bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of an Oral Solution Prepared from the Ultrasonic Extract of Radix dichroae roots against Eimeria tenella in Broiler Chickens
Authors: Wang Ling , Guo Zhiting , Gong Zhenxing , Cai Jianping , Yang Feng , Wei Xiaojuan , Niu Biao
Published: May 2020

This study was conducted to determine the optimal dose of the oral solution of the ultrasonic extract of Radix dichroae (UERD) and to provide experimental support for a safe clinical dose for anticoccidial treatment of broiler chickens. Radix dichroae root extracts were prepared using the ultrasonic extraction method. The anticoccidial activity of the oral solution prepared from the ultrasonic extract of Radix dichroae roots was tested in broiler chickens following oral infection with a field isolate of E. tenella. Ninety Lingnan yellow broiler chickens (14 days old) were randomly divided into nine groups (n = 10), including six UERD oral solution treatments (0.25, 0.50, 1.50, 2.50, 3.50, and 5.00%), a toltrazuril group (0.10%), an E. tenella‐infected control group, and a healthy control group. All groups were inoculated orally with 7 × 104 sporulated E. tenella oocysts (Guangdong strain) except for the healthy control group. The chickens in the seven drug‐treated groups were administered a UERD oral solution or toltrazuril in drinking water for 7 days. The anticoccidial efficacy of the UERD oral solution was evaluated by the bloody diarrhoea severity level, relative body weight gain (rBWG), lesion score, oocyst per gram (OPG), and anticoccidial index (ACI). Compared with the infected control group, there were no significant differences in the groups treated with UERD oral solution or toltrazuril with regard to the lesion changes in the caecal regions (P > 0.05); however, the blood contents, OPG, and oocyst score in three UERD oral solution treatment groups (0.50, 1.50, and 2.50%) were significantly reduced, and the bloody diarrhoea was also alleviated. The ACI in three UERD oral solution treatment groups (0.50%, ACI = 143.7; 1.50%, ACI = 151.0; and 2.50%, ACI = 144.3) was higher than that in the toltrazuril group (ACI = 127.0), and the rBWG in the 1.50% UERD oral solution treatment group (95.0%) was similar to that in the healthy control group (100%), which was also 12.5% higher than that in the toltrazuril group (82.5%). The findings of this study demonstrated that the UERD oral solution (0.50% ～ 2.50% dose range) showed better prevention, anticoccidial efficacy, and growth promotion effects than toltrazuril (0.10%), and the 1.50% dose level of UERD oral solution in water is the clinically recommended dose according to the present study conditions.
Reduced-Order Algorithm for Eigenvalue Assignment of Singularly Perturbed Linear Systems
Authors: Yoo Heonjong , Gajic Zoran , Lee Kyeong-Hwan
Published: May 2020

In this paper, we present an algorithm for eigenvalue assignment of linear singularly perturbed systems in terms of reduced-order slow and fast subproblem matrices. No similar algorithm exists in the literature. First, we present an algorithm for the recursive solution of the singularly perturbed algebraic Sylvester equation used for eigenvalue assignment. Due to the presence of a small singular perturbation parameter that indicates separation of the system variables into slow and fast, the corresponding algebraic Sylvester equation is numerically ill-conditioned. The proposed method for the recursive reduced-order solution of the algebraic Sylvester equations removes ill-conditioning and iteratively obtains the solution in terms of four reduced-order numerically well-conditioned algebraic Sylvester equations corresponding to slow and fast variables. The convergence rate of the proposed algorithm is Oε, where ε is a small positive singular perturbation parameter.
Prevalence and Determinants of Diarrhea among Under-Five Children in Benna Tsemay District, South Omo Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Pastoralist and Agropastoralist Context
Authors: Alemayehu Mulusew , Alemu Tsegaye , Astatkie Ayalew
Published: June 2020

Background. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under-five years globally and accounts for about 1.5 million deaths each year. In low-income countries, children under three years of age experience three episodes of diarrhea on average every year. In Ethiopia, diarrheal disease is one of the common causes of mortality in under-five children. In Benna Tsemay district, pastoralist community lives with lack of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene problems, which increase the risk of childhood diarrhea. Objective. To assess the prevalence and determinant of diarrheal disease among under five children in Benna Tsemay District, South Omo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 722 under five children selected randomly from eight pastoralists and two agropastoralist kebels. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Logic regression was performed to identify the association between diarrheal disease and independent variables. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to judge the presence of association. Results. The two-week period prevalence of childhood diarrheal disease in the study was 23.5% (95% CI: 20.4%–26.6%). Diarrheal illness was associated with nonavailability of latrine (AOR: 2.77, 95% CI: 1.66–4.63), faeces seen around the pit hole or floor of latrine (AOR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.38–6.19), improper kitchen waste disposal (AOR: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.26–4. 24), unprotected drinking water source (AOR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.14–2.88), mother’s or caretaker’s diarrhea history in the last two weeks (AOR: 6.74, 95% CI: 2.51–18.07), materials used for feeding the child (cup and spoon) (AOR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.36–0.97), and being unvaccinated for “rotavirus” (AOR: 2.87, 95% CI: 1.86–4.44). Conclusion. Nearly one-fourth of children had diarrheal illness in the preceding two weeks. Water, sanitation and hygiene-related factors, child feeding practice, and children’s vaccination status for rotavirus were the determinants of the occurrence of diarrhea among under-five children. The health office should conduct sustainable health education programs that emphasize on risk of open defecation, waste disposal mechanisms, and child feeding practices and also should strengthen rotavirus vaccination activities. The district administration and partners’ needed to improve water sources.
Role of the Exosome Secretion Machinery in Ovarian Carcinoma: In Vitro and In Vivo Models
Authors: Broner Esther Channah , Onallah Hadil , Tavor Re’em Tali , Davidson Ben , Reich Reuven
Published: May 2020

Objective. We recently reported on the expression and clinical role of molecules that mediate exosome secretion in high-grade serous carcinoma. In the present study, the biological role of these molecules was analyzed. Methods. OVCAR8 and ES-2 ovarian carcinoma cells were studied using a combination of CRISPR/Cas9 technology and two 3D in vitro models—spheroids emulating effusions and alginate scaffolds representing solid lesions. Isolation of exosomes was validated by electron microscopy. TSAP6, NSMASE2, RAB27A, and RAB27B mRNA and protein levels were analyzed using qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Tumor aggressiveness was studied in vitro using scratch assay, invasion assay, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity assay and in vivo using a mouse model. Results. In OVCAR8 cells, mRNA expression of TSAP6 and RAB27A was significantly higher in spheroids compared to scaffolds, whereas the opposite was true for NSMASE2 mRNA. In ES-2 cells, TSAP6 and RAB27B mRNA expression was significantly higher in spheroids versus scaffolds. In addition, nSMase2 and TSAP6 protein expression was significantly higher in scaffolds compared to spheroids. CRISPR-edited cells with silencing of NSMASE2, TSAP6, and RAB27A/B had reduced migration, invasion, and MMP activity. Additionally, knockout (KO) of these molecules resulted in significantly diminished exosome secretion. In vivo assay showed that when injected to mice, OVCAR8 RAB27A/B KO cells, as opposed to control OVCAR8 cells, did not form ascites or visible tumor lesions and had reduced MMP expression. Conclusion. The present study provides evidence that different models for culturing ovarian carcinoma cells affect the expression of molecules mediating exosome secretion and that these molecules have a tumor-promoting role. Silencing these molecules may consequently have therapeutic relevance in this cancer.
Blood Donors’ Age, Haemoglobin Type, G6PD Status, and Blood Group Impact Storability of CPDA-1 Banked Whole Blood: A Repeated-Measure Cohort Study in Cape Coast, Ghana
Authors: Adu Patrick , Kubi Gilbert Appiah , Kumi Amos , Gbedoho Raphael E. K. , Kwakye Festus Ansah , Sarpong Emmanuel , Drai Constantine , Dompreh Samuel , Sersah Fredrick Afful , Gyamerah Eric Ofori
Published: May 2020

Background. The high prevalence of haemoglobin variants and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase disorder (G6PDd) in sub-Saharan Africa means that substantial proportions of donor blood units carry these red cell abnormalities. Aim. This study investigated the impact that inherited haemoglobin variants and/or G6PD status have on whole blood banked at 4–6°C for 35 days. Method. This repeated-measure cohort study was undertaken on 103 donor blood units collected into blood bag containing CPDA-1 anticoagulant. On days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 35, full blood count, osmotic-induced haemolysis, and plasma K+ levels were estimated. Also, on day 0, G6PD status, haemoglobin variants, % foetal haemoglobin, and blood group of donor units were determined using methaemoglobin reductase, cellulose acetate electrophoresis, modified Bekte alkali denaturation assay, and slide haemagglutination test, respectively. Result. Overall, although plasma K+ levels increased during storage, donor units from individuals ≥20 years, G6PD normal, Hb AC, or blood group B had comparatively higher percentage change in plasma K+ during storage. Osmotically induced haemolysis of donor units was significantly decreased in Hb AC (compared with Hb A or AS) donor units on days 7, 14, 21, and 35 (p<0.0001 in each case). G6PDd donor units had comparatively reduced osmotic-induced lysis compared with G6PD normal units, reaching a statistical significance on day 35 (p=0.043). Also, Hb AC units had comparatively nonstatistically higher plasma K+ at all time points (compared with Hb A or AS). Furthermore, whereas donor units from individuals ≥20 years showed significantly higher median free haemoglobin on day 21 (compared to donor <20 years), when donor units were stratified per Hb variants, only Hb AS units had median free haemoglobin below the 0.8% threshold after 35 days’ storage. Conclusion. Age of donor, blood group, Hb AC variant, and G6PD status may be important considerations in the storability of whole blood.
A Review on Synthesis and Characterization of Ag2O Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Applications
Authors: Shume Workneh M. , Murthy H. C. Ananda , Zereffa Enyew Amare
Published: June 2020

Even though the photocatalytic processes are a good technology for treatment of toxic organic pollutants, the majority of current photocatalysts cannot utilize sunlight sufficiently to realize the decomposition of these organic pollutants. As stated by various researchers, metal oxide nanoparticles have a significant photocatalytic performance under visible light source. Among various chemical and physical methods used to synthesize nanostructured silver oxide, green synthetic route is a cheaper and environmental friendly method. To confirm the optimum production of Ag2O NPs, effect of pH, extract concentration, metal ion concentration, and contact time were optimized. The structure, morphology, crystallinity, size, purity, elemental composition, and optical properties of obtained Ag2O NPs were characterized by different techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and UV-visible spectrophotometer accordingly as revealed by our literature review. The photocatalytic performance of the synthesized nanocrystalline Ag2O by photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible light irradiation has been discussed thoroughly in this review. Many past studies revealed that organic dyes and pollutants are decomposed completely by green synthesized Ag2O NPs under irradiation of visible light.
Experimental Study on Cumulative Damage Behavior of Steel‐Reinforced Concrete Columns
Authors: Jiang Lianjie , Bai Guoliang
Published: May 2020

The cumulative damage behavior of SRC columns under far‐field long‐period ground motions was simulated and studied by quasi‐static tests with the same displacement for 10 times. Quasi‐static tests of 8 SRC columns were conducted under the horizontal cyclic loading with the same displacement for 10 times or 3 times, and then the effects of steel ratio, stirrup ratio, axial compression ratio, and number of cyclic loading on the cumulative damage of SRC columns under the far‐field long‐period ground motions were studied. The results showed that the number of cyclic loading had little effect on the peak load of the specimens, but had a significant effect on the deformation capacity, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity. Compared with the specimens after 3 cycles, the displacement ductility coefficient of specimens after 10 cycles was reduced by about 20%–26%, the ultimate hysteresis energy dissipation was reduced by 35%–48%, while the stiffness degradation rate was accelerated. After the peak load, the cumulative damage caused by multiple cyclic loading with the same displacement was more significant, which aggravated the reduction of bearing capacity and stiffness degradation. The smaller the steel ratio and stirrup ratio, the larger the axial compression ratio, and the greater the reduction of the bearing capacity and stiffness of specimens. However, accumulated damage caused by multiple cyclic loading with the same displacement had a slight impact on the energy dissipation capacity. Increasing the steel ratio and stirrup ratio can effectively improve the deformation capacity and energy dissipation capacity of the specimens and reduce the bearing capacity and stiffness degradation caused by cumulative damage.
Application of Blockchain and Internet of Things to Ensure Tamper-Proof Data Availability for Food Safety
Authors: Iftekhar Adnan , Cui Xiaohui , Hassan Mir , Afzal Wasif
Published: May 2020

Food supply chain plays a vital role in human health and food prices. Food supply chain inefficiencies in terms of unfair competition and lack of regulations directly affect the quality of human life and increase food safety risks. This work merges Hyperledger Fabric, an enterprise-ready blockchain platform with existing conventional infrastructure, to trace a food package from farm to fork using an identity unique for each food package while keeping it uncomplicated. It keeps the records of business transactions that are secured and accessible to stakeholders according to the agreed set of policies and rules without involving any centralized authority. This paper focuses on exploring and building an uncomplicated, low-cost solution to quickly link the existing food industry at different geographical locations in a chain to track and trace the food in the market.
Deep Functional and Molecular Characterization of a High-Risk Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma
Authors: Berlow Noah E. , Grasso Catherine S. , Quist Michael J. , Cheng Mingshan , Gandour-Edwards Regina , Hernandez Brian S. , Michalek Joel E. , Ryan Christopher , Spellman Paul , Pal Ranadip , Million Lynn S. , Renneker Mark , Keller Charles
Published: June 2020

Nonrhabdomyosarcoma soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a class of 50+ cancers arising in muscle and soft tissues of children, adolescents, and adults. Rarity of each subtype often precludes subtype-specific preclinical research, leaving many STS patients with limited treatment options should frontline therapy be insufficient. When clinical options are exhausted, personalized therapy assignment approaches may help direct patient care. Here, we report the results of an adult female STS patient with relapsed undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) who self-drove exploration of a wide array of personalized Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIAs) level and research-level diagnostics, including state of the art genomic, proteomic,ex vivolive cell chemosensitivity testing, a patient-derived xenograft model, and immunoscoring. Her therapeutic choices were also diverse, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgeries. Adjuvant and recurrence strategies included off-label and natural medicines, several immunotherapies, and N-of-1 approaches. Identified treatment options, especially those validated during thein vivostudy, were not introduced into the course of clinical treatment but did provide plausible treatment regimens based on FDA-approved clinical agents.
Soft Sensor Modeling of Key Effluent Parameters in Wastewater Treatment Process Based on SAE-NN
Authors: Osman Yousuf Babiker M. , Li Wei
Published: May 2020

Real-time measurements of key effluent parameters play a highly crucial role in wastewater treatment. In this research work, we propose a soft sensor model based on deep learning which combines stacked autoencoders with neural network (SAE-NN). Firstly, based on experimental data, the secondary variables (easy-to-measure) which have a strong correlation with the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) are chosen as model inputs. Moreover, stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is used to train each layer of SAE to optimize weight parameters, while a strategy of genetic algorithms to identify the number of neurons in each hidden layer is developed. A soft sensor model is studied to predict the BOD5 in a wastewater treatment plant to evaluate the proposed approach. Interestingly, the experimental results show that the proposed SAE-NN-based soft sensor has a better performance in prediction than the current common methods.
Long Noncoding RNA TUG1 Promotes the Function in ox-LDL-Treated HA-VSMCs via miR-141-3p/ROR2 Axis
Authors: Tang Yu , Hu Jing , Zhong Zhiying , Liu Yanfeng , Wang Yunxia
Published: June 2020

Background. Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common severe disease around the world. The merging paper reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) took part in diversified pathological processes of AS, although the mechanism remains unknown. This study is aimed at uncovering the profile of lncRNA taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1), which has biological function, and potential mechanism in AS progression in vitro. Methods. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) was used for AS model construction in vitro. Levels of lncRNA TUG1, miR-141-3p, and receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in AS tissues or in ox-LDL-treated vascular smooth muscle cells (HA-VSMCs). The biofunctional effects were examined by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and transwell assays. The expression of proliferation-related proteins (CyclinD1, Ki-67) and metastasis-associated proteins (β-catenin, Vimentin) and ROR2 in cells was determined by western blot analysis. The potential binding sites were predicted by starBase software online and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter analysis. Results. The expression of TUG1 and ROR2 was promoted in AS tissues and ox-LDL-treated HA-VSMCs. While the low expression of miR-141-3p negatively correlated with that of TUG1 or ROR2 in AS tissues. Silencing of TUG1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis in ox-LDL-treated HA-VSMCs. Moreover, the putative binding sites between miR-141-3p and TUG1 or ROR2 were predicted by starBase software online. Also, miR-141-3p deletion reversed the positive effects of TUG1 knockdown on cells. Besides, downregulation of miR-141-3p disrupted the biofunctional results from ROR2 silencing. Conclusion. TUG1 enhanced the progression of AS in vitro by regulating the miR-141-3p/ROR2 axis.
Optimization of a Rabbit Dry Eye Model Induced by Topical Instillation of Benzalkonium Chloride
Authors: Carpena-Torres Carlos , Pintor Jesús , Pérez de Lara María Jesús , Huete-Toral Fernando , Crooke Almudena , Pastrana Cristina , Carracedo Gonzalo
Published: May 2020

Purpose. To optimize a rabbit dry eye model induced by topical instillation of benzalkonium chloride (BAC), reduce the days of instillation of the original model by increasing the concentration of BAC from 0.1% to 0.2%. Materials and Methods. An experimental, prospective, and randomized study was performed on 10 male New Zealand white rabbits, divided into two groups, considering both eyes: 5 rabbits as control (n = 10) and 5 rabbits with 0.2% BAC treatment (n = 10). Saline solution (control) and 0.2% BAC were instilled for 5 consecutive days, twice daily. Tear secretion with and without anesthesia, tear breakup time, tear osmolarity, corneal staining, conjunctival hyperemia, density of goblet cells, height of mucin cloud, and transcript levels of IL-6 were measured before and after the treatment. Results. After the instillation of 0.2% BAC for 5 consecutive days, there was a significant increase in tear secretion without anesthesia P<0.001, corneal staining P<0.001, conjunctival hyperemia P<0.001, and levels of IL-6 mRNA P=0.005 compared to the control group. Conversely, there was a decrease in tear secretion with anesthesia P<0.001, tear breakup time P=0.007, tear osmolarity P<0.001, density of goblet cells P<0.001, and height of mucin cloud P<0.001. Conclusions. The topical instillation of 0.2% BAC for 5 consecutive days, twice daily, was a proper procedure to induce a rabbit dry eye model, reducing the number of days of instillation compared to the original model (14 days).
Earthquake Ground Motion Matching on a Small Electric Shaking Table Using a Combined NN-PDFF Controller
Authors: Larbi Selma H. , Bourahla Nouredine , Benchoubane Hacine , Choutri Khireddine , Badaoui Mohammed
Published: May 2020

Replicating acceleration time histories with high accuracy on shaking table platforms is still a challenging task. The complex interference between the components of the system, the inherent nonlinearities, and the coupling effect between the specimen and the shaking table are among other reasons that most affect the control performance. In this paper, a neural network- (NN-) based controller has been developed and experimentally implemented to improve the acceleration tracking performance of an electric shaking table. The latter is a biaxial shaking table driven by linear motors and controlled by a proportional-derivative-feedforward (PDFF) controller that is very efficient in reproducing displacement waveforms on the detriment of the simulation of the prescribed acceleration ground motions. In order to bypass this shortcoming, a control scheme combining the PDFF as a basic control function with a NN controller which filters the shaking table feedback signal and acts on the drive signal by compensating for acceleration distortions is proposed in this study. Several experimental tests have been carried out to build a database for offline training, validating, and testing of the proposed NN control model. Subsequently, the well-trained NN is implemented in the inner control loop of the shaking table to compensate, in parallel with the PDFF controller, the distortions during the replication of acceleration signals. Results of tests using earthquake records showed an enhancement in signal matching when integrating the NN model for both bare and loaded conditions of the shaking table. The tracking errors, estimated using the relative root-mean-square error, between the measured and the desired signal, are significantly reduced in time and frequency domains with the additional NN online controller.
Damage‐Based Seismic Retrofitting Approach for Nonductile Reinforced Concrete Structures Using FRP Composite Wraps
Authors: Cao Vui Van , Pham Son Quang
Published: May 2020

Applying similar amount of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) for all plastic hinge locations in a structure is not an ideal approach as damage occurring at these critical locations may vary considerably. Building owners also always want to keep FRP retrofitting cost and associated interruption to a minimum. In this context, the current paper proposes an FRP retrofitting approach, in which FRP is selectively distributed based on the distribution of seismic damage in structures. The proposed approach, characterized by both quantitative and qualitative criteria, is simple but very effective in simultaneously reducing the seismic damage, amount of FRP to be used, and time of installation. For the considered cases of low‐ and mid‐rise nonductile building structures, the FRP amount reduced approximately by 31% compared to the cases in which FRP was evenly distributed, leading to lower installation cost and less interruption time. Interestingly, although 31% FRP was saved, the damage indices of the FRP retrofitted frames were significantly lower than those in cases of even FRP distribution because FRP effectively served for critical locations. Due to its simplicity and technical/economical effectiveness, the proposed FRP retrofitting approach can be useful for engineering practice.
A Comprehensive Network Pharmacology‐Based Strategy to Investigate Multiple Mechanisms of HeChan Tablet on Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhuang Zhenjie , Chen Qianying , Huang Cihui , Wen Junmao , Huang Haifu , Liu Zhanhua
Published: May 2020

Background. HeChan tablet (HCT) is a traditional Chinese medicine preparation extensively prescribed to treat lung cancer in China. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of HCT on lung cancer remain to be elucidated. Methods. A comprehensive network pharmacology‐based strategy was conducted to explore underlying mechanisms of HCT on lung cancer. Putative targets and compounds of HCT were retrieved from TCMSP and BATMAN‐TCM databases; related genes of lung cancer were retrieved from OMIM and DisGeNET databases; known therapeutic target genes of lung cancer were retrieved from TTD and DrugBank databases; PPI networks among target genes were constructed to filter hub genes by STRING. Furthermore, the pathway and GO enrichment analysis of hub genes was performed by clusterProfiler, and the clinical significance of hub genes was identified by The Cancer Genome Atlas. Result. A total of 206 compounds and 2,433 target genes of HCT were obtained. 5,317 related genes of lung cancer and 77 known therapeutic target genes of lung cancer were identified. 507 unique target genes were identified among HCT‐related genes of lung cancer and 34 unique target genes were identified among HCT‐known therapeutic target genes of lung cancer. By PPI networks, 11 target genes AKT1, TP53, MAPK8, JUN, EGFR, TNF, INS, IL‐6, MYC, VEGFA, and MAPK1 were identified as major hub genes. IL‐6, JUN, EGFR, and MYC were shown to associate with the survival of lung cancer patients. Five compounds of HCT， quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, beta‐sitosterol, and baicalein were recognized as key compounds of HCT on lung cancer. The gene enrichment analysis implied that HCT probably benefitted patients with lung cancer by modulating the MAPK and PI3K‐Akt pathways. Conclusion. This study predicted pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of HCT against lung cancer and could pave the way for further experimental research and clinical application of HCT.
Tempered Mittag–Leffler Stability of Tempered Fractional Dynamical Systems
Authors: Deng Jingwei , Ma Weiyuan , Deng Kaiying , Li Yingxing
Published: May 2020

Due to finite lifespan of the particles or boundedness of the physical space, tempered fractional calculus seems to be a more reasonable physical choice. Stability is a central issue for the tempered fractional system. This paper focuses on the tempered Mittag–Leffler stability for tempered fractional systems, being much different from the ones for pure fractional case. Some new lemmas for tempered fractional Caputo or Riemann–Liouville derivatives are established. Besides, tempered fractional comparison principle and extended Lyapunov direct method are used to construct stability for tempered fractional system. Finally, two examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of theoretical results.
A New Extension of the Rectangularb-Metric Spaces
Authors: Mlaiki Nabil , Hajji Mohamed , Abdeljawad Thabet
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we introduce a generalization of rectangularb-metric spaces, by changing the rectangular inequality as follows:Dζa,b≤ζa,b,u,vDζa,u+Dζu,v+Dζv,b, for all distincta,b,u,v∈X.We prove some fixed point theorems, and we use our results to present a nice application in the last section of this paper.
PET/CT Imaging as a Diagnostic Tool in Distinguishing Well-Differentiated versus Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma
Authors: Parkes Amanda , Urquiola Elizabeth , Bhosale Priya , Lin Heather , Watson Kelsey , Wang Wei-Lien , Feig Barry , Torres Keila , Roland Christina L. , Conley Anthony P. , Zarzour Maria , Livingston J. Andrew , Ratan Ravin , Ludwig Joseph , Araujo Dejka M. , Ravi Vinod , Benjamin Robert S. , Patel Shreyaskumar , Somaiah Neeta
Published: June 2020

Distinguishing well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) from dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) is essential given distinct treatment paradigms and chemosensitivity. Percutaneous biopsy has a low sensitivity for detecting DDLPS. We sought to identify the diagnostic utility of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in identifying WDLPS versus DDLPS. An independent radiologist reviewed PET/CT images to identify target lesions and determine the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). An independent pathologist review confirmed WDLPS or DDLPS histology. A binary cutoff point of SUVmax was identified using a classification and regression trees (CART) algorithm. We identified 20 patients with WDLPS or DDLPS with 26 PET/CTs performed for separate recurrences that were followed by surgical sampling. Of the 26 records, 12 were DDLPS (46%) and 14 were WDLPS (54%). Patients with DDLPS had significantly higher SUVmax than those with WDLPS (pvalue = 0.0035). A SUVmax of 4 was identified as the cutoff point. Using this cutoff, the sensitivity of SUVmax identifying a case as DDLPS was 83.3% (95% CI: 51.6%, 97.9%) and the specificity was 85.7% (95% CI: 57.2%, 98.2%). PET/CT is a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool to identify the presence of dedifferentiation within the tumor.
Dispatcher-Assisted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Disparity between Urban and Rural Areas
Authors: Chen Yen-Chin , Yu Shao-Hua , Chen Wei-Jen , Huang Li-Chi , Chen Chih-Yu , Shih Hong-Mo
Published: June 2020

Object. To compare the provision and effectiveness of dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DACPR) in rural and urban areas. Methods. Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) were prospectively registered in Taichung. The 29 districts of Taichung city were divided into urban and rural areas based on whether the population density is more than 1,000 people per square kilometer. Prehospital data were collected according to the Utstein-style template, and telephone auditory records were collected by a dispatch center. Results. 2,716 patients were enrolled during the study period. 88.4% OHCA occurred in urban areas and 11.6% in rural areas. 74.9% after dispatcher assistance, laypersons performed CPR in urban areas and 67.7% in rural areas (p=0.023). The proportion of laypersons continued CPR until an emergency medical technician’s (EMT) arrival was higher in the urban areas (59.57% vs 52.27%, p=0.039). Laypersons continued CPR until an EMT’ arrival would increase the chance of return of spontaneous circulation in urban and rural areas, with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.82–1.27, and aOR of 1.49, 95% CI of 0.80–2.80, respectively. Continued laypersons CPR until the EMT’ arrival also improved survival with favorable neurological function, with aOR of 1.16, 95% CI of 0.61–2.20 in urban areas and aOR of 2.90 95% CI of 0.18–46.81 in rural areas. Conclusion. Bystanders in urban areas exhibited higher ratio of acceptance of DACPR. However, after DACPR intervention, prognosis improvement was considerably higher in rural areas than in urban areas.
Metric Dimension, Minimal Doubly Resolving Sets, and the Strong Metric Dimension for Jellyfish Graph and Cocktail Party Graph
Authors: Liu Jia-Bao , Zafari Ali , Zarei Hassan
Published: May 2020

Let Γ be a simple connected undirected graph with vertex set VΓ and edge set EΓ. The metric dimension of a graph Γ is the least number of vertices in a set with the property that the list of distances from any vertex to those in the set uniquely identifies that vertex. For an ordered subset W=w1,w2,…,wk of vertices in a graph Γ and a vertex v of Γ, the metric representation of v with respect to W is the k-vector rvW=dv,w1,dv,w2,…,dv,wk. If every pair of distinct vertices of Γ have different metric representations, then the ordered set W is called a resolving set of Γ. It is known that the problem of computing this invariant is NP-hard. In this paper, we consider the problem of determining the cardinality ψΓ of minimal doubly resolving sets of Γ and the strong metric dimension for the jellyfish graph JFGn,m and the cocktail party graph CPk+1.
The YTH Domain Family of N6‐Methyladenosine “Readers” in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Colonic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Xu Dian , Shao Jun , Song Huan , Wang Jianming
Published: May 2020

To profile the landscape of methylation N6 adenosine (m6A) RNA regulators in colonic adenocarcinoma (COAD) and to explore potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, we assessed the differential expression patterns of m6A RNA methylation regulators between 418 COAD patients and 41 controls based on profiling from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We plotted the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calculated the area under the curve (AUC) values to estimate the discrimination ability. The relationship between the expression of m6A RNA methylation regulators and clinicopathological characteristics was explored. Kaplan‐Meier plotter, log‐rank test, and Cox regression were used and a nomogram was created to explore the prognostic significance of m6A‐related genes in overall survival at the mRNA level. Pathway analysis was performed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) using TCGA dataset, and a coexpression network was built based on the STRING database. We observed that YTHDF1, METTL3, and KIAA1429 were significantly upregulated, while YTHDF3, YTHDC2, METTL14, and ALKBH5 were significantly downregulated in COAD samples compared to normal samples. YTHDF1 had the highest diagnostic value. Low expression of YTHDF3 predicted a poor survival rate in COAD patients. YTHDC2 was related to sex and showed a downward trend as clinical stage increased. Our results indicate that the YT521‐B homology (YTH) domain family (“readers”), especially YTHDF1, YTHDF3, and YTHDC2, might play a significant role in the detection, progression, and prognosis of COAD, indicating that they are promising cancer biomarkers.
Drug Treatment of Patients with Liver Cirrhosis in a Tertiary Hospital in Northern Ghana: Does It Comply with Recommended Guidelines?
Authors: Mohammed Baba Sulemana , Aidoo Matthew
Published: May 2020

The diverse influence of liver function on drug disposition can lead health-care practitioners to inappropriate drug selection, inappropriate drug dosing, or some level of therapeutic negativism. The aim of this study was to assess how drug prescribing in patients with liver cirrhosis at the Tamale Teaching Hospital comply with recommendations of pharmacotherapy and safety guidelines. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from February to July, 2019, at the medical ward of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. A total of 152 liver cirrhotic patients were included in this study. Common etiologies for liver cirrhosis were chronic hepatitis B 80 (52.6%) and chronic hepatitis C 30 (19.7%); about 12.5% of etiologies were unknown. Of the 1842 prescription issued, 69% (1270/1842) were compliant. Of the 572 noncompliant prescriptions, about 32% (183/572) were due to pharmacotherapy and 68% (389/572) due to safety guideline recommendations. There was a substantial number (31%) of prescription noncompliance with recommendations for pharmacotherapy and safety guidelines in liver cirrhotic patients at the tertiary hospital in northern Ghana. Prescribers need to be conscious of the role of the liver in drug elimination and prescribe as recommended by guidelines.
Bridging the Translational Divide in Oncology: In Vivo Testing of Chemo-sensitivity
Authors: Sleijfer Stefan , Lolkema Martijn
Published: June 2020

A study was presented in which sarcomas were microinjected simultaneously with several drugs to study the pharmacodynamic response after resection. This platform may represent a future way of probing efficacy of anticancer agents in the relevant model system: human tumors.

See related article by Gundle et al., p. 3958
Characterization for the necessity of thermophilic biogas digester of tea waste and cooked waste for biogas production
Authors: Halder Nirmal
Published: May 2020

Characterization of tea waste, cooked waste has been done by various authors but for the first time it has been done for understanding the necessity of thermophilic digestion. And for this kind of digestion takes place in thermophilic digester for efficient biogas production. Detailed morphological analysis of feedstock has been determined. In the present study, thermo gravimetric analysis carried out For easy and fast digestion of cooked waste, a novel design of thermophilic digester is proposed and tested.
Fault analysis in power system using power systems computer aided design
Authors: Amanze Fortune Chukwuebuka , Josiah Amanze Destiny
Published: May 2020

This work presents a fault analysis simulation model of an IEEE 30 bus system in a distribution network. This work annalysed the effect of fault current and fault voltage in a distribution system. A circuit breaker was introduced into the system to neutralize the effect of the fault. The system was run on a PSCAD software and results were obtained. The system was monitored based on the start time and the end time of the fault and how well the circuit breaker reacts with those times. Fault occurred from 0.100 to 0.300 seconds before it was removed. At the time fault was not applied (i.e. from 0.00 to 0.100 and from 0.300 to 0.72), the circuit breaker was close and became open when fault was applied so as to cut off current flow through the line.The result obtained gave the disruption caused by the fault and the quick response of the circuit breaker in neutralizing it. Results gotten are based on when the circuit breaker is close and no fault is applied and when the circuit breaker is open due to fault. From this work, it was obtained that circuit breakers are very essential in system protection and reliability.
Evidential reasoning based decision system to select health care location
Authors: Mia Md. Mahashin , Rahman Atiqur , Hossain Mohammad Shahadat
Published: May 2020

The general public’s demand of Bangladesh for safe health is rising promptly with the improvement of the living standard. However, the allocation of limited and unbalanced medical resources is deteriorating the assurance of safe health of the people. Therefore, the new hospital construction with rational allocation of resources is imminent and significant. The site selection for establishing a hospital is one of the crucial policy-related decisions taken by planners and policy makers. The process of hospital site selection is inherently complicated because of this involves many factors to be measured and evaluated. These factors are expressed both in objective and subjective ways where as a hierarchical relationship exists among the factors. In addition, it is difficult to measure qualitative factors in a quantitative way, resulting incompleteness in data and hence, uncertainty. Besides it is essential to address the subject of uncertainty by using apt methodology; otherwise, the decision to choose a suitable site will become inapt. Therefore, this paper demonstrates the application of a novel method named belief rule-based inference methodology-RIMER base intelligent decision system(IDS), which is capable of addressing suitable site for hospital by taking account of large number of criteria, where there exist factors of both subjective and objective nature.
A study secure multi authentication based data classification model in cloud based system
Authors: Kaushal Sakshi , Buksh Bala
Published: May 2020

Cloud computing is the most popular term among enterprises and news. The concepts come true because of fast internet bandwidth and advanced cooperation technology. Resources on the cloud can be accessed through internet without self built infrastructure. Cloud computing is effectively manage the security in the cloud applications. Data classification is a machine learning technique used to predict the class of the unclassified data. Data mining uses different tools to know the unknown, valid patterns and relationships in the dataset. These tools are mathematical algorithms, statistical models and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. In this paper author uses improved Bayesian technique to classify the data and encrypt the sensitive data using hybrid stagnography. The encrypted and non encrypted sensitive data is sent to cloud environment and evaluate the parameters with different encryption algorithms.
Evidence for a Physiological Mitochondrial Angiotensin II System in the Kidney Proximal Tubules
Authors: Li Xiao Chun , Zhou Xinchun , Zhuo Jia Long
Published: June 2020

The present study tested the hypotheses that overexpression of an intracellular Ang II (angiotensin II) fusion protein, mito-ECFP/Ang II, selectively in the mitochondria of mouse proximal tubule cells induces mitochondrial oxidative and glycolytic responses and elevates blood pressure via the Ang II/AT
1a
receptor/superoxide/NHE3 (the Na
+
/H
+
exchanger 3)-dependent mechanisms. A PT-selective, mitochondria-targeting adenoviral construct encoding Ad-sglt2-mito-ECFP/Ang II was used to test the hypotheses. The expression of mito-ECFP/Ang II was colocalized primarily with Mito-Tracker Red FM in mouse PT cells or with TMRM in kidney PTs. Mito-ECFP/Ang II markedly increased oxygen consumption rate as an index of mitochondrial oxidative response (69.5%;
P
<0.01) and extracellular acidification rate as an index of mitochondrial glycolytic response (34%;
P
<0.01). The mito-ECFP/Ang II–induced oxygen consumption rate and extracellular acidification rate responses were blocked by AT
1
blocker losartan (
P
<0.01) and a mitochondria-targeting superoxide scavenger mito-TEMPO (
P
<0.01). By contrast, the nonselective NO inhibitor L-NAME alone increased, whereas the mitochondria-targeting expression of AT
2
receptors (mito-AT
2
/GFP) attenuated the effects of mito-ECFP/Ang II (
P
<0.01). In the kidney, overexpression of mito-ECFP/Ang II in the mitochondria of the PTs increased systolic blood pressure 12±3 mm Hg (
P
<0.01), and the response was attenuated in PT-specific PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
and PT-
Nhe3
−/−
mice (
P
<0.01). Conversely, overexpression of AT
2
receptors selectively in the mitochondria of the PTs induced natriuretic responses in PT-
Agtr1a
−/−
and PT-
Nhe3
−/−
mice (
P
<0.01). Taken together, these results provide new evidence for a physiological role of PT mitochondrial Ang II/AT
1a
/superoxide/NHE3 and Ang II/AT
2
/NO/NHE3 signaling pathways in maintaining blood pressure homeostasis.
Validation Study to Determine the Accuracy of Central Blood Pressure Measurement Using the Sphygmocor Xcel Cuff Device
Authors: Schultz Martin G. , Picone Dean S. , Armstrong Matthew K. , Black J. Andrew , Dwyer Nathan , Roberts-Thomson Philip , Sharman James E.
Published: June 2020

Numerous devices purport to measure central (aortic) blood pressure (BP) as distinct from conventional brachial BP. This validation study aimed to determine the accuracy of the Sphygmocor Xcel cuff device (AtCor Medical, CardieX, Sydney, Australia) for measuring central BP. 296 patients (mean age 61±12 years) undergoing coronary angiography had simultaneous measurement of invasive central BP and noninvasive cuff-derived central BP using the Xcel cuff device (total n=558 individual comparisons). A subsample (n=151) also had invasive brachial BP measured. Methods were undertaken according to the Artery Society recommendations, and several calibration techniques to derive central systolic BP (SBP) were examined. Minimum acceptable error was ≤5±≤8 mm Hg. Central SBP was significantly underestimated, and with wide variability, when using the default calibration of brachial-cuff SBP and diastolic BP (DBP; mean difference±SD, −7.7±11.0 mm Hg). Similar variability was observed using other calibration methods (cuff 33% form-factor mean arterial pressure and DBP, −4.4±11.5 mm Hg; cuff 40% form-factor mean arterial pressure and DBP, 4.7±11.9 mm Hg; cuff oscillometric mean arterial pressure and DBP, −18.2±12.1 mm Hg). Only calibration with invasive central integrated mean arterial pressure and DBP was within minimal acceptable error (3.3±7.5 mm Hg). The difference between brachial-cuff SBP and invasive central SBP was 3.3±10.7 mm Hg. A subsample analysis to determine the accuracy of central-to-brachial SBP amplification showed this to be overestimated by the Xcel cuff device (mean difference 4.3±9.1 mm Hg,
P
=0.02). Irrespective of cuff calibration technique, the Sphygmocor Xcel cuff device does not meet the Artery Society accuracy criteria for noninvasive measurement of central BP.
Comparative Effectiveness of Primary Prevention Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillators in Older Heart Failure Patients With Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Sharma Abhinav , Wu Jingjing , Xu Haolin , Hernandez Adrian , Felker G. Michael , Al‐Khatib Sana , Green Jennifer , Matsouaka Roland , Fonarow Gregg C. , Singh Jagmeet P. , Heidenreich Paul A. , Ezekowitz Justin A. , DeVore Adam
Published: May 2020

Background

There are conflicting data regarding the benefit of primary prevention implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (
ICD
s) in patients with diabetes mellitus and heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction. We aimed to assess the comparative effectiveness of
ICD
placement in patients with diabetes mellitus and HF with reduced ejection fraction.

Methods and Results

Data were obtained from the Get With the Guidelines–Health Failure registry, linked with claims from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. We used a Cox proportional hazards model censored at 5 years with propensity score matching. Of the 17 186 patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services claims database (6540 with diabetes mellitus; 38%), 1677 (646 with diabetes mellitus; 39%) received an
ICD
during their index HF hospitalization or were prescribed an
ICD
at discharge. Patients with diabetes mellitus and an
ICD
(n=646), as compared with those without an
ICD
(n=1031), were more likely to be younger (74 versus 78 years of age) and have coronary artery disease (68% versus 60%). After propensity matching,
ICD
use among patients with diabetes mellitus, as compared with those without an
ICD
, was associated with a reduced risk of all‐cause mortality at 5 years after
HF
discharge (54% versus 59%; multivariable hazard ratio, 0.73; 95%
CI
, 0.64–0.82;
P
<0.0001). Ischemic heart disease did not modify the association between
ICD
use and all‐cause mortality (
P
=0.95 for interaction). Similar results were seen in patients without diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions

Primary prevention
ICD
use among older patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction and diabetes mellitus was associated with a reduced risk of all‐cause mortality. Our analysis supports current guideline recommendations for implantation of primary prevention
ICD
s among older patients with diabetes mellitus and HF with reduced ejection fraction.