bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Topical ganciclovir treatment post-Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty for patients with bullous keratopathy induced by cytomegalovirus
Authors: Kitazawa Koji , Jongkhajornpong Passara , Inatomi Tsutomu , Koizumi Noriko , Kayukawa Kanae , Wakimasu Koichi , Sotozono Chie , Kinoshita Shigeru
Published: January 2018

Background/aims

To investigate the efficacy of topical ganciclovir (GCV) for preventing disease recurrence and improving the surgical outcome post-Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) in patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) endotheliitis.

Methods

This prospective, non-comparative case series study involved six eyes of six patients with endothelial decompensation due to CMV endotheliitis who underwent DSAEK, followed by a continuous, four to six times daily, topical administration of 0.5% GCV. Patient demographics, clinical history, and preoperative and postoperative examination (including any recurrence of CMV endotheliitis post-DSAEK), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), graft survival rate and endothelial cell density (ECD) were examined.

Results

No recurrence of CMV endotheliitis was detected post-DSAEK. The mean follow-up period was 40 months (range, 12–60 months). The mean preoperative BCVA was 1.52±0.68 LogMAR (range, 0.52–2.40 LogMAR), yet it had significantly improved to 0.15±0.16 LogMAR (range: −0.08 to 0.30 LogMAR) by 1 year postoperative (P<0.01). In all patients, IOP was well controlled (10–20 mm Hg) postsurgery. The mean preoperative donor ECD was 2692±177 cells/mm2, and the mean postoperative ECD was 1974, 1771 and 1174 cells/mm2 for the ECD loss of 26%, 33% and 54% at 6, 12 and 36 months, respectively. No adverse effects were observed associated with the long-term topical administration of GCV.

Conclusion

The continuous topical application of 0.5% GCV was found to be effective for preventing the recurrence of CMV endotheliitis, and it provided the optimal mid-term clinical outcomes post-DSAEK in patients with CMV endotheliitis.

Trial registration number

UMIN000026746
Resource utilisation and costs in predementia and dementia: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Landeiro Filipa , Wace Helena , Ghinai Isaac , Nye Elsbeth , Mughal Seher , Walsh Katie , Roberts Nia , Lecomte Pascal , Wittenberg Raphael , Wolstenholme Jane , Handels Ron , Roncancio-Diaz Emilse , Potashman Michele H , Tockhorn-Heidenreich Antje , Gray Alastair M
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Dementia is the fastest growing major cause of disability globally with a mounting social and financial impact for patients and their families but also to health and social care systems. This review aims to systematically synthesise evidence on the utilisation of resources and costs incurred by patients and their caregivers and by health and social care services across the full spectrum of dementia, from its preceding preclinical stage to end of life. The main drivers of resources used and costs will also be identified.

Methods and analysis

A systematic literature review was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CDSR, CENTRAL, DARE, EconLit, CEA Registry, TRIP, NHS EED, SCI, RePEc and OpenGrey between January 2000 and beginning of May 2017. Two reviewers will independently assess each study for inclusion and disagreements will be resolved by a third reviewer. Data will be extracted using a predefined data extraction form following best practice. Study quality will be assessed with the Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool. The reporting of costing methodology will be assessed using the British Medical Journal checklist. A narrative synthesis of all studies will be presented for resources used and costs incurred, by level of disease severity when available. If feasible, the data will be synthesised using appropriate statistical techniques.

Ethics and dissemination

Included articles will be reviewed for an ethics statement. The findings of the review will be disseminated in a related peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences. They will also contribute to the work developed in the Real World Outcomes across the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum for better care: multi-modal data access platform (ROADMAP).

Trial registration number

CRD42017071413.
Effect of Stent Designs on the Paravalvular Regurgitation of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Authors: Jin Chang , Liu Rong-Hui , Zhong Sheng-Ping , Wang Li-Zhen , Fan Yu-Bo
Published: January 2018

Paravalvular aortic regurgitation (AR) significantly influences the outcome of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This study deals with the effect of stent design on AR after TAVI was evaluated by numerical simulations. Three different stents were implanted into the representative calcified human aortic root models. The excessively dense or a sparse outflow end would result in larger stent deformation indexes, higher stress of calcified plaques and aortic root, and larger gap between stent and aortic wall, and lead to serious paravalvular regurgitation. This study provides the guidance for design of transcatheter aortic valve.
Structure Polynomials and Subgraphs of Rooted Regular Trees
Authors: D’Angeli Daniele , Donno Alfredo
Published: January 2018

We introduce an algebraic structure allowing us to describe subgraphs of a regular rooted tree. Its elements are called structure polynomials, and they are in a one- to-one correspondence with the set of all subgraphs of the tree. We define two operations, the sum and the product of structure polynomials, giving a graph interpretation of them. Then we introduce an equivalence relation between polynomials, using the action of the full automorphism group of the tree, and we count equivalence classes of subgraphs modulo this equivalence. We also prove that this action gives rise to symmetric Gelfand pairs. Finally, when the regularity degree of the tree is a prime p, we regard each level of the tree as a finite dimensional vector space over the finite field 𝔽p, and we are able to completely characterize structure polynomials corresponding to subgraphs whose leaf set is a vector subspace.
Systematic Review of Clustering High-Dimensional and Large Datasets
Authors: Pandove Divya , Goel Shivan , Rani Rinkl
Published: January 2018

Technological advancement has enabled us to store and process huge amount of data in relatively short spans of time. The nature of data is rapidly changing, particularly its dimensionality is more commonly multi- and high-dimensional. There is an immediate need to expand our focus to include analysis of high-dimensional and large datasets. Data analysis is becoming a mammoth task, due to incremental increase in data volume and complexity in terms of heterogony of data. It is due to this dynamic computing environment that the existing techniques either need to be modified or discarded to handle new data in multiple high-dimensions. Data clustering is a tool that is used in many disciplines, including data mining, so that meaningful knowledge can be extracted from seemingly unstructured data. The aim of this article is to understand the problem of clustering and various approaches addressing this problem. This article discusses the process of clustering from both microviews (data treating) and macroviews (overall clustering process). Different distance and similarity measures, which form the cornerstone of effective data clustering, are also identified. Further, an in-depth analysis of different clustering approaches focused on data mining, dealing with large-scale datasets is given. These approaches are comprehensively compared to bring out a clear differentiation among them. This article also surveys the problem of high-dimensional data and the existing approaches, that makes it more relevant. It also explores the latest trends in cluster analysis, and the real-life applications of this concept. This survey is exhaustive as it tries to cover all the aspects of clustering in the field of data mining.
Software Adaptation in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Afanasov Mikhail , Mottola Luca , Ghezzi Carlo
Published: January 2018

We present design concepts, programming constructs, and automatic verification techniques to support the development of
adaptive
Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) software. WSNs operate at the interface between the physical world and the computing machine and are hence exposed to unpredictable environment dynamics. WSN software must adapt to these dynamics to maintain dependable and efficient operation. However, developers are left without proper support to develop adaptive functionality in WSN software. Our work fills this gap with three key contributions: (i) design concepts help developers organize the necessary adaptive functionality and understand their relations, (ii) dedicated programming constructs simplify the implementations, (iii) custom verification techniques allow developers to check the correctness of their design before deployment. We implement dedicated tool support to tie the three contributions, facilitating their practical application. Our evaluation considers representative WSN applications to analyze code metrics, synthetic simulations, and cycle-accurate emulation of popular WSN platforms. The results indicate that our work is effective in simplifying the development of adaptive WSN software; for example, implementations are provably easier to test and to maintain, the run-time overhead of our dedicated programming constructs is negligible, and our verification techniques return results in a matter of seconds.
Will Triadic Closure Strengthen Ties in Social Networks?
Authors: Huang Hong , Dong Yuxiao , Tang Jie , Yang Hongxia , Chawla Nitesh V. , Fu Xiaoming
Published: January 2018

The social triad—a group of three people—is one of the simplest and most fundamental social groups. Extensive network and social theories have been developed to understand its structure, such as triadic closure and social balance. Over the course of a triadic closure—the transition from two ties to three among three users, the strength dynamics of its social ties, however, are much less well understood. Using two dynamic networks from social media and mobile communication, we examine how the formation of the third tie in a triad affects the strength of the existing two ties. Surprisingly, we find that in about 80% social triads, the strength of the first two ties is weakened although averagely the tie strength in the two networks maintains an increasing or stable trend. We discover that (1) the decrease in tie strength among three males is more sharply than that among females, and (2) the tie strength between celebrities is more likely to be weakened as the closure of a triad than those between ordinary people. Furthermore, we formalize a triadic tie strength dynamics prediction problem to infer whether social ties of a triad will become weakened after its closure. We propose a TRIST method—a kernel density estimation (KDE)-based graphical model—to solve the problem by incorporating user demographics, temporal effects, and structural information. Extensive experiments demonstrate that TRIST offers a greater than 82% potential predictability for inferring triadic tie strength dynamics in both networks. The leveraging of the KDE and structural correlations enables TRIST to outperform baselines by up to 30% in terms of F1-score.
G-RoI
Authors: Belcastro Loris , Marozzo Fabrizio , Talia Domenico , Trunfio Paolo
Published: January 2018

Geotagged data gathered from social media can be used to discover interesting locations visited by users called Places-of-Interest (PoIs). Since a PoI is generally identified by the geographical coordinates of a single point, it is hard to match it with user trajectories. Therefore, it is useful to define an area, called
Region-of-Interest
(
RoI
), to represent the boundaries of the PoI’s area.
RoI mining
techniques are aimed at discovering ROIs from PoIs and other data. Existing RoI mining techniques are based on three main approaches: predefined shapes, density-based clustering, and grid-based aggregation. This article proposes
G-RoI
, a novel RoI mining technique that exploits the indications contained in geotagged social media items to discover RoIs with a high accuracy. Experiments performed over a set of PoIs in Rome and Paris using social media geotagged data, demonstrate that G-RoI in most cases achieves better results than existing techniques. In particular, the mean
F
1
score is 0.34 higher than that obtained with the well-known DBSCAN algorithm in Rome RoIs and 0.23 higher in Paris RoIs.
A novel rodent model of pregnancy complications associated with genetically determined angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity
Authors: Mata-Greenwood Eugenia , Blood Arlin B. , Sands LeeAnna D. , Bragg Shannon L. , Xiao Daliao , Zhang Lubo
Published: January 2018

Brown Norway (BN) and Lewis (LW) inbred rat strains harbor different angiotensin-converting enzyme ( Ace) polymorphisms that result in higher ACE activity in BN than LW rats. Thus we hypothesized that pregnant BN rats would show pregnancy complications linked to angiotensin II (AII) activity. We performed longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in pregnant LW and BN rats. We found that BN rats have significantly higher ACE activity and AII levels at prepregnancy and throughout pregnancy compared with LW rats, except at midgestation. BN placentas and maternal kidneys had significantly higher expression of AII receptor 1 (AGTR1) and lower expression of AGTR2 than the respective LW placentas and maternal kidneys. Renin-angiotensin system activation in BN rats correlated with hypertension and proteinuria at gestational days 17–21, which were resolved after delivery. In addition, BN rat pregnancies were characterized by significant fetal loss, restricted growth in surviving fetuses, decreased uteroplacental blood flows, and decreased trophoblast remodeling of uterine arteries compared with LW pregnancies. Short-term losartan treatment significantly increased uteroplacental blood flow and fetal weight and decreased maternal blood pressure (BP) and proteinuria in BN pregnancies. In contrast, losartan treatment significantly decreased uteroplacental blood flow and fetal weight but had no significant effect on maternal BP in LW pregnancies. We conclude that Ace polymorphisms play an important role in the reproductive phenotype of BN and LW rats and that BN rats are a novel model of pregnancy complications in association with genetically controlled, increased ACE activity.
The Influence of Errors in Visualization Systems on the Level of Safety Threat in Air Traffic
Authors: Ferduła Paweł , Skorupski Jacek
Published: January 2018

Air traffic management is carried out by air traffic controllers assisted by complex technical systems that provide them with visualization of the traffic situation. In practice, visualization systems errors sometimes occur. The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of errors of different types on the safety of the air traffic. The assessment of the threat level is influenced by subjective factors and cannot be expressed precisely. Therefore, the fuzzy reasoning theory has been used. The developed fuzzy model has been used to obtain a tool for simulation of the impact of various factors on traffic safety assessment. The results obtained indicate that the most important determinants of safety are the time when the air traffic controller remains unaware of the breakdown and the total time he/she does not have full knowledge of the traffic situation. It has been found that the key role for the proper operation of the air traffic visualization system and the restoration of full situational awareness is played by self-diagnostic systems that can restore the system’s correct functioning without even the controller being aware of the error occurrence. Their role in ensuring safety might be even greater than redundancy which is commonly used.
Nonoverlapping Blocks Based Copy-Move Forgery Detection
Authors: Sun Yu , Ni Rongrong , Zhao Yao
Published: January 2018

In order to solve the problem of high computational complexity in block-based methods for copy-move forgery detection, we divide image into texture part and smooth part to deal with them separately. Keypoints are extracted and matched in texture regions. Instead of using all the overlapping blocks, we use nonoverlapping blocks as candidates in smooth regions. Clustering blocks with similar color into a group can be regarded as a preprocessing operation. To avoid mismatching due to misalignment, we update candidate blocks by registration before projecting them into hash space. In this way, we can reduce computational complexity and improve the accuracy of matching at the same time. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves better performance via comparing with the state-of-the-art copy-move forgery detection algorithms and exhibits robustness against JPEG compression, rotation, and scaling.
Site-Directed Spin Labeling EPR for Studying Membrane Proteins
Authors: Sahu Indra D. , Lorigan Gary A.
Published: January 2018

Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) in combination with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a rapidly expanding powerful biophysical technique to study the structural and dynamic properties of membrane proteins in a native environment. Membrane proteins are responsible for performing important functions in a wide variety of complicated biological systems that are responsible for the survival of living organisms. In this review, a brief introduction of the most popular SDSL EPR techniques and illustrations of recent applications for studying pertinent structural and dynamic properties on membrane proteins will be discussed.
Effect Analysis of Early Warning for Abandoned Object on Highway Based on Internet-of-Vehicles CA Model
Authors: Bao Juan , Chen Wei , Xiang Zhengtao , Chen Yufeng , Shui Yishui
Published: January 2018

An early warning on the highway will effectively reduce traffic accidents. Considering the influence of an abandoned object on driving behavior, a Visual-based Asymmetric Two-lane Cellular Automata model with Abandoned Object (V-ATCA-AO) and an Internet-of-Vehicles-based Asymmetric Two-lane Cellular Automata model with Abandoned Object (IoV-ATCA-AO) are proposed. Based on the two models, two types of traffic accidents caused by an abandoned object are analyzed: rear-end collision caused by the abandoned object ahead and collision of the vehicle with the abandoned object. Simulation results show the following: (1) the accidents occur when the road density is smaller, while the accidents will not occur when the density is larger. The results are different from the rear-end collision rate curve without abandoned object in a single lane. (2) Compared with the visual-based avoidance pattern in V-ATCA-AO, the Internet-of-Vehicles-based avoidance pattern in IoV-ATCA-AO can create an early warning for the abandoned object and tell the vehicle to make an earlier lane change and decelerate in advance, thereby significantly reducing the accident rate. (3) Spatiotemporal characteristics in front of the abandoned object directly affect the accident rate: the less the “stability” of a traffic jam in front of the abandoned object, the higher the accident rate.
Neural Network Control System of UAV Altitude Dynamics and Its Comparison with the PID Control System
Authors: Muliadi Jemie , Kusumoputro Benyamin
Published: January 2018

This article proposes a comparative method to assess the performance of artificial neural network’s direct inverse control (DIC-ANN) with the PID control system. The comparison served as an analysis tool to assess the advantages of DIC-ANN over conventional control method for a UAV attitude controller. The development of ANN method for UAV control purposes arises due to the limitations of the conventional control method, which is the mathematical based model, involving complex expression, and most of them are difficult to be solved directly into analytic solution. Although the linearization simplified the solving process for such mathematical based model, omitting the nonlinear and the coupling terms is unsuitable for the dynamics of the multirotor vehicle. Thus, the DIC-ANN perform learning mechanism to overcome the limitation of PID tuning. Therefore, the proposed comparative method is developed to obtain conclusive results of DIC-ANN advantages over the linear method in UAV attitude control. Better achievement in the altitude dynamics was attained by the DIC-ANN compared to PID control method.
A Coupled One-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of the Land Subsidence Process in a Multilayer Aquifer System due to Hydraulic Head Variation in the Pumped Layer
Authors: Wang Ye , Zhang Mao-sheng , Hu Fu-sheng , Dong Ying , Yu Kun
Published: January 2018

After exploitation of groundwater had been reduced and the groundwater level of the confined aquifer had risen, land subsidence was observed to continue rather than cease for several years according to the layer-wise mark monitoring data in Xi’an. To analyze the phenomena, a numerical model of a coupled one-dimensional multilayer aquifer system is developed to represent land subsidence due to hydraulic head variation in the pumped layer. The numerical simulation results show that the pressure head in other layers does not rise immediately when the hydraulic head in the pumped layer starts to recover after pumping ceases. In addition, after the pumping is stopped, a dividing point can be found in aquitards next to the pumped layer, with the aquitards being divided into two parts: a compressed part and a rebounding part. The dividing points move toward the side and away from the pumped layer with the transferring of pore pressure in the aquitard. The results of the simulation also show that there is a transition period between land subsidence and rebound. In this transition period, land could continue to subside even though the hydraulic head in the pumped layer begins to recover.
Clostridium perfringensSepticemia and a Bleeding Ulcer of a Jejunal Interposition: A Case Report and Short Review of the Literature
Authors: Wild W. , Bormann F. , Sweiti H. , Tamimi N. , Pichulek D. , Divo M. , Dörr P. , Schwarzbach M.
Published: January 2018

Introduction. We report a case ofClostridium perfringenssepticemia in a patient presenting with a bleeding ulcer of a jejunal interposition.Case Presentation. An 81-year-old female patient was acutely admitted to our hospital due to hematemesis and melena. She had a history of metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor, for which she was receiving second line treatment with sunitinib. She had also undergone a Merendino procedure 4 years prior to presentation. The patient underwent emergency gastroscopy, which revealed a bleeding ulcer in the jejunal interposition. Despite initial endoscopic control of the bleeding and transfusion of blood products, the hemoglobin level continued to drop, and the patient was treated for an assumed hemolytic transfusion reaction. The patient died 3 days following admission, and the results of blood cultures later confirmed aClostridium perfringenssepticemia. The postmortem examination revealed a diffuse spread ofClostridium perfringensto multiple organs.Conclusion. This case is a reminder of the importance of considering septicemia, particularly in association withClostridium perfringens, as a potential cause of hemolysis. It also demonstrates the extent of organ involvement in a case of diffuse clostridial myonecrosis.
Dynamic Compensator-Based Output Feedback Controller Design for Uncertain Systems with Adjustable Robustness
Authors: Chang Jeang-Lin , Wu Tsui-Chou
Published: January 2018

A low-order dynamics compensator-based output feedback stabilization method for a class of uncertain linear MIMO systems with mismatched disturbances is presented. Since all the system states are not measurable, the proposed controller inherently has low-pass filter property in which it can successfully replace the derivative terms of the system output and hence effectively estimate the input disturbance. The control scheme proposed here can simultaneously consider the input saturation problem and obtain the desired performance. Although the system has unknown uncertainties and disturbances, the uniformly ultimate boundedness of system states in the closed-loop system is analytically shown using the Lyapunov method. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed scheme.
An Aggregate Signature Based Trust Routing for Data Gathering in Sensor Networks
Authors: Tang Jiawei , Liu Anfeng , Zhao Ming , Wang Tian
Published: January 2018

An Aggregate Signature based Trust Routing (ASTR) scheme is proposed to guarantee safe data collection in WSNs. In ASTR scheme, firstly, the aggregate signature approach is used to aggregate data and keep data integrity. What is more important, a light aggregate signature based detour routing scheme is proposed to send abstract information which includes the data sending time and ID of data, nodes’ ID to the sink over different paths which can verify whether the data reaches the sink safely. In addition, the trust of a path is evaluated according to the success rate of the path. The trust of paths susceptible to frequent attack will be lowered and the path with high trust will be selected for data routing to avoid data gathering through low trust path and thereby increase the success rate of data gathering. Our comprehensive performance analysis has shown that, the ASTR scheme is able to effectively ensure an increase in success rate of data transmission by 23.23%, reduce the data amount loaded by the node by 53.59%, reduce the redundant data by 41.70%.
Projections of Heat Waves Events in the Intra-Americas Region Using Multimodel Ensemble
Authors: Angeles-Malaspina Moises , González-Cruz Jorge E. , Ramírez-Beltran Nazario
Published: January 2018

Significant accelerated warming of the Sea Surface Temperature of 0.15°C per decade (1982–2012) was recently detected, which motivated the research for the present consequences and future projections on the heat index and heat waves in the intra-Americas region. Present records every six hours are retrieved from NCEP reanalysis (1948–2015) to calculate heat waves changes. Heat index intensification has been detected in the region since 1998 and driven by surface pressure changes, sinking air enhancement, and warm/weaker cold advection. This regional warmer atmosphere leads to heat waves intensification with changes in both frequency and maximum amplitude distribution. Future projections using a multimodel ensemble mean for five global circulation models were used to project heat waves in the future under two scenarios: RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Massive heat waves events were projected at the end of the 21st century, particularly in the RCP8.5 scenario. Consequently, the regional climate change in the current time and in the future will require special attention to mitigate the more intense and frequent heat waves impacts on human health, countries’ economies, and energy demands in the IAR.
Model Experimental Study of Damage Effects of Ship Structures under the Contact Jet Loads of Bubble in a Water Tank
Authors: Chen Hailong , Ni Baoyu , Hu Wenjin , Xue Yanzhuo
Published: January 2018

The damage effects of ship structures under the contact jet loads of bubble are studied by using an electric spark bubble as well as high‐speed photography. A series of model experiments of ship structures under contact explosion was carried out in a water tank. On the one hand, we monitored the displacement and period of the oscillation of a hull plate of a ship model with a large bending rigidity. On the other hand, we observed the overall motion of a box‐beam model with a small bending rigidity. The results show that when the distance parameter is less than 0.6, the bubble jet will impact on the surface of the structure directly, which is defined as “contact bubble jet” herein. The contact bubble jet causes significant local loads on the ship and induces the “sagging moment” effect. This mainly results from the relatively negative bending moment caused by the bubble attached to the hull. With the increase of detonation distance, this negative bending moment decreases. As a result, the oscillation amplitude of the ship structure decreases sharply and the oscillation period reduces gradually.
Automated Text Analysis Based on Skip-Gram Model for Food Evaluation in Predicting Consumer Acceptance
Authors: Kim Augustine Yongwhi , Ha Jin Gwan , Choi Hoduk , Moon Hyeonjoon
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate food taste, smell, and characteristics from consumers’ online reviews. Several studies in food sensory evaluation have been presented for consumer acceptance. However, these studies need taste descriptive word lexicon, and they are not suitable for analyzing large number of evaluators to predict consumer acceptance. In this paper, an automated text analysis method for food evaluation is presented to analyze and compare recently introduced two jjampong ramen types (mixed seafood noodles). To avoid building a sensory word lexicon, consumers’ reviews are collected from SNS. Then, by training word embedding model with acquired reviews, words in the large amount of review text are converted into vectors. Based on these words represented as vectors, inference is performed to evaluate taste and smell of two jjampong ramen types. Finally, the reliability and merits of the proposed food evaluation method are confirmed by a comparison with the results from an actual consumer preference taste evaluation.
Association between IL-13 Gene rs20541 Polymorphism and Glioma Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yang Dong , Yuan Yue , Zhang Sixun , Zhao Kuiming , Li Fang , Ren Hongxiang , Zhang Zhe , Yu Yanbing
Published: January 2018

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis to estimate the association between IL-13 gene rs20541 (R130Q) polymorphism and the susceptibility of glioma. Patients and Methods: Potentially eligible studies published before February 1, 2016 were searched in 4 databases including PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO, and Ovid. Odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to estimate the strength of relationship between the IL-13 gene rs20541 polymorphism and glioma susceptibility. Stata 11.0 software was used to perform the present meta-analysis. Results: In total, 10 case-control studies with 13 datasets including 3,123 cases and 5,390 controls were identified. A significant increase in glioma susceptibility was found in the dominant model (AA + AG vs. GG: OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.29; P = 0.031). Significantly decreasing glioma susceptibility was found for Asians in the heterozygote comparison (AG vs. GG: OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.55-0.99; P = 0.042) and the allele contrast genetic model (A vs. G: OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.47-0.96; P = 0.028). By contrast, in Caucasians, a significant increase in glioma susceptibility was found in the dominant model (AA + AG vs. GG: OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.11-1.41; P = 0.000). Conclusion: There may be a weak association between the IL-13 gene rs20541 polymorphism and glioma susceptibility, and the associations may be different between ethnicities.
Optical Coherence Tomography-Based Angiography in Retinal Artery Occlusion in Children
Authors: Hautz Wojciech , Gołębiewska Joanna , Czeszyk-Piotrowicz Agnieszka
Published: January 2018

Purpose: To evaluate the role of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based angiography (OCTA) in the diagnosis and monitoring of pediatric patients with retinal artery occlusion (RAO). Material and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, in Warsaw between March 2015 and May 2016. Every patient underwent a complete ophthalmological examination. The diagnosis of the disease was based on fundus examination and fluorescein angiography (FA). OCT and OCTA were performed at baseline and every follow-up visit. Results: Four patients (4 eyes) (2 boys/2 girls, age 8-16 years) with RAO were enrolled in the study. In all cases, initial OCTA images revealed typical ischemic changes in superficial and deep retinal capillary plexuses. Follow-up OCTA revealed increasing areas of ischemia in the RAO region and persistent narrowing of the arteries. The loss of capillary network and the darker, smooth background due to ischemia were visible on OCTA images. Conclusions: OCTA enables clear visualization of progressive impairment of the retinal vascular perfusion in children with RAO and may be an alternative to the standard FA. Further studies are needed to confirm our results and establish the role of OCTA in pediatric patients.
Antitumor Efficacy of Combination Therapy Consisting of S-1, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin against Human Gastric Cancer Xenografts
Authors: Nagase Hideki , Nakagawa Fumio , Uchida Junji
Published: January 2018

Background/Aim: A phase 3 trial of S-1, leucovorin (LV), and oxaliplatin for treating gastric cancer is now underway. However, the antitumor efficacy of the combination has not yet been examined in an in vivo preclinical study. This study examined the antitumor efficacy of combination therapy consisting of S-1, LV, and oxaliplatin against 4 human gastric cancer xenografts: NUGC-4, St-40, SC-2, and SC-4. Methods: The antitumor efficacy was evaluated using human gastric cancer xenograft-bearing nude mice. S-1 and LV were administered orally once daily on days 1-7 at doses of 6.9 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. Oxaliplatin was administered intravenously at a dose of 8.3 mg/kg on day 1. The tumor volume was measured on day 15, and the relative tumor volume (RTV) was calculated. Results: In all 4 xenograft models, S-1 alone and oxaliplatin alone, but not LV alone, had significant antitumor activities (p < 0.001). Combination therapy consisting of S-1 and LV resulted in a significantly smaller RTV than S-1 alone (p < 0.001). Combination therapy consisting of S-1 and oxaliplatin also resulted in a significantly smaller RTV than either S-1 alone (p < 0.001) or oxaliplatin alone (p < 0.001). Furthermore, combination therapy consisting of S-1, LV, and oxaliplatin resulted in the highest antitumor activity in these models (p < 0.001 vs. S-1 + LV; p < 0.001 or p = 0.003 vs. S-1 + oxaliplatin). Conclusion: Combination therapy consisting of S-1, LV, and oxaliplatin administered according to a 1-week-on/1-week-off schedule may be useful for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer.
Assessment of Dementia in Individuals with Dual Sensory Loss: Application of a Tactile Test Battery
Authors: Bruhn Peter , Dammeyer Jesper
Published: January 2018

Background/Aims: Individuals with dual sensory loss (DSL) are more likely to experience cognitive decline with age than individuals without sensory loss. Other studies have pointed to the challenges in assessing cognitive abilities in individuals with DSL, as most existing instruments rely on use of vision and hearing. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a Tactile Test Battery (TTB) for cognitive assessment in individuals with DSL. Method: Twenty elderly individuals with DSL, 20 with diagnosed dementia, and 20 without dementia or DSL (controls) completed the following tactile tests developed for the present study: Spatial learning, Spatial recall, Tactile form board, Clock reading, and Naming. The participants with dementia and controls also completed the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results: Overall, participants with dementia performed significantly worse on the tactile tests than participants with DSL and control participants. No significant differences on the tactile tests were found between participants with DSL and controls. The TTB and MMSE scores correlated significantly. Conclusion: The findings from this study of applying tactile tests for cognitive examination in individuals with DSL are promising. They indicate that symptoms of dementia can be differentiated from symptoms related to DSL.
Age Estimation with DNA: From Forensic DNA Fingerprinting to Forensic (Epi)Genomics: A Mini-Review
Authors: Parson Walther
Published: January 2018

Forensic genetics developed from protein-based techniques a quarter of a century ago and became famous as “DNA fingerprinting,” this being based on restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) of high-molecular-weight DNA. The amplification of much smaller short tandem repeat (STR) sequences using the polymerase chain reaction soon replaced RFLP analysis and advanced to become the gold standard in genetic identification. Meanwhile, STR multiplexes have been developed and made commercially available which simultaneously amplify up to 30 STR loci from as little as 15 cells or fewer. The enormous information content that comes with the large variety of observed STR genotypes allows for genetic individualisation (with the exception of identical twins). Carefully selected core STR loci form the basis of intelligence-led DNA databases that provide investigative leads by linking unsolved crime scenes and criminals through their matched STR profiles. Nevertheless, the success of modern DNA fingerprinting depends on the availability of reference material from suspects. In order to provide new investigative leads in cases where such reference samples are absent, forensic scientists started to explore the prediction of phenotypic traits from the DNA of the evidentiary sample. This paradigm change now uses DNA and epigenetic markers to forecast characteristics that are useful to triage further investigative work. So far, the best investigated externally visible characteristics are eye, hair and skin colour, as well as geographic ancestry and age. Information on the chronological age of a stain donor (or any sample donor) is elemental for forensic investigations in a number of aspects and has, therefore, been explored by researchers in some detail. Among different methodological approaches tested to date, the methylation-sensitive analysis of carefully selected DNA markers (CpG sites) has brought the most promising results by providing prediction accuracies of ±3–4 years, which can be comparable to, or even surpass those from, eyewitness reports. This mini-review puts recent developments in age estimation via (epi)genetic methods in the context of the requirements and goals of forensic genetics and highlights paths to follow in the future of forensic genomics.
Serous Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix, an Extremely Rare Aggressive Entity: A Literature Review
Authors: Jonska-Gmyrek Joanna , Zolciak-Siwinska Agnieszka , Gmyrek Leszek , Michalski Wojciech , Poniatowska Grazyna , Fuksiewicz Malgorzata , Wiechno Pawel , Kucharz Jakub , Kowalska Maria , Kotowicz Beata
Published: January 2018

Background/Aims: Serous carcinoma of the uterine cervix (USCC) is an extremely rare subtype. To establish the treatment strategy in patients with USCC is an important issue. Methods: MEDLINE (PubMed) was searched for all articles published after the first publication by Lurie et al. [Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 1991; 40: 79–81], reporting woman diagnosed with USCC. Because of limited numbers of studies on the topic of the study, we could not keep a restriction of eliminating smaller sample sizes. Results: A search of PubMed demonstrated that 113 cases of USCC have been reported in the literature since the first publication. The current treatment modality adopted for early cervical cancer is hysterectomy with bilateral iliac-obturator lymphadenectomy and postoperative radiotherapy (RT) or radiochemotherapy (RT-CT) if risk factors for cervical carcinoma appear. The treatment strategy for locally advanced USCC is preoperative RT-CT or chemotherapy (CHTH) with the intention to treat the patient surgically. The treatment option for disseminated disease is CHTH with paclitaxel and carboplatin. Conclusion: Risk factors and a more advanced clinical stage of USCC have an impact on poor outcomes despite the use of standard treatment methods, adapted for cervical cancer. The outside-pelvic failures tend to seek effective systemic treatment.
A autobiografia e o diário como feridas na lógica da representação literária
Authors: Silva Flavia Trocoli Xavier
Published: January 2018

Este artigo propõe pensar três momentos do trabalho de construção da escrita em Marguerite Duras, em Nuno Ramos e em Vera Lins, como inseparável de um trabalho simultâneo de destruição, reencenando a relação tensa entre obra e não-obra, em que a escrita estaria justamente no intervalo entre o já escrito e o por escrever. Os textos aqui analisados não estão integralmente ao lado da literatura, pelo contrário, eles mostram como são afetados por aquilo que, a princípio, deveria ser seu fora: a autobiografia e o diário. Tensão que não deixa de ser, para dizer com Jacques Derrida, uma paixão da literatura.
Logistical Violence, Logistical Vulnerabilities
Authors: Chua Charmaine S.
Published: January 2018

In this ground-breaking work, Deborah Cowen makes the first book-length critical intervention into the field of business logistics. Tracing the social, spatial and political transformations wrought by the ‘logistics revolution’, Cowen argues that logistical systems have blurred the boundaries between production and circulation, civilian and military life, and geopolitics and geo-economics, constructing an architecture of the supply chain animated by both the art of war and the science of business. This review considers the political stakes of Cowen’s argument that logistics has reconfigured capitalist social relations of production, especially in relation to the securitisation of spatial mobility and the restructuring of the labour process. In particular, Cowen’s wager that logistical supply-chains are characterised by their vulnerability – and that attendant possibilities for building solidarity emerge out of movements that disrupt such flows – is interrogated in order to question whether such interruptions effectively produce challenges to value-in-motion, or actually become integral to processes of value production.
Lumen Gentium and Unity in Christ
Authors: Kim Andrew J.
Published: January 2018

This essay contends that Lumen Gentium (
lg
) harmoniously integrates three interrelated but importantly distinct kinds of Christian unity. While the emphasis upon sacramental unity found in Dominus Iesus contrasted with the emphasis upon ecumenical unity developed in Peter Knauer’s influential essay, ‘“katholische Kirche” subsistiert in der “katholischen Kirche”’ may be set in opposition to each other and thus regarded as demonstrative of a lack of coherence in
lg
, this essay argues that Lumen roots these kinds of unity in the mystical unity between Christ and the Church. The significance of this mystical unity, as opposed to a merely functional unity, is examined through analysis of Aquinas’s use of the term una persona mystica to signify the relationship between Christ and the Church. Sacramental, ecumenical, and mystical unity, as described in Lumen, are mutually illuminative and complementary kinds of unity that shed light upon the nature and universal mission of the Church.
New Hexactinellid Sponge Chaunoplectella megapora sp. nov. (Lyssacinosida: Leucopsacidae) from Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, Eastern Pacific Ocean
Authors: WANG CHUNSHENG , ZHANG YUAN , LU BO , WANG DEXIANG
Published: January 2018

The new Hexactinellid sponge Chaunoplectella megapora sp. nov. reported in this study was collected from the COMRA contract area, the western part of Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) in the eastern Pacific Ocean at a depth of 5258 m. This sponge’s extraordinary multiporous body with the presence of unique codonhexasters, sigmatocomes, toothed discohexasters and hemidiscohexasters, as well as stellate disocohexasters, characterizes it as a new species in the genus Chaunoplectella. This report presents the first record of family Leucopsacidae at this site in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Workplace Skill Investments – An Early Career Glass Ceiling? Job Complexity and Wages Among Young Professionals in Sweden
Authors: Boye Katarina , Grönlund Anne
Published: January 2018

Despite higher educational investments, women fall behind men on most indicators of labour market success. This study investigates whether workplace skill investments set men and women off on different tracks in which the human capital acquired through higher education is either devalued or further developed. A survey sample of Swedish men and women who recently graduated from five educational programmes, leading to occupations with different gender composition, is analysed ( N ≈ 2300). Results show that, a few years after graduation, men are more likely than women to acquire complex jobs and that this difference contributes to early career gender gaps in wages and employee bargaining power. The findings do not support the notion that child-related work interruptions provide a main mechanism for sorting women into less complex jobs.
Rates of Exposure to Victimizing Events and Use of Substances Among California’s Middle and High School Students
Authors: Larson Satu , Brindis Claire D. , Chapman Susan A. , Spetz Joanne
Published: January 2018

Nearly half of 5- to 17-year-olds have experienced trauma in the form of at-school victimization. Exposure to trauma increases students’ risk for mental health disorders and school failure. This study reviews at-school victimization in middle and high school students and associated health outcomes that may negatively impact academic outcomes. Analyzing the California Healthy Kids Survey 2010, we examine rates of victimization on school grounds, substance use, and symptoms of depression and eating disorders among a sample of 6th to 12th graders ( N = 639,925). Between 20% and 50% of students had experienced at least one type of victimizing event on school grounds, with the highest incidence in middle schools. A significantly higher share of victimized students reported using substances, symptoms of depression and eating disorders when compared to nonvictimized students. School district investment in school nurses, social workers, and school-based health centers could increase preventive interventions to improve school climate, student well-being, and academic success.
Myths of Romantic Love and Gender-based Violence in the Fan Forum of the Spanish Teen Series Los Protegidos
Authors: Masanet Maria-Jose , Medina-Bravo Pilar , Ferrés Joan
Published: January 2018

By analysing the fan forum of a popular Spanish teen series aimed at young people, Los Protegidos (2010–12), this study explores how stereotypical myths and beliefs about romantic love are maintained. The article interprets comments made by Spanish fans of the series about the reactions and behaviours of the leading couple. We found that fan forum participants evaluate the couple’s behaviour according to gender stereotypes. They justify the male character’s aggressive behaviour towards the female character and blame her for her mistreatment. Based on the analysis results, we reflect on the perpetuation of myths that justify violence in romantic relationships.
Expression profiling of snoRNAs in normal hematopoiesis and AML
Authors: Warner Wayne A. , Spencer David H. , Trissal Maria , White Brian S. , Helton Nichole , Ley Timothy J. , Link Daniel C.
Published: January 2018

Key Points

A subset of snoRNAs is expressed in a developmental- and lineage-specific manner during human hematopoiesis. Neither host gene expression nor alternative splicing accounted for the observed differential expression of snoRNAs in a subset of AML.