bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effective Patient-Physician Communication Based on Osteopathic Philosophy in Caring for Elderly Patients
Authors: Noll Donald R. , Ginsberg Terrie , Elahi Abdul , Cavalieri Thomas A.
Published: January 2016

The objective of this article is to discuss effective communication strategies between elderly patients and their physicians from the perspective of osteopathic heritage. The patient-physician communication styles of Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO, and early osteopathic physicians (ie, DOs) may have influenced how DOs today communicate with their patients. Historical literature describes how Still would discuss with his patients the causes of their health problems using analogies and language they would understand, and how, when caring for a patient at the end of life, he empathically provided emotional support for both patients and their families. Early DOs advocated setting clear expectations for patients regarding clinical outcomes and carefully listening to patients to build trust. The Osteopathic Oath, which calls for the DO to view the patient as a friend, may also affect patient-physician communication. Early osteopathic philosophy and culture, as modeled by Dr Still in his approach to elderly patients, should inspire today’s DOs in their communication with their elderly patients.
Management of Acute Isolated Soleal Vein Thrombosis in a Pregnant Patient With an Osteopathic Approach to Evaluation
Authors: Martingano Daniel , Eisenberg Justin , Aglialoro George C.
Published: January 2016

In pregnant women, the risk of venous thromboembolism increases 4 to 5 fold over that in nonpregnant women. Deep vein thromboses in the calf occur in approximately 6% of cases, with a 20% incidence of propagation, but new imaging methods suggest a higher rate. Nevertheless, the management of isolated soleal vein thrombosis is currently one of the most debated issues in the field of venous thromboembolism, and a clear set of principles for the management of this unique clinical problem remains undefined. The authors present the case of a 37-year-old woman with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortions and cervical insufficiency who presented with a short cervix and acute right isolated soleal vein thrombosis. Long-term anticoagulantion therapy was recommended. Future studies on the risk of isolated soleal vein thrombosis propagation in the setting of pregnancy are required to identify the most effective treatment options for this clinical problem.
Determining the Feasibility of Managing Erectile Dysfunction in Humans With Placental-Derived Stem Cells
Authors: Levy Jason A. , Marchand Melissa , Iorio Leanne , Cassini Walquiria , Zahalsky Michael P.
Published: January 2016

Introduction: Stem cell therapy is thought to improve wound healing and promote vasculogenesis and has also been investigated as a treatment for patients with erectile dysfunction (ED), which is usually caused by a microvascular disease such as diabetes mellitus or hypertension.

Objective: To determine the feasibility and effects of using placental matrix−derived mesenchymal stem cells (PM-MSCs) in the treatment of patients with ED.

Methods: Participants were recruited from a private practice urology in Coral Springs, Florida. Each patient received an injection of PM-MSCs and was followed up with at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months to assess peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity, stretched penile length, penile width, and erectile function status based on the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire.

Results: Eight patients were injected with PM-MSCs. At the 6-week follow-up, PSV ranged from 25.5 cm/s to 56.5 cm/s; at 3 months, PSV ranged from 32.5 cm/s to 66.7 cm/s. Using unpaired t tests, the increase in PSV was statistically significant (P<.05). At 6 months, PSV ranged from 50.7 cm/s to 73.9 cm/s (P<.01). Changes in measured end diastolic velocity, stretched penile length, penile width, and International Index of Erectile Function scores were not statistically significant. At the 6-week follow-up, 2 patients for whom previous oral therapies failed had the ability to sustain erections on their own. At the 3-month follow-up, 1 additional patient was able to achieve erections on his own.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is one of the first human studies to report on the feasibility of using stem cell therapy to treat patients with ED. The results indicate that this treatment may be beneficial, and further investigations with larger sample sizes should be conducted. (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02398370)
Impact of coastline‐intensive anthropogenic activities on the atmosphere from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data in Dubai (2001–2014)
Authors: Elhacham Emily , Alpert Pinhas
Published: January 2016

This paper illustrates the potential impact of large or the largest anthropogenic surface activities on the future of Earth's near‐surface climate due to constructions performed in Dubai within just about 14 years. Dubai's massive constructions in the outstanding form of both artificial islands and coastal urbanization areas during 2001–2014 are rated among the top global growth rates. While earlier studies in the Dubai area focused mainly either on the sea or the land impacts, here, we examine the atmospheric dynamic effects in an extended area including both land and sea. Temperature increases along with albedo decreases were observed in most recently urbanized areas, while the opposite occurred over the big artificial islands, all based on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer data. Temperature changes in both land and sea are also associated through the coastal breezes with humidity and wind speed changes that are analyzed against several meteorological stations. Surface observations show humidity increases in all stations, while the wind speed changes are varying between the different stations.
Observation of continuous microseismic P waves in Asia
Authors: Sheen Dong‐Hoon , Shin Jin Soo
Published: January 2016

We investigate the characteristics of spectral peaks at a frequency of around 0.2 Hz in the double‐frequency microseismic band. During the Northern Hemisphere winter, these peaks are clearly and very persistently observed for several months at most seismic stations in Asia. Polarization analysis shows that this energy consistently propagates from a certain direction toward the Pacific Ocean. Using the rectilinearity and phase difference between the vertical and radial motions, we discriminate these peaks from typical Rayleigh wave microseisms that are locally generated and aperiodically continue for several days. A frequency‐wave number (FK) analysis of the seismic array indicated that the peaks propagated with velocities typical of mantle phases, which implies that these peaks are microseismic P waves. Backprojection of the FK results and triangulation of back azimuths from individual seismic stations in Asia showed that these microseismic P waves were probably generated near the northern center of the Pacific, which accords well with previous observations. This suggests that microseismic P waves generated in the North Pacific can be identified easily even at individual seismic stations in interior continental Asia. Therefore, these stations will provide more information for characterizing global storm behavior.
Fault segmentation: New concepts from the Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah, USA
Authors: DuRoss Christopher B. , Personius Stephen F. , Crone Anthony J. , Olig Susan S. , Hylland Michael D. , Lund William R. , Schwartz David P.
Published: January 2016

The question of whether structural segment boundaries along multisegment normal faults such as the Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) act as persistent barriers to rupture is critical to seismic hazard analyses. We synthesized late Holocene paleoseismic data from 20 trench sites along the central WFZ to evaluate earthquake rupture length and fault segmentation. For the youngest (<3 ka) and best‐constrained earthquakes, differences in earthquake timing across prominent primary segment boundaries, especially for the most recent earthquakes on the north‐central WFZ, are consistent with segment‐controlled ruptures. However, broadly constrained earthquake times, dissimilar event times along the segments, the presence of smaller‐scale (subsegment) boundaries, and areas of complex faulting permit partial‐segment and multisegment (e.g., spillover) ruptures that are shorter (~20–40 km) or longer (~60–100 km) than the primary segment lengths (35–59 km). We report a segmented WFZ model that includes 24 earthquakes since ~7 ka and yields mean estimates of recurrence (1.1–1.3 kyr) and vertical slip rate (1.3–2.0 mm/yr) for the segments. However, additional rupture scenarios that include segment boundary spatial uncertainties, floating earthquakes, and multisegment ruptures are necessary to fully address epistemic uncertainties in rupture length. We compare the central WFZ to paleoseismic and historical surface ruptures in the Basin and Range Province and central Italian Apennines and conclude that displacement profiles have limited value for assessing the persistence of segment boundaries but can aid in interpreting prehistoric spillover ruptures. Our comparison also suggests that the probabilities of shorter and longer ruptures on the WFZ need to be investigated.
Dual nitrate isotopes clarify the role of biological processing and hydrologic flow paths on nitrogen cycling in subtropical low‐gradient watersheds
Authors: Griffiths Natalie A. , Jackson C. Rhett , McDonnell Jeffrey J. , Klaus Julian , Du Enhao , Bitew Menberu M.
Published: January 2016

Nitrogen (N) is an important nutrient as it often limits productivity but in excess can impair water quality. Most studies on watershed N cycling have occurred in upland forested catchments where snowmelt dominates N export; fewer studies have focused on low‐relief watersheds that lack snow. We examined watershed N cycling in three adjacent, low‐relief watersheds in the Upper Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States to better understand the role of hydrological flow paths and biological transformations of N at the watershed scale. Groundwater was the dominant source of nitrified N to stream water in two of the three watersheds, while atmospheric deposition comprised 28% of stream water nitrate in one watershed. The greater atmospheric contribution may have been due to the larger stream channel area relative to total watershed area or the dominance of shallow subsurface flow paths contributing to stream flow in this watershed. There was a positive relationship between temperature and stream water ammonium concentrations and a negative relationship between temperature and stream water nitrate concentrations in each watershed suggesting that N cycling processes (i.e., nitrification and denitrification) varied seasonally. However, there were no clear patterns in the importance of denitrification in different water pools possibly because a variety of factors (i.e., assimilatory uptake, dissimilatory uptake, and mixing) affected nitrate concentrations. Together, these results highlight the hydrological and biological controls on N cycling in low‐gradient watersheds and variability in N delivery flow paths among adjacent watersheds with similar physical characteristics.
Accurate and efficient prediction of fine‐resolution hydrologic and carbon dynamic simulations from coarse‐resolution models
Authors: Pau George Shu Heng , Shen Chaopeng , Riley William J. , Liu Yaning
Published: January 2016

The topography, and the biotic and abiotic parameters are typically upscaled to make watershed‐scale hydrologic‐biogeochemical models computationally tractable. However, upscaling procedure can produce biases when nonlinear interactions between different processes are not fully captured at coarse resolutions. Here we applied the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Mapping Method (PODMM) to downscale the field solutions from a coarse (7 km) resolution grid to a fine (220 m) resolution grid. PODMM trains a reduced‐order model (ROM) with coarse‐resolution and fine‐resolution solutions, here obtained using PAWS+CLM, a quasi‐3‐D watershed processes model that has been validated for many temperate watersheds. Subsequent fine‐resolution solutions were approximated based only on coarse‐resolution solutions and the ROM. The approximation errors were efficiently quantified using an error estimator. By jointly estimating correlated variables and temporally varying the ROM parameters, we further reduced the approximation errors by up to 20%. We also improved the method's robustness by constructing multiple ROMs using different set of variables, and selecting the best approximation based on the error estimator. The ROMs produced accurate downscaling of soil moisture, latent heat flux, and net primary production with O(1000) reduction in computational cost. The subgrid distributions were also nearly indistinguishable from the ones obtained using the fine‐resolution model. Compared to coarse‐resolution solutions, biases in upscaled ROM solutions were reduced by up to 80%. This method has the potential to help address the long‐standing spatial scaling problem in hydrology and enable long‐time integration, parameter estimation, and stochastic uncertainty analysis while accurately representing the heterogeneities.
Intoxicated Witnesses: Testing the Validity of the Alcohol Myopia Theory
Authors: Crossland Deborah , Kneller Wendy , Wilcock Rachel
Published: January 2016

In an assessment of the Alcohol Myopia Theory (AMT), the effects of alcohol on an eyewitness's recall of high‐salience and low‐salience details were investigated. In a laboratory, Study 1 participants watched a staged videoed theft whilst either sober (control or placebo), above (MBAC = 0.09%) or below (MBAC = 0.06%) the UK drink‐drive limit. A week later, a free recall and recognition tests were completed. Intoxication was not found to reduce recall accuracy using either recall task. In Study 2, whilst on a night out, participants watched the videoed theft with high (MBAC = 0.14%) or low (MBAC = 0.05%) blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). A week later, the free recall and recognition tests were attempted. High BACs were seen to impair recall when memory was assessed through free recall but not with the recognition test. Neither study found the attention narrowing predicted by AMT using either recall technique, although poor recall for low‐salience details in all groups may have contributed to this result. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Treatment of severe refractory epistaxis in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia using a two‐flap nasal closure method
Authors: Timmins Benjamin H. , Hunter Benjamin N. , Wilson Kevin F. , Ward P. Daniel
Published: January 2016

Background

Nasal closure has been shown to effectively manage severe epistaxis refractory to other treatments in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). The nasal closure procedure may be underutilized because of its surgical complexity and flap breakdown.

Methods

This work is a retrospective review of 13 HHT patients treated for severe epistaxis with nasal closure between 2005 and 2013. Operating room (OR) time, need for revision surgery, preprocedure, and postprocedure epistaxis severity score (ESS), complete blood count values, and Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) questionnaire results were collected for each patient. The technique is described. We characterize a typical nasal closure patient and compare outcomes based on our experience with the traditional 3‐flap closure and a simplified 2‐flap nasal closure procedure.

Results

The average candidate for nasal closure in this series had an ESS of 7.88, hemoglobin (Hgb) of 8.3 g/dL, and received multiple transfusions, iron therapy, and cautery/coagulation procedures. Average ESS subsequent to nasal closure using the 2‐flap method is 0.92 and mean GBI score is 56.3. Comparison of 5 patients who underwent the traditional 3‐flap nasal closure procedure and 8 patients receiving the 2‐flap nasal closure showed no significant difference in postoperative ESS or GBI metrics. Mean operating room times of the traditional and simplified methods were 3.12 hours and 1.44 hours (p = 0.0001). Mean time to first revision for 8 nasal closure patients was 21.5 months.

Conclusion

In short‐term follow‐up, the 2‐flap procedure showed comparable effectiveness with significantly reduced complexity and operative time compared to the traditional nasal closure method.
Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields Do Not Induce DNA Damage in Human Lens Epithelial Cells In Vitro
Authors: Zhu Kan , Lv Ye , Cheng Qian , Hua Jianing , Zeng Qunli
Published: January 2016

Non‐ionizing radiations, e.g., radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, could induce DNA damage and oxidative stress in human lens epithelial cells (LECs) which can be early events in cataractogenesis. Extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF MF) as another common form of man‐made electromagnetic fields has been considered as suspected human carcinogen by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and become a focus that people play more and more attentions to. This study aimed to determine whether ELF MF can induce DNA damage in cultured human LECs at a relatively low intensity. Human LECs were exposed or sham‐exposed to a 50 Hz ELF MF which produced by a well‐designed exposure system at the intensity of 0.4 mT. DNA damage in human LECs was examined by the phosphorylated form of histone variant H2AX (γH2AX) foci formation assay and further explored with western blot, flow cytometry, and alkaline comet assay. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that 0.4 mT ELF MF did not significantly increase γH2AX foci formation in human LECs after 2, 6, 12, 24, or 48 hr exposure. No significant differences had been detected in γH2AX expression level between the ELF MF‐ and sham‐exposure groups, while no obvious chromosomal DNA fragmentation was detected by alkaline comet assay after ELF MF exposure. The results indicate an absence of genotoxicity in ELF MF‐exposed human epithelial cells and do not support the hypothesis that environmental ELF MF might be causally led to genomic instability via chromosomal damage response processes. Neither short nor long term continuous exposure to 50 Hz ELF MF at 0.4 mT could induce DNA damage in human lens epithelial cells in vitro. Anat Rec, 299:688–697, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predicting the impact of scientific concepts using full‐text features
Authors: McKeown Kathy , Daume Hal , Chaturvedi Snigdha , Paparrizos John , Thadani Kapil , Barrio Pablo , Biran Or , Bothe Suvarna , Collins Michael , Fleischmann Kenneth R. , Gravano Luis , Jha Rahul , King Ben , McInerney Kevin , Moon Taesun , Neelakantan Arvind , O'Seaghdha Diarmuid , Radev Dragomir , Templeton Clay , Teufel Simone
Published: January 2016

New scientific concepts, interpreted broadly, are continuously introduced in the literature, but relatively few concepts have a long‐term impact on society. The identification of such concepts is a challenging prediction task that would help multiple parties—including researchers and the general public—focus their attention within the vast scientific literature. In this paper we present a system that predicts the future impact of a scientific concept, represented as a technical term, based on the information available from recently published research articles. We analyze the usefulness of rich features derived from the full text of the articles through a variety of approaches, including rhetorical sentence analysis, information extraction, and time‐series analysis. The results from two large‐scale experiments with 3.8 million full‐text articles and 48 million metadata records support the conclusion that full‐text features are significantly more useful for prediction than metadata‐only features and that the most accurate predictions result from combining the metadata and full‐text features. Surprisingly, these results hold even when the metadata features are available for a much larger number of documents than are available for the full‐text features.
Unknown Input Fault Detection and Isolation Observer Design for Neutral Systems
Authors: Elhsoumi Aicha , Hadj Ali Saloua Bel , Harabi Rafika El , Abdelkrim Mohamed Naceur
Published: January 2016

This paper deals with actuator fault diagnosis of neutral delayed systems with multiple time delays using an unknown input observer. The main purpose is to design an observer that guarantees the asymptotic stability of the estimate error dynamics and the actuator fault detection. The existence conditions for such an observer are established. The main problem studied in this paper aims at designing observer‐based fault detection and isolation. The designed observer enhances the robust diagnosis performance, including rapidity and accuracy, and generates residuals that enjoy perfect decoupling properties among faults. Based on Lyapunov stability theory, the design of the observer is formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities, and the diagnosis scheme is based on a bank of unknown input observers for residual generation that guarantees fault detection and isolation in the presence of external disturbances. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.
Estimating rates of rare events through a multidimensional dynamic hierarchical Bayesian framework
Authors: Yang Hongxia , Ormandi Robert , Tsao Han‐Yun , Lu Quan
Published: January 2016

We consider the problem of estimating occurrence rates of rare events for extremely sparse data using pre‐existing hierarchies and selected features to perform inference along multiple dimensions. In particular, we focus on the problem of estimating click rates for {Advertiser, Publisher, and User} tuples where both the Advertisers and the Publishers are organized as hierarchies that capture broad contextual information at different levels of granularities. Typically, the click rates are low, and the coverage of the hierarchies and dimensions is sparse. To overcome these difficulties, we decompose the joint prior of the three‐dimensional click‐through rate using tensor decomposition and propose a multidimensional hierarchical Bayesian framework (abbreviated as MadHab). We set up a specific framework of each dimension to model dimension‐specific characteristics. More specifically, we consider the hierarchical beta process prior for the Advertiser dimension and for the Publisher dimension respectively and a feature‐dependent mixture model for the User dimension. Besides the centralized implementation, we propose two distributed algorithms through MapReduce and Spark for inferences, which make the model highly scalable and suited for large scale data mining applications. We demonstrate that on a real world ads campaign platform, our framework can effectively discriminate extremely rare events in terms of their click propensity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crafting the English welfare state—interventions by Birmingham Local Education Authorities, 1948–1963
Authors: Ydesen Christian
Published: January 2016

This article throws light on the space and range of education professionals and their interventions against deviants understood as the ‘problem child’ or the ‘ineducable child’. The article argues these interventions played a central role in successfully establishing schools as social administrators in England during the constitutive years of English welfare state formation. Using Birmingham local education administration as an empirical and historical case, the influential Children Acts of 1948 and 1963 serve to demarcate the period treated. The theoretical framework is drawn from Bourdieu and Wacquant's concept of state, with the key concept being ‘state‐crafting’. The article contributes knowledge about the imaginaries, and the manufacturing and managing of ‘the public good’—understood as a referent for modern governing—of the English welfare state. The article concludes that the boundaries of unacceptable otherness seem to fluctuate with ideas about usefulness in relation to an industrialised society.
Molecular dynamics characterization of the conformational landscape of small peptides: A series of hands‐on collaborative practical sessions for undergraduate students
Authors: Rodrigues João P.G.L.M. , Melquiond Adrien S.J. , Bonvin Alexandre M.J.J.
Published: January 2016

Molecular modelling and simulations are nowadays an integral part of research in areas ranging from physics to chemistry to structural biology, as well as pharmaceutical drug design. This popularity is due to the development of high‐performance hardware and of accurate and efficient molecular mechanics algorithms by the scientific community. These improvements are also benefitting scientific education. Molecular simulations, their underlying theory, and their applications are particularly difficult to grasp for undergraduate students. Having hands‐on experience with the methods contributes to a better understanding and solidification of the concepts taught during the lectures. To this end, we have created a computer practical class, which has been running for the past five years, composed of several sessions where students characterize the conformational landscape of small peptides using molecular dynamics simulations in order to gain insights on their binding to protein receptors. In this report, we detail the ingredients and recipe necessary to establish and carry out this practical, as well as some of the questions posed to the students and their expected results. Further, we cite some examples of the students' written reports, provide statistics, and share their feedbacks on the structure and execution of the sessions. These sessions were implemented alongside a theoretical molecular modelling course but have also been used successfully as a standalone tutorial during specialized workshops. The availability of the material on our web page also facilitates this integration and dissemination and lends strength to the thesis of open‐source science and education. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:160–167, 2016.
Multisystem toxicity after methamphetamine use
Authors: Gurel Ali
Published: January 2016

Key Clinical Message

Methamphetamine (MA) may cause hepatotoxicity, rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, and neurotoxicity separately or together. We report a patient admitted with muscle weakness, pain, and oliguria 1 week after MA use; requiring repeated hemodialysis (HD). Multisystem toxicity may develop as a result of MA use and appropriate treatment may be life saving.
Making a Long Journey Short: Alkyne Functionalization of Natural Product Scaffolds
Authors: Lehmann Johannes , Wright Megan H. , Sieber Stephan A.
Published: January 2016

Biological selection makes natural products promising scaffolds for drug development and the ever growing number of newly identified, structurally diverse molecules helps to fill the gaps in chemical space. Elucidating the function of a small molecule, such as identifying its protein binding partners, its on‐ and off‐targets, is becoming increasingly important. Activity‐ and affinity‐based protein profiling are modern strategies to acquire such molecular‐level information. Introduction of a molecular handle (azide, alkyne, biotin) can shed light on the mode of action of small molecules. This Concept article covers central points on synthetic methodology for integrating a terminal alkyne into a molecule of interest.
Impact of vision loss among survivors of childhood central nervous system astroglial tumors
Authors: de Blank Peter M. K. , Fisher Michael J. , Lu Lu , Leisenring Wendy M. , Ness Kirsten K. , Sklar Charles A. , Stovall Marilyn , Vukadinovich Chris , Robison Leslie L. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Krull Kevin R.
Published: January 2016

BACKGROUND

The impact of impaired vision on cognitive and psychosocial outcomes among long‐term survivors of childhood low‐grade gliomas has not been investigated previously but could inform therapeutic decision making.

METHODS

Data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were used to investigate psychological outcomes (measures of cognitive/emotional function) and socioeconomic outcomes (education, income, employment, marital status, and independent living) among astroglial tumor survivors grouped by 1) vision without impairment, 2) vision with impairment (including unilateral blindness, visual field deficits, and amblyopia), or 3) bilateral blindness. The effect of vision status on outcomes was examined with multivariate logistic regression with adjustments for age, sex, cranial radiation therapy, and medical comorbidities.

RESULTS

Among 1233 survivors of childhood astroglial tumors 5 or more years after their diagnosis, 277 (22.5%) had visual impairment. In a multivariate analysis, survivors with bilateral blindness were more likely to be unmarried (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 4.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5‐15.0), live with a caregiver (adjusted OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.3‐7.5), and be unemployed (adjusted OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1‐4.5) in comparison with those without visual impairment. Bilateral blindness had no measurable effect on cognitive or emotional outcomes, and vision with impairment was not significantly associated with any psychological or socioeconomic outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Adult survivors of childhood astroglial tumors with bilateral blindness were more likely to live unmarried and dependently and to be unemployed. Survivors with visual impairment but some remaining vision did not differ significantly with respect to psychological function and socioeconomic status from those without visual impairment. Cancer 2016;122:730–739. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Recoloring textile fabric images based on improved fuzzy clustering
Authors: Zou Zhe , Shen Hui‐Liang , Du Xin , Shao Sijie , Xin John H.
Published: January 2016

This article proposes a new recoloring method for textile fabric images based on improved fuzzy local information c‐means (FLICM) clustering. In the clustering algorithm, the fuzzy factor was modified so that it can produce reliable segmentation in areas with rich details. With the obtained cluster labels and pixel‐wise memberships, the color of each pixel is modeled as the linear combination of the two most dominant colors. The recoloring process was then conducted by replacing the specified dominant color with user‐provided target colors. Experimental results showed that the proposed method can produce natural and faithful color appearance on both printed and yarn‐dyed fabric images, and outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 42, 115–123, 2017
Macrocycle‐Based Hydroxamate Ligands for Complexation and Immunoconjugation of 89Zirconium for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging
Authors: Boros Eszter , Holland Jason P. , Kenton Nathaniel , Rotile Nicholas , Caravan Peter
Published: January 2016

Four novel chelators (L1–L4) and their 89zirconium complexes were prepared and compared with the 89zirconium desferrioxamine B (DFO) complex. The new chelates are based on 1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) and 1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane (cyclam) scaffolds and present either three or four hydroxamate arms for coordination with Zr4+ ions with coordination numbers between six and eight. The 89Zr–L4 complex showed similar stability to that of 89Zr–DFO when incubated in either rat blood plasma or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid challenge experiments. Positron imaging and biodistribution studies in mice showed that 89Zr–L4 had similar pharmacokinetic behavior to that of 89Zr–DFO, with rapid renal elimination and low residual activity in background tissues. A bifunctional version of L4 (L5) was synthesized and conjugated to trastuzumab; an anti‐HER2/neu antibody. Immunopositron emission tomography imaging and biodistribution with 89Zr–L5–trastuzumab revealed high tumor to background ratios (tumor/blood ratio: 14.2±2.25) and a high tumor specificity that was comparable to the performance of 89Zr–DFO–trastuzumab.
SeekStream: adapting to dynamic user behavior in P2P video‐on‐demand
Authors: Deltouzos Konstantinos , Gkortsilas Ilias , Efthymiopoulos Nikolaos , Efthymiopoulou Maria , Denazis Spyros
Published: January 2016

In recent years, the users' perceived quality of experience (QoE) in streaming services has gained a lot of attention. Particularly, a number of research efforts have focused on providing live streaming and video‐on‐demand (VoD) services using peer‐to‐peer (P2P) architectures. However, in these proposed architectures, the heterogeneity of users and their dynamic behavior has not been sufficiently studied. In a real life scenario, where users have highly heterogeneous bandwidth resources (cable, DSL, 3G networks, etc) and can arbitrarily decide to perform a VCR function (stop, fast forward and seeking), ignoring this behavior can significantly deteriorate the system's efficiency and the perceived QoE. In this paper, we present SeekStream, a scalable P2P VoD architecture that ensures the stable delivery of the video stream to every participating user even in cases of high heterogeneity and frequent seeking operations. Specifically, SeekStream is a set of algorithms that optimize the P2P overlay dynamically and in a distributed fashion, making it adaptive to users dynamic behavior and bandwidth changes. The available bandwidth resources of the participating users are optimally exploited, keeping the contribution from the media server(s) to a minimal level. To illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithms, we are using a centralized overlay network manager that discovers the optimal network graph as a reference. We have developed an extensive P2P VoD simulator that shows the efficiency, scalability, and stability of our system under variant and dynamic conditions. The algorithms of our proposed system introduce less than 4% bandwidth overhead while we achieve high offloading of the media server(s). SeekStream guarantees a high block reception rate for the users, even under extreme seeking patterns. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temporal and latitudinal trends of p,p′-DDE in eggs and carcasses of North American birds from 1980 to 2005
Authors: Mora Miguel A. , Durgin Bryce , Hudson Lacy B. , Jones Edward
Published: January 2016

The use of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) in agriculture in the United States and Canada was prohibited in the early 1970s; however, it continued to be used restrictively in Mexico until 2000. Forty years later, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p′-DDE), continues to be detected in eggs and bird carcasses in North America. The use of DDE has been associated with reproductive failure of several avian species, primarily through eggshell thinning. To assess the temporal and latitudinal distribution of p,p′-DDE in North America, the authors examined DDE concentrations reported in bird tissues in the scientific literature published between 1980 and 2009. Overall, the majority of supported models suggested that DDE concentrations in birds were greater in the upper mid-latitudes (38°–48°) than in other parts of North America. However, spatial trends of DDE seemed to be influenced by regions with large amounts of data, such as the Great Lakes area. Concentrations of p,p′-DDE in eggs averaged 2.5 μg/g, 3.2 μg/g, and 29.5 μg/g wet weight in 1980 and decreased to 1.64 μg/g, 0.87 μg/g, and 1.01 μg/g wet weight by the mid-2000s for the central, eastern, and western North America regions, respectively. The results indicate that, over time, all DDE residues observed in birds have decreased significantly in North America. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1340–1348. © 2016 SETAC
A nationwide survey of hepatitis E viral infection in French blood donors
Authors: Mansuy Jean Michel , Gallian Pierre , Dimeglio Chloé , Saune Karine , Arnaud Catherine , Pelletier Bertrand , Morel Pascal , Legrand Dominique , Tiberghien Pierre , Izopet Jacques
Published: January 2016

Most cases of hepatitis E viral (HEV) infection in developed countries are autochthonous. Nevertheless, the reported seroprevalence of HEV varies greatly depending on the geographical area and the performance of the immunoassay used. We used validated assays to determine the prevalence of anti‐HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM among 10,569 French blood donors living in mainland France and three overseas areas. Epidemiological information was collected using a specific questionnaire. We found an overall IgG seroprevalence of 22.4% (8%‐86.4%) depending on the geographical area (P < 0.001). The presence of anti‐HEV IgG was associated with increasing age (P < 0.001) and eating pork meat (P = 0.03), pork liver sausages (P < 0.001), game meat (P < 0.01), offal (P < 0.001), and oysters (P = 0.02). Conversely, drinking bottled water was associated with a lower rate of anti‐HEV IgG (P = 0.02). Overall IgM seroprevalence was 1% (0%‐4.6%). The frequency of anti‐HEV IgM was higher in donors living in a high anti‐HEV IgG seroprevalence area (1.9% versus 0.7%, P < 0.001) and in those eating pork liver sausage (1.4% versus 0.7%, P < 0.01), pâté (1% versus 0.4, P = 0.04), and wild boar (1.3% versus 0.7%, P < 0.01). Conclusion: HEV is endemic in France and hyperendemic in some areas; eating habits alone cannot totally explain the exposure to HEV, and contaminated water could contribute to the epidemiology of HEV infection in France. (Hepatology 2016;63:1145–1154)
Discontinuation of oral antivirals in chronic hepatitis B: A systematic review
Authors: Papatheodoridis George , Vlachogiannakos Ioannis , Cholongitas Evangelos , Wursthorn Karsten , Thomadakis Christos , Touloumi Giota , Petersen Jörg
Published: January 2016

The possibility of safe discontinuation of therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) remains one of the most controversial topics in the management of chronic hepatitis B. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the existing data on NA discontinuation in this setting and tried to identify factors affecting the probability of posttherapy remission. A literature search was performed in order to identify all published studies including patients who discontinued NAs in virological remission (VR) and were followed for ≥12 months thereafter. Twenty‐five studies with 1716 patients were included. The pooled rates of durable VR remission were 51.4%, 39.3%, and 38.2% at 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively, after NA discontinuation, being relatively higher in initially hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)–positive patients (62.5%, 53.4%, 51.5%) than HBeAg‐negative patients (43.7%, 31.3%, 30.1%) (P = 0.064). The weighted probability of durable biochemical remission was 65.4%, being numerically higher in HBeAg‐positive than HBeAg‐negative patients (76.2% versus 56.7%, P = 0.130). The weighted probability of hepatitis B surface antigen loss was 2.0%. The rates of durable VR did not significantly differ according to the VR definition (hepatitis B virus DNA <200, < 2000, < 20,000 IU/mL) or duration of on‐therapy VR in HBeAg‐positive patients, but they were significantly higher in studies with HBeAg‐negative patients and on‐therapy VR > 24 than ≤ 24 months (VR at 12 months off‐NAs: 75.0% versus 35.6%, P = 0.005). The weighted probability of durable HBeAg seroconversion was 91.9% and 88.0% at 12 and 24 months, respectively, after NA discontinuation without being affected by the duration of on‐therapy VR or consolidation therapy (>6 months in all studies). Conclusion: Durable VR seems to be feasible in a substantial proportion of patients who discontinue long‐term NA therapy; on‐therapy VR > 24 months offers higher chances of off‐NA VR in patients with HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B. (Hepatology 2016;63:1481‐1492)
Productivity changes in OECD healthcare systems: bias‐corrected Malmquist productivity approach
Authors: Kim Younhee , Oh Dong‐hyun , Kang Minah
Published: January 2016

This study evaluates productivity changes in the healthcare systems of 30 Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries over the 2002–2012 periods. The bootstrapped Malmquist approach is used to estimate bias‐corrected indices of healthcare performance in productivity, efficiency and technology by modifying the original distance functions. Two inputs (health expenditure and school life expectancy) and two outputs (life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rate) are used to calculate productivity growth. There are no perceptible trends in productivity changes over the 2002–2012 periods, but positive productivity improvement has been noticed for most OECD countries. The result also informs considerable variations in annual productivity scores across the countries. Average annual productivity growth is evenly yielded by efficiency and technical changes, but both changes run somewhat differently across the years. The results of this study assert that policy reforms in OECD countries have improved productivity growth in healthcare systems over the past decade. Countries that lag behind in productivity growth should benchmark peer countries' practices to increase performance by prioritizing an achievable trajectory based on socioeconomic conditions. For example, relatively inefficient countries in this study indicate higher income inequality, corresponding to inequality and health outcomes studies. Although income inequality and globalization are not direct measures to estimate healthcare productivity in this study, these issues could be latent factors to explain cross‐country healthcare productivity for future research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cost-Effectiveness of Osteoporosis Screening Strategies for Men
Authors: Nayak Smita , Greenspan Susan L
Published: January 2016

Osteoporosis affects many men, with significant morbidity and mortality. However, the best osteoporosis screening strategies for men are unknown. We developed an individual-level state-transition cost-effectiveness model with a lifetime time horizon to identify the cost-effectiveness of different osteoporosis screening strategies for US men involving various screening tests (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry [DXA]; the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool [OST]; or a fracture risk assessment strategy using age, femoral neck bone mineral density [BMD], and Vertebral Fracture Assessment [VFA]); screening initiation ages (50, 60, 70, or 80 years); and repeat screening intervals (5 years or 10 years). In base-case analysis, no screening was a less effective option than all other strategies evaluated; furthermore, no screening was more expensive than all strategies that involved screening with DXA or the OST risk assessment instrument, and thus no screening was “dominated” by screening with DXA or OST at all evaluated screening initiation ages and repeat screening intervals. Screening strategies that most frequently appeared as most cost-effective in base-case analyses and one-way sensitivity analyses when assuming willingness-to-pay of $50,000/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) or $100,000/QALY included screening initiation at age 50 years with the fracture risk assessment strategy and repeat screening every 10 years; screening initiation at age 50 years with fracture risk assessment and repeat screening every 5 years; and screening initiation at age 50 years with DXA and repeat screening every 5 years. In conclusion, expansion of osteoporosis screening for US men to initiate routine screening at age 50 or 60 years would be expected to be effective and of good value for improving health outcomes. A fracture risk assessment strategy using variables of age, femoral neck BMD, and VFA is likely to be the most effective of the evaluated strategies within accepted cost-effectiveness parameters. DXA and OST are also reasonable screening options, albeit likely slightly less effective than the evaluated fracture risk assessment strategy. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
TSC‐22 Promotes Interleukin‐2‐Deprivation Induced Apoptosis in T‐Lymphocytes
Authors: Pépin Aurélie , Espinasse Marie‐Alix , Latré de Laté Perle , Szely Natacha , Pallardy Marc , Biola‐Vidamment Armelle
Published: January 2016

Originally described as a TGF‐β‐inducible gene, tsc‐22 (Transforming growth factor‐beta Stimulated Clone 22) encodes a transcriptional regulator affecting biological processes such as cell growth, differentiation, or apoptosis. Along with GILZ (Glucocorticoid‐Induced Leucine Zipper), TSC‐22 belongs to the evolutionary conserved TSC‐22 Domain family. We previously showed that, in T‐lymphocytes, GILZ expression was induced upon IL‐2 withdrawal, delaying apoptosis through down‐regulation of the pro‐apoptotic protein BIM expression. The aim of this work was then to elucidate the respective roles of GILZ and TSC‐22 upon IL‐2 deprivation‐induced apoptosis. We report here that these two highly homologous genes are concomitantly expressed in most human tissues and in primary T‐lymphocytes and that expression of TSC‐22 promotes T‐lymphocytes apoptosis by inhibiting GILZ functions. Indeed, we demonstrated that TSC‐22 expression in the murine lymphoid CTLL‐2 cell line promoted IL‐2 deprivation‐induced apoptosis. BIM expression and caspases‐9 and ‐3 activities were markedly increased in TSC‐22 expressing clones compared to control clones. Analysis of GILZ expression revealed that TSC‐22 prevented the induction of the GILZ protein upon IL‐2 deprivation, by inhibiting gilz mRNA transcription. These results suggested that TSC‐22 could counteract the protective effect of GILZ on IL‐2‐deprivation‐induced apoptosis. Moreover, TSC‐22‐induced inhibition of GILZ expression was also found in CTLL‐2 cells treated with glucocorticoids or TGF‐β. In the human NKL cell line deprived of IL‐2, TSC‐22 showed the same effect and thus may represent a potent repressor of GILZ expression in IL‐2‐dependent cells, independently of the cell type, or the stimulus, leading to an increase of IL‐2‐deprived T‐cells apoptosis. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1855–1868, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Outflow Pathway: A Tissue With Morphological and Functional Unity
Authors: Saccà Sergio Claudio , Gandolfi Stefano , Bagnis Alessandro , Manni Gianluca , Damonte Gianluca , Traverso Carlo Enrico , Izzotti Alberto
Published: January 2016

The trabecular meshwork (TM) plays an important role in high‐tension glaucomas. Indeed, the TM is a true organ, through which the aqueous humor flows from the anterior chamber to Schlemm's canal (SC). Until recently, the TM, which is constituted by endothelial‐like cells, was described as a kind of passive filter. In reality, it is much more. The cells delineating the structures of the collagen framework of the TM are endowed with a cytoskeleton, and are thus able to change their shape. These cells also have the ability to secrete the extracellular matrix, which expresses proteins and cytokines, and are capable of phagocytosis and autophagy. The cytoskeleton is attached to the nuclear membrane and can, in millionths of a second, send signals to the nucleus in order to alter the expression of genes in an attempt to adapt to biomechanical insult. Oxidative stress, as happens in aging, has a deleterious effect on the TM, leading eventually to cell decay, tissue malfunction, subclinical inflammation, changes in the extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton, altered motility, reduced outflow facility, and (ultimately) increased IOP. TM failure is the most relevant factor in the cascade of events triggering apoptosis in the inner retinal layers, including ganglion cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1876–1893, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nonlinear equations with degenerate operator at fractional Caputo derivative
Authors: Plekhanova Marina V.
Published: January 2016

At first, the existence of a unique solution for the Cauchy problem to nondegenerate fractional differential equation was proved. These results were used for research of the unique solvability for the initial Cauchy and Showalter–Sidorov problems to differential equations in Banach spaces with degenerate operator at fractional Caputo derivative in linear and nonlinear cases. Abstract results are applied to the research of an initial boundary value problem for time‐fractional order Oskolkov system of equations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.