bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of fractional probability distributions on statistics of hydraulic conductivity, dynamics of groundwater flow and solute transport at a low‐permeability site
Authors: Lu Chengpeng , Qin Wei , Huang Ching‐Sheng , Zhang Yong , Ealotswe Tema Koketso 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe fractional Brownian motion (fBm) and fractional Lévy motion (fLm) can easily describe the geometry and the statistical structure of hydraulic conductivity (K) for real‐world. However, the fBm and fLm models have not been systematically evaluated when building the K field for a low‐permeability site. In this study, both the fBm and fLm are used to simulate the low‐K field at NingCheGu (NCG), Tianjin, China. Groundwater flow and solute transport are then computed using MODFLOW and MT3DMS, respectively, and the influence of the fBm/fLm models for K on groundwater flow and solute transport is discussed. Results show that the fLm fits better the statistics of the low‐K medium than fBm, and the random logarithmic K (LnK) field generated by fLm is more stable because the resultant LnK field captures more of the measured properties at the field site than that generated by fBm. In contrast, the LnK generated by fBm is more likely to form both high‐K channels and low‐K barriers. The fBm therefore predicts more extreme behaviours in flow and transport, including the preferential flow, low‐concentration blocks and solute retention. The overall groundwater renewal period and solute travel time for the fLm simulation are slightly shorter than those for fBm. The impacts of the fLm and fBm models on the statistics of the resultant LnK fields and the dynamics of groundwater flow and solute transport revealed by this study shed light on the selection and evaluation of the fractional probability distribution models in capturing the K fields for low‐K media.
Understanding the creator's intention helps 24‐ and 26‐month‐olds use picture mediated information as a guide for action
Authors: Szalai Gerda , Egyed Katalin 
Published: July 2020

AbstractToddlers show high sensitivity to creator's intention when they interpret pictures. Previous research suggest that toddlers' performance can be facilitated in a picture comprehension task by making available the creator's intention that is, the social origin of picture‐creation. The present study aims to test the generalizability of this facilitative effect in two very young age groups (24‐ and 26‐month‐olds). In order to test how toddlers generalize their knowledge, we introduced a treatment in which the creator was intentionally drawing objects and a completely different test context with a retrieval task. The results suggest that two‐year‐olds can transfer their socially mediated knowledge of pictures to a novel problem solving test situation and contextualize pictures that does not contain any social cues.Highlights
We aimed to facilitate picture comprehension and to test the generalizability of this facilitative effect in two age groups.
We introduced a treatment in which the creator was intentionally drawing and a different test context with a retrieval task.
Two‐year‐olds can transfer their socially mediated knowledge of pictures to a novel problem solving test situation without any social cues.
Political economy of Islamic banking growth: Does political regime and institutions, governance and political risks matter?
Authors: Asutay Mehmet , Mohd Sidek Noor Zahirah 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThis article explores the political economy of Islamic banking by examining the impact of political regime types, institutional environment, government and political risk on the development of Islamic banking proxied by financing or loan growth in the case of 16 Muslims majority countries with autocratic and democratic regimes over the period of 2000–2013. The performance of Islamic banking loan growth is examined from three different perspectives—political regime and institutions, governance and political risks in both regime settings. Results suggest that loan growth is positive and significant in democratic regimes where political and civil rights are predominant. In addition, loan growths are slower during election years but higher throughout pre‐election year in democratic regimes, suggesting the opportunistic behaviour of incumbent government artificially boosting the economy in preparation for the upcoming election. It is also found that the good quality of public services, policy formulation and implementation, and credibility of government's commitment to realizing the policies are vital in ensuring positive loan growth. The lack of differences in the reaction of loan growth to the governance in democratic and autocratic regimes shows some convergence in the regimes despite having significantly different political perspective. This implies that political commitment of the ruling government is vital to set forth a strong and robust Islamic banking standing regardless of its political standpoint.
Brain delivery of antidotes by polymeric nanoparticles
Authors: Manek Eniko , Petroianu Georg A. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractAccidental intoxications from environmental pollutants, as well as intentional self‐ and chemical warfare‐related poisonings affect millions of people worldwide each year. While many toxic agents can readily enter the central nervous system (CNS), the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) prevents the brain uptake of most pharmaceuticals. Consequently, poisoning antidotes usually cannot reach their site of action in the CNS in therapeutically relevant concentrations, and thus only provide effective protection to the peripheral nervous system. This limitation can be overcome by encapsulating the antidotes in nanoparticles (NP), which can enhance their CNS accumulation without damaging the integrity of the BBB. Among nanocarriers, polymer‐based drug delivery systems exhibit remarkable benefits, such as bioavailability, cell uptake and tissue retention. Furthermore, due to their capacity to mask unfavorable physicochemical properties of cargo drugs, polymeric NPs were able to improve BBB transport of various pharmaceuticals. However, while polymer NP‐mediated treatment of various pathological brain conditions, such as glioma and Alzheimer's disease were exhaustively studied, the application of polymeric nanocarriers for brain‐targeted delivery of antidote molecules has not been adequately examined. To display its therapeutic potential, we review the state of the art of polymer NP‐assisted CNS delivery of antidotes for various poisonings, including heavy metal and organophosphorus intoxications.
Relationship between urinary β2‐microglobulin concentration and mortality in a cadmium‐polluted area in Japan: A 35‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Sakurai Masaru , Suwazono Yasushi , Nishijo Muneko , Nogawa Kazuhiro , Watanabe Yuuka , Ishizaki Masao , Morikawa Yuko , Kido Teruhiko , Nakagawa Hideaki 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe relationship between urinary β2‐microglobulin (β2‐MG) and the risk of all‐cause mortality and cause‐specific mortality in a cadmium (Cd)‐polluted area was investigated in 3139 inhabitants (1404 men and 1735 women) of the Kakehashi River basin in Japan at 35‐year follow‐up. The subjects had been participants in the 1981–1982 health impact survey that assessed Cd‐induced renal dysfunction, as measured by the urinary β2‐MG concentration. Hazard ratios were calculated to assess the risk of all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality according to the urinary β2‐MG concentrations. Risk ratios (RRs) were assessed using the Fine and Gray regression model to account for competing risks of cause‐specific mortality. The mortality rate was significantly higher in participants with urinary β2‐MG concentrations >1000 μg/g creatinine (Cr) for men and >300 μg/g Cr for women. In the proportional hazard model, higher urinary β2‐MG concentrations were associated with higher risks of circulatory disease, digestive system diseases, and kidney and urinary tract diseases in men and women, and with senility for women. However, when competing risk was accounted for, the RRs were significantly higher only for kidney and urinary tract diseases in men and women (RR for each increment of 1000 μg/g Cr [95% confidence interval]: 1.02 [1.00–1.04] for men, and 1.01 [1.00–1.02] for women). The long‐term prognosis of participants with renal tubular dysfunction was poor, most likely due to kidney and renal tract diseases.
Evaluation of the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, monocyte‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, and red cell distribution width for the prediction of prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus‐related decompensated cirrhosis
Authors: Li XinKe , Wu JianPing , Mao WeiLin 
Published: July 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe development and progression of hepatitis B virus‐related decompensated cirrhosis (DeCi) is associated with inflammatory responses. The monocyte‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and red cell distribution width (RDW) are well‐known inflammation markers. We aimed to assess the utility of these parameters for predicating the prognosis of patients with HBV‐DeCi.MethodsWe retrospectively recruited 174 patients diagnosed with HBV‐DeCi. Univariate and multivariate regression models were used to determine risk factors for mortality. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to estimate and compare the predictive values of the three parameters. Hepatic function was evaluated using the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score.ResultsThe NLR, RDW, and MLR were found to be significantly higher in patients who did not survive compared with surviving patients. Moreover, these variables were all able to predict early poor outcomes in patients with HBV‐DeCi, with NLR exhibiting the highest accuracy. Furthermore, a combination of the NLR and MELD score was a more accurate prognostic marker for predicting mortality than either marker alone in such patients.ConclusionsHematological parameters can provide prognostic information for patients with HBV‐DeCi. Routine assessment of these parameters at admission may provide valuable data to complement other conventional measures for assessing disease condition in patients with HBV‐DeCi.
circNFATC3 sponges miR‐548I acts as a ceRNA to protect NFATC3 itself and suppressed hepatocellular carcinoma progression
Authors: Jia Changchang , Yao Zhicheng , Lin Zexiao , Zhao Liyun , Cai Xiurong , Chen Shaohong , Deng Meihai , Zhang Qi 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCircular RNAs (circRNA) have been reported as regulators involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but their mechanism of activity remains unknown. This study performed quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction to determine if circNFATC3 was downregulated in 46 paired HCC tissues and cell lines. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide, apoptotic, and transwell assay proved that circNFATC3 can inhibit hepatoma cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration/invasion in vitro. Mouse xenograft assay demonstrated that circNFATC3 suppressed tumor size and weight and reduced lung metastasis in vivo, and vice versa. The RNA‐seq results showed that NFATC3 itself was the most significantly differentially expressed gene when circNFATC3 was manipulated, and bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays verified circNFATC3 regulated the expression of NFATC3 by interacting with the hsa‐miR‐548I. Additionally, it was also indicated that the level of NFATC3 was downregulated in HCC patients also and was significantly correlated with the staging and prognosis of HCC. Moreover, both circNFATC3 and NFATC3 were shown to inhibit the phosphorylation of JNK, c‐Jun, AKT, and mTOR signaling pathways. Overall, the circNFATC3 can sponge miR‐548I to protect NFATC3 itself, then it regulates hepatoma cell function via the JNK, c‐Jun, AKT, and mTOR signaling pathways, and the circNFATC3 can be a tumor‐repressor on HCC.
Population Pharmacokinetics and Exposure‐Response Analyses for the Most Frequent Adverse Events Following Treatment With Lemborexant, an Orexin Receptor Antagonist, in Subjects With Insomnia Disorder
Authors: Lalovic Bojan , Majid Oneeb , Aluri Jagadeesh , Landry Ishani , Moline Margaret , Hussein Ziad 
Published: July 2020

AbstractLemborexant is a novel orexin receptor antagonist approved in the United States and Japan for the treatment of insomnia. This article describes the population pharmacokinetics (PK) of lemborexant and the relationship of its daily steady‐state exposure (Cav,ss) to the probability of most frequent treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs). The 12 230‐observation, 1892‐subject PK data set included data from 12 clinical studies with predominantly female subjects (66%) ranging in age from 18 to 88 years and from 37 to 168 kg in body weight. The 1664‐subject exposure‐response data set included data from 3 late‐stage studies. Lemborexant pharmacokinetics were described by a 3‐compartment model with combined first‐ and zero‐order absorption with lag time and linear elimination. Oral clearance decreased with increasing body mass index (exponent, −0.428), increasing alkaline phosphatase levels (exponent, −0.118), and was 26% lower in the elderly (≥65 years). Across the adverse event analysis, the frequency of subjects experiencing TEAEs during active treatment ranged from approximately 3% to 8%, in the range estimated for placebo. With and without adjustment for age, lemborexant exposure (Cav,ss) was not a clinically meaningful linear predictor of the probability of specific TEAEs: somnolence, nasopharyngitis, flu/influenza, urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection, or headache. Given the small effect sizes of covariates of the PK model and a low degree of association of lemborexant TEAEs and exposure over the range of phase 3 (therapeutic) 5‐ and 10‐mg doses, lemborexant can be safely administered without the need for dose adjustment.
Zip product of graphs and crossing numbers
Authors: Ouyang Zhangdong , Huang Yuanqiu , Dong Fengming , Tay Eng Guan 
Published: July 2020

AbstractD. Bokal proved that the crossing number is additive for the zip product under the condition of having two coherent bundles in the zipped graphs. This property is very effective when dealing with the crossing numbers of (capped) Cartesian product of trees with graphs containing a dominating vertex. In this paper, we first prove that the crossing number is still additive for the zip product under a weaker condition. Based on the new condition, we then establish some general expressions for bounding the crossing numbers of (capped) Cartesian product of trees with graphs (possibly without dominating vertex). Exact values of the crossing numbers of Cartesian product of trees with most graphs of order at most five are obtained by applying these expressions, which extend some previous results due to M. Klešč. In fact, our results can also be applied to deal with Cartesian product of trees with graphs of order more than five.
Systematic review and meta‐analysis of effectiveness of treatment options against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection
Authors: Thoguluva Chandrasekar Viveksandeep , Venkatesalu Bhanuprasad , Patel Harsh K. , Spadaccini Marco , Manteuffel Jacob , Ramesh Mayur 
Published: July 2020

AbstractTreatment options for severe acute respiratory syndrome‐related coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) are limited with no clarity on efficacy and safety profiles. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies on patients ≥18 years reporting data on therapeutic interventions in SARS‐CoV‐2. Primary outcome was all‐cause mortality and secondary outcomes were rates of mechanical ventilation, viral clearance, adverse events, discharge, and progression to severe disease. Pooled rates and odds ratios (OR) were calculated. Twenty‐nine studies with 5207 patients were included. Pooled all‐cause mortality in intervention arm was 12.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.1%‐17.4%). Mortality was significantly higher for studies using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for intervention (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 0.97‐1.89). Adverse events were also higher in HCQ subgroup (OR: 3.88; 95% CI: 1.60‐9.45). There was no difference in other secondary outcomes. There is a need for well‐designed randomized clinical trials for further investigation of every therapeutic intervention for further insight into different therapeutic options.
Analytical and clinical validation of an ELISA for specific SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies
Authors: Tré‐Hardy Marie , Wilmet Alain , Beukinga Ingrid , Favresse Julien , Dogné Jean‐Michel , Douxfils Jonathan , Blairon Laurent 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe development of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) serological tests is massive. The external validation of their performance is needed before use in clinical routine practice. Our study aims at assessing the analytical and clinical performance of two enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay tests detecting antibodies directed against the virus nucleocapsid protein: The NovaLisa SARS‐CoV‐2 immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and immunoglobulin M (IgM) test (NovaTec) allowing a separate detection of each antibody and the Platelia SARS‐CoV‐2 Total Ab test (Bio‐Rad) detecting total antibodies (IgM, IgA, and IgG). Two‐hundred and eight coronavirus disease 2019 samples from 48 quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) confirmed patients were used to perform the sensitivity analysis. Non‐SARS‐CoV‐2 sera (n = 79) with a potential cross‐reaction to SARS‐CoV‐2 immunoassays were included in the specificity analysis. In addition, using receiver operator characteristic curves, adapted cut‐off for improvement of the performances were proposed. The kinetics of these antibodies was also assessed over 8 weeks. Two weeks after the RT‐qPCR positive detection, the NovaLisa test shows a sensitivity and specificity of 94.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 83.1%‐98.6%) and 96.2% (95% CI: 89.4%‐98.7%) for IgG, of 89.7% (95% CI: 76.4%‐95.9%) and 98.7% (95% CI: 93.2%‐98.8%) for IgA, and of 48.7% (95% CI: 33.9%‐63.8%) and 98.7% (95% CI: 93.2%‐99.8%) for IgM. With the Platelia system, the specificity and sensitivity were 97.4% (95% CI: 92.1%‐99.7%) and 94.9% (95% CI: 87.7%‐98.0%) for total antibodies using the adapted cut‐offs. The NovaLisa and the Platelia tests have satisfactory analytical performances. The clinical performances are excellent for IgG, IgA, and total antibodies especially if the cut‐off is optimized.
Wideband inductorless transimpedance amplifier using capacitive degeneration and negative capacitance
Authors: Singh Preeti , Gupta Maneesha 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThis paper presents a new wideband inductorless CMOS transimpedance amplifier (TIA) for 10Gb/s applications. In this proposed TIA, inverter‐based common‐drain active feedback topology is modified by introducing a cascode transistor to reduce input impedance. Furthermore, capacitive degeneration and negative capacitance techniques are employed by using a single capacitor. Both techniques extend the bandwidth. Mathematical analysis of the proposed TIA has been done using the small signal model to describe bandwidth extension. To verify the theoretical description, the proposed TIA is simulated using TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS technology at 1.8 V power supply with 4.3 mW power consumption. The input photodiode capacitance is 0.25 pF. Simulation results show the transimpedance gain of 51.4 dBΩ and 7.6 GHz bandwidth. The input noise current spectral density is 27 pA/√Hz.
Mitigation of drought stress in rice crop with plant growth‐promoting abiotic stress‐tolerant rice phyllosphere bacteria
Authors: Arun K. Devarajan , Sabarinathan Kuttalingam G. , Gomathy Muthukrishnan , Kannan Rengasamy , Balachandar Dananjeyan 
Published: July 2020

AbstractIn the search of effective drought‐alleviating and growth‐promoting phyllosphere bacteria, a total of 44 bacterial isolates were isolated from the leaf surface of drought‐tolerant rice varieties, Mattaikar, Nootripattu, Anna R(4), and PMK3, and screened for their abiotic stress tolerance by subjecting their growth medium to temperature, salinity, and osmotic stress. Only eight isolates were found to grow and proliferate under different abiotic stress conditions. These isolates were identified using 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequence and submitted to the NCBI database. All the bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus sp., except PB24, which was identified as Staphylococcus sp., and these isolates were further screened for plant growth‐promoting (PGP) traits such as IAA production, GA production, ACC deaminase activity, and exopolysaccharide production under three different osmotic stress conditions adjusted using polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). Additionally, mineral solubilization was measured under the normal condition. Bacillus endophyticus PB3, Bacillus altitudinis PB46, and Bacillus megaterium PB50 were found to have multifarious PGP traits. Consecutively, the performance of an individual strain to improve the plant growth was investigated under the osmotic stress (25% PEG 6000) and nonstress condition by inoculating them into rice seeds using hydroponics culture. Furthermore, the drought‐alleviating potency of bacterial strains was assessed in the rice plants using pot experiment (−1.2 MPa) through bacterial foliar application during the reproductive stage. Finally, as a result of seed inoculation and foliar spray, the application of B. megaterium PB50 significantly improved the plant growth under osmotic stress, protected plants from physical drought through stomatal closure, and improved carotenoid, total soluble sugars, and total protein content. Metabolites of PB50 were profiled under both stress and nonstress conditions using gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy.
Single centre 30‐year experience in treating retroperitoneal liposarcomas
Authors: Homsy Pauliina , Heiskanen Ilkka , Sampo Mika , Rönty Mikko , Tukiainen Erkki , Blomqvist Carl 
Published: July 2020

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesLiposarcomas form a diverse group of tumors that represent the majority of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas. Radical excision of these retroperitoneal liposarcomas is often challenging due to their large size and proximity to visceral organs and major vessels. Here we present the 30‐year experience of our multidisciplinary sarcoma team in the treatment of these tumors and analysis of factors influencing survival.MethodsPatients with retroperitoneal liposarcomas treated in Helsinki University Hospital from 1987 to 2017 were reviewed. Local recurrence‐free survival, metastases‐free survival, and disease‐specific survival were assessed with Kaplan‐Meier analysis, and factors influencing survival were evaluated with Cox regression.ResultsA total of 107 patients were identified. The median follow‐up time was 5.4 years (interquartile range: 2.2‐8.8 years). Local recurrence developed in 72% and metastases in 15% during follow‐up. The 5‐year disease‐free survival was 31% and disease‐specific survival was 66%. The multifactorial analysis revealed histological type and grade as predictors of disease‐specific survival (P < .01) while multifocality carried a poor prognosis for local recurrence (P = .02) and higher histological grade for metastases (P < .01).ConclusionsRetroperitoneal liposarcomas rarely metastasize but tend to recur locally. For tumors that have been resected with macroscopically clear margins, histological, type, and grade are significant predictors of survival.
Attitudes toward wildlife: The impact of physical attractiveness
Authors: Harnish Richard J. , Nataraajan Rajan 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe current research examined whether perceived physical attractiveness of a species impacted participants' attitudes toward supporting and protecting the species. A sample of undergraduate students attending a public university located in the northeast United States were surveyed. Results indicated that across and within species the physically attractive animal received more support for protection than did the physically unattractive animal. Results are discussed in terms of perceptual and cognitive fluency.