Purpose. This study aimed to differentiate patients with bilateral disc cupping associated with suprasellar tumor from patients with open-angle glaucoma by analyzing differences in optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the optic nerve. Methods. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we collected data from the eyes of 25 patients with suprasellar craniopharyngioma or pituitary macroadenomas (group 1) and 35 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (group 2), seen between 2001 and 2015,...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:05
Henoch-Schönlein nephritis or immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis is characterized by purpura, arthralgia, abdominal pain, and glomerulonephritis with glomerular IgA deposition. Notably, the presence of purpura is essential to diagnose this disease. We report the case of a patient in whom proteinuria and haematuria were detected during screening tests and he was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy at 20 years of age. Corticosteroids were administered for 7 years and were subsequently tapered. At 35 years...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:05
Human malaria has arguably affected more of human history than any other pathogen. Pregnant women have a higher risk of developing severe malaria as well as the risk of severe complications. We present a case of severe malaria in a pregnant patient from sub-Saharan Africa who was treated successfully with artesunate. A 28-year-old Nigerian woman with a 20-week intrauterine pregnancy presented with a five-day history of fever and diffuse joint pains. Evaluation of peripheral thin blood smear demonstrated...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:05
Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:05
Goose bone is traditionally used in the treatment of many ailments including in bone fracture. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the subacute toxicity of goose bone in a rat model by investigating some hematological and biochemical parameters in rats. Subsequently, a histopathological study was performed to confirm the presence of pathological lesions in the rat’s vital organs including the liver, kidney, heart, brain, pancreas, lung, spleen, and stomach. Adult Wistar rats were divided...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:05
In the past three decades, about 0.93% of people moved from rural areas to cities per year in China. Therefore, understanding of the relationships among urban physical environment (UPE), economic development, and population growth are significant for China to realize sustainable urban development. Based on the concept and connotation of UPE and ecocity, the UPE evaluation system was constructed containing 6 first-level of indicators (i.e., climate, quality of ambient air and atmosphere, freshwater,...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:05
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are being used for therapeutic developments such as vaccines and drug nanocarriers. Among these, plant virus capsids are gaining interest for the formation of VLPs because they can be safely handled and are noncytotoxic. A paradigm in virology, however, is that plant viruses cannot transfect and deliver directly their genetic material or other cargos into mammalian cells. In this work, we prepared VLPs with the CCMV capsid and the mRNA-EGFP as a cargo and reporter gene....
Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:05
Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a standard treatment for multiple myeloma (MM), but the clinical response and renal curative effect in MM patients with renal failure (RF) remain controversial. The myeloma kidney disease has different types, and most are due to the direct toxic effects of light chain. Although ASCT can effectively clear the light chain, the data of renal function improvement are still limited. We reviewed the published literatures, focusing on the prospective studies,...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 09:05
The diverticulitis is a frequent disease of the gastrointestinal tract. It may lead to a variety of severe complications. In some cases, it has to be surgically treated. Herein, we present a rare case of a 66-year-old man, who suffered from a painful, visible “fist sized” mass of the left lower abdomen. A perforated diverticulitis with abdominal, cutaneous abscesses and destruction of the inguinal canal with mesh dislocation was diagnosed and successfully surgically treated.
Tue Oct 29, 2019 09:05
Proteomic Technology “Lens” for Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Process Identification in Oncology
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex transformation process that induces local and distant progression of many malignant tumours. Due to its complex array of proteins that are dynamically over-/underexpressed during this process, proteomic technologies gained their place in the EMT research in the last years. Proteomics has identified new molecular pathways of this process and brought important insights to develop new therapy targets. Various proteomic tools and multiple combinations...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 08:05
This study is aimed at exploring the levels of peripheral blood circular RNAs (circRNAs) as biomarker candidates for the diagnosis of new-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The selected twenty-two circRNAs in peripheral blood from new-onset RA patients and healthy controls (HC) were determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The levels of hsa_circ_0002715, hsa_circ_0001947, hsa_circ_0000367, and hsa_circ_0035197 were significantly increased in the peripheral...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 08:05
The radiation received by solar cells within photovoltaic modules is lower than that arriving at the module surface. One of the causes of this energy loss is soiling of the module surface. Therefore, the influence of dust adhesion on photovoltaic modules must be studied. In this study, we prepared two tracker systems: a new system and a typical system. During the night, the former can switch to a downward-facing standby state, while the latter assumes an upward-facing standby state. The soiling on...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 07:05
Background/Objectives. Contrary to popular belief, the condition of dementia is not an actual discrete disease, but rather a group of symptoms, most notable of which is the disturbance of memory and social ability, often severe enough to impair daily functioning. As a result, it has been a major cause of functional deterioration among varying populations in the world. This study is aimed at reviewing the epidemiology of dementia in Arab countries in terms of its prevalence, distribution, and risk...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 06:05
The inferior colliculus (IC) is a nucleus of the auditory pathway and its fourth relay station. It integrates afferent information from the superior olivary complex and the cochlear nucleus. To date, no causal therapeutic options are known for damaged neuronal structures in this area. Regenerative medicine offers a potential approach to causally treating hearing impairment. After neural stem cells had been identified in certain areas of the auditory pathway, the question arouses, whether the IC also...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 06:05
Background. Radical gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy is recognized as the standard treatment for resectable advanced gastric cancer. Preoperative fibrinogen and albumin measurements may bring clinical benefits in terms of providing advanced notice of a poor prognosis or recurrence in patients undergoing radical resection. The aim of this study was to identify markers that are predictive of a poor prognosis prior to surgery. Methods. Eight hundred forty-two consecutive patients who underwent curative...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 06:05
Irritant Contact Dermatitis (ICD) is characterized by epidermal hyperplasia and inflammatory cytokine release. IL-6 has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of ICD; however, the involvement of the IL-22/IL-22Rα axis and its relation to IL-6 in the inflammatory response following irritant exposure are unknown. Using a chemical model of ICD, it was observed that mice with a keratinocyte-specific knockout of IL-6Rα (IL-6RαΔker) presented with increased inflammation and IL-22Rα and IL-22 protein...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 04:05
Background. The difference of macrophage-specific interleukin-1 beta (IL-1b) response between latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis (TB) remains less studied. Method. We performed this prospective study and recruited active TB patients, contacts with LTBI, and uninfected contacts. The gene and protein expression of human monocyte-derived macrophage (hMDM) after ex vivo stimulation by early secretory antigenic target-6KD (ESAT-6) and tuberculin purified protein derivatives (PPD)...
Tue Oct 29, 2019 04:05
Background. Nowadays, atmospheric pollutants, ultraviolet rays, and other factors cause the imbalance of cell redox, resulting in skin oxidative damage. There is an interaction between inflammatory response and oxidative stress, which often involve networks of reactions and serve to amplify each other. Quercetin and quercitrin, with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, were widely applied in cardiovascular disease, osteoporsis, pulmonary disease, etc. However, the regulation mechanism...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 20:05
Objectives. To differentiate pituitary adenoma from Rathke cleft cyst in magnetic resonance (MR) scan by combing MR image features with texture features. Methods. A total number of 133 patients were included in this study, 83 with pituitary adenoma and 50 with Rathke cleft cyst. Qualitative MR image features and quantitative texture features were evaluated by using the chi-square tests or Mann–Whitney U test. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate their ability as independent...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 19:05
Mon Oct 28, 2019 19:05
Up to one-third of fertile-age women with severe endometriosis suffer from colonic involvement. Transvaginal ultrasonography has become a first-line diagnostic tool for the study of the pelvis and more specifically for the diagnosis of pelvic endometriosis. Accuracy of pelvic ultrasound for deep endometriosis increases with operator experience, but the difficulties in the differential diagnosis with diseases that can afflict the bowel tract remain a challenge. We reviewed noteworthy cases referred...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 18:05
Accumulating statistics have shown that liver cancer causes the second highest mortality rate of cancer-related deaths worldwide, of which 80% is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Given the underlying molecular mechanism of HCC pathology is not fully understood yet, identification of reliable predictive biomarkers is more applicable to improve patients’ outcomes. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the grouped data from 1557 samples in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) came from...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 18:05
Aims. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of calcium-dependent zinc-containing proteinases acting both physiologically and in pathological conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of MMP-2, MMP-8, and MMP-9 and their inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 of unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) in correlation with the oral health in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) children. Methods. The study population comprised 34 JIA patients and 34 age- and sex-matched controls (C). They...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 17:05
The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the gastric emptying time of a rice-based meal by serial ultrasonography of the stomach. After baseline ultrasonographic assessment of ten fasted healthy volunteers, volunteers ingested standardized 420 g, 536 kcal rice-based meal (bibimbap), and serial evaluations were performed every hour until the stomach became empty. At baseline, all the participants had an empty stomach. The average time of complete gastric emptying of the rice-based meal was...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 16:05
In many countries, soil contamination and lead exposure is a persistent human and environmental health issue, while in others, it is an emerging concern. Defining the extent of lead contamination and assessing human health risk allow for efficient prevention agendas. The different types of land uses delimit the exposure frequency and hence can influence the evaluation of possible threats. In this study, human health risk assessment is performed under different land use scenarios, after determining...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 16:05
The nonlinear grey Bernoulli model, abbreviated as NGBM(1,1), has been successfully applied to control, prediction, and decision-making fields, especially in the prediction of nonlinear small sample time series. However, there are still some problems in improving the prediction accuracy of NGBM(1,1). In this paper, we propose a novel optimized nonlinear grey Bernoulli model for forecasting Chinaʼs GDP. In the new model, the structure and parameters of NGBM(1,1) are optimized simultaneously. Especially,...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 15:05
Distributed rooftop photovoltaic (PV) generators prospered distributed generation (DG) in recent years. Certain randomness of rooftop PV connection may lead to significant PV power imbalance across three phases, especially in low-voltage distribution systems. Due to interphase line coupling, traditional Var compensation methods which typically have competent voltage regulation performance may become less effective in such PV imbalance scenarios. In this paper, the limitation of traditional Var compensation...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 15:05
As a new form of smart grid, the energy transmission mode of the Energy Internet (EI) has changed from one direction to the interconnected form. Centralized scheduling of traditional power grids has the problems of low communication efficiency and low system resilience, which do not contribute to long-term development in the future. Owing to the fact that it is difficult to achieve an optimal operation for centralized control, we propose a decentralized energy flow control framework for regional...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 14:05
Background. Ashy dermatosis (AD) and lichen planus pigmentosus (LPP) are both acquired macular pigmentation of uncertain aetiology. Despite the controversy surrounding their entities, recent global consensus has concluded that they are 2 different diseases with distinct clinical presentations. Nevertheless, there are limited data on their histopathological comparisons. Objective. To evaluate the differences in histopathological findings between AD and LPP. Methods. Electronic records and photographs...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 13:05
Simulation and Sensitivity Analysis of Molybdenum Disulfide Nanoparticle Production Using Aspen Plus
The sensitivity analysis of molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles synthesis process is studied using Aspen Plus with the aim of investigating the effect of reactants’ amounts on the production of molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles. The adopted approach consists in simulating the synthesis process based on experimental data, obtained at laboratory scale followed by sensitivity analysis with respect to the following precursors: ammonium heptamolybdate, elemental sulfur, and hydrazine used as a reducing...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:05
Based on the NCEP/NCAR daily reanalysis product, NOAA monthly sea surface temperature (SST) dataset, and daily precipitation data collected at observational stations provided by Meteorological Information Center of China Meteorological Administration, the present study analyzes characteristic circulation anomalies conducive to regional extreme daily precipitation in the summer over Northeast China. Results indicate that 26 extreme precipitation events occurred during the 36-year period of 1979–2014....
Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:05
The topics of memristive system and synchronization are two hot fields of research in nonlinear dynamics. In this paper, we introduce a memristor-based chaotic system with no equilibrium. It is found that the memristor-based system under investigation exhibits fruitful dynamic behaviors such as coexisting bifurcation, multistability, transient chaos, and transient quasiperiod. Thus, it is difficult to reproduce the accurate dynamics of the system, which is highly advantageous in encryption and communication....
Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:05
Input and state constraints widely exist in chemical processes. The optimal control of chemical processes under the coexistence of inequality constraints on input and state is challenging, especially when the process model is only partially known. The objective of this paper is to design an applicable optimal control for chemical processes with known model structure and unknown model parameters. To eliminate the barriers caused by the hybrid constraints and unknown model parameters, the inequality...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:05
The associations between milk intake frequency and milk fat consumption and telomere length, an index of biological aging, were studied using an NHANES sample of 5,834 U.S. adults and a cross-sectional design. The milk consumption variables were assessed with the NHANES Diet Behavior and Nutrition questionnaire. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction method was used to measure leukocyte telomere length. Results showed that milk consumption frequency was not related to telomere length; however,...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:05
Background. Our previous study of pulmonary function in 34 patients with early breast cancer without preexisting lung disease showed that anthracycline- and taxane-based adjuvant dose-dense chemotherapy (DDC) caused a significant 16.4% mean reduction in carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO). The present study reports the pulmonary and oncological outcomes of these patients on long-term follow-up. Patients and methods. The primary endpoint was DLCO measured by the pulmonary function test (PFT)...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:05
A hybrid model based on the geometrical optics and physical optics (GO-PO) method and facet-based asymptotical model (FBAM) for the composite EM scattering from sea surface with ship has been previously developed. But, the GO-PO method faces a difficult problem that the lower efficiency in testing the visibility of patches to the incident and reflected waves. Hence, to improve the computation efficiency of the GO-PO method, a kd-tree accelerated hybrid model is presented in this paper. The kd-tree...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:05
Previous urban traffic network-based studies have been based mostly on single-layer networks. Based on their shortcomings, starting from the perspective of a multilayer urban traffic network, this paper takes the different anticongestion abilities and network characteristics of various network structures under the condition of traffic congestion as the research object. Then, a comparative experiment is performed via simulation, and the optimal multilayer urban traffic network topology is obtained...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:05
Acute appendicitis is the most frequent surgical abdominal emergency, but its etiology remains poorly understood. Histological examination of the appendix, following its removal due to acute appendicitis, consistently shows features in common with bronchial asthma, suggesting an allergic reaction as a candidate etiologic factor. Here, we propose the concept of appendicular lavage and use it to study the levels of the Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-9 in patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 10:05
STAT3 is a nuclear transcription factor that regulates genes involved in cell cycle, cell survival, and immune response. Although STAT3 activation drives cells to physiological response, its deregulation is often associated with the development and progression of many solid and hematological tumors as well as with drug resistance. STAT3 is a redox-sensitive protein, and its activation state is related to intracellular GSH levels. Under oxidative conditions, STAT3 activity is regulated by S-glutathionylation,...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 09:05
Aims. Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is put forward as a powerful marker showing the accumulation of visceral fat. The present study is aimed at (i) analyzing the predictive performances of LAP in the identification of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in Chinese population and (ii) exploring the potentially interactive effect between LAP and other factors on IFG risk. Methods. Analysis was conducted on the data obtained from a community-based cross-sectional survey in Chinese population, and all...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 09:05
Mon Oct 28, 2019 09:05
Background/Objectives. Carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA1)/kininogen and selenoprotein W (SelW)/14-3-3η signal transduction orchestrate oxidative stress, which can also be regulated by nitric oxide (NO). The mutated caveolin-1 (Cav-1F92A) gene may enhance NO production. This study explored the effect of Cav-1F92A-modified rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSC/Cav-1F92A) on oxidative stress regulation through CA1/kininogen and SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction in a rat model of monocrotaline- (MCT-)...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 08:05
With the intensive study of machine learning in digital watermarking, its ability to balance the robustness and transparency of watermarking technology has attracted researchers’ attention. Therefore, quantum genetic algorithm, which serves as an intelligent optimized scheme combined with biological genetic mechanism and quantum computing, is widely used in various fields. In this study, an adaptive robust blind watermarking algorithm by means of optimized quantum genetics (OQGA) and entropy classification-based...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 08:05
Aims/Introduction. This study is aimed at (1) investigating the change of β-cell dysfunction as baseline fasting glucose progresses in newly diagnosed patients with T2DM and (2) finding whether body mass index (BMI) has different degrees of impact on insulin secretion as baseline fasting glucose progresses. Materials and Methods. 661 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were enrolled in the present study. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was used to calculate HOMA-β, HOMA-IR, early-phase insulin...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 08:05
Background. In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and poor glycemic control receiving metformin (MET), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are recommended as the adjunctive therapy. However, there are only a few studies involving the comparative effects of exenatide twice a day (EXBID) and exenatide once weekly (EXQW) on HOMA-β. This meta assessed the comparative effects of EXQW and EXBID on HOMA-β among T2DM patients. Materials and Methods. PubMed, Cochrane Library,...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 08:05
Background and Aims. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are linked to amputations and premature deaths. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been used for DFUs. The mechanism of NPWT’s action may be associated with its influence on circulating molecules. We assessed NPWT’s effect on the plasma levels of angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), a key regulator of angiogenesis, and its microvesicular receptors (Tie2) as well as the microvesicles (MVs) themselves in DFU patients. Materials and Methods. We included 69...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 08:05
Silk sericin (SS) from the Bombyx mori silk cocoons has received much attention from biomedical scientists due to its outstanding properties, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, UV-resistant, and ability to release moisturizing factors. Unmodified SS does not self-assemble strongly enough to be used as a hydrogel wound dressing. Therefore, there is a need for suitable stabilization techniques to interlink the SS peptide chains or strengthen their structural cohesion. Here, we reported a method to...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 07:05
The injection of supercritical carbon dioxide (Sc-CO2) into coal seams remarkably changes the physical-chemical structures of coal mass and thereby improves coal mechanical properties. In this study, a series of unconfined and triaxial compressive strength tests were performed on anthracite coal samples under the pressure of 8 MPa at the temperature of 35°C for 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Besides, experiments with longer Sc-CO2 treatment time were carried out on coal mass without stress constraint...
Mon Oct 28, 2019 07:05
Background. Ultrasound estimation of fetal weight at term provides vital information for the skilled birth attendants to make decisions on the possible best route of delivery of the fetus. This is more pertinent in a setting where women book late for antenatal care. Aim and Objectives. The study evaluated the accuracy of estimation of fetal weight with ultrasound machine at term. Methods. This was a cross sectional study conducted at a private specialist hospital in Nigeria. A coded questionnaire...
Sun Oct 27, 2019 15:05
Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS) occurs as a pathological entity that may be classified into four different types: classic, endemic, epidemic, and iatrogenic. It can arise among HIV-positive subjects or within immunosuppression, yet exceptionally of tuberculous origin. We describe a new case report of an HIV-negative patient, manifesting Kaposi’s disease in the course of tuberculosis, with the aim to assess this uncommon disorder and to outline this rare atypical association.
Sun Oct 27, 2019 15:05
A novel adaptive tracking control scheme is proposed for a class of uncertain nonlinear switched systems with perturbations in this paper. The common Lyapunov function method is introduced to handle the switched system in the design process of the desired adaptive controller. In addition, a dynamic surface control method is proposed by employing a nonlinear filter such that the “explosion of complexity” problem existing in the conventional backstepping design can be overcome. Under the presented...
Sun Oct 27, 2019 15:05
As a kind of hyperelastic material, rubber can be mixed into mortar (or concrete) to improve the anticracking ability and ductility of concrete. The mixture of rubber can change the internal structure of concrete through physical interaction, without changing the chemical properties of each component in the mortar (or concrete). But since the apparent density of rubber is far less than the density of cement-based materials, rubber particles are likely to separate from cement-based materials in the...
Sun Oct 27, 2019 15:05
The intuitionistic fuzzy calculus (IFC), based on the basic operational laws of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs), has been put forward. However, the interval-valued IFC (IVIFC), based on the basic operational laws of interval-valued IFNs (IVIFNs), is only in the original stage. To further develop the theory of the IVIFC and make it be rigorous, the primary task is to systematically investigate the characteristics of the limits and differentials, which is a foundation of the IVIFC. Moreover, there...
Sun Oct 27, 2019 15:05
This article is concerned with a class of singular nonlinear fractional boundary value problems with p-Laplacian operator, which contains Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative and Caputo fractional derivative. The boundary conditions are made up of two kinds of Riemann–Stieltjes integral boundary conditions and nonlocal infinite-point boundary conditions, and different fractional orders are involved in the boundary conditions and the nonlinear term, respectively. Based on the method of reducing...
Sun Oct 27, 2019 15:05
It is well known in the literature studies that the theoretical time-optimal control of boost converters can be achieved using switching surfaces based on the converter’s natural state trajectories. However, this method has two important drawbacks: First, the transient current peak of the time-optimal controller is far beyond the current limitations of related circuit elements in many practical cases. Second, switching based on the converter’s natural trajectories has high computational complexity...
Sun Oct 27, 2019 15:05
Many famous attacks take web browsers as transmission channels to make the target computer infected by malwares, such as watering hole and domain name hijacking. In order to protect the data transmission, the SSL/TLS protocol has been widely used to defeat various hijacking attacks. However, the existence of such encryption protection makes the security software and devices confront with the difficulty of analyzing the encrypted malicious traffic at endpoints. In order to better solve this kind of...
Sun Oct 27, 2019 15:05
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