bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adenovirus-Based Vaccines against Rhesus Lymphocryptovirus EBNA-1 Induce Expansion of Specific CD8
+
and CD4
+
T Cells in Persistently Infected Rhesus Macaques
Authors: Leskowitz R. , Fogg M. H. , Zhou X. Y. , Kaur A. , Silveira E. L. V. , Villinger F. , Lieberman P. M. , Wang F. , Ertl H. C.
Published: February 2014

The impact of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) on human health is substantial, but vaccines that prevent primary EBV infections or treat EBV-associated diseases are not yet available. The Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) is an important target for vaccination because it is the only protein expressed in all EBV-associated malignancies. We have designed and tested two therapeutic EBV vaccines that target the rhesus (rh) lymphocryptovirus (LCV) EBNA-1 to determine if ongoing T cell responses during persistent rhLCV infection in rhesus macaques can be expanded upon vaccination. Vaccines were based on two serotypes of E1-deleted simian adenovirus and were administered in a prime-boost regimen. To further modulate the response, rhEBNA-1 was fused to herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D (HSV-gD), which acts to block an inhibitory signaling pathway during T cell activation. We found that vaccines expressing rhEBNA-1 with or without functional HSV-gD led to expansion of rhEBNA-1-specific CD8
+
and CD4
+
T cells in 33% and 83% of the vaccinated animals, respectively. Additional animals developed significant changes within T cell subsets without changes in total numbers. Vaccination did not increase T cell responses to rhBZLF-1, an immediate early lytic phase antigen of rhLCV, thus indicating that increases of rhEBNA-1-specific responses were a direct result of vaccination. Vaccine-induced rhEBNA-1-specific T cells were highly functional and produced various combinations of cytokines as well as the cytolytic molecule granzyme B. These results serve as an important proof of principle that functional EBNA-1-specific T cells can be expanded by vaccination.

IMPORTANCE
EBV is a common human pathogen that establishes a persistent infection through latency in B cells, where it occasionally reactivates. EBV infection is typically benign and is well controlled by the host adaptive immune system; however, it is considered carcinogenic due to its strong association with lymphoid and epithelial cell malignancies. Latent EBNA-1 is a promising target for a therapeutic vaccine, as it is the only antigen expressed in all EBV-associated malignancies. The goal was to determine if rhEBNA-1-specific T cells could be expanded upon vaccination of infected animals. Results were obtained with vaccines that target EBNA-1 of rhLCV, a virus closely related to EBV. We found that vaccination led to expansion of rhEBNA-1 immune cells that exhibited functions fit for controlling viral infection. This confirms that rhEBNA-1 is a suitable target for therapeutic vaccines. Future work should aim to generate more-robust T cell responses through modified vaccines.
A Host-Oriented Inhibitor of Junin Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Egress
Authors: Lu Jianhong , Han Ziying , Liu Yuliang , Liu Wenbo , Lee Michael S. , Olson Mark A. , Ruthel Gordon , Freedman Bruce D. , Harty Ronald N.
Published: February 2014

There are currently no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccines or therapeutics to prevent or treat Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF). The causative agent of AHF is Junin virus (JUNV); a New World arenavirus classified as a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention category A priority pathogen. The PTAP late (L) domain motif within JUNV Z protein facilitates virion egress and transmission by recruiting host Tsg101 and other ESCRT complex proteins to promote scission of the virus particle from the plasma membrane. Here, we describe a novel compound (compound 0013) that blocks the JUNV Z-Tsg101 interaction and inhibits budding of virus-like particles (VLPs) driven by ectopic expression of the Z protein and live-attenuated JUNV Candid-1 strain in cell culture. Since inhibition of the PTAP-Tsg101 interaction inhibits JUNV egress, compound 0013 serves as a prototype therapeutic that could reduce virus dissemination and disease progression in infected individuals. Moreover, since PTAP
l
-domain-mediated Tsg101 recruitment is utilized by other RNA virus pathogens (e.g., Ebola virus and HIV-1), PTAP inhibitors such as compound 0013 have the potential to function as potent broad-spectrum, host-oriented antiviral drugs.

IMPORTANCE
There are currently no FDA-approved vaccines or therapeutics to prevent or treat Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF). The causative agent of AHF is Junin virus (JUNV); a New World arenavirus classified as an NIAID/CDC category A priority pathogen. Here, we describe a prototype therapeutic that blocks budding of JUNV and has the potential to function as a broad-spectrum antiviral drug.
Postoperative myxoedema coma
Authors: James Robert , James Jessie , Vij Amarjit Singh , Vij Kamaljeet Kaur
Published: February 2014

Hypothyroidism is a commonly diagnosed endocrine disorder in medicine. Hyponatraemia is reported in up to 10% of hypothyroid patients, although it is usually mild and rarely causes symptoms. Myxoedema coma is a rare manifestation of hypothyroidism and it can be lethal if it goes undiagnosed and untreated. Our patient presented with an acute manifestation of probable long-standing, but undiagnosed, hypothyroidism. She was asymptomatic but when subjected to surgery (identifiable stress factor) it precipitated as myxoedema coma. Stressful situations such as surgery or infection are the usual precipitating factors for myxoedema coma. The patient responded well to treatment with levothyroxin, 0.9% saline infusion and other general supportive measures. Judicious use of intravenous saline to correct hyponatraemia is important. Correction with 3% normal saline should be carried out with great caution, as rapid correction with 3% normal saline can lead to central pontine demyelination.
Alport syndrome: a rare cause of uraemia
Authors: Ghosh Soumik , Singh Manavdeep , Sahoo Ratnakar , Rao Sachin
Published: February 2014

Alport syndrome (AS) is a heterogeneous basement membrane disease characterised by haematuria with progressive hereditary nephritis, high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and pathognomonic ocular lesions. It is one of the spectra of diseases representing hereditary nephritis, which inevitably leads to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Microscopic or frank haematuria persistent from childhood constitutes the clinical clue for its early recognition. It occurs as a result of genetically inherited or de novo mutations in type IV collagen genes. The most common mode of inheritance is X-linked and men are more severely affected. We report a case of a young woman, in her fourth decade of life presenting with overt nephropathy, having persistent haematuria associated with SNHL and lenticonus with dot and fleck retinopathy on detailed clinical examination, diagnosed as a previously undetected case of Alport syndrome.
When perennial rhinitis worsens: rhinolith mimicking severe allergic rhinitis
Authors: Heffler Enrico , Machetta Giacomo , Magnano Mauro , Rolla Giovanni
Published: February 2014

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common causes of nasal obstruction, but other diseases need to be considered particularly when the clinical course is getting worse. We present a patient with known mild persistent allergic rhinitis due to house dust mites who experienced progressive worsening of nasal obstruction with associated hyposmia and mucopurulent discharge. The lack of improvement of the patient’s symptoms prompted the re-evaluation of the case. Skin prick tests for airborne allergens confirmed sensitisation only to house dust mites. Nasal endoscopy and facial CT scan revealed a huge rhinolith occupying almost completely the right nasal cavity. The rhinolith was surgically removed with resolution of symptoms. Rhinoliths are rare and unusual calcified materials which grow around intranasal foreign body; they are often promoted by trauma, surgical operations and dental work. The patient underwent dental work about 30 months before the diagnosis of rhinolith, suggesting a possible aetiology.
Associations between environmental exposures and asthma control and exacerbations in young children: a systematic review
Authors: Dick Smita , Doust Emma , Cowie Hilary , Ayres Jon G , Turner Steve
Published: February 2014

Objective

To complete a systematic review of the literature describing associations between all environmental exposures and asthma symptoms and exacerbations in children up to mean age of 9 years.

Design

Systematic review.

Setting

Reference lists of identified studies and reviews were searched for all articles published until November 2013 in electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Controls Trials Register).

Participants

Studies were selected which examined a link between exposure to environmental factors and asthma symptoms and exacerbations where the study participants were children with a mean age of ⩽9 years.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Indices of asthma symptoms, control and exacerbations.

Results

A total of 27 studies were identified including eight where inhaled allergens and four where environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) were the exposures of interest. There was evidence that exposure to allergen, ETS, poor air quality and unflued heaters had a modest magnitude of effect (ORs between 2 and 3). There was also evidence of interactions observed between exposures such as allergen and ETS.

Conclusions

Exposure to inhaled allergens, ETS, unflued heaters and poor air quality has an important effect on exacerbations in young children with asthma and should be minimised or, ideally, avoided. Better understanding of the effect of exposure to damp housing, air conditioning and dietary factors plus interactions between environmental exposures associated with exacerbations is required.
The direct and indirect impact of comorbidity on the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a combination of survival, staging and resection models with missing measurements in covariates
Authors: Iachina Maria , Green Anders , Jakobsen Erik
Published: February 2014

Objective

To examine the direct and indirect impact of comorbidity on the survival.

Design

A historical cohort study.

Setting

Denmark.

Participants

All patients with non-small cell lung cancer who were registered in the Danish Lung Cancer Registry in 2010.

Main outcome measures

The influence of comorbidity on stage misclassification, probability of resection and survival.

Results

It was estimated that the comorbidity influences the probability of resection with OR 0.65 and 95% credible interval (0.54; 0.79), the staging process with OR 1.08 and 95% credible interval (0.96; 1.20), and the survival process with HR 1.08 and 95% credible interval (1.02; 1.14).

Conclusions

We found that comorbidity has a significant indirect effect on survival mediated by the resection process and a slightly direct effect on mortality.
Positive and negative reasons for sickness presenteeism in Norway and Sweden: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Johansen Vegard , Aronsson Gunnar , Marklund Staffan
Published: February 2014

Objectives

This article investigates various reasons for sickness presenteeism (SP), that is, going to work despite illness. The research questions asked is: What are the main reported reasons for SP in Norway and Sweden?

Design

Cross-sectional survey in Norway and Sweden. Use of binomial logistic regression analysis.

Participants

A random sample of people aged between 20 and 60 years was obtained from complete and updated databases of the Norwegian and Swedish populations. A postal questionnaire was sent to the selected individuals, with response rate 33% (n=2843). 2533 workers responded to questions about SP during the last 12 months.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The article informs about the distribution of reasons for SP in Norway and Sweden, selected by the respondents from a closed list. The article also examines which factors influence the most often reported reasons for SP.

Results

56% of the Norwegian and Swedish respondents experienced SP in the previous year. The most frequently reported reasons for SP include not burden colleagues (43%), enjoy work (37%) and feeling indispensable (35%). A lower proportion of Norwegians state that they cannot afford taking sick leave adjusted OR (aOR 0.16 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.22)), while a higher proportion of Norwegians refer to that they enjoy their work (aOR=1.64 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.09)). Women and young workers more often report that they do not want to burden their colleagues. Managers (aOR=2.19 (95% CI 1.67 to 2.86)), highly educated persons and the self-employed more often report that they are indispensable.

Conclusions

Positive and negative reasons for SP are reported, and there are significant differences between respondents from the two countries. The response rate is low and results must be interpreted with caution.

Study design

Cross-sectional study.
Perceptions and experiences of financial incentives: a qualitative study of dialysis care in England
Authors: Abma Inger , Jayanti Anuradha , Bayer Steffen , Mitra Sandip , Barlow James
Published: February 2014

Objective

The objective of the study was to understand the extent to which financial incentives such as Payment by Results and other payment mechanisms motivate kidney centres in England to change their practices.

Design

The study followed a qualitative design. Data collection involved 32 in-depth semistructured interviews with healthcare professionals and managers, focusing on their subjective experience of payment structures.

Participants

Participants were kidney healthcare professionals, clinical directors, kidney centre managers and finance managers. Healthcare commissioners from different parts of England were also interviewed.

Setting

Participants worked at five kidney centres from across England. The selection was based on the prevalence of home haemodialysis, ranging from low (<3%), medium (5–8%) and high (>8%) prevalence, with at least one centre in each one of these categories at the time of selection.

Results

While the tariff for home haemodialysis is not a clear incentive for its adoption due to uncertainty about operational costs, Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) targets and the Best Practice Tariff for vascular access were seen by our case study centres as a motivator to change practices.

Conclusions

The impact of financial incentives designed at a policy level is influenced by the understanding of cost and benefits at the local operational level. In a situation where costs are unclear, incentives which are based on the improvement of profit margins have a smaller impact than incentives which provide an additional direct payment, even if this extra financial support is relatively small.
Bone mineral density, rib pain and other features of the female athlete triad in elite lightweight rowers
Authors: Dimitriou Lygeri , Weiler Richard , Lloyd-Smith Rebecca , Turner Antony , Heath Luke , James Nic , Reid Anna
Published: February 2014

Objective

To determine bone mineral density (BMD) and the associations among BMD, menstrual history, disordered eating (DE), training history, intentional weight loss (IWL) and rib pain for the first time in female lightweight rowers.

Setting

9 lightweight rowing clubs, UK.

Participants

29 Caucasian female lightweight rowers volunteered. 21 (12 active, 9 retired) completed the study. Inclusion criteria: female lightweight rowers aged over 18 years. Exclusion criteria: participants with a history of bone disease, used medications known to influence BMD or if they were pregnant, lactating or postmenopausal.

Main outcome measures

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured total body (TB) composition and BMD at the spine, femoral neck (FN), radius and TB. DE, oligomenorrhoea/amenorrhoea years; rib pain and training history.

Results

DE was reported in six of the rowers. The active with DE started rowing younger (p<0.05) than those without, and their amount of IWL was associated with Eating Attitudes Test-26 score (p<0.05). Some participants reported a history of oligomenorrhoea/amenorrhoea 17 (76%) and/or rib pain 7 (32%) with those with rib pain having lower spine and TB Z-scores (p<0.05) than those without. Those with oligomenorrhoea/amenorrhoea had lower spine Z-scores (p<0.01) than those without. Twelve participants had low BMD; three at spine; one at FN; and eight at radius. Thirteen per cent of mean total training hours (18.6±9.1 h/week) were spent strength training (2.4±2.2 h/week).

Conclusions

Upper body exercises incorporating multidimensional high peak bone strain were not reported and may need to be considered in their strength training to improve radial BMD. Results suggest IWL and high-level training at a young age increases the likelihood of DE and there may be a lack of quality nutritional support for these athletes. Thus, multidisciplinary sport science support should be offered at a young age and perhaps also to consider changing the weight rules to prevent the development of the Triad.
On site assessment of cardiac function and neural regulation in amateur half marathon runners
Authors: Dalla Vecchia Laura , Traversi Egidio , Porta Alberto , Lucini Daniela , Pagani Massimo
Published: February 2014

Objective

Strenuous exercise variably modifies cardiovascular function. Only few data are available on intermediate levels of effort. We therefore planned a study in order to address the hypothesis that a half marathon distance would result in transient changes of cardiac mechanics, neural regulation and biochemical profile suggestive of a complex, integrated adaptation.

Methods

We enrolled 35 amateur athletes (42±7 years). Supine and standing heart rate variability and a complete echocardiographic evaluation were assessed on site after the completion of a half marathon (postrace) and about 1 month after (baseline). Biochemical tests were also measured postrace.

Results

Compared to baseline, the postrace left ventricular end-diastolic volume was smaller, peak velocity of E wave was lower, peak velocity of A wave higher, and accordingly the E/A ratio lower. The postrace heart and respiratory rate were higher and variance of RR interval lower, together with a clear shift towards a sympathetic predominance in supine position and a preserved response to orthostasis. At baseline, athletes were characterised by a lower, although still predominant, sympathetic drive with a preserved physiological response to standing.

Conclusions

Immediately after a half marathon there are clear marks that an elevated sympathetic cardiac drive outlasts the performance, together with decreased left ventricular diastolic volumes and slight modifications of the left ventricular filling pattern without additional signs of diastolic dysfunction or indices of transient left or right ventricular systolic abnormalities. Furthermore, no biochemical indices of any permanent cardiac damage were found.
Feasibility and outcomes of ajmaline provocation testing for Brugada syndrome in children in a specialist paediatric inherited cardiovascular diseases centre
Authors: McMillan Merlin Ranald , Day Thomas George , Bartsota Margarita , Mead-Regan Sarah , Bryant Rory , Mangat Jasveer , Abrams Dominic , Lowe Martin , Kaski Juan Pablo
Published: February 2014

Objectives

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited arrhythmia syndrome that causes sudden cardiac death in the young. The class Ia antiarrhythmic ajmaline can be used to provoke the diagnostic ECG pattern. Its use has been established in adults, but little data exist on the ajmaline provocation test in children. This study aims to determine the safety and feasibility of ajmaline provocation testing in a large paediatric cohort in a specialist paediatric inherited cardiac diseases centre.

Methods

98 consecutive ajmaline tests were performed in 95 children between September 2004 and July 2012 for family history of BrS (n=46 (48%)); family history of unexplained sudden cardiac death (n=39 (41%); symptoms with suspicious ECG abnormalities (n=9 (10%)). Three patients were retested with age, due to the possibility of age-related penetrance. ECG parameters were measured at baseline and during maximal ajmaline effect.

Results

The mean patient age was 12.55 years, 43% were female. Nineteen patients (20%) had a positive ajmaline test. There were no arrhythmias or adverse events during testing. Ajmaline provoked significant prolongation of the PR, QRS and QTc in all patients. Mean follow-up was 3.62 years with no adverse outcomes reported in any patients with BrS. There were no predictors of a positive ajmaline provocation test on multivariable analysis. One patient who tested negative at 12 years of age, subsequently tested positive at 15 years of age.

Conclusions

Ajmaline testing appears safe and feasible in children when performed in an appropriate setting by an experienced team. Test positivity may change with age in individuals, suggesting that the test should be repeated in the late teenage years or early adulthood.
Assessment of a blood preservation protocol for use in ferrets before transfusion
Authors: Pignon C. , Donnelly T. M. , Todeschini C. , Deschamps J. Y. , Roux F. A.
Published: February 2014

Blood transfusion has been described in ferrets as a treatment for oestrus‐associated anaemia and as a life‐saving therapy following trauma, iatrogenic (usually surgery‐induced) anaemia, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and pure red cell aplasia. Although blood banking is a common method for storage of feline and canine blood it is not currently done with ferret blood. The aim of this study was to determine the shelf‐life of ferret blood using the anticoagulant citrate‐phosphate‐dextrose‐solution with adenine (CPDA). Two male ferrets were used as blood donors. From each ferret, 6 ml of blood was taken from the cranial vena cava and stored in 10 ml polyethylene terephthalate (PET) blood tubes containing 1 ml of CPDA solution. Blood was taken from each ferret once per month for five months. These 10 blood samples were stored in a laboratory refrigerator at 4°C for four weeks. Biochemical (glucose, pH, lactate, potassium, sodium) and haematological (haematocrit, light microscopic blood smear examination) analyses were performed on the stored blood at days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Biochemical analyses revealed a progressive decrease from day seven in the stored blood pH, glucose and sodium, with a concomitant increase in lactate and potassium. These results are attributable to the ongoing metabolism and deterioration of the red blood cells (RBC) while in storage, and are more rapid than described for human or canine stored blood. Haematological analyses revealed a progressive elevation of the haematocrit due to the appearance of hypochromic red blood cells and echinocytes beginning at day 7. Haemolysis was observed in the microhaematocrit capillary tube sample by day 21, and microscopic clots were visible on the blood smear by day 28. The low blood pH and the appearance of many hypochromic RBCs and some echinocytes from day 7 in CPDA‐stored ferret blood, suggest stored ferret blood has a short shelf‐life when compared with stored human or canine blood. We recommend that ferret blood stored in CPDA should not be used for transfusion after seven days of storage at 4°C.
Evidence‐based veterinary medicine: a clear and present challenge
Authors: Lanyon L.
Published: February 2014

If evidence‐based veterinary medicine is to become a reality, the veterinary profession must be both prepared and in a position to undertake the necessary research, says Lance Lanyon
Ectomycorrhizal fungi and the nitrogen economy of conifers — implications for genecology and climate change mitigation
Authors: Kranabetter J.M.
Published: February 2014

The nitrogen (N) economy of conifers is hypothesized to reflect three spatially defined and interacting sources of variability in forest nutrition. These include the physiological adaptations of the host tree (N uptake capacities among populations), matched to the particular amount and nature of soil N supply (organic N, NH4+, and NO3–), as mediated by communities of site-adapted ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. The spatial attributes of an N economy may vary considerably over the ranges of tree species because of wide gradients in climate and soil fertility, underpinning a potentially important aspect of conifer genecology with implications for climate change mitigation. The evidence for an intersection of N supply with host demand, as mediated by EM fungi, will be briefly reviewed and then evaluated in light of assisted migration studies involving provenance trials of coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) in southwestern British Columbia. The trials were established across a wide range of site types, and so they provide valuable data on host response to gradations in soil N supply and interactions with local EM fungal communities. Preliminary results and knowledge gaps will be discussed under the framework of an N economy and management of forest genetic resources.
Domain refinement of grain oriented electrical steel with high power laser beam sources
Authors: Rauscher P. , Hauptmann J. , Wetzig A. , Beyer E.
Published: February 2014

Laser magnetic domain refinement (LMDR) is applied to reduce the power losses of grain oriented electrical steel, which is used as core material in power or distribution transformers, by generating thermal stress due to the absorbed laser energy. The most widely used laser beam source for the industrial utilization is the CO 2 laser beam source with typical core loss improvements of about 10%. In this paper the dependency of treatment parameters with respect to the magnetic properties of the steel sheets are investigated for the laser scribing process using a high power fiber laser beam source. Especially the treatment properties, which are influenced by the laser beam source, such as focusability, wavelength and absorption behavior, are addressed in this paper. Therefore, single sheets 300 mm × 30 mm × 0.27 mm (high-permeability, comparable to M103-27P) are measured before and after the laser scribing process to evaluate the magnetic properties, as well as the loss components. The analysis has shown that the core loss can be improved by approximately 13% using the fiber laser by scribing invisible lines on the sheet surface.
Mean escape time of ballistically transporting Brownian particles due to thermal noise
Authors: Bai Zhan Wu , Wang Ping
Published: February 2014

The mean escape time of Brownian particles from a metastable potential well is investigated under the influence of a thermal time derivative Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise, which can induce ballistic diffusion of force-free Brownian particles. Compared with the usual Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise, some new characteristics are obtained. The Brownian particles escape fast remarkably for a larger correlation time of the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise. The mean escape time increases as the correlation time decreases, which is contrary to the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise case. The escape time for derivative Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise is longer than that of Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise for small strength of noise and small correlation time of Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise. These features are explained by the spectrum features of derivative Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise and the corresponding dynamical effects.
QUALITY SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION SOFTWARE (QSPS): AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTION SOFTWARE
Authors: KIFOR C. V. , TUDOR N. , BARAL LAL MOHAN
Published: February 2014

A quality system for production software should be part of the quality management system of an organization and can be expressed as objectives in the form of processes, procedures, tools and responsibilities, designed and developed to fulfil the quality requirements. These usually are addressing the customers (external or internal), compliance with standards (effectiveness) waste reduction and better use of resources (efficiency) for continual improvement. Such systems are designed according to the requirements of the standards for quality management, software engineering and information security.

Quality systems themselves could not provide all necessary means for driving the organization to the quality and excellence of a product. Still there are some gaps in the processes which are not covered by too generic standards and it is the organizational ability to cover the gaps in an appropriate way.

The aim of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of our proposed conceptual QSPS model to reduce the gaps in the processes of an organization by enhancing the quality of production software. In order to achieve that goal, a mathematical representation of QSPS has been derived and an evaluation has been realized among different software quality methods. The reliability and validity of the QSPS has been examined through the practical application to the automotive industry considering the elements like: (i) Planning, time and cost evaluation (ii) Software requirements (management, risk, quality and security) (iii) Validation and verification of the implemented software before release (iv) Internal release of the software (v) Client release of the software (vi) Functional monitoring after release in the production and continuous improvement process (vii) Customer satisfaction.

The results of mathematical simulation and practical application revealed that the proposed QSPS model showed superior phenomena compared with other known software quality methods and also expressed significant advantages, while using it on the production software. So, an effective application of QSPS would result in the smooth running of the production software to get a high quality product according to customer and standard requirements.
INFORMATION EXTRACTION VERSUS TEXT SEGMENTATION FOR WEB CONTENT MINING
Authors: FRAGKOU PAVLINA
Published: February 2014

The information explosion of the Web aggravates the problem of effective information retrieval. Even though various approaches in the literature aim to enhance retrieval, they prove to be insufficient because the actual content of a page is poorly exploited with regard to a specific semantic content. This paper extends an existing method for performing automatic semantic segmentation. The existing method initially partitions a web page into blocks based on its visual layout and the application of a set of heuristics. The subsequent step performs partitioning based on the appearance of specific types of named entities with the help of a machine learning algorithm. Our work extends the initial method in multiple directions. First of all, it examines alternative named entities as features in the learning step. Secondly, it extends the initial corpus. Thirdly, it evaluates and compares the initial method with metrics used in text segmentation. Furthermore, the result of text segmentation is incorporated as feature in the learning process. Finally, two text segmentation algorithms are applied to evaluate the effectiveness of manual annotation. Reported results show that the synergy of semantic-based and text segmentation algorithms strongly depends on the predefined semantic model used for text segmentation.
AN APPROACH TO CHECKING THE COMPLIANCE OF USER PERMISSION POLICY IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Authors: TRUONG NINH-THUAN , NGUYEN VIET-HA
Published: February 2014

The Security policy of a software system is a set of actions that the system should or should not do in given conditions. These actions can be considered as critical properties in many applications which require high level of safety, such as the military, bank or stock software systems. Security policy must be specified clearly in software requirements and then be followed strictly and correctly in implementations. User permission policy is one of the most important aspects in software security policy. This paper proposes an approach for checking the conformance between user permissions of an implementation and their given specifications. In this approach, the source code of a program is represented at an abstraction level called Abstract Syntax Tree, which are then checked against specification of user permissions expressed using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). A checking tool has been developed and verified using several common examples.
A LITERATURE REVIEW ON FEATURE DIAGRAM PRODUCT COUNTING AND ITS USAGE IN SOFTWARE PRODUCT LINE ECONOMIC MODELS
Authors: HERADIO RUBEN , FERNANDEZ-AMOROS DAVID , CERRADA JOSE A. , ABAD ISMAEL
Published: February 2014

In software product line engineering, feature diagrams are a popular means to represent the similarities and differences within a family of related systems. In addition, feature diagrams implicitly model valuable information that can be used in economic models to estimate the cost savings of a product line. In particular, this paper reviews existing proposals on computing the total number of products modeled with a feature diagram and, given a feature, the number of products that implement it. This paper also reviews the economic information that can be estimated when such numbers are known. Thus, this paper contributes by bringing together previously-disparate streams of work: the automated analysis of feature diagrams and economic models for product lines.
THE ACUTE EFFECT OF TRAINING FREQUENCIES AND NUMBER OF SETS OF WHOLE BODY VIBRATION ON KNEE JOINT PROPRIOCEPTION
Authors: LIN HWAI-TING , CHEN YING-YU , WANG DEAN-CHUAN , CHOU PEI-HSI , GUO LAN-YUEN , WU WEN-LAN
Published: February 2014

Whole body vibration affects neuromuscular systems through the stimulation of receptors in muscles and tendons. This study investigated the acute effects of different training intensities of WBV on knee joint proprioception. A total of 18 untrained males participated in this study. Joint position sense was tested as an index of joint proprioception ability. Frequencies of 20, 35, and 50 Hz with two mm of displacement vibration training were tested. Each frequency was tested in different numbers of sets (four, six, eight, and ten sets). As it turned out, the results indicated a significant improvement in active JPS at 35 Hz for all testing sets, and only at 20 Hz with ten sets. As for passive JPS, significant improvements were obtained only at 35 Hz with ten sets of training. WBV training affected knee joint proprioception in active JPS with shorter vibration exposure at lower frequencies and amplitude. Coaches, athletes and physical therapists should consider using WBV training for its potential benefits in warm-ups and rehabilitation.
Adaptive multiple description coding and transmission of uncompressed video over 60GHz networks
Authors: He Zhifeng , Mao Shiwen
Published: February 2014

While many cognitive radio (CR) techniques are developed to better utilize the allocated spectrum, the massive unlicensed bandwidth in the 60GHz band also provides great potential for supporting new bandwidth intensive applications. In this paper, we investigate the problem of streaming uncompressed High Definitio (HD) videos over 60GHz networks. We present an adaptive multiple description (MD) coding (MDC) technique based on Priority Encoding Transmission (PET) that exploits the different significanc of the pixel bits, and an interleaving based transmission scheme to combat the bursty losses due to blockage. A nonlinear integer programming problem is formulated and solved with a heuristic approach for determining the sub-optimal coding and transmission parameters. The proposed scheme is adaptive to the dynamic 60GHz link conditions for enhanced video quality. The performance of the proposed scheme is validated with simulations.
FansyRoute
Authors: Dabideen Stephen , Ramanathan Ram
Published: February 2014

We consider the problem of routing in a highly and variably intermittent wireless network to support delay-intolerant as well as delay tolerant applications. Specifically, the links in such a network are too volatile to maintain a consistent topology, rendering most MANET protocols ineffective. At the same time, store-andforward (DTN) techniques are not an option due to the need for ndelay intolerance, and may be unnecessary due to the likely availability of contemporaneous, albeit rapidly changing, paths.We present a novel routing mechanism called FansyRoute, aimed at this challenged region between MANETs and DTNs. Fansy- Route adaptively adjusts the number of replications (fan-out) on a per-node basis, taking into account the level of intermittency along the path to the destination and a user-specified tradeoff between delivery expectation and the cost of replication. We study the performance of two FansyRoute schemes on a prime example of such variably intermittently connected networks, namely asynchronously duty-cycled sensor networks. Using ns-3, we compare FansyRoute to OLSR, AODV and Flooding. The results show that in an intermittent network, FansyRoute can deliver 50% more packets than the single path protocols, with less than 5% of the replication incurred by flooding. FansyRoute replicates only when needed and the replication is restricted to the challenged regions of the network.
Filling the gaps of unused capacity through a fountain coded dissemination of information
Authors: Parisis George , Trossen Dirk
Published: February 2014

Lowest Cost Denominator Networking (LCDnet) envisions "breaking the mould of thinking that law of economics should govern connectivity to all". It brings together a multi-layer resource pooling of communication technologies at several levels to support benevolence in the Internet. One of the proposed levels of resource pooling involves better network and storage utilisation, as promised by Information-centric networking architectures. In this paper we present a transport and resource management approach on top of an informationcentric network that enables efficient, multi-source and multi-path information dissemination as well as in-network caching and mobility support, characteristics that are well desired in the LCDnet context.
On aggregating information in actor networks
Authors: Olariu Stephan , Mohrehkesh Shahram , Wang Xianping , Weigle Michele C.
Published: February 2014

This paper provides a way to think formally about the aggregation processes that take place in networks where individual actors (whether sensors, robots, or people) possess data whose value may decay over time. The various actors use data to make decisions: the larger the value, the better (i.e. more informed) the decision. At every moment, individual actors have the choice of making a decision or else to defer the decision to a later time. However, the longer they wait, the lower the value of the data they hold. To counter-balance the effect of time discounting, we define an algebraic operation that we call aggregation, whereby two or more actors integrate their data in the hope of increasing its value. Our main contribution is a formal look at the value of time-discounted information and at the algebra of its aggregation. We allow aggregation of time-discounted information to proceed in an arbitrary, not necessarily pairwise, manner. Our model relates aggregation decisions to the ensuing value of information and suggests natural thresholding strategies for the aggregation of the information collected by sets of network actors. Extensive simulations have confirmed the accuracy of our theoretical predictions.
The acetylome regulators Hdac1 and Hdac2 differently modulate intestinal epithelial cell dependent homeostatic responses in experimental colitis
Authors: Turgeon Naomie , Gagné Julie Moore , Blais Mylène , Gendron Fernand-Pierre , Boudreau François , Asselin Claude
Published: February 2014

Histone deacetylases (Hdac) remove acetyl groups from proteins, influencing global and specific gene expression. Hdacs control inflammation, as shown by Hdac inhibitor-dependent protection from dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis. Although tissue-specific Hdac knockouts show redundant and specific functions, little is known of their intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) role. We have shown previously that dual Hdac1/ Hdac2 IEC-specific loss disrupts cell proliferation and determination, with decreased secretory cell numbers and altered barrier function. We thus investigated how compound Hdac1/ Hdac2 or Hdac2 IEC-specific deficiency alters the inflammatory response. Floxed Hdac1 and Hdac2 and villin-Cre mice were interbred. Compound Hdac1/ Hdac2 IEC-deficient mice showed chronic basal inflammation, with increased basal disease activity index (DAI) and deregulated Reg gene colonic expression. DSS-treated dual Hdac1/ Hdac2 IEC-deficient mice displayed increased DAI, histological score, intestinal permeability, and inflammatory gene expression. In contrast to double knockouts, Hdac2 IEC-specific loss did not affect IEC determination and growth, nor result in chronic inflammation. However, Hdac2 disruption protected against DSS colitis, as shown by decreased DAI, intestinal permeability and caspase-3 cleavage. Hdac2 IEC-specific deficient mice displayed increased expression of IEC gene subsets, such as colonic antimicrobial Reg3b and Reg3g mRNAs, and decreased expression of immune cell function-related genes. Our data show that Hdac1 and Hdac2 are essential IEC homeostasis regulators. IEC-specific Hdac1 and Hdac2 may act as epigenetic sensors and transmitters of environmental cues and regulate IEC-mediated mucosal homeostatic and inflammatory responses. Different levels of IEC Hdac activity may lead to positive or negative outcomes on intestinal homeostasis during inflammation.
Consuming a Western diet for two weeks suppresses fetal genes in mouse hearts
Authors: Medford Heidi M. , Cox Emily J. , Miller Lindsey E. , Marsh Susan A.
Published: February 2014

Diets high in sugar and saturated fat (Western diet) contribute to obesity and pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome. A common physiological response to obesity is hypertension, which induces cardiac remodeling and hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is regulated at the level of chromatin by repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST), and pathological hypertrophy is associated with reexpression of a fetal cardiac gene program. Reactivation of fetal genes is commonly observed in hypertension-induced hypertrophy; however, this response is blunted in diabetic hearts, partially due to upregulation of the posttranslational modification O-linked-β- N-acetylglucosamine ( O-GlcNAc) to proteins by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT). OGT and O-GlcNAc are found in chromatin-modifying complexes, but it is unknown whether they play a role in Western diet-induced hypertrophic remodeling. Therefore, we investigated the interactions between O-GlcNAc, OGT, and the fetal gene-regulating transcription factor complex REST/mammalian switch-independent 3A/histone deacetylase (HDAC). Five-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed a Western ( n = 12) or control diet ( n = 12) for 2 wk to examine the early hypertrophic response. Western diet-fed mice exhibited fasting hyperglycemia and increased body weight ( P < 0.05). As expected for this short duration of feeding, cardiac hypertrophy was not yet evident. We found that REST is O-GlcNAcylated and physically interacts with OGT in mouse hearts. Western blot analysis showed that HDAC protein levels were not different between groups; however, relative to controls, Western diet hearts showed increased REST and decreased ANP and skeletal α-actin. Transcript levels of HDAC2 and cardiac α-actin were decreased in Western diet hearts. These data suggest that REST coordinates regulation of diet-induced hypertrophy at the level of chromatin.
Adipose tissue and vascular phenotypic modulation by voluntary physical activity and dietary restriction in obese insulin-resistant OLETF rats
Authors: Crissey Jacqueline M. , Jenkins Nathan T. , Lansford Kasey A. , Thorne Pamela K. , Bayless David S. , Vieira-Potter Victoria J. , Rector R. Scott , Thyfault John P. , Laughlin M. Harold , Padilla Jaume
Published: February 2014

Adipose tissue (AT)-derived cytokines are proposed to contribute to obesity-associated vascular insulin resistance. We tested the hypothesis that voluntary physical activity and diet restriction-induced maintenance of body weight would both result in decreased AT inflammation and concomitant improvements in insulin-stimulated vascular relaxation in the hyperphagic, obese Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rat. Rats (aged 12 wk) were randomly assigned to sedentary (SED; n = 10), wheel running (WR; n = 10), or diet restriction (DR; n = 10; fed 70% of SED) for 8 wk. WR and DR rats exhibited markedly lower adiposity (7.1 ± 0.4 and 15.7 ± 1.1% body fat, respectively) relative to SED (27 ± 1.2% body fat), as well as improved blood lipid profiles and systemic markers of insulin resistance. Reduced adiposity in both WR and DR was associated with decreased AT mRNA expression of inflammatory genes (e.g., MCP-1, TNF-α, and IL-6) and markers of immune cell infiltration (e.g., CD8, CD11c, and F4/80). The extent of these effects were most pronounced in visceral AT compared with subcutaneous and periaortic AT. Markers of inflammation in brown AT were upregulated with WR but not DR. In periaortic AT, WR- and DR-induced reductions in expression and secretion of cytokines were accompanied with a more atheroprotective gene expression profile in the adjacent aortic wall. WR, but not DR, resulted in greater insulin-stimulated relaxation in the aorta; an effect that was, in part, mediated by a decrease in insulin-induced endothelin-1 activation in WR aorta. Collectively, we show in OLETF rats that lower adiposity leads to less AT and aortic inflammation, as well as an exercise-specific improvement in insulin-stimulated vasorelaxation.
Role of spinal GABAAreceptors in pudendal inhibition of nociceptive and nonnociceptive bladder reflexes in cats
Authors: Xiao Zhiying , Reese Jeremy , Schwen Zeyad , Shen Bing , Wang Jicheng , Roppolo James R. , de Groat William C. , Tai Changfeng
Published: February 2014

Picrotoxin, an antagonist for γ-aminobutyric acid receptor subtype A (GABAA), was used to investigate the role of GABAAreceptors in nociceptive and nonnociceptive reflex bladder activities and pudendal inhibition of these activities in cats under α-chloralose anesthesia. Acetic acid (AA; 0.25%) was used to irritate the bladder and induce nociceptive bladder overactivity, while saline was used to distend the bladder and induce nonnociceptive bladder activity. To modulate the bladder reflex, pudendal nerve stimulation (PNS) was applied at multiple threshold (T) intensities for inducing anal sphincter twitching. AA irritation significantly ( P < 0.01) reduced bladder capacity to 34.3 ± 7.1% of the saline control capacity, while PNS at 2T and 4T significantly ( P < 0.01) increased AA bladder capacity to 84.0 ± 7.8 and 93.2 ± 15.0%, respectively, of the saline control. Picrotoxin (0.4 mg it) did not change AA bladder capacity but completely removed PNS inhibition of AA-induced bladder overactivity. Picrotoxin (iv) only increased AA bladder capacity at a high dose (0.3 mg/kg) but significantly ( P < 0.05) reduced 2T PNS inhibition at low doses (0.01–0.1 mg/kg). During saline cystometry, PNS significantly ( P < 0.01) increased bladder capacity to 147.0 ± 7.6% at 2T and 172.7 ± 8.9% at 4T of control capacity, and picrotoxin (0.4 mg it or 0.03–0.3 mg/kg iv) also significantly ( P < 0.05) increased bladder capacity. However, picrotoxin treatment did not alter PNS inhibition during saline infusion. These results indicate that spinal GABAAreceptors have different roles in controlling nociceptive and nonnociceptive reflex bladder activities and in PNS inhibition of these activities.