bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Coarse Model for the Multiaxial Elastic-Plastic Response of Ductile Porous Materials
Authors: Schiffer Andreas , Zacharopoulos Panagiotis , Foo Dennis , Tagarielli Vito L.
Published: April 2019

We propose a modeling strategy to predict the mechanical response of porous solids to imposed multiaxial strain histories. A coarse representation of the microstructure of a porous material is obtained by subdividing a volume element into cubic cells by a regular tessellation; some of these cells are modeled as a plastically incompressible elastic-plastic solid, representing the parent material, while the remaining cells, representing the pores, are treated as a weak and soft compressible solid displaying densification behavior at large compressive strains. The evolution of homogenized deviatoric and hydrostatic stress is explored for different porosities by finite element simulations. The predictions are found in good agreement with previously published numerical studies in which the microstructural geometry was explicitly modeled.
Escherichia coli
Harboring
mcr-1
in a Cluster of Liver Transplant Recipients: Detection through Active Surveillance and Whole-Genome Sequencing
Authors: Macesic Nenad , Khan Sabrina , Giddins Marla J. , Freedberg Daniel E. , Whittier Susan , Green Daniel A. , Furuya E. Yoko , Verna Elizabeth C. , Annavajhala Medini K. , Gomez-Simmonds Angela , Uhlemann Anne-Catrin
Published: April 2019

mcr-1
, a plasmid-associated gene for colistin resistance, was first described in China in 2015, but its spread in the United States is unknown. We report detection of
mcr-1
-carrying
Escherichia coli
ST117 in a cluster of three liver transplant recipients.
Pathogenic Mannheimia haemolytica Invades Differentiated Bovine Airway Epithelial Cells
Authors: Cozens Daniel , Sutherland Erin , Lauder Miquel , Taylor Geraldine , Berry Catherine C. , Davies Robert L.
Published: April 2019

The Gram-negative bacterium
Mannheimia haemolytica
is the primary bacterial species associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and is responsible for significant economic losses to livestock industries worldwide. Healthy cattle are frequently colonized by commensal serotype A2 strains, but disease is usually caused by pathogenic strains of serotype A1.
Flagellar Stators Activate a Diguanylate Cyclase To Inhibit Flagellar Stators
Authors: Kearns Daniel B.
Published: April 2019

The bacterial secondary metabolite cyclic di-GMP is a widespread, cytoplasmic signal that promotes a physiological transition in which motility is inhibited and biofilm formation is activated. A paper published in this issue (A. E. Baker, S. S. Webster, A. Diepold, S. L. Kuchma, E.
Association of socioeconomic status and DKA readmission in adults with type 1 diabetes: analysis of the US National Readmission Database
Authors: Everett Estelle , Mathioudakis Nestoras Nicolas
Published: April 2019

Objective

To identify patient and hospital predictors of recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) admissions in adults in the USA with type 1 diabetes, focusing on socioeconomic indicators.

Research design and methods

This cross-sectional study used the National Readmission Database to identify adult patients with type 1 diabetes admitted for DKA between 2010 and 2015. The index DKA admission was defined as the first admission within the calendar year and the primary outcome was recurrent DKA admission(s) within the same calendar year. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed using covariates of patient and hospital factors at the index admission to determine the odds of DKA readmission(s).

Results

Among 181 284 index DKA admissions, 39 693 (22%) had at least one readmission within the calendar year, of which 33 931 (86%) and 5762 (14%) had 1–3 and ≥4 DKA readmissions, respectively. When compared with the highest income quartile, patients in the first and second income quartiles had 46% (95% CI 30% to 64%) and 34% (95% CI 19% to 51%) higher odds of four or more DKA readmissions, respectively. Medicaid and Medicare insurance were both associated with a 3.3-fold adjusted risk (95% CI 3.0 to 3.7) for ≥4 readmissions compared with private insurance, respectively. Younger age, female sex, and discharge against medical advice were also predictive.

Conclusions

Lower socioeconomic status and Medicaid insurance are strong predictors of DKA readmissions in adults with type 1 diabetes in the USA. Further studies are needed to understand the mediators of this association to inform multilevel interventions for this high-risk population.

Significance of the study

The association of socioeconomic status (SES) and hospital admission for DKA has been studied in pediatrics with type 1 diabetes, but the data in adults are limited, and studies evaluating recurrent DKA admissions are scarcer. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe predictors of recurrent DKA admissions in adults with type 1 diabetes on a national level in the USA. We found that those at highest risk of recurrent DKA are young women with low SES who had Medicaid or Medicare insurance. These findings should prompt further studies to explore the mediators of these disparities in patients with type 1 diabetes, as recurrent DKA results in high healthcare utilization and increased risk of long-term complications.
Refractive outcomes following cataract surgery in patients who have had myopic laser vision correction
Authors: Chean Chung Shen , Aw Yong Boon Kang , Comely Samuel , Maleedy Deena , Kaye Stephen , Batterbury Mark , Romano Vito , Arbabi Esmaeil , Hu Victor
Published: April 2019

Objective

Prediction errors are increased among patients presenting for cataract surgery post laser vision correction (LVC) as biometric relationships are altered. We investigated the prediction errors of five formulae among these patients.

Methods and analysis

The intended refractive error was calculated as a sphero-cylinder and as a spherical equivalent for analysis. For determining the difference between the intended and postoperative refractive error, data were transformed into components of Long's formalism, before changing into sphero-cylinder notation. These differences in refractive errors were compared between the five formulae and to that of a control group using a Kruskal-Wallis test. An F-test was used to compare the variances of the difference distributions.

Results

22 eyes post LVC and 19 control eyes were included for analysis. Comparing both groups, there were significant differences in the postoperative refractive error (p=0.038). The differences between the intended and postoperative refractive error were greater in post LVC eyes than control eyes (p=0.012), irrespective of the calculation method for the intended refractive error (p<0.01). The mean difference between the intended and postoperative refractive error was relatively small, but its variance was significantly greater among post LVC eyes than control eyes (p<0.01). Among post LVC eyes, there were no significant differences between the mean intended target refraction and between the intended and postoperative refractive error using five biometry formulae (p=0.76).

Conclusion

Biometry calculations were less precise for patients who had LVC than patients without LVC. No particular biometry formula appears to be superior among patients post LVC.
Alpha herpes virus type and viral load in intraocular fluids in patients with acute retinal necrosis
Authors: von Hofsten Joanna , Bergström Tomas , Zetterberg Madeleine
Published: April 2019

Objectives

To identify all patients tested positive for herpes viruses in intraocular samples between 2007 and 2016 in South-Western Sweden and evaluate which of these met the criteria of acute retinal necrosis (ARN). To compare viral load in intraocular samples and virus type with clinical outcome.

Method and analysis

Retrospective case series. Intraocular samples and serum were analysed with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and presence of antibodies (IgG and IgM) were detected by ELISA in serum.

Results

Between 2007 and 2016, 13 patients met the clinical criteria of ARN and were PCR-positive in aqueous or vitreous for herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1; n=4), herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2; n=3) and varicella zoster virus (VZV; n=6). None of the patients tested positive for cytomegalovirus (n=13) or Epstein Barr virus (n=2) met the criteria of ARN. All ARN patients had specific serum IgG and three patients exhibited virus DNA in serum. There was no correlation between high viral load and worse visual outcome. However, higher viral loads were seen in samples taken earlier in the disease process. Median age was higher (p=0.049) in VZV-ARN than for HSV-ARN patients (60.5 and 45.4 years, respectively) with a tendency of worse best corrected visual acuity at presentation (1.62 and 0.79 log MAR, respectively; p=0.079).

Conclusion

ARN is a reactivation of alpha herpes virus and presence of herpes DNA in serum may occur. VZV-ARN are older than HSV-ARN patients. High viral load does not appear to be a predictor of worse visual outcome, but rather indicates earlier sampling.
Woman-Centred Induction of Labour (the WOCIL project)
Authors: O’Dwyer Sabrina , Clark Anna , Taggart Hayley , Noori Muna
Published: April 2019

Induction of labour (IOL) is a common obstetric intervention. 32% of women are induced per year in our obstetric unit. We were experiencing delays in starting IOLs due to unit activity, protracted inpatient stay and dissatisfaction among staff and service users. We used quality improvement (QI) methodology to identify inefficiencies and root causes and used a bottom-up approach in planning improvements. After optimising our IOL processes, we introduced misoprostol vaginal insert (MVI) as it was faster acting than traditional dinoprostone. We compared 207 women who had MVI with 172 women who had dinoprostone prior to MVI introduction. There was a reduction of IOL start to delivery time, from a mean of 30 hours to 21 hours. Fewer women required oxytocin and of those who did, required oxytocin for fewer hours. We also found a reduction in caesarean section rates in women undergoing IOL, statistically significant in nulliparous women (41%–25%, p=0.03).

There was a higher uterine tachysystole and hyperstimulation rate with MVI use and introduction should be accompanied by education of staff. We did not find any increase in neonatal admissions, maternal haemorrhage or other serious adverse events. In summary, MVI is a useful drug in helping high volume units with high IOL rates, reduced bed occupancy and improved flow of women. We would recommend a holistic QI approach to change management, as safe use of the drug requires optimisation of the IOL processes as well as staff engagement, due to rapid flow of women through the IOL pathway and increased hyperstimulation rates.
Establishing a tele-clinic service for kidney transplant recipients through a patient-codesigned quality improvement project
Authors: Udayaraj Udaya Prabhakar , Watson Oliver , Ben-Shlomo Yoav , Langdon Maria , Anderson Karen , Power Albert , Dudley Christopher , Evans David , Burhouse Anna
Published: April 2019

Kidney transplant patients in our regional centre travel long distances to attend routine hospital follow-up appointments. Patients incur travel costs and productivity losses as well as adverse environmental impacts. A significant proportion of these patients, who may not require physical examination, could potentially be managed through telephone consultations (tele-clinic). We adopted a Quality Improvement approach with iterative Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycles to test the introduction of a tele-clinic service. We codesigned the service with patients and developed a prototype delivery model that we then tested over two PDSA improvement ramps containing multiple PDSA cycles to embed the model into routine service delivery. Nineteen tele-clinics were held involving 168 kidney transplant patients (202 tele-consultations). 2.9% of tele-clinic patients did not attend compared with 6.9% for face-to-face appointments. Improving both blood test quality and availability for the tele-clinic was a major focus of activity during the project. Blood test quality for tele-clinics improved from 25% to 90.9%. 97.9% of survey respondents were satisfied overall with their tele-clinic, and 96.9% of the patients would recommend this to other patients. The tele-clinic saved 3527 miles of motorised travel in total. This equates to a saving of 1035 kgCO2. There were no unplanned admissions within 30 days of the tele-clinic appointment. The service provided an immediate saving of £6060 for commissioners due to reduced tele-clinic tariff negotiated locally (£30 less than face-to-face tariff). The project has shown that tele-clinics for kidney transplant patients are deliverable and well received by patients with a positive environmental impact and modest financial savings. It has the potential to be rolled out to other renal centres if a national tele-clinic tariff can be negotiated, and an integrated, appropriately reimbursed community phlebotomy system can be developed to facilitate remote monitoring of patients.
Improving assessment of children with suspected respiratory tract infection in general practice
Authors: Chen Cheng , Crowley Ruth
Published: April 2019

Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in children is one of the most common reasons for general practice (GP) attendance over the winter months. It is crucial to be able to risk stratify and determine the severity of illness in these patients. It is important both to recognise those who are clinically unwell and require treatment escalation, and also to not overprescribe antibiotics due to the ongoing problem of antibiotic overuse and resistance.

This quality improvement project was undertaken to improve the way in which these consultations were held and also the way they were documented. It was recognised that key features in assessing a potentially unwell child were to measure their heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR). As children can often deteriorate rapidly and their clinical course may not necessarily be easy to predict, we wanted to make sure that parents were being provided with safety netting information in the event that the child should become more unwell after the consultation.

Through the course of our project, we managed to improve the proportion of consultations for URTI or ‘viral illness’ in children in which HR and RR were documented from 57% to 100%. The proportion of consultations in which safety netting information for parents was discussed and documented improved from 48% to 96%.

By using quality improvement strategies, we have succeeded in improving both the safety and efficiency in the way children who present with URTI are assessed in GP.
Serum cardiac markers are inversely associated with VO2max of amateur athletes in response to endurance training adaptations
Authors: Tesema Gashaw , George Mala , Mondal Soumitra , Mathivana D
Published: April 2019

Background

The influence of endurance training intensity and adaptation on serum cardiac markers is poorly understood and controversial; however, no enough data observed the association of serum cardiac markers with VO2max. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether serum cardiac markers are associated with maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) in response to 12-week endurance training on amateur athletes.

Methods

15 apparently healthy male amateur athletes with 19.47 ± 1.30 years of age were recruited and participated in endurance training with 70%–80% maximal heart rate intensity for 35 min per session for the first week and 2 min increments each week from the second to the last week for a period of 12 weeks. VO2max and serum cardiac markers (lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I [CTnI]) were assessed at the beginning of the training and after 12-week endurance training.

Results

The result of CTnI indicated significantly (p < 0.01) and inversely (r = − 0.466) correlated with VO2max and CK-MB indicated significantly (p < 0.01) and inversely associated with VO2max (r = − 0.536) with moderate relationship. However, we did not find a significant association on LDH (p > 0.05) with VO2max in response to endurance training adaptation.

Conclusion

Our finding confirms our hypothesis that serum cardiac markers are inversely associated with estimated VO2max in response to endurance training adaptation.
Early-life socioeconomic circumstances explain health differences in old age, but not their evolution over time
Authors: Cheval Boris , Orsholits Dan , Sieber Stefan , Stringhini Silvia , Courvoisier Delphine , Kliegel Matthias , Boisgontier Matthieu P , Cullati Stephane
Published: April 2019

Background

Early-life socioeconomic circumstances (SEC) are associated with health in old age. However, epidemiological evidences on the influence of these early-life risk factors on trajectories of healthy ageing are inconsistent, preventing drawing solid conclusion about their potential influence. Here, to fill this knowledge gap, we used a statistical approach adapted to estimating change over time and an outcome-wide epidemiology approach to investigate whether early-life SEC were associated with the level of and rate of decline of physical, cognitive and emotional functioning over time.

Methods

We used data on more than 23 000 adults in older age from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, a 12-year large-scale longitudinal study with repeated measurements of multiple health indicators of the same participants over time (2004 –2015, assessments every 2 years). Confounder-adjusted linear growth curve models were used to examine the associations of early-life SEC with the evolution of muscle strength, lung function, cognitive function, depressive symptoms and well-being over time.

Results

We consistently found an association between early-life SEC and the mean levels of all health indicators at age 63.5, with a critical role played by the cultural aspect of disadvantage. These associations were only partly explained by adult-life SEC factors. By contrast, evidences supporting an association between early-life SEC and the rate of change in health indicators were weak and inconsistent.

Conclusions

Early-life SEC are associated with health in old age, but not with trajectories of healthy ageing. Conceptual models in life course research should consider the possibility of a limited influence of early-life SEC on healthy ageing trajectories.
End-systolic wall stress in aortic stenosis: comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic patients
Authors: Carter-Storch Rasmus , Moller Jacob Eifer , Christensen Nicolaj Lyhne , Rasmussen Lars Melholt , Pecini Redi , Søndergård Eva , Videbæk Lars Melgaard , Dahl Jordi Sanchez
Published: April 2019

Aims

In aortic stenosis (AS), there is poor association between symptoms and conventional markers of AS severity or left ventricular (LV) systolic function. This may reflect that symptoms arise from LV diastolic dysfunction or that aortic valve area (AVA) and transvalvular gradient do not reflect afterload. We aimed to study the impact of afterload (end-systolic wall stress [ESWS]) on the presence of symptoms in AS and to test whether symptoms are related to increased ESWS or LV remodelling.

Methods and results

In a prospective study, ESWS was estimated by measuring LV wall thickness from MRI and estimated LV end systolic pressure from echocardiographic mean gradient and systolic blood pressure in 78 patients with severe AS scheduled for aortic valve replacement and 91 patients with asymptomatic severe AS. Symptomatic patients had lower indexed AVA (0.40±0.11 vs 0.45±0.09 cm2/m2, p=0.009). They had undergone more extensive remodelling (MRI LV mass index [LVMi]: 85±24 vs 69±17 g/m2, p<0.0001), had higher tricuspid regurgitant gradient (24±8 mm Hg vs 19 ± 7 mm Hg, p=0.0001) and poorer global longitudinal strain (−15.6±3.8 vs −19.9±3.2%, p<0.0001). ESWS was higher among symptomatic patients (96±51 vs 76±25 kdynes/cm2, p=0.003). Multivariate logistic regression identified echocardiographic relative wall thickness, tricuspid gradient, mitral deceleration time, early diastolic strain rate, MRI LVMi, MRI LV end-diastolic volume index and ESWS as independently associated with being symptomatic.

Conclusion

ESWS can be estimated from multimodality imaging combining MRI and echocardiography. It is correlated with LV remodelling and neurohormonal activation and is independently associated with symptomatic status in AS.
Asymmetric sulfoxidation by C1-symmetric V(IV)O(ONO) (S)-NOBIN Schiff-base vanadyl complexes
Authors: Barman Sanmitra , Levy Christopher J.
Published: April 2019

C1-symmetric vanadyl Schiff-base complexes were synthesized by reacting vanadium(IV) acetylacetonate with (S)-3-[(1-(2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)naphthalen-2-ylimino]methyl]-phenanthrene-4-ol and (S)-2-{[1-(2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)naphthalen-2-ylimino]methyl}tetraphene-1-ol. The complexes were characterized by MALDI-TOF-MS, UV–vis, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The catalysts showed moderate activity for the oxidation of thioanisole to methyphenylsulfoxide with hydrogen peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and cumene hydroperoxide as the oxidants.
An oscillation effect on MHD radiative Casson fluid flows in an asymmetric channel through group theoretical analysis
Authors: Tufail Muhammad Nazim , Saleem Musharafa , Chaudhry Qasim Ali
Published: April 2019

The flow has been made by considering oscillation and radiation effects for the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Casson fluid model within an asymmetric wavy channel. Oscillation occurs during the flow by taking into account the pressure gradient across the ends of the channel. The governed mathematical statement is handled analytically by choosing the group theoretical method. The partial differential equations (PDEs) of the governed system are transformed into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by calculating the symmetries. Further, the mathematical problem is concluded and the graphical results are shown for the following emerging parameters: Casson fluid parameter β, wavelength λ, oscillation parameter ω, Reynolds number Re, Hartmann number M, radiation parameter R, heat source–sink parameter Q, and Peclet number Pe. The magnitude of velocity profile f(η) increased with an increase in β, λ, Re, and K. With variations of H and ω, f(η) decreased. The temperature profile θ(η) increased when the values of Pe, Q, and R increased.
Output-Optimal Massively Parallel Algorithms for Similarity Joins
Authors: Hu Xiao , Yi Ke , Tao Yufei
Published: April 2019

Parallel join algorithms have received much attention in recent years due to the rapid development of massively parallel systems such as MapReduce and Spark. In the database theory community, most efforts have been focused on studying worst-case optimal algorithms. However, the worst-case optimality of these join algorithms relies on the hard instances having very large output sizes. In the case of a two-relation join, the hard instance is just a Cartesian product, with an output size that is quadratic in the input size.

In practice, however, the output size is usually much smaller. One recent parallel join algorithm by Beame et al. has achieved
output-optimality
(i.e., its cost is optimal in terms of both the input size and the output size), but their algorithm only works for a 2-relation equi-join and has some imperfections. In this article, we first improve their algorithm to true optimality. Then we design output-optimal algorithms for a large class of similarity joins. Finally, we present a lower bound, which essentially eliminates the possibility of having output-optimal algorithms for any join on more than two relations.
On the alert correlation process for the detection of multi-step attacks and a graph-based realization
Authors: Haas Steffen , Fischer Mathias
Published: April 2019

Monitoring tools like Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Firewalls, or Honeypots are a second line of defense in the face of an increasing number of distributed, increasingly sophisticated, and targeted attacks. A huge amount of security alerts needs to be analyzed and correlated to gather the complete picture of an attack. However, most conventional IDS fall short in correlating alerts that have different sources, so that many distributed attacks remain completely unnoticed. In this paper, we define alert correlation as a process and describe the consecutive steps along with their properties and goals. Following this process, we propose
Graph-based Alert Correlation (GAC),
a novel correlation algorithm that isolates attacks, identifies attack scenarios, and assembles multi-stage attacks from huge alert sets. Our evaluation results on artificial and real-world data indicates that
GAC
is robust against false positives, can detect distributed attacks, and scales with an increasing number of alerts.
Addressing feature drift in data streams using iterative subset selection
Authors: Yuan Lanqin , Pfahringer Bernhard , Barddal Jean Paul
Published: April 2019

Data streams are prone to various forms of concept drift over time including, for instance, changes to the relevance of features. This specific kind of drift is known as
feature drift
and requires techniques tailored not only to determine which features are the most important but also to take advantage of them. Feature selection has been studied and shown to improve classifier performance in standard batch data mining, yet it is mostly unexplored in data stream mining. This paper presents a novel method of feature subset selection specialized for dealing with the occurrence of feature drifts called Iterative Subset Selection (ISS), which splits the feature selection process into two stages by first ranking the features using some scoring function, and then iteratively selecting feature subsets using this ranking. This work further extends upon our prior work by exploring feeding information from the subset selection stage back into the ranking process. Applying our method to the Naïve Bayes and k-Nearest Neighbour classifier, we obtain compelling accuracy improvements when compared to existing works.
Role of exercise-induced hepatokines in metabolic disorders
Authors: Ennequin Gaël , Sirvent Pascal , Whitham Martin
Published: April 2019

The health-promoting effects of physical activity to prevent and treat metabolic disorders are numerous. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet completely deciphered. In recent years, studies have referred to the liver as an endocrine organ, since it releases specific proteins called hepatokines. Some of these hepatokines are involved in whole body metabolic homeostasis and are theorized to participate in the development of metabolic disease. In this regard, the present review describes the role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21, Fetuin-A, Angiopoietin-like protein 4, and Follistatin in metabolic disease and their production in response to acute exercise. Also, we discuss the potential role of hepatokines in mediating the beneficial effects of regular exercise and the future challenges to the discovery of new exercise-induced hepatokines.
Lipolysis defect in white adipose tissue and rapid weight regain
Authors: Kasher-Meron Michal , Youn Dou Y. , Zong Haihong , Pessin Jeffery E.
Published: April 2019

Weight regain after weight loss is a well-described phenomenon in both humans and animal models of obesity. Reduced energy expenditure and increased caloric intake are considered the main drivers of weight regain. We hypothesized that adipose tissue with obesity memory (OM) has a tissue-autonomous lipolytic defect, allowing for increased efficiency of lipid storage. We utilized a mouse model of diet-induced obesity, which was subjected to 60% caloric restriction to achieve lean body weight, followed by a short period of high-fat diet (HFD) rechallenge. Age-matched lean mice fed HFD for the first time were used as the control group. Upon rechallenge with HFD, mice with OM had higher respiratory exchange ratios than lean mice with no OM despite comparable body weight, suggesting higher utilization of glucose over fatty acid oxidation. White adipose tissue explants with OM had comparable lipolytic response after caloric restriction; however, reduced functional lipolytic response to norepinephrine was noted as early as 5 days after rechallenge with HFD and was accompanied by reduction in hormone-sensitive lipase serine phosphorylation. The relative lipolytic defect was associated with increased expression of inflammatory genes and a decrease in adrenergic receptor genes, most notably Adrb3. Taken together, white adipose tissue of lean mice with OM shows increased sensitization to HFD compared with white adipose tissue with no OM, rendering it resistant to catecholamine-induced lipolysis. This relative lipolytic defect is tissue-autonomous and could play a role in the rapid weight regain observed after weight loss.
Study of the Biochemical Biodiversity of Camel Milk
Authors: Bouhaddaoui Sara , Chabir Rachida , Errachidi Faouzi , El Ghadraoui Lahsen , El Khalfi Bouchra , Benjelloun Meryem , Soukri Abdelaziz
Published: April 2019

Due to its balanced composition in basic nutrients, its richness in vitamins and in minerals, camel milk has a special place in the daily diet of southern populations. The present study aimed at examining some physicochemical and biochemical characteristics of camel milk (Camelus dromedarius) in Morocco. To achieve this aim, three batches of samples of camel milk were collected from various regions (Dakhla, Errachida, and Fès-Meknes) undergoing physicochemical and biochemical analyses. Results showed that Moroccan camel milk is characterized by slight hydronium potential (pH=6.5), low Dornic acidity (15°D), low density (1.029 kg/l), and high content of ashes (8.06 g/l). Likewise, samples had a high content of macronutrients (Fats: 34.09 g/l; Proteins: 32.4 g/l; Sugar: 49.8 g/l) and micronutrients (Vitamin C: 27.53 mg/l; Flavonoids: 29.05 mg EQ/l: total phenolic compounds: 35.45mg GAE/l). In this respect, working on multiple specimens from different Moroccan regions highlighted an analytical diversity from the south to the north. Comparative study of samples from numerous territories all over the world has confirmed this diversity. North African milk is characterized by high content of proteins, fats, and sugar. On the other hand, oriental milk is peculiarized by high vitamin C content.
On Flight Risk Quantitative Evaluation under Icing Conditions
Authors: Li Zhe , Xu Haojun , Xue Yuan , Zhang Zhe , Duan Xiaocong
Published: April 2019

The quantitative assessment of flight risk under icing conditions was taken as the research object. Based on multifactor coupling modeling idea, the pilot‐aircraft‐environment coupling system was built. Considering the physical characteristics and randomness of aircraft icing, the extreme values of critical flight risk parameters were extracted by the Monte Carlo flight simulation experiment. The flight characteristics were studied comprehensively and heavy‐tail characteristics and the distributions of different flight parameters were verified. Flight risk criterion was developed and one‐dimensional extreme flight risk probability was calculated. Further, in order to solve the limitation of one‐dimensional extreme value, with the Copula theory, the joint distribution model of flight parameters with three distinct distribution types was built. The optimal Copula model was selected by identification of unknown parameters and goodness of fit tests, and the three‐dimensional extreme flight risk probability was defined. Based on the quantitative flight risk, the accident induction mechanism under icing conditions was discussed. Airspeed and roll angle under asymmetry icing conditions were more sensitive and had a more significant impact on flight safety. This method can provide reference for safety manipulation, boundary protection, and risk warning during icing flight.
Pressure Drop in Plate Heat Exchangers for Single-Phase Convection in Turbulent Flow Regime: Experiment and Theory
Authors: Gusew Sergej , Stuke René
Published: April 2019

Plate heat exchangers (PHEs) play an important role in different technical fields, namely, in energetics, chemical industry, food industry, and others. To use PHE effectively, it is necessary to have correct data for pressure drop. Unfortunately, in open literature, a large difference among different authors occurs. In this work is shown that an essential portion of this difference lies in the choice of the typical length for the calculation of the friction coefficient. Care must be taken to consider the pressure drop of the distribution zone. A three-component model for hydraulic resistance of PHE in turbulent flow regime is proposed in this work. The proposed model shows good agreement with experimental data.
Prognostic Value of BIRC5 in Lung Adenocarcinoma Lacking EGFR, KRAS, and ALK Mutations by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Cao Yajuan , Zhu Weikang , Chen Wanqing , Wu Jianchun , Hou Guozhen , Li Yan
Published: April 2019

Objective. This study was aimed at investigating the prognostic significance of Baculoviral IAP repeat containing 5 (BIRC5) in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) lacking EGFR, KRAS, and ALK mutations (triple-negative (TN) adenocarcinomas).Methods. The gene expression profiles were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The identification of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was performed by GeneSpring GX. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to execute gene ontology function and pathway enrichment analysis. The protein interaction network was constructed by Cytoscape. The hub genes were extracted by MCODE and cytoHubba plugin from the network. Then, using BIRC5 as a candidate, the prognostic value in LAD and TN adenocarcinomas was verified by the Kaplan-Meier plotter and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, respectively. Finally, the mechanism of BIRC5 was predicted by a coexpressed network and enrichment analysis.Results. A total of 38 upregulated genes and 121 downregulated genes were identified. 9 hub genes were extracted. Among them, the mRNA expression of 5 genes, namely, BIRC5, MCM4, CDC20, KIAA0101, and TRIP13, were significantly upregulated among TN adenocarcinomas (allP<0.05). Notably, only the overexpression of BIRC5 was associated with unfavorable overall survival (OS) in TN adenocarcinomas (log rankP=0.0037). TN adenocarcinoma patients in the BIRC5 high-expression group suffered from a significantly high risk of distant metastasis (P=0.046), advanced N stage (P=0.033), and tumor-bearing (P=0.031) and deceased status (P=0.003). The mechanism of BIRC5 and coexpressed genes may be linked closely with the cell cycle.Conclusion. Overexpressed in tumors, BIRC5 is associated with unfavorable overall survival in TN adenocarcinomas. BIRC5 is a potential predictor and therapeutic target in TN adenocarcinomas.
Brain Tumor Segmentation Based on Hybrid Clustering and Morphological Operations
Authors: Zhang Chong , Shen Xuanjing , Cheng Hang , Qian Qingji
Published: April 2019

Inference of tumor and edema areas from brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data remains challenging owing to the complex structure of brain tumors, blurred boundaries, and external factors such as noise. To alleviate noise sensitivity and improve the stability of segmentation, an effective hybrid clustering algorithm combined with morphological operations is proposed for segmenting brain tumors in this paper. The main contributions of the paper are as follows: firstly, adaptive Wiener filtering is utilized for denoising, and morphological operations are used for removing nonbrain tissue, effectively reducing the method’s sensitivity to noise. Secondly, K-means++ clustering is combined with the Gaussian kernel-based fuzzy C-means algorithm to segment images. This clustering not only improves the algorithm’s stability, but also reduces the sensitivity of clustering parameters. Finally, the extracted tumor images are postprocessed using morphological operations and median filtering to obtain accurate representations of brain tumors. In addition, the proposed algorithm was compared with other current segmentation algorithms. The results show that the proposed algorithm performs better in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and recall.
N6-Methylation of Adenosine of FZD10 mRNA Contributes to PARP Inhibitor Resistance
Authors: Fukumoto Takeshi , Zhu Hengrui , Nacarelli Timothy , Karakashev Sergey , Fatkhutdinov Nail , Wu Shuai , Liu Pingyu , Kossenkov Andrew V. , Showe Louise C. , Jean Stephanie , Zhang Lin , Zhang Rugang
Published: April 2019

Despite the high initial response rates to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in BRCA-mutated epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC), PARPi resistance remains a major challenge. Chemical modifications of RNAs have emerged as a new layer of epigenetic gene regulation. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant chemical modification of mRNA, yet the role of m6A modification in PARPi resistance has not previously been explored. Here, we show that m6A modification of FZD10 mRNA contributes to PARPi resistance by upregulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in BRCA-mutated EOC cells. Global m6A profile revealed a significant increase in m6A modification in FZD10 mRNA, which correlated with increased FZD10 mRNA stability and an upregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Depletion of FZD10 or inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin sensitizes resistant cells to PARPi. Mechanistically, downregulation of m6A demethylases FTO and ALKBH5 was sufficient to increase FZD10 mRNA m6A modification and reduce PARPi sensitivity, which correlated with an increase in homologous recombination activity. Moreover, combined inhibition of PARP and Wnt/β-catenin showed synergistic suppression of PARPi-resistant cells in vitro and in vivo in a xenograft EOC mouse model. Overall, our results show that m6A contributes to PARPi resistance in BRCA-deficient EOC cells by upregulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway via stabilization of FZD10. They also suggest that inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway represents a potential strategy to overcome PARPi resistance.

Significance:

These findings elucidate a novel regulatory mechanism of PARPi resistance in EOC by showing that m6A modification of FZD10 mRNA contributes to PARPi resistance in BRCA-deficient EOC cells via upregulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Exploiting DNA Replication Stress for Cancer Treatment
Authors: Ubhi Tajinder , Brown Grant W.
Published: April 2019

Complete and accurate DNA replication is fundamental to cellular proliferation and genome stability. Obstacles that delay, prevent, or terminate DNA replication cause the phenomena termed DNA replication stress. Cancer cells exhibit chronic replication stress due to the loss of proteins that protect or repair stressed replication forks and due to the continuous proliferative signaling, providing an exploitable therapeutic vulnerability in tumors. Here, we outline current and pending therapeutic approaches leveraging tumor-specific replication stress as a target, in addition to the challenges associated with such therapies. We discuss how replication stress modulates the cell-intrinsic innate immune response and highlight the integration of replication stress with immunotherapies. Together, exploiting replication stress for cancer treatment seems to be a promising strategy as it provides a selective means of eliminating tumors, and with continuous advances in our knowledge of the replication stress response and lessons learned from current therapies in use, we are moving toward honing the potential of targeting replication stress in the clinic.
Class 1, 2, and 3BRAF-Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Detailed Clinical, Pathologic, and Molecular Characterization
Authors: Schirripa Marta , Biason Paola , Lonardi Sara , Pella Nicoletta , Pino Maria Simona , Urbano Federica , Antoniotti Carlotta , Cremolini Chiara , Corallo Salvatore , Pietrantonio Filippo , Gelsomino Fabio , Cascinu Stefano , Orlandi Armando , Munari Giada , Malapelle Umberto , Saggio Serena , Fontanini Gabriella , Rugge Massimo , Mescoli Claudia , Lazzi Stefano , Reggiani Bonetti Luca , Lanza Giovanni , Dei Tos Angelo Paolo , De Maglio Giovanna , Martini Maurizio , Bergamo Francesca , Zagonel Vittorina , Loupakis Fotios , Fassan Matteo
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

BRAF mutations are grouped in activating RAS-independent signaling as monomers (class 1–V600E) or as dimers (class 2–codons 597/601), and RAS-dependent with impaired kinase activity (class 3–codons 594/596). Although clinical, pathologic, and molecular features of V600EBRAF-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are well known, limited data are available from the two other classes.

Experimental Design:

Data from 117 patients with BRAF (92 class 1, 12 class 2, and 13 class 3)-mutated mCRC were collected. A total of 540 BRAF wt mCRCs were included as control. IHC profiling was performed to determine the consensus molecular subtypes (CMS), cytokeratin 7/20 profiles, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte infiltration, and BM1/BM2 categorization. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier and log-rank test.

Results:

Class 3 BRAF-mutated mCRC was more frequently left sided (P = 0.0028), pN0 (P = 0.0159), and without peritoneal metastases (P = 0.0176) compared with class 1, whereas class 2 cases were similar to class 1. Hazard ratio for OS, as compared with BRAF wt, was 2.38 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.61–3.54] for class 1, 1.90 (95% CI, 0.85–4.26) for class 2, and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.51–1.69) for class 3 (P < 0.0001). Class 2 and 3 tumors were all assigned to CMS2-3. A higher median CD3/CD8-positive lymphocyte infiltration was observed in BRAF-mutated class 2 (P = 0.033) compared with class 3 cases.

Conclusions:

For the first time, different clinical and pathologic features and outcome data were reported according to the three BRAF mutation classes in mCRC. Specific targeted treatment strategies should be identified in the near future for such patients.
p21CIP1 Promotes Mammary Cancer–Initiating Cells via Activation of Wnt/TCF1/CyclinD1 Signaling
Authors: Benard Outhiriaradjou , Qian Xia , Liang Huizhi , Ren Zuen , Suyama Kimita , Norton Larry , Hazan Rachel B.
Published: April 2019

Cancer stem cells (CSC) generate and sustain tumors due to tumor-initiating potential, resulting in recurrence or metastasis. We showed that knockout of the cell-cycle inhibitor, p21CIP1, in the PyMT mammary tumor model inhibits metastasis; however the mechanism remained unknown. Here, we show a pivotal role for p21 in potentiating a cancer stem–like phenotype. p21 knockout in PyMT mammary tumor cells caused dramatic suppression of CSC properties involving tumorsphere formation, ALDH1 activity, and tumor-initiating potential, which were in turn rescued by p21 overexpression into PyMT/p21 knockout cells. Interestingly, p21 knockout dramatically suppresses Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity, leading to striking inhibition of LEF1 and TCF1 expression. TCF1 knockdown in PyMT cells suppressed tumorsphere formation due to Cyclin D1 attenuation. These data demonstrate that p21 promotes a CSC-like phenotype via activation of Wnt/TCF1/Cyclin D1 signaling.

Implications:

p21 is a strong promoter of mammary CSCs.
Mild Hereditary Spherocytosis without Accompanying Hereditary Haemochromatosis: An Unrecognised Cause of Iron Overload
Authors: Tole Soumitra , Amid Ali , Baker Jillian , Kuo Kevin , Pugi Jakob , Carcao Manuel
Published: April 2019

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is a common inherited haemolytic anaemia and has great variability in its presentation. Non-transfusion iron overload in HS has only been reported with co-inheritance of hereditary haemochromatosis (HHC). We present 4 unrelated patients of East Asian ethnicity with mild HS and significant non-transfusion iron overload in the absence of known disease-causing mutations in HHC genes. We hypothesise that, in patients with mild HS, life-long chronic haemolysis and erythropoietic drive may promote iron absorption. This suggests that mild HS may not be entirely benign, and that patients with mild HS should be monitored for iron overload.
Impacts of food-based enrichment on behaviour and physiology of male greater rheas (Rhea Americana, Rheidae, Aves)
Authors: Lima Márcia Fontes Figueiredo , Azevedo Cristiano Schetini de , Young Robert John , Viau Priscila
Published: April 2019

Distress can be defined as a biological response of an individual to long-term threats to its homeostasis and it should be avoided from an animal welfare perspective. High levels of stress hormones and the expression of abnormal behaviours are responses normally observed in distressed animals. Captive environments can provoke distress, especially when inappropriate stimuli are provided to the animals. The concomitant use of behavioural and non-invasive hormonal measures is a means to evaluate captive animal welfare. Environmental enrichment is a tool that can reduce distress and minimize the expression of abnormal behaviour in captive animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate greater rheas’ responses (behavioral and hormonal) to food-based enrichment. Three birds from the Belo Horizonte Zoo, Brazil were studied. The study was divided into three phases (baseline, enrichment and post-enrichment): fruits scattered around the birds’ enclosure were used as enrichment. Behaviour and faecal sampling were undertaken in all phases of the study. Abnormal behaviours and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) levels showed significant reduction during the environmental enrichment phase, and a significative positive correlation between GCM production and abnormal pacing was observed. From the results of this study, we conclude that the use of food as environmental enrichment should be encouraged because of its positive effects on animal welfare. Besides, studies with larger groups of greater rheas, with individuals of both sexes, should also be encouraged to evaluate if the results found in this pilot study are consistent and can be generalized to the species.
Crabronidae and Sphecidae (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) type specimens deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: De Jesus Juliana Menezes , Onody Helena Carolina , Ramos Kelli Dos Santos , Andrade Tamires De Oliveira , Santos Alvaro Doria dos , Brandão Carlos Roberto Ferreira
Published: April 2019

This catalogue lists the type specimens of Crabronidae and Sphecidae (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil (MZUSP). The collection includes a total of 83 type specimens (17 holotypes, 66 paratypes), 82 of which belong to nine genera and 35 species of Crabronidae and only one of Sphecidae. All labels contents and additional information obtained from other available sources are presented. High resolution photographs of the primary types are also provided.
A new species and records of Alepia Enderlein (Diptera, Psychodidae, Psychodinae) from Argentina
Authors: OMAD GUILLERMO , ROSSI GUSTAVO C.
Published: April 2019

A new species of Neotropical Psychodidae, Alepia claritae sp. nov., is described from Argentina. Specimens were col-lected in a Malaise trap located in Misiones Province. Based on material from the same locality, we include a re-descrip-tion of the adult male of Alepia copelata Quate (1999), previously known from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. These arethe first records of Alepia and the sixth record of a psychodine species for the Neotropical region of Argentina. A list of the non-phlebotomine Psychodidae for Argentina is included.
Review of the Oriental planthopper genus Flata Fabricius (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Flatidae) with the description of five new species
Authors: PENG LING-FEI , FLETCHER MURRAY J. , ZHANG YA-LIN
Published: April 2019

In this paper the oriental planthopper genus Flata Fabricius, 1798 is reviewed. The genus is redescribed and all orientalspecies described and illustrated, including five new species: F. orientala sp. nov., F. pinga sp. nov., F. sinuata sp. nov.,F. taiwana sp. nov. and F. truncata sp. nov. from tropical or subtropical regions of China. A key to the oriental species ofthe genus and a checklist of species are provided. Three non-oriental species currently included in Flata are treated as being of uncertain generic affinity.