bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deployed military general internal physician’s toolkit: the recent past and near future
Authors: Parsons Iain , Hutley E J , Gibb I , Lentaigne J , Wilson D , Cox A T
Published: March 2018

Introduction

The role of the military physician in Deployed Hospital Care involves the diagnosis and management of a wide variety of disease states. Broad clinical skills need to be complemented by judicious use of a limited array of investigations. No study has specifically quantified what investigations physicians use on operations.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed to ascertain what investigations were undertaken on all patients managed by the General Internal Medicine teams over a 14 month period during a recent enduring operation in Afghanistan. A record was also made of investigations that were unavailable but considered desirable by the treating physician in order to inform clinical or occupational decisions.

Results

676 patients were admitted during the study period. Blood tests were performed in 96% of patients, plain radiographs in 50%, CT in 12% and ultrasound in 12%. An ECG was performed in over half (57%) and a peak flow in 11%. The most desirable, but unavailable, investigations were cardiac monitoring and echocardiography (24% and 12% of patients, respectively).

Discussion

The data produced by this study both identified and quantified the investigations used by physicians during a mature operational deployment. This can be used in addition to accurate medical intelligence to inform and rationalise the diagnostic requirements for future operations as well as the provision of training. Technological advancements, particularly in weight and portability, are likely to enable more complex investigational modalities to be performed further forward on military deployments.
Republished: Intracavitary ultrasound (ICARUS): a neuroendoscopic adaptation of intravascular ultrasound for intracerebral hemorrhage evacuation
Authors: Chartrain Alexander G , Hom Danny , Bederson Joshua B , Mocco J , Kellner Christopher Paul
Published: March 2018

Neurosurgeons performing intracerebral hemorrhage evacuation procedures have limited options for monitoring hematoma evacuation and assessing residual hematoma burden intraoperatively. Here, we report the successful neuroendoscopic adaptation of intravascular ultrasound, referred to here as intracavitary ultrasound (ICARUS), in two patients. Pre-evacuation ICARUS demonstrated dense hematomas in both patients. Post-evacuation ICARUS in patient 1 demonstrated significant reduction in clot burden and two focal hyperechoic regions consistent with pockets of hematoma not previously seen with the endoscope or burr hole ultrasound. These areas were directly targeted and resected with the endoscope and suction device. Post-evacuation ICARUS in patient 2 showed significant reduction of hematoma volume without indication of residual blood. ICARUS findings were confirmed on intraoperative DynaCT and postoperative CT 24 hours later. ICARUS is feasibly performed in a hematoma cavity both before and after hematoma aspiration. ICARUS may provide additional information to the operating surgeon and assist in maximizing hematoma removal.
Risk factors for Mycoplasma genitalium endometritis and incident infection: a secondary data analysis of the T cell Response Against Chlamydia (TRAC) Study
Authors: Taylor Brandie D , Zheng Xiaojing , O’Connell Catherine M , Wiesenfeld Harold C , Hillier Sharon L , Darville Toni
Published: March 2018

Objective

Assess risk factors for incident and endometrial Mycoplasma genitalium infection and determine if M. genitalium is associated with histological endometritis, an indicator of pelvic inflammatory disease.

Methods

This study was a secondary data analysis within the T cell Response Against Chlamydia (TRAC) Study, a prospective evaluation of 246 women with or at risk for Chlamydia trachomatis from urban outpatient clinics, who were followed quarterly for 12 months. Risk factors for incident M. genitalium infection were determined by Cox regression. Relative risks were estimated by Poisson regression with robust error measurements for models examining the association between M. genitalium and endometritis (histological evidence of plasma cells in endometrial stroma and neutrophils in the endometrial epithelium) and for models examining risk factors for detection of endometrial M. genitalium infection.

Results

M. genitalium prevalence was 16.7%, incidence was 25.3 per 100 person-years and 23% had repeated positive tests. Black race (non-black HRadj 0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9), less education (HRadj 2.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 5.1) and a new sexual partner (HRadj 3.1, 95% CI 1.7 to 5.4) were associated with incident M. genitalium. M. genitalium was associated with endometritis (RRadj 2.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.7). Trichomonas vaginalis (RRadj 2.0, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.4) and endometrial C. trachomatis (RRadj 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.8) were associated with endometrial M. genitalium.

Conclusions

M. genitalium is prevalent in women at high risk for C. trachomatis, persists over multiple follow-up visits and is associated with histological endometritis. Studies are needed to determine if screening for M. genitalium will improve reproductive outcomes.
miRNA-34a decreases ovarian cancer cell proliferation and chemoresistance by targeting HDAC1
Authors: Lv Teng , Song Kejuan , Zhang Lili , Li Weihua , Chen Yulong , Diao Yuchao , Yao Qin , Liu Peishu
Published: March 2018

This study aimed to explore the roles of miRNA-34a (miR-34a) in ovarian cancer (OC) cells and uncover possible mechanisms. The proliferation of OC cells was measured with an MTT assay and soft agar colony formation assay. TargetScan analysis, real-time PCR, and a luciferase reporter assay were used to demonstrate the downstream target of miR-34a in OC cells. HDAC1 expression levels were detected by immunoblot analysis. miR-34a inhibited the proliferation of SKOV3 and OVCA433 cells and enhanced cisplatin sensitivity in cisplatin-resistant SKOV3cp cells. The results of TargetScan analysis, real-time PCR, and luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-34a downregulated HDAC1 expression by directly targeting the 3′-UTR of HDAC1 mRNA. The overexpression of HDAC1 decreased cisplatin sensitivity and promoted proliferation in OC cells. MTT assay and soft agar colony formation assay showed that HDAC1 overexpression blocked the suppressive effects of miR-34a on SKOV3 cell proliferation. In addition, treatment with the miR-34a mimic partially recovered the cisplatin sensitivity of SKOV3cp cells, whereas HDAC1 overexpression blocked the above phenomena caused by treatment with the miR-34a mimic. miR-34a exhibited suppressive effects on OC cells via directly binding and downregulating HDAC1 expression, which subsequently decreased the resistance to cisplatin and suppressed proliferation in OC cells.
Lower dietary concentrate level increases bacterial diversity in the rumen of Cervus elaphus yarkandensis
Authors: Qian Wenxi , Ao Weiping , Hui Xiaohong , Wu Jianping
Published: March 2018

The ruminal microbiota plays major roles in feed digestion. The composition and fermentation of the bacterial communities in 3 important ruminant species have been studied previously. Here, we extended this research to the effect of concentrate-to-forage ratios on ruminal bacterial communities in Tarim red deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis). Different concentrate-to-forage ratios (2:8, 3:7, 4:6, and 5:5) were fed to Tarim red deer for 20 days. Ruminal bacterial communities were elucidated by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. The microbial composition and biodiversity at the different concentrate-to-forage ratio levels were analyzed using clustering of operational taxonomic units based on 97% sequence identity, taxonomic classification at the phylum and genus levels, α diversity, and β diversity. Rumen microorganisms of deer fed a diet with a concentrate-to-forage ratio of 2:8 had the highest species diversity, followed by ratios of 3:7, 4:6, and 5:5. The community structure of the A1 and A2 samples and the A3 and A4 samples was similar. The bacterial composition appeared to be affected by diet, with a lower dietary concentrate level tending to increase the richness and diversity of ruminal bacteria in the rumen of Tarim red deer.
MULTIFRACTAL ANALYSIS OF THE BIRKHOFF SUMS OF SAINT-PETERSBURG POTENTIAL
Authors: KIM DONG HAN , LIAO LINGMIN , RAMS MICHAŁ , WANG BAO-WEI
Published: March 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be the doubling map in the unit interval and [Formula: see text] be the Saint-Petersburg potential, defined by [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]. We consider asymptotic properties of the Birkhoff sum [Formula: see text]. With respect to the Lebesgue measure, the Saint-Petersburg potential is not integrable and it is known that [Formula: see text] converges to [Formula: see text] in probability. We determine the Hausdorff dimension of the level set [Formula: see text], as well as that of the set [Formula: see text], when [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text]. The fast increasing Birkhoff sum of the potential function [Formula: see text] is also studied.
LOGISTIC MODELS OF FRACTAL DIMENSION GROWTH OF URBAN MORPHOLOGY
Authors: CHEN YAN-GUANG
Published: March 2018

Urban form can be described with fractal dimension, which is a measurement of space filling of urban evolution. However, how to model and understand the fractal dimension growth of urban morphology are still pending questions. This paper is devoted to the research on the fractal dimension curves of urban growth. The principle of squashing function and empirical evidences are employed to demonstrate the following inference: the fractal dimension time series of a city’s spatial form take on a sigmoid curve. Among various sigmoid functions, the logistic function is the most probable selection. The observational data of fractal dimension of different cities from different sources support this logic judgment. A further discovery is that the fractal dimension curves of cities in the developed countries differ from those in the developing countries. A generalized logistic function is thus proposed to model the fractal dimension curves of different types of cities. The general logistic models can be used to predict the missing values and estimate the growth rates of fractal dimension of city development. Moreover, these models can be utilized to analyze when and where there is a fractal of urban form.
MULTIFRACTAL DETRENDED FLUCTUATION ANALYSIS BASED ON PSEUDO-BILINEAR FRACTAL INTERPOLATION FUNCTIONS ON METALLIC GLASSES
Authors: KONG QINGGE , YU QING , DAI MEIFENG , ZONG YUE , WANG XIAODONG , JIANG JIANZHONG , RUAN HUOJUN
Published: March 2018

Based on the multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis, which is the most effective way to detect long-range cross-correlation of time series, in this paper, we present a new method called multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis based on pseudo-bilinear fractal interpolation functions (MFDFA-PBFIF). In order to get a better detrended effect, we replace the polynomial fitting with PBFIFs in detrended process, and the result shows that the MFDFA-PBFIF can achieve a more accurate result. Then, we analyze the Legendre spectrum to detect the multifractal property on metallic glasses with MFDFA-PBFIF.
EXCEPTIONAL SETS RELATED TO THE RUN-LENGTH FUNCTION OF BETA-EXPANSIONS
Authors: FANG LULU , SONG KUNKUN , WU MIN
Published: March 2018

Let [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] be real numbers. The run-length function of [Formula: see text]-expansions denoted by [Formula: see text] is defined as the maximal length of consecutive zeros in the first [Formula: see text] digits of the [Formula: see text]-expansion of [Formula: see text]. It is known that for Lebesgue almost all [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] increases to infinity with the logarithmic speed [Formula: see text] as [Formula: see text] goes to infinity. In this paper, we calculate the Hausdorff dimension of the subtle set for which [Formula: see text] grows to infinity with other speeds. More precisely, we prove that for any [Formula: see text], the set [Formula: see text]

has full Hausdorff dimension, where [Formula: see text] is a strictly increasing function satisfying that [Formula: see text] is non-increasing, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as [Formula: see text]. This result significantly extends the existing results in this topic, such as the results in [J.-H. Ma, S.-Y. Wen and Z.-Y. Wen, Egoroff’s theorem and maximal run length, Monatsh. Math. 151(4) (2007) 287–292; R.-B. Zou, Hausdorff dimension of the maximal run-length in dyadic expansion, Czechoslovak Math. J. 61(4) (2011) 881–888; J.-J. Li and M. Wu, On exceptional sets in Erdős–Rényi limit theorem, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 436(1) (2016) 355–365; J.-J. Li and M. Wu, On exceptional sets in Erdős–Rényi limit theorem revisited, Monatsh. Math. 182(4) (2017) 865–875; Y. Sun and J. Xu, A remark on exceptional sets in Erdős–Rényi limit theorem, Monatsh. Math. 184(2) (2017) 291–296; X. Tong, Y.-L. Yu and Y.-F. Zhao, On the maximal length of consecutive zero digits of [Formula: see text]-expansions, Int. J. Number Theory 12(3) (2016) 625–633; J. Liu, and M.-Y. Lü, Hausdorff dimension of some sets arising by the run-length function of [Formula: see text]-expansions, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 455(1) (2017) 832–841; L.-X. Zheng, M. Wu and B. Li, The exceptional sets on the run-length function of [Formula: see text]-expansions, Fractals 25(6) (2017) 1750060; X. Gao, H. Hu and Z.-H. Li, A result on the maximal length of consecutive 0 digits in [Formula: see text]-expansions, Turkish J. Math. 42(2) (2018) 656–665, doi: 10.3906/mat-1704-119].
Statistical Verification of Process Model Conformance to Execution Log Considering Model Abstraction
Authors: Sim Sung-Hyun , Bae Hyerim , Choi Yulim , Liu Ling
Published: March 2018

In Big data and IoT environments, process execution generates huge-sized data some of which is subsequently obtained by sensors. The main issue in such areas has been the necessity of analyzing data in order to suggest enhancements to processes. In this regard, evaluation of process model conformance to the execution log is of great importance. For this purpose, previous reports on process mining approaches have advocated conformance checking by fitness measure, which is a process that uses token replay and node-arc relations based on Petri net. However, fitness measure so far has not considered statistical significance, but just offers a numeric ratio. We herein propose a statistical verification method based on the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) test to judge whether two different log datasets follow the same process model. Our method can be easily extended to determinations that process execution actually follows a process model, by playing out the model and generating event log data from it. Additionally, in order to solve the problem of the trade-off between model abstraction and process conformance, we also propose the new concepts of Confidence Interval of Abstraction Value (CIAV) and Maximum Confidence Abstraction Value (MCAV). We showed that our method can be applied to any process mining algorithm (e.g. heuristic mining, fuzzy mining) that has parameters related to model abstraction. We expect that our method will come to be widely utilized in many applications dealing with business process enhancement involving process-model and execution-log analyses.
THE ROLE OF BORDER CARBON ADJUSTMENTS IN A U.S. CARBON TAX
Authors: MCKIBBIN WARWICK J. , MORRIS ADELE C. , WILCOXEN PETER J. , LIU WEIFENG
Published: March 2018

This paper examines carbon tax design options in the United States using an intertemporal computable general equilibrium model of the world economy called G-Cubed. In this paper, we discuss four policy scenarios that explore two overarching issues: (1) the effects of a carbon tax under alternative assumptions about the use of the resulting revenue, and (2) the effects of a system of import charges on carbon-intensive goods (“border carbon adjustments” or BCAs).

Consistent with earlier studies, we find that the carbon tax raises considerable revenue and reduces CO2 emissions significantly relative to baseline, no matter how the revenue is used. Gross annual revenue from the carbon tax with lump sum rebating and no BCA begins at $110 billion in 2020 and rises gradually to $170 billion in 2040. By 2040, annual CO2 emissions fall from 5.5 billion metric tons (BMT) under the baseline to 2.4 BMT, a decline of 3.1 BMT, or 57%. Cumulative emissions over 2020 to 2040 fall by 48 BMT.

Also consistent with earlier studies, we find that the carbon tax has very small overall impacts on gross domestic product (GDP), wages, employment, and consumption. Different uses of the revenue from the carbon tax result in slightly different levels and compositions of GDP across consumption, investment and net exports. Overall, using carbon tax revenue to reduce the capital income tax rate results in better macroeconomic outcomes than using the revenue for lump sum transfers.

Counter to their purported purpose of protecting U.S. trade strength, for a given revenue policy, BCAs tend to produce lower net exports than the carbon taxes alone. This is generally because the BCAs raise the value of the dollar relative to other currencies, thus lowering exports more than they lower imports. This is consistent with standard results in the international trade literature on the effects of import tariffs and export subsidies on real exchange rates, a result that is often overlooked in the discussion of domestic carbon policy.

In a finding new to the literature, our results show that BCAs can have strikingly different effects depending on the use of the revenue. Under a lump sum rebate, BCAs exacerbate the impact of the carbon tax by lowering domestic output further than it would fall under the carbon tax alone. Under a capital tax swap, however, BCAs have a moderating effect: they reduce the impact of the tax on most industries.
Optical Metasurfaces: Progress and Applications
Authors: Chang Shengyuan , Guo Xuexue , Ni Xingjie
Published: March 2018

A metasurface is an artificial nanostructured interface that has subwavelength thickness and that manipulates light by spatially arranged meta-atoms—fundamental building blocks of the metasurface. Those meta-atoms, usually consisting of plasmonic or dielectric nanoantennas, can directly change light properties such as phase, amplitude, and polarization. As a derivative of three-dimensional (3D) metamaterials, metasurfaces have been emerging to tackle some of the critical challenges rooted in traditional metamaterials, such as high resistive loss from resonant plasmonic components and fabrication requirements for making 3D nanostructures. In the past few years, metasurfaces have achieved groundbreaking progress, providing unparalleled control of light, including constructing arbitrary wave fronts and realizing active and nonlinear optical effects. This article provides a systematic review of the current progress in and applications of optical metasurfaces, as well as an overview of metasurface building blocks based on plasmonic resonances, Mie resonance, and the Pancharatnam-Berry phase.
Dextran sulfate sodium-induced chronic colitis attenuates Ca2+-activated Cl− secretion in murine colon by downregulating TMEM16A
Authors: Rottgen Trey S. , Nickerson Andrew J. , Minor Emily A. , Stewart Amanda B. , Harold Abby D. , Rajendran Vazhaikkurichi M.
Published: March 2018

Attenuated Ca2+-activated Cl− secretion has previously been observed in the model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Prior studies have implicated dysfunctional muscarinic signaling from basolateral membranes as the potential perpetrator leading to decreased Ca2+-activated Cl− secretion. However, in our chronic model of DSS-colitis, cholinergic receptor muscarinic 3 ( Chrm3) transcript (1.028 ± 0.12 vs. 1.029 ± 0.27, P > 0.05) and CHRM3 protein expression (1.021 ± 0.24 vs. 0.928 ± 0.09, P > 0.05) were unchanged. Therefore, we hypothesized that decreased carbachol (CCH)-stimulated Cl− secretion in DSS-induced colitis could be attributed to a loss of Ca2+-activated Cl− channels (CaCC) in apical membranes of colonic epithelium. To establish this chemically-induced colitis, Balb/C mice were exposed to 4% DSS for five alternating weeks to stimulate a more moderate, chronic colitis. Upon completion of the protocol, whole thickness sections of colon were mounted in an Ussing chamber under voltage-clamp conditions. DSS-induced colitis demonstrated a complete inhibition of basolateral administration of CCH-stimulated Cl− secretion that actually displayed a reversal in polarity (15.40 ± 2.22 μA/cm2 vs. −2.47 ± 0.25 μA/cm2). Western blotting of potential CaCCs, quantified by densitometric analysis, demonstrated no change in bestrophin-2 and cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator, whereas anoctamin-1 [ANO1, transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A)] was significantly downregulated (1.001 ± 0.13 vs. 0.510 ± 0.12, P < 0.05). Our findings indicate that decreased expression of TMEM16A in DSS-induced colitis contributes to the decreased Ca2+-activated Cl− secretion in murine colon.
Assessment of Multivariate Neural Time Series by Phase Synchrony Clustering in a Time-Frequency-Topography Representation
Authors: Porta-Garcia M. A. , Valdes-Cristerna R. , Yanez-Suarez O.
Published: March 2018

Most EEG phase synchrony measures are of bivariate nature. Those that are multivariate focus on producing global indices of the synchronization state of the system. Thus, better descriptions of spatial and temporal local interactions are still in demand. A framework for characterization of phase synchrony relationships between multivariate neural time series is presented, applied either in a single epoch or over an intertrial assessment, relying on a proposed clustering algorithm, termed Multivariate Time Series Clustering by Phase Synchrony, which generates fuzzy clusters for each multivalued time sample and thereupon obtains hard clusters according to a circular variance threshold; such cluster modes are then depicted in Time-Frequency-Topography representations of synchrony state beyond mere global indices. EEG signals from P300 Speller sessions of four subjects were analyzed, obtaining useful insights of synchrony patterns related to the ERP and even revealing steady-state artifacts at 7.6 Hz. Further, contrast maps of Levenshtein Distance highlight synchrony differences between ERP and no-ERP epochs, mainly at delta and theta bands. The framework, which is not limited to one synchrony measure, allows observing dynamics of phase changes and interactions among channels and can be applied to analyze other cognitive states rather than ERP versus no ERP.
DAB2IP Downregulation Enhances the Proliferation and Metastasis of Human Gastric Cancer Cells by Derepressing the ERK1/2 Pathway
Authors: Sun Liang , Yao Yizhou , Lu Ting , Shang Zengfu , Zhan Shenghua , Shi Weiqiang , Pan Guofeng , Zhu Xinguo , He Songbing
Published: March 2018

DAB2IP (DOC2/DAB2 interactive protein) is downregulated in several cancer types, and its downregulation is involved in tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We aimed to investigate the potential role of DAB2IP in the development and progression of gastric cancer. DAB2IP levels were analyzed in human gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissues by Western blots and immunohistochemistry. Potential roles of DAB2IP in regulating gastric cancer cell growth and metastasis were examined by genetic manipulation in vitro. The molecular signaling was determined to understand the mechanisms of observed DAB2IP effects. DAB2IP level is lower in gastric cancer tissues as compared to paired normal tissues. Knockdown of DAB2IP enhanced gastric cancer cell growth and metastasis in vitro and promoted EMT progress at both protein and mRNA levels. Silencing DAB2IP activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway, and the enhanced proliferation and migration ability induced by DAB2IP knockdown were reduced after incubation with U0126 in SGC7901 gastric cancer cells. Inhibition of DAB2IP enhances gastric cancer cell growth and metastasis through targeting the ERK1/2 signaling, indicating that it may serve as a potential target for treatment of gastric cancer.
The Antioxidative Function of Alpha-Ketoglutarate and Its Applications
Authors: Liu Shaojuan , He Liuqin , Yao Kang
Published: March 2018

Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) is a crucial intermediate of the Krebs cycle and plays a critical role in multiple metabolic processes in animals and humans. Of note, AKG contributes to the oxidation of nutrients (i.e., amino acids, glucose, fatty acids) and then provides energy for cell processes. As a precursor of glutamate and glutamine, AKG acts as an antioxidant agent as it directly reacts with hydrogen peroxide with formation of succinate, water, and carbon dioxide; meanwhile, it discharges plenty of ATP by oxidative decarboxylation. Recent studies also show that AKG has alleviative effect on oxidative stress as a source of energy and an antioxidant in mammalian cells. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the antioxidative function of AKG and its applications in animals and humans.
A Rare and Lethal Complication: Cerebral Edema in the Adult Patient with Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Authors: Meaden Christopher W. , Kushner Beth J. , Barnes Stacey
Published: March 2018

Commonly seen in the emergency department, diabetic ketoacidosis is a potentially lethal sequela of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. In the adult population, a rare complication of diabetic ketoacidosis is cerebral edema. This case report discusses a 26-year-old male with new onset diabetes mellitus who developed cerebral edema leading to death.
Temporal Trends of Common Female Malignances on Breast, Cervical, and Ovarian Cancer Mortality in Japan, Republic of Korea, and Singapore: Application of the Age-Period-Cohort Model
Authors: Wang Jinyao , Lv Haizhen , Xue Zhilin , Wang Lu , Bai Zhiqiang
Published: March 2018

Background. Reproductive system cancer is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide which threatens women’s health and lives. Breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer have the higher incidence and mortality among a series of gynecology malignant tumor. We aimed to compare and assess the temporal trends of common female malignances on breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer mortality in developed regions of Asia including Japan, Republic of Korea, and Singapore and analyze the detached effects of chronological age, time period, and birth cohort by age-period-cohort (APC) analysis. Methods. The mortality data for these three cancers were collected from the WHO Mortality Database in Japan, Republic of Korea, and Singapore from 1954 to 2013, from 1989 to 2013, and from 1964 to 2013, respectively. We fitted an age-period-cohort model and intrinsic estimator method to estimate the independent effect of each age, time period, and birth cohort on cancer mortality and describe the secular changes in three Asian countries. Results. For the overall trends of breast cancer, the ASMRs of breast cancer showed a general increasing trend among three countries during the study periods while the change pattern in Singapore was different from the rest of the two countries for cervical and ovarian cancer. By APC analysis, the three cancer mortality risks generally increased with age and decreased with birth cohort. For period effects of breast and ovarian cancer, increasing effects with time were observed; however, for period effects of cervical cancer, converse change pattern was presented among three countries. Conclusions. Our study shows that the ASMRs of breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer remain high in Singapore compared to Japan and Korea. Generally speaking, the mortality risk of three cancers increased with age, and period and cohort effects may collectively affect the common female malignances mortality for East Asian women.
Development and Validation of an Age-Specific Lower Extremity Finite Element Model for Simulating Pedestrian Accidents
Authors: Huang Jing , Long Yongcheng , Yan Yu , Hu Lin
Published: March 2018

The objective of the present study is to develop an age-specific lower extremity finite element model for pedestrian accident simulation. Finite element (FE) models have been used as a versatile tool to simulate and understand the pedestrian injury mechanisms and assess injury risk during crashes. However, current computational models only represent certain ages in the population, the age spectrum of the pedestrian victims is very large, and the geometry of anatomical structures and material property of the lower extremities changes with age for adults, which could affect the injury tolerance, especially in at-risk populations such as the elderly. The effects of age on the material mechanical property of bone and soft tissues of the lower extremities as well as the geometry of the long bone were studied. Then an existing 50th percentile male pedestrian lower extremity model was rebuilt to depict lower extremity morphology for 30- to 70-year-old (YO) individuals. A series of PMHS tests were simulated to validate the biofidelity and stability of the created age-specific models and evaluate the lower extremity response. The development of age-specific lower extremity models will lead to an improved understanding of the pedestrian lower extremity injury mechanisms and injury risk prediction for the whole population in vehicle-pedestrian collision accidents.
A Study of Prescriptive Analysis Framework for Human Care Services Based On CKAN Cloud
Authors: Gim Jangwon , Lee Sukhoon , Joo Wonkyun
Published: March 2018

A number of sensor devices are widely distributed and used today owing to the accelerated development of IoT technology. In particular, this technological advancement has allowed users to carry IoT devices with more convenience and efficiency. Based on the IoT sensor data, studies are being actively carried out to recognize the current situation or to analyze and predict future events. However, research for existing smart healthcare services is focused on analyzing users’ behavior from single sensor data and is also focused on analyzing and diagnosing the current situation of the users. Therefore, a method for effectively managing and integrating a large amount of IoT sensor data has become necessary, and a framework considering data interoperability has become necessary. In addition, an analysis framework is needed not only to provide the analysis of the users’ environment and situation from the integrated data, but also to provide guide information to predict future events and to take appropriate action by users. In this paper, we propose a prescriptive analysis framework using a 5W1H method based on CKAN cloud. Through the CKAN cloud environment, IoT sensor data stored in individual CKANs can be integrated based on common concepts. As a result, it is possible to generate an integrated knowledge graph considering interoperability of data, and the underlying data is used as the base data for prescriptive analysis. In addition, the proposed prescriptive analysis framework can diagnose the situation of the users through analysis of user environment information and supports users’ decision making by recommending the possible behavior according to the coming situation of the users. We have verified the applicability of the 5W1H prescriptive analysis framework based on the use case of collecting and analyzing data obtained from various IoT sensors.
Visual Subfield Progression in Glaucoma Subtypes
Authors: Su Wei-Wen , Hsieh Shian-Sen , Cheng Shih-Tsung , Su Cheng-Wen , Wu Wei-Chi , Chen Henry Shen-Lih
Published: March 2018

Purpose. To investigate visual field progression pattern and factors associated with progression in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), and chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG). Methods. The raw data of the 30-2 Humphrey Field Analyzer from glaucoma patients with definite visual field progression were processed with pointwise linear regression (PLR) analysis. The rate of change of retinal threshold sensitivity in the ten glaucoma hemifield test (GHT) zones, the upper and the lower hemifields, and the whole field was evaluated and was correlated with patients’ basic demographic data. Results. An average follow-up of 6.94 ± 2.69 years that showed the rate of change of visual field threshold sensitivity was correlated with the peak posttreatment intraocular pressure (IOP) and the long-term IOP fluctuations in all GHT zones except in the inferior arcuate area. The baseline IOP, the trough posttreatment IOP, the refractive status, and the CCT were not correlated with VF progression. Conclusion. The rate of visual field progression was correlated with the peak posttreatment IOP and the long-term IOP fluctuation but with subfield differences.
NMR-Based Plasma Metabolomics at Set Intervals in Newborn Dairy Calves with Severe Sepsis
Authors: Basoglu Abdullah , Sen Ismail , Meoni Gaia , Tenori Leonardo , Naseri Amir
Published: March 2018

The aim of this first study was to reveal the new potential biomarkers by a metabolomics approach in severe septic calves. Sepsis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in newborn dairy calves. The main challenges with the use of biomarkers of sepsis in domestic animals are their availability, cost, and time required to obtain a result. Metabolomics may offer the potential to identify biomarkers that define calf sepsis in terms of combined clinical, physiological, and pathobiological abnormalities. To our knowledge, this is the first study presenting an NMR- (nuclear magnetic resonance-) based plasma metabolomics at set intervals in neonatal septic calves. Twenty neonatal dairy calves with severe sepsis and ten healthy calves were used. Hematological and biochemical health profiles were gathered in plasma samples at set intervals. Similarly, NMR spectra were acquired. All diseased animals (except one) died after 72 hours. Clinical and laboratory results were in accordance with those of severe septic animals. Multivariate analysis on NMR plasma spectra proved to be an excellent tool for faster identification of calves with severe sepsis from healthy animals. The NMR-based metabolomic profile may contribute to the better understanding of severe sepsis in newborn calves.
Novel Verification Method for Timing Optimization Based on DPSO
Authors: Chen Chuandong , Wei Rongshan , Wang Shaohao , Hu Wei
Published: March 2018

Timing optimization for logic circuits is one of the key steps in logic synthesis. Extant research data are mainly proposed based on various intelligence algorithms. Hence, they are neither comparable with timing optimization data collected by the mainstream electronic design automation (EDA) tool nor able to verify the superiority of intelligence algorithms to the EDA tool in terms of optimization ability. To address these shortcomings, a novel verification method is proposed in this study. First, a discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm was applied to optimize the timing of the mixed polarity Reed-Muller (MPRM) logic circuit. Second, the Design Compiler (DC) algorithm was used to optimize the timing of the same MPRM logic circuit through special settings and constraints. Finally, the timing optimization results of the two algorithms were compared based on MCNC benchmark circuits. The timing optimization results obtained using DPSO are compared with those obtained from DC, and DPSO demonstrates an average reduction of 9.7% in the timing delays of critical paths for a number of MCNC benchmark circuits. The proposed verification method directly ascertains whether the intelligence algorithm has a better timing optimization ability than DC.
Gynostemma pentaphyllum Attenuates the Progression of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice: A Biomedical Investigation Integrated with In Silico Assay
Authors: Hong Ming , Cai Zhe , Song Lei , Liu Yongqiang , Wang Qi , Feng Xiangfei
Published: March 2018

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common type of liver disease in developed countries. Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the progression of NAFLD. Modern pharmacological study and clinical trials have demonstrated the remarkable antioxidant activity of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP) in chronic liver disease. One aim of this study was to explore the potential protective effects and mechanisms of action of GP extract on NAFLD. The in vivo results showed that GP extract could alleviate fatty degeneration and haptic fibrosis in NAFLD mice. For exploring the hepatoprotective mechanisms of GP, we used network pharmacology to predict the potential active components of GP and their intracellular targets in NAFLD. Based on the network pharmacology results, we further utilized biomedical assays to validate this in silico prediction. The results showed that Gypenoside XL could upregulate the protein level of PPARα in NAFLD; the transcription level of several PPARα downstream target genes such as acyl‐CoA oxidase (ACO) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase‐1 (CPT‐1) also increased after Gypenoside XL treatment. The overexpression of ACO and CPT‐1 may involve the hepatoprotective effects of GP and Gypenoside XL on NAFLD by regulating mitochondrial fatty acid β‐oxidation.
A CCM‐Based OFDM System with Low PAPR for Sparse Source
Authors: Yang Qinbiao , Wang Zulin , Huang Qin
Published: March 2018

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) usually suffers high peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR). As shown in this paper, PAPR becomes even severe for sparse source due to many identical nonzero frequency OFDM symbols. Thus, this paper introduces compressive coded modulation (CCM) in order to restrain PAPR by reducing identical nonzero frequency symbols for sparse source. As a result, the proposed CCM‐based OFDM system, together with iterative clipping and filtering, can efficiently restrain the high PAPR for sparse source. Simulation results show that it outperforms about 4 dB over the traditional OFDM system when source sparsity is 0.1.
Electrochemical Studies of Monoterpenic Thiosemicarbazones as Corrosion Inhibitor for Steel in 1 M HCl
Authors: Idouhli R. , N’Ait Ousidi A. , Koumya Y. , Abouelfida A. , Benyaich A. , Auhmani A. , Ait Itto Moulay Youssef
Published: March 2018

We have studied the inhibitory effect of some Monoterpenic Thiosemicarbazones on steel corrosion in 1 M HCl solution. The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used. The Monoterpenic Thiosemicarbazones have inhibited significantly the dissolution of steel. The inhibition efficiency increased with increasing inhibitor concentration and also with the increase in temperature (293–323 K). Furthermore, the results obtained revealed that the adsorption of inhibitor on steel surface obeys Langmuir adsorption model and the thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy and activation energy were determined. The scanning electron microscopy combined with dispersive X-ray spectroscopy examinations were used to see the shape of the surface morphology and to determine the elemental composition. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that the surface damage decreases when the inhibitor is added. The quantum chemical calculations using density functional theory (DFT) were performed in order to provide some insights into the electronic density distribution as well as the nature of inhibitor-steel interaction.
Are Metabolic Signatures Mediating the Relationship between Lifestyle Factors and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk? Results from a Nested Case–Control Study in EPIC
Authors: Assi Nada , Thomas Duncan C. , Leitzmann Michael , Stepien Magdalena , Chajès Véronique , Philip Thierry , Vineis Paolo , Bamia Christina , Boutron-Ruault Marie-Christine , Sandanger Torkjel M. , Molinuevo Amaia , Boshuizen Hendriek C. , Sundkvist Anneli , Kühn Tilman , Travis Ruth C. , Overvad Kim , Riboli Elio , Gunter Marc J. , Scalbert Augustin , Jenab Mazda , Ferrari Pietro , Viallon Vivian
Published: March 2018

Background: The “meeting-in-the-middle” (MITM) is a principle to identify exposure biomarkers that are also predictors of disease. The MITM statistical framework was applied in a nested case–control study of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), where healthy lifestyle index (HLI) variables were related to targeted serum metabolites.

Methods: Lifestyle and targeted metabolomic data were available from 147 incident HCC cases and 147 matched controls. Partial least squares analysis related 7 lifestyle variables from a modified HLI to a set of 132 serum-measured metabolites and a liver function score. Mediation analysis evaluated whether metabolic profiles mediated the relationship between each lifestyle exposure and HCC risk.

Results: Exposure-related metabolic signatures were identified. Particularly, the body mass index (BMI)-associated metabolic component was positively related to glutamic acid, tyrosine, PC aaC38:3, and liver function score and negatively to lysoPC aC17:0 and aC18:2. The lifetime alcohol-specific signature had negative loadings on sphingomyelins (SM C16:1, C18:1, SM(OH) C14:1, C16:1 and C22:2). Both exposures were associated with increased HCC with total effects (TE) = 1.23 (95% confidence interval = 0.93–1.62) and 1.40 (1.14–1.72), respectively, for BMI and alcohol consumption. Both metabolic signatures mediated the association between BMI and lifetime alcohol consumption and HCC with natural indirect effects, respectively, equal to 1.56 (1.24–1.96) and 1.09 (1.03–1.15), accounting for a proportion mediated of 100% and 24%.

Conclusions: In a refined MITM framework, relevant metabolic signatures were identified as mediators in the relationship between lifestyle exposures and HCC risk.

Impact: The understanding of the biological basis for the relationship between modifiable exposures and cancer would pave avenues for clinical and public health interventions on metabolic mediators. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(5); 531–40. ©2018 AACR.
Anti-Angiogenics: Current Situation and Future Perspectives
Authors: Zirlik Katja , Duyster Justus
Published: March 2018

Angiogenesis, the process leading to the formation of new blood vessels, is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Extensive studies established that i) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key driver of sprouting angiogenesis, ii) VEGF is overexpressed in most solid cancers, and iii) inhibition of VEGF can suppress tumor growth in animal models. This has led to the development of pharmacological agents for anti-angiogenesis to disrupt the vascular supply and starve the tumor of nutrients and oxygen, primarily through the blockade of VEGF/VEGF receptor signaling. This effort has resulted in 11 anti-VEGF drugs approved for certain advanced cancers, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy and other targeted therapies. However, inhibition of VEGF signaling is not effective in all cancers, and anti-angiogenics have often only limited impact on overall survival of cancer patients. This review focuses on the current status of FDA-approved anti-angiogenic antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors and summarizes the progress and future directions of VEGF-targeted therapy.
Sensitivity to Faces with Typical and Atypical Part Configurations within Regions of the Face-processing Network: An fMRI Study
Authors: Engell Andrew D. , Kim Na Yeon , McCarthy Gregory
Published: March 2018

Perception of faces has been shown to engage a domain-specific set of brain regions, including the occipital face area (OFA) and the fusiform face area (FFA). It is commonly held that the OFA is responsible for the detection of faces in the environment, whereas the FFA is responsible for processing the identity of the face. However, an alternative model posits that the FFA is responsible for face detection and subsequently recruits the OFA to analyze the face parts in the service of identification. An essential prediction of the former model is that the OFA is not sensitive to the arrangement of internal face parts. In the current fMRI study, we test the sensitivity of the OFA and FFA to the configuration of face parts. Participants were shown faces in which the internal parts were presented in a typical configuration (two eyes above a nose above a mouth) or in an atypical configuration (the locations of individual parts were shuffled within the face outline). Perception of the atypical faces evoked a significantly larger response than typical faces in the OFA and in a wide swath of the surrounding posterior occipitotemporal cortices. Surprisingly, typical faces did not evoke a significantly larger response than atypical faces anywhere in the brain, including the FFA (although some subthreshold differences were observed). We propose that face processing in the FFA results in inhibitory sculpting of activation in the OFA, which accounts for this region's weaker response to typical than to atypical configurations.
Decoding Digits and Dice with Magnetoencephalography: Evidence for a Shared Representation of Magnitude
Authors: Teichmann Lina , Grootswagers Tijl , Carlson Thomas , Rich Anina N.
Published: March 2018

Numerical format describes the way magnitude is conveyed, for example, as a digit (“3”) or Roman numeral (“III”). In the field of numerical cognition, there is an ongoing debate of whether magnitude representation is independent of numerical format. Here, we examine the time course of magnitude processing when using different symbolic formats. We presented participants with a series of digits and dice patterns corresponding to the magnitudes of 1 to 6 while performing a 1-back task on magnitude. Magnetoencephalography offers an opportunity to record brain activity with high temporal resolution. Multivariate pattern analysis applied to magnetoencephalographic data allows us to draw conclusions about brain activation patterns underlying information processing over time. The results show that we can cross-decode magnitude when training the classifier on magnitude presented in one symbolic format and testing the classifier on the other symbolic format. This suggests a similar representation of these numerical symbols. In addition, results from a time generalization analysis show that digits were accessed slightly earlier than dice, demonstrating temporal asynchronies in their shared representation of magnitude. Together, our methods allow a distinction between format-specific signals and format-independent representations of magnitude showing evidence that there is a shared representation of magnitude accessed via different symbols.