bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leptin Induces Hypertension Acting on Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 7 Channel in the Carotid Body
Authors: Shin Mi-Kyung , Eraso Candela Caballero , Mu Yun-Ping , Gu Chenjuan , Yeung Bonnie H.Y. , Kim Lenise J. , Liu Xiao-Ru , Wu Zhi-Juan , Paudel Omkar , Pichard Luis E. , Shirahata Machiko , Tang Wan-Yee , Sham James S.K. , Polotsky Vsevolod Y.
Published: September 2019

Rationale:

Obesity leads to resistant hypertension and mechanisms are poorly understood, but high plasma levels of leptin have been implicated. Leptin increases blood pressure acting both centrally in the dorsomedial hypothalamus and peripherally. Sites of the peripheral hypertensive effect of leptin have not been identified. We previously reported that leptin enhanced activity of the carotid sinus nerve, which transmits chemosensory input from the carotid bodies (CBs) to the medullary centers, and this effect was abolished by nonselective blockers of Trp (transient receptor potential) channels. We searched our mouse CB transcriptome database and found that the Trpm7 (transient receptor potential melastatin 7) channel was the most abundant Trp channel.

Objective:

To examine if leptin induces hypertension acting on the CB Trpm7.

Methods and Results:

C57BL/6J (n=79), leptin receptor (
LepR

b

) deficient
db/db
mice (n=22), and LepRb-EGFP (n=4) mice were used. CB
Trpm7
and
LepR

b

gene expression was determined and immunohistochemistry was performed; CB glomus cells were isolated and Trpm7-like current was recorded. Blood pressure was recorded continuously in (1) leptin-treated C57BL/6J mice with intact and denervated CB; (2) leptin-treated C57BL/6J mice, which also received a nonselective Trpm7 blocker FTY720 administered systemically or topically to the CB area; (3) leptin-treated C57BL/6J mice transfected with
Trpm7
small hairpin RNA to the CB, and (4)
Lepr

b

deficient obese
db/db
mice before and after
Lepr

b

expression in CB. Leptin receptor and Trpm7 colocalized in the CB glomus cells. Leptin induced a nonselective cation current in these cells, which was inhibited by Trpm7 blockers. Leptin induced hypertension in C57BL/6J mice, which was abolished by CB denervation, Trpm 7 blockers, and
Trpm7
small hairpin RNA applied to CBs.
Lepr

b

overexpression in CB of
Lepr

b

-deficient
db/db
mice demethylated the
Trpm7
promoter, increased
Trpm7
gene expression, and induced hypertension.

Conclusions:

We conclude that leptin induces hypertension acting on Trmp7 in CB, which opens horizons for new therapy.
Preeclampsia and Cardiovascular Disease in a Large UK Pregnancy Cohort of Linked Electronic Health Records
Authors: Leon Lydia J. , McCarthy Fergus P. , Direk Kenan , Gonzalez-Izquierdo Arturo , Prieto-Merino David , Casas Juan P. , Chappell Lucy
Published: September 2019

Background:

The associations between pregnancy hypertensive disorders and common cardiovascular disorders have not been investigated at scale in a contemporaneous population. We aimed to investigate the association between preeclampsia, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and subsequent diagnosis of 12 different cardiovascular disorders.

Methods:

We used linked electronic health records from 1997 to 2016 to recreate a UK population-based cohort of 1.3 million women, mean age at delivery 28 years, with nearly 1.9 million completed pregnancies. We used multivariable Cox models to determine the associations between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and preeclampsia alone (term and preterm), with 12 cardiovascular disorders in addition to chronic hypertension. We estimated the cumulative incidence of a composite end point of any cardiovascular disorder according to preeclampsia exposure.

Results:

During the 20-year study period, 18 624 incident cardiovascular disorders were observed, 65% of which had occurred in women under 40 years. Compared to women without hypertension in pregnancy, women who had 1 or more pregnancies affected by preeclampsia had a hazard ratio of 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.53–2.35) for any stroke, 1.67 (1.54–1.81) for cardiac atherosclerotic events, 1.82 (1.34–2.46) for peripheral events, 2.13 (1.64–2.76) for heart failure, 1.73 (1.38–2.16) for atrial fibrillation, 2.12 (1.49–2.99) for cardiovascular deaths, and 4.47 (4.32–4.62) for chronic hypertension. Differences in cumulative incidence curves, according to preeclampsia status, were apparent within 1 year of the first index pregnancy. Similar patterns of association were observed for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, while preterm preeclampsia conferred slightly further elevated risks.

Conclusions:

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, have a similar pattern of increased risk across all 12 cardiovascular disorders and chronic hypertension, and the impact was evident soon after pregnancy. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy should be considered as a natural screening tool for cardiovascular events, enabling cardiovascular risk prevention through national initiatives.
Trends in Survival After Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in the United States
Authors: Holmberg Mathias J. , Wiberg Sebastian , Ross Catherine E. , Kleinman Monica , Hoeyer-Nielsen Anne Kirstine , Donnino Michael W. , Andersen Lars W. ,   For the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation Investigators
Published: September 2019

Background:

Cardiac arrest in hospitalized children is associated with poor outcomes, but no contemporary study has reported whether the trends in survival have changed over time. In this study, we examined temporal trends in survival for pediatric patients with an in-hospital pulseless cardiac arrest and pediatric patients with a nonpulseless cardiopulmonary resuscitation event from 2000 to 2018.

Methods:

This was an observational study of hospitalized pediatric patients (≤18 years of age) who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation from January 2000 to December 2018 and were included in the Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation registry, a United States–based in-hospital cardiac arrest registry. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge, and the secondary outcome was return of spontaneous circulation (binary outcomes). Generalized estimation equations were used to obtain unadjusted trends in outcomes over time. Separate analyses were performed for patients with a pulseless cardiac arrest and patients with a nonpulseless event (bradycardia with poor perfusion) requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A subgroup analysis was conducted for shockable versus nonshockable initial rhythms in pulseless events.

Results:

A total of 7433 patients with a pulseless cardiac arrest and 5751 patients with a nonpulseless event were included for the analyses. For pulseless cardiac arrests, survival was 19% (95% CI, 11%–29%) in 2000 and 38% (95% CI, 34%–43%) in 2018, with an absolute change of 0.67% (95% CI, 0.40%–0.95%;
P
<0.001) per year, although the increase in survival appeared to stagnate following 2010. Return of spontaneous circulation also increased over time, with an absolute change of 0.83% (95% CI, 0.53%–1.14%;
P
<0.001) per year. We found no interaction between survival to hospital discharge and the initial rhythm. For nonpulseless events, survival was 57% (95% CI, 39%–75%) in 2000 and 66% (95% CI, 61%–72%) in 2018, with an absolute change of 0.80% (95% CI, 0.32%–1.27%;
P
=0.001) per year.

Conclusions:

Survival has improved for pediatric events requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the United States, with a 19% absolute increase in survival for in-hospital pulseless cardiac arrests and a 9% absolute increase in survival for nonpulseless events between 2000 and 2018. However, survival from pulseless cardiac arrests appeared to have reached a plateau following 2010.
A new species of the genus Hebius (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) from Hunan Province, China
Authors: ZHOU ZHENGYAN , SUN ZHIYONG , QI SHUO , LU YUYAN , LYU ZHITONG , WANG YINGYONG , LI PIPENG , MA JIANZHANG
Published: September 2019

A new snake species of the genus Hebius is described on the basis of three specimens from Hunan Province, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a significant genetic divergence of 6.1%–12.9% of the mitochondrial cytb gene and a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) tail long, approximately 25% of the total length; (2) dorsal scale rows 19-19-17, vertebral scales enlarged, smooth, 2nd–10th rows distinctly keeled; (3) anterior temporals 2, preocular 1, postoculars 3; (4) ventrals 160–164; (5) internasals narrowed anteriorly; (6) a pair of occipital spots and a pale postparietal streak; (7) a pale brown or beige dorsolateral stripe on the 4th–6th scale rows; (8) ventral scales brick-red at their outer border, with a row of well-defined dark blotches; (9) maxillary teeth 21, gradually enlarged, followed by 2 moderately enlarged posterior teeth, without diastema; (10) nostrils lateral.
Extraordinarius gen. nov., a new genus of Sparianthinae spiders (Araneae: Sparassidae) from southeastern Brazil
Authors: RHEIMS CRISTINA A.
Published: September 2019

A new genus of Sparianthinae, Extraordinarius gen. nov., is proposed to include the type species, Extraordinarius andrematosi sp. nov. (♂♀), from São Paulo, E. brucedickinsoni sp. nov. (♂♀), from Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, and E. klausmeinei sp. nov. (♂) and E. rickalleni sp. nov. (♂♀), from Espírito Santo. The genus is remarkable in that it is the only Neotropical genus of Sparianthinae with a large, sclerotized, Z-shaped conductor in the male palp and represents the southernmost record for the subfamily in the region. A distribution map is provided for all known species of the genus.
Drilidae Blanchard, 1845: multi-gene molecular phylogenies versus morphological similarity. An answer to Kovalev et al.
Authors: BOCAK LADISLAV , KUSY DOMINIK , MOTYKA MICHAL , BOCEK MATEJ
Published: September 2019

In a recent issue of Zootaxa, Kovalev et al. (2019) reported the description of a new drilid genus Drilorhinus Kovalev, Kirejtshuk et Shapovalov, 2019 and they discuss at length the relationships and systematic classification of the drilid lineage. Although they did not formally propose a new status for Drilidae Blanchard, 1845 [not Lacordaire, 1857, as cited in their study] in the sense of the Code (ICZN 1999), they in fact resurrected the traditional concept of Drilidae as a separate ‘cantharoid’ family and rejected Drilini in Elateridae: Agrypninae of Kundrata & Bocak (2011). The authors strongly defended the historical classification of the genera Selasia Laporte, 1838, Malacogaster Bassi, 1834, Drilus Olivier, 1790, Drilorhinus, and putatively also their relatives (Kundrata et al. 2017), as a separate ‘cantharoid’ family in the sense proposed in 19th century and held until recently by some traditional morphologists (Blanchard 1845; Crowson 1955, 1972; Lawrence & Newton 1982, 1995; Branham & Wenzel 2003; Lawrence et al. 2011; Kazantsev 2013; Lawrence & Ślipiński 2013; Lawrence 2016). Although no new data were presented or methodological flaws of earlier analyses identified by Kovalev et al., the authors argued that the present evidence is insufficient for the placement of the Drilini in Elateridae, Agrypninae. Unfortunately, they did not take into account recent molecular analyses suggesting multiple origins of soft-bodied elateroid families, i.e., the polyphyly of the historical cantharoid group of families, and the relationships of drilids and agrypnine click beetles (Bocakova et al. 2007; Hunt et al., 2007; Timmermans et al. 2010, 2016; Kundrata et al. 2014; McKenna et al. 2015; Bocak et al. 2016; Kusy et al. 2018a, b; Linard et al. 2018; Zhang et al. 2018). They only discussed a single molecular analysis by Kundrata & Bocak (2011).
Evaluation of Modeled Precipitation in Oceanic Extratropical Cyclones Using IMERG
Authors: Naud Catherine M. , Jeyaratnam Jeyavinoth , Booth James F. , Zhao Ming , Gettelman Andrew
Published: September 2019

Using a high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution precipitation dataset, Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG), extratropical cyclone precipitation is evaluated in two reanalyses and two climate models. Based on cyclone-centered composites, all four models overestimate precipitation in the western subsiding and dry side of the cyclones, and underestimate the precipitation in the eastern ascending and moist side. By decomposing the composites into frequency of occurrence and intensity (mean precipitation rate when precipitating), the analysis reveals a tendency for all four models to overestimate frequency and underestimate intensity, with the former issue dominating in the western half and the latter in the eastern half of the cyclones. Differences in frequency are strongly dependent on cyclone environmental moisture, while the differences in intensity are strongly impacted by the strength of ascent within the cyclone. There are some uncertainties associated with the observations: IMERG might underreport frozen precipitation and possibly exaggerate rates in vigorously ascending regions. Nevertheless, the analysis suggests that all models produce extratropical cyclone precipitation too often and too lightly. These biases have consequences when evaluating the changes in precipitation characteristics with changes in cyclone properties: the models disagree on the magnitude of the change in precipitation intensity with a change in environmental moisture and in precipitation frequency with a change in cyclone strength. This complicates accurate predictions of precipitation changes in a changing climate.
Constructing the Three-Dimensional Structure of an Anticyclonic Eddy in the South China Sea Using Multiple Underwater Gliders
Authors: Li Shufeng , Wang Shuxin , Zhang Fumin , Wang Yanhui
Published: September 2019

Mesoscale eddies have great influence on heat and material transport in the ocean and thus play an important role in modulating the global climate variability. However, our understanding of their fine three-dimensional (3D) thermohaline and biogeochemical structure remains incomplete because of the scarcity of high-resolution measurements. This research aims to construct the fine 3D structure of an anticyclonic eddy in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) to validate the effectiveness of a glider network for observing mesoscale eddies. Twelve Petrel gliders were deployed in NSCS during August 2017 to gather fine information of an anticyclonic eddy. By combining the high-resolution in situ glider data and the sea level anomaly data, we have constructed a detailed 3D structure of the eddy. The analysis results of the absolute dynamic topography map and the water mass comparison imply that the anticyclonic eddy may generate from eddy shedding of the Kuroshio loop current. The maximum potential temperature anomaly (over 3°C) appears at the thermocline, and the maximum salinity anomaly (~0.8 psu) exists at ~50 m. The maximum value of the dissolved oxygen concentration (~7.5 mg L−1) appears at 50–80 m. The maximum chlorophyll concentration (~1.2 μg L−1) lies at 80–120 m, just below that of the dissolved oxygen concentration. The colored dissolved organic matter concentration increases with depth, with the mean value being less than 1.23 ppb above 50 m and beyond 2.2 ppb at 500–800 m. The results verify the capability of the glider network to observe a fine-scaled 3D structure of mesoscale eddies and will provide a useful guide for future eddy observations.
Culturally responsive education under ESSA: A state-by-state snapshot
Authors: Schettino Isabela , Radvany Katie , Wells Amy Stuart
Published: September 2019

A map created from data compiled by Isabela Schettino and Katie Radvany at the Reimagining Education: Teaching and Learning in Racially Diverse Schools Summer Institute (held at Teachers College, Columbia University, and directed by Amy Stuart Wells) shows which states have included references to culturally responsive teaching practices in the ESSA plans submitted to the Department of Education.
Is ESSA a retreat from equity?
Authors: Fusarelli Lance D. , Ayscue Jennifer B.
Published: September 2019

The passage of ESSA has ushered in a new era of educational governance and leadership, but questions remain regarding how well the new law will protect students’ rights to an equitable education. Lance Fusarelli and Jennifer Ayscue examine key provisions of the law, provide an update of states’ implementation, and speculate about whether ESSA will encourage states to create policies to reduce disparities or whether the return to state and local control will further exacerbate inequities. They encourage educators and policy makers to pay close attention to what is happening in their states and share examples of how states are and are not making equity part of their ESSA plans.
Decolonising and re-theorising the meaning of democracy: A South African perspective
Authors: Brooks Heidi , Ngwane Trevor , Runciman Carin
Published: September 2019

Historically and today, social movements have often been at the forefront of envisioning the content of democracy. Although democracy itself is a contested concept, in general, definitions and measures of democracy are often drawn from the canon and experiences of the global North. Contributing to the growing decolonisation movement in the social sciences, this article examines understandings of democracy in the context of post-apartheid South Africa. It considers how ordinary people conceptualise democracy through an examination of its understanding in isiZulu, one of South Africa’s most dominant vernacular languages, and through analysing how democracy is understood and practised at the grassroots, by citizens mobilised in community protests. It is argued that popular understandings and expectations of democracy are rooted in traditions of popular organisation that emerged in the struggle against apartheid, and in the experiences of many citizens of the post-1994 state. Crucially, the article draws attention to the tensions between grassroots understandings and visions of democracy and that which has been articulated by the governing African National Congress (ANC). By rooting the analysis of democracy within local histories, practices and contexts, the article provides lessons for democratic theorists by illuminating how citizens and popular organisations articulate the current crisis of democracy and its possible alternatives, promoting a re-imagination of normative democratic thought based on ideas of democracy from below.
Supermodel of the World: The Influence of Legitimacy on Genre and Creativity in Drag Music Videos
Authors: Vaughn Michael Patrick
Published: September 2019

Who gets to define what counts as art when a genre is in flux? In the present analysis, I find that legitimated artists may also be able to act as intermediaries, such as critics and gatekeepers. In doing so, these artists-as-intermediaries, under certain conditions, can shift the meaning of the genre as it transitions. Using the current transition of drag performance from scene-based to industry-based genre as a case, I present a multistage qualitative analysis of televised and digital drag performance. I report three key findings from this analysis: (1) some legitimated artists can become intermediaries when their genre is in transition, (2) these legitimated artists-as-intermediaries can influence genre expectations, and (3) legitimated artists-as-intermediaries’ influence on genre expectations can, in turn, influence the creative expression of other artists. Each of the three findings, however, has the effect of limiting creativity of the artist-as-intermediary and future artists within the industry-based genre.
Performing Gender, Class and Nation: Rukmini Devi Arundale and the Impact of Kalakshetra
Authors: McCann Gillian
Published: September 2019

Rukmini Devi Arundale, herself a choreographer and dancer, is considered one of the key figures in re-creating Bharatanatyam. Through her utopian arts colony, Kalakshetra, started during the movement towards Indian independence, she taught what she deemed to be a classical, religious and aesthetically pleasing form of dance. Her rejection of what she termed vulgarity and commercialism in dance reflects her Theosophical worldviews and her class position in a rapidly changing South India. The article examines the ways in which her understanding of Bharatanatyam developed in the context of contested forms of nationalism as a gender regime that contributed to creating proper middle-class, Hindu and Indian subjects. It also examines the impacts of this form of cultural heritage relating to gender, culture and nationalism in today’s globalised South Asian dance scenario.
A study on determination of tensile properties of metals at elevated temperatures from spherical indentation tests
Authors: Zhang Tairui , Wang Shang , Wang Weiqiang
Published: September 2019

In this study, spherical indentation tests were used to determine the uniaxial tensile properties of metals at elevated temperatures (200 °C, 400 °C, and 600 °C). Taking the difference between spherical indentation tests at room and elevated temperatures into consideration, the incremental and analytical models were used to determine material parameters ( σ0, Ep, and n) and thermal softening parameters ( Eeff and m) in the Johnson–Cook constitutive equation, respectively. A discussion on the stability of the analytical model proved that despite in relative complicated forms and with three intercoupling material parameters, the analytical model is still effective for tensile property calculation. From the investigation on the relationship between pm and pi, it was found that correlating coefficient ξ is actually a function of both indentation depth and material parameters, and thus, a regression function was proposed for a more accurate description of ξ. Effectiveness of the spherical indentation tests was verified through experiments on three steels, SA508, 15CrMoR, S30408, and one titanium alloy, TC21, which proved that the spherical indentation tests can provide both proof and tensile strength calculations with a maximum error around 15% at room temperature and within 20% at elevated temperatures, and thus satisfy the demands for engineering applications.
Rene Policistico e trapianto di rene: accesso alla lista d’attesa e post trapianto: risultati della ricerca
Authors: Caldara Rossana
Published: September 2019

Polycystic kidney disease and kidney transplantation: access to waiting list and post-transplant

Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the leading genetic cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) worldwide. The number of ADPKD patients who are listed for transplantation or receive a kidney transplant is continuously increasing over time.

AIRP conducted a survey to investigate the ADPKD patient journey, meaning the personal experience and expectations of people regarding kidney transplantation as therapeutic option of end-stage renal failure.

The survey was conducted on 381 people with ADPKD, using computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI).

The results confirm that there are problems that need to be addressed before listing an ADPKD patient for a kidney transplantation, namely the patient’s comorbidities, the complexity of pre-transplant assessments and the shortage of organs.

Pre-emptive transplantation from cadaver donor is a rare event in our country but it is a valid option, especially in case of living donation.

Immunosuppression is well tolerated in a high percentage of subjects, but a follow-up is necessary to monitor negative side effects.

Despite these problems, the outcome of kidney transplantation is optimal in these patients. Also, the relationship between patients and Nephrologists and/or Transplant Centers is important to ensure a positive outcome.
Corporate naval supply in England’s commercial empire, 1600–1760
Authors: Smith Edmond
Published: September 2019

Britain’s imperial and commercial success rested on maritime links. Whether trading wool across the Channel to Europe, seeking spices in South Asia or importing sugar from the Caribbean, shipping was an essential resource. Yet, to undertake these trades, merchants required naval supplies – finished ships, timber to build them and stores to fill them – that were not always easily accessible. This challenge was particularly apparent in the early seventeenth century for trading corporations whose specific needs demanded innovative approaches to the naval supply problem. This article examines the responses of English corporations to the challenge of supplying its international shipping by focusing on activities on each side of the Atlantic. First, it assesses the development of the East India Company’s docks at Blackwall and Dundaniel, before turning to a detailed study of ship-building and supply in Virginia and New England. In doing so, this article highlights the importance of naval supply to Britain’s north Atlantic empire, both in terms of the rhetorical support for empire and the economic incentives of participants. This reveals how traditional interpretations of Britain’s naval development have too often focused on state-driven activities (particularly from the very end of the seventeenth century) and failed to examine the complex, sometimes chaotic attempts by private individuals and corporations to overcome the naval supply challenges common to this early period of globalisation.
Microbiological Aspects of Naturally Occurring Primary Endodontic Infections in Dogs
Authors: Srečnik Špela , Zdovc Irena , Javoršek Urška , Pirš Tina , Pavlica Zlatko , Nemec Ana
Published: September 2019

Dental fractures are common in dogs, but data on microbiology of naturally occurring primary endodontic infections, and their relation to clinical and radiographic signs, are lacking. Samples were obtained from root canals of 32 periodontally healthy fractured teeth under aseptic conditions and immediately cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Cultures were further identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, time of flight technology. Sixty-one bacteria (30 bacterial species) were isolated from root canals; 54% were Gram-negative bacteria, 53% were facultative anaerobic, and 42% were anaerobic bacteria. Number of bacterial species in the root canals declined with the duration of fractures over 12 months. No statistically significant association was found between the number of bacterial species involved in the root canal infection and any of the clinical or radiographic signs of endodontic disease. Naturally occurring primary endodontic infections in dogs appear to be polymicrobial and involve only a selected number of opportunistic pathogen species.
Rudolf Allers’ conception of neurosis as a metaphysical conflict
Authors: García-Alandete Joaquín
Published: September 2019

The Viennese psychiatrist and philosopher Rudolf Allers (1883–1963) made important contributions to psychiatry and psychotherapy, fundamentally in relation to their anthropological foundations from a Catholic point of view. However, Allers’ thought has received rather limited attention from historians of psychiatry. The present study focuses on his conception of neurosis as a metaphysical conflict from a Neoscholastic point of view: the relationship between neurosis and character; his conception of neurosis as a metaphysical conflict; and his ideas about inner transformation (metanoia) as a main therapeutic goal in the case of neurosis and its relationship with sanctity as health and as a path to recovery.
Hydrogen sulfide modulates IL-6/STAT3 pathway and inhibits oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in rat model of methotrexate hepatotoxicity
Authors: Fouad AA , Hafez HM , Hamouda AAH
Published: September 2019

Methotrexate (MTX) is a commonly used anticancer and immunosuppressive agent. However, MTX can induce hepatotoxicity due to oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the endogenous gaseous molecule, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. The present work explored the probable protective effect of H2S against MTX hepatotoxicity in rats and also the possible mechanisms underlying this effect. MTX was given at a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose of 20 mg/kg. Sodium H2S (56 µmol /kg/day, i.p.), as H2S donor, was given for 10 days, starting 6 days before MTX administration. H2S significantly reduced serum alanine aminotransferase, hepatic malondialdehyde, interleukin 6, nuclear factor κB p65, cytosolic cytochrome c, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and significantly increased hepatic total antioxidant capacity and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in rats received MTX. In addition, H2S minimized the histopathological injury and significantly decreased the expression of STAT3 in liver tissue of MTX-challenged rats. The effects of H2S were significantly antagonized by administration of glibenclamide as KATP channel blocker, Nω-nitro-l-arginine, as eNOS inhibitor, or ruthenium red, as transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) antagonist. It was concluded that H2S provided significant hepatoprotection in MTX-challenged rats through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic effects. These effects are most probably mediated by the ability of H2S to act as IL-6/STAT3 pathway modulator, KATP channel opener, eNOS activator, and TRPV1 agonist.
Magneto-rheological fluid slot-entry journal bearing considering thermal effects
Authors: Sahu Krishnkant , Sharma Satish C
Published: September 2019

In recent times, controlling the performance of fluid film bearings smartly has become an important area for the fluid film bearing designers. This study deals with the numerical simulation of a magneto-rheological fluid–lubricated two-lobe hybrid slot-entry journal bearing. To make the operating condition more exact and realistic, the influence of geometric imperfection of the journal arising from manufacturing inaccuracies and thermal effect has been considered. Dave magneto-rheological fluid model, a constitutive relation of the Bingham model, and finite element method have been used in this article to simulate the behavior of the magneto-rheological fluid in a slot-entry bearing. The results indicate that the heat generated because of viscous friction rises the temperature of the magneto-rheological fluid, which changes the bearing performance significantly. Considering barrel-shaped journal and magneto-rheological fluid (applied current, Ic = 4 A), the performance of two-lobe slot-entry bearing is superior in terms of the value of [Formula: see text] approximately by a magnitude of 2%, 41%, 181%, 168%, 75%, and 41%, respectively, as compared to that of the base bearing (smooth [Formula: see text], two-lobe bearing, operating with a Newtonian fluid, Ic = 0 A).
Tuning the composition of conductive thermoplastics for stiffness switching and electrically activated healing
Authors: Rich Steven I , Nambeesan Vasudevan , Khan Rehan , Majidi Carmel
Published: September 2019

We introduce a class of stiffness-tuning polymer composites and carefully examine the influence of electrical activation and temperature on stiffness for a wide range of use cases. The composites are composed of a polycaprolactone matrix embedded with a percolating network of acetylene carbon black or multi-walled carbon nanotubes. This work builds on previous efforts with thermally activated stiffness-switching composites, which can enable reliable, high-switching-ratio stiffness-switching devices that are stiff in the passive state and are not confined to specific geometries or layouts. Here, we systematically investigate the effects of filler type, filler concentration, and matrix polymer molecular weight on the critical properties of the stiffness-switching material. Using these parameters, we develop a composition selection guide, which we use to construct three different stiffness-switching applications: a highly extensible stiffness-switching tendon, a large area moldable sheet, and an electrically healable mechanical fuse.
Development and evaluation of an external reusable piezo-based concrete hydration-monitoring sensor
Authors: Moharana Sumedha , Bhalla Suresh
Published: September 2019

Hydration of concrete is a very complicated and multiphase process, where the cement gel transforms into a hardened state from plastic/semiplastic phase. Proper progression of the hydration process ensures the development of targeted mechanical properties such as the elastic modulus, the coefficient of thermal expansion, the Poisson’s ratio, and finally, the characteristic strength of concrete. Concrete experiences large thermal variations during the early phase of hydration due to the heat generated during the formation of cement hydration compounds, which contributes to shrinkage and cracking, somewhat making ground for the ultimate failure in the long run. Therefore, it is utmost important to monitor the progression of hydration for enhancing performance during the curing and the early service life. This article presents a new reusable external configuration of piezo-impedance transducers to monitor the hydration process in concrete structures using the electro-mechanical impedance technique. The proposed configuration consists of a thin metal foil instrumented with piezoelectric ceramic patch at the free end with the other end of the foil embedded inside the concrete. This configuration is compared against a piezoelectric ceramic patch directly bonded on the rebar used for reinforcement and another one embedded in the concrete surrounding the rebar. The sensing capability of the proposed metal foil configuration is clearly evident from the coupled admittance signature quantitatively vis-à-vis the other configurations. As a preliminary analysis, root mean square deviation values are employed to monitor the hydration process quantitatively. A piezo-equivalent mechanical model is also developed wherein the piezo-identified mass, stiffness and damping parameters are investigated for the cement hydration process so as to chalk out rigorous quantifiers of hydration progression. The employability of the proposed configuration is further proven by explanation of the physio-chemical products developed during various stage of hydration with step-by-step explanation along with corelation of the piezo-identified mass, stiffness and damping parameters. Overall, the proposed reusable configuration carries a high potential for field deployment in concrete industry for early detection of physio-chemical changes.
Time to First Culture Positivity Among Critically Ill Adults With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Growth in Respiratory or Blood Cultures
Authors: Melling Paige A. , Noto Michael J. , Rice Todd W. , Semler Matthew W. , Stollings Joanna L.
Published: September 2019

Background: For critically ill adults receiving empirical vancomycin, the duration of negative cultures after which vancomycin may be discontinued without risking subsequent growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains unknown. Objective: We hypothesized that if sputum cultures did not grow MRSA or blood cultures did not grow Gram-positive cocci on Gram stain by 48 hours, those cultures would not subsequently demonstrate MRSA. Methods: We conducted an ancillary analysis from patients enrolled in the Isotonic Solutions and Major Adverse Renal Events Trial (SMART). In this cohort of patients, we collected data on the time of either MRSA identification in culture or Gram-positive cocci identification on Gram stain and rate of vancomycin discontinuation. Results: Of the 15 802 patient admissions in the SMART study, 6553 (41.5%) received empirical intravenous vancomycin. Respiratory sputum cultures demonstrated MRSA during 178 patient admissions. Among respiratory cultures that would ultimately grow MRSA, 85% were positive within 48 hours, and 97% were positive within 72 hours. Cultures demonstrated MRSA bacteremia during 85 patient admissions. In 83 cases (97.6%) of MRSA bacteremia, Gram-positive cocci were identified within 48 hours after the culture was obtained. Conclusion and Relevance: This analysis of a large cohort of critically ill adults receiving empirical vancomycin found that Staphylococcus aureus was present in all but 15% of cases of MRSA-positive respiratory cultures after 48 hours, whereas Gram-positive cocci were identified within 48 hours during nearly all episodes of MRSA bacteremia. These findings may inform the timing of discontinuation of empirical vancomycin among critically ill adults.
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Diagnosed in the Setting of Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
Authors: Viswanathan Kartik , Roboz Gail , Chadburn Amy , Mathew Susan
Published: September 2019

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is rarely reported to occur in treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). In this article, we report a woman in her 70s, diagnosed with CLL/SLL in 2000, untreated, who subsequently presented 12 years later with de novo CML, BCR-ABL1+. Her IGHV mutated CLL/SLL based on the initial sample in our laboratory showed homozygous and heterozygous 13q14.3 deletions, whereas her CML, at presentation, showed a 46,XX,t(9;22)(q34;q11.2)[7]/46,XX[18] karyotype with a p190 BCR-ABL1 transcript. The tumor burden of each clone varied with treatment, including when treated with dasatinib, used to target both clones. In addition, the cytogenetic abnormalities evolved over time and treatments and included acquisition of an extra chromosome 8 in the CML clone and a novel K1992T ATM missense mutation (47% allele frequency) in the CLL/SLL clone. The patient’s last bone marrow biopsy, 5 years after her CML diagnosis and 17 years after the CLL/SLL diagnosis, showed residual CML with extensive involvement by CLL/SLL (80%). Cytogenetic studies showed a 46,XX karyotype, while FISH identified 13q14.3 deletion and the BCR-ABL1 translocation in the CLL/SLL and CML clones, respectively. To date, this is the fourth case of concurrent CML, BCR-ABL1+ arising in untreated CLL/SLL. Here we show dynamic variation in the size of the 2 clonal processes reflecting the variable responsiveness to specific therapies. In addition to the unusual BCR-ABL1+ p190 transcript in the patient’s CML, a novel ATM K1992T mutation was identified in the CLL/SLL population.
Early Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis Due to Finegoldia magna
Authors: Cobo Fernando , Calatrava Elizabeth , Navarro-Marí José María
Published: September 2019

Finegoldia magna is a Gram-positive anaerobic cocci frequently reported in human diseases. We report a rare case of mechanical prosthetic endocarditis due to this microorganism in a patient with heart disease. A 50-year-old man with prosthetic mitral and aortic valve presented with pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, and multiorgan dysfunction. Anaerobic blood cultures yielded a positive result, allowing further identification as F magna by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The patient suffered replacement of mechanical mitral prosthesis by a new mechanical prosthesis, growing also F magna in the valvular culture. The isolate was identified as F magna by 16S ribosomal RNA sequence analysis. As a complication, a convulsive episode occurred, but a positive outcome was finally observed.
Haptic input and balance control: An exploratory study examining normative messaging
Authors: Spink Kevin S , Federow Colin W , Lanovaz Joel L , Oates Alison R
Published: September 2019

This study examined the effect of descriptive norm messaging information on the relationship between haptic input and balance control. Participants were randomly assigned to either a message group where they balanced with haptic input after receiving a descriptive norm message about the positive effect of haptic input or a control group. Findings from an analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference between the two groups. Those in the descriptive norm message group had better balance control than those in the control group. These findings suggest that efforts designed to improve balance control through haptic input may be enhanced through normative messaging.
Mating Performance: Assessing Flirting Skills, Mate Signal-Detection Ability, and Shyness Effects
Authors: Apostolou Menelaos , Papadopoulou Irene , Christofi Michael , Vrontis Demetris
Published: September 2019

Several people today experience poor mating performance, that is, they face difficulties in starting and/or keeping an intimate relationship. On the basis of an evolutionary theoretical framework, it was hypothesized that poor mating performance would be predicted by poor flirting skills, poor mate signal-detection ability, and high shyness. By employing a sample of 587 Greek-speaking men and women, we found that more than 40% of our participants experienced difficulties in starting and/or keeping an intimate relationship. We also found that poor flirting skills, poor mate signal-detection ability, and high shyness were associated with poor performance in mating, especially with respect to starting an intimate relationship. The effect sizes and the odds ratios indicated that flirting skills had the largest effect on mating performance, followed by the mate signal-detection ability and shyness.
Recognition and social freedom
Authors: McQueen Paddy
Published: September 2019

In this article I describe and defend an account of social freedom grounded in intersubjective recognition. I term this the ‘normative authorisation’ account. It holds that a person enjoys social freedom if she is recognised as a discursive equal able to engage in justificatory dialogue with other social agents about the appropriateness of her reasons for action. I contrast this with Axel Honneth’s theory of social freedom, which I term the ‘self-realisation’ account. According to this view, the affirmative recognition of others is necessary for obtaining a positive relation-to-self and hence freedom. I identify several problems with this account, which challenge the connection Honneth draws between social recognition and freedom. I show how the normative authorisation account avoids these problems and captures some basic features of our everyday, normative interactions. Finally, I suggest that the account fits well with recent work on epistemic injustice. Specifically, it shows that securing the social conditions of freedom requires ensuring epistemically-just social relations. Thus, the normative authorisation account is an explanatorily powerful, inclusive theory of social freedom that fits well with wider accounts of justice and freedom. Thus, it represents the most promising way of understanding social freedom in terms of interpersonal recognition.
Live-load strain evaluation of the prestressed concrete box-girder bridge using deep learning and clustering
Authors: Zhao Hanwei , Ding Youliang , Li Aiqun , Ren Zhaozhao , Yang Kang
Published: September 2019

The monitoring data makes it feasible to quickly evaluate the cracking of the prestressed concrete box-girder bridge. The live-load strain can accurately quantify the load effect and cracking of bridges due to its explicit datum point of signal. Based on the live-load strain data from bridge monitoring system, this study develops a comprehensive data-driven method of state evaluation and cracking early warning for the prestressed concrete box-girder bridge. The feature of vehicle-induced strain is extracted using the deep learning and classification of long short-term memory network. The vehicle-induced strain features are clustered via Gaussian mixture model, and the cracking early warning of the bridge is conducted according to the reliability of heavy vehicle clustering data. This method can be used as an indicator for the bridge inspection, truck-weight-limit and reinforcement work. The results demonstrate that (1) using the long short-term memory network, a deep learning model can be trained to intelligently classify the non-stationary and stationary sections of vehicle-induced strains, of which the test accuracy of classification surpasses 99%, and (2) according to the Gaussian mixture model probability distribution of data, the vehicle-induced strain features can be clustered by the corresponding Gaussian mixture model crest, which is the premise for reflecting relational mapping between vehicle loading and strain response.
Research on innovative design of a new rope knotter
Authors: Meng Yanmei , Chen Hao , Liang Yuan , Qin Johnny , Zhao Qinchuan , Wei Jin
Published: September 2019

Aiming at the complex structure and high manufacturing process requirements of traditional knotter, this article proposes a new rope knotting method. Based on the knotting method, a knotter is designed to use a new mechanism which is made up of two new incomplete gear mechanisms to drive rope clamping mechanism and rope hooking and griping mechanism. First, a kinematic cycle diagram of the knotter is determined, and the structures of each key mechanism are designed. Then, a virtual prototype of the knotter is established by Unigraphics and imported into Automated Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems to analyze the kinematic of each key mechanism. The success rate is 98.4% through 500 physical tests on the physical model of the knotter. The results indicate that the knotting method is reliable. The knotter can meet the requirements of structure, posture, and coordination during knotting process. The new knotter has no separate mechanism for cutting rope and tripping out of the rope buckle. Therefore, the structure is simplified and reduces the design and manufacturing difficulties. Furthermore, the new incomplete gear mechanism solves the problem that in the conventional incomplete gear mechanism, the driven gear can swing at a large angle or even cannot be locked in the case when the locking arc of the passive gear is too short.
Effect of pyrite on the electrochemical behavior of chalcopyrite at different potentials in pH 1.8 H2SO4
Authors: Liu Qingyou , Wang Shuai , Chen Miao , Yang Yi
Published: September 2019

Chalcopyrite is the most abundant, but also one of the most refractory, copper sources. One way to enhance chalcopyrite’s electrochemical dissolution is by mixing it with pyrite. To understand how and to what extent pyrite affects chalcopyrite’s electrochemical dissolution at different potentials, the electrochemical behaviors of chalcopyrite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite–pyrite couples in pH 1.8 H2SO4 were studied by potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Potentiodynamic curves showed their different electrochemical reaction states and electrode surface characteristics. From open-circuit potential to 470 mV (vs saturated calomel electrode), chalcopyrite–pyrite was passivated with Cu1− xFe1− yS2 [Formula: see text]; from 470 to 580 mV, trans-passive dissolution occurred, and in the passive region, Cu1− xFe1− yS2 transformed into Cu1− x− zS2; from 580 to 700 mV was an active region; and a pseudo-passive region was formed with CuS when the potential was above 700 mV. The smaller charge transfer resistance and passive resistance, as well as the smaller inductive relaxation, revealed how and to what extent the coupled pyrite accelerated the electrochemical dissolution of chalcopyrite.