bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optical coherence tomography for assessment of epithelialization in a human ex vivo wound model
Authors: Glinos George D. , Verne Sebastian H. , Aldahan Adam S. , Liang Liang , Nouri Keyvan , Elliot Sharon , Glassberg Marilyn , Cabrera DeBuc Delia , Koru‐Sengul Tulay , Tomic‐Canic Marjana , Pastar Irena
Published: December 2017

The ex vivo human skin wound model is a widely accepted model to study wound epithelialization. Due to a lack of animal models that fully replicate human conditions, the ex vivo model is a valuable tool to study mechanisms of wound reepithelialization, as well as for preclinical testing of novel therapeutics. The current standard for assessment of wound healing in this model is histomorphometric analysis, which is labor intensive, time consuming, and requires multiple biological and technical replicates in addition to assessment of different time points. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging noninvasive imaging technology originally developed for noninvasive retinal scans that avoids the deleterious effects of tissue processing. This study investigated OCT as a novel method for assessing reepithelialization in the human ex vivo wound model. Excisional ex vivo wounds were created, maintained at air‐liquid interface, and healing progression was assessed at days 4 and 7 with OCT and histology. OCT provided adequate resolution to identify the epidermis, the papillary and reticular dermis, and importantly, migrating epithelium in the wound bed. We have deployed OCT as a noninvasive tool to produce, longitudinal “optical biopsies” of ex vivo human wound healing process, and we established an optimal quantification method of re‐epithelialization based on en face OCT images of the total wound area. Pairwise statistical analysis of OCT and histology based quantifications for the rate of epithelialization have shown the feasibility and superiority of OCT technology for noninvasive monitoring of human wound epithelialization. Furthermore, we have utilized OCT to evaluate therapeutic potential of allogeneic adipose stem cells revealing their ability to promote reepithelialization in human ex vivo wounds. OCT technology is promising for its applications in wound healing and evaluation of novel therapeutics in both the laboratory and the clinical settings.
Econometric Models for Forecasting Remittances of Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Tamanna , Mohib Ashfaque A. , Haque Shahnaz Zarin
Published: December 2017

At present, the remittance of Bangladesh (RB) is the largest source of foreign exchange earning of the country. The RB plays a critical role in alleviating the foreign-exchange constraint and supporting the balance of payments, enabling imports of capital goods and raw materials for industrial development. Remittance from overseas migrant workers certainly increases the income disparity between classes of the rural society. Therefore forecasting plays an important role to know the future situation of economic condition. This paper employed the prospective data on RB to derive a unique and suitable forecasting model. The data were collected from Bangladesh Bank (BB) during January, 1998 to December, 2003. The Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) models were used to find out the best one. The findings indicated that the ARIMA (0,1,1) (0,2,1)12 and the GARCH (2,1) models were appropriate for our data and the GARCH (2,1) model appeared to be the best one between these.
Combined Effect of Pressure and Shear Stress on Penny-Shaped Fluid-Driven Cracks
Authors: Shen Wenhao , Zhao Ya-Pu
Published: December 2017

Penny-shaped fluid-driven cracks are often detected in many fluid–solid interaction problems. We study the combined effect of pressure and shear stress on the crack propagation in an impermeable elastic full space. Boundary integral equations are presented, by using the integral transform method, for a penny-shaped crack under normal and shear stresses. The crack propagation criterion of stress intensity factor is examined with the strain energy release rate. Dominant regimes are obtained by using a scaling analysis. Asymptotic solution of the toughness-dominant regime is derived to show the effect of shear stress on the crack opening, crack length, and pressure distribution. The results indicate that a singular shear stress can dominate the asymptotic property of the stress field near the crack tip, and the stress intensity factor cannot be calculated even though the energy release rate is finite. Shear stress leads to a smaller crack opening, a longer crack, and a slightly larger wellbore pressure. A novel dominant-regime transition between shear stress and pressure is found. Unstable crack propagation occurs in the shear stress-dominant regime. This study may help in understanding crack problems under symmetrical loads and modeling fluid–solid interactions at the crack surfaces.
Stability of Open-Topped Storage Tanks With Top Stiffener and One Intermediate Stiffener Subject to Wind Loading
Authors: Sun Tianlong , Azzuni Eyas , Guzey Sukru
Published: December 2017

Aboveground vertical steel storage tanks use stiffener rings to prevent their shell wall from buckling under wind loading. The existing stiffener rings design rules from API 650 standard is known to be overly conservative. This study investigates the possibility of modifying the design rules by reducing the required size of the top stiffener ring to the same size as the intermediate stiffener ring. In this study, we used finite element analysis (FEA) to perform linear bifurcation analysis (LBA) and geometrically nonlinear analysis including imperfections (GNIA) to obtain failure load of modeled tanks. The buckling pressure load was obtained to ensure it is larger than the design pressure. Moreover, the effects of higher strength materials, different buckling modes, and various wind profiles were also studied to ensure the design suggested by this study is practical and universal to different situations. The results show that for cylindrical storage tanks, which only needs one intermediate stiffener ring, the size of the top stiffener ring can be set to the same size as the intermediate stiffener ring.
n-tuple coprime sensor arrays
Authors: Bush Dane , Xiang Ning
Published: December 2017

Until now, coprime sensor arrays have used two sparsely spaced subarrays to emulate the performance of a single uniform array with many more sensors (generally on the order of the product of each subarrays' number of sensors). This allows for similar results with fewer sensors, or the observation of higher frequencies (above the Nyquist limit) with a similar number of sensors. The theory rests on the cross-referencing (using directional filter banks) or cancellation (using product processing) of the M grating lobes in one subarray's beampattern and N grating lobes in the other, where M and N are coprime integers. Sets of coprime integers can consist of more than two integers, however, and introducing another coprime factor theoretically multiplies observable frequency (or further decreases the number of array elements needed for the same frequency). Any amount, n, of coprime integers and corresponding subarrays may be used. In this work, “n-tuple coprime sensor array” theory is expounded and implemented. Experimentally measured beampattern results of a triple coprime sensor array (with three subarrays) are shown, using an extension of the authors' previously established product processing. Results also confirm that the usable range of an n-tuple coprime array extends below its design frequency.
Durability and correlates of vaccine protection against Zika virus in rhesus monkeys
Authors: Abbink Peter , Larocca Rafael A. , Visitsunthorn Kittipos , Boyd Michael , De La Barrera Rafael A. , Gromowski Gregory D. , Kirilova Marinela , Peterson Rebecca , Li Zhenfeng , Nanayakkara Ovini , Nityanandam Ramya , Mercado Noe B. , Borducchi Erica N. , Chandrashekar Abishek , Jetton David , Mojta Shanell , Gandhi Priya , LeSuer Jake , Khatiwada Shreeya , Lewis Mark G. , Modjarrad Kayvon , Jarman Richard G. , Eckels Kenneth H. , Thomas Stephen J. , Michael Nelson L. , Barouch Dan H.
Published: December 2017

Not all vaccines afford robust protection against ZIKV challenge in rhesus monkeys at 1 year after vaccination.
Draft Genome Sequence of the First NDM-4-Producing Escherichia coli Strain (AK1), Isolated from Sewage Water of a North Indian Hospital
Authors: Khan Asad U. , Beg Ayesha Z. , Verma Praveen K.
Published: December 2017

We report here the draft genome sequence of the first isolated NDM-4-producing
Escherichia coli
strain, isolated from sewage water at a North Indian hospital. The genome has an assembly size of 5,076,053 bp, arranged in 129 contigs, with 5,271 genes and a G+C content of 50.47%.
Complete Genome Sequence of Hyperthermophilic Archaeon
Thermococcus
sp. EXT12c, Isolated from the East Pacific Rise 9°N
Authors: Courtine Damien , Alain Karine , Georges Myriam , Bienvenu Nadège , Morrison Hilary G. , Eren A. Murat , Maignien Loïs
Published: December 2017

We report the genome sequence of
Thermococcus
sp. EXT12c isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent at the East Pacific Rise 9°N. Microbes in the genus
Thermococcus
are able to grow anaerobically at high temperature, around neutral pH, and some of them under high hydrostatic pressure.
Human Norovirus NS3 Has RNA Helicase and Chaperoning Activities
Authors: Li Teng-Feng , Hosmillo Myra , Schwanke Hella , Shu Ting , Wang Zhaowei , Yin Lei , Curry Stephen , Goodfellow Ian G. , Zhou Xi
Published: December 2017

RNA-remodeling proteins, including RNA helicases and chaperones, act to remodel RNA structures and/or protein-RNA interactions and are required for all processes involving RNAs. Although many viruses encode RNA helicases and chaperones, their
in vitro
activities and their roles in infected cells largely remain elusive. Noroviruses are a diverse group of positive-strand RNA viruses in the family
Caliciviridae
and constitute a significant and potentially fatal threat to human health. Here, we report that the protein NS3 encoded by human norovirus has both ATP-dependent RNA helicase activity that unwinds RNA helices and ATP-independent RNA-chaperoning activity that can remodel structured RNAs and facilitate strand annealing. Moreover, NS3 can facilitate viral RNA synthesis
in vitro
by norovirus polymerase. NS3 may therefore play an important role in norovirus RNA replication. Lastly, we demonstrate that the RNA-remodeling activity of NS3 is inhibited by guanidine hydrochloride, an FDA-approved compound, and, more importantly, that it reduces the replication of the norovirus replicon in cultured human cells. Altogether, these findings are the first to demonstrate the presence of RNA-remodeling activities encoded by
Caliciviridae
and highlight the functional significance of NS3 in the noroviral life cycle.

IMPORTANCE
Noroviruses are a diverse group of positive-strand RNA viruses, which annually cause hundreds of millions of human infections and over 200,000 deaths worldwide. For RNA viruses, cellular or virus-encoded RNA helicases and/or chaperones have long been considered to play pivotal roles in viral life cycles. However, neither RNA helicase nor chaperoning activity has been demonstrated to be associated with any norovirus-encoded proteins, and it is also unknown whether norovirus replication requires the participation of any viral or cellular RNA helicases/chaperones. We found that a norovirus protein, NS3, not only has ATP-dependent helicase activity, but also acts as an ATP-independent RNA chaperone. Also, NS3 can facilitate
in vitro
viral RNA synthesis, suggesting the important role of NS3 in norovirus replication. Moreover, NS3 activities can be inhibited by an FDA-approved compound, which also suppresses norovirus replicon replication in human cells, raising the possibility that NS3 could be a target for antinoroviral drug development.
Toxicity of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors in children
Authors: De Bruyne Pauline , Ito Shinya
Published: December 2017

Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is becoming increasingly common. Although the toxicity profiles of PPIs are not well understood particularly in children, PPIs have been associated with increased risks of gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infection, vitamin B12 deficiency, hypomagnesaemia, bone fractures, and rebound hyperacidity after discontinuation. Prescribers should take into account that PPI uses pose toxicity risks, which remain to be fully characterised in infants and children.
Do psychological harms result from being labelled with an unexpected diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm or prostate cancer through screening? A systematic review
Authors: Cotter Anne R , Vuong Kim , Mustelin Linda L , Yang Yi , Rakhmankulova Malika , Barclay Colleen J , Harris Russell P
Published: December 2017

Objective

A potential psychological harm of screening is unexpected diagnosis—labelling. We need to know the frequency and severity of this harm to make informed decisions about screening. We asked whether current evidence allows an estimate of any psychological harm of labelling. As case studies, we used two conditions for which screening is common: prostate cancer (PCa) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Design

Systematic review with narrative synthesis.

Data sources and eligibility criteria

We searched the English language literature in PubMed, PsychINFO and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) for research of any design published between 1 January 2002 and 23 January 2017 that provided valid data about the psychological state of people recently diagnosed with early stage PCa or AAA. Two authors independently used explicit criteria to review and critically appraise all studies for bias, applicability and the extent to which it provided evidence about the frequency and severity of harm from labelling.

Results

35 quantitative studies (30 of PCa and 5 of AAA) met our criteria, 17 (48.6%) of which showed possible or definite psychological harm from labelling. None of these studies, however, had either appropriate measures or relevant comparisons to estimate the frequency and severity of psychological harm. Four PCa and three AAA qualitative studies all showed clear evidence of at least moderate psychological harm from labelling. Seven population-based studies found increased suicide in patients recently diagnosed with PCa.

Conclusions

Although qualitative and population-based studies show that at least moderate psychological harm due to screening for PCa and AAA does occur, the current quantitative evidence is insufficient to allow a more precise estimation of frequency and severity. More sensitive measures and improved research designs are needed to fully characterise this harm. In the meantime, clinicians and recommendation panels should be aware of the occurrence of this harm.
Assessment of rock strength from measuring while drilling shafts in Florida limestone
Authors: Rodgers Michael , McVay Michael , Horhota David , Hernando Jose
Published: December 2017

The focus of this research is the real-time assessment of rock strength (unconfined compressive strength, qu) during drilled shaft installations in Florida limestone, where measures of rock strength are provided through five monitored drilling parameters: torque, crowd, rotational speed, penetration rate, and bit diameter. To complete the study, both a laboratory and field investigation were required. This paper covers drill rig instrumentation, measuring rock strength during field drilling, and the comparative analysis of rock strength with conventional methods. Real-time measurements were recorded for each drilling parameter and graphically displayed on an in-cab monitor and wirelessly transmitted to an external computer. Measures of rock strength were estimated using a laboratory-developed equation with the monitored drilling parameters for real-time field assessment. Measuring while drilling in the field took place at three separate locations where drilled shaft load testing occurred. Comparative analyses between the monitored shaft installations and core samples subjected to unconfined compression indicated the results aligned well when recoveries were good. As recoveries diminished, the mean strengths were comparable, but more variable.
Constant-Rate Coding for Multiparty Interactive Communication Is Impossible
Authors: Braverman Mark , Efremenko Klim , Gelles Ran , Haeupler Bernhard
Published: December 2017

We study coding schemes for multiparty interactive communication over synchronous networks that suffer from stochastic noise, where each bit is independently flipped with probability ε. We analyze the minimal overhead that must be added by the coding scheme to succeed in performing the computation despite the noise.

Our main result is a lower bound on the communication of any noise-resilient protocol over a synchronous star network with
n
parties (where all parties communicate in every round). Specifically, we show a task that can be solved by communicating
T
bits over the noise-free network, but for which any protocol with success probability of 1-
o
(1) must communicate at least Ω (
T
/log
n
log log
n
) bits when the channels are noisy. By a 1994 result of Rajagopalan and Schulman, the slowdown we prove is the highest one can obtain on any topology, up to a log log
n
factor.

We complete our lower bound with a matching coding scheme that achieves the same overhead; thus, the capacity of (synchronous) star networks is Θ (log log
n
/log
n
). Our bounds prove that, despite several previous coding schemes with rate Ω (1) for certain topologies, no coding scheme with constant rate Ω (1) exists for arbitrary
n
-party noisy networks.
Scalable Urban Mobile Crowdsourcing
Authors: Cheng Shih-Fen , Chen Cen , Kandappu Thivya , Lau Hoong Chuin , Misra Archan , Jaiman Nikita , Tandriansyah Randy , Koh Desmond
Published: December 2017

In this article, we investigate effective ways of utilizing crowdworkers in providing various urban services. The task recommendation platform that we design can match tasks to crowdworkers based on workers’ historical trajectories and time budget limits, thus making recommendations personal and efficient. One major challenge we manage to address is the handling of crowdworker’s trajectory uncertainties. In this article, we explicitly allow multiple routine routes to be probabilistically associated with each worker. We formulate this problem as an integer linear program whose goal is to maximize the expected total utility achieved by all workers. We further exploit the separable structures of the formulation and apply the Lagrangian relaxation technique to scale up computation. Numerical experiments have been performed over the instances generated using the realistic public transit dataset in Singapore. The results show that we can find significantly better solutions than the deterministic formulation, and in most cases we can find solutions that are very close to the theoretical performance limit. To demonstrate the practicality of our approach, we deployed our recommendation engine to a campus-scale field trial, and we demonstrate that workers receiving our recommendations incur fewer detours and complete more tasks, and are more efficient against workers relying on their own planning (25% more for top workers who receive recommendations). This is achieved despite having highly uncertain worker trajectories. We also demonstrate how to further improve the robustness of the system by using a simple multi-coverage mechanism.
Real-Time Human Mobility Modeling with Multi-View Learning
Authors: Zhang Desheng , He Tian , Zhang Fan
Published: December 2017

Real-time human mobility modeling is essential to various urban applications. To model such human mobility, numerous data-driven techniques have been proposed. However, existing techniques are mostly driven by data from a single view, for example, a transportation view or a cellphone view, which leads to over-fitting of these single-view models. To address this issue, we propose a human mobility modeling technique based on a generic multi-view learning framework called coMobile. In coMobile, we first improve the performance of single-view models based on tensor decomposition with correlated contexts, and then we integrate these improved single-view models together for multi-view learning to iteratively obtain mutually reinforced knowledge for real-time human mobility at urban scale. We implement coMobile based on an extremely large dataset in the Chinese city Shenzhen, including data about taxi, bus, and subway passengers along with cellphone users, capturing more than 27 thousand vehicles and 10 million urban residents. The evaluation results show that our approach outperforms a single-view model by 51% on average. More importantly, we design a novel application where urban taxis are dispatched based on unaccounted mobility demand inferred by coMobile.
Heterogeneous and Competitive Multiagent Networks: Couple-Group Consensus with Communication or Input Time Delays
Authors: Yu Nanxiang , Ji Lianghao , Yu Fengmin
Published: December 2017

This paper discusses the couple-group consensus problems for a class of heterogeneous multiagent networks including the following two cases: with communication and input time delays, respectively. Different from the related cooperative networks, two novel delayed group consensus protocols are designed based on the competitive relationship between the agents. Furthermore, we absolutely relax the in-degree balance and other restrictive preconditions which existed in the relevant works. Some sufficient algebraic criteria for the achievement of couple-group consensus and the upper bound of the input time delays are technically obtained via the frequency domain method and matrix theory, respectively. The results show that the achievement of the couple-group consensus depends on the second-order agents’ in-degree and the control parameters of the systems, whereas it is independent of the communication time delays. Meanwhile, the upper bound of the input time delay is determined by the control parameters and the in-degree of the first-order agents. Finally, the validity of the proposed results is verified by several simulated examples.
Erroneously Suspected Ovarian Cancer in a 38-Year-Old Woman with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Chlamydia
Authors: Brun Romana , Hutmacher Juliane , Fink Daniel , Imesch Patrick
Published: December 2017

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial cause of sexually transmitted disease and can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), leading to severe outcomes such as ectopic pregnancy, infertility, or pelvic pain. We report a case of a 38-year-old patient with abdominal pain and dyspareunia. Clinical examination revealed diffuse abdominal tenderness. Vaginal and abdominal sonography showed substantial ascites and CA-125 level was elevated. Therefore, the attendant physician performed an abdominal CT scan for further diagnosis. Radiographically diffuse peritoneal enhancement, consistent with peritoneal carcinomatosis, 4-quadrant ascites, and slightly enlarged ovaries with solid and cystic structures were diagnosed, leading to the suspicion of ovarian cancer. In addition, the results of the cervical smear PCR for chlamydia were positive. Due to the positive chlamydia result, the suspicious CT scan, and the young age, we decided to perform a diagnostic laparoscopy as a first step. Intraoperatively, the ovaries were of normal aspect without any cancerous lesions. However, the ascites and the yellow-reddish jelly-like deposits were consistent with acute PID. Thus, chlamydia infection may simulate the presentation of ovarian cancer. Therefore, especially in young patients, we recommend careful scrutiny of every diagnosis of ovarian cancer even if its presentation seems to be typical.
3-Amino-1,2,4-triazole Limits the Oxidative Damage in UVA-Irradiated Dysplastic Keratinocytes
Authors: Nechifor Marina Tamara , Dinu Diana
Published: December 2017

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by UVA irradiation affect the keratinocyte cell membrane, DNA, and proteins and may cause serious injury to the skin. Treating human dysplastic keratinocytes (DOK) with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AMT), a common catalase inhibitor, induced a compensatory mechanism for the hydrogen peroxide detoxification, which included a rise in glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities. Here, we examined a possible role of AMT in protecting a human DOK cell line against UVA-induced damage. In DOK cells exposed to UVA irradiation, we observed a substantial decrease in antioxidant enzymatic activities, such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase and an increase in lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation levels. Treating DOK cells with AMT prior to UVA exposure enhanced the activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase, relative to nontreated cells. The enhanced antioxidant activities were correlated with decreased protein oxidation levels. Based on these results, we suggest that AMT may protect dysplastic keratinocytes against the harmful effects of UVA radiation.
Optimal Channel Selection Based on Online Decision and Offline Learning in Multichannel Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Qiao Mu , Zhao Haitao , Huang Shengchun , Zhou Li , Wang Shan
Published: December 2017

We propose a channel selection strategy with hybrid architecture, which combines the centralized method and the distributed method to alleviate the overhead of access point and at the same time provide more flexibility in network deployment. By this architecture, we make use of game theory and reinforcement learning to fulfill the optimal channel selection under different communication scenarios. Particularly, when the network can satisfy the requirements of energy and computational costs, the online decision algorithm based on noncooperative game can help each individual sensor node immediately select the optimal channel. Alternatively, when the network cannot satisfy the requirements of energy and computational costs, the offline learning algorithm based on reinforcement learning can help each individual sensor node to learn from its experience and iteratively adjust its behavior toward the expected target. Extensive simulation results validate the effectiveness of our proposal and also prove that higher system throughput can be achieved by our channel selection strategy over the conventional off-policy channel selection approaches.
ST Depression, No ST Change, or ST Elevation in Inferior Derivations: Which Has the Worst Outcomes in Acute Anterior Myocardial Infarction?
Authors: Hayıroğlu Mert İlker , Uzun Ahmet Okan , Türkkan Ceyhan , Keskin Muhammed , Börklü Edibe Betül , Tekkesin Ahmet İlker , Kozan Ömer
Published: December 2017

Objective: The combination of electrical phenomena and remote myocardial ischemia is the pathophysiological mechanism of ST segment changes in inferior leads in acute anterior myocardial infarction (MI). We investigated the prognostic value of ST segment changes in inferior derivations in patients with first acute anterior MI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: In this prospective single-center analysis, we evaluated the prognostic impact of ST segment changes in inferior derivations on 354 patients with acute anterior MI. Patients were divided into the following 3 groups according to admission ST segment changes in inferior derivations: ST depression (group 1), no ST change (group 2), and ST elevation (group 3). Results: In-hospital multivariate analysis revealed notably high rates of in-hospital death for patients in group 3 compared to patients in group 2 (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.6-7.6, p < 0.001). Group 1 and group 2 had similar in-hospital and long-term mortality rates. After adjusting for confounding baseline variables, group 3 had higher rates of 18-month mortality (HR 3.3; 95% CI 1.5-8.2, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In patients with a first acute anterior MI treated with primary PCI, ST elevation in inferior leads had significantly worse short-term and long-term outcomes compared to no ST change or ST segment depression.
The Canagliflozin and Renal Endpoints in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation (CREDENCE) Study Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics
Authors: Jardine Meg J. , Mahaffey Kenneth W. , Neal Bruce , Agarwal Rajiv , Bakris George L. , Brenner Barry M. , Bull Scott , Cannon Christopher P. , Charytan David M. , de Zeeuw Dick , Edwards Robert , Greene Tom , Heerspink Hiddo J.L. , Levin Adeera , Pollock Carol , Wheeler David C. , Xie John , Zhang Hong , Zinman Bernard , Desai Mehul , Perkovic Vlado ,   on behalf of the CREDENCE study investigators
Published: December 2017

Background: People with diabetes and kidney disease have a high risk of cardiovascular events and progression of kidney disease. Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors lower plasma glucose by reducing the uptake of filtered glucose in the kidney tubule, leading to increased urinary glucose excretion. They have been repeatedly shown to induce modest natriuresis and reduce HbA1c, blood pressure, weight, and albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the effects of these agents on kidney and cardiovascular events have not been extensively studied in patients with type 2 diabetes and established kidney disease. Methods: The Canagliflozin and Renal Endpoints in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation (CREDENCE) trial aims to compare the efficacy and safety of canagliflozin ­versus placebo at preventing clinically important kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diabetes and established kidney disease. CREDENCE is a randomized, double-blind, event-driven, placebo-controlled trial set in in 34 countries with a projected duration of ∼5.5 years and enrolling 4,401 adults with type 2 diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥30 to <90 mL/min/1.73 m2, and albuminuria (urinary albumin:creatinine ratio >300 to ≤5,000 mg/g). The study has 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (α = 0.05), the composite of end-stage kidney disease, doubling of serum creatinine, and renal or cardiovascular death. Conclusion: CREDENCE will provide definitive evidence about the effects of canagliflozin on renal (and cardiovascular) outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and established kidney disease. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2013-004494-28; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02065791.
MiR-124 Inhibits Growth and Enhances Radiation-Induced Apoptosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Inhibiting STAT3
Authors: Wang Mengjie , Meng Bi , Liu Yangchen , Yu Jingwen , Chen Qiaoyun , Liu Yangchen
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: A growing body of evidence indicates that the abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in sensitizing the cellular response to ionizing radiation (IR). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the expression of miR-124 correlated with radiosensitivity in the context of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to quantify miR-124 expression in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The role of miR-124 in NSCLC proliferation and radiosensitivity was analyzed using CCK-8 and flow cytometry apoptosis assays. Luciferase activity assays, RT-PCR, and Western blot assays were performed to confirm the target gene of miR-124. Results: In this study, we found that miR-124 was downregulated both in clinical NSCLC samples and in cell lines. miR-124 inhibited the proliferation of NSCLC cells and enhanced the apoptosis of NSCLC cells exposed to ionizing radiation. We identified signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as a direct target of miR-124 by using target prediction algorithms and luciferase assays. Overexpression of STAT3 in A549 cell lines restored the enhanced radiosensitivity induced by miR-124. Conclusion: Taking these observations into consideration, we illustrated that miR-124 is a potential target for enhancing the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells by targeting STAT3.
A lâmina que opera: um estudo sobre João Cabral e Marianne Moore
Authors: Oliveira Fábio José Santos de
Published: December 2017

Pode-se afirmar que um dos pontos mais característicos da poética de João Cabral de Melo Neto (1920-1999) é a metalinguagem, e uma metalinguagem não raro associada também a um juízo estético sobre outros escritores e artistas. Um bom exemplo dessa poesia “crítica” cabralina são seus textos sobre a poeta norte-americana Marianne Moore (1887- 1972). No total, são cinco os textos em que Moore e/ou sua obra aparecem como assunto de poesia. Sabendo também que, em João Cabral, esse juízo crítico sobre outros muitas vezes reflete uma visão crítica sobre seu próprio trabalho artístico, este estudo objetiva averiguar certas implicações estéticas estabelecidas nesses poemas de Cabral sobre Marianne Moore.
O Projeto Ruas de Histórias Negras e a representação da matriz africana em Campinas: a disputa do território urbano – um estudo de caso
Authors: Martins Alessandra Ribeiro , Santos Junior Wilson Ribeiro dos
Published: December 2017

O artigo tem como objetivo apresentar um resumo do estudo de caso do Projeto Ruas de Histórias Negras, que buscou evidenciar, através do levantamento de alguns monumentos, praças e ruas que receberam nomes de personagens negros, a presença da matriz africana na cidade. Campinas, como a maioria das vilas consolidadas durante a colônia com grande número de escravizados, acabou por desenvolver estratégias para a manutenção da ordem contra revoltas e fugas de escravizados, que influenciaram e acarretaram um processo permanente de apagamento da percepção dessa presença da matriz africana no espaço urbano. Nos últimos anos tornou-se mais acirrado o processo de reterritorialização desse espaço com novas iniciativas, ações e a participação de coletivos ligados a essa matriz.
Technical Advances for the Clinical Genomic Evaluation of Sudden Cardiac Death
Authors: Baudhuin Linnea M. , Leduc Charles , Train Laura J. , Avula Rajeswari , Kluge Michelle L. , Kotzer Katrina E. , Lin Peter T. , Ackerman Michael J. , Maleszewski Joseph J.
Published: December 2017

Background—

Postmortem genetic testing for heritable cardiovascular (CV) disorders is often lacking because ideal specimens (ie, whole blood) are not retained routinely at autopsy. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET) is ubiquitously collected at autopsy, but DNA quality hampers its use with traditional sequencing methods. Targeted next-generation sequencing may offer the ability to circumvent such limitations, but a method has not been previously described. The primary aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the use of FFPET for heritable CV disorders via next-generation sequencing.

Methods and Results—

Nineteen FFPET (heart) and blood (whole blood or dried blood spot) specimens underwent targeted next-generation sequencing using a custom panel of 101 CV-associated genes. Nucleic acid yield and quality metrics were evaluated in relation to FFPET specimen age (6 months to 15 years; n=14) and specimen type (FFPET versus whole blood and dried blood spot; n=12). Four FFPET cases with a clinical phenotype of heritable CV disorder were analyzed. Accuracy and precision were 100% concordant between all sample types, with read depths >100× for most regions tested. Lower read depth, as low as 40×, was occasionally observed with FFPET and dried blood spot. High-quality DNA was obtained from FFPET samples as old as 15 years. Genomic analysis of FFPET from the 4 phenotype-positive/genotype unknown cases all revealed putative disease-causing variants.

Conclusions—

Similar performance characteristics were observed for next-generation sequencing of FFPET, whole blood, and dried blood spot in the evaluation of inherited CV disorders. Although blood is preferable for genetic analyses, this study offers an alternative when only FFPET is available.
Seeing Oneself Seeing: A Conversation with Lucy Raven
Authors: Joselit David
Published: December 2017

Artist Lucy Raven speaks with David Joselit about her multidisciplinary practice and contemporary notions of image-making and viewing. Reflecting on the production and circulation of both analog and digital images—how they function, where they come from, and how they get distributed—Raven's animated films aim to denaturalize the process of viewing and draw attention to the ways in which films are inextricably bound up in complex systems of global commerce and finance.
Residence Rights for Caring Parents who are also Victims of Domestic Violence
Authors: Oosterom-Staples Helen
Published: December 2017

Traditionally, parents determine their children’s right to reside in a host-State. This means that a child’s right to remain in a host-State is intrinsically linked to the presence of those parents in their host-State. This changed for the eu Member States with the Court of Justice’s ruling in the Baumbast case and was extended in that Court’s Chen ruling. In these cases the Court of Justice, as a first step, acknowledged children as independent bearers of residence rights. To ensure the effectiveness of this right to remain, the Court of Justice, as a second step, reasoned that a third-country national parent also enjoys a right to remain in that Member State if that parent is their primary carer. These rulings play a crucial role in the Court of Justice’s recent decision in the na case. Although Article 13(2) of the Citizens Directive provides for a right to remain as a victim of domestic violence, it is not in this capacity but rather her capacity of the primary carer of two young eu-citizens that ensures her a right to remain in her host-Member State after the departure of her eu-citizen spouse.

This contribution seeks an alternative reading of Article 13(2)(c) of the Citizens Directive to that offered by the Court of Justice in the na case. Arguments are found in that Directive’s objectives, drafting history and effectiveness; benchmarks normally used by the Court of Justice in its case law when clarifying the scope of eu free movement rights, as well as that Court’s case law on the declaratory nature of those rights.
Ukrainian Samvydav: A Form of Soviet Dissent – Український Самвидав як Форма Радянського Інакомислення
Authors: Shanovs’ka Olena A.
Published: December 2017

Ukrainian samvydav literature served as a potent and popular response to Soviet ideology and its moral-ethical worldview. Samvydav writings illuminate the main ideological trends in the opposition movement in Ukraine in the 1960s to 1980s. Samvydav publications reached a third peak between 1965 and 1972, and gained particular influence and reach with the appearance in 1970 of the Ukrajins’kij visnyk (the Ukrainian Bulletin), a samvydav periodical. This study, based on extensive archival materials, reveals how Ukrainian samvydav served as a vehicle for Ukrainian national self-assertion, and analyzes how the broad appeal and dissemination of this literature displays the continuing struggle by Ukrainians for national self-determination through these turbulent decades.
Stuck Between Two Allies
Authors: Roehrig Terence
Published: December 2017

The Asia-Pacific region is home to numerous island and maritime disputes but the Dokdo/Takeshima dispute is unique in that it involves two u.s. allies placing Washington in a uncomfortable position. u.s. policy has long been that it takes no position on sovereignty and will abide by any negotiated resolution of the dispute. Yet when tensions have flared between South Korea and Japan over the issue, there have often been calls for the United States to intervene and help solve the problem. However, any u.s. attempt to exert its leverage to reach a solution would be dangerous. Instead, Washington’s best course of action is to quietly remind both sides of their common economic and security interests while helping Seoul and Tokyo to manage the dispute in a careful and judicious manner.
A new species of Lysmata Risso, 1816 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Lysmatidae) from the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: PRAKASH SANJEEVI , BAEZA J. ANTONIO
Published: December 2017

A new species of peppermint shrimp, Lysmata baueri n. sp., is described based on a single specimen from the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The new species can be distinguished from other morphologically similar species of Lysmata Risso, 1816 by the number of teeth, length and shape of the rostrum, the length of the antennular peduncle relative to the scaphocerite, the number of meral and ischial articles in the second pereiopods, and the number of spines on the flexor margin of the dactyli from the third to fifth pereiopods. Morphological characters demonstrate that L. baueri n. sp., is most closely related to the eastern Pacific L. californica (Stimpson, 1866), L. nayaritensis Wicksten, 2000 and L. porteri (Rathbun, 1907).
Taxonomic revision of the species of Colletes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Colletinae) found in Chile
Authors: FERRARI RAFAEL R.
Published: December 2017

A taxonomic revision of Colletes Latreille species with known geographic distribution in Chile is presented. In addition to the traditional morphological approach to taxonomy, DNA barcoding was employed to facilitate sexual association and cryptic species recognition. I provide diagnoses, synonymies, geographic and floral records, and a fully-illustrated key for 31 recognized species, 23 of them previously described: C. alocochila Moure, C. atacamensis Janvier, C. atripes Smith, C. bicolor Smith, C. chusmiza Rojas & Toro, C. cognatus Spinola, C. cyanescens (Haliday), C. cyaniventris Spinola n. stat., C. flaminii Moure, C. fulvipes Spinola, C. gilvus Vachal, C. guanta Rojas & Toro, C. longiceps Friese, C. lucens Vachal, C. mastochila Moure, C. murinus Friese, C. musculus Friese, C. nigritulus Friese, C. patagonicus Schrottky, C. quelu Rojas & Toro, C. rutilans Vachal, C. sulcatus Vachal, and C. vicugnensis Rojas & Toro. In addition, eight new species are described: C. arthuri n. sp., C. coquimbensis n. sp., C. flavipilosus n. sp., C. kuhlmanni n. sp., C. nigropilosus n. sp., C. simulatus n. sp., C. toroi n. sp., and C. ventricarinatus n. sp. Lectotypes for the following species are designated: Andrena cyanescens, Colletes bicolor, C. campoi Herbst, C. chubutensis Cockerell, C. gilvus, C. lucens, C. patagonicus, C. rufosignatus Cockerell, and C. viridans Vachal. Colletes seminitidus Spinola and C. viridans are both proposed as junior synonyms of C. cyanescens, and C. araucariae Friese is considered a junior synonym of C. sulcatus. Colletes cyaniventris n. stat. is resurrected from synonymy.
Quantifying the Sensitivity of Sea Level Change in Coastal Localities to the Geometry of Polar Ice Mass Flux
Authors: Mitrovica Jerry X. , Hay Carling C. , Kopp Robert E. , Harig Christopher , Latychev Konstantin
Published: December 2017

It has been known for over a century that the melting of individual ice sheets and glaciers drives distinct geographic patterns, or fingerprints, of sea level change, and recent studies have highlighted the implications of this variability for hazard assessment and inferences of meltwater sources. These studies have computed fingerprints using simplified melt geometries; however, a more generalized treatment would be advantageous when assessing or projecting sea level hazards in the face of quickly evolving patterns of ice mass flux. In this paper the usual fingerprint approach is inverted to compute site-specific sensitivity kernels for a global database of coastal localities. These kernels provide a mapping between geographically variable mass flux across each ice sheet and glacier and the associated static sea level change at a given site. Kernels are highlighted for a subset of sites associated with melting from Greenland, Antarctica, and the Alaska–Yukon–British Columbia glacier system. The latter, for example, reveals an underappreciated sensitivity of ongoing and future sea level change along the U.S. West Coast to the geometry of ice mass flux in the region. Finally, the practical utility of these kernels is illustrated by computing sea level predictions at a suite of sites associated with annual variability in Greenland ice mass since 2003 constrained by satellite gravity measurements.
Ocean Chlorophyll-Induced Heating Feedbacks on ENSO in a Coupled Ocean Physics–Biology Model Forced by Prescribed Wind Anomalies
Authors: Zhang Rong-Hua , Tian Feng , Wang Xiujun
Published: December 2017

Ocean biology components affect the vertical redistribution of incoming solar radiation in the upper ocean of the tropical Pacific and can significantly modulate El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The biophysical interactions in the region were represented by coupling an ocean biology model with an ocean general circulation model (OGCM); the coupled ocean physics–biology model is then forced by prescribed wind anomalies during 1980–2007. Two ocean-only experiments were performed with different representations of chlorophyll (Chl). In an interannual Chl run (referred to as Chlinter), Chl was interannually varying, which was interactively calculated from the ocean biology model to explicitly represent its heating feedback on ocean thermodynamics. The structure and relationship of the related heating terms were examined to understand the Chl-induced feedback effects and the processes involved. The portion of solar radiation penetrating the bottom of the mixed layer ( Qpen) was significantly affected by interannual Chl anomalies in the western-central equatorial Pacific. In a climatological run (Chlclim), the Chl concentration was prescribed to be its seasonally varying climatology derived from the Chlinter run. Compared with the Chlclim run, interannual variability in the Chlinter run tended to be reduced. The sea surface temperature (SST) differences between the two runs exhibited an asymmetric bioeffect: they were stronger during La Niña events but relatively weaker during El Niño events. The signs of the SST differences between the two runs indicated a close relationship with Chl: a cooling effect was associated with a low Chl concentration during El Niño events, and a strong warming effect was associated with a high Chl concentration during La Niña events.
Mass spectrometry imaging of illicit drugs in latent fingerprints by matrix-free and matrix-assisted desorption/ionization techniques
Authors: Skriba Anton , Havlicek Vladimir
Published: December 2017

Compared with classical matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI), the matrix free-based strategies generate a cleaner background, without significant noise or interference coming from an applied matrix, which is beneficial for the analysis of small molecules, such as drugs of abuse. In this work, we probed the detection efficiency of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine in nanostructure-assisted laser desorption-ionization (NALDI) and desorption electrospray ionization and compared the sensitivity of these two matrix-free tools with a standard MALDI mass spectrometry experiment. In a typical mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) setup, papillary line latent fingerprints were recorded as a mixture a common skin fatty acid or interfering cosmetics with a drug. In a separate experiment, all drugs (1 µL of 1 μM standard solution) were detected by all three ionization techniques on a target. In the case of cocaine and heroin, NALDI mass spectrometry was the most sensitive and revealed signals even from 0.1 μM solution. The drug/drug contaminant (fatty acid or cosmetics) MSI approach could be used by law enforcement personnel to confirm drug abusers of having come into contact with the suspected drug by use of fingerprint scans at time of apprehension which can aid in reducing the work of lab officials.