bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impella versus IABP in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock
Authors: Alushi Brunilda , Douedari Andel , Froehlig Georg , Knie Wulf , Wurster Thomas H , Leistner David M , Staehli Barbara-Elisabeth , Mochmann Hans-Christian , Pieske Burkert , Landmesser Ulf , Krackhardt Florian , Skurk Carsten
Published: May 2019

Objective

We investigated the benefit of Impella, a modern percutaneous mechanical support (pMCS) device, versus former standard intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMICS).

Methods

This single-centre, retrospective study included patients with AMICS receiving pMCS with either Impella or IABP. Disease severity at baseline was assessed with the IABP-SHOCK II score. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 30 days. Secondary outcomes were parameters of shock severity at the early postimplantation phase. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models identified independent predictors of the primary outcome.

Results

Of 116 included patients, 62 (53%) received Impella and 54 (47%)IABP. Despite similar baseline mortality risk (IABP-SHOCK II high-risk score of 18 % vs 20 %; p = 0.76), Impella significantly reduced the inotropic score (p < 0.001), lactate levels (p < 0.001) and SAPS II (p =0.02) and improved left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.01). All-cause mortality at 30 days was similar with Impella and IABP (52 % and 67 %, respectively; p = 0.13), but bleeding complications were more frequent in the Impella group (3 vs 4 units of transfused erythrocytes concentrates due to bleeding complications, p = 0.03). Previous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (HR 3.22, 95% CI 1.76 to 5.89; p < 0.01) and an estimated intermediate (HR 2.77, 95% CI 1.42 to 5.40; p < 0.01) and high (HR 4.32 95% CI 2.03 to 9.24; p = 0.01) IABP-SHOCK II score were independent predictors of all-cause mortality.

Conclusions

In patients with AMICS, haemodynamic support with the Impella device had no significant effect on 30-day mortality as compared with IABP. In these patients, large randomised trials are warranted to ascertain the effect of Impella on the outcome.
Impact of a ban on the open display of tobacco products in retail outlets on never smoking youth in the UK: findings from a repeat cross-sectional survey before, during and after implementation
Authors: Ford Allison , MacKintosh Anne Marie , Moodie Crawford , Kuipers Mirte A G , Hastings Gerard B , Bauld Linda
Published: May 2019

Background

In the UK, a ban on the open display of tobacco products at the point of sale (POS) was phased in between 2012 and 2015. We explored any impact of the ban on youth before, during and after implementation.

Methods

A repeat cross-sectional in-home survey with young people aged 11–16 years old in the UK was conducted preban (2011, n=1373), mid-ban (2014, n=1205) and postban (2016, n=1213). The analysis focuses on the never-smokers in the sample (n=2953 in total). Preban, we quantified the associations of noticing cigarettes displayed at POS and cigarette brand awareness with smoking susceptibility. We measured any change in noticing cigarettes displayed at POS, cigarette brand awareness and smoking susceptibility between preban, mid-ban and postban. Postban, we assessed support for a display ban, perceived appeal of cigarettes and perceived acceptability of smoking as a result of closed displays.

Results

Preban, noticing cigarettes displayed at POS (adjusted OR [AOR]=1.97, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.98) and higher brand awareness (AOR=1.15, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.29) were positively associated with smoking susceptibility. The mean number of brands recalled declined from 0.97 preban to 0.69 postban (p<0.001). Smoking susceptibility decreased from 28% preban to 23% mid-ban and 18% postban (p for trend <0.001). Postban, 90% of never-smokers supported the display ban and indicated that it made cigarettes seem unappealing (77%) and made smoking seem unacceptable (87%).

Conclusions

Both partial and full implementation of a display ban were followed by a reduction in smoking susceptibility among adolescents, which may be driven by decreases in brand awareness.
Heparan sulphate and hyaluronic acid components of the glycocalyx do not play a role in flow-mediated dilation of the iliac in the anaesthetized pig
Authors: Ruane-O’Hora T. , O’Malley D. , Buckley M.M. , Markos F.
Published: May 2019

The shear-stress sensor function of vascular glycocalyx heparan sulphate and hyaluronic acid was investigated in vivo by assessing flow-mediated dilation before and after their removal. Heparinase III exposure (100 mU·mL−1 for 20 min;n = 6) did not significantly affect flow-mediated dilation of the iliac, from 0.42 ± 0.08 mm (mean ± SEM) to 0.34 ± 0.07 mm after (P = 0.12; paired Student’s t test) for a statistically similar increase in shear stress; 18.24 ± 4.2 N·m−2 for the control and 15.8 ± 3.6 N·m−2 for the heparinase III experiment (P = 0.18). Hyaluronidase exposure (0.14–1.4 mg·mL−1 for 20 min; n = 8) also did not significantly reduce flow-mediated dilation of the iliac, which averaged 0.39 ± 0.08 mm before and 0.38 ± 0.09 mm after (P = 0.11) for a statistically similar increase in shear stress; 11.90 ± 3.20 N·m−2 for the control and 9.8 ± 3.33 N·m−2 for the hyaluronidase experiment (P = 0.88). Removal of both heparan sulphate and hyaluronic acid was confirmed using immunohistochemistry. Neither the heparan sulphate nor the hyaluronic acid components of the glycocalyx mediate shear-stress-induced vasodilation in conduit arteries in vivo.
Design of a centrifugal linear vibrating feeder driven by an eccentric motor
Authors: Niu Ruikun , Zhu Hua
Published: May 2019

In this paper, a novel linear vibrating feeder is designed that uses the centrifugal motion of an eccentric motor as the driving source. First, the working principle of the linear vibrating feeder is theoretically analyzed and the dynamic model is established. Subsequently, a dynamic simulation of the system is carried out using ANSYS software. The relationship between the displacement amplitude, vibration speed, and frequency of the linear vibrating feeder prototype is tested using a three-dimensional vibrometer, with an OT-10A copper terminal used to test the prototype. The experimental results indicate that, at a vibration frequency of 125 Hz, maximum vibration speeds of 1.23 and 1.70 mm/s are reached in the X- and Z-directions, respectively. The corresponding maximum amplitudes are 0.7 and 0.99 mm, and the material feeding speed reaches a maximum value of 123 mm/s. Compared with similar piezoelectric and electromagnetic vibrating feeders, the total weight of the prototype is reduced by a third, the noise is reduced by more than 20 dB, and the driving voltage is only 3.6 V. Hence, the performance of the linear vibrating feeder has been successfully demonstrated.
Investigation of the microstructural, mechanical, and thermal evolution of dissimilar aluminium alloys during friction stir welding
Authors: Kasirajan T. , Ravindran R. , Ramkumar T. , Selvakumar M.
Published: May 2019

This work deals with the joining of 6 mm thick dissimilar aluminium plates (AA5083-H111 and AA6082-T6) using a friction stir welding method and by varying the process parameters. Test experiments were performed to identify the influence of process parameters on the joint efficiency of the weldments. The process parameters such as tool rotation speed and tool pin profile were varied; whereas, tool travel speed, tilt angle, and axial force were kept constant for all weldments. Microstructure evaluation was carried out using light optical and scanning electron microscopes, which exposed the grain refinement in the nugget zone (NZ) and thermo-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ). Mechanical property tests for tensile strength, hardness, and bending were performed to understand the influence of the parameters over the weldments. Heat development between the tool shoulder and workpiece was analyzed by calculating the heat flow and heat flux. The thermal diffusivity of AA5083-H111 and AA6082-T6 were calculated to understand the influence of heat distribution in the joint efficiency of the weldments. It is inferred from the current study that the threaded cylinder tool at a rotational speed of 900 rpm achieved the highest tensile strength, hardness, and bend strength over the combination of other parameters.
Lower-dimensional corpuscular gravity and the end of black hole evaporation
Authors: Casadio Roberto , Giusti Andrea , Mureika Jonas
Published: May 2019

Black holes in [Formula: see text] spatial dimensions are studied from the perspective of the corpuscular model of gravitation, in which black holes are described as Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC) of (virtual soft) gravitons. In particular, since the energy of these gravitons should increase as the black hole evaporates, eventually approaching the Planck scale, the lower-dimensional cases could provide important insight into the late stages and end of Hawking evaporation. We show that the occupation number of gravitons in the condensate scales holographically in all dimensions as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the relevant length for the system in the [Formula: see text]-dimensional spacetime. In particular, this analysis shows that black holes cannot contain more than a few gravitons in [Formula: see text]. Since dimensional reduction is a common feature of many models of quantum gravity, this result can shed light on the end of the Hawking evaporation. We also consider [Formula: see text]-dimensional cosmology in the context of corpuscular gravity and show that the Friedmann equation reproduces the expected holographic scaling as in higher dimensions.
Diverse solitons and interaction solutions for the (2+1)-dimensional CDGKS equation
Authors: Zhuang Jian-Hong , Liu Yaqing , Chen Xin , Wu Juan-Juan , Wen Xiao-Yong
Published: May 2019

In this paper, the (2[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]1)-dimensional CDGKS equation is studied and its diverse soliton solutions consisting of line soliton, periodic soliton and lump soliton with different parameters are derived based on the Hirota bilinear method and long-wave limit method. Based on exact solution formulae with different parameters, the interaction between line soliton and periodic soliton, the interaction between line soliton and lump soliton, as well as the interaction between periodic soliton and lump soliton are illustrated. According to the dynamical behaviors, it can be found that the effects of different parameters are on the propagation direction and shapes. Novel soliton interaction phenomena are also observed.
Design and simulation of inductive coupler based on Ni–Zn ferrites
Authors: Zhao Meng-Han , Fu Xiu-Li
Published: May 2019

The main purpose of this work is to couple the transmission signal into the power line with a low insertion loss. The inductive coupler is simulated by using CST modeling. By means of the non-contact inductive coupler, the carrier signals on the wire with large diameter are coupled into the one with small diameter and then enter the power line carrier handling veneer, so as to realize the coupled transmission of the signals. The structure model of the inductive coupler is established, in which the key technologies are the selection of magnetic core materials and the design of the coupler structure.
A NEW SPECTRAL–SPATIAL JOINTED HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGE CLASSIFICATION APPROACH BASED ON FRACTAL DIMENSION ANALYSIS
Authors: SU JUNYING , LI YINGKUI , HU QINGWU
Published: May 2019

To maximize the advantages of both spectral and spatial information, we introduce a new spectral–spatial jointed hyperspectral image classification approach based on fractal dimension (FD) analysis of spectral response curve (SRC) in spectral domain and extended morphological processing in spatial domain. This approach first calculates the FD image based on the whole SRC of the hyperspectral image and decomposes the SRC into segments to derive the FD images with each SRC segment. These FD images based on the segmented SRC are composited into a multidimensional FD image set in spectral domain. Then, the extended morphological profiles (EMPs) are derived from the image set through morphological open and close operations in spatial domain. Finally, all these EMPs and FD features are combined into one feature vector for a probabilistic support vector machine (SVM) classification. This approach was demonstrated using three hyperspectral images in urban areas of the university campus and downtown area of Pavia, Italy, and the Washington DC Mall area in the USA, respectively. We assessed the potential and performance of this approach by comparing with PCA-based method in hyperspectral image classification. Our results indicate that the classification accuracy of our proposed method is much higher than the accuracies of the classification methods based on the spectral or spatial domain alone, and similar to or slightly higher than the classification accuracy of PCA-based spectral–spatial jointed classification method. The proposed FD approach also provides a new self-similarity measure of land class in spectral domain, a unique property to represent hyperspectral self-similarity of SRC in hyperspectral imagery.
PROGRESS ON ESTIMATION OF FRACTAL DIMENSIONS OF FRACTIONAL CALCULUS OF CONTINUOUS FUNCTIONS
Authors: LIANG YONG-SHUN
Published: May 2019

In this paper, fractal dimensions of fractional calculus of continuous functions defined on [Formula: see text] have been explored. Continuous functions with Box dimension one have been divided into five categories. They are continuous functions with bounded variation, continuous functions with at most finite unbounded variation points, one-dimensional continuous functions with infinite but countable unbounded variation points, one-dimensional continuous functions with uncountable but zero measure unbounded variation points and one-dimensional continuous functions with uncountable and non-zero measure unbounded variation points. Box dimension of Riemann–Liouville fractional integral of any one-dimensional continuous functions has been proved to be with Box dimension one. Continuous functions on [Formula: see text] are divided as local fractal functions and fractal functions. According to local structure and fractal dimensions, fractal functions are composed of regular fractal functions, irregular fractal functions and singular fractal functions. Based on previous work, upper Box dimension of any continuous functions has been proved to be no less than upper Box dimension of their Riemann–Liouville fractional integral. Fractal dimensions of Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative of certain continuous functions have been investigated elementary.
RECURRENT FRACTAL INTERPOLATION SURFACES ON TRIANGULAR DOMAINS
Authors: LIANG ZHEN , RUAN HUO-JUN
Published: May 2019

We present a general framework to construct recurrent fractal interpolation surfaces (RFISs) on triangular domains. Then we introduce affine RFISs, which are easy to be generated while there are no restrictions on interpolation points and vertical scaling factors. We also obtain the box dimension of affine RFISs under certain constraints.
CONSENSUS PROBLEMS IN WEIGHTED HIERARCHICAL GRAPHS
Authors: WANG XIAOQIAN , XU HUILING , MA CHANGBING
Published: May 2019

We present the hierarchical graph for the growth of weighted networks in which the structural growth is coupled with the edges’ weight dynamical evolution. We investigate consensus problems of the graph from weighted Laplacian spectra perspective, focusing on three important quantities of consensus problems, convergence speed, delay robustness, and first-order coherence, which are determined by the second smallest eigenvalue, largest eigenvalue, and sum of reciprocals of each nonzero eigenvalue of weighted Laplacian matrix, respectively. Unlike previous enquiries, we want to emphasize the importance of weight factor in the study of coherence problems. In what follows, we attempt to study that the weighted Laplacian eigenvalues of the weighted hierarchical graphs, which are determined through analytic recursive equations. We find in our study that the value of convergence speed and delay robustness in weighted hierarchical graphs increases as weight factor increases and the value of first-order coherence decreases as weight factor increases. Moreover, as is expected, weight factor affects the performance of consensus behavior and can be regarded as a leverage in the problem of consensus problems. This paper puts forward the proposal and the countermeasure for stability optimization of networks from the perspective of weight factor for future researchers.
COMPLEXITY-BASED ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF MACHINING PARAMETERS ON THE SURFACE FINISH OF DRILLED HOLES IN DRILLING OPERATION
Authors: AHAMED ASHFAQ , AHAMED ATHIF , KATUWAWALA DILAN , EE TEOH TIONG , TAN ZI HAN , BAJAJ ISHWIN SINGH , WICKRAMASURENDRA THEJAN , NAMAZI HAMIDREZA
Published: May 2019

Drilling is a famous and widely used machining operation to make holes in the workpiece. The size and surface quality of drilled hole are two factors that should be considered mainly. In this research, we examine the effect of different machining parameters and conditions on the surface quality of generated hole in drilling operation. For this purpose, we employ fractal theory and investigate how the variations of depth of cut and spindle speed affect the complexity of surface texture of drilled holes in wet and dry machining conditions. Based on the obtained results, the increment of depth of cut and spindle speed in case of wet and dry machining causes lower complexity on the generated surface from drilling. In addition, the generated surface from dry machining is more complex than the generated surface from wet machining. The obtained method in this research can be applied to other machining operations in order to investigate the effect of machining parameters and conditions on the surface quality of machined workpiece.
ENHANCED OIL FLOW MODEL COUPLING FRACTAL ROUGHNESS AND HETEROGENEOUS WETTABILITY
Authors: FAN HAIMING , LI HUI , WANG HAN
Published: May 2019

The oil flow behaviors in inorganic and organic nanopores are still unclear due to the effects of complex surface properties on boundary slip velocity and effective oil viscosity, such as surface roughness and various wettability. In this work, the oil flow enhancement factor and apparent permeability model are derived by coupling slip length and effective viscosity based on the no-slip Hagen–Poiseuille equation. The effects of the oil–wall molecular interactions, pore radius, fractal surface roughness and heterogeneous wettability are considered, and the heterogeneous wettability is caused by the trapped gas between rough elements. The results show that (1) the enhancement factor ranges from 10[Formula: see text] to 108 with contact angle ranging from 0[Formula: see text] to 180[Formula: see text], and gradually tends to 1 with an increasing pore radius. Additionally, the flow enhancement factor and apparent permeability increase with an increasing contact angle; (2) The surface roughness can increase or decrease apparent contact angles of oil droplet on water-wetting or oil-wetting surface, respectively, and the increasing or decreasing value of contact angle increases with an increasing fractal dimension. Therefore, as rough fractal dimension increases, the enhancement factor and apparent permeability decrease in oil-wetting pores and increase in water-wetting pores; (3) With an increasing trapped gas content, because the surface becomes more oil-nonwetting that leads to the larger slip length and smaller effective viscosity, the enhancement factor and apparent permeability increase. This model has certain significance for the study of liquid flow behaviors in nanopores with rough surface and heterogeneous wettability, and can be used to fit the results measured by experiments by changing the fractal dimension and trapped liquid content.
RANDOM WALKS IN HETEROGENEOUS WEIGHTED PSEUDO-FRACTAL WEBS WITH THE SAME WEIGHT SEQUENCE
Authors: XING CHANGMING , YANG LIN
Published: May 2019

Intuitively, link weight could affect the dynamics of the network. However, the theoretical research on the effects of link weight on network dynamics is still rare. In this paper, we present two heterogeneous weighted pseudo-fractal webs controlled by two weight parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]). Both graph models are scale-free deterministic graphs, and they have the same weight sequence when [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are fixed. Based on their self-similar graph structure, we study the effect of heterogeneous weight on the random walks in graph with scale-free characteristics. We obtain analytically the average trapping time (ATT) for biased random walks in graphs with a trap located at a fixed node. Analyzing and comparing the obtained solutions, we find that in the large graph limit, the ATT for both graph models all grow as a power function of the graph size (number of nodes) with the exponent [Formula: see text] dependents on the ratio of parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], but their exponents [Formula: see text] are not the same, one gets the minimum when [Formula: see text], while the other gets the maximum. Furthermore, the average weighted shortest path length (AWSPL) to the trap is calculated for both graph models, respectively. We show that when the graph size tends to infinity, their AWSPL grows unbounded with the graph size for most parameters. We hope that these results could help people understand the impact of heterogeneous weight on network dynamics.
The Effect of Boundary Condition Variations on the Rolling Resistance of a Hard Sphere on Rubber Sheets
Authors: Zéhil Gérard-Philippe , Gavin Henri P.
Published: May 2019

This paper makes an interesting case for the need to consider mechanistic variations in rolling resistance forces due to noncoplanar surfaces and surface roughness. An experimental apparatus is designed to measure rolling resistance in the practically imperfect conditions of lightly-damped rolling isolation systems. These conditions include support compliance, surface imperfections and material inhomogeneities under relatively large loads. Rolling resistance experiments are conducted on steel balls between rubber sheets. Suitable mechanistic interpretations are provided for principal sources of variability. It is shown that measurement errors can be significant and that experimental results should be considered with caution. Suitable approaches for interpreting the results are then proposed and applied to this aim. Useful analytical models are fitted successfully to the processed data.
Analysis of the Dynamic Behavior of the Double Wishbone Suspension System
Authors: Nabawy Ayman E. , Abdelrahman Alaa A. , Abdalla Waleed S. , Abdelhaleem Ayman M. , Alieldin Soliman S.
Published: May 2019

Suspension systems are essential in vehicles to provide both passenger comfort and vibration isolation from road bumps. It is necessary to develop a comprehensive numerical model to study and analyze the dynamic behavior of these systems. This study aims to introduce a comprehensive finite element model to investigate the dynamic behavior of double wishbone vehicle suspension system considering links flexibility. Plane frame element based on Timoshenko beam theory (TBT) is adopted to model the suspension links. Flexibility of the joints connecting the suspension links are modeled using the revolute joint element. Viscoelastic, viscous and proportional damping models are considered to simulate the damping effect. Newmark technique, as unconditionally stable technique is adopted to solve the finite element dynamic equation of motion. The developed procedure is verified by comparing the obtained results with the available analytical and numerical results and an excellent agreement is found. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed model, parametric studies are conducted to show the effects of the road bump profiles, the vehicle speed, and the material damping on the dynamic behavior of suspension system. The obtained results are supportive in the design and manufacturing processes of such suspension systems.
Laminar Forced Convection of Various Nanofluids in Sudden Expansion Channels Under Constant Heat Flux: A CFD Study
Authors: Acar Bahadir
Published: May 2019

In the present work, forced convection heat transfer was investigated numerically for the fully developed fluid flow of incompressible viscous laminar flow under the constant wall heat flux in sudden expansion channels. Various fluids were used with different concentration of nanoparticle such as Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, CuO, SiO2. These nanoparticles were dispersed with the range of 0.5–2% volume concentrations in pure water to form stable suspensions of nanofluids. The flow assumed to be uniform in the channel inlet and numerical computations were performed for the fully developed laminar flow conditions. Ansys Fluent 16.1 code, based on finite volume approach was used to calculate the governing continuity, momentum and energy equations. Effect of the Re numbers (100[Formula: see text]Re[Formula: see text]500), nanoparticle volume concentration (0.5%[Formula: see text]2.0%) and nanofluid type on the flow and heat transfer characteristics such as convective heat transfer coefficient, Nu number, friction factor and pressure drop has been investigated. Al2O3/water nanofluid was found better when compared the other references working fluids by means of heat transfer enhancement.
Single-Molecule Studies on the Protein Translocon
Authors: Seinen Anne-Bart , Driessen Arnold J.M.
Published: May 2019

Single-molecule studies provide unprecedented details about processes that are difficult to grasp by bulk biochemical assays that yield ensemble-averaged results. One of these processes is the translocation and insertion of proteins across and into the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. This process is facilitated by the universally conserved secretion (Sec) system, a multi-subunit membrane protein complex that consists of dissociable cytoplasmic targeting components, a molecular motor, a protein-conducting membrane pore, and accessory membrane proteins. Here, we review recent insights into the mechanisms of protein translocation and membrane protein insertion from single-molecule studies.
Race and Authoritarianism in American Politics
Authors: Parker Christopher Sebastian , Towler Christopher C.
Published: May 2019

Authoritarianism, it seems, is alive and well these days. The Trump administration's blatant dismissal of democratic norms has many wondering whether it fits the authoritarian model. This review offers a framework for understanding authoritarianism in the American past, as well as the American present. Starting in the early twentieth century, this analysis seeks to provide a better understanding of how authoritarianism once existed in enclaves in the Jim Crow South, where it was intended to dominate blacks in the wake of emancipation. Confining the definition of authoritarianism to regime rule, however, leaves little room for a discussion of more contemporary authoritarianism, at the micro level. This review shifts focus to an assessment of political psychology's concept of authoritarianism and how it ultimately drives racism. Ultimately, we believe a tangible connection exists between racism and authoritarianism. Even so, we question the mechanism. Along the way, we also discuss the ways in which communities of color, often the targets of authoritarianism, resist the intolerance to which they have been exposed. We conclude with a discussion of why we believe, despite temporal and spatial differences as well as incongruous levels of analysis, that micro- and macro-level authoritarianism have much in common.
The Politics of Housing
Authors: Ansell Ben W.
Published: May 2019

Owning a house is the most important economic choice most families will ever make. Yet, our understanding of the political causes and consequences of homeownership is rather thin. This review argues that political scientists need to take housing much more seriously, not least because of the unprecedented surges and collapses of house prices over the past two decades. The housing market is both a proxy for and a cause of growing social cleavages that shape how citizens view political issues from the size of the welfare state to the attractiveness of populist campaigns. The article begins by re-examining classic work on property from the nineteenth century as a still-relevant guide to the winners and losers from property market shocks and regulations. It then turns to the postwar era and work that suggests that the welfare state and property ownership are in some sense substitutes. It concludes by examining the role housing plays in shaping contemporary political preferences, both as a direct measure of individuals' wealth and welfare and as a proxy for the relative fortunes of different places.
Bias and Judging
Authors: Harris Allison P. , Sen Maya
Published: May 2019

How do we know whether judges of different backgrounds are biased? We review the substantial political science literature on judicial decision making, paying close attention to how judges' demographics and ideology can influence or structure their decision making. As the research demonstrates, characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and gender can sometimes predict judicial decision making in limited kinds of cases; however, the literature also suggests that these characteristics are far less important in shaping or predicting outcomes than is ideology (or partisanship), which in turn correlates closely with gender, race, and ethnicity. This leads us to conclude that assuming judges of different backgrounds are biased because they rule differently is questionable. Given that the application of the law rarely provides one objectively correct answer, it is no surprise that judges' decisions vary according to their personal backgrounds and, more importantly, according to their ideology.
Advancing metabolism research to overcome low litter survival in metabolically stressed mice
Authors: Powell Catherine A. , Choudhury Mahua
Published: May 2019

Elucidating the mechanism underlying the transmission of metabolic disease to subsequent generations requires robust preclinical mouse breeding strategies. Western diets rich in fat and carbohydrates are contributing factors in the rise of diabetes and obesity rates worldwide. Therefore, determining the impact of Western diets consumed by parents on offspring and future generations is critical for understanding the perpetuation of these diseases. Specifically, epigenetic regulation and transgenerational inheritance of metabolic disease is an emerging field of study requiring robust murine models. However, a major challenge to transgenerational studies is offspring mortality, exacerbated by maternal stress during pregnancy. Here, we describe a challenge experienced in our metabolic research in Western diet-fed female mice leading to the loss of litters via pup mortality and cannibalism by the mother. Furthermore, our study evaluates various breeding schemes with pregnancy efficiency and refined husbandry techniques to overcome pup mortality and infanticide, to characterize dams’ and pups’ metabolic characteristics, and to determine the impact on physiology of dams under detailed breeding schemes.
Rapid and Simple Detection ofTrichosporon asahiiby Optimized Colony PCR
Authors: Zhang Dequan , Lu Xuelian , Liao Yong , Xia Zhikuan , Peng Zhuoying , Yang Xin , Yang Rongya
Published: May 2019

Trichosporon asahiiis the major pathogen causing invasive trichosporonosis. Conventional methods of its detection are time-consuming or costly and often require complex DNA extraction and purification steps, which hinders rapid clinical diagnosis. In this study, we evaluated colony PCR, which directly uses colonies or trace clinical samples as the template for amplification, for rapid detection ofT. asahiiinfection. Four methods, namely, direct colony, freeze-thaw, glass beads, and enzymolysis, were compared to select the best DNA extraction strategy. We subsequently designed and screened species-specific primers targeting the intergenic spacer 1 (IGS1) of the ribosomal DNA ofT. asahiiand used them to detect mock infection clinical samples. The species-specific colony PCR based on glass beads proved advantageous, with short procedure time (154.8 ± 0.6 min), good sensitivity (detection limit, 102CFU/mL), and specificity forT. asahii, indicating that this method can be used for the rapid and simple identification of clinical samples ofT. asahiiinfection.
Thyroxine Affects Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Macrophage Differentiation and Myocardial Cell Apoptosis via the NF-κB p65 Pathway Both In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Zhu Shan , Wang Yuan , Liu Hongtao , Wei Wen , Tu Yi , Chen Chuang , Song Junlong , Xu Zhiliang , Li Juanjuan , Wang Changhua , Sun Shengrong
Published: May 2019

Background. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the inflammatory response is involved in the progression of lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced myocardial cell apoptosis. Accumulating evidence has shown that thyroxine participates in diseases by downregulating the inflammatory response. This study aimed at investigating whether thyroxine alleviates LPS-induced myocardial cell apoptosis. Methods. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (Mø) were treated with LPS and thyroxine, and Mø differentiation and Mø-related cytokine expression were measured. The effect of Mø differentiation on mouse cardiomyocyte (MCM) apoptosis was also detected in vitro. In addition, C57BL/6 mice underwent thyroidectomy and were treated with LPS 35 days later; subsequently, Mø differentiation and myocardial cell apoptosis in hearts were analyzed. To determine whether the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 pathway mediates the effect of thyroxine on Mø differentiation and myocardial cell apoptosis, the specific NF-κB p65 pathway inhibitor JSH-23 was administered to mice that underwent a thyroidectomy. Results. Levothyroxine treatment significantly reduced the activation of the NF-κB p65 pathway, decreased M1 macrophage (Mø1) differentiation and Mø1-related cytokine mRNA levels in LPS-treated Mø, and increased M2 macrophage (Mø2) differentiation and Mø2-related cytokine mRNA expression. The protective effects of levothyroxine on MCM apoptosis mediated by LPS-treated Mø were alleviated by JSH-23. In mice, thyroidectomy aggravated LPS-induced cardiac injury and cardiac dysfunction, further promoted NF-κB p65 activation, and increased cardiac Mø1 expression and myocardial cell apoptosis but decreased cardiac Mø2 expression. JSH-23 treatment significantly ameliorated the thyroidectomy-induced increases in myocardial cell apoptosis and Mø differentiation. Conclusions. Thyroxine alleviated the Mø1/Mø2 imbalance, reduced the inflammatory response, decreased myocardial cell apoptosis, and protected against cardiac injury and cardiac dysfunction in LPS-treated mice. Thyroxine may be a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent and treat LPS-induced cardiac injury.
A Label Noise Robust Stacked Auto‐Encoder Algorithm for Inaccurate Supervised Classification Problems
Authors: Wang Zi-yang , Luo Xiao-yi , Liang Jun
Published: May 2019

In real applications, label noise and feature noise are two main noise sources. Similar to feature noise, label noise imposes great detriment on training classification models. Motivated by successful application of deep learning method in normal classification problems, this paper proposes a new framework called LNC‐SDAE to handle those datasets corrupted with label noise, or so‐called inaccurate supervision problems. The LNC‐SDAE framework contains a preliminary label noise cleansing part and a stacked denoising auto‐encoder. In preliminary label noise cleansing part, the K‐fold cross‐validation thought is applied for detecting and relabeling those mislabeled samples. After being preprocessed by label noise cleansing part, the cleansed training dataset is then input into the stacked denoising auto‐encoder to learn robust representation for classification. A corrupted UCI standard dataset and a corrupted real industrial dataset are used for test, both of which contain a certain proportion of label noise (the ratio changes from 0% to 30%). The experiment results prove the effectiveness of LNC‐SDAE, the representation learnt by which is shown robust.
Nrf2/Keap1/ARE Signaling Mediated an Antioxidative Protection of Human Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cells of Fetal Origin in Alveolar Epithelial Cells
Authors: Yan Xiurui , Fu Xue , Jia Yuanyuan , Ma Xiaona , Tao Jin , Yang Tingting , Ma Haibin , Liang Xueyun , Liu Xiaoming , Yang Jiali , Wei Jun
Published: May 2019

The oxidative stresses are a major insult in pulmonary injury such as acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), two clinical manifestations of acute respiratory failure with substantially high morbidity and mortality. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold a promise in treatments of many human diseases, mainly owing to their capacities of immunoregulation and antioxidative activity. The strong immunoregulatory role of human placental MSCs of fetal origin (hfPMSCs) has been previously demonstrated; their antioxidant activity, however, has yet been interrogated. In this report, we examined the antioxidative activity of hfPMSCs by accessing the ability to scavenge oxidants and radicals and to protect alveolar epithelial cells from antioxidative injury using both a cell coculture model and a conditioned culture medium (CM) of hfPMSCs. Results showed a comparable antioxidative capacity of the CM with 100 μM of vitamin C (VC) in terms of the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), scavenging abilities of free radicals DPPH, hydroxyl radical (·OH), and superoxide anion radical (O2-), as well as activities of antioxidant enzymes of SOD and GSH-PX. Importantly, both of the CM alone and cocultures of hfPMSCs displayed a protection of A549 alveolar epithelial cells from oxidative injury of 600 μM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure, as determined in monolayer and transwell coculture models, respectively. Mechanistically, hfPMSCs and their CM could significantly reduce the apoptotic cell fraction of alveolar epithelial A549 cells exposed to H2O2, accompanied with an increased expression of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Nrf-2, and HO-1 and decreased proapoptotic proteins Bax, caspase 3, and Keap1, in comparison with naïve controls. Furthermore, hfPMSCs-CM (passage 3) collected from cultures exposed an inhibition of the Nrf2/Keap1/ARE signaling pathway which led to a significant reduction in caspase 3 expression in A549 cells, although the addition of Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 had no effect on the antioxidative activity of hfPMSCs-CM. These data clearly suggested that hfPMSCs protected the H2O2-induced cell oxidative injury at least in part by regulating the Nrf2-Keap1-ARE signaling-mediated cell apoptosis. Our study thus provided a new insight into the antioxidative mechanism and novel functions of hfPMSCs as antioxidants in disease treatments, which is warranted for further investigations.
New Approach for the Calculation of the Intraocular Lens Power Based on the Fictitious Corneal Refractive Index Estimation
Authors: Fernández Joaquín , Rodríguez-Vallejo Manuel , Martínez Javier , Tauste Ana , Piñero David P.
Published: May 2019

Purpose. To identify the sources of error in predictability beyond the effective lens position and to develop two new thick lens equations. Methods. Retrospective observational case series with 43 eyes. Information related to the actual lens position, corneal radii measured with specular reflection and Scheimpflug-based technologies, and the characteristics of the implanted lenses (radii and thickness) were used for obtaining the fictitious indexes that better predicted the postoperative spherical equivalent (SE) when the real effective lens position (ELP) was known. These fictitious indexes were used to develop two thick lens equations that were compared with the predictability of SRK/T and Barrett Universal II. Results. The SE relative to the intended target was correlated to the difference between real ELP and the value estimated by SRK/T (ΔELP) (r = −0.47, p=0.002), but this only predicted 22% of variability in a linear regression model. The fictitious index for the specular reflection (nk) and Scheimpflug-based devices (nc) were significantly correlated with axial length. Including both indexes fitted to axial length in the prediction model with the ΔELP increased the r-square of the model up to 83% and 39%, respectively. Equations derived from these fictitious indexes reduced the mean SE in comparison to SRK/T and Barrett Universal II. Conclusions. The predictability with the trifocal IOL evaluated is not explained by an error in the ELP. An adjustment fitting the fictitious index with the axial length improves the predictability without false estimations of the ELP.
Microwave Imaging of 3D Dielectric Structures by Means of a Newton-CG Method in lp Spaces
Authors: Estatico Claudio , Fedeli Alessandro , Pastorino Matteo , Randazzo Andrea , Tavanti Emanuele
Published: May 2019

An increasing number of practical applications of three-dimensional microwave imaging require accurate and efficient inversion techniques. In this context, a full-wave 3D inverse-scattering method, aimed at characterizing dielectric targets, is described in this paper. In particular, the inversion approach has a Newton-based structure, in which the internal linear solver is a conjugate gradient-like algorithm in lp spaces. The presented results, which include the inversion of both numerical and experimental scattered-field data obtained in the presence of homogeneous and inhomogeneous targets, validate the reconstruction capabilities of the proposed technique.
Role of Cav-1 in HIV-1 Tat-Induced Dysfunction of Tight Junctions and Aβ-Transferring Proteins
Authors: Zou Min , Huang Wen , Jiang Wenlin , Wu Yu , Chen Qiangtang
Published: May 2019

Objective. To evaluate the role of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in HIV-1 Tat-induced dysfunction of tight junction and amyloid β-peptide- (Aβ-) transferring proteins. Methods. A Cav-1 shRNA interference target sequence was cloned into the lentiviral vector pHBLV-U6-Scramble-ZsGreen-Puro and verified by double enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing. Human cerebral microvascular endothelium (HBEC-5i) cells were transduced with viral particles made in 293T cells by transfection with lentiviral packaging plasmids. HBEC-5i cells transduced with Cav-1 shRNA or Ctr shRNA were exposed to HIV-1 Tat for 24 h, and the protein and mRNA levels of the tight junction protein occludin, Aβ-transferring protein, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein- (LRP-) 1, and RhoA were evaluated with Western blot and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays, respectively. Results. After sequencing, an RNA interference recombinant lentivirus expressing a vector targeting Cav-1 was successfully established. The recombined lentiviral particles were made by using 293T cells to package the recombined lentiviral vector. A stable monoclonal cell line with strong GFP expression was acquired with a Cav-1 knockdown rate of 85.7%. The occludin protein and mRNA levels in the Ctr shRNA group were decreased with HIV-1 Tat exposure but were upregulated in the Cav-1 shRNA group. The HIV-1 Tat-induced alterations of RAGE and LRP-1 protein and mRNA levels in the Ctr shRNA group were attenuated in the Cav-1 shRNA group. The RhoA protein levels in the Ctr shRNA group were upregulated by HIV-1 Tat exposure but were downregulated in the Cav-1 shRNA group. Conclusion. These results show that HIV-1 Tat-induced downregulation of occludin and LRP-1 and upregulation of RAGE and RhoA may result in the accumulation of Aβ in the brain. Silencing the Cav-1 gene with shRNA plays a key role in the protection against HIV-1 Tat-induced dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier and Aβ accumulation.
Prediction of Landslide Position of Loose Rock Mass at Mountain Tunnel Exit
Authors: Wang Ya-Qiong , Ma Cheng-Bin , Wang Zhi-Feng
Published: May 2019

Landslide of loose rock mass at mountain tunnel exit occurs easily, and prediction of landslide position is one of the engineering problems to be solved urgently. Currently, existing and used prediction methods, such as field monitoring measurement, numerical analysis, nonlinear theories, and the geometric method, play a very important role and have their limitations. For example, there is a bigger difference between calculation mode by Wang et al.’s method and actual engineering situation; besides, there exists a relatively big discrepancy between the predicted and true position. Aiming to solve this problem, this article combined theoretical analysis and actual engineering situation to establish an optimal calculation mode. At the same time, this article re‐deduced instability criteria based on the stress‐transferring theory and examined the factors that influence solutions. The improved method can predict landslide position more accurately because the parameters (β, s, H, α, γ, c, φ, and T) related to the occurrence of landslide are taken into consideration. It is pointed out that landslide possibly occurs in the case of Δ ≥ 0 and Y ≤ 0. In addition, the equations s1 < s < s2 and 0 ≤ s ≤ H/sin α can determine landslide position accurately. The method is applied to two engineering examples, and the calculation results show that the deviations of predictive position from the actual landslide position are only 0.10% and 0.07%, respectively, indicating that prediction results are accurate and reliable. It is suggested that the proposed method is a useful tool in the design of tunnel engineering.
The Impact of Steatosis on the Outcome of Liver Transplantation: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Qiong-Yue , Zhang Qiong-Fang , Zhang Da-Zhi
Published: May 2019

Background and Aims. Liver transplantation is one of the most effective treatments for end-stage liver disease as well as for cases of acute liver failure. Facing organ donor shortage, liver transplant teams had to use marginal organs. Thus, increasing availability is a key concern of donor liver grafts including steatotic livers. However, the use of steatotic liver is still controversial. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the impact of steatosis on the outcome of liver transplantation.Methods. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of knowledge, and so on for studies published through May 31, 2018, in which patients experienced liver transplantation using fatty liver. All studies extracted outcome indicators, and we draw conclusions by contrasting outcome indicators in different groups of steatosis. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant difference.Results. 19 publications were included. There was no significant difference between the group of no steatosis and mild group in primary nonfunction rate (P=0.605) or early graft dysfunction rate (P=0.44). The PNF rate was significantly higher in moderate group (P=0.003) and severe group (P <0.001) compared with that in no steatosis group. The same results were seen in early graft dysfunction rate. However, graft survival rate and patient survival rate did not differ between groups.Conclusions. Livers with mild steatosis, even with moderate or severe steatosis, could be suitable donor under strict control of transplant conditions.