bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neogene precipitation, vegetation, and elevation history of the Central Andean Plateau
Authors: Martínez C. , Jaramillo C. , Correa-Metrío A. , Crepet W. , Moreno J. E. , Aliaga A. , Moreno F. , Ibañez-Mejia M. , Bush M. B.
Published: August 2020

Fossil plants from the Central Andes reveal Neogene wetter conditions than previously estimated and the birth of the Puna.
Unmasking selective path integration deficits in Alzheimer’s disease risk carriers
Authors: Bierbrauer Anne , Kunz Lukas , Gomes Carlos A. , Luhmann Maike , Deuker Lorena , Getzmann Stephan , Wascher Edmund , Gajewski Patrick D. , Hengstler Jan G. , Fernandez-Alvarez Marina , Atienza Mercedes , Cammisuli Davide M. , Bonatti Francesco , Pruneti Carlo , Percesepe Antonio , Bellaali Youssef , Hanseeuw Bernard , Strange Bryan A. , Cantero Jose L. , Axmacher Nikolai
Published: August 2020

Alzheimer’s risk carriers exhibit impaired path integration performance when compensatory strategies cannot be used.
Primate-restricted KRAB zinc finger proteins and target retrotransposons control gene expression in human neurons
Authors: Turelli Priscilla , Playfoot Christopher , Grun Dephine , Raclot Charlène , Pontis Julien , Coudray Alexandre , Thorball Christian , Duc Julien , Pankevich Eugenia V. , Deplancke Bart , Busskamp Volker , Trono Didier
Published: August 2020

Young transposable elements and their protein controllers team up to regulate the differentiation and function of human neurons.
Cryo-EM structure of human Cx31.3/GJC3 connexin hemichannel
Authors: Lee Hyuk-Joon , Jeong Hyeongseop , Hyun Jaekyung , Ryu Bumhan , Park Kunwoong , Lim Hyun-Ho , Yoo Jejoong , Woo Jae-Sung
Published: August 2020

Cryo-EM structure of human connexin 31.3 hemichannel reveals the selective permeability mechanism.
Neuronal metabolic rewiring promotes resilience to neurodegeneration caused by mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Motori E. , Atanassov I. , Kochan S. M. V. , Folz-Donahue K. , Sakthivelu V. , Giavalisco P. , Toni N. , Puyal J. , Larsson N.-G.
Published: August 2020

Proteomic analysis of dysfunctional neurons reveals a metabolic program that is activated to counteract neurodegeneration.
Cardiolipin, conformation, and respiratory complex-dependent oligomerization of the major mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier in yeast
Authors: Senoo N. , Kandasamy S. , Ogunbona O. B. , Baile M. G. , Lu Y. , Claypool S. M.
Published: August 2020

The structural assembly and conformation of yeast’s major ADP/ATP carrier is dependent on the signature lipid of mitochondria.
Effects associated with the use of healthcare for eating disorders by women in the community: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Holtzhausen Nicol , Mannan Haider , Foroughi Nasim , Hay Phillipa
Published: August 2020

Objectives

This study examined formal and informal healthcare use (HCU) in community women with disordered eating, and associations of HCU with mental health-related quality of life (MHRQoL), psychological distress, mental health literacy (MHL) and eating disorder (ED) symptoms over time.

Hypothesis

We hypothesised that HCU would lead to improvement in ED symptom severity, MHRQoL, MHL and psychological distress.

Design, setting, participants

Data were from years 2, 4 and 9 of a longitudinal cohort of 443 community women (mean age 30.6, SE 0.4 years) with a range of ED symptoms, randomly recruited from the Australian Capital Territory electoral role or via convenience sampling from tertiary education centres. Data were collected using posted/emailed self-report questionnaires; inclusion criteria were completion of the HCU questionnaire at time point of 2 years (baseline for this study). HCU was measured using a multiple-choice question on help seeking for an eating problem. To test the effect of HCU over time on MHRQoL (Short Form-12 score), psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale score), ED symptom severity (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire score) and ED–MHL, linear or logistic mixed-effects regression analyses were used.

Results

20% of participants sought ED-specific help at baseline; more than half of participants sought help that was not evidence based. HCU at baseline was significantly associated with improved MHRQoL and ED symptom severity and decreased psychological distress over time (Cohen’s d all >0.3, ie, small). HCU was not significantly associated with MHL over time. The predictive ability of the fitted models ranged from 32.18% to 42.42% for psychological distress and MHL treatment, respectively.

Conclusions

Formal and informal HCU were associated with small improvements in ED symptoms, MHRQoL and psychological distress but not with improved MHL. Informal services in ED management should be investigated further along with efforts to improve ED–MHL.
Self-reported disability in relation to mortality in rural Malawi: a longitudinal study of over 16 000 adults
Authors: Prynn Josephine E , Dube Albert , Mkandawire Joseph , Koole Olivier , Geis Steffen , Mwaiyeghele Elenaus , Mwiba Oddie , Price Alison J , Kachiwanda Lackson , Nyirenda Moffat , Kuper Hannah , Crampin Amelia C
Published: August 2020

Objectives

We investigated whether self-reported disability was associated with mortality in adults in rural Malawi.

Setting

Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS), Northern Malawi.

Participants

All adults aged 18 and over residing in the HDSS were eligible to participate. During annual censuses in 2014 and 2015, participants were asked if they experienced difficulty in any of six functional domains and were classified as having disabilities if they reported ‘a lot of difficulty’ or ‘can’t do at all’ in any domain. Mortality data were collected until 31 December 2017. 16 748 participants (10 153 women and 6595 men) were followed up for a median of 29 months.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We used Poisson regression to examine the relationship between disability and all-cause mortality adjusting for confounders. We assessed whether this relationship altered in the context of obesity, hypertension, diabetes or HIV. We also evaluated whether mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCD) was higher among people who had reported disability, as determined by verbal autopsy.

Results

At baseline, 7.6% reported a disability and the overall adult mortality rate was 9.1/1000 person-years. Adults reporting disability had an all-cause mortality rate 2.70 times higher than those without, and mortality rate from NCDs 2.33 times higher than those without.

Conclusions

Self-reported disability predicts mortality at all adult ages in rural Malawi. Interventions to improve access to healthcare and other services are needed.
Quality of life and added value of a tailored palliative care intervention in patients with soft tissue sarcoma undergoing treatment with trabectedin: a multicentre, cluster-randomised trial within the German Interdisciplinary Sarcoma Group (GISG)
Authors: Hentschel Leopold , Richter Stephan , Kopp Hans-Georg , Kasper Bernd , Kunitz Annegret , Grünwald Viktor , Kessler Torsten , Chemnitz Jens Marcus , Pelzer Uwe , Schuler Ulrich , Freitag Janet , Schilling Andrea , Hornemann Beate , Arndt Karin , Bornhäuser Martin , Schuler Markus Kajo
Published: August 2020

Objectives

The choice of drug treatment in advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) continues to be a challenge regarding efficacy, quality of life (QoL) and toxicity. Unlike other cancer types, where integrating patient-reported outcomes (PRO) has proven to be beneficial for QoL, there is no such evidence in patients with STS as of now. The YonLife trial aimed to explore the effect of a tailored multistep intervention on QoL, symptoms and survival in patients with advanced STS undergoing treatment with trabectedin as well as identifying predictors of QoL.

Design

YonLife is a cluster-randomised, open-label, proof-of-concept study. The intervention incorporates electronic PRO assessment, a case vignette and expert-consented treatment recommendations.

Participants

Six hospitals were randomised to the control arm (CA) or interventional arm (IA). Seventy-nine patients were included of whom 40 were analysed as per-protocol analysis set.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary end point was the change of Functional Assessment for Cancer Therapy (FACT-G) total score after 9 weeks. Secondary outcomes included QoL (FACT-G subscales), anorexia and cachexia (Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT)), symptoms (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI)), anxiety and depression (HADS), pain intensity and interference (Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)) and survival assessment.

Results

After 9 weeks of treatment, QoL declined less in the IA (ΔFACT-G total score: −2.4, 95% CI: −9.2 to 4.5) as compared with CA (ΔFACT-G total score: −3.9; 95% CI:−11.3 to 3.5; p=0.765). In almost all FACT-G subscales, average declines were lower in IA, but without reaching statistical significance. Smaller adverse trends between arms were observed for MDASI, FAACT, HADS and BPI scales. These trends failed to reach statistical significance. Overall mean survival was longer in IA (648 days) than in CA (389 days, p=0.110). QoL was predicted by symptom severity, symptom interference, depression and anxiety.

Conclusion

Our data suggest a potentially favourable effect of an electronic patient-reported outcomes based intervention on QoL that needs to be reappraised in confirmatory studies.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT02204111).
Analysing regional unemployment rates, GDP per capita and financial support for regional suicide prevention programme on suicide mortality in Japan using governmental statistical data
Authors: Okada Motohiro , Hasegawa Toshiki , Kato Ryo , Shiroyama Takashi
Published: August 2020

Objectives

To explore the mechanisms of reduced suicide mortality in Japan, which decreased from 25.7 to 16.5 per 100 000 people following the comprehensive suicide prevention programme from 2009 to 2018, the present study determined the relationship between regional suicide mortality, socioeconomic data (GDP per capita, unemployment rates) and financial support for regional suicide prevention programmes.

Design and setting

Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to determine the effects of regional GDP per capita, unemployment rates and implementation amount of financial support for regional suicide prevention programmes (Emergency Fund to Enhance Community-Based Suicide Countermeasures—EFECBSC) on age and gender disaggregated suicide mortalities in Japan between 2009 and 2018. Data on each prefecture’s complete unemployment rates, GDP per capita and implementation amount of EFECBSC sub-divisions were derived from an official Japanese governmental database.

Results

Both prefectural enlightenment and intervention model programmes were found to lead to a decrease in male suicide mortality, but were less effective in reducing female suicide mortality. Municipal enlightenment and intervention model programmes were also less effective in reducing suicide mortality. Municipal development programmes for listener and leader led to a greater decrease in suicide mortality for both men and women compared with such programmes at the prefectural level. Contrary to our expectations, reduced complete unemployment rate only reduced suicide mortality in the older male population without affecting female suicide mortality.

Conclusion

The study findings suggest an inverse relationship between financial support and suicide mortality in Japan. Furthermore, independent factors in the reduction of suicide mortality rates provide important information for planning evidence-based and cost-effective regional suicide prevention programmes.
Brain metastasis PD-L1 and CD8 expression is dependent on primary tumor type and its PD-L1 and CD8 status
Authors: Camy Florian , Karpathiou Georgia , Dumollard Jean Marc , Magne Nicolas , Perrot Jean Luc , Vassal Francois , Picot Tiphanie , Mobarki Mousa , Forest Fabien , Casteillo Francois , Hathroubi Sirine , Froudarakis Marios , Peoc'h Michel
Published: August 2020

Background

Brain metastases (Bmets) are frequent; however, limited data exist on the efficacy of immunotherapy in these lesions. The aims of the study were to analyze the immunohistochemical expressions of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and CD8 in Bmets and to compare them with their expressions in paired primary tumors, as well as correlate the results with clinicopathological features.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of 233 patients with Bmets and 111 paired primaries. Clinical, histological, and molecular data were recorded and compared with the immunohistochemical results of PD-L1 and CD8 expressions. The statistical analysis included χ2test, Cramer’s V test, factorial analyses of variance, simple regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank product limit estimation.

Results

PD-L1 expression was found in 23.6% of Bmets and in 29.0% of primary tumors with concordant expression between them in 75.5% of cases. Bmets PD-L1 expression was associated with primary tumor PD-L1 expression and the primary tumor type. Significant CD8 peritumoral expression was found in 68.6% of Bmets and in 87.7% of primary tumors. CD8 expression was concordant between primary and metastatic tumors in 73.3% of cases. Bmets CD8 expression was associated with primary tumor CD8 expression and primary tumor type. PD-L1 expression was associated with CD8 expression in both primary and metastatic tumors. The concordance between primary and metastatic tumor PD-L1 expression was independent of all factors studied. The concordance between primary and metastatic CD8 expressions was marginally associated to the time of Bmets development. No prognostic role for PD-L1 and CD8 expression in Bmets was found.

Conclusion

PD-L1 and CD8 Bmets expressions are associated with the primary tumor type and its PD-L1 and CD8 expressions. No factor predicts the discordance for PD-L1 expression, while time to Bmets development is associated with CD8 expression discordance.
Arterial wall injury and miRNA expression induced by stent retriever thrombectomy under stenotic conditions in a dog model
Authors: Deng Jiangshan , Zhang Yiran , He Guangchen , Lu Haitao , Zhao Yuwu , Li Yuehua , Zhu Yueqi
Published: August 2020

Background

Acute ischemic stroke can be caused by in situ stenotic vessel occlusion. In the present study, we compared the extent of arterial wall damage and miRNA expression following stent retriever use under normal and stenotic conditions.

Methods

The stent retriever procedure was simulated in three dogs by the creation of four stenoses on each side of the common carotid artery (CCA) to allow five stent passages. Device safety was also assessed in normal control models by five passages through both CCAs. Device manipulation-related damage to the arterial walls was evaluated and compared between groups by angiography and pathological analysis. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate the differences in the expression of miRNAs between the two groups.

Results

Twenty-four stenoses were created in three model dogs, and the mean stenosis rate was 65.58%±18.95%. Angiography revealed greater vasospasm in the stenotic group than in the non-stenotic group (1.17±0.17 vs 0.5±0.23; P=0.04). Pathological examination revealed that SR passage through the stenotic lumen caused higher injury scores (1.63±0.19 vs 0.25±0.09 for the non-stenotic lumen; P<0.001), more endothelial denudation (1.79±0.13 vs 0.58±0.13 for the non-stenotic lumen; P<0.001), and increased thrombus deposition (0.71±0.14 vs 0±0 for the non-stenotic lumen; P<0.001). miR21-3p, miR29-3p, and miR26a were upregulated in stenotic vessels compared with non-stenotic vessels after SR thrombectomy (P<0.001).

Conclusion

In our model dogs, SR thrombectomy resulted in more severe tissue damage to the arterial wall under stenotic conditions than under non-stenotic conditions. The damage may have resulted from upregulation of miR21-3p, miR29-3p, and miR26a expression.
One-dimensional (1D) immediate compression and creep in large particle sized Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA) for leachate collection and removal systems (LCRS)
Authors: Adesokan Doyin , Fleming Ian , Hammerlindl Adam
Published: August 2020

Potential cost savings and environmental benefits are two reasons for using Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA) in place of gravel, or drainage geosynthetics, as drainage material in leachate collection and removal systems (LCRS) of waste disposal sites. As a polymeric material, TDA is expected to undergo both immediate and time dependent compression (creep) under sustained compressive loading, and these may influence performance. The response of large particle sized TDA – TDA with individual particle sizes generally greater than 50 mm – to large compressive loads up to 300 kPa was studied to assess void volume reduction from the individual and combined effects of immediate compression and creep. The results showed void volume reduction from creep, but this was considerably less than that from the immediate compression. Isotropic solid volume compression in individual TDA particles was found to be negligible. The final void ratio appeared to be dependent on the initial void ratio, as well as on the applied load, but did not appear to be dependent on the loading rate or to be influenced by elevated temperatures (up to 58 C). Presented here are the details of the study, findings and implications for practice.
The behavior of thermodynamic kinetic on Bi2Se3 compound by 131Xe ion implantation
Authors: Azimova S. R. , Aliyev Y. I. , Mirzayeva D. M.
Published: August 2020

Thermal parameters of the [Formula: see text] compound were investigated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) method. Four different phases were identified in the temperature range of [Formula: see text]C. Thermodynamical parameters were determined for each phase transition. [Formula: see text] samples were irradiated by 167 MeV energy [Formula: see text]Xe ions at the [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] ion/cm2 intensities. The DSC analyses of the irradiated samples were carried out and determined that the temperature and thermodynamical parameters of the phase transition change in the [Formula: see text] compound under the influence of swift heavy ions. The change mechanism of the thermodynamical parameters has been determined depending on the irradiation doses.
The evolution of communication mechanisms in self-organised ecological aggregations: Impact on pattern formation
Authors: Eftimie R.
Published: August 2020

Collective behaviours in animal communities are the result of inter-individual communication. However, communication signals are not fixed; they evolve to ensure more effective interactions between the emitter and receiver of these signals. In this study, we use a mathematical approach and investigate the effect of changes in communication signals (at both receiver and emitter levels) on the aggregation patterns displayed by these animal communities. We use simple linear stability analysis to study the impact that the loss/gain in signals strength has on the formation of stationary and moving animal aggregations. We then use numerical simulations to study the impact of these signal strengths on the long-term persistence of some stationary and moving aggregations. We show that a reduction in the strength of such communication signals can stop the movement of some aggregations. Moreover, for very weak signals, one can obtain a variety of standing wave patterns characterised by left-moving and right-moving waves of individuals passing through each other, with or without some individuals joining the opposite-moving group.
Global Lorentz gradient estimates for quasilinear equations with measure data for the strongly singular case: 1 < p ≤ 3n−2 2n−1
Authors: Nhan Le Cong , Truong Le Xuan
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we study the global regularity estimates in Lorentz spaces for gradients of solutions to quasilinear elliptic equations with measure data of the form [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a finite signed Radon measure in [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is a bounded domain such that its complement [Formula: see text] is uniformly [Formula: see text]-thick and [Formula: see text] is a Carathéodory vector-valued function satisfying growth and monotonicity conditions for the strongly singular case [Formula: see text]. Our result extends the earlier results [19, 22] to the strongly singular case [Formula: see text] and a recent result [18] by considering rough conditions on the domain [Formula: see text] and the nonlinearity [Formula: see text].
Divisibility Properties of the Semiring of Ideals of an Integral Domain
Authors: Chang Gyu Whan , Kim HwanKoo
Published: August 2020

Let D be an integral domain, F+(D) (resp., f+(D)) be the set of nonzero (resp., nonzero finitely generated) ideals of D, R1 = f+(D) ∪ {(0)}, and R2 = F+(D) ∪ {(0)}. Then (Ri, ⊕, ⊗) for i = 1, 2 is a commutative semiring with identity under I ⊕ J = I + J and I ⊗ J = IJ for all I, J ∈ Ri. In this paper, among other things, we show that D is a Prüfer domain if and only if every ideal of R1 is a k-ideal if and only if R1 is Gaussian. We also show that D is a Dedekind domain if and only if R2 is a unique factorization semidomain if and only if R2 is a principal ideal semidomain. These results are proved in a more general setting of star operations on D.
On Proper and Exact Relative Homological Dimensions
Authors: Bennis Driss , García Rozas J.R. , Mao Lixin , Oyonarte Luis
Published: August 2020

In Enochs’ relative homological dimension theory occur the (co)resolvent and (co)proper dimensions, which are defined by proper and coproper resolutions constructed by precovers and preenvelopes, respectively. Recently, some authors have been interested in relative homological dimensions defined by just exact sequences. In this paper, we contribute to the investigation of these relative homological dimensions. First we study the relation between these two kinds of relative homological dimensions and establish some transfer results under adjoint pairs. Then relative global dimensions are studied, which lead to nice characterizations of some properties of particular cases of self-orthogonal subcategories. At the end of this paper, relative derived functors are studied and generalizations of some known results of balance for relative homology are established.
Visual Politics of Japanese Majolica Tiles in Colonial South Asia
Authors: TOYOYAMA AKI
Published: August 2020

This paper examines the political, socio-economic, and cultural aspects of Japanese decorative tiles or the so-called majolica tiles widely diffused in colonial South Asia in the early twentieth century. A tile became a popular building material in European countries by the first half of the nineteenth century, and European tiles spread over the world with the expansion of colonialism. Japan in the making of a modern nation established domestic manufacturing of tiles mainly after British models, and the industry’s rapid development was helped by the First World War (1914–1918) and the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923). The Japanese tile industry successfully entered into foreign markets, among which India was the largest and most important market that resulted in developing a variety of new Indian or Hindu designs associated with the rise of nationalism and mode of consumption. Not only within India, tiles, however, also played a crucial role in formulating cosmopolitan identities of migrant mercantile networks exemplified by the Chettiar architecture in South and Southeast Asia. However, in the late 1930s, cosmopolitanism shared by different communities in colonial urban settings became overwhelmed by nationalisms as seen in Sri Lanka where Japanese majolica tiles were differently used as a means to express religiously-regulated nationalisms in the Chettiar and Sinhalese Buddhist architecture. Thus, the analysis reveals visual politics of different religious nationalisms symbolized by Japanese majolica tiles in the interwar period that still structure the present visualscapes.
Myths and realities of writing for the web
Authors: Yaffe Philip
Published: August 2020

Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.

It is often said that the advent of the World Wide Web has changed everything, including how people read texts and therefore how writers should write texts. Don't believe it. Good texts written for the web are essentially the same as good texts written for print.
Thin Ferrite Wafer Uniformly Polished with Magnetic Attraction Method
Authors: Wang Jing , Ou Lin , Hu Pengfei , Wang Guangcai
Published: August 2020

When a ferrite substrate is used to prepare thin-film InSb Hall element chips, one surface of the ferrite wafer needs to be polished. The traditional chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method, often used for polishing of ferrite wafers, has several problems: a long time to install and remove wafers, a little high debris rate, and high cost. Taking advantage of the fact that ferrite wafers can be magnetically attracted, a method using independent RuFeB magnets to attract and hold ferrite wafers is proposed. The polishing head holding the ferrite wafer can perform planetary rotary motion to achieve uniform polishing. The polishing head floats up and down freely on the polishing pad, without the requirements of matching and process accuracy in machining, mechanical linkage, and control. The roughness of the ferrite surface after polishing is about 0.18 μm, which meets the requirements for the substrate of InSb Hall element chips. With no debris, the efficiency of installing and removing wafers is 30 times higher than that of traditional methods. At the same time, compared with traditional CMP machine, the cost of CMP equipment made by this method is very low.
Herpes in the Heart: A Case of Widely Disseminated Intrauterine Herpes Simplex Virus Infection Involving Neonatal Myocardium in a 23-Week Gestationally Aged Neonate
Authors: Srivastava Hirsch K. , Ellis Lindsey T. , Miller Douglas C. , Duff Deiter J.
Published: August 2020

We report a rare case of disseminated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in an extremely preterm neonate. Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) is the leading cause of genital ulcer disease in adults and is the most common cause of neonatal herpes, a rare infection associated with long-term neurologic impairment and high mortality. HSV-2 can be transmitted perinatally via direct mucosal or skin contact. Most neonates are infected intrapartum. However, intrauterine transmission does occur, though rarely. The pattern of dissemination described in our patient differs from previous case reports. Most reports indicate that intrauterine HSV infections have a typical triad of cutaneous manifestations, ophthalmologic findings, and neurologic involvement. However, we report the first case of intrauterine disseminated HSV infection in the heart.
Some Fixed Point Results for Perov-Ćirić-Prešić Type F-Contractions with Application
Authors: Gholidahneh Abdolsattar , Sedghi Shaban , Parvaneh Vahid
Published: August 2020

Ćirić and Prešić developed the concept of Prešić contraction to Ćirić-Prešić type contractive mappings in the background of a metric space. On the other hand, Altun and Olgun introduced Perov type F-contractions. In this paper, we extend the concept of Ćirić-Prešić contractions to Perov-Ćirić-Prešić type F-contractions. Our results modify some known ones in the literature. To support our main result, an example and an application to nonlinear operator systems are presented.
Practice towards Rational Drug Use at Finotselam and Asirade Zewudie Hospitals Based on WHO Core Drug Use Indicators, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Dessie Bekalu , Atalaye Getachew , Diress Esubalew , Getahun Alamirew
Published: August 2020

Background. The rational use of drugs requires that patients receive medications appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their own individual requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community with full information and with the lowest possible cost. If one of these is not met, it is referred to as irrational drug use. Many drugs have been sold or prescribed inappropriately in the world, and a significant part of the world population lacks access to essential medicine. The aim of this study was to assess practice towards rational drug use at Finoteselam and Asirade Zewudie hospitals. Methods. A cross-sectional study design was used for this study, and the study was conducted from October 11 to November 30, 2019. A total of 770 prescriptions were selected as per WHO criteria by using systematic random sampling and reviewed with the help of an observational checklist. The data were entered and processed with SPSS version 25 and evaluated using the WHO criteria. Result. The average number of drugs per prescription was 1.8 and 2.05, antibiotics encountered were 77.7% and 72.5%, injections encountered were 5.97% and 7.01%, percentage of drugs prescribed by generic names was 97% and 93.4%, counseling time was 1.6 minutes and 2.25 minutes, and dispensing time was 51.3 seconds and 62.72 seconds at Finoteselam and Asirade Zewudie hospitals, respectively. Conclusion. The majority of WHO core drug use indicators were not met in the two hospitals. The average number of drugs encountered in Asirade Zewudie hospital was slightly higher than the WHO recommended range, whereas the average number of drugs encountered in Finoteselam hospital was exactly equal. The percentage of antibiotics encountered was very high compared with WHO recommendation, but the percentage of injections encountered was below the WHO recommended range and time spent on counseling and dispensing was too short when compared with WHO recommendation. In addition to this, both hospitals had no essential drug list or formulary as well as a key drug list.
Novel Predictive Control for the IPMSM Fed by the 3L-SNPC Inverter for EVAs: Modified Lyapunov Function, Computational Efficiency, and Delay Compensation
Authors: Katkout Abdiddaim , Nasser Tamou , Essadki Ahmed
Published: August 2020

This paper proposes a novel predictive strategy based on a model predictive control (MPC) for the interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs) driven by a three-level simplified neutral-point clamped inverter (3L-SNPC) for electric vehicle applications (EVAs). Based on the prediction of the future behavior of the controlled variables, a predefined multiobjective cost function incorporates the control objectives which are evaluated for every sampling period to generate the optimal switching state applied directly to the inverter without the modulation stage. The control objectives in this paper are tracking current capacity, neutral-point voltage balancing, common-mode voltage control, and switching frequency reduction. The principal concepts of the novel scheme are summarized as follows: first, the delay compensation based on the long horizon of prediction is adopted by a multilevel power converter structure. Second, based on the modified Lyapunov candidate function, both stability and recursive feasibility are ensured of the proposed predictive scheme. Third, the practicability of the real-time implementation is improved by the proposed “static voltage vector” (SVV) and “single state variation” (SSV) principles. Finally, the proposed concepts are implemented in the novel predictive control formulation as additional constraints without compromising the complexity and the good performances of the predictive controller. Therefore, only the switching states that guarantee the stability and the reduction of calculation burden criteria are considered in the evaluation of cost function. The proposed predictive scheme based on the “SVV” principle has demonstrated superior performance in simulation compared with the proposed scheme with the “SSV” principle. The computational burden and switching frequency rates are reduced by 35% and 56.22%, respectively.
Demographics of Rhesus Phenotype of Blood Donors in Calabar: A Case Study of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Authors: Etura Joyce Ezekiel , Amaechi Rose A. , Akpotuzor Josephine O. , Okoroiwu Henshaw Uchechi
Published: August 2020

Background. Rhesus antigens have been documented to cause haemolytic disease of the newborn as well as acute and delayed transfusion reactions. This study was performed to evaluate the frequency of rhesus antigens (C, c, D, E, and e) in the studied population.Method. This study was a cross-sectional study involving 130 prospective blood donors attending University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) donor clinic. Donors were grouped for Rh antisera (anti-E, anti-e, anti-C, anti-c, and anti-D) using the standard serologic technique.Result. The most prevalent Rh antigen was “c” (98.5%), followed by “D” (97.7%), while the least was “C” (30.7%). The most prevalent phenotype was cDe/cDe (R0R0).Conclusion. This work therefore concludes that the most prevalent rhesus antigen and rhesus phenotype was c and cDe/cDe among blood donors in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
Activities of Some Medicinal Plants on the Proliferation and Invasion of Brain Tumor Cell Lines
Authors: Ngulde Saidu I. , Sandabe Umar K. , Abounader Roger , Zhang Ying , Hussaini Isa M.
Published: August 2020

Cancer is a debilitating disease that is on the increase in both developed and developing countries. Anticancer drugs are often expensive, have narrow spectrum of activities, and are associated with toxicities and side effects such as myelosuppression, immunosuppression, gastrointestinal disturbance, alopecia, skin toxicity, and hepatotoxicity. Plants have been the major source of anticancer drugs both in orthodox and traditional medicine. Many of the plants claimed by the traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) to be effective in the treatment of cancer are yet to be evaluated scientifically. In this work, five medicinal plants used by TMPs in Borno State, Nigeria, were tested against two brain tumor cell lines. Ethanol extracts of Securidaca longepedunculata, Andira inermis subsp. rooseveltii, Annona senegalensis, Carissa edulis, and Parinari polyandra were used. U87 and U231 brain tumor cell lines were used for proliferation assay, U251 cell line was used for the invasion assay in collagen V coated inserts, and U87 cell line was used for the western blot detection of cleaved Poly-ADP-Ribose-Polymerase (PARP). The result revealed that all tested extracts significantly (p<0.05) inhibited the proliferation of U87 and U231 cell lines with the respective IC50 values ranging between 8 and 20 μg/ml for S. longepedunculata and 100 and 90 μg/ml for P. polyandra. The five extracts significantly (p<0.05) inhibited the invasion of U251 cell line at the concentration of 10 μg/ml (S. longepedunculata), 20 μg/ml (A. inermis), 50 μg/ml (A. senegalensis), 50 μg/ml (C. edulis), and 50 μg/ml (P. polyandra). Securidaca longepedunculata extract induced the cleavage of PARP. It was concluded that these medicinal plants have antiproliferative and anti-invasive activities and possess good prospects as source of anticancer agents especially S. longepedunculata which induced apoptosis in U87 cell line.
Pleomorphic Adenoma Presenting as an Atypical Nasal Mass in a 26-Year-Old Female
Authors: Hapunda Racheal , Mumba Chibamba , Ngalamika Owen
Published: August 2020

Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is a salivary gland tumor that may rarely occur in the nasal cavity. It can be a clinical diagnostic dilemma in many instances due to many possible differential diagnoses. We report the case of a 26-year-old female who presented with a 3-year history of a right nasal growth associated with ipsilateral nasal blockage, nasal pain, and rhinorrhea. Radiological image showed a mild enhancing lesion in the right nasal cavity. The patient underwent a lateral rhinotomy with wide excision of the mass. Histopathological exam was consistent with PA. Nasal PA is a rare entity and should be suspected as a diagnosis for intranasal tumors.
Treatment with Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen‐Polyvinylpyrrolidone Improves Extracellular Matrix Assembly for Scarring after Tracheal Resection
Authors: Olmos-Zuñiga J. Raúl , Baltazares-Lipp Matilde , Hernández-Jiménez Claudia , Jasso-Victoria Rogelio , Gaxiola-Gaxiola Miguel , Silva-Martínez Mariana , Iñiguez-García Marco Antonio , González-González A. Ivan , Vázquez-Minero Juan Carlos , Luna-Flores Antonia , Solis-Alanis Norma , Baltazares-Lipp Mario Enrique
Published: August 2020

Treatment of tracheal stenosis is occasionally performed in combination with wound healing modulators to manipulate new extracellular matrix (ECM) formation and prevent fibrosis. Hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen‐polyvinylpyrrolidone (collagen‐PVP) decrease fibrosis in experimental tracheal healing. However, they have not been used clinically as their effect on ECM components, which modify tracheal scarring, has not been described. Objective. To evaluate the effect of the application of HA, collagen‐PVP, a mixture of HA and collagen‐PVP (HA+collagen‐PVP), and mitomycin C on the expression of decorin, matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), and MMP9, as well as the type of collagen and deposits formed in the scar after resection and end‐to‐end anastomosis (REEA) of the cervical trachea using an experimental model. Materials and Methods. Thirty dogs underwent REEA of the cervical trachea and were treated with different wound healing modulators: group I (n = 6), control; group II (n = 6), HA; group III (n = 6), collagen‐PVP; group IV (n = 6), HA+collagen‐PVP; and group V (n = 6), mitomycin C. The dogs were evaluated clinically and endoscopically for 4 weeks. Subsequently, macroscopic and microscopic changes, expression of ECM proteins, and collagen deposition in tracheal scars were analysed. Results. Groups II, III, and IV showed reduced endoscopic, macroscopic, and microscopic inflammation, improved neovascularization, high decorin expression (p < 0.01, analysis of variance (ANOVA)), and moderate expression of MMP1 (p < 0.003, ANOVA) and type I and III collagen (p < 0.05, Kruskal–Wallis). Groups IV and V developed fewer collagen deposits (p < 0.001, ANOVA). Conclusion. Treatment with HA and collagen‐PVP improved post‐REEA healing by increasing neovascularization, stimulating the expression of decorin, and regulating the expression of MMP1, as well as type I and III collagen and their deposition.
Ruta chalepensis L. Essential Oil Has a Biological Potential for a Natural Fight against the Pest of Stored Foodstuffs: Tribolium castaneum Herbst
Authors: Najem Mariame , Bammou Mohamed , Bachiri Lamia , Bouiamrine El Houssine , Ibijbijen Jamal , Nassiri Laila
Published: August 2020

Chemical pesticides used against insect pests of stored food have adverse effects on both health and the environment. So, the present study aims to evaluate the insect repulsive and insecticidal power of Ruta chalepensis L. essential oil (EO) from the region of Oulmes (Central plateau of Morocco); the ultimate objective is to develop a biological and ecological control strategy against pests. Thus, the EO obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Ruta chalepensis L. was identified by GC‐MS; its repellent and fumigant toxicity effects on adults of Tribolium castaneum Herbst were, respectively, investigated by the preferential area method on a filter paper and the inhalation test. The insecticide power was estimated by determining the percentage of mortality as a function of the duration of exposure and concentration of the EO. The essential oil obtained is characterized by the dominance of 2‐undecanone (64.35%), piperonyl piperazine (11.9%), 2‐decanaone (5.12%), 2‐dodecanone (4.52%), decipidone (3.9%,) and 2‐tridecanone (2.36%). This EO is endowed with a very repulsive power belonging to class V, which is strongly due to its majority compound 2‐undecanone. The dose 0.038 μl/ml gave a repellent power of 100% after 15 min. The tests also revealed a considerable insecticidal effect, which reached 100% after 48 hours at a dose of 0.62 μl/ml. The calculation of the lethal dose causing 50% mortality (LD50) and the lethal times after which there is 50% mortality (LT50) allowed deducing that the insecticidal effect of Ruta chalepensis L. is time‐ and dose‐dependent. Hence, the effectiveness of Ruta chalepensis L. EO attests that it can constitute a healthy alternative to fight against Tribolium castaneum Herbst.
The Natural History of X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease (XLP1): Lessons from a Long-Term Survivor
Authors: Jiang Yike , Firan Mihail , Nandiwada Sarada L. , Reyes Anaid , Marsh Rebecca A. , Vogel Tiphanie P. , Hajjar Joud
Published: August 2020

X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP1) is a rare primary immunodeficiency characterized by EBV-triggered immune dysregulation, lymphoproliferation, dysgammaglobulinemia, and lymphoma. Early childhood mortality from overwhelming inflammation is expected in most patients. The only curative therapy is hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT); however, whether to perform HSCT on an asymptomatic patient remains debatable. This uncertainty arises because the natural history of XLP1 patients without transplantation is not clear. In this case report, we present the natural history of XLP1 in a 43-year-old male patient who did not receive HSCT. We also review the literature on untransplanted XLP1 patients who lived into mid-adulthood. Despite surviving childhood presentations that are typically fatal, we found that these rare patients remain susceptible to manifestations of XLP1 decades later.
Controlling Mechanism of Rock Burst by CO2 Fracturing Blasting Based on Rock Burst System
Authors: Lan Tianwei , Fan Chaojun , Han Jun , Zhang Hongwei , Sun Jiawei
Published: August 2020

Rock burst induced by mining is one of the most serious dynamic disasters in the process of coal mining. The mechanism of a rock burst is similar to that of a natural earthquake. It is difficult to accurately predict the “time, space, and strength” of rock burst, but the possibility of rock burst can be predicted based on the results of microseismic monitoring. In this paper, the rock burst system under the tectonic stress field is established based on the practice of coal mining and the result of mine ground crustal stress measurement. According to the magnitude of microseismic monitoring, the amount of the energy and spatial position of the rock burst are determined. Based on the theory of explosion mechanics, aiming at the prevention and control of rock burst in the coal mine, the technique of liquid CO2 fracturing blasting is put forward. By the experiment of blasting mechanics, the blasting parameters are determined, and the controlling mechanism of rock burst of liquid CO2 fracturing blasting is revealed. The application of liquid CO2 fissure blasting technology in the prevention and control of rock burst in Jixian Coal Mine shows that CO2 fracturing blasting reduces the stress concentration of the rock burst system and transfers energy to the deeper part, and there is no open fire in the blasting. It is a new, safe, and efficient method to prevent and control rock burst, which can be applied widely.
A Gradient Stable Node-Based Smoothed Discrete Shear Gap Method for Analysis of Reissner–Mindlin Plates
Authors: Xu Yadong , Chen Guangsong , Tang Jinsong
Published: August 2020

In this paper, a gradient stable node-based smoothed discrete shear gap method (GS-DSG) using 3-node triangular elements is presented for Reissner–Mindlin plates in elastic-static, free vibration, and buckling analyses fields. By applying the smoothed Galerkin weak form, the discretized system equations are obtained. In order to carry out the smoothing operation and numerical integration, the smoothing domain associated with each node is defined. The modified smoothed strain with gradient information is derived from the Hu–Washizu three-field variational principle, resulting in the stabilization terms in the system equations. The stabilized discrete shear gap method is also applied to avoid transverse shear-locking problem. Several numerical examples are provided to illustrate the accuracy and effectiveness. The results demonstrate that the presented method is free of shear locking and can overcome the temporal instability issues, simultaneously obtaining excellent solutions.
A Fatigue Life Prediction Method for the Drive System of Wind Turbine Using Internet of Things
Authors: Zhou Hang , Yi Shi-Jun , Liu Ya-Fei , Hu Yong-Quan , Xiang Yong
Published: August 2020

The wind turbine drive system is one of the key components in converting wind energy into electrical energy. The life prediction of drive system is very important for the maintenance of wind turbine. With increasing capacity, the wind turbine system has become more complicated. Consequently, for the life prediction of drive system, it is necessary to consider the problems of multi‐information fusion of big data, quantification of time‐varying dynamic loads, and analysis of multiple‐damage coupling. In order to solve the above challenges, the fatigue life analysis and evaluation method considering the interaction of coupled multiple damages are proposed in this study. The hierarchical Bayesian theory with fault physics technology is introduced to deal with the uncertainty of wind turbine drive system. Then, a time‐varying performance analysis model is established based on the multiple‐damage coupling competition failure mechanism. Moreover, the Internet of Things (IoT) technology is introduced and combined with the proposed model. Through the data collection by IoT, the time‐stress curve of drive system can be obtained. A case study about the remaining fatigue life estimation of drive system is utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
High-Frequency Trading and Its Impact on Exogenous Liquidity Risk of China’s Stock Index Futures Market before and after Trading Restrictions
Authors: Shi GuangWei , Chen Yun
Published: August 2020

Since China’s first stock index futures, China Securities Index 300 (CSI300) stock index futures were published in 2010, and China’s stock index futures market is now in a period of rapid development and play a key role in price discovery. During 2014 to 2015, China’s stock index futures market fluctuated abnormally, and the overuse of high-frequency trading (HFT) strategies in the stock index futures market was blamed as the main reason of the abnormal volatility. To lower down market fluctuation, the regulatory institute then announced a series of trade restriction policy to prevent the overuse of HFT behaviour. However, until now, the impact of such trade restriction policy for HFT remains uncertain. To tackle this issue, based on minute-level HFT data from the CSI 300 index futures market, this paper aims to investigate the relationship between HFT and the exogenous liquidity risk and how HFT affects China’s stock index futures market on its liquidity using the liquidity-adjusted value at risk (LVaR) model. The findings indicate that HFT improves the return of the liquidity provider and reduces the exogenous liquidity risk significantly.