bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on Vibration Characteristics of a Ceramic Spindle Based on the Reverse Magnetic Effect
Authors: Zhang Ke , Wang Zinan , Shi Huaitao , Bai Xiaotian , Wang Zhan
Published: May 2019

The electromagnetic radial force about a ceramic spindle affects the spindle dynamic, which determines the quality of processing. Using a Timoshenko beam unit to build the dynamic model for the ceramic spindle, the dynamic characteristic of an angular contact ball bearing is analyzed using a nonlinear bearing model. The electromagnetic magnetization model was established based on Maxwell’s theory to calculate electromagnetic magnetic density and radial force. The influence about the reverse magnetic field characteristic of the ceramic rotating shaft and dynamic stiffness of the contact ball bearing on the dynamic phenomena of the spindle is analyzed, which is verified by experiments. The results show that the magnetic effect produced by the reverse magnetic of ceramic rotation shaft has a great influence on the electromagnetic radial force. Compared with the paramagnetic effect of the metal shaft, the dynamic characteristics of the spindle can be significantly improved. Considering the coupling relationship between the radial force of the magnetic field and the bearing contact force, dynamic stiffness, and other factors, the accuracy of the model simulation is highly consistent with the test results. In particular, the ceramic spindle model has been successful in predicting with high accuracy and is suitable for multiple extreme working conditions. The parameters, such as initial eccentricity of the rotor, bearing preload, and rotating speed, can be adjusted to restrain the vibration of spindle. The ceramic spindle model provides a theoretical basis for the dynamics development of a high‐speed spindle.
Psychological Intervention in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
Authors: Gómez-de-Regil Lizzette , Estrella-Castillo Damaris F. , Vega-Cauich Julio
Published: May 2019

Objective. To provide a brief and comprehensive summary of recent research regarding psychological interventions for patients surviving a traumatic brain injury. Methods. A bibliographical search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycNET, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar online databases. Analysis included distribution by year of publication, age stage of participants (paediatric, adult), location of the research team, study design, type of intervention, and main outcome variables. Results. The initial search eliciting 1541 citations was reduced to 62 relevant papers. Most publications had adult samples (88.7%). The United States outstands as the country with more research (58.1%); Latin America countries provided no results. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was the most widely used approach for treatment of (sub)clinical mental disturbances (41.9%). Neuropsychological interventions were scarce (4.8%). Outcome measures included psychiatric disorders (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety) (37.1%), postconcussive symptoms (16.1%), cognitive and functional deficits (48.1%), and social and psychological dimensions (62.9%). Conclusions. CBT outstands as the preferred therapeutic approach for treating behavioural and emotional disturbances. Also, other related therapies such as dialectical behaviour, mindfulness, and acceptance and commitment therapies have been proposed, and probably in the years to come, more literature regarding their effectiveness will be available. On the other hand, evidence showed that interventions from the field of neuropsychology are minimal if compared with its contribution to assessment. Future research should be aimed at performing studies on more diverse populations (e.g., nonmilitary communities and paediatric and Latin American populations) and at controlling designs to examine the therapeutic efficacy of psychotherapeutic and neurocognitive rehabilitation interventions and compare amelioration by injury severity, age of patients, and clinical profile, in the hopes of creating better guidelines for practitioners.
Enzymatic Conversion of RBCs by α-N-Acetylgalactosaminidase from Spirosoma linguale
Authors: Malinski Thomas J. , Singh Harkewal
Published: May 2019

Spirosoma linguale is a free-living nonpathogenic organism. Like many other bacteria, S. linguale produces a cell-associated α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase. This work was undertaken to elucidate the nature of this activity. The recombinant enzyme was produced, purified, and examined for biochemical attributes. The purified enzyme was ~50 kDa active as a homodimer in solution. It catalyzed hydrolysis of α-N-acetylgalactosamine at pH 7. Calculated KM was 1.1 mM with kcat of 173 s−1. The described enzyme belongs to the GH109 family.
Discrimination of Motion Direction in a Robot Using a Phenomenological Model of Synaptic Plasticity
Authors: Berberian Nareg , Ross Matt , Chartier Sylvain
Published: May 2019

Recognizing and tracking the direction of moving stimuli is crucial to the control of much animal behaviour. In this study, we examine whether a bio-inspired model of synaptic plasticity implemented in a robotic agent may allow the discrimination of motion direction of real-world stimuli. Starting with a well-established model of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP), we develop a microcircuit motif of spiking neurons capable of exhibiting preferential and nonpreferential responses to changes in the direction of an orientation stimulus in motion. While the robotic agent processes sensory inputs, the STP mechanism introduces direction-dependent changes in the synaptic connections of the microcircuit, resulting in a population of units that exhibit a typical cortical response property observed in primary visual cortex (V1), namely, direction selectivity. Visually evoked responses from the model are then compared to those observed in multielectrode recordings from V1 in anesthetized macaque monkeys, while sinusoidal gratings are displayed on a screen. Overall, the model highlights the role of STP as a complementary mechanism in explaining the direction selectivity and applies these insights in a physical robot as a method for validating important response characteristics observed in experimental data from V1, namely, direction selectivity.
Using Synchrotron-Based X-Ray Microcomputed Tomography to Characterize Water Distribution in Compacted Soils
Authors: Li Zhong-Sen , Tang Lian-Sheng
Published: May 2019

Water plays a vital role on the hydromechanical behavior of unsaturated soils. An important concern in unsaturated soil mechanics is to determine the distribution of water within voids and its interaction with soil grains. This paper presents some results of the spatial distribution of water in different soils using the synchrotron-based X-ray microcomputed tomography (μ-CT). Three materials (glass beads, natural sand, and clay) were first prepared at a water content of about 10%, statically compacted under vertical total stress of 500 kPa, and then scanned by synchrotron X-rays at an energy of 18 or 20 keV. The three-dimensional (3D) microstructure of the samples including air, liquid, and solid phases was reconstructed, and some new observations were obtained: (i) the iodine-based contrast medium (KI) can increase the peak greyscale value of water from 110 to 122, enhance the air-water contrast, and thus facilitate the segmentation of water phase; (ii) in the compacted glass beads and sand, water distribution is characterized using the μ-CT and image reconstruction technique. The water contents obtained by phase segmentation, i.e., 10.2% and 9.3%, are comparable with those measured by the oven-drying method, i.e., 9.7% and 9.4% for the glass beads and sand, respectively; (iii) water is preferably distributed within aggregates when it is mixed with the oven-dried particles, and an aggregate-dominated 3D structure is observed. However, it is impossible to determine the water phase for the studied material even with the resolution of 0.65 μm/pixel.
220Rn (Thoron) Geohazard in Room Air of Earthen Dwellings in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyễn-Thuỳ Dương , Nguyễn-Văn Hướng , Schimmelmann Jan P. , Nguyễn Nguyệt Thị Ánh , Doiron Kelsey , Schimmelmann Arndt
Published: May 2019

Thoron’s (220Rn) contribution to α-radiation exposure is usually considered negligible compared to that of 222Rn (radon). Despite its short half-life of 55.6 seconds, thoron can be exhaled from porous surface layers of building materials into indoor air where people subsequently inhale radioisotopes, including metallic radioactive progeny. Bare surfaces of dry porous soil with relatively high 232Th content can pose a thoron radiation hazard in indoor air. On northern Vietnam’s Đồng Văn karst plateau, the spatial distribution of thoron was determined in indoor air of traditional earthen and other types of dwellings using portable RAD7 and SARAD® RTM 2200 detectors. “Mud houses” are constructed with local compacted soil and typically do not have any floor or wall coverings (i.e., no plaster, wallpaper, or paint). Detailed measurements in a mud house revealed levels of thoron in room air averaging >500 Bq m-3. The spatial distribution of α-radiation from thoron in indoor air at a distance of about 1 m from interior walls was fairly homogeneous and averaged ~200 Bq m-3. Most concerning, from a human health perspective, were the high thoron concentrations of up to 884 Bq m-3 in sleeping areas near mud walls. The average annual thoron radiation dose to inhabitants of mud houses was estimated based on 13 hours of daily occupancy, including daily activities and sleeping. The estimated average thoron inhalation dose of 27.1 mSv a-1 during sleeping hours near mud surfaces accounts for nearly 75% of the total estimated radon and thoron inhalation dose of 37.4 mSv a-1 from indoor mud house air. Our conservative annual radiation dose estimates do not include subsequent radiation from inhaled metallic progeny of thoron. Our data demonstrate a significant human health risk from radiation exposure and a critical need for remediation in traditional northern Vietnamese mud house dwellings.
Role of Circular RNAs in Preeclampsia
Authors: Jia Ningyi , Li Jian
Published: May 2019

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs characterized by circular covalently closed structures, which are generated by back-splicing. circRNA is more stable and conserved than linear RNA and exists in various organisms. Preeclampsia (PE), a common hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, has a profound impact on maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Recent studies demonstrated that circRNAs were differentially expressed in PE maternal-fetal interface compared with those in the control and might mediate pathological processes in pregnancy complications. However, the mechanisms of action of circRNAs in PE are still unclear. Here, we provide a comprehensive review on the current state of knowledge on circRNAs associated with PE. We summarize the known expression profiles of circRNAs and discuss their potential application as biomarkers of PE. The possible mechanisms underlying circRNA dysregulation in the etiology of PE are also explored.
Small Pre-Quasi Banach Operator Ideals of Type Orlicz-Cesáro Mean Sequence Spaces
Authors: Bakery Awad A. , Mohammed Mustafa M.
Published: May 2019

In this paper, we give the sufficient conditions on Orlicz-Cesáro mean sequence spaces cesφ, where φ is an Orlicz function such that the class Scesφ of all bounded linear operators between arbitrary Banach spaces with its sequence of s-numbers which belong to cesφ forms an operator ideal. The completeness and denseness of its ideal components are specified and Scesφ constructs a pre-quasi Banach operator ideal. Some inclusion relations between the pre-quasi operator ideals and the inclusion relations for their duals are explained. Moreover, we have presented the sufficient conditions on cesφ such that the pre-quasi Banach operator ideal generated by approximation number is small. The above results coincide with that known for cesp  (1<p<∞).
A Data-Driven Hybrid Three-Stage Framework for Hospital Bed Allocation: A Case Study in a Large Tertiary Hospital in China
Authors: Luo Li , Li Jialing , Xu Xueru , Shen Wenwu , Xiao Lin
Published: May 2019

Beds are key, scarce medical resources in hospitals. The bed occupancy rate (BOR) amongst different departments within large tertiary hospitals is very imbalanced, a situation which has led to problems between the supply of and the demand for bed resources. This study aims to balance the utilization of existing beds in a large tertiary hospital in China. We developed a data-driven hybrid three-stage framework incorporating data analysis, simulation, and mixed integer programming to minimize the gaps in BOR among different departments. The first stage is to calculate the length of stay (LOS) and BOR of each department and identify the departments that need to be allocated beds. In the second stage, we used a fitted arrival distribution and median LOS as the input to a generic simulation model. In the third stage, we built a mixed integer programming model using the results obtained in the first two stages to generate the optimal bed allocation strategy for different departments. The value of the objective function, Z, represents the severity of the imbalance in BOR. Our case study demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed data-driven hybrid three-stage framework. The results show that Z decreases from 0.7344 to 0.0409 after re-allocation, which means that the internal imbalance has eased. Our framework provides hospital bed policy makers with a feasible solution for bed allocation.
Experimental Investigation of Energy Evolution in Sandstone Failure during Triaxial Unloading Confining Pressure Tests
Authors: Yang Rui , Ma Depeng , Yang Yongjie
Published: May 2019

The deformation and failure of sandstone samples are closely related to energy changes in the material. To explore the energy evolution during the process of sandstone sample damage, loading and unloading tests with different test paths were conducted. The results show that more energy is stored and consumed before the stress reaches its peak, while after the peak stress, more energy is released and consumed. Energy dissipation increases internal cracking, leads to sample damage and lithologic deterioration, and reduces the bearing capacity of the sample. During triaxial unloading of the confining pressure, the higher the initial unloading confining pressure, the more the elastic energy stored, and the more the energy released when the sandstone sample fails, resulting in more severe damage. Therefore, during the excavation of high‐stress rock masses, large amounts of elastic energy stored in sandstone can be rapidly released, leading to rock burst disasters. Additionally, during triaxial unloading confining pressure tests, the damage in sandstone when the sample is close to failure increases more rapidly than that during conventional triaxial compression tests because of the unloading effect of the confining pressure. This phenomenon also illustrates that the failure of sandstone induced by unloading is more sudden than that induced by loading.
Development of a Yoga-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation (Yoga-CaRe) Programme for Secondary Prevention of Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Chattopadhyay Kaushik , Chandrasekaran Ambalam M. , Praveen Pradeep A. , Manchanda Subhash C. , Madan Kushal , Ajay Vamadevan S. , Singh Kavita , Tillin Therese , Hughes Alun D. , Chaturvedi Nishi , Ebrahim Shah , Pocock Stuart , Reddy K. Srinath , Tandon Nikhil , Prabhakaran Dorairaj , Kinra Sanjay
Published: May 2019

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after myocardial infarction is highly effective. It is unavailable in public hospitals in India due to limited resources. Our objective was to develop a scalable model of CR for India based on yoga, which could also appeal to some groups with low uptake of CR (e.g., ethnic minorities, women, and older people) globally. The intervention was developed using a structured process. A literature review and consultations with yoga experts, CR experts, and postmyocardial infarction patients were conducted to systematically identify and shortlist appropriate yoga exercises and postures, breathing exercises, meditation and relaxation practices, and lifestyle changes, which were incorporated into a conventional CR framework. The draft intervention was further refined based on the feedback from an internal stakeholder group and an external panel of international experts, before being piloted with yoga instructors and patients with myocardial infarction. A four-phase yoga-based CR (Yoga-CaRe) programme was developed for delivery by a single yoga instructor with basic training. The programme consists of a total of 13 instructor-led sessions (2 individual and 11 group) over a 3-month period. Group sessions include guided practice of yoga exercises and postures, breathing exercises, and meditation and relaxation practices, and support for the lifestyle change and coping through a moderated discussion. Patients are encouraged to self-practice daily at home and continue long-term with the help of a booklet and digital video disc (DVD). Family members/carers are encouraged to join throughout. In conclusion, a novel yoga-based CR programme has been developed, which promises to provide a scalable CR solution for India and an alternative choice for CR globally. It is currently being evaluated in a large multicentre randomised controlled trial across India.
Design and Validation of an Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna with Additional Slots
Authors: Dvorsky Marek , Ganesh Harihara S. , Prabhu S. Sadhish
Published: May 2019

This paper introduces an improved shape of Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna from the normal schematic structure which yields a high radiation gain. We have designed and fabricated the improved structure of Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna with the help of new dielectric substrate ASTRA®MT77 material. We have chosen a unique substrate material to develop our novel Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna because most research has been done on commonly used materials like FR4, RT Duroid, etc. Moreover, ISOLA has significantly good electrical and nonelectrical properties as compared with other substrate materials. The results of the desired antenna were simulated through extensive simulations performed in CST Microwave Studio®. The characteristics of all the antenna parameters are clearly studied and we are successful to achieve closed results between designed as well as experimented Vivaldi Antenna. The simulated antenna achieved a maximum gain of more than 9 dBi whereas the experimental antenna reached around 7 dBi between the operating frequency range from 1 GHz to 13 GHz. The measured prototype antenna provides linear polarization with overall radiation efficiency of more than 90%.
Berberine Alleviates Amyloid β-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Synaptic Loss
Authors: Zhao Chunhui , Su Ping , Lv Cui , Guo Limin , Cao Guoqiong , Qin Chunxia , Zhang Wensheng
Published: May 2019

Synaptic structural and functional damage is a typical pathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Normal axonal mitochondrial function and transportation are vital to synaptic function and plasticity because they are necessary for maintaining cellular energy supply and regulating calcium and redox signalling as well as synaptic transmission and vesicle release. Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation is another pathological hallmark of AD that mediates synaptic loss and dysfunction by targeting mitochondria. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies to protect against synaptic mitochondrial damage induced by Aβ. The present study examined the beneficial effects of berberine, a natural isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from the traditional medicinal plant Coptis chinensis, on Aβ-induced mitochondrial and synaptic damage in primary cultured hippocampal neurons. We demonstrate that berberine alleviates axonal mitochondrial abnormalities by preserving the mitochondrial membrane potential and preventing decreases in ATP, increasing axonal mitochondrial density and length, and improving mitochondrial motility and trafficking in cultured hippocampal neurons. Although the underlying protective mechanism remains to be elucidated, the data suggest that the effects of berberine were in part related to its potent antioxidant activity. These findings highlight the neuroprotective and specifically mitoprotective effects of berberine treatment under conditions of Aβ enrichment.
A Novel Method for Predicting Disease-Associated LncRNA-MiRNA Pairs Based on the Higher-Order Orthogonal Iteration
Authors: Xuan Zhanwei , Feng Xiang , Yu Jingwen , Ping Pengyao , Zhao Haochen , Zhu Xianyou , Wang Lei
Published: May 2019

A lot of research studies have shown that many complex human diseases are associated not only with microRNAs (miRNAs) but also with long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). However, most of the current existing studies focus on the prediction of disease-related miRNAs or lncRNAs, and to our knowledge, until now, there are few literature studies reported to pay attention to the study of impact of miRNA-lncRNA pairs on diseases, although more and more studies have shown that both lncRNAs and miRNAs play important roles in cell proliferation and differentiation during the recent years. The identification of disease-related genes provides great insight into the underlying pathogenesis of diseases at a system level. In this study, a novel model called PADLMHOOI was proposed to predict potential associations between diseases and lncRNA-miRNA pairs based on the higher-order orthogonal iteration, and in order to evaluate its prediction performance, the global and local LOOCV were implemented, respectively, and simulation results demonstrated that PADLMHOOI could achieve reliable AUCs of 0.9545 and 0.8874 in global and local LOOCV separately. Moreover, case studies further demonstrated the effectiveness of PADLMHOOI to infer unknown disease-related lncRNA-miRNA pairs.
Socioeconomic Determinants of Mangrove Exploitation and Seagrass Degradation in Zanzibar: Implications for Sustainable Development
Authors: Nchimbi Amina A. , Lyimo Liberatus D.
Published: May 2019

The concept of “sustainability” has become the current answer to absolving the world of its environmental and economic crises in the 21st century. This paper analyses seven socioeconomic factors (age of household head, household average annual income, marital status of household head, gender of household head, household size, education level of household head, and period of residence of household head) influencing extreme degradation of seagrass and exploitation of mangrove resources in Zanzibar, Tanzania. To accomplish this, Participatory Rural Appraisal approaches and household questionnaire survey were used to obtain information on primary data. Multiple regression analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. The findings revealed that all the socioeconomic variables tested were statistically significant (P<0.05) and had an influence on the exploitation of mangrove and degradation of seagrass except gender of the household (P=0.88) and household annual average income (P=0.655), respectively. In addition, statistical analysis revealed that there was significant difference in the mangrove status between the sites (p= 0.0001, χ2 =27.27) with more exploitation at Charawe compared to Kibele village, whereas no significant differences were revealed in the status of seagrass between the two sites (p= 0.2693, χ2 =1.2202). On one hand, the findings revealed that at Kibele and Charawe 60% and 50% practice gleaning, 40% and 55% are engaged in seaweed farming, and 60% and 70% collect bait from seagrass meadows, respectively. All these activities had direct influence on seagrass status. On the other hand, the finding revealed that livelihood needs, population growth, level of education, and lack of alternative source of income are the key drivers to exploitation of coastal natural resources especially mangrove and seagrasses. To ensure sustainable exploitation of coastal resources alternative livelihood activities such as farmed fish, small/petty business, and agriculture activities that are profitable and easy to manage should be introduced to the local coastal community to enhance active participation in conserving resources and improving their livelihood.
Does Current General Mental Health Status Relate to Current Smoking Status in Pregnant Women?
Authors: Liu Diane , Younger Emily , Baker Stacy , Touch Stephanie , Willmoth Tamara , Hartos Jessica L.
Published: May 2019

Purpose. Research shows that smoking during pregnancy is related to mental health diagnoses. The purpose of this study was to assess whether current general mental health status is related to current smoking status in pregnant women after controlling for other factors related to both mental health and tobacco use during pregnancy. Methods. This cross-sectional analysis used 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) data for 621 pregnant women aged 18-38 from Florida (N=136), Kansas (N=116), Minnesota (N=105), Nebraska (N=90), New York (N=78), and Utah (N=96). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between current mental health status and current tobacco use, while controlling for state, depression diagnosis, routine checkup, healthcare plan, age, marital status, ethnicity/race, education level, income level, and employment status. Results. Overall, very few participants reported current smoking (6%) and about one-third reported low or moderate mental health status in the past 30 days. Adjusted results indicated that those who reported high mental health status were about 3 times less likely (OR=0.29, 95% CI=0.09, 0.88) to report current smoking status compared to those who reported low mental health status. Conclusions. Overall, current mental health status was highly related to current smoking status in pregnant women. Clinicians in obstetrics may expect a very low proportion of pregnant women to report smoking and up to one-third to report low or moderate current general mental health status. Given that current mental health issues and current tobacco use may harm both mother and child, be highly related in pregnant women, and change throughout the pregnancy, pregnant women should be screened automatically for both at each visit.
Irisin Contributes to the Hepatoprotection of Dexmedetomidine during Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion
Authors: Fan Xin , Du Juan , Wang Mao-Hua , Li Jia-Man , Yang Bo , Chen Ye , Dai Jun-Chao , Zhang Chunxiang , Zhou Jun
Published: May 2019

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), which is associated with high morbidity and mortality, is also accompanied with abnormal energy metabolism and liver injury. Irisin, a novel exercise-induced hormone, can regulate adipose browning and thermogenesis. The following study investigated the potential role of dexmedetomidine in liver injury during intestinal I/R in rats. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery for 90 min followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Dexmedetomidine or irisin-neutralizing antibody was intravenously administered for 1 h before surgery. The results demonstrated that severe intestine and liver injuries occurred during intestinal I/R as evidenced by pathological scores and an apparent increase in serum diamine oxidase (DAO), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. In addition, the hepatic irisin, cleaved caspase-3, Bax, and NLRP3 inflammasome components (including NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1), protein expressions, apoptotic index, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, and interleukin- (IL-) 6 levels increased; however, the serum irisin level and hepatic Bcl-2 protein expression and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased after intestinal I/R. Interestingly, dexmedetomidine could reduce the above listed changes and increase the irisin levels in plasma and the liver in I/R rats. Dexmedetomidine-mediated protective effects on liver injury and NLRP3 inflammasome activation during intestinal I/R were partially abrogated via irisin-neutralizing antibody treatment. The results suggest that irisin might contribute to the hepatoprotection of dexmedetomidine during intestinal ischemia/reperfusion.
Oct4 Gene Expression in Primary Colorectal Cancer Promotes Liver Metastasis
Authors: Fujino Shiki , Miyoshi Norikatsu
Published: May 2019

Purpose. The Oct4 gene plays an important role in undifferentiated embryonic stem cells and regulates stem cell pluripotency. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between Oct4 expression and liver metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) in clinical samples and investigate the role and abilities of Oct4-positive CRC cells. Methods. The study included 158 patients who underwent surgery for CRC between 2009 and 2011. The correlations between the Oct4 gene expression and the clinical parameters were assessed, and liver metastasis-free survival (LMFS) was evaluated in these patients. Oct4-EGFP-positive cells were established to examine their subpopulation and ability. The capacity to form liver metastasis in vivo was examined using CRC cell lines and primary cultured CRC cells. Results. LMFS was significantly poor in the Oct4 high-expression group compared with the low-expression group (P=0.008). Multivariate analyses showed that Oct4 expression (P=0.015) and TNM stage (P<0.001) were significantly correlated with LMFS. Oct4-EGFP-positive cells highly expressed stem cell-associated markers and had self-renewal and differentiation abilities. Oct4-high cells actively formed liver metastasis. Conclusion. The Oct4 expression was correlated with liver metastasis in CRC patients. Oct4 expression cells have self-renewal and differentiation abilities like those of cancer stem cells. Oct4 contributed to forming liver metastasis in CRC.
Treatment of Spinal Metastases with Epidural Cord Compression through Corpectomy and Reconstruction via the Traditional Open Approach versus the Mini-Open Approach: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Zhou Xi , Cui Haomin , He Yu , Qiu Guixing , Zhou Dongsheng , Liu Yong
Published: May 2019

Patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) often need surgical intervention due to pain, neurological deficits, and spinal instability. Spinal disease is commonly treated via the minimally invasive mini-open approach. However, few studies have evaluated MESCC treatment via mini-open approach. The present study compared the traditional open approach versus the mini-open approach for thoracolumbar MESCC. A cohort of 209 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with thoracolumbar metastases and underwent corpectomy and polymethylmethacrylate reconstruction from 2010 to 2016 was retrospectively identified. Traditional open surgery was performed in 113 patients (open group; mean age 57.7 years), while 96 patients underwent mini-open surgery (mini-open group; mean age 54.3 years). Patients were followed up for 24 months or until death. The baseline characteristics of both groups were similar. The most common origin of the primary lesion was the lung (37.3%), hematological system (22.0%), and kidney (15.8%). Surgery effectively achieved pain relief, restored neurological function, and improved quality of life in both groups. The mini-open group was superior to the open group regarding estimated blood loss, blood transfusion, hospital stay, complications, and pain score. While the mini-open group had a longer operation time than the open group, the two groups had similar improvements in the Frankel grade and Karnofsky functional score. The 30-day mortality rate tended to be higher in the open group (5.3%) than the mini-open group (2.1%) without significance. The 24-month survival rate was similar in both groups (26.5% versus 26.0%). In conclusion, surgery improved pain, function, and quality of life in patients with MESCC. The mini-open approach resulted in less estimated blood loos, less blood transfusion, and shorter hospitalization than the traditional open approach, while both methods had similar mortality and morbidity rates. Thus, the mini-open approach may be more beneficial than the traditional approach for MESCC.
Identifying Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Water Environment Treatment Public‐Private Partnership Projects
Authors: Li Huimin , Xia Qing , Wen Shiping , Wang Lunyan , Lv Lelin
Published: May 2019

Sustainability has recently been acknowledged as a crucial issue in infrastructure projects. Developing a model to evaluate project sustainability according to sustainability indicators plays a major role in promoting the sustainable development of water environment treatment public‐private partnership (PPP) projects. Traditional sustainability assessments are mostly based on the triple bottom line (economic, social, and environmental) and lack a more integrated indicator system. To connect the research gap, this paper identifies 27 factors that affect the sustainability of water environment treatment PPP projects from five dimensions: economy, society, resources and environment, engineering, and project management using exploratory factor analysis. The fitting degree between the model and original data is verified by confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that the fitting was successful. This paper makes two contributions: first, it provides a comprehensive sustainability evaluation indicator system from five aspects, laying a foundation for the evaluation of project sustainability. Second, this study defines a methodology to evaluate and rank factors, identifies the indicators that show the most significant impact on project sustainability in the five dimensions, which provide a reliable reference for the public and private sector to take appropriate measures to improve the sustainability level of water environment treatment public‐private partnership projects.
Impact of Rainfall Variability on Crop Production within the Worobong Ecological Area of Fanteakwa District, Ghana
Authors: Kyei-Mensah Conrad , Kyerematen Rosina , Adu-Acheampong Samuel
Published: May 2019

Crop production in the Fanteakwa District is predominantly rainfed, exposing this major livelihood activity to the variability or change in rainfall pattern. The net potential effect of severe changes in rainfall pattern is the disruption in crop production leading to food insecurity, joblessness, and poverty. As a major concern to food production in Ghana, this study seeks to show the relationship between the production of major crops and rainfall distribution pattern in the Worobong Agroecological Area (WAA) relative to food security in the face of climate change. The study analysed the variability in local rainfall data, examining the interseasonal (main and minor) rainfall distribution using the precipitation concentration index (PCI), and determined the pattern, availability of water, and the strength of correlation with crop production in the WAA. Data from the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) spanning a 30-year period and grouped into 3 decades of 10 years each was used. Selected crop data for 1993-2014 was also obtained from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s District office and analyzed for trends in crop yield over the period and established relationship between the crop data and the rainfall data. Part of the result revealed that rainfall variability within the major seasons in the 3 groups was lower than the minor seasons. It further showed that yields of three crops have declined over the period. Among the strategies to sustain crop production is to make the findings serve as useful reference to inform discussions and policy on adaptive agricultural production methodologies for the area in the face of changing climate.
Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria from Raw Meat of Buffalo and Chicken, Nepal
Authors: Saud Bhuvan , Paudel Govinda , Khichaju Sharmila , Bajracharya Dipendra , Dhungana Gunaraj , Awasthi Mamata Sherpa , Shrestha Vikram
Published: May 2019

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global issue for human and animals. Increased use of antimicrobials in livestock and poultry has become one of the causes of antimicrobial resistance development in microorganisms. The aim of the study was to characterize antimicrobial resistant bacteria from raw buffalo and chicken meat in standardin vitrocondition. A total of 140 raw meat samples were collected from different retail shops of Bhaktapur Metropolitan City, Nepal. Among them, 70 were raw buffalo meat and 70 were raw chicken meat samples. Bacterial growth, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility test were performed according to Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Out of 140 samples, bacterial growth was seen in 67 raw buffalo meat and 59 raw chicken meat samples, i.e., bacterial growth was observed in 90.0% of the samples. A total of 161 bacterial isolates were detected.Escherichia coli(35.4%) andKlebsiellaspp. (30.4%) were found to be the most prevalent bacteria followed byCitrobacterspp. (11.8%),Staphylococcus aureus(9.3%),Salmonellaspp. (7.4%), andProteusspp. (5.5%). Chicken meat isolates showed higher antimicrobial resistance rates in comparison to buffalo meat isolates, particularly against antimicrobials like Amoxicillin, Tetracycline, Cotrimoxazole and Nalidixic acid,pvalue<0.05 when compared between buffalo and chicken meat. Overall, 32.7% Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) isolates were found, in which 50.0% MDR isolates were found from chicken raw meat and 21.9% were found from buffalo raw meat. MDR isolates ofEscherichia coli,Proteusspp. andStaphylococcus aureusconstituted 52.5%, 77.7% and 40.0%, respectively, of both buffalo and chicken raw meat. This study indicates antimicrobials resistant bacteria existing at an alarming rate, higher in chicken meat than in buffalo meat.
Practical Experiences in the Use of Pattern-Recognition Strategies to Transform Software Project Plans into Software Business Processes of Information Technology Companies
Authors: Arevalo C. , Ramos I. , Gutiérrez J. , Cruz M.
Published: May 2019

Business process management (BPM) is a strategic advantage for all kinds of organizations, including information technology companies (ITCs), which cannot stay out of the BPM approach. ITCs manage business processes like projects to create and maintain software. Although Project Management Systems (PMSs), such as Microsoft™ Project Server® (MPS®), are considered as non-process-aware information systems (Non-PAISs), they may be a source to generate processes. In this paper, we propose a reverse engineering approach, which uses patterns to transform software projects stored in MPS® legacy databases into software business processes. For this, we base on the model-driven engineering paradigm and deal with the time perspective of the processes. This kind of experiences are scarce or almost nonexistent, so we show the AQUA-WS project case study, which runs with MPS® as source system and software process modeling languages as target systems. ITCs can benefit from this research by gathering knowledge about perspectives of their processes that would otherwise be wasted, such as executed projects or expired documents used in Non-PAISs. This fact can become a key factor for ITCs, which can increase their competitiveness and reduce software costs, as part of the BPM lifecycle of continuous improvement.
Relations between the Spectral Indices and Flux Densities of Eight Blazars
Authors: Yuan Yu-hai
Published: May 2019

Relations between the flux densities (F) and spectral indices (α) can help us analyze the emission process. In this paper, we choose 8 blazars (0235+164, 0430+052, 1156+295, 3C345, 1308+326, 1413+135, 3C454.3, and 1749+096) from the University of Michigan Radio Observatory (UMRAO) database to study the relations between the spectral indices (α) and flux densities at 14.5GHz (F14.5). The main results are the following. (1) There are strong anticorrelations between α and F14.5, with the correlation coefficient r in the range from -0.33 to -0.87. (2) The α-F14.5 distributions show elliptic appearance, which have been fitted by elliptic curves. (3) For most of the sources, the time intervals of α-F14.5 elliptic circle (Tc) are consistent with the quasi-periodicities calculated by the averaged light curves and spectral variances (PαF¯).
A New Image Restoration Method for MUSER
Authors: Wang Wei , Yan Yihua
Published: May 2019

Solar radio images in decimeter wave range consist of many complicated components including a disk component, some bright and weak compact sources, and many diffuse features. Complicated structures combining these various components maybe cause restoration failure when using conventional algorithms. Furthermore, the images at different frequencies band are pretty different. Therefore, restoration method for solar radio image is different from other radio sources. Some image restoration methods were applied and obtained good results on Nancay radioheliograph images and Nobeyama radioheliograph images, and some new methods were introduced into processing these complicated solar radio images in recent years. For a new radioheliograph with ultrawide frequency band, new image restoration method which can maximize function of telescope is demanded. Different images could be obtained from the same visibilities data by using different weighting functions in imaging processing. In this paper, a new restoration method for solar radio image was proposed. Two images with different weighting functions from the same data are combined in this method. This restoration method has applied to data processing of Mingantu spectral radioheliograph.
Research on Shape Changes in Cylinder Electrodes Incident to Micro-EDM
Authors: Li Xiaopeng , Wang Yuangang , Liu Yu , Zhao Fuling
Published: May 2019

This paper discusses electrode wear changes under different operating conditions. A series of experiments were designed and conducted using an EDM machine tool with a rectangular pulse power supply. The phenomena of the cylinder electrode shape changes were abstracted from the experiments; the change mechanisms of the end face are discussed and verified by experimental data and interrelated theory. The results disclose that the shape of an electrode is subject to pulse-on time, discharge current density, and electrode polarity.
Ability of the Short Physical Performance Battery Frailty Index to Predict Mortality and Hospital Readmission in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Essam Behiry Mervat , Mogawer Sherif , Yamany Ahmed , Rakha Maha , Awad Rana , Emad Nahla , Abdelfatah Yasmine
Published: May 2019

Background/Aims. Unplanned hospitalisation is a marker of poor prognosis and a major financial burden in patients with cirrhosis. Frailty-screening tools could determine the risk for unplanned hospital admissions and death. The study aims to evaluate the bedside frailty-screening tool (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)) in prediction of mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods. One hundred forty-five patients with liver cirrhosis were recruited from Cairo University Hospital. Clinical assessment and routine laboratory tests were performed, and the SPPB frailty index, Child score, and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score were calculated on admission. These metrics were compared to assess mortality outcomes over the course of 90 days. Results. The mean age of the patients was 60 ± 7 years, and frailty index score (SD) was 6 ± 3. The overall 90-day readmission rate was 43.4%, while the overall 90-day mortality rate was 18.6%. SPPB scores differed significantly between survivors (4.1 ± 1.4) and nonsurvivors (6.47 ± 2.8) (P value ≤ 0.001) as well as between readmitted patients (7.5 ± 2.9) and patients who were not readmitted (4.5 ± 1.9) (P value ≤ 0.001), while the Child and MELD scores showed no associations with patient outcomes. SPPB performed better with a specificity of 72.3% and a sensitivity of 72.2% for predicting mortality. Conclusions. SPPB could be a screening tool used to detect frailty and excelled over traditional scores as a predictor of death. A low SPPB frailty score among hospitalised patients with cirrhosis is associated with poor outcomes.
Occurrence of Isopods in Two Species of Snappers (Lutjanidae) from Northeast Brazil
Authors: Alves André M. , Leonardo Marina G. , Souza Geza T. R. , Takemoto Ricardo M. , Lima Flávia S. de , Tavares Luiz E. R. , Melo Cláudia M. , Madi Rubens R. , Jeraldo Verónica L. S.
Published: May 2019

Parasitic isopod species are poorly known in the northeastern coast of Brazil. In this sense, this study presents novel records of Isopoda of the families Aegidae, Cymothoidae, and Corallanidae. A total 69 specimens of Lutjanus analis and 19 of Lutjanus jocu, of which 46 isopods from 3 different species were collected, i.e. Rocinela signata, Cymothoa excisa, and Excorallana richardsoni. The species R. siganata and E. richardsoni are reported for the first time in L. jocu. A significant relationship between the parasite R. signata and the size of the fish L. jocu was also observed. The isopod C. excisa is considered an incidental finding in L. analis. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of this species in fish from Brazil. The three species of isopods are new occurrences in the State of Sergipe, northeast region of the country. An additional morphological characteristic observed in the dorsal setae of pleotelson in specimens of E. richardsoni was that one end of this structure wws bifid. This information contributes to the current body of knowledge of the morphology of this particular species.
Minimum Dietary Diversity Score and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women at Alamata General Hospital, Raya Azebo Zone, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Jemal Kemal , Awol Mukemil
Published: May 2019

Background. Consumption of diversified food during pregnancy found very important and critical to determine healthy pregnancy outcome. Low dietary diversity has a major adverse effect on mothers, fetus, and life of new born. Dietary diversity is still low in low-resourced countries. Therefore, this study aims to determine prevalence of minimum dietary diversity score (MDDS) and associated factors among pregnant women. Methods. Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May, 2017, in Alamata General Hospital (AGH). Data were collected using a pretested and structured self-interview questionnaire. A systematic sampling technique was used to select study participants. Binary logistic regression and odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) were carried out to see the association between variables and the outcomes. Results. From a survey of 412 participants, 61.2% had high MDDS and 38.8% had low MDDS. Multivariate analysis revealed that being government employees (AOR = 4.87, CI: 1.70–13.95), merchant (AOR = 4.67, CI: 1.81–12.05), secured food (AOR = 3.85, CI: 2.12–6.97), and eating three meals and above (AOR = 2.66, CI: 1.47–4.82) were significantly associated with high MDDS among pregnant women. Conclusions. In our study, minimum dietary diversity shows small increment from previous study. Screening and special emphases should be given by a health-care provider on women diet during antenatal follow-up at health-care settings.