bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of ATG and Rituximab in capuchin monkeys (a New World monkey)–An in vitro study relevant to xenotransplantation
Authors: Yamamoto Takayuki , Ladowski Joseph M. , Bikhet Mohamed , Cooper David K. C. , Hara Hidetaka
Published: June 2020

While Old World monkeys, for example, baboons, have antibodies against triple‐knockout (TKO) pig cells, thus complicating pig organ transplantation studies, capuchin monkeys (a New World monkey) do not, thus more closely mimicking humans in respect to the response to TKO pig cells. Whether drugs such as anti‐thymocyte globulin (ATG) and Rituximab are effective in capuchin monkeys remains uncertain. We measured the binding and cytotoxicity of ATG and Rituximab to human (n = 7), baboon (n = 7), and capuchin monkey (n = 5) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), T cells or B cells by flow cytometry.The effect in vitro of ATG in depleting PBMCs in capuchin monkeys and baboons was significantly less than in humans, but the depletion in capuchin monkeys was not significantly different from that in baboons. In contrast, the effect in vitro of Rituximab in depleting B cells in capuchin monkeys was very limited, and significantly less than in humans and baboons.Although capuchin monkeys mimic the human antibody response to TKO pig cells more closely than baboons, Rituximab had a minimal effect in capuchin monkeys in vitro. This observation may limit the value of New World Monkeys as recipients of pig organs, tissues, or cells in experimental studies of xenotransplantation or, indeed, in allotransplantation.
Effect of Fiscal Decentralization Financial Performance Against Local And Regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) NTB
Authors: Amin M
Published: June 2020

This study aims to empirically prove the effect of Fiscal Decentralization on regional financial performance, the effect of fiscal decentralization on Gross Regional Domestic Product and the effect of Regional Financial Performance on Gross Regional Domestic Product. This study uses secondary data taken from 10 districts/cities in West Nusa Tenggara Province. The results of this study indicate that H1 Fiscal Decentralization has significant and significant influence on regional financial performance. H2 turns out that the Fiscal Decentralization variable does not significantly influence the Gross Regional Domestic Product. H3 Regional Financial Performance does not significantly influence Gross Regional Domestic Product.
Modelling unitary fields and the single‐neuron contribution to local field potentials in the hippocampus
Authors: Teleńczuk Maria , Teleńczuk Bartosz , Destexhe Alain
Published: June 2020

Key points

We simulate the unitary local field potential (uLFP) generated in the hippocampus CA3, using morphologically detailed models.

The model suggests that cancelling effects between apical and basal dendritic synapses explain the low amplitude of excitatory uLFPs.

Inhibitory synapses around the soma do not cancel and could explain the high‐amplitude inhibitory uLFPs.

These results suggest that somatic inhibition constitutes a strong component of LFPs, which may explain a number of experimental observations.

Synaptic currents represent a major contribution to the local field potential (LFP) in brain tissue, but the respective contribution of excitatory and inhibitory synapses is not known. Here, we provide estimates of this contribution by using computational models of hippocampal pyramidal neurons, constrained by in vitro recordings. We focus on the unitary LFP (uLFP) generated by single neurons in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. We first reproduce experimental results for hippocampal basket cells, and in particular how inhibitory uLFP are distributed within hippocampal layers. Next, we calculate the uLFP generated by pyramidal neurons, using morphologically reconstructed CA3 pyramidal cells. The model shows that the excitatory uLFP is of small amplitude, smaller than inhibitory uLFPs. Indeed, when the two are simulated together, inhibitory uLFPs mask excitatory uLFPs, which might create the illusion that the inhibitory field is generated by pyramidal cells. These results provide an explanation for the observation that excitatory and inhibitory uLFPs are of the same polarity, in vivo and in vitro. These results suggest that somatic inhibitory currents are large contributors to the LFP, which is important information for interpreting this signal. Finally, the results of our model might form the basis of a simple method to compute the LFP, which could be applied to point neurons for each cell type, thus providing a simple biologically grounded method for calculating LFPs from neural networks.

In conclusion, computational models constrained by in vitro recordings suggest that: (1) Excitatory uLFPs are of smaller amplitude than inhibitory uLFPs. (2) Inhibitory uLFPs form the major contribution to LFPs. (3) uLFPs can be used as a simple model to generate LFPs from spiking networks.
Percepción sobre la coordinación de la atención: el caso de las redes de servicios de salud de Xalapa y Veracruz, México, en el periodo 2014-2016
Authors: Cisneros Luján Angélica Ivonne , Cinta Loaiza Dulce María , Sánchez Bandala María Alejandra , González Rojas Vianey
Published: June 2020

Una limitada coordinación asistencial impide garantizar una atención integrada, eficiente y de calidad. El objetivo del estudio fue explorar la percepción de profesionales de salud sobre la coordinación entre niveles de atención y los factores que la influyen. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo mediante el análisis de contenido de 54 entrevistas semiestructuradas y 11 grupos focales con personal de dos redes de servicios de salud en Xalapa y Veracruz, México. Los entrevistados refirieron dificultades para el seguimiento de los pacientes, desacuerdos respecto a los criterios de referencia, barreras de acceso a la atención especializada, baja calidad de los formatos de referencia, escasa recepción de los formatos de contrarreferencia y dificultades para seguir los circuitos de referencia. Atribuyeron estos problemas a la insuficiencia de recursos, la cobertura limitada del Seguro Popular, la sobrecarga de trabajo, falta de supervisión, deficiente formación de los médicos generales y limitada comunicación entre profesionales. Estos resultados coinciden con otros estudios en la región, por lo que se señala la necesidad de reforzar los mecanismos basados en la normalización, introducir estrategias basadas en la adaptación mutua y modificar rasgos de la estructura y cultura organizacional para lograr una coordinación de la atención efectiva, que contribuya a la integración de las redes.
Active Chatter Suppression in Low Immersion Intermittent Milling Process
Authors: Cao Le , Huang Tao , Shi Da-Ming , Zhang Xiao-Ming , Ding Han
Published: June 2020

Chatter in low immersion milling behaves differently from that in full immersion milling, mainly because of the non-negligible time-variant dynamics and the occurrence of period doubling bifurcation. The intermittent and time-variant characteristics make the active chatter suppression based on Lyaponov theorem a non-trivial problem. The main challenges lie in how to deal with the time-variant directional coefficient and how to construct a suitable Lyaponov function so as to alleviate the conservation, as well as the saturation of the controller. Generally, the Lyaponov stability of time-invariant dynamics is more tractable. Hence, in our paper, a first-order piecewise model is proposed to approximate the low immersion milling system as two time-invariant sub-ones that are cyclically switched. To alleviate the conservation, a novel piecewise Lyaponov function is constructed to determine the stability of each subsystem independently. The inequality conditions for determining the stability and stabilization are derived. The validity of the proposed stabilization algorithm to suppress both the hopf and period doubling bifurcation, as well as to reduce the conservation of the controller parameters have been verified.
General Cutting Dynamics Model for Five-Axis Ball-End Milling Operations
Authors: Li Jianhui , Kilic Z. Murat , Altintas Yusuf
Published: June 2020

Five-axis ball-end milling is used extensively to machine parts with sculptured surfaces. This paper presents the general cutting dynamics model of the ball-end milling process for machine tools with different five-axis configurations. The structural dynamics of both the tool and workpiece are considered for the prediction of chatter stability at each tool location along the tool path. The effects of tool–workpiece engagement and tool axis orientation are included in the model. By sweeping the spindle speeds, the chatter-free spindle speeds are selected followed by the prediction of forced vibrations in five-axis milling of thin-walled, flexible parts. The proposed model has been experimentally illustrated to predict the chatter stability and forced vibrations on a table-tilting five-axis computer numerical control machine tool.
Electromagnetic Thermal Energy Transfer in Nanoparticle Assemblies Below Diffraction Limit
Authors: Yuksel Anil , Yu Edward T. , Cullinan Michael , Murthy Jayathi
Published: June 2020

Fabrication of micro- and nanoscale electronic components has become increasingly demanding due to device and interconnect scaling combined with advanced packaging and assembly for electronic, aerospace, and medical applications. Recent advances in additive manufacturing have made it possible to fabricate microscale, 3D interconnect structures but heat transfer during the fabrication process is one of the most important phenomena influencing the reliable manufacturing of these interconnect structures. In this study, optical absorption and scattering by three-dimensional (3D) nanoparticle packings are investigated to gain insight into micro/nano heat transport within the nanoparticles. Because drying of colloidal solutions creates different configurations of nanoparticles, the plasmonic coupling in three different copper nanoparticle packing configurations was investigated: simple cubic (SC), face-centered cubic (FCC), and hexagonal close packing (HCP). Single-scatter albedo (ω) was analyzed as a function of nanoparticle size, packing density, and configuration to assess effect for thermo-optical properties and plasmonic coupling of the Cu nanoparticles within the nanoparticle packings. This analysis provides insight into plasmonically enhanced absorption in copper nanoparticle particles and its consequences for laser heating of nanoparticle assemblies.
The Validity of Approximate Boundary Conditions for Natural Convection With Thermal Radiation in Open Cavities
Authors: Singh Om , Kedare Shireesh B. , Singh Suneet
Published: June 2020

The use of approximate boundary conditions at the opening of the cavities leads to restriction of the computational domain and, hence, the reduction in computational effort. However, the accuracy of the restricted domain approach (RDA) had been evaluated only for the natural convection inside open cavities and that too only for one aspect ratio (AR). The validity of the approach had not been evaluated for inclined, as well as, shallow cavities. This study focuses on the analysis of the accuracy of RDA against extended domain approach (EDA) in open cavities of different ARs, at different inclinations and different Rayleigh numbers (Ra). The results show that the difference between the approaches is only significant in very shallow cavities (AR is defined as the height of the hot wall divided by the depth of the cavity) at low Ra. For Ra higher than  106 and an AR greater than 0.2, the maximum difference between the two approaches is around 5% and hence RDA can be recommended in these ranges, resulting in increased computational efficiency without significant loss in the accuracy. Moreover, the maximum difference in the results for the two methods is for intermediate inclinations. Even there, an increase in the difference is more pronounced at lower Ra. Furthermore, distribution of the exit velocity and temperature at the opening as well as the distribution of the Nusselt number at the hot wall is compared for RDA and EDA to explain the behavior of error at different ARs and inclinations.
Numerical Study of the Effects of Confinement on Concurrent-Flow Flame Spread in Microgravity
Authors: Li Yanjun , Liao Ya-Ting T. , Ferkul Paul
Published: June 2020

The objective of this work is to investigate the aerodynamics and thermal interactions between a spreading flame and the surrounding walls as well as their effects on fire behaviors. A three-dimensional transient computational fluid dynamics (CFD) combustion model is used to simulate concurrent-flow flame spread over a thin solid sample in a narrow flow duct. The height of the flow duct is the main parameter. The numerical results predict a quenching height for the flow duct below which the flame fails to spread. For duct heights sufficiently larger than the quenching height, the flame reaches a steady spreading state before the sample is fully consumed. The flame spread rate and the pyrolysis length at steady-state first increase and then decrease when the flow duct height decreases. The detailed gas and solid profiles show that flow confinement has multiple effects on the flame spread process. On one hand, it accelerates flow during thermal expansion from combustion, intensifying the flame. On the other hand, increasing flow confinement reduces the oxygen supply to the flame and increases conductive heat loss to the walls, both of which weaken the flame. These competing effects result in the aforementioned nonmonotonic trend of flame spread rate as duct height varies. Near the quenching duct height, the transient model reveals that the flame exhibits oscillation in length, flame temperature, and flame structure. This phenomenon is suspected to be due to thermodiffusive instability.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation of Pitch Variations on Helically Coiled Pipe in Laminar Flow Region
Authors: Faraj Anwer F. F. , Azzawi Itimad D. J. , Yahya Samir Gh. , Al-Damook Amer
Published: June 2020

Experimental investigations of the flows inside helically coiled pipe are difficult and may also be expensive, particularly for small diameters. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) packages, which can easily construct the geometry and change the dimensions with 100% of accuracy, provide an alternative solution for the experimental difficulties and uncertainties. Therefore, a CFD study was conducted to analyze the flow structure and the effect of varying the coil pitch on the coil friction factor, through utilizing different models' configurations. Two coils were tested, all of them sharing the same pipe and coil diameter: 0.005 m and 0.04 m, respectively. Pitch variations began with 0.01 and 0.05 m for the first and second model, respectively. In this study, the velocity was analyzed, and the effects of this reduction on coil friction factor were also examined using laminar flow. The results were validated by Ito's equation for the laminar flow.
A Novel Design of Liquid Volumetric Plated Cavity Receiver for Central Tower Systems
Authors: Singh Om , Bhatwadekar Kaustubh , Kartheek N. G. , Kedare Shireesh B. , Singh Suneet
Published: June 2020

Previously reported studies have shown that the volumetric receivers have lower radiative and convective losses, leading to higher efficiency. However, the conventional volumetric receivers are difficult to use along with the thermal storage systems, owing to the use of air as the heat transfer fluid. Molten salt, having high heat capacity, emerges as a suitable candidate to be employed as the heat transfer fluid and for storing thermal energy in the storage devices. It is challenging to use the molten salt in the conventional volumetric receiver configuration; therefore, a novel design called Liquid Volumetric Plated Cavity Receiver is proposed, where the solar salt is used as heat transfer fluid. It consists of a parallel arrangement of hollow plates in an open cavity. Solar radiation concentrated by the heliostat field is absorbed on the outer surface of the hollow plates. The heat is then taken away by the molten salt flowing inside the hollow plates. The plates are arranged such that the molten salt gets heated up within the volume of the enclosure, effectively mimicking the heating performance of the volumetric receivers. Using an analytical model for heat losses, it is observed that the losses are very sensitive to the aspect ratio of the aperture and depth of the receiver. The effects of receiver inclination, plate orientations, radiation incident at the aperture, and surface emissivity have been investigated as well. The results show that a Liquid Volumetric Plated Cavity Receiver increases the efficiency (by ∼3%) as compared with that of the simple cubic receiver.
Measurements of buccal gingival and alveolar crest thicknesses of premolars using a noninvasive method
Authors: Sun Meng , Yao Wei , Deng Yong Qiang , Cao Jun , Meng He
Published: June 2020

Aims: Knowledge of gingival thickness (GT) and alveolar crest thickness (ACT) is essential for performing various surgical and non-surgical procedures in oral healthcare. However, a noninvasive, no-radiation and reproducible method for measuring GT and ACT is not yet determined. This study aimed to measure the buccal GT and ACT of premolars using 15-MHz B-mode ultrasonography (US) and to explore the relationship between GT and ACT.Material and methods: The GT in four swine mandibles was measured using15-MHz B-mode US and using K-file needles to gauge the accuracy of US. B-mode US at 15 MHz was also used to measure periodontal tissue structures including buccal GT3 (3 mm apical to the gingival margin) and ACT in 400 premolars of 50 human participants with healthy periodontium.Results: There was a strong positive correlation between US and invasive K-file needle measurements of GT in swine mandibles (p<0.05). The correlation between buccal GT3 and ACT of premolars was moderately positive (p<0.05). The gingiva of the maxillary premolars and ACT of the maxillary first premolars were thicker in men than in women (p<0.05).Conclusions: B-mode US at 15 MHz is a valid and reliable method for measuring GT and ACT and for evaluating their relationship.
Photonic quantum metrology
Authors: Polino Emanuele , Valeri Mauro , Spagnolo Nicolò , Sciarrino Fabio
Published: June 2020

Quantum metrology is one of the most promising applications of quantum technologies. The aim of this research field is the estimation of unknown parameters exploiting quantum resources, whose application can lead to enhanced performances with respect to classical strategies. Several physical quantum systems can be employed to develop quantum sensors, and photonic systems represent ideal probes for a large number of metrological tasks. Here, the authors review the basic concepts behind quantum metrology and then focus on the application of photonic technology for this task, with particular attention to phase estimation. The authors describe the current state of the art in the field in terms of platforms and quantum resources. Furthermore, the authors present the research area of multiparameter quantum metrology, where multiple parameters have to be estimated at the same time. The authors conclude by discussing the current experimental and theoretical challenges and the open questions toward implementation of photonic quantum sensors with quantum-enhanced performances in the presence of noise.
Lab-based operando x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for probing low-volatile liquids and their interfaces across a variety of electrosystems
Authors: Aydogan Gokturk Pinar , Taner Camci Merve , Suzer Sefik
Published: June 2020

The understanding of fundamental processes in liquids and at the liquid/electrode interfaces of electrochemical systems is crucial for the development of new devices and technologies with higher efficiency and improved performance. However, it is generally difficult to isolate and study the component of interest in such complex systems. Additionally, ex situ analyses do not always reflect the same properties under operating conditions. Hence, operando characterization tools are required for observing related electrical and chemical processes directly at the places where and while they occur. Operando x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (o-XPS) has been used, while the sample is imposed to DC/AC voltage stress, to record the binding energy shifts in and on liquids and their interfaces to extract local potentials, as well as many related properties specific to the application in a noncontact and chemically resolved fashion. The applications of o-XPS to low-volatile liquids shown in this review span well-defined studies of (1) electrochemical cells, (2) double-layer capacitors, and (3) electrowetting on dielectrics. The methodology and several applications selected from the authors’ recent publications are presented.
Model-based distributed node clustering and multi-speaker speech presence probability estimation in wireless acoustic sensor networks
Authors: Zhao Yingke , Nielsen Jesper Kjær , Chen Jingdong , Christensen Mads Græsbøll
Published: June 2020

The knowledge of speech presence probability (SPP) plays an essential role in noise estimation and speech enhancement. Single channel SPP estimation and centralized multi-channel SPP estimation have been well studied. However, how to estimate SPP in wireless acoustic sensor networks (WASNs) remains a great challenge and few efforts can be found in this topic, particularly for WASN applications with multiple speakers. Accordingly, this paper is devoted to the problem of SPP estimation in WASNs and it presents a distributed model-based SPP estimation method for multi-speaker detection, which does not need any fusion center. A distributed k-means clustering method is first used to cluster the nodes into subnetworks, which detect different speakers. For each node in the subnetwork, the speech and noise power spectral densities are estimated locally by using a model-based method, then a distributed SPP estimator is developed and applied in every subnetwork. A distributed consensus method is used to obtain the distributed clustering and the distributed SPP estimation. Simulation results show that the proposed distributed clustering method can assign nodes into subnetworks based on their noisy observations. Moreover, the proposed distributed SPP estimator achieves robust speech detection performance under different noise conditions.
Tol-Pal System and Rgs Proteins Interact to Promote Unipolar Growth and Cell Division in Sinorhizobium meliloti
Authors: Krol Elizaveta , Yau Hamish C. L. , Lechner Marcus , Schäper Simon , Bange Gert , Vollmer Waldemar , Becker Anke
Published: June 2020

Bacterial cell proliferation involves cell growth and septum formation followed by cell division. For cell growth, bacteria have evolved different complex mechanisms. The most prevalent growth mode of rod-shaped bacteria is cell elongation by incorporating new peptidoglycans in a dispersed manner along the sidewall. A small share of rod-shaped bacteria, including the alphaproteobacterial
Rhizobiales
, grow unipolarly. Here, we identified and initially characterized a set of Rgs (rhizobial growth and septation) proteins, which are involved in cell division and unipolar growth of
Sinorhizobium meliloti
and highly conserved in
Rhizobiales
. Our data expand the knowledge of components of the polarly localized machinery driving cell wall growth and suggest a complex of Rgs proteins with components of the divisome, differing in composition between the polar cell elongation zone and the septum.
Endoribonuclease YbeY Is Essential for RNA Processing and Virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Xia Yushan , Weng Yuding , Xu Congjuan , Wang Dan , Pan Xiaolei , Tian Zhenyang , Xia Bin , Li Haozhou , Chen Ronghao , Liu Chang , Jin Yongxin , Bai Fang , Cheng Zhihui , Kuipers Oscar P. , Wu Weihui
Published: June 2020

The increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance imposes a severe threat to human health. For the development of effective treatment and prevention strategies, it is critical to understand the mechanisms employed by bacteria to grow in the human body. Posttranscriptional regulation plays an important role in bacterial adaptation to environmental changes. RNases and small RNAs are key players in this regulation. In this study, we demonstrate critical roles of the RNase YbeY in the virulence of the pathogenic bacterium
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. We further identify the small RNA ReaL as the direct target of YbeY and elucidate the YbeY-regulated pathway on the expression of bacterial virulence factors. Our results shed light on the complex regulatory network of
P. aeruginosa
and indicate that inference with the YbeY-mediated regulatory pathway might be a valid strategy for the development of a novel treatment strategy.
Plant Hosts Modify Belowground Microbial Community Response to Extreme Drought
Authors: Veach Allison M. , Chen Huaihai , Yang Zamin K. , Labbe Audrey D. , Engle Nancy L. , Tschaplinski Timothy J. , Schadt Christopher W. , Cregger Melissa A.
Published: June 2020

Climate change causes significant alterations in precipitation and temperature regimes that are predicted to become more extreme throughout the next century. Microorganisms are important members within ecosystems, and how they respond to these changing abiotic stressors has large implications for the functioning of ecosystems, the recycling of nutrients, and the health of the aboveground plant community. Drought stress negatively impacts microbial activity, but the magnitude of this stress response may be dependent on above- and belowground interactions. This study demonstrates that beneficial associations between plants and microbes can enhance tolerance to abiotic stress.
Biomarker evidence of algal-microbial community changes linked to redox and salinity variation, Upper Devonian Chattanooga Shale (Tennessee, USA)
Authors: Song Yi , Gilleaudeau Geoffrey J. , Algeo Thomas J. , Over D. Jeffrey , Lyons Timothy W. , Anbar Ariel D. , Xie Shucheng
Published: June 2020

Late Devonian marine systems were characterized by major environmental perturbations and associated biotic community changes linked to climate change and widespread oceanic anoxia. Here, we provide high-resolution lipid biomarker chemostratigraphic records from the Upper Devonian Chattanooga Shale (Tennessee, USA) to investigate algal-microbial community changes in the southern Illinois Basin that were related to contemporaneous shifts in marine redox (as proxied by trace metals, Fe-species, and Corg/P) and salinity conditions (as proxied by B/Ga, Sr/Ba, and S/total organic carbon). The Frasnian was characterized by dominantly bacterial lipids (high hopane/sterane), near-marine salinity, and a shift from oxic to increasingly reducing conditions in response to increasing organic carbon sinking fluxes. Aryl isoprenoids and aryl isoprenoid ratios reveal that the O2-H2S chemocline was unstable and intermittently shallow (i.e., within the photic zone). The Frasnian-Famennian boundary was marked by a shift in microalgal community composition toward green algal (e.g., prasinophyte) dominance (lower C27 and higher C28 and C29 steranes), a sharp reduction in watermass salinity, and a stable O2-H2S chemocline below the photic zone, conditions that persisted until nearly the end of the Famennian. We infer that changing watermass conditions, especially a sharp reduction in salinity to possibly low-brackish conditions (<10 psu), were the primary cause of concurrent changes in the microalgal community, reflecting tolerance of low-salinity conditions by green algae. Transient spikes in moretane/hopane (M/H) ratios may record enhanced terrestrial weathering at the Frasnian-Famennian and Devonian–Carboniferous boundaries, triggered by coeval glacio-eustatic falls and increased inputs of soil organic matter. High M/H and pristane/phytane, in combination with low chemical index of alteration and K/Al, record a decrease in chemical weathering intensity during the Famennian that may have been due to contemporaneous climatic cooling, and a concurrent reduction in silt content may reflect stabilization of land surfaces by vascular plants and resulting reduced sediment yields. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining organic and inorganic geochemical proxies (including novel paleosalinity indices) for determination of environmental controls on the composition and productivity of plankton communities in paleomarine systems.
Cross-sectional study of population-specific streptococcal antibody titres in Uganda
Authors: Okello Emmy , Murali Meghna , Rwebembera Joselyn , Atala Jenifer , Bowen Asha C , Harik Nada , Kaudha Gloria , Kitooleko Samalie , Longenecker Chris , Ndagire Emma , Omara Isaac Otim , Oyella Linda Mary , Parks Tom , Pulle Jafesi , Sable Craig , Sarnacki Rachel , Stein Elizabeth , Zimmerman Meghan , de Klerk Nicholas , Carapetis Jonathan , Beaton Andrea
Published: June 2020

Objective

Despite substantial variation of streptococcal antibody titres among global populations, there is no data on normal values in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to establish normal values for antistreptolysin O (ASO) and antideoxyribonuclease B (ADB) antibodies in Uganda.

Design

This was an observational cross-sectional study.

Setting

This study was conducted at Mulago National Referral Hospital, which is located in the capital city, Kampala, and includes the Uganda Heart Institute.

Patients

Participants (aged 0–50 years) were recruited. Of 428 participants, 22 were excluded from analysis, and 183 (44.4%) of the remaining were children aged 5–15 years.

Main outcome measures

ASO was measured in-country by nephelometric technique. ADB samples were sent to Australia (PathWest) for analysis by enzyme inhibition assay: 80% upper limit values were established.

Results

The median ASO titre in this age group was 220 IU/mL, with the 80th percentile value of 389 IU/mL. The median ADB titre in this age group was 375 IU/mL, with the 80th percentile value of 568 IU/mL.

Conclusions

The estimated Ugandan paediatric population standardised 80% upper-limit-of-normal ASO and ADB titres is higher than many global populations. Appropriateness of using population-specific antibody cutoffs is yet to be determined and has important implications for the sensitivity and specificity of rheumatic fever diagnosis.
Optic nerve invasion of non-juxtapapillary uveal melanoma: a rare occurrence
Authors: Sharma Abhimanyu , Mishra Dilip K , Kaliki Swathi
Published: June 2020

A 44-year-old man presented with complaints of pain and discomfort in his left eye (OS). On examination, he had bare perception of light in OS and had a diffuse pigmented mass lesion in the nasal quadrant of the bulbar conjunctiva, associated with neovascularisation of the iris and iridocyclitis, with no fundus view. Intraocular pressure OS was 40 mm Hg. B-scan ultrasonography OS revealed an intraocular mass with thickened sclerochoroidal complex. A clinical diagnosis of OS ciliochoroidal melanoma with extraocular extension was made. He underwent OS extended enucleation with implant. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of ciliochoroidal melanoma with tumour extension into the optic nerve posteriorly and the extrascleral tissues anteriorly. There was no evidence of systemic metastasis. Even in a case of non-juxtapapillary uveal melanoma, poor vision and high intraocular pressure are clinical indicators of optic nerve tumour invasion.
Index case of synovial metastasis in a patient with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder
Authors: Khurram Ruhaid , Khurram Aqsa , Chaudhary Khurram
Published: June 2020

Synovial metastasis is a rare presentation with only a few reported cases in the published literature. A majority of cases of malignant synovitis have a primary lung or colorectal origin. It carries a poor prognosis with an average survival of approximately 5 months from diagnosis. The treatment options are limited to palliative approaches, which highlight the aggressive nature of the presentation as well as the necessity for early recognition. We report an index case of synovial metastasis of the knee joint in a patient with progressive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and review the literature with respect to synovial metastasis.
Prediction model of bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early
gastric cancer: BEST-J score
Authors: Hatta Waku , Tsuji Yosuke , Yoshio Toshiyuki , Kakushima Naomi , Hoteya Shu , Doyama Hisashi , Nagami Yasuaki , Hikichi Takuto , Kobayashi Masakuni , Morita Yoshinori , Sumiyoshi Tetsuya , Iguchi Mikitaka , Tomida Hideomi , Inoue Takuya , Koike Tomoyuki , Mikami Tatsuya , Hasatani Kenkei , Nishikawa Jun , Matsumura Tomoaki , Nebiki Hiroko , Nakamatsu Dai , Ohnita Ken , Suzuki Haruhisa , Ueyama Hiroya , Hayashi Yoshito , Sugimoto Mitsushige , Yamaguchi Shinjiro , Michida Tomoki , Yada Tomoyuki , Asahina Yoshiro , Narasaka Toshiaki , Kuribasyashi Shiko , Kiyotoki Shu , Mabe Katsuhiro , Nakamura Tomohiro , Nakaya Naoki , Fujishiro Mitsuhiro , Masamune Atsushi
Published: June 2020

Objective

Bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer
(EGC) is a frequent adverse event after ESD. We aimed to develop and externally
validate a clinically useful prediction model (BEST-J score: Bleeding after ESD Trend
from Japan) for bleeding after ESD for EGC.

Design

This retrospective study enrolled patients who underwent ESD for EGC. Patients
in the derivation cohort (n=8291) were recruited from 25 institutions, and patients in
the external validation cohort (n=2029) were recruited from eight institutions in
other areas. In the derivation cohort, weighted points were assigned to predictors of
bleeding determined in the multivariate logistic regression analysis and a prediction
model was established. External validation of the model was conducted to analyse
discrimination and calibration.

Results

A prediction model comprised 10 variables (warfarin, direct oral anticoagulant,
chronic kidney disease with haemodialysis, P2Y12 receptor antagonist, aspirin,
cilostazol, tumour size >30 mm, lower-third in tumour location, presence of
multiple tumours and interruption of each kind of antithrombotic agents). The rates of
bleeding after ESD at low-risk (0 to 1 points), intermediate-risk (2 points),
high-risk (3 to 4 points) and very high-risk (≥5 points) were 2.8%, 6.1%, 11.4% and
29.7%, respectively. In the external validation cohort, the model showed moderately
good discrimination, with a c-statistic of 0.70 (95% CI,
0.64 to 0.76), and good calibration (calibration-in-the-large, 0.05; calibration
slope, 1.01).

Conclusions

In this nationwide multicentre study, we derived and externally validated a
prediction model for bleeding after ESD. This model may be a good clinical
decision-making support tool for ESD in patients with EGC.
High Pulse Wave Velocity is Associated with the Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Liu Sung-Chen , Chuang Shih-Ming , Shih Hong-Mou , Wang Chao-Hung , Tsai Ming-Chieh , Lee Chun-Chuan
Published: June 2020

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a non-invasive test for assessing arterial stiffness, and brachial-ankle PWV has been used as an index of peripheral arterial stiffness. This study aimed to investigate the association between the PWV value and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR). 846 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) consecutively underwent brachial-ankle PWV, and the degree of PWV was defined by tertile. The severity of DR was categorized as no diabetic retinopathy (NDR), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) or proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) based on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Scale. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were utilized not only to explore the association between the degree of PWV and severity of DR but also to examine the association of a high-tertile PWV with PDR. PWV levels, diabetes duration and blood pressure were all significantly higher in subjects with NPDR or PDR as compared with individuals with NDR. In the univariate analysis, the highest tertile of PWV (>19.6 m/s) was significantly associated with both NPDR (p<0.001) and PDR (p<0.001) as compared with NDR. After adjusting for confounding factors, the highest tertile of PWV remained significantly associated with PDR (p=0.005), but not with NPDR (p=0.107). Furthermore, the highest tertile of PWV was more significantly associated with PDR (OR=6.15, 95%CI 1.38 to 27.38) as compared with the lowest tertile. In our study, an increasing degree of PWV was positively associated with the severity of DR. High PWV was strongly associated with the risk of severe DR, especially PDR.
Transradial middle meningeal artery embolization for chronic subdural hematoma using Onyx: case series
Authors: Rajah Gary B , Waqas Muhammad , Dossani Rimal H , Vakharia Kunal , Gong Andrew D , Rho Kyungduk , Housley Steven B , Rai Hamid H , Chin Felix , Tso Michael K , Snyder Kenneth V , Levy Elad I , Siddiqui Adnan H , Davies Jason M
Published: June 2020

Background

Middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization is an emerging therapy for the resolution of subacute or chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). CSDH patients are often elderly and have several comorbidities. We evaluated our experience with transradial access (TRA) for MMA embolization using predominantly Onyx under conscious sedation.

Methods

Data for consecutive patients who underwent transradial MMA embolization for CSDH during a 2-year period (2018–2019) were analyzed from a single-center, prospectively-maintained database. Patient demographics, comorbidities, ambulatory times, subdural hematoma resorption status, and guide catheter type were recorded. Conversion to femoral access and complication rates were also recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results

Forty-six patients (mean age, 71.7±14.4 years) were included in this study. Mean CSDH size was 14±5.5 mm. Most (91.3%) TRA embolizations were performed with 6-French 0.071-inch Benchmark guide catheters (Penumbra). MMA embolization was successful in 44 patients (95.7%) (including two cases of TRA conversion). Twenty-one (48%) patients had a severe Charlson Comorbidity Index (>5). Symptomatic improvement was noted in 39 of 44 patients (88.6%). Mean length of stay was 4±3 days. Patients were ambulated immediately postprocedure. At mean follow-up (8±4 weeks), 86.4% of patients had complete or partial CSDH resolution. Persistent use of antiplatelet agents after the procedure was associated with failed or minimal CSDH resorption (5 of 6, 83.3% vs 9 of 38 23.7% with complete or near-complete resolution; P=0.009).

Conclusion

Transradial Onyx MMA embolization under conscious sedation is safe and effective for CSDH treatment. TRA may be especially useful in elderly patients with numerous comorbidities.
Catheter strategy to ease the procedure and reduce radiation exposure when requiring neck access
Authors: Kubicki Rouven , Hummel Johanna , Höhn René , Müller Kevin , Stiller Brigitte , Grohmann Jochen
Published: June 2020

Objectives

To assess the potential occupational radiation reduction and technical feasibility in patients rotated 180° (upside-down) when requiring neck access for transcervical or trans-subclavian catheterisation.

Methods

Upside-down positioning is defined as rotating patients in supine position by 180°, so that the feet come to rest where the head would otherwise be. We retrospectively evaluated all these procedures performed between March 2016 and May 2019. Furthermore, two different phantoms (paediatric and adult) were used prospectively to quantify the occupational dose between conventional or upside-down positioning. In this context, ambient dose equivalents were measured using real-time dosimeters. Three different projection angles were applied.

Results

44 patients with median age and body weight of 1.0 year (range 0–56) and 9.5 kg (range 1.3–74.3) underwent 63 procedures positioned upside-down. This position proved advantageous for practical reasons, since the length of the examination table could be optimally used. Additionally, it resulted in a significantly lower overall ambient dose equivalent for the primary operator (PO) of 94.8% (mean: 2569±807 vs 135±23 nSv; p<0.01) in the adult, and of 65.5% (mean: 351±104 vs 121±56 nSv; p<0.01) in the paediatric phantom, respectively.

Conclusion

Upside-down positioning facilitates handling in a straightforward manner when access from the neck is required. Moreover, it significantly reduces local radiation exposure for the PO in the paediatric and, most impressively, in the adult phantom.
Liver lobe torsion in a cat with diaphragmatic hernia
Authors: Tsioli Vassiliki , Flouraki Evgenia , Mavraki Irene , Venieris Christoforos , Zacharopoulou Theodora
Published: June 2020

A 10‐year‐old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was referred with a 2‐week history of dyspnoea and anorexia following injury in a car accident. Thoracic radiography and ultrasonography revealed a diaphragmatic hernia. A midline coeliotomy revealed a centrally located hernia ventral to the caudal vena cava. Hernia reduction required incision of the hernia ring. Displaced organs included the duodenum; jejunum; ascending and transverse colon; and right, caudate and quadrate liver lobes. After reduction of the abdominal organs, a torsion of the right medial and quadrate liver lobes was identified. Lobectomy was performed followed by herniorrhaphy. The cat had an uneventful recovery and was clinically normal on re‐examination 1, 6, 12 and 24 months following the surgery.
The effects of trawling and primary production on size-structured food webs in seabed ecosystems
Authors: Howarth Leigh M. , Somerfield Paul J. , Blanchard Julia L. , Waggitt James J. , Allender Susan , Hiddink Jan G.
Published: June 2020

Understanding how different drivers shape relationships between abundance and body mass (size spectra) is important for understanding trophic and competitive interactions in food webs and for predicting the effects of human pressures. Here, we sample seabed communities from small polychaetes (<0.001 g) to large fish (>1 kg) in the Celtic Sea and the western English Channel to examine how bottom trawling and primary production affect their size spectra and to compare these with predictions from a model that couples predator and detritivore communities. Size spectra were not well approximated by linear fits because of truncation of the size spectra of detritivores. Low primary production resulted in lower abundance of benthic fauna. Bottom trawling reduced the abundance of predators and large detritivores but allowed small detritivores to increase in abundance. These empirical size spectra were partly consistent with predictions from the size spectra model, showing that understanding the structuring of benthic communities requires a consideration of both size and functional group. The findings highlight the need for an ecosystem approach to understanding the effects of exploitation and climate change on marine ecosystems.
A pure general relativistic non-singular bouncing origin for the Universe
Authors: Barrau Aurélien
Published: June 2020

In this article, we argue that the past of the Universe, extrapolated from standard physics and measured cosmological parameters, might be a non-singular bounce. We also show that, in this framework, quite stringent constraints can be put on the reheating temperature and number of inflationary e-folds, basically fixing $$T_{RH}\sim T_{GUT}$$TRH∼TGUT and $$N\sim 70$$N∼70. We draw some conclusions about the shape of the inflaton potential and raise the “naturalness” issue in this context. Finally, we argue that this could open a very specific window on the “pre big bounce" universe.
The effect of Er on optical and mechanical properties of As2S3 glasses quenched in different media
Authors: Rezvani Mohammad , Yousefi Dizaj Amin , Rahimian Ali , Joudi Tohid
Published: June 2020

Er3+-doped As2S3 glasses were synthesized using As, S and Er2S3 as raw materials. In order to produce glasses with high mechanical properties along with high solubility of rare earth ions in these glasses, different media such as water, hydraulics and heat-resistant oil were selected for quenching specimens. Heat-resistant oil was selected as optimized medium. The effects of Er content (0.5–2 wt%) on transmission, mechanical and structural properties of the glasses were investigated. By increasing Er content in the base glass, some clusters were introduced to glass field which causes reduction in transmission in infrared (from 70 to 25%) and visible ranges (from 70 to 60%). Density and microhardness of samples were increased from 2.78 to 3.26 g/cm3 and 81.5 to 91.75 Mpa, respectively, by increasing Er content.
Enhanced Hanbury Brown and Twiss interferometry using parametric amplification
Authors: Ma Xiaoping , You Chenglong , Adhikari Sushovit , Gu Yongjian , Magaña-Loaiza Omar S. , Dowling Jonathan P. , Lee Hwang
Published: June 2020

The Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) interferometer was proposed to observe intensity correlations of starlight to measure a star’s angular diameter. As the intensity of light that reaches the detector from a star is very weak, one cannot usually get a workable signal-to-noise ratio. We propose an improved HBT interferometric scheme incorporating optical parametric amplifiers (OPA) into the system to amplify the correlation signal. Remarkably, for weak star light, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the new HBT interferometric scheme is much better than that of conventional HBT interferometer. Our work is valuable in measuring a star whose intensity at the detector is low and maybe also applicable in remote sensing and long-distance quantum imaging where the light passed through the object is weak after a long distance transmission.
On the Membership Problem of Permutation Grammars — A Direct Proof of NP-Completeness
Authors: Nagy Benedek
Published: June 2020

One of the most essential classes of problems related to formal languages is the membership problem (also called word problem), i.e., to decide whether a given input word belongs to the language specified, e.g., by a generative grammar. For context-free languages the problem is solved efficiently by various well-known parsing algorithms. However, there are several important languages that are not context-free. The membership problem of the context-sensitive language class is PSPACE-complete, thus, it is believed that it is generally not solvable in an efficient way. There are various language classes between the above mentioned two classes having membership problems with various complexity. One of these classes, the class of permutation languages, is generated by permutation grammars, i.e., context-free grammars extended with permutation rules, where a permutation rule allows to interchange the position of two consecutive nonterminals in the sentential form. In this paper, the membership problem for permutation languages is studied. A proof is presented to show that this problem is NP-complete.
Model discrepancy of Earth polar motion using topological data analysis and convolutional neural network analysis
Authors: Lee Dongjin , Bresten Christopher , Youm Kookhyoun , Seo Ki-Weon , Jung Jae-Hun
Published: June 2020

An accurate analysis of the polar motion variation is essential to understand the global change of the environment and predict useful information about short-term and long-term change in climate. Observation of polar motion excitation using multiple measurements including Very-Long-Baseline-Interferometry (VLBI) provides highly accurate measurement of polar motion variation. The observed polar motion excitation has been modeled with multiple geophysical models, but the discrepancies between observations and models still exist. In this paper, we propose two approaches for detecting the discrepancy of the polar motion excitation: topological data analysis (TDA) and convolutional neural network (CNN) analysis. Our methods clearly show that the observed polar motion has a different topological structure from the model data, and there are time periods that the model fails to represent the polar motion. Numerical results indicate that the proposed methods show promise for applications to polar motion signal analysis.