand this field of UAV application is their use for primary photofixation of the accident site, which will both increase the objectivity of the investigation and help to reduce time required for the investigation. Solving problems related to traffic safety in a «smart city» using IT technologies and UAVs — smart transport components results in fast collection of information, including that from hard-to-reach zones, the ability to take pictures from small heights and near objects to obtain high-resolution images. These are a possibility of application in emergency zones without unnecessary risk to life and health of personnel; improvement of the objectivity of primary information from the accident site; the possibility of automatic processing of the primary information with its transformation into the necessary types of formalized documents.
Agent modeling of vehicle traffic at a regulated intersection
Authors: Mezentsev K N
Published: June 2020

The article contains information about the rules of agent-based modeling of the movement of a vehicle in a stream. The vehicle is considered as a homogeneous agent with reactive behavior. The reactive behavior of the agent allows you to control the distance with respect to the vehicle in front and react to the traffic light signal at an adjustable intersection. Testing the reactive behavior of the agents was performed in the NetLogo multi-agent programming environment. The article provides NetLogo code for a fragment of the agent model responsible for the movement of vehicles at the intersection. Obtained using the model, the graph of traffic intensity corresponds to the theoretical graph.
Methodology for determining the required length and number of traffic lanes, other parameters, taking into account the passenger city transport motion
Authors: Zhivoglyadova L V , Zhivoglyadov V G , Siliyanov V V
Published: June 2020

The article presents methods for determining the maximum severity and speed, high-speed and regulated roads, as well as other parameters taking into account the movement of passenger urban transport. The introduction of meta-dynamics will reduce conflict situations to 35–40 %, and, accordingly, the number of places in cities and between them. The lack of published methods for determining the necessary length and number of movements and the principles of their development adversely affects road traffic in cities, in particular, the establishment of the causes of congestion. Traffic safety cannot be ensured without decision making.
The influence of Cr on the microstructure and electrochemical behavior of high strength low-alloy steel
Authors: Dan Wang , Shujian Zhang , Qingdong Zhong
Published: June 2020

The influence of Cr addition (0.13 wt%, 0.65 wt% and 1.07 wt%) on the microstructure, phase structure and electrochemical behavior of high strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel was investigated. The surface morphologies of HSLA steels were examined by Optical microscopy (OM) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The phase structure was analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical tests were used to study the corrosion behavior of high strength steel in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The results showed that the appropriate addition of Cr (1.07 wt%) alloying significantly refined grain, improved the electrochemical property and microstructure. The microstructure of all samples were the typical bcc (α) phase and the peaks including (110), (200), (211) and (220) got stronger with the increase of Cr content. Meanwhile, the T3 steel with 1.07 wt% Cr showed the best electrochemical reaction inhibition and corrosion resistance because of the highest Rt. And the corrosion morphology was from serious intergranular corrosion and pitting corrosion to slight localized corrosion with the increase of Cr contents.
Study on the microstructures of Al-2.5%Mn alloy
Authors: Feng Hang-qi , Yang Zhi-bo , Bai Ye-tong , Zhang Li , Liu Yu-lin
Published: June 2020

The effect of Sr and cooling rate on the microstructure of Al-2.5%Mn alloy was studied by OM, SEM and XRD. The results showed that Sr not only refined the primary phase, but also refined eutectic microstructures. However, there was obvious delamination in the alloy. When the content of Sr was 0.2%–0.65%, the primary phase in the upper part of alloy changed from coarse needle and lath-shaped to fine block and needle-like. With the Sr content increased, the needle-like structure in the alloy tended to be more and longer, but the size of α-Al tended to be finer. At the bottom, there were many large massive phases, which were much more refined than the primary phase without Sr With the cooling rate increased, the primary phase was refined greatly and almost all of them transformed into eutectic microstructure. Besides, the delamination of microstructure disappeared.
Low-temperature effect on GaN film in argon plasma
Authors: Ogawa Daisuke , Banno Yoshitsugu , Nakamura Keiji
Published: June 2020

This journal article shows the effect of low temperature for gallium nitride (GaN) film in an argon plasma. Our first observation showed that the evolution of photoluminescence (PL) from the GaN film depends on the temperature of the film during the plasma exposure. The observation showed that the PL emission became approximately 35% of the original PL intensity for no-temperature-controlled (as-is) GaN film, while the emission became approximately 70% for low-temperature-regulated (cold) GaN film. The main difference between the two films was only in the temperature range during plasma exposure, but the temperature difference between pre- and post-plasma was almost the same for the two films. Then, we did ex situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis to investigate whether or not there was a difference in the depth profile of elements in the films. As a consequence, we concluded that the reduction of thermal energy during a plasma exposure could regulate the opportunities for the species transfer in the film, which can minimize the evolution of GaN film during the plasma process.
Biocompatible chitosan-modified core-shell Fe3O4 nanocomposites for exigent removal of blood lactic acid
Authors: Yang Lingyi , Wang Wenhong , Hu Yufeng , Guo Jing , Huang Xiao
Published: June 2020

Excess lactic acid in blood will lead to hyperlactatemia, which is frequently detected in critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care. Reducing the blood lactic acid content using acute treatments becomes particularly important for bringing a patient out of danger. Traditional treatments often fail in case of malfunctioning of a patients’ metabolism. Herein, nanotechnology was introduced to remove blood lactic acid independent of metabolism. In this work, chitosan was employed as the shell to adsorb lactic acid, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were employed as the core to enable proper magnetic separation property. Our data showed that core–shell nanocomposites (NCs) had an exigent and efficient adsorption behavior. Furthermore, they could be easily separated from blood plasma by magnetic separation. Thus, the good hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility indicated that of core–shell NCs hold great potential in lactic acid removal for emergent hyperlactatemia treatment.
Moderate pragmatic invariantism and contextual implicature cancellation
Authors: Blome-Tillmann Michael
Published: June 2020

Moderate Pragmatic Invariantism (MPI) has been criticized in the literature for postulating implicatures that are not straightforwardly cancellable. Defenders of MPI have responded that the data are not as clear-cut as one might wish. This paper grants the defenders of MPI, for the sake of argument, that the implicatures in question are cancellable and then turns this admission against them. In particular, the paper offers Bank Case variants in which the conversational implicatures postulated by MPI are contextually suspended – and thus cancelled. Since our intuitions do not vary between the original Bank Case and these novel types of cases, the explanation offered by MPI must be mistaken. Our varying truth-value intuitions in the Bank Cases cannot be accounted for by means of conversational implicatures.
In-Vitro Comparative Examination of the Effect of Stromal Vascular Fraction Isolated by Mechanical and Enzymatic Methods on Wound Healing
Authors: Tiryaki Kemal Tunc , Cohen Steven , Kocak Polen , Canikyan Turkay Serli , Hewett Sierra
Published: June 2020

Background

Enzymatic digestion has been the gold standard for stromal vascular fraction (SVF) isolation but remains expensive and raises practical and legal concerns. Mechanical SVF isolation methods have been known to produce lower cell yields, but may potentially produce a more robust product by preserving the extracellular matrix niche.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare mechanically dissociated SVF (M-SVF) and enzymatically digested SVF (E-SVF) in terms of wound-healing efficacy.

Methods

Lipoaspirate was partitioned into 2 equal groups and processed by either mechanical or enzymatic isolation methods. After SVF isolation, cell counts and viabilities were determined by flow cytometry and cell proliferation rates were measured by the WST-1 test. A wound-healing scratch assay test, which is commonly used to model in-vitro wound healing, was performed with both cell cocktails. Collagen type 1 (Col1A) gene expression level, which is known for its role in wound healing, was also measured for both groups.

Results

As predicted, E-SVF isolated more cells (mean [standard deviation], 1.74 [3.63] × 106/mL, n = 10, P = 0.015) than M-SVF (0.94 [1.69] × 106/mL, n = 10, P = 0.015), but no significant difference was observed in cell viability. However, M-SVF expressed over 2-fold higher levels of stem cell surface markers and a 10% higher proliferation rate compared with E-SVF. In addition, the migration rate and level of Col1A gene expression of M-SVF were found to be significantly higher than those of E-SVF.

Conclusions

Although the cell yield of M-SVF was less than that of E-SVF, M-SVF appears to have superior wound-healing properties.
Infantile Asymmetrical Diffuse Infiltrative Lipomatosis of the Abdomen and Upper Thighs: A Case Report with Long-Term Follow-up
Authors: Hamza Fawzy , Elbanoby Tarek , Dahshan Hazem , Elbatawy Amr
Published: June 2020

The authors present the case of an 11-year-old male patient with a diffuse infiltrative lipomatosis involving the abdomen, flanks, and upper thighs by applying body contouring principles at this early age. Abdominoplasty can be used in children for various purposes, including harvesting a full-thickness skin graft in burns or to treat congenital anomalies involving the pelviabdominal area.

Level of Evidence: 5
Respiratory-related brain pulsations are increased in epilepsy—a two-centre functional MRI study
Authors: Kananen Janne , Helakari Heta , Korhonen Vesa , Huotari Niko , Järvelä Matti , Raitamaa Lauri , Raatikainen Ville , Rajna Zalan , Tuovinen Timo , Nedergaard Maiken , Jacobs Julia , LeVan Pierre , Ansakorpi Hanna , Kiviniemi Vesa
Published: June 2020

Resting-state functional MRI has shown potential for detecting changes in cerebral blood oxygen level-dependent signal in patients with epilepsy, even in the absence of epileptiform activity. Furthermore, it has been suggested that coefficient of variation mapping of fast functional MRI signal may provide a powerful tool for the identification of intrinsic brain pulsations in neurological diseases such as dementia, stroke and epilepsy. In this study, we used fast functional MRI sequence (magnetic resonance encephalography) to acquire ten whole-brain images per second. We used the functional MRI data to compare physiological brain pulsations between healthy controls (n = 102) and patients with epilepsy (n = 33) and furthermore to drug-naive seizure patients (n = 9). Analyses were performed by calculating coefficient of variation and spectral power in full band and filtered sub-bands. Brain pulsations in the respiratory-related frequency sub-band (0.11–0.51 Hz) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in patients with epilepsy, with an increase in both signal variance and power. At the individual level, over 80% of medicated and drug-naive seizure patients exhibited areas of abnormal brain signal power that correlated well with the known clinical diagnosis, while none of the controls showed signs of abnormality with the same threshold. The differences were most apparent in the basal brain structures, respiratory centres of brain stem, midbrain and temporal lobes. Notably, full-band, very low frequency (0.01–0.1 Hz) and cardiovascular (0.8–1.76 Hz) brain pulses showed no differences between groups. This study extends and confirms our previous results of abnormal fast functional MRI signal variance in epilepsy patients. Only respiratory-related brain pulsations were clearly increased with no changes in either physiological cardiorespiratory rates or head motion between the subjects. The regional alterations in brain pulsations suggest that mechanisms driving the cerebrospinal fluid homeostasis may be altered in epilepsy. Magnetic resonance encephalography has both increased sensitivity and high specificity for detecting the increased brain pulsations, particularly in times when other tools for locating epileptogenic areas remain inconclusive.
Riparian habitat restoration increases the availability and occupancy of Yellow-breasted Chat territories but brood parasitism is the primary influence on reproductive performance
Authors: Forrester Timothy R , Green David J , McKibbin René , Bezener A Michael , Bishop Christine A
Published: June 2020

Implementation and evaluation of conservation efforts requires an understanding of the habitat selection and reproductive success of endangered populations. As populations recover, established territory holders may force new arrivals into lower quality habitat, which can reduce reproductive success, especially in disturbed landscapes where suitable habitat is scarce. The endangered Western Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens auricollis) population in the fragmented riparian zone of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada, has rapidly increased in response to habitat restoration. During this population increase from 2002 to 2014, we monitored 485 chat nests in 157 breeding territories to evaluate the influences of habitat selection, habitat restoration, and brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) on reproductive performance. We found that, in protected reference sites, breeding territories that were occupied in the early years of the study had higher percent shrub cover than territories that were first occupied in the later years of the study, indicating that chats preferred territories with high shrub cover. Conversely, in restoration sites, later-occupied territories had similarly high shrub cover as earlier-occupied territories, suggesting that restoration activities enabled chats to continually settle in territories with high shrub cover. Yet, we did not find strong evidence that nest site vegetation characteristics or habitat restoration influenced reproductive performance. Instead, the high rate of brood parasitism (49%), which reduced nest success and productivity, was the dominant influence on reproductive performance. However, this recovering population still had high daily nest survival (0.974) and productivity (2.72 fledglings per successful nest) compared with other riparian songbirds and the high parasitism rate did not prevent the population from increasing. Thus, conservation efforts for Yellow-breasted Chats should focus on restoring riparian shrubs, even within heavily developed landscapes, to increase the number of potential breeding territories, while also quantifying how brood parasitism influences reproductive performance.
Genetic boundary and gene flow between 2 parapatric subspecies of brown rats
Authors: Zhao Lei , Zhang Jian-Xu , Zhang Yao-Hua
Published: June 2020

Two parapatric Rattus norvegicus subspecies, R. n. humiliatus (RNH) and R. n. caraco (RNC), are classified according to morphological divergence and are mainly distributed in North and Northeast China. Here, we aimed to explore the population genetic structure, genetic boundary, and gene flow in these rats using 16 microsatellite loci. Structure analysis and principal component analysis revealed 3 ancestral clusters. We found that the intermediate cluster exhibited higher genetic diversity and a lower inbreeding coefficient than the other 2 clusters. The genetic differentiation between the 3 clusters was significant but weak, with a higher FST value being observed between the clusters on both sides. The subspecies boundary inferred from microsatellite markers may indicate the existence of an admixture or hybridization area covering Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, and Jilin Provinces, rather than corresponding to the administrative provincial boundaries between Liaoning and Jilin. The RNH and RNC subspecies presented moderate gene exchange and an asymmetric bidirectional gene flow pattern, with higher gene flow from the RNH subspecies to the RNC subspecies, constraining speciation. Such genetic characteristics might be explained by biological processes such as dispersal ability, mate choice, and dynamic lineage boundaries.
Intracoronary lithotripsy for calcific neoatherosclerotic in-stent restenosis: a case report
Authors: Tizón-Marcos Helena , Rodríguez-Costoya Iris , Tevar Cristina , Vaquerizo Beatriz
Published: June 2020

Background

In-stent restenosis is a difficult percutaneous scenario if calcific neoatherosclerosis is the underlying aetiology.

Case summary

A 69-year-old diabetic woman with a previous percutaneous coronary intervention on the left anterior descending coronary artery was readmitted for non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. In-stent restenosis due to calcific neoatherosclerosis was observed by intracoronary imaging during the intervention. Intravascular lithotripsy was used successfully to fracture the underlying calcific plaque. However, the balloon ruptured during treatment although this did not damage the artery.

Discussion

Intravascular lithotripsy is a promising tool for the treatment of extremely calcified lesions including calcific neoatherosclerosis of in-stent restenosis. Balloon rupture is a complication of this new percutaneous treatment that has not previously been described.
Caterpillar gut and host plant phylloplane mycobiomes differ: a new perspective on fungal involvement in insect guts
Authors: višňovská Denisa , Pyszko Petr , Šigut Martin , Kostovčík Martin , Kolařík Miroslav , Kotásková Nela , Drozd Pavel
Published: June 2020

Compared with the highly diverse microbiota of leaves, herbivorous insects exhibit impoverished gut microbial communities. Research to date has focused on the bacterial component of these gut microbiomes, neglecting the fungal component. As caterpillar gut bacterial microbiomes are derived strongly from their diet, we hypothesized that their mycobiomes would reflect the host leaf mycobiomes. Using the ITS2 rDNA and V5–V6 16S rRNA gene regions for DNA metabarcoding of caterpillar gut and host leaf sample pairs we compared their mycobiome genus diversity and compositions and identified genera associated with caterpillar guts. Leaves and caterpillar guts harbored different mycobiomes with quite low qualitative similarity (Jaccard index = 38.03%). The fungal genera most significantly associated with the caterpillar gut included Penicillium, Mucor and unidentified Saccharomycetales, whereas leaf-associated genera included Holtermanniella, Gibberella (teleomorph of Fusarium) and Seimatosporium. Although caterpillar gut and leaf mycobiomes had similar genus richness overall, this indicator was not correlated for individual duplets. Moreover, as more samples entered the analysis, mycobiome richness increased more rapidly in caterpillar guts than in leaves. The results suggest that the mycobiota of the caterpillar gut differs from that of their feeding substrate; further, the mycobiomes appear to be richer than the well-studied bacterial microbiotas.
In Vivo Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering Eye Scanner Detects Molecular Aging in Humans
Authors: Minaeva Olga , Sarangi Srikant , Ledoux Danielle M , Moncaster Juliet A , Parsons Douglas S , Washicosky Kevin J , Black Caitlin A , Weng Frank J , Ericsson Maria , Moir Robert D , Tripodis Yorghos , Clark John I , Tanzi Rudolph E , Hunter David G , Goldstein Lee E
Published: June 2020

The absence of clinical tools to evaluate individual variation in the pace of aging represents a major impediment to understanding aging and maximizing health throughout life. The human lens is an ideal tissue for quantitative assessment of molecular aging in vivo. Long-lived proteins in lens fiber cells are expressed during fetal life, do not undergo turnover, accumulate molecular alterations throughout life, and are optically accessible in vivo. We used quasi-elastic light scattering (QLS) to measure age-dependent signals in lenses of healthy human subjects. Age-dependent QLS signal changes detected in vivo recapitulated time-dependent changes in hydrodynamic radius, protein polydispersity, and supramolecular order of human lens proteins during long-term incubation (~1 year) and in response to sustained oxidation (~2.5 months) in vitro. Our findings demonstrate that QLS analysis of human lens proteins provides a practical technique for noninvasive assessment of molecular aging in vivo.
The Effect of Cumulative Anticholinergic Use on the Cognitive Function of Older Adults: Results from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Study
Authors: Neelamegam Malinee , Zgibor Janice , Chen Henian , O’rourke Kathleen , Bakour Chighaf , Rajaram Lakshminarayan , Anstey Kaarin J
Published: June 2020

Background

Multiple comorbidities are common in older adults, resulting in polypharmacy that often includes medications with anticholinergic properties. These medications have multiple side effects, which are more pronounced in the older population. This study examined the association between the use of anticholinergics and changes in the cognitive function of older adults.

Methods

The study population consisted of 2,222 individuals aged 65–69 years at baseline from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Study in Australia. Medication data were obtained from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Cognitive measures were obtained from neuropsychological battery assessment. Exposure to cumulative anticholinergic use was quantified to a total standardized daily dose (TSDD). The association between change in cognitive measures between baseline and 4-year follow-up, and cumulative use of anticholinergic was assessed through generalized linear models.

Results

During the study period, 18.6% (n = 413) of participants filled at least one prescription for anticholinergics. Compared to those not on anticholinergics, participants on anticholinergics were more likely to be woman (62.7% compared to 45.1%) and spent lesser time engaging in vigorous physical activity (0.4 h/week compared to 0.9 h/week). Cumulative use of anticholinergic resulting in a TSDD exceeding 1,095 was significantly associated with poorer performance in Trail Making Test Part B (Model 1: β = 5.77, Model 2: β = 5.33, Model 3: β = 8.32, p < .01), indicating impairment in processing speed.

Conclusions

In our study, except for speed of processing, other cognitive domains measured were not affected by cumulative anticholinergic use over a 4-year period.
Challenges in Caring for Unbefriended Residents in Long-term Care Homes: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Chamberlain Stephanie A , Duggleby Wendy , Teaster Pamela B , Fast Janet , Estabrooks Carole A
Published: June 2020

Objectives

This study examined challenges experienced by long-term care staff in caring for unbefriended residents who are incapacitated and alone. These residents often are estranged from or have no living family or live geographically distant from them and require a public guardian as their surrogate decision-maker. To date, research on unbefriended older adults has focused on those living in acute care and community settings. Little is known about those living in long-term care homes.

Method

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 long-term care staff (e.g., registered nurses, care aides, social workers) and 3 public guardians. Staff were sampled from seven long-term care homes in Alberta, Canada. We analyzed interview transcripts using content analysis and then using the theoretical framework of complex adaptive systems.

Results

Long-term care staff experience challenges unique to unbefriended residents. Guardians’ responsibilities did not fulfill unbefriended residents’ needs, such as shopping for personal items or accompanying residents to appointments. Consequently, the guardians rely on long-term care staff, particularly care aides, to provide increased levels of care and support. These additional responsibilities, and organizational messages dissuading staff from providing preferential care, diminish quality of work life for staff.

Discussion

Long-term care homes are complex adaptive systems. Within these systems, we found organizational barriers for long-term care staff providing care to unbefriended residents. These barriers may be modifiable and could improve the quality of care for unbefriended residents and quality of life of staff. Implications for practice include adjusting public guardian scope of work, improving team communication, and compensating staff for additional care.
Older Adult Health-Related Support Networks: Implications for the Design of Digital Communication Tools
Authors: Petrescu-Prahova Miruna , Osterhage Katie , Taylor Jean O , Painter Ian , Choi Yong , Turner Anne M
Published: June 2020

Background and Objectives

Digital communication tools facilitate the provision of health-related social support to older adults. However, little is known about what design features make such tools most useful and feasible. The purpose of this study was to describe health-related social support networks of older adults and outline recommendations for the design of tools that facilitate the giving and receiving of support.

Research Design and Methods

We collected data through validated instruments and semistructured qualitative interviews with 88 older adults. We calculated descriptive statistics for the quantitative data and analyzed qualitative data using directed content analysis.

Results

Health-related support networks described by our sample of generally healthy older adults varied in size from 0 to 10 members. Some networks did not include any family members, and others did not include any friends. Seventy-four percent of network members lived in the same state as the older adult participant, but only 15% of them lived with the participant. Emotional support was the main type of health-related support provided, followed by instrumental, informational, and appraisal support.

Discussion and Implications

Health-related support networks of older adults are varied and complex. Our results suggest that digital communication tools to promote and leverage support from network members should facilitate the involvement of friends and family regardless of their physical location, allow for the transparent allocation of concrete tasks to prevent overburdening any one network member, and facilitate sharing of personal health information with family and friends while ensuring privacy and autonomy.
Reported Needs and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults Entering Long-Term Services and Supports
Authors: Rivera Eleanor , Hirschman Karen B , Naylor Mary D
Published: June 2020

Background and Objectives

Long-term services and supports (LTSS) are vital for older adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. LTSS can be provided in settings such as nursing homes, assisted living, or via community-based services. During the transition to LTSS, older adults are at risk of increased depressive symptoms. In addition, older adults may identify unmet needs despite having access to new LTSS resources. The goal of this study was to examine the factors associated with increased depressive symptoms among a pool of older adults, with a focus on change in reported needs after starting LTSS.

Research Design and Methods

This cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study included 352 older adults new to LTSS (R01AG025524). The outcome of depressive symptoms was measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale—Short Form. Reported needs included supportive equipment, devices, transportation, and social activities. Bivariate and linear regression modeling using change in needs 3 months later were performed.

Results

Depressive symptoms were present among 40% of the LTSS recipients at enrollment and 3 months. At baseline, 29% of LTSS recipients reported a need for supportive equipment, 30% for transportation, and 23% for social activities. After 3 months, an average of 12% of LTSS recipients’ needs were met, 13% of LTSS recipients’ needs persisted, and 11% of LTSS recipients reported new needs. Depressive symptoms 3 months later were higher for those who reported persistent unmet needs compared with those who reported no needs at all, controlling for functional status and LTSS type.

Discussion and Implications

The transition to LTSS is a vulnerable time for older adults. Assessing the need for equipment, transportation, and social activities during this period may identify opportunities to improve the lives and emotional status of this population.
Speed and accuracy improvements in standard algorithm for prismatic gravitational field
Authors: Fukushima Toshio
Published: June 2020

By utilizing the addition theorems of the arctangent function and the logarithm, we developed a new expression of Bessel’s exact formula to compute the prismatic gravitational field using the triple difference of certain analytic functions. The use of the new expression is fast since the number of transcendental functions required is significantly reduced. The numerical experiments show that, in computing the gravitational potential, the gravity vector, and the gravity gradient tensor of a uniform rectangular parallelepiped, the new method runs 2.3, 2.3 and 3.7 times faster than Bessel’s method, respectively. Also, the new method achieves a slight increase in the computing precision. Therefore, the new method can be used in place of Bessel’s method in any situation. The same approach is applicable to the geomagnetic field computation.
DNA fragmentation of sperm: a radical examination of the contribution of oxidative stress and age in 16 945 semen samples
Authors: Vaughan D A , Tirado E , Garcia D , Datta V , Sakkas D
Published: June 2020

STUDY QUESTION

What is the relationship between sperm DNA fragmentation and oxidative stress (OS) with increasing male age?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Sperm DNA fragmentation increases with age and is likely related to both defective spermatogenesis and increasing OS levels.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Sperm quality declines with age. The presence of DNA damage in a high fraction of spermatozoa from a raw semen sample is associated with lower male fertility in natural conception and intrauterine insemination.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

A retrospective cohort study of 16 945 semen samples analysed at a single reference laboratory between January 2010 and December 2018.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

All males were undergoing an infertility evaluation. The cohort was divided into seven age categories: <30, 30–34, 35–39, 40–44, 45–49, 50 to <54 and ≥55 years. The mean age was 37.6 years (SD 6.8). Sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and high DNA stainability (HDS) were calculated using flow cytometry. OS levels were measured using the oxidative stress adducts (OSA) test, by spectrophotometry. ANOVA with weighted polynomial contrast analysis was used to evaluate trends for DFI, OSA and HDS values across age categories.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Mean DFI significantly increased across all age groups (Ptrend < 0.001). OSA was lowest in patients <30 years old (mean 3.6, SD 1.0) and also increased as age increased (Ptrend < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference between age groups for each of the three parameters (P < 0.001). There was a significant linear trend for DFI, OSA and HDS across the seven age categories (P < 0.001). Among patients with high DFI, there was a decreasing age-dependent trend in the patients observed with high OSA (P < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

This is a retrospective study. All males included in the study were undergoing a work-up for infertility and may not be representative of a fertile population. Additional patient demographics and clinical data were not available.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

DNA and/or oxidative damage in sperm may be just as important to understand as the chromosomal aberrations that are carried in the oocyte. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of advancing paternal age on the male genome and, ultimately, on the health of the offspring.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

No funding was obtained for this study. V.D. is an employee of Reprosource/Quest Diagnostics. D.S. reports he was a Scientific Advisor to Cooper Surgical.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A
Unique Genomic and Phenotypic Responses to Extreme and Variable pH Conditions in Purple Urchin Larvae
Authors: Garrett April D , Brennan Reid S , Steinhart Anya L , Pelletier Aubrey M , Pespeni Melissa H
Published: June 2020

Synopsis

Environmental variation experienced by a species across space and time can promote the maintenance of genetic diversity that may be adaptive in future global change conditions. Selection experiments have shown that purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, populations have adaptive genetic variation for surviving pH conditions at the “edge” (pH 7.5) of conditions experienced in nature. However, little is known about whether populations have genetic variation for surviving low-pH events beyond those currently experienced in nature or how variation in pH conditions affects organismal and genetic responses. Here, we quantified survival, growth, and allele frequency shifts in experimentally selected developing purple sea urchin larvae in static and variable conditions at three pH levels: pH 8.1 (control), pH 7.5 (edge-of-range), and pH 7.0 (extreme). Variable treatments recovered body size relative to static treatments, but resulted in higher mortality, suggesting a potential tradeoff between survival and growth under pH stress. However, within each pH level, allele frequency changes were overlapping between static and variable conditions, suggesting a shared genetic basis underlying survival to mean pH regardless of variability. In contrast, genetic responses to pH 7.5 (edge) versus pH 7.0 (extreme) conditions were distinct, indicating a unique genetic basis of survival. In addition, loci under selection were more likely to be in exonic regions than regulatory, indicating that selection targeted protein-coding variation. Loci under selection in variable pH 7.5 conditions, more similar to conditions periodically experienced in nature, performed functions related to lipid biosynthesis and metabolism, while loci under selection in static pH 7.0 conditions performed functions related to transmembrane and mitochondrial processes. While these results are promising in that purple sea urchin populations possess genetic variation for surviving extreme pH conditions not currently experienced in nature, they caution that increased acidification does not result in a linear response but elicits unique physiological stresses and survival mechanisms.
Phenotypic Plasticity in Vertebrate Dentitions
Authors: Karagic Nidal , Meyer Axel , Hulsey C Darrin
Published: June 2020

Synopsis

Vertebrates interact directly with food items through their dentition, and these interactions with trophic resources could often feedback to influence tooth structure. Although dentitions are often considered to be a fixed phenotype, there is the potential for environmentally induced phenotypic plasticity in teeth to extensively influence their diversity. Here, we review the literature concerning phenotypic plasticity of vertebrate teeth. Even though only a few taxonomically disparate studies have focused on phenotypic plasticity in teeth, there are a number of ways teeth can change their size, shape, or patterns of replacement as a response to the environment. Elucidating the underlying physiological, developmental, and genetic mechanisms that generate phenotypic plasticity can clarify its potential role in the evolution of dental phenotypes.
Pharmacokinetics of Cannabis Brownies: A Controlled Examination of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Metabolites in Blood and Oral Fluid of Healthy Adult Males and Females
Authors: Spindle Tory R , Cone Edward J , Herrmann Evan S , Mitchell John M , Flegel Ronald , LoDico Charles , Bigelow George E , Vandrey Ryan
Published: June 2020

Oral cannabis products (a.k.a. “edibles”) have increased in popularity in recent years. Most prior controlled pharmacokinetic evaluations of cannabis have focused on smoked cannabis and included males who were frequent cannabis users. In this study, 17 healthy adults (8 females), with no cannabis use in at least the past 2 months, completed 4 double-blind outpatient sessions where they consumed cannabis brownies containing Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) doses of 0, 10, 25 or 50 mg. Whole blood and oral fluid specimens were collected at baseline and for 8 h post-brownie ingestion. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS-MS) were used to measure THC and relevant metabolites. In whole blood, concentrations of THC and 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC) peaked 1.5–2 h after brownie consumption, decreased steadily thereafter, and typically returned to baseline within 8 h. Blood concentrations for 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) and THCCOOH-glucuronide were higher than THC and 11-OH-THC and these metabolites were often still detected 8 h post-brownie consumption. Women displayed higher peak concentrations for THC and all metabolites in whole blood compared to men, at least partially owing to their lower body weight/body mass index. Detection of THC in oral fluid was immediate and appeared to reflect the degree of cannabis deposition in the oral cavity, not levels of THC circulating in the blood. THC concentrations were substantially higher in oral fluid than in blood; the opposite trend was observed for THCCOOH. Agreement between ELISA and LC–MS-MS results was high (i.e., over 90%) for blood THCCOOH and oral fluid THC but comparatively low for oral fluid THCCOOH (i.e., 67%). Following oral consumption of cannabis, THC was detected in blood much later, and at far lower peak concentrations, compared to what has been observed with inhaled cannabis. These results are important given the widespread use of toxicological testing to detect recent use of cannabis and/or to identify cannabis intoxication.
Population Fluctuation, Influence of Abiotic Factors and the Height of Traps on the Abundance and Richness of Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae
Authors: Luz Rafael T , Azevedo Wellington T A , Silva Alexandre S , Lessa Cláudia S S , Maia Valéria C , Aguiar Valeria M
Published: June 2020

Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae are relevant to environmental conservation, public health, and forensic entomology. Researches regarding the flight behavior and the influence of abiotic factors on these insects may assist the application of entomology sciences. This study aimed to analyze the population fluctuation of Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae, verifying the influence of environmental factors, trap height, and the anthropic effect in the Itaipu–Piratininga lagoon complex, Niterói (RJ). The collections were carried out monthly from September 2015 to August 2016, with fish bait (sardines) exposed for 48 h, totaling six traps, installed in three physiognomies (mangrove, ombrophilous forest, and restinga) at 1.5 and 2.5 m from the ground. Nine thousand seven hundred seventy-three individuals were captured, comprising two families, five genera and 11 species. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) was the predominant species and Mesembrinella bellardiana (Aldrich, 1922) (Diptera: Mesembrinellidae) the least representative, indicating the low preservation level of this ecosystem. There was a weak, positive correlation between abundance of Chloroprocta idioidea (Robineau Desvoidy, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Ch. megacephala, Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann, 1818) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), and Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) with the temperature, as well as between the abundance of C. idioidea and Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) with precipitation; however, there was no correlation between abundance and relative humidity. No significant influence of the trap height was observed. We stated a high influence of anthropic effects on the restinga and mangrove physiognomies, while the forest physiognomy still retains its preserved characteristics, with the dominance of forestall species.
The Persistence of Escherichia coli Infection in German Cockroaches (Blattodea: Blattellidae) Varies Between Host Developmental Stages and is Influenced by the Gut Microbiota
Authors: Ray Ritesh , Potts Rashaun , Pietri Jose E
Published: June 2020

The German cockroach, Blatella germanica (L.), is a suspected vector of several enteric bacterial pathogens, including Escherichia coli, among livestock and humans. However, little is known about the factors that influence bacterial transmission by cockroaches. Here, we orally infected B. germanica with various laboratory and field strains of E. coli and examined bacterial titers over time to shed new light on the factors that influence the dynamics of infection. Our results reveal that a laboratory strain of E. coli is largely cleared within 48 h while one field isolate can persist in a majority of cockroaches (80–100%) for longer than 3 d with minimal impact on cockroach longevity. We also find that the ability to clear some strains of E. coli is greater in cockroach nymphs than adults. Notably, no differential expression of the antimicrobial gene lysozyme was observed between nymphs and adults or in infected groups. However, clearance of E. coli was significantly reduced in gnotobiotic cockroaches that were reared in the absence of environmental bacteria, suggesting a protective role for the microbiota against exogenous bacterial pathogens. Together, these results demonstrate that the interactions between cockroaches and enteric bacterial pathogens are highly dynamic and influenced by a combination of microbial, host, and environmental parameters. Such factors may affect the disease transmission capacity of cockroaches in nature and should be further considered in both lab and field studies.
Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression
Authors: Hamilton Preci , Lawrence Peyton , Eisenring Christian Valentin
Published: June 2020

Up-to-date management for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression is based on appropriate scoring systems. In this case, separation surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery achieved an optimized outcome. A 75-year-old man had thoracic band-like pain, left lower limb weakness and difficulty ambulating for 6 weeks. Spinal images showed a T4 metastatic epidural spinal cord compression with a pathological fracture of T4 and T10 and L3 lytic lesions. There was no other neoplastic lesion. The metastasized T4 was decompressed by a posterolateral right costotransversectomy, vertebrectomy and insertion of an expandable titanium cage. The spinal sagittal alignment was restored with T1–T7 pedicle screw fixation. Post-operatively the pain and motor power improved significantly so that the patient was discharged home. Separation surgery and adjuvant stereotactic radiosurgery of the spine successfully improved tumor burden, pain control and overall prognosis.
Spontaneous jejunoileal perforation as a manifestation of celiac disease—a rare entity: a case report
Authors: Guachilema Ribadeneira Alex Paul , Zambrano Martinez Naysi Cristina , Valencia Valverde Silvana Alexandra , Villacis Peñaherrera Raúl Ernesto , Romero Chacón Fabian Medardo , Basantes Andrea Daniela
Published: June 2020

Celiac disease or gluten-sensitive enteropathy is characterized by an autoimmune response in the small intestine triggered by the ingestion of gluten in the diet. It has a prevalence of 0.62% worldwide with considerable variation in incidence among countries. The clinical manifestations of celiac disease differ according to type: the classical type presents with intestinal symptoms, the non-classical type with intestinal or extraintestinal symptoms and the silent type is asymptomatic. Human leukocyte antigens (HLA)-DQ2 (DQA1_05/DQB1_02) are expressed in >90% of patients with celiac disease, and the presence of HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 (DQA1_ 0301/DQB1_0302) is necessary for its development. One complication of this disease is ulcerative jejunoileitis, a rare condition characterized by chronic idiopathic ulceration affecting the small intestine that can cause intestinal perforation resulting in high morbidity.
A case of laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal cancer with duplication of the inferior vena cava using preoperative 3D computed tomography angiography
Authors: Furutani Akinobu , Yoshida Sachiko , Yoshida Toshihiko , Nishi Masayasu , Yamagishi Takashi , Goto Hironobu , Otsubo Dai , Yamane Hisoka , Matsumoto Taku , Fujino Yasuhiro , Tominaga Masahiro
Published: June 2020

We report the case of a patient with duplication of the inferior vena cava (DIVC) who underwent anterior laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer. A 66-year-old woman presented with abnormal lung shadows on a chest x-ray during a routine health checkup. She was diagnosed with rectal cancer and lung metastasis using colonoscopy and thoracoabdominal computed tomography (CT). In addition, a 3D CT angiography revealed double inferior vena cava, one on either side of the aorta. The preoperative diagnosis was rectal cancer cT3N0M1a(Lung) cStage IVA with DIVC, and a two-stage surgery was planned. The first stage was high anterior laparoscopic resection. This was safely performed because the pre-hypogastric nerve fascia was preserved and the left inferior vena cava was not visualized during the surgery. During the second stage of the surgery, video-assisted thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy was performed and no recurrence was observed for >6 months after the second surgery.
Gastric heterotopia with perforation mimicking neoplastic process in ileum
Authors: Carlson Quinlan , Golconda Umamaheshwari , Sun Belinda
Published: June 2020

Gastric heterotopia (GH) is rare in ileum except in Meckel’s diverticulum and rarely causes severe symptoms in adults. Here, we report a 31-year-old male patient with GH in ileum presented with bowel perforation and mass formation in the mesentery mimicking perforated small bowel tumor. Microscopic examination of the lesion showed completely differentiated gastric body-type mucosa with mucosal ulceration, fistula formation and bowel perforation. This case raises the awareness that GH may cause severe complications and should be included in the differential diagnosis for acute abdominal pain especially in patients with a mass lesion at an unusual location.