bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Is shealive?Is she dead?’ Representations of chronic disorders of consciousness in Douglas Coupland'sGirlfriend in a Coma
Authors: Colbeck Matthew
Published: March 2016

Depictions of coma have come to dominate literary and filmic texts over the last half century, a phenomenon coinciding with advancements in medical technology that have led to remarkable increases in the survival rates of patients with chronic disorders of consciousness. Authors of coma fiction are preoccupied with the imagined subjective experience of coma, often creating complex, dream-like worlds from which the protagonist must escape if survival is to be achieved. However, such representations appear to conflict with medical case studies and patient narratives that reveal that most often survivors of coma have no recollection of the coma itself. Providing a close reading of Douglas Coupland'sGirlfriend in a Coma(1998) against the context of medical literature and diagnoses, this article examines how the coma patient is represented, often depicting the realities of a prolonged vegetative state, in contrast with other popular representations of coma. It explores how the author develops a work of ‘fantastic’ fiction (a genre defined by the structuralist critic Tzvetan Todorov), using the condition of coma as a metaphor for a postmodern existential crisis, while simultaneously employing mimetic techniques that raise important medical, ethical and philosophical questions surrounding the ontological status of the comatose patient. It is argued that coma fiction, even in its misrepresentation of the condition, can help us to engage with and interrogate how we think about chronic disorders of consciousness, thereby providing a valuable insight into our attitudes towards illness and mortality.
Predictive value of tender joints compared to synovitis for structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Cheung Peter P , Mari Karine , Devauchelle-Pensec Valérie , Jousse-Joulin Sandrine , D'Agostino Maria Antonietta , Chalès Gérard , Gaudin Philippe , Mariette Xavier , Saraux Alain , Dougados Maxime
Published: March 2016

Objective

To evaluate the predictive value of tender joints compared to synovitis for structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

A post hoc analysis was performed on a prospective 2-year study of 59 patients with active RA starting on antitumour necrosis factor (TNF). Tenderness and synovitis was assessed clinically at baseline, followed by blinded ultrasound assessment (B-mode and power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS)) on the hands and feet (2 wrists, 10 metacarpophalangeal, 10 proximal interphalangeal and 10 metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints). Radiographs of these joints were performed at baseline and at 2 years. The risk of radiographic progression with respect to the presence of baseline tenderness or synovitis, as well as its persistence (after 4 months of anti-TNF), was estimated by OR (95% CI).

Results

Baseline tender joints were the least predictive for radiographic progression (OR=1.53 (95% CI 1.02 to 2.29) p<0.04), when compared to synovitis (clinical OR=2.08 (95% CI 1.39 to 3.11) p<0.001 or PDUS OR=1.80 (95% CI 1.20 to 2.71) p=0.005, respectively). Tender joints with the presence of synovitis were predictive of radiographic progression (OR=1.89 (95% CI 1.25 to 2.85) p=0.002), especially seen in the MTP joints. Non-tender joints with no synovitis were negatively predictive (OR=0.57 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.82) p=0.003). Persistence of tender joints was negatively predictive (OR=0.38 (95% CI 0.18 to 0.78) p=0.009) while persistence of synovitis was predictive (OR=2.41 (95% CI 1.24 to 4.67) p=0.01) of radiographic progression.

Conclusions

Synovitis is better than tenderness to predict for subsequent structural progression. However, coexistence of tenderness and synovitis at the level of an individual joint is predictive of structural damage, particularly in the MTP joints.

Trial registration number

NCT00444691.
Think ahead: safety first for equine vets
Authors: Butterworth Jill
Published: March 2016

Working with horses is dangerous. Jill Butterworth believes that wearing a hard hat could make all the difference
A de-novo large deletion of 2.8 kb produced in the ABCD1 gene causing adrenoleukodystrophy disease
Authors: Kallabi Fakhri , Ben Salah Ghada , Ben Chehida Amel , Tabebi Mouna , Felhi Rahma , Ben Turkia Hadhami , Tebib Neji , Keskes Leila , Kamoun Hassen
Published: March 2016

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the ABCD1 gene, which encodes an ATP-binding cassette transporter protein, ALDP. The disease is characterized by increased concentrations of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) in plasma, adrenal, testicular, and nerve tissues. For this study, our objective was to conduct clinical, molecular, and genetic studies of a Tunisian patient with X-ALD. The diagnosis was based on clinical indications, biochemical analyses, typical brain-scan patterns, and molecular biology; the molecular analyses were based on PCR, long-range PCR, and sequencing. The molecular analysis by long-range PCR and direct sequencing of the ABCD1 gene showed the presence of a de-novo 2794 bp deletion covering the whole of exon 2. Using bioinformatics tools, we demonstrate that the large deletion is located in a region rich with Alu sequences. Furthermore, we suggest that the AluJb sequence could be the cause of the large deletion of intron 1, exon 2, and intron 2, and the creation of a premature stop codon within exon 3. This report is the first report in which we demonstrate the breakpoints and the size of a large deletion in a Tunisian with X-ALD.
DEFINING URBAN AND RURAL REGIONS BY MULTIFRACTAL SPECTRUMS OF URBANIZATION
Authors: CHEN YANGUANG
Published: March 2016

The spatial pattern of the urban–rural regional system is associated with the dynamic process of urbanization. How to characterize the urban–rural terrain using quantitative measurement is a difficult problem remaining to be solved. This paper is devoted to defining urban and rural regions using ideas from fractals. A basic postulate is that human geographical systems are of self-similar patterns correlated with recursive processes. Then multifractal geometry can be employed to describe or define the urban and rural terrain with the level of urbanization. A space-filling index of urban–rural region based on a generalized correlation dimension is presented to reflect the degree of geo-spatial utilization in terms of urbanism. The census data of America and China are used to show how to make empirical analyses of urban–rural multifractals. This work is a normative study rather than a positive study, and it proposes a new way of investigating urban and rural regional systems using fractal theory.
ANALYSIS OF FRACTIONAL FLOW FOR TRANSIENT TWO-PHASE FLOW IN FRACTAL POROUS MEDIUM
Authors: Lu TING , DUAN YONGGANG , FANG QUANTANG , DAI XIAOLU , WU JINSUI
Published: March 2016

Prediction of fractional flow in fractal porous medium is important for reservoir engineering and chemical engineering as well as hydrology. A physical conceptual fractional flow model of transient two-phase flow is developed in fractal porous medium based on the fractal characteristics of pore-size distribution and on the approximation that porous medium consist of a bundle of tortuous capillaries. The analytical expression for fractional flow for wetting phase is presented, and the proposed expression is the function of structural parameters (such as tortuosity fractal dimension, pore fractal dimension, maximum and minimum diameters of capillaries) and fluid properties (such as contact angle, viscosity and interfacial tension) in fractal porous medium. The sensitive parameters that influence fractional flow and its derivative are formulated, and their impacts on fractional flow are discussed.
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS AND THE DEPENDENCE STRUCTURE OF ASSET RETURNS
Authors: CONT RAMA , WAGALATH LAKSHITHE
Published: March 2016

We propose a model of a financial market with multiple assets that takes into account the impact of a large institutional investor rebalancing its positions so as to maintain a fixed allocation in each asset. We show that feedback effects can lead to significant excess realized correlation between asset returns and modify the principal component structure of the (realized) correlation matrix of returns. Our study naturally links, in a quantitative manner, the properties of the realized correlation matrix — correlation between assets, eigenvectors and eigenvalues — to the sizes and trading volumes of large institutional investors. In particular, we show that even starting with uncorrelated “fundamentals”, fund rebalancing endogenously generates a correlation matrix of returns with a first eigenvector with positive components, which can be associated to the market, as observed empirically. Finally, we show that feedback effects flatten the differences between the expected returns of assets and tend to align them with the returns of the institutional investor’s portfolio, making this benchmark fund more difficult to beat, not because of its strategy but precisely because of its size and market impact.
Occluded Imaging with Time-of-Flight Sensors
Authors: Kadambi Achuta , Zhao Hang , Shi Boxin , Raskar Ramesh
Published: March 2016

We explore the question of whether phase-based time-of-flight (TOF) range cameras can be used for looking around corners and through scattering diffusers. By connecting TOF measurements with theory from array signal processing, we conclude that performance depends on two primary factors: camera modulation frequency and the width of the specular lobe (“shininess”) of the wall. For purely Lambertian walls, commodity TOF sensors achieve resolution on the order of meters between targets. For seemingly diffuse walls, such as posterboard, the resolution is drastically reduced, to the order of 10cm. In particular, we find that the relationship between reflectance and resolution is nonlinear—a slight amount of shininess can lead to a dramatic improvement in resolution. Since many realistic scenes exhibit a slight amount of shininess, we believe that off-the-shelf TOF cameras can look around corners.
Limiting Until in Ordered Tree Query Languages
Authors: Benedikt Michael , Ley Clemens
Published: March 2016

Marx and de Rijke have shown that the navigational core of the w3c XML query language XPath is not first-order complete; that is, it cannot express every query definable in first-order logic over the navigational predicates. How can one extend XPath to get a first-order complete language? Marx has shown that Conditional XPath—an extension of XPath with an “Until” operator—is first-order complete. The completeness argument makes essential use of the presence of upward axes in Conditional XPath. We examine whether it is possible to get “forward-only” languages that are first-order complete for Boolean queries on ordered trees. It is easy to see that a variant of the temporal logic CTL
*
is first-order complete; the variant has path quantifiers for downward, leftward, and rightward paths, while along a path one can check arbitrary formulas of Linear Temporal Logic (LTL). This language has two major disadvantages: It requires path quantification in
both
horizontal directions (in particular, it requires looking backward at the prior siblings of a node), and it requires the consideration of formulas of LTL of arbitrary complexity on vertical paths. This last is in contrast with Marx’s Conditional XPath, which requires only the checking of a single Until operator on a path. We investigate whether either of these restrictions can be eliminated. Our main results are negative ones. We show that if we restrict our CTL
*
language by having an Until operator in only one horizontal direction, then we lose completeness. We also show that no restriction to a “small” subset of LTL along vertical paths is sufficient for first-order completeness. Smallness here means of bounded “Until Depth,” a measure of complexity of LTL formulas defined by Etessami and Wilke. In particular, it follows from our work that Conditional XPath with only forward axes is not expressively complete; this extends results proved by Rabinovich and Maoz in the context of infinite unordered trees.
A Closer Look at GPGPU
Authors: Hu Liang , Che Xilong , Zheng Si-Qing
Published: March 2016

The lack of detailed white box illustration leaves a gap in the field of GPGPU (General-Purpose Computing on the Graphic Processing Unit), thus hindering users and researchers from exploring hardware potential while improving application performance. This article bridges the gap by demystifying the micro-architecture and operating mechanism of GPGPU. We propose a descriptive model that addresses key issues of most concerns, including task organization, hardware structure, scheduling mechanism, execution mechanism, and memory access. We also validate the effectiveness of our model by interpreting the software/hardware cooperation of CUDA.
BEVA
Authors: Zhou Xiaoling , Qin Jianbin , Xiao Chuan , Wang Wei , Lin Xuemin , Ishikawa Yoshiharu
Published: March 2016

Query autocompletion has become a standard feature in many search applications, especially for search engines. A recent trend is to support theerror-tolerant autocompletion, which increases the usability significantly by matching prefixes of database strings and allowing a small number of errors.

In this article, we systematically study the query processing problem for error-tolerant autocompletion with a given edit distance threshold. We propose a general framework that encompasses existing methods and characterizes different classes of algorithms and the minimum amount of information they need to maintain under different constraints. We then propose a novel evaluation strategy that achieves the minimum active node size by eliminating ancestor-descendant relationships among active nodes entirely. In addition, we characterize the essence of edit distance computation by a novel data structure namededit vector automaton(EVA). It enables us to compute new active nodes and their associated states efficiently by table lookups. In order to support large distance thresholds, we devise a partitioning scheme to reduce the size and construction cost of the automaton, which results in theuniversal partitioned EVA(UPEVA) to handle arbitrarily large thresholds. Our extensive evaluation demonstrates that our proposed method outperforms existing approaches in both space and time efficiencies.
On Choosing Server- or Client-Side Solutions for BFT
Authors: Platania Marco , Obenshain Daniel , Tantillo Thomas , Amir Yair , Suri Neeraj
Published: March 2016

Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) protocols have the ability to work correctly even when up to a threshold
f
of system servers are compromised. This makes them appealing for the construction of critical systems connected to the Internet, which are constantly a target for cyber attacks.

BFT protocols differ based on the kind of application, deployment settings, performance, access control mechanisms, number of servers in the system, and protocol implementation. The large number of protocols present in the literature and their differences make it difficult for a system builder to choose the solution that best satisfies the requirements of the system that he wants to build. In particular, the main difference among BFT protocols lies in their system models: server-side versus client-side. In the server-side model each client relies on the system to consistently order and replicate updates, while in the client-side model each client actively participates in the protocol.

In this article, we classify BFT protocols as server-side or client-side. We analyze the trade-offs between the two models, describe systems that use these models and the trade-offs they choose, highlight the research gaps, and provide guidelines to system builders in order to choose the solution that best satisfies their needs.
A Survey on Design Approaches to Circumvent Permanent Faults in Networks-on-Chip
Authors: Werner Sebastian , Navaridas Javier , Luján Mikel
Published: March 2016

Increasing fault rates in current and future technology nodes coupled with on-chip components in the hundreds calls for robust and fault-tolerant Network-on-Chip (NoC) designs. Given the central role of NoCs in today’s many-core chips, permanent faults impeding their original functionality may significantly influence performance, energy consumption, and correct operation of the entire system. As a result, fault-tolerant NoC design gained much attention in recent years. In this article, we review the vast research efforts regarding a NoC’s components, namely, topology, routing algorithm, router microarchitecture, as well as system-level approaches combined with reconfiguration; discuss the proposed architectures; and identify outstanding research questions.
A Gaze-Contingent Adaptive Virtual Reality Driving Environment for Intervention in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Wade Joshua , Zhang Lian , Bian Dayi , Fan Jing , Swanson Amy , Weitlauf Amy , Sarkar Medha , Warren Zachary , Sarkar Nilanjan
Published: March 2016

In addition to social and behavioral deficits, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle to develop the adaptive skills necessary to achieve independence. Driving intervention in individuals with ASD is a growing area of study, but it is still widely under-researched. We present the development and preliminary assessment of a gaze-contingent adaptive virtual reality driving simulator that uses real-time gaze information to adapt the driving environment with the aim of providing a more individualized method of driving intervention. We conducted a small pilot study of 20 adolescents with ASD using our system: 10 with the adaptive gaze-contingent version of the system and 10 in a purely performance-based version. Preliminary results suggest that the novel intervention system may be beneficial in teaching driving skills to individuals with ASD.
A Survey of Techniques for Approximate Computing
Authors: Mittal Sparsh
Published: March 2016

Approximate computing trades off computation quality with effort expended, and as rising performance demands confront plateauing resource budgets, approximate computing has become not merely attractive, but even imperative. In this article, we present a survey of techniques for approximate computing (AC). We discuss strategies for finding approximable program portions and monitoring output quality, techniques for using AC in different processing units (e.g., CPU, GPU, and FPGA), processor components, memory technologies, and so forth, as well as programming frameworks for AC. We classify these techniques based on several key characteristics to emphasize their similarities and differences. The aim of this article is to provide insights to researchers into working of AC techniques and inspire more efforts in this area to make AC the mainstream computing approach in future systems.
A Survey on Mobile Social Signal Processing
Authors: Palaghias Niklas , Hoseinitabatabaei Seyed Amir , Nati Michele , Gluhak Alexander , Moessner Klaus
Published: March 2016

Understanding human behavior in an automatic but nonintrusive manner is an important area for various applications. This requires the collaboration of information technology with human sciences to transfer existing knowledge of human behavior into self-acting tools. These tools will reduce human error that is introduced by current obtrusive methods such as questionnaires. To achieve unobtrusiveness, we focus on exploiting the pervasive and ubiquitous character of mobile devices.

In this article, a survey of existing techniques for extracting social behavior through mobile devices is provided. Initially, we expose the terminology used in the area and introduce a concrete architecture for social signal processing applications on mobile phones, constituted by
sensing
,
social interaction detection
,
behavioral cues extraction
,
social signal inference,
and
social behavior understanding
. Furthermore, we present state-of-the-art techniques applied to each stage of the process. Finally, potential applications are shown while arguing about the main challenges of the area.
Musical robotic interactions for children with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Barnes Jaclyn
Published: March 2016

I propose that a system combining robots and music in an interactive game may provide effective therapy encouraging social skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. To provide objective measures of the participants' progress, I am also developing a monitoring system using the video cameras and motion detectors to determine the participants' emotional state and engagement level.
The complexity of simplicity in mechanism design
Authors: Rubinstein Aviad
Published: March 2016

Optimal mechanisms are often prohibitively complicated, leading to serious obstacles both in theory and in bridging theory and practice. Consider the problem of a monopolist seller facing a single additive buyer with independent valuations over
n
heterogeneous items. Even in this simple setting, it is known that optimal (revenue-maximizing) mechanisms may require randomization [Hart and Reny 2012], use menus of infinite size [Daskalakis et al. 2015], and may be computationally intractable [Daskalakis et al. 2014].

In a letter here last year, Babiaoff et al. [Babaioff et al. 2014a] described their attempt to alleviate the problem by showing that a constant fraction of the optimal revenue can be obtained by a simple mechanism. In this letter we argue in favor of a related research direction: finding the
optimal simple mechanism.
We survey our recent results in this setting [Rubinstein 2016] and draw attention to the question of
what is a "simple" mechanism?
The Move is On! From the Passive Multimedia Learner to the Engaged Co-creator
Authors: Romero Margarida , Laferriere Therese , Power Thomas Michael
Published: March 2016

The educational integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has led to unfounded hopes of meeting many recurring educational challenges: from increasing learner motivation to lowering drop-out rates. ICTs are not an educational revolution per se; in some situations, their pedagogical usage lead to truly technologically-enhanced learning (TEL) situations, whereas in others, ICTs could relegate the learner to a passive spectator or low-interactivity user/consumer of multimedia content that limits the implementation of a socio-constructivist learning process based on a collaborative knowledge construction process. In this article, we analyze the limits of techno-centric approaches in the integration process of ICTs to teaching and learning, and argue for active learning and reflexive approaches to TEL. The Passive-Participatory (P-P) model we are suggesting can be termed as being socio-constructivist, participatory and inclusive as it allows teachers to integrate ICTs into their own specific educational context. Our model introduces five learning engagement levels in the pedagogical usage of technology: (Level 1) passive ICT usage, (Level 2) interactive ICT usage, (Level 3) content creation, (Level 4) content co-creation and, ultimately, (Level 5) participatory knowledge co-creation, which is oriented toward problem understanding within learning/knowledge-building communities. Building on Coates' definition of learning engagement as being the extent to which learners are actively involved in educational activities, the PP model of TEL activities stresses learning engagement could be limited to passive listening (e.g. video), low-interactivity usages (e.g. interactive school manuals), or could be supported through the usage of technologies for engagement in creative work.
Spontaneous hypothermia in human sepsis is a transient, self-limiting, and nonterminal response
Authors: Fonseca Monique T. , Rodrigues Abner C. , Cezar Luana C. , Fujita Andre , Soriano Francisco G. , Steiner Alexandre A.
Published: March 2016

Hypothermia in sepsis is generally perceived as something dysregulated and progressive although there has been no assessment on the natural course of this phenomenon in humans. This was the first study on the dynamics of hypothermia in septic patients not subjected to active rewarming, and the results were surprising. A sample of 50 subjects presenting with spontaneous hypothermia during sepsis was drawn from the 2005-2012 database of an academic hospital. Hypothermia was defined as body temperature below 36.0°C for longer than 2 h, with at least one reading of 35.5°C or less. The patients presented with 138 episodes of hypothermia, 21 at the time of the sepsis diagnosis and 117 with a later onset. However, hypothermia was uncommon in the final 12 h of life of the patients that succumbed. The majority (97.1%) of the hypothermic episodes were transient and self-limited; the median recovery time was 6 h; body temperature rarely fell below 34.0°C. Bidirectional oscillations in body temperature were evident in the course of hypothermia. Nearly half of the hypothermic episodes had onset in the absence of shock or respiratory distress, and the incidence of hypothermia was not increased during either of these conditions. Usage of antipyretic drugs, sedatives, neuroleptics, or other medications did not predict the onset of hypothermia. In conclusion, hypothermia appears to be a predominantly transient, self-limiting, and nonterminal phenomenon that is inherent to human sepsis. These characteristics resemble those of the regulated hypothermia shown to replace fever in animal models of severe systemic inflammation.
ΔNp63α Silences a miRNA Program to Aberrantly Initiate a Wound-Healing Program That Promotes TGFβ-Induced Metastasis
Authors: Rodriguez Calleja Lidia , Jacques Camille , Lamoureux François , Baud'huin Marc , Tellez Gabriel Marta , Quillard Thibaut , Sahay Debashish , Perrot Pierre , Amiaud Jerome , Charrier Celine , Brion Regis , Lecanda Fernando , Verrecchia Franck , Heymann Dominique , Ellisen Leif W. , Ory Benjamin
Published: March 2016

Primary cancer cell dissemination is a key event during the metastatic cascade, but context-specific determinants of this process remain largely undefined. Multiple reports have suggested that the p53 (TP53) family member p63 (TP63) plays an antimetastatic role through its minor epithelial isoform containing the N-terminal transactivation domain (TAp63). However, the role and contribution of the major p63 isoform lacking this domain, ΔNp63α, remain largely undefined. Here, we report a distinct and TAp63-independent mechanism by which ΔNp63α-expressing cells within a TGFβ-rich microenvironment become positively selected for metastatic dissemination. Orthotopic transplantation of ΔNp63α-expressing human osteosarcoma cells into athymic mice resulted in larger and more frequent lung metastases than transplantation of control cells. Mechanistic investigations revealed that ΔNp63α repressed miR-527 and miR-665, leading to the upregulation of two TGFβ effectors, SMAD4 and TβRII (TGFBR2). Furthermore, we provide evidence that this mechanism reflects a fundamental role for ΔNp63α in the normal wound-healing response. We show that ΔNp63α-mediated repression of miR-527/665 controls a TGFβ-dependent signaling node that switches off antimigratory miR-198 by suppressing the expression of the regulatory factor, KSRP (KHSRP). Collectively, these findings reveal that a novel miRNA network involved in the regulation of physiologic wound-healing responses is hijacked and suppressed by tumor cells to promote metastatic dissemination. Cancer Res; 76(11); 3236–51. ©2016 AACR.
Precision Medicine for Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma
Authors: Lim Megan S. , Elenitoba-Johnson Kojo S.J.
Published: March 2016

This study demonstrates the clinical utility of a targeted gene sequencing panel “the Lymphopanel,” which enables the detection of actionable mutations and subtype-enriched gene alterations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that will pave the way to precision therapy era for patients with this form of aggressive lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res; 22(12); 2829–31. ©2016 AACR.

See related article by Dubois et al., p. 2919
Pegfilgrastim Enhances the Antitumor Effect of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies
Authors: Cornet Sébastien , Mathé Doriane , Chettab Kamel , Evesque Anne , Matera Eva-Laure , Trédan Olivier , Dumontet Charles
Published: March 2016

Therapeutic mAbs exert antitumor activity through various mechanisms, including apoptotic signalization, complement-dependent cytotoxicity, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) or phagocytosis (ADCP). G-CSF and GM-CSF have been reported to increase the activity of antibodies in preclinical models and in clinical trials. To determine the potential role of pegfilgrastim as an enhancer of anticancer antibodies, we performed a comparative study of filgrastim and pegfilgrastim. We found that pegfilgrastim was significantly more potent than filgrastim in murine xenograft models treated with mAbs. This was observed with rituximab in CD20+ models and with trastuzumab in HER2+ models. Stimulation with pegfilgrastim was associated with significant enhancement of leukocyte content in spleen as well as mobilization of activated monocytes/granulocytes from the spleen to the tumor bed. These results suggest that pegfilgrastim could constitute a potent adjuvant for immunotherapy with mAbs possessing ADCC/ADCP properties. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(6); 1238–47. ©2016 AACR.
Signaling of Serum Amyloid A Through Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products as a Possible Mechanism for Uremia-Related Atherosclerosis
Authors: Belmokhtar Karim , Robert Thomas , Ortillon Jeremy , Braconnier Antoine , Vuiblet Vincent , Boulagnon-Rombi Camille , Diebold Marie Danièle , Pietrement Christine , Schmidt Ann Marie , Rieu Philippe , Touré Fatouma
Published: March 2016

Objective—

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase protein and a binding partner for the multiligand receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). We investigated the role of the interaction between SAA and RAGE in uremia-related atherogenesis.

Approach and Results—

We used a mouse model of uremic vasculopathy, induced by 5 of 6 nephrectomy in the
Apoe
−/−
background. Sham-operated mice were used as controls. Primary cultures of
Ager
+/+
and
Ager
−/−
vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were stimulated with recombinant SAA, S100B, or vehicle alone. Relevance to human disease was assessed with human VSMCs. The surface area of atherosclerotic lesions at the aortic roots was larger in uremic
Apoe
−/−
than in sham-operated
Apoe
−/−
mice (
P
<0.001). Furthermore, atherosclerotic lesions displayed intense immunostaining for RAGE and SAA, with a pattern similar to that of α-SMA.
Ager
transcript levels in the aorta were 6× higher in uremic animals than in controls (
P
<0.0001). Serum SAA concentrations were higher in uremic mice, not only after 4 weeks of uremia but also at 8 and 12 weeks of uremia, than in sham-operated animals. We investigated the functional role of RAGE in uremia-induced atherosclerosis further, in animals lacking RAGE. We found that the induction of uremia in
Apoe
−/−
Ager
−/−
mice did not accelerate atherosclerosis. In vitro, the stimulation of
Ager
+/+
but not of
Ager
−/−
VSMCs with SAA or S100B significantly induced the production of reactive oxygen species, the phosphorylation of AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinases and cell migration. Reactive oxygen species inhibition with N-acetyl cysteine significantly inhibited both the phosphorylation of AKT and the migration of VSMCs. Similar results were obtained for human VSMCs, except that the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinases, rather than of AKT, was subject to specific redox-regulation by SAA and S100B. Furthermore, human aortic atherosclerotic sections were positively stained for RAGE and SAA.

Conclusions—

Uremia upregulates SAA and RAGE expression in the aortic wall and in atherosclerotic lesions in mice. Ager
−/−
animals are protected against the uremia-induced acceleration of atherosclerosis. SAA modulates the functions of murine and human VSMCs in vitro in a RAGE-dependent manner. This study, therefore, identifies SAA as a potential new uremic toxin involved in uremia-related atherosclerosis through interaction with RAGE.
Pharmacologically Improved Contractility Protects Against Aortic Dissection in Mice With Disrupted Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling Despite Compromised Extracellular Matrix Properties
Authors: Ferruzzi Jacopo , Murtada Sae-Il , Li Guangxin , Jiao Yang , Uman Selen , Ting Magdalene Y.L. , Tellides George , Humphrey Jay D.
Published: March 2016

Objective—

Transforming growth factor-beta is a pleiotropic cytokine having diverse roles in vascular morphogenesis, homeostasis, and pathogenesis. Altered activity of and signaling through transforming growth factor-beta has been implicated in thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections, conditions characterized by a reduced structural integrity of the wall that associates with altered biomechanics and mechanobiology. We quantify and contrast the passive and active biaxial biomechanical properties of the ascending and proximal descending thoracic aorta in a mouse model of altered transforming growth factor-beta signaling, with and without treatment with rapamycin.

Approach and Results—

Postnatal disruption of the gene (
Tgfbr2
) that codes the type II transforming growth factor-beta receptor compromises vessel-level contractility and elasticity. Daily treatment with rapamycin, a mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitor that protects against aortic dissection in these mice, largely preserves or restores the contractile function while the passive properties remain compromised. Importantly, this increased smooth muscle contractility protects an otherwise vulnerable aortic wall from pressure-induced intramural delaminations in vitro.

Conclusions—

Notwithstanding the protection afforded by rapamycin in vivo and in vitro, the residual mechanical dysfunctionality suggests a need for caution if rapamycin is to be considered as a potential therapeutic. There is a need for in vivo evaluations in cases of increased hemodynamic loading, including hypertension or extreme exercise, which could unduly stress a structurally vulnerable aortic wall. Given these promising early results, however, such studies are clearly warranted.
Cardiac Fibrosis
Authors: Travers Joshua G. , Kamal Fadia A. , Robbins Jeffrey , Yutzey Katherine E. , Blaxall Burns C.
Published: March 2016

Myocardial fibrosis is a significant global health problem associated with nearly all forms of heart disease. Cardiac fibroblasts comprise an essential cell type in the heart that is responsible for the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix; however, upon injury, these cells transform to a myofibroblast phenotype and contribute to cardiac fibrosis. This remodeling involves pathological changes that include chamber dilation, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and apoptosis, and ultimately leads to the progression to heart failure. Despite the critical importance of fibrosis in cardiovascular disease, our limited understanding of the cardiac fibroblast impedes the development of potential therapies that effectively target this cell type and its pathological contribution to disease progression. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the origins and roles of fibroblasts, mediators and signaling pathways known to influence fibroblast function after myocardial injury, as well as novel therapeutic strategies under investigation to attenuate cardiac fibrosis.
The Canacidae of the Arabian Peninsula (Diptera: Brachycera: Carnoidea)
Authors: MUNARI LORENZO
Published: March 2016

A review of the canacid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula is provided. In addition to the usual taxonomic account, a key to all genera and species is also provided. Many figures illustrate some of the main characters that will hopefully be useful for identifying some taxonomically difficult species.
Grandidierella bonnieroides Stephensen, 1948 (Amphipoda, Aoridae)—first record of an established population in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Brutto Sabrina Lo , Iaciofano Davide , LUBINEVSKY HADAS , Galil Bella s.
Published: March 2016

The first record in the Mediterranean Sea of the invasive aorid amphipod crustacean Grandidierella bonnieroides is presented. A widespread circumtropical species, recorded off the Saudi coast of the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, it may have been introduced into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. This tube-builder species of soft bottoms recently established a population in the polluted Haifa Bay, Israel. Further, this is the first Mediterranean record of the genus.
Complete mitochondrial genomes of three crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) and comparative analyses within Ensifera mitogenomes
Authors: YANG JING , REN QIANLI , HUANG YUAN
Published: March 2016

The complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of Velarifictorus hemelytrus, Loxoblemmus equestris and Teleogryllus emma are 16123 bp, 16314 bp and 15697 bp, in size, respectively. All three mitogenomes possess the same gene order of the inversion of the gene cluster trnE-trnS(AGN)-trnN compared with the ancestral gene order of Orthoptera. The atypical initiation codon for the cox1 gene in three crickets is TTA. Pronounced A skew and T skew have been found in Grylloidea comparing with Gryllotalpoidea and Tettigonioidea. The T-stretch in the minority strand is interrupted by C to form (T)n(C)2(T)n sequences in five species of Gryllinae (V. hemelytrus, L. equestris, T. emma, T. oceanicus, T. commodus). This T-stretch variant with its neighbouring A-stretch variant (A-stretch is interrupted by G), which were discovered in the A+T-rich regions of all taxa from infraorder Gryllidea, could form a conserved stem-loop structure (including 15 ~ 17 base pairs). This potential stem-loop structure is a favorable candidate that may participate in the replication origin of the minority strand of Gryllidea mitogenome. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that within the Gryllinae, genus Teleogryllus and Velarifictorus are closely related, sister to the genus Loxoblemmus. The relationships among the five superfamilies of Ensifera presented here were ((Grylloidea, Gryllotalpoidea) (Tettigonioidea, (Hagloidea, Rhaphidophoroidea))).
Reliability and Model Fit
Authors: Stanley Leanne M. , Edwards Michael C.
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this article is to highlight the distinction between the reliability of test scores and the fit of psychometric measurement models, reminding readers why it is important to consider both when evaluating whether test scores are valid for a proposed interpretation and/or use. It is often the case that an investigator judges both the reliability of scores and the fit of a corresponding measurement model to be either acceptable or unacceptable for a given situation, but these are not the only possible outcomes. This article focuses on situations in which model fit is deemed acceptable, but reliability is not. Data were simulated based on the item characteristics of the PROMIS (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) anxiety item bank and analyzed using methods from classical test theory, factor analysis, and item response theory. Analytic techniques from different psychometric traditions were used to illustrate that reliability and model fit are distinct, and that disagreement among indices of reliability and model fit may provide important information bearing on a particular validity argument, independent of the data analytic techniques chosen for a particular research application. We conclude by discussing the important information gleaned from the assessment of reliability and model fit.
Is Planting Equitable? An Examination of the Spatial Distribution of Nonprofit Urban Tree-Planting Programs by Canopy Cover, Income, Race, and Ethnicity
Authors: Watkins Shannon Lea , Mincey Sarah K. , Vogt Jess , Sweeney Sean P.
Published: March 2016

This article examines the spatial distribution of tree-planting projects undertaken by four urban greening nonprofit organizations in the Midwest and Eastern United States. We use a unique data set of tree-planting locations, land use data, and socioeconomic information to predict whether a census block group ( n = 3,771) was the location of a tree-planting project between 2009 and 2011. Regression results show tree-planting projects were significantly less likely to have occurred in block groups with higher tree canopy cover, higher median income, or greater percentages of African American or Hispanic residents, controlling for physical and socioeconomic conditions. In addition, when canopy cover or income was low, plantings were even less likely to have occurred in neighborhoods with high percentages of racial or ethnic minorities. Findings suggest nonprofit plantings might reduce existing income-based inequity in canopy cover, but risk creating or exacerbating race-based inequity and risk leaving low canopy minority neighborhoods with relatively few program benefits.
Agreeing to arm
Authors: Kinne Brandon J
Published: March 2016

This article assesses the impact of a new form of defense cooperation – formal weapons cooperation agreements, or WCAs – on the global arms trade. WCAs are bilateral framework agreements that establish comprehensive guidelines on the development, production, and exchange of conventional arms. Substantively, WCAs regulate such core areas as procurement and contracting, defense-based research and development, and defense industrial cooperation. These agreements have proliferated dramatically since the mid-1990s. They now number nearly 700, with 30–40 new WCAs signed each year. Newly collected data are used to analyze the effect of WCAs on import and export of conventional weapons. To control for interdependencies in the formation of WCAs, and to account for the mutually endogenous relationship between WCAs and weapons flows, WCAs are modeled as an interdependent network that coevolves with the individual-level arms trade activity of states. The analysis shows that, over the 1995–2010 period, WCAs have significantly increased weapons flows.
Consultant–Client Relationship and Knowledge Transfer in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Change Processes
Authors: Martinez Luis F. , Ferreira Aristides I. , Can Amina B.
Published: March 2016

Based on Szulanski’s knowledge transfer model, this study examined how the communicational, motivational, and sharing of understanding variables influenced knowledge transfer and change processes in small- and medium-sized enterprises, particularly under projects developed by funded programs. The sample comprised 144 entrepreneurs, mostly male (65.3%) and mostly ages 35 to 45 years (40.3%), who filled an online questionnaire measuring the variables of “sharing of understanding,” “motivation,” “communication encoding competencies,” “source credibility,” “knowledge transfer,” and “organizational change.” Data were collected between 2011 and 2012 and measured the relationship between clients and consultants working in a Portuguese small- and medium-sized enterprise-oriented action learning program. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling was conducted to identify the antecedents of sharing of understanding, motivational, and communicational variables, which were positively correlated with the knowledge transfer between consultants and clients. This transfer was also positively correlated with organizational change. Overall, the study provides important considerations for practitioners and academicians and establishes new avenues for future studies concerning the issues of consultant–client relationship and the efficacy of Government-funded programs designed to improve performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Overview of ICRP Committee 5: protection of the environment
Authors: Larsson C-M.
Published: March 2016

Protection of the environment is integral to the system of radiological protection, as outlined in the 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP, Publication 103). The Commission’s activities in this area are mainly pursued by Committee 5 and its associated Task Groups. Publication 91 broadly outlines the approach to radiological protection of the environment, and its alignment with approaches to environmental protection from hazardous substances in general. Publications 108 and 114 provide the cornerstones of the environmental protection system and relevant databases. Publication 124 considers its application in planned, existing, and emergency exposure situations. The system centres on 12 Reference Animals and Plants (RAPs) with broad relevance for environmental protection based on their ubiquity and significance as well as other criteria, as described in Publication 108. The databases comprise general biology of the RAPs, transfer parameters, dose conversion coefficients, and effects data. Derived Consideration Reference Levels (DCRLs) were established for each RAP; a DCRL represents a band of dose rates that might result in some deleterious effects in individuals of that type of RAP. Newly established Task Group 99 will compile the RAP-specific reference information into monographs, with the view of updating information and improving the applicability of the system in different exposure situations. For certain scenarios, more precise and ecosystem-specific protection benchmarks may be justified, which would have to be informed by consideration of representative organisms (i.e. representative of a particular ecosystem and relevant to the specific scenario; Publication 124). Committee 5 will explore this further, making use of a limited number of case studies.
Hemobilia following laparoscopic cholecystectomy: computed tomography findings and clinical outcome of transcatheter arterial embolization
Authors: Feng Wen , Yue Dong , ZaiMing Lu , ZhaoYu Liu , Wei Li , Qiyong Guo
Published: March 2016

Background

Hemobilia following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) can occur in the early or late postoperative course and poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Purpose

To assess computed tomography (CT) findings and clinical outcomes after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in patients presenting with hemobilia following LC.

Material and Methods

Fourteen patients treated for hemobilia following LC were included in the study. Three patients were diagnosed by endoscopy and 11 by abdominal contrast-enhanced CT. Coils or microcoils were superselectively deployed to occlude the bleeding vessel during TAE. Abdominal CT findings of hemobilia, and the success rate and complication of TAE were observed.

Results

Abdominal CT provided the following signs of hemobilia: hematoma within the abdominal cavity and gallbladder fossa, blood clots containing high attenuation within the bile duct, biliary dilatation, pseudoaneurysm of the right hepatic artery, contrast extravasation, enhancement of the bile duct wall, and hypoperfusion of the right lobe. The success rate of TAE was 100% and rebleeding did not occur in any patient. Post-embolization syndrome and hepatic ischemia occurred in nine patients, which was associated with age and the time interval between the LC and TAE.

Conclusion

Abdominal CT provided direct signs that can aid in the diagnosis of hemobilia after LC. TAE allowed for successful treatment of hemobilia with minor complications.