bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unmasking the Lung Cancer Epigenome
Authors: Belinsky Steven A.
Published: February 2015

The reprogramming of the epigenome through silencing of genes and microRNAs by cytosine DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling is critical for the initiation and progression of lung cancer through affecting all major cell regulatory pathways. Importantly, the fact that epigenetic reprogramming is reversible by pharmacological agents has opened new avenues for clinical intervention. This review focuses on the tremendous progress made in elucidating genes and microRNAs that are epigenetically silenced in lung cancer and highlights how loss of function impacts cell phenotype and major signaling pathways. The article describes the utility of (a) an in vitro model using hTERT/Cdk4 immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell lines to identify genes and microRNAs silenced during premalignancy and (b) an in vivo orthotopic nude rat lung cancer model to evaluate response to epigenetic therapy. New insights regarding the advantage of aerosol delivery of demethylating agents and the concept of priming tumors for subsequent therapy are presented and discussed.
Hedgehog Signaling and Steroidogenesis
Authors: Finco Isabella , LaPensee Christopher R. , Krill Kenneth T. , Hammer Gary D.
Published: February 2015

Since its discovery nearly 30 years ago, the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has been shown to be pivotal in many developmental and pathophysiological processes in several steroidogenic tissues, including the testis, ovary, adrenal cortex, and placenta. New evidence links the evolutionarily conserved Hh pathway to the steroidogenic organs, demonstrating how Hh signaling can influence their development and homeostasis and can act in concert with steroids to mediate physiological functions. In this review, we highlight the role of the components of the Hh signaling pathway in steroidogenesis of endocrine tissues.
PKC δ and βII regulate angiotensin II-mediated fibrosis through p38: a mechanism of RV fibrosis in pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Chichger Havovi , Vang Alexander , O'Connell Kelly A. , Zhang Peng , Mende Ulrike , Harrington Elizabeth O. , Choudhary Gaurav
Published: February 2015

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) eventually leads to right ventricular (RV) fibrosis and dysfunction that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Although angiotensin II plays an important role in RV remodeling associated with hypoxic PH, the molecular mechanisms underlying RV fibrosis in PH largely remain unresolved. We hypothesized that PKC-p38 signaling is involved in RV collagen accumulation in PH and in response to angiotensin II stimulation. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 3 wk of normoxia or hypoxia (10% FiO2) as a model of PH. Hypoxic rats developed RV hypertrophy and fibrosis associated with an increase in PKC βII and δ protein expression and p38 dephosphorylation in freshly isolated RV cardiac fibroblasts. Further mechanistic studies were performed in cultured primary cardiac fibroblasts stimulated with angiotensin II, a key activator of ventricular fibrosis in PH. Angiotensin II induced a reduction in p38 phosphorylation that was attenuated following chemical inhibition of PKC βII and δ. Molecular and chemical inhibition of PKC βII and δ abrogated angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition in vitro. The effects of PKC inhibition on proliferation and fibrosis were reversed by chemical inhibition of p38. Conversely, constitutive activation of p38 attenuated angiotensin II-induced increase of cardiac fibroblast proliferation and collagen accumulation. PKC βII- and δ-dependent inactivation of p38 regulates cardiac fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition in response to angiotensin II, which suggests that the PKC-p38 signaling in cardiac fibroblasts may be involved and important in the pathophysiology of RV fibrosis in PH.
Lipid exposure elicits differential responses in gene expression and DNA methylation in primary human skeletal muscle cells from severely obese women
Authors: Maples Jill M. , Brault Jeffrey J. , Shewchuk Brian M. , Witczak Carol A. , Zou Kai , Rowland Naomi , Hubal Monica J. , Weber Todd M. , Houmard Joseph A.
Published: February 2015

The skeletal muscle of obese individuals exhibits an impaired ability to increase the expression of genes linked with fatty acid oxidation (FAO) upon lipid exposure. The present study determined if this response could be attributed to differential DNA methylation signatures. RNA and DNA were isolated from primary human skeletal muscle cells (HSkMC) from lean and severely obese women following lipid incubation. mRNA expression and DNA methylation were quantified for genes that globally regulate FAO [PPARγ coactivator ( PGC-1α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors ( PPARs), nuclear respiratory factors ( NRFs)]. With lipid oversupply, increases in NRF-1, NRF-2, PPARα, and PPARδ expression were dampened in skeletal muscle from severely obese compared with lean women. The expression of genes downstream of the PPARs and NRFs also exhibited a pattern of not increasing as robustly upon lipid exposure with obesity. Increases in CpG methylation near the transcription start site with lipid oversupply were positively related to PPARδ expression; increases in methylation with lipid were depressed in HSkMC from severely obese women. With severe obesity, there is an impaired ability to upregulate global transcriptional regulators of FAO in response to lipid exposure. Transient changes in DNA methylation patterns and differences in the methylation signature with severe obesity may play a role in the transcriptional regulation of PPARδ in response to lipid. The persistence of differential responses to lipid in HSkMC derived from lean and obese subjects supports the possibility of stable epigenetic programming of skeletal muscle cells by the respective environments.
Existence of Positive Periodic Solutions for a Predator-Prey System of Holling Type IV Function Response with Mutual Interference and Impulsive Effects
Authors: Liu Haidong , Meng Fanwei
Published: February 2015

We investigate the existence of periodic solutions for a predator-prey system with Holling function response and mutual interference. Our model is more general than others since it has both Holling type IV function and impulsive effects. With some new analytical tricks and the continuation theorem in coincidence degree theory proposed by Gaines and Mawhin, we obtain a set of sufficient conditions on the existence of positive periodic solutions for such a system. In addition, in the remark, we point out some minor errors which appeared in the proof of theorems in some published papers with relevant predator-prey models. An example is given to illustrate our results.
An Energy-Efficient Clustering Routing Algorithm Based on Geographic Position and Residual Energy for Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Jorio Ali , El Fkihi Sanaa , Elbhiri Brahim , Aboutajdine Driss
Published: February 2015

Recently wireless sensor network (WSN) has become one of the most interesting networking technologies, since it can be deployed without communication infrastructures. A sensor network is composed of a large number of sensor nodes; these nodes are responsible for supervision of the physical phenomenon and transmission of the periodical results to the base station. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency and maximizing the networking lifetime are the major challenges in this kind of networks. To deal with this, a hierarchical clustering scheme, called Location-Energy Spectral Cluster Algorithm (LESCA), is proposed in this paper. LESCA determines automatically the number of clusters in a network. It is based on spectral classification and considers both the residual energy and some properties of nodes. In fact, our approach uses theK-ways algorithm and proposes new features of the network nodes such as average energy, distance to BS, and distance to clusters centers in order to determine the clusters and to elect the cluster's heads of a WSN. The simulation results show that if the clusters are not constructed in an optimal way and/or the number of the clusters is greater or less than the optimal number of clusters, the total consumed energy of the sensor network per round is increased exponentially.
Availability Improvement of Layer 2 Seamless Networks Using OpenFlow
Authors: Molina Elias , Jacob Eduardo , Matias Jon , Moreira Naiara , Astarloa Armando
Published: February 2015

The network robustness and reliability are strongly influenced by the implementation of redundancy and its ability of
reacting to changes. In situations where packet loss or maximum latency requirements are critical, replication of resources
and information may become the optimal technique. To this end, the IEC 62439‐3 Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP)
provides seamless recovery in layer 2 networks by delegating the redundancy management to the end‐nodes. In this
paper, we present a combination of the Software‐Defined Networking (SDN) approach and PRP topologies to establish
a higher level of redundancy and thereby, through several active paths provisioned via the OpenFlow protocol, the
global reliability is increased, as well as data flows are managed efficiently. Hence, the experiments with multiple
failure scenarios, which have been run over the Mininet network emulator, show the improvement in the availability and
responsiveness over other traditional technologies based on a single active path.
Optical Breakdown in Liquid Suspensions and Its Analytical Applications
Authors: Kovalchuk-Kogan Tatiana , Bulatov Valery , Schechter Israel
Published: February 2015

Micro- and nanoparticles persist in all environmental aquatic systems and their identification and quantification are of considerable importance. Therefore, the application of Laser-induced breakdown to aquatic particles is of interest. Since direct application of this method to water samples is difficult, further understanding of the breakdown is needed. We describe several optical techniques for investigation of laser breakdown in water, including Mach-Zehnder interferometry, shadow, and Schlieren diagnostic. They allow for studying the time dependent structure and physical properties of the breakdown at high temporal and spatial resolutions. Monitoring the formation of microbubbles, their expansion, and the evolution of the associated shockwaves are described. The new understanding is that the plasma column in liquids has a discrete nature, which lasts up to 100 ns. Controlling the generation of nanoparticles in the irradiated liquids is discussed. It is shown that multivariate analysis of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy allows for differentiation between various groups of suspended particulates.
Joint DOA and Polarization Estimation for Unequal Power Sources
Authors: Fang Qingyuan , Han Yong , Jin Ming , Dong Wenyi
Published: February 2015

For most joint direction of arrival (DOA) and polarization estimation methods, the performances of proposed methods in dealing with unequal power sources are not discussed. However, sources with unequal powers apparently exist widely in actual applications. In this study, we propose a joint DOA and polarization estimation method for unequal power sources by utilizing the invariance property of noise subspace (IPNS) to the power of sources. This work extends the IPNS method to the dual polarized antenna array for joint DOA and polarization estimation. Moreover, we theoretically prove that the IPNS remains valid even when the sources are correlated. The computer simulations illustrate that the proposed method can effectively estimate the DOA and polarization parameters as the power difference between sources increases, as opposed to the polarimetric multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm, which suffers from degradation in resolution probability. In addition, the performances of the proposed method are provided, as well the Cramer Rao Bound (CRB), which show approximate performance as the polarimetric MUSIC algorithm.
Epstein-Barr Virus-Related Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: Hematologic Emergency in the Critical Care Setting
Authors: Hashemi-Sadraei Neda , Vejpongsa Pimprapa , Baljevic Muhamed , Chen Lei , Idowu Modupe
Published: February 2015

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare and potential life-threatening clinical syndrome that results from uncontrolled activation of the immune system. Secondary HLH, more commonly observed in adult patients, is seen in the context of underlying triggering conditions. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been recognized as the leading infectious cause and is associated with a poor outcome. As clinical and laboratory features of HLH could overlap with septic shock syndrome in most patients, the diagnosis of HLH, especially in adults, is the most challenging aspect of the disease that results in delayed recognition and treatment of rapidly progressive multiorgan system failure. We report a case of Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a patient who presented with signs of septic shock syndrome and we review the literature on the topic.
Acute Headache at Emergency Department: Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome Complicated by Subarachnoid Haemorrhage and Cerebral Infarction
Authors: Yger M. , Zavanone C. , Abdennour L. , Koubaa W. , Clarençon F. , Dupont S. , Samson Y.
Published: February 2015

Introduction.Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is becoming widely accepted as a rare cause of both ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke and should be evocated in case of thunderclap headaches associated with stroke. We present the case of a patient with ischemic stroke associated with cortical subarachnoid haemorrhage (cSAH) and reversible diffuse arteries narrowing, leading to the diagnosis of reversible vasoconstriction syndrome.Case Report.A 48-year-old woman came to the emergency department because of an unusual thunderclap headache. The computed tomography of the brain completed by CT-angiography was unremarkable. Eleven days later, she was readmitted because of a left hemianopsia. One day after her admission, she developed a sudden left hemiparesis. The brain MRI showed ischemic lesions in the right frontal and occipital lobe and diffuse cSAH. The angiography showed vasoconstriction of the right anterior cerebral artery and stenosis of both middle cerebral arteries. Nimodipine treatment was initiated and vasoconstriction completely regressed on day 16 after the first headache.Conclusion.Our case shows a severe reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome where both haemorrhagic and ischemic complications were present at the same time. The history we reported shows that reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is still underrecognized, in particular in general emergency departments.
Self-Noise of the MET Angular Motion Seismic Sensors
Authors: Egorov Egor V. , Egorov Ivan V. , Agafonov Vadim M.
Published: February 2015

Interest to angular motion seismic sensors is generated by an expectation that direct measurement of the rotations, associated with seismic signals, would allow obtaining more detailed and accurate information from them. Due to the seismic signals low intensity a self-noise of the sensors is one of the most crucial parameters, characterizing their performance. In seismic applications the molecular-electronic transfer (MET) technology is considered as one of the most promising technologies for the rotations measurements. In this research we have developed a noise model for the MET angular sensors. The experimental part of the research which fully agrees with theoretical data includes the instrument self-noise measurement in quite locations. Based on the modelling we have revealed the directions of further research to improve the MET angular sensors performance.
Degeneralization Algorithm for Generation of Büchi Automata Based on Contented Situation
Authors: Shan Laixiang , Qin Jun , Chen Mingshi , Qin Zheng
Published: February 2015

We present on-the-fly degeneralization algorithm used to transform generalized Büchi automata (GBA) into Büchi Automata (BA) different from the standard degeneralization algorithm. Contented situation, which is used to record what acceptance conditions are satisfiable during expanding LTL formulae, is attached to the states and transitions in the BA. In order to get the deterministic BA, the Shannon expansion is used recursively when we expand LTL formulae by applying the tableau rules. On-the-fly degeneralization algorithm is carried out in each step of the expansion of LTL formulae. Ordered binary decision diagrams are used to represent the BA and simplify LTL formulae. The temporary automata are stored as syntax directed acyclic graph in order to save storage space. These ideas are implemented in a conversion algorithm used to build a property automaton corresponding to the given LTL formulae. We compare our method to previous work and show that it is more efficient for four sets of random formulae generated by LBTT.
Effect of Teriparatide on Unstable Pertrochanteric Fractures
Authors: Huang Tsan-Wen , Yang Tien-Yu , Huang Kuo-Chin , Peng Kuo-Ti , Lee Mel S. , Hsu Robert Wen-Wei
Published: February 2015

We retrospectively analyzed the radiographic and clinical outcomes of unstable pertrochanteric fractures (AO/OTA 31-A2) in 44 patients who underwent dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation and compared the results with 29 patients who received teriparatide in addition to DHS fixation. A significantly shorter time for fracture healing was recorded in the teriparatide-treated group than in the control group. Rates of lag screw sliding, femoral shortening, and varus collapse were all significantly reduced in the teriparatide-treated group. There were no significant differences with regard to superficial wound infection, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, mortality, malunion, and cutting of the lag screw. The mean overall mobility scores were significantly better in the teriparatide-treated group at 3 and 6 months (P<0.001andP<0.001, resp.) but not at 12 months or the last follow-up. The pain scores were also significantly better in the teriparatide-treated group at 3 and 6 months (P=0.040andP=0.041, resp.) but not at 12 months or the last follow-up. Teriparatide improves radiographic outcomes and yields better clinical outcomes at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. The improvement in union time may be important for elderly populations with unstable pertrochanteric fractures to enable them to return to daily activities and reduce morbidity and mortality.
Endoscopic Sphincterotomy with Large Balloon Dilation versus Endoscopic Sphincterotomy for Bile Duct Stones: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Xu Lei , Kyaw Moe Htet , Tse Yee Kit , Lau James Yun Wong
Published: February 2015

The safety and efficacy of endoscopic sphincterotomy with large balloon dilation (EPLBD) are unclear. This study compares the safety and efficacy between EPLBD and endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST).Patients and Methods. Literatures were searched for randomized controlled trials in PUBMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. Outcome measurements included adverse events; stone removal rate; requirement of mechanical lithotripsy.Results. Four RCTs with a total of 596 patients were included. Three RCTs compared EPLBD versus EST alone for stone removal; one RCT compared EPLBD versus EST plus mechanical lithotripsy for stone removal. Pooled data from three RCTs showed that there was no significant difference in the adverse event of ERCP. A significantly higher cholangitis rate was seen in patients who received EST plus mechanical lithotripsy, compared to those treated with EPLBD (13.3% versus 0.0,P=0.026). No statistical difference was found between EPLBD and EST for stone removal rate. Significant differences in requirement of mechanical lithotripsy were seen with removal of large stones (>15 mm), with EPLBD reducing the use of mechanical lithotripsy (RR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.54–0.99).Conclusions. EPLBD and EST have similar efficacy and safety for bile duct stones clearance. With larger stones, EPLBD can reduce requirement of mechanical lithotripsy.
Structural Dependence of Electronic Properties in A-A-D-A-A-Type Organic Solar Cell Material
Authors: Bhatta Ram S. , Tsige Mesfin
Published: February 2015

Small conjugated molecules (SCMs) are promising candidates for organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices because of their structural simplicity, well control over synthetic reproducibility, and low purification cost. However, industrial development of SCM-based OPV devices requires improving their performance, which in turn relies on the fundamental understanding of structural dependence of electronic properties of SCMs. Herein, we report the structural and electronic properties of the BCNDTS molecule as a model system for acceptor-acceptor-donor-acceptor-acceptor (A-A-D-A-A) type SCMs, using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT methods. Systematic calculations of two-dimensional potential energy surfaces, molecular electrostatic potential surfaces, ground state frontier molecular orbital energies, and the vertical excitation energies are performed. We found that the lowest energy conformation of the BCNDTS molecule is planar. The planar conformation favors the lowest ground state and the excited state energies as well as the strongest oscillator strength. The present results suggest that SCMs containing central dithienosilole cores connected with 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole groups have potential to be an efficient electron donor for OPV devices.
Tactics and Strategies for Managing Ebola Outbreaks and the Salience of Immunization
Authors: Getz Wayne M. , Gonzalez Jean-Paul , Salter Richard , Bangura James , Carlson Colin , Coomber Moinya , Dougherty Eric , Kargbo David , Wolfe Nathan D. , Wauquier Nadia
Published: February 2015

We present a stochastic transmission chain simulation model for Ebola viral disease (EVD) in West Africa, with the salutary result that the virus may be more controllable than previously suspected. The ongoing tactics to detect cases as rapidly as possible and isolate individuals as safely as practicable is essential to saving lives in the current outbreaks in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Equally important are educational campaigns that reduce contact rates between susceptible and infectious individuals in the community once an outbreak occurs. However, due to the relatively low R0 of Ebola (around 1.5 to 2.5 next generation cases are produced per current generation case in naïve populations), rapid isolation of infectious individuals proves to be highly efficacious in containing outbreaks in new areas, while vaccination programs, even with low efficacy vaccines, can be decisive in curbing future outbreaks in areas where the Ebola virus is maintained in reservoir populations.
Distribution Pattern of Metals in Atmospheric Settling Dust along Roads in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria
Authors: Okunola O. J. , Uzairu A. , Uba S. , Ezeanyanaso C. S. , Alhassan Y.
Published: February 2015

The sequential extraction of Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cu, and Zn in atmospheric dust particles collected along ten high traffic roads in Kano metropolis was carried out. Analyses of metals in the extracts were done using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The samples analyzed for metals indicated high levels of Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cu, and Zn in the atmospheric dust samples. The sequential extractions that showed significant amount of Cd were associated withCO32-and Fe-MnO fractions especially during the dry seasons. For Cr and Ni, their occlusion in crystal lattice of the soil fraction exhibited the highest percentage. Pb in the particulate dust samples is significantly associated with the carbonate bound fraction with range of 8.81–64.69% across the season. The behaviour of Cu is quite different from other metals in that percentage fractions are higher in the organic bound. As for Zn, significant amounts were associated with the residue fractions ranging from 0.96 to 87.50% across the seasons. This study revealed contamination of the particulate dust with Cd and Pb; this implies health risks to human, living or carrying out daily activities along the corridors of these roads.
Recurrent Laryngeal Edema Imitating Angioedema Caused by Dislocated Screw after Anterior Spine Surgery
Authors: Wójtowicz Piotr , Szafarowski Tomasz , Migacz Ewa , Krzeski Antoni
Published: February 2015

The anterior cervical spine surgery is a common procedure to stabilize vertebrae damaged by various diseases. The plates and screws are usually used in the spine fixation. This kind of instrumentation may detach from the bones which is a rare but well-known complication. A 77-year-old male presented to the otorhinolaryngology department with throat pain, choking, and dysphagia. At first the angioedema was diagnosed and he was treated conservatively. The endoscopy revealed laryngeal edema, being more defined on the right side with right vocal fold paresis. CT scans showed the stabilizing plate with two screws attached tightly and the back-out of the third screw toward soft tissue of the neck. In the meantime, his condition deteriorated and he needed tracheotomy. In few days the surgical removal of the dislocated screw was performed successfully. Although two-month follow-up reported no obstruction of the larynx, the vocal folds paresis with gradual functional improvement was observed. Long-term complication of anterior spine surgery sometimes may suggest laryngeal angioedema at first. If the conservative treatment is ineffective and there is a history of anterior spine surgery, the clinicians should consider the displacement of the plate or screws in differential diagnosis.
Large Function Algebras with Certain Topological Properties
Authors: Bartoszewicz Artur , Głąb Szymon
Published: February 2015

LetFbe a family of continuous functions defined on a compact interval. We give a sufficient condition so thatF∪{0}contains a densec-generated free algebra; in other words,Fis denselyc-strongly algebrable. As an application we obtain densec-strong algebrability of families of nowhere Hölder functions, Bruckner-Garg functions, functions with a dense set of local maxima and local minima, and nowhere monotonous functions differentiable at all but finitely many points. We also study the problem of the existence of large closed algebras withinF∪{0}whereF⊂RXorF⊂CX. We prove that the set of perfectly everywhere surjective functions together with the zero function contains a2c-generated algebra closed in the topology of uniform convergence while it does not contain a nontrivial algebra closed in the pointwise convergence topology. We prove that an infinitely generated algebra which is closed in the pointwise convergence topology needs to contain two valued functions and infinitely valued functions. We give an example of such an algebra; namely, it was shown that there is a subalgebra ofRRwith2cgenerators which is closed in the pointwise topology and, for any functionfin this algebra, there is an open setUsuch thatf-1(U)is a Bernstein set.
Phase Composition of Ni/Mg1−xNixO as a Catalyst Prepared for Selective Methanation of CO in H2‐Rich Gas
Authors: Zhang Mengmeng , Ma Hongwei , Gao Zhiming
Published: February 2015

Supported Ni catalysts Ni/Mg1−xNixO were prepared by reducing samples NiO‐MgO in H2/N2 mixture gas at 500°C~800°C for selective methanation of CO in H2‐rich gas (CO‐SMET). The samples NiO‐MgO were obtained by heating water slurry of MgO and Ni(NO3)2 in a rotary evaporator at 80°C and a final calcination in air at 400°C~800°C. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR) measurements demonstrate that the samples NiO‐MgO were composed of solid solution Mg1−yNiyO as the main phase and a minor amount of NiO at calcination temperature of 400°C, and amount of the NiO was decreased as calcination temperature increased. Phase composition of the catalysts Ni/Mg1−xNixO was estimated by the Rietveld method. Effects of reduction temperature, feed Ni/Mg ratio, and calcination temperature on phase composition and catalytic activity of the catalysts were investigated. It is clear that CO conversion was generally enhanced by an increased amount of metallic Ni of the catalysts.
Association of Bone Loss with the Upregulation of Survival-Related Genes and Concomitant Downregulation of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin and Osteoblast Differentiation-Related Genes in the Peripheral Blood of Late Postmenopausal Osteoporotic Women
Authors: Tchetina Elena V. , Maslova Karina A. , Krylov Mikhail Y. , Myakotkin Valery A.
Published: February 2015

We aimed to identify bone related markers in the peripheral blood of osteoporotic (OP) patients that pointed toward molecular mechanisms underlying late postmenopausal bone loss. Whole blood from 22 late postmenopausal OP patients and 26 healthy subjects was examined. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by DXA. Protein levels of p70-S6K, p21, MMP-9, TGFβ1, and caspase-3 were quantified by ELISA. Gene expression was measured using real-time RT-PCR. OP registered by low BMD indices in late postmenopausal patients was associated with a significant upregulation of autophagy proteinULK1, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitorp21, and metalloproteinaseMMP-9gene expression in the blood compared to the healthy controls and in a significant downregulation ofmTOR(mammalian target of rapamycin),RUNX2, andALPLgene expression, while expression ofcathepsin K, caspase-3, transforming growth factor(TGF)β1, interleukin-(IL-)1β, andtumor necrosis factorα(TNFα) was not significantly affected. We also observed a positive correlation betweenTGFβ1andRUNX2expression and BMD at femoral sites in these patients. Therefore, bone loss in late postmenopausal OP patients is associated with a significant upregulation of survival-related genes (ULK1andp21) andMMP-9, as well as the downregulation ofmTORand osteoblast differentiation-related genes (RUNX2andALPL) in the peripheral blood compared to the healthy controls.
Analysis of Generalization Ability for Different AdaBoost Variants Based on Classification and Regression Trees
Authors: Wu Shuqiong , Nagahashi Hiroshi
Published: February 2015

As a machine learning method, AdaBoost is widely applied to data classification and object detection because of its robustness and efficiency. AdaBoost constructs a global and optimal combination of weak classifiers based on a sample reweighting. It is known that this kind of combination improves the classification performance tremendously. As the popularity of AdaBoost increases, many variants have been proposed to improve the performance of AdaBoost. Then, a lot of comparison and review studies for AdaBoost variants have also been published. Some researchers compared different AdaBoost variants by experiments in their own fields, and others reviewed various AdaBoost variants by basically introducing these algorithms. However, there is a lack of mathematical analysis of the generalization abilities for different AdaBoost variants. In this paper, we analyze the generalization abilities of six AdaBoost variants in terms of classification margins. The six compared variants are Real AdaBoost, Gentle AdaBoost, Modest AdaBoost, Parameterized AdaBoost, Margin-pruning Boost, and Penalized AdaBoost. Finally, we use experiments to verify our analyses.
V-MGSM: A Multilevel and Grouping Security Virtualization Model for Mobile Internet Service
Authors: Zhu Hui , Xue Yingfang , Chen Xiaofeng , Li Qiang , Li Hui
Published: February 2015

With the pervasiveness of smart phones and the advance of Mobile Internet, more and more Mobile Internet services migrated to the cloud service platform for better user experience. As one of the most indispensable components of the cloud computing infrastructure, virtualization technology has attracted considerable interest recently. However, the flourish of virtualization still faces many challenges in information security. In this paper, we propose a novel architecture, called multilevel and grouping security model for virtualization (V-MGSM), for the security of resources in cloud computing platform. Specifically, to fulfill the balance between information sharing and privacy preservation, the virtual machines (VMs) are divided into diverse groups based on their corresponding entities, and each VM in the same group is assigned to different security level according to security requirements. Besides, the operation between VMs is based on mandatory access control mechanism. Detailed security analysis shows that the proposed V-MGSM can provide a secure communication mechanism for VMs and implement the synchronous updates of the borrowed data. Ultimately, we implement V-MGSM in Xen for experiments, and the results demonstrate that V-MGSM can indeed achieve data security and privacy protection efficiently for Mobile Internet service.
Effects of Electrode Position on Spatiotemporal Auditory Nerve Fiber Responses: A 3D Computational Model Study
Authors: Kang Soojin , Chwodhury Tanmoy , Moon Il Joon , Hong Sung Hwa , Yang Hyejin , Won Jong Ho , Woo Jihwan
Published: February 2015

A cochlear implant (CI) is an auditory prosthesis that enables hearing by providing electrical stimuli through an electrode array. It has been previously established that the electrode position can influence CI performance. Thus, electrode position should be considered in order to achieve better CI results. This paper describes how the electrode position influences the auditory nerve fiber (ANF) response to either a single pulse or low- (250 pulses/s) and high-rate (5,000 pulses/s) pulse-trains using a computational model. The field potential in the cochlea was calculated using a three-dimensional finite-element model, and the ANF response was simulated using a biophysical ANF model. The effects were evaluated in terms of the dynamic range, stochasticity, and spike excitation pattern. The relative spread, threshold, jitter, and initiated node were analyzed for single-pulse response; and the dynamic range, threshold, initiated node, and interspike interval were analyzed for pulse-train stimuli responses. Electrode position was found to significantly affect the spatiotemporal pattern of the ANF response, and this effect was significantly dependent on the stimulus rate. We believe that these modeling results can provide guidance regarding perimodiolar and lateral insertion of CIs in clinical settings and help understand CI performance.
Weighted Pluricomplex Energy II
Authors: Benelkourchi Slimane
Published: February 2015

We continue our study of the complex Monge-Ampère operator on the weighted pluricomplex energy classes. We give more characterizations of the range of the classes Eχ by the complex Monge-Ampère operator. In particular, we prove that a nonnegative Borel measure μ is the Monge-Ampère of a unique function φ∈Eχ if and only if χ(Eχ)⊂L1(dμ). Then we show that if μ=(ddcφ)n for some φ∈Eχ then μ=(ddcu)n for some φ∈Eχ, where f is given boundary data. If moreover the nonnegative Borel measure μ is suitably dominated by the Monge-Ampère capacity, we establish a priori estimates on the capacity of sublevel sets of the solutions. As a consequence, we give a priori bounds of the solution of the Dirichlet problem in the case when the measure has a density in some Orlicz space.
A Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet Reversed Angina without Medications or Procedures
Authors: Massera Daniele , Zaman Tarique , Farren Grace E. , Ostfeld Robert J.
Published: February 2015

A 60-year-old man presented with typical angina and had a positive stress test. He declined both drug therapy and invasive testing. Instead, he chose to adopt a whole-food plant-based diet, which consisted primarily of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, potatoes, beans, legumes, and nuts. His symptoms improved rapidly, as well as his weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Plant-based diets have been associated with improved plasma lipids, diabetes control, coronary artery disease and with a reduction in mortality. Adoption of this form of lifestyle therapy should be among the first recommendations for patients with atherosclerosis.
Adapting a Drug Screening Platform to Discover Associations of Molecular Targeted Radiosensitizers with Genomic Biomarkers
Authors: Liu Qi , Wang Meng , Kern Ashley M. , Khaled Saman , Han Jing , Yeap Beow Y. , Hong Theodore S. , Settleman Jeff , Benes Cyril H. , Held Kathryn D. , Efstathiou Jason A. , Willers Henning
Published: February 2015

Large collections of annotated cancer cell lines are powerful tools for precisely matching targeted drugs with genomic alterations that can be tested as biomarkers in the clinic. Whether these screening platforms, which utilize short-term cell survival to assess drug responses, can be applied to precision radiation medicine is not established. To this end, 32 cancer cell lines were screened using 18 targeted therapeutic agents with known or putative radiosensitizing properties (227 combinations). The cell number remaining after drug exposure with or without radiation was assessed by nonclonogenic assays. We derived short-term radiosensitization factors (SRF2Gy) and calculated clonogenic survival assay–based dose enhancement factors (DEFSF0.1). Radiosensitization was characterized by SRF2Gy values of mostly ∼1.05 to 1.2 and significantly correlated with drug-induced changes in apoptosis and senescence frequencies. SRF2Gy was significantly correlated with DEFSF0.1, with a respective sensitivity and specificity of 91.7% and 81.5% for a 3-day endpoint, and 82.8% and 84.2% for a robotic 5-day assay. KRAS mutations (codons 12/13) were found to be a biomarker of radiosensitization by midostaurin in lung cancer, which was pronounced under conditions that enriched for stem cell–like cells. In conclusion, although short-term proliferation/survival assays cannot replace the gold-standard clonogenic survival assay for measuring cellular radiosensitivity, they capture with high accuracy the relative change in radiosensitivity that is caused by a radiosensitzing targeted agent.

Implications: This study supports a paradigm shift regarding the utility of short-term assays for precision radiation medicine, which should facilitate the identification of genomic biomarkers to guide the testing of novel drug/radiation combinations. Mol Cancer Res; 13(4); 713–20. ©2015 AACR.
Validation of the U-STARR with the AB-York Crescent of Sound, a New Instrument to Evaluate Speech Intelligibility in Noise and Spatial Hearing Skills
Authors: Smulders Yvette E. , Rinia Albert B. , Pourier Vanessa E.C. , Van Zon Alice , Van Zanten Gijsbert A. , Stegeman Inge , Scherf Fanny W.A.C. , Smit Adriana L. , Topsakal Vedat , Tange Rinze A. , Grolman Wilko
Published: February 2015

The Advanced Bionics® (AB)-York crescent of sound is a new test setup that comprises speech intelligibility in noise and localization tests that represent everyday listening situations. One of its tests is the Sentence Test with Adaptive Randomized Roving levels (STARR) with sentences and noise both presented from straight ahead. For the Dutch population, we adopted the AB-York setup and replaced the English sentences with a validated set of Dutch sentences. The Dutch version of the STARR is called the Utrecht-STARR (U-STARR). This study primarily assesses the validity and reliability of the U-STARR compared to the Plomp test, which is the current Dutch gold standard for speech-in-noise testing. The outcome of both tests is a speech reception threshold in noise (SRTn). Secondary outcomes are the SRTn measured with sounds from spatially separated sources (SISSS) as well as sound localization capability. We tested 29 normal-hearing adults and 18 postlingually deafened adult patients with unilateral cochlear implants (CI). This study shows that the U-STARR is adequate and reliable and seems better suited for severely hearing-impaired persons than the conventional Plomp test. Further, CI patients have poor spatial listening skills, as demonstrated with the AB-York test.
Colonoscopic Surveillance after Colorectal Cancer Resection: Who Needs More Intensive Follow-Up?
Authors: Choe Eun Kyung , Park Kyu Joo , Chung Su Jin , Moon Sang Hui , Ryoo Seung-Bum , Oh Heung-Kwon
Published: February 2015

Background/Aims: Although there are guidelines for colonoscopic surveillance after colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery, the data evaluating the effectiveness of these guidelines are limited. We determined the risk factors for metachronous neoplasia (MN) by performing annual colonoscopy examinations after curative resection. Methods: We performed annual colonoscopic surveillance on stage I-III CRC patients after curative resection. We stratified the patients based on the advanced neoplasia risk during the surveillance. Results: Advanced MN detected was in 59 (13.1%) of 451 patients. Overall, the cumulative incidence of advanced MN was 17.3% at 5 years. By the multivariate analysis, the risk factors for advanced MN were male gender, age >65, left-sided index cancer and being in the high-risk group. The cumulative incidence of advanced MN was 38.9% at 5 years in the high-risk group. Among the patients who had advanced MN, secondary advanced MN was detected in 13 patients (22.0%) with a subsequent colonoscopy. The 2-year cumulative incidence of secondary advanced MN was 16.9%. Four (0.88%) patients had metachronous CRC during the surveillance and the interval from the index CRC was a median of 58.5 months. Conclusions: Although the current follow-up guidelines for colonoscopic surveillance after CRC are well established, the high-risk group calls for more meticulous follow-up, which should be continued for a sufficient time.
Novel Antimesenteric Functional End-to-End Handsewn (Kono-S) Anastomoses for Crohn's Disease: A Report of Surgical Procedure and Short-Term Outcomes
Authors: Katsuno Hidetoshi , Maeda Koutarou , Hanai Tsunekazu , Masumori Koji , Koide Yoshikazu , Kono Toru
Published: February 2015

Introduction: Anastomotic surgical recurrence after bowel resection is a major problem in patients with Crohn's disease. The aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel technique for restoring bowel continuity after resection involving either the small or the large intestine. Methods: The first case was instructed by Dr. Kono at Fujita Health University. The involved bowel segment was divided transversely with a linear stapler. The edges of two stapled lines are then connected to create a supporting column, which prevented surgical recurrence from anastomotic distortion due to mesenteric longitudinal ulcers. Thereafter, an antimesenteric longitudinal enterotomy was performed on each side to create a large-sized handsewn end-to-end anastomosis. Results: Thirty consecutive patients underwent Kono-S anastomoses from December 2009 to August 2013. Neither anastomotic leakage nor surgical recurrence was observed during a median follow-up period of 35 months. Endoscopic surveillance was performed in 18 cases (69.2%) undergoing ileo-colonic or ileo-rectal anastomosis with an average Rutgeert's score of 0.78 (0-3) at a mean of 14.5 months postoperatively. Conclusion: The Kono-S anastomosis for Crohn's disease has been a safe and feasible technique. Long-term outcomes are required to confirm its advantage in preventing surgical recurrence at the anastomosis.
Short-Term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer in Oldest-Old Patients
Authors: Tominaga Tetsuro , Takeshita Hiroaki , Arai Junichi , Takagi Katsunori , Kunizaki Masaki , To Kazuo , Abo Takafumi , Hidaka Shigekazu , Nanashima Atsushi , Nagayasu Takeshi , Sawai Terumitsu
Published: February 2015

Background/Aims: Oldest-old patients generally have several comorbidities, and laparoscopic-assisted colectomy (LAC) has not been performed on these patients. However, the surgical technique of LAC has improved, and its indications have been extended. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of LAC for patients over 85 years old. Methods: Fifty-eight patients over 85 years old who underwent colectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups (LAC group n = 15; open surgery group (Open group) n = 43), and clinicopathological features, surgical characteristics, and outcomes were compared. Results: There were no significant differences in clinical background characteristics between the groups. The LAC group had longer operation time and greater lymph node dissection (both p < 0.01). Postoperatively, the use of analgesics (p = 0.01) was less and the start of oral liquid intake (p = 0.03) was faster in the LAC group. Postoperative complications occurred in 3 patients (20%) in the LAC group and 13 patients (30%) in the Open group (p = 0.66); delirium (n = 6) and sub-ileus (n = 4) developed only in the Open group. Conclusion: After LAC, elderly patients tended to have less postoperative pain and started oral liquid intake earlier. LAC can be safe and effective, preventing postoperative complications that occur specifically in oldest-old patients.
Korean Medicine Therapy as a Substitute for Chemotherapy for Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Case Report
Authors: Lee Dong-Hyun , Kim Sung-Su , Seong Shin , Kim Nari , Han Jae-Bok
Published: February 2015

A 46-year-old Korean woman was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer and underwent 8 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, breast conservation surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. However, the cancer recurred in the right upper lung (RUL) and the right pulmonary hilum after 8 months. The RUL nodule was removed through a wedge resection, and the pathologic finding was revealed as a metastatic adenocarcinoma. Adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended, but she refused it because she feared adverse reactions to chemotherapy. Instead, Korean Medicine Therapy with intravenous wild ginseng pharmacopuncture (WGP), Cordyceps sinensis pharmacopuncture, Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture, Euonymus alatus pharmacopuncture (EAP) and Astragalus membranaceus pharmacopuncture was started. After a month, the disease looked stable, but findings of newly occurring metastatic lymphadenopathies appeared on CT after 6 months. Salvage chemotherapy was recommended, but she also refused it. At this time, Prunella vulgaris pharmacopuncture was started. Finally, a complete resolution was confirmed on PET-CT after 5 months, and she has remained in stable condition for more than 6 months with WGP, EAP, a Soram nebulizer solution inhalation and the oral intake of Soramdan S and Hangamdan S.