bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Survey of Link Recommendation for Social Networks
Authors: Li Zhepeng (Lionel) , Fang Xiao , Sheng Olivia R. Liu
Published: October 2017

Link recommendation has attracted significant attention from both industry practitioners and academic researchers. In industry, link recommendation has become a standard and most important feature in online social networks, prominent examples of which include “People You May Know” on LinkedIn and “You May Know” on Google+. In academia, link recommendation has been and remains a highly active research area. This article surveys state-of-the-art link recommendation methods, which can be broadly categorized into learning-based methods and proximity-based methods. We further identify social and economic theories, such as social interaction theory, that underlie these methods and explain from a theoretical perspective why a link recommendation method works. Finally, we propose to extend link recommendation research in several directions that include utility-based link recommendation, diversity of link recommendation, link recommendation from incomplete data, and experimental study of link recommendation.
On the Need of Trustworthy Sensing and Crowdsourcing for Urban Accessibility in Smart City
Authors: Prandi Catia , Mirri Silvia , Ferretti Stefano , Salomoni Paola
Published: October 2017

Mobility in urban environments is an undisputed key factor that can affect citizens’ well-being and quality of life. This is particularly relevant for those people with disabilities or with reduced mobility who have to face the presence of barriers in urban areas. In this scenario, the availability of information about such architectural elements (together with facilities) can greatly support citizens’ mobility by enhancing their independence and their abilities in conducting daily outdoor activities. With this in mind, we have designed and developed mobile Pervasive Accessibility Social Sensing (mPASS), a system that provides users with personalized paths, computed on the basis of their own preferences and needs, with a customizable and accessible interface. The system collects data from crowdsourcing and crowdsensing to map urban and architectural accessibility by providing reliable information coming from different data sources with different levels of trustworthiness. In this context, reliability can be ensured by properly managing crowdsourced and crowdsensed data, combined when possible with authoritative datasets, provided by disability rights organizations and local authorities. To demonstrate this claim, in this article we present our trustworthiness model and discuss results we have obtained by simulations.
Civic design
Authors: DiSalvo Carl , Dantec Christopher A. Le
Published: October 2017

Community + Culture features practitioner perspectives on designing technologies for and with communities. We highlight compelling projects and provocative points of view that speak to both community technology practice and the interaction design field as a whole. ---
Christopher A. Le Dantec, Editor
Interacting with adaptive architecture
Authors: Jäger Nils
Published: October 2017

Interaction design is increasingly about embedding interactive technologies in our built environment; architecture is increasingly about the use of interactive technologies to reimagine and dynamically repurpose our built environment. This forum focuses on this intersection of interaction and architecture. ---
Mikael Wiberg, Editor
Vertical Ensemble Co-Training for Text Classification
Authors: Katz Gilad , Caragea Cornelia , Shabtai Asaf
Published: October 2017

High-quality, labeled data is essential for successfully applying machine learning methods to real-world text classification problems. However, in many cases, the amount of labeled data is very small compared to that of the unlabeled, and labeling additional samples could be expensive and time consuming. Co-training algorithms, which make use of unlabeled data to improve classification, have proven to be very effective in such cases. Generally, co-training algorithms work by using two classifiers, trained on two different views of the data, to label large amounts of unlabeled data. Doing so can help minimize the human effort required for labeling new data, as well as improve classification performance. In this article, we propose an ensemble-based co-training approach that uses an ensemble of classifiers from different training iterations to improve labeling accuracy. This approach, which we call
vertical ensemble
, incurs almost no additional computational cost. Experiments conducted on six textual datasets show a significant improvement of over 45% in AUC compared with the original co-training algorithm.
On the dangers of shadow UX
Authors: Cooley Danielle
Published: October 2017

This forum addresses conceptual, methodological, and professional issues that arise in the UX field's continuing effort to contribute robust information about users to product planning and design. ---
David Siegel and Susan Dray, Editors
Turning people into workbooks
Authors: Kerridge Tobie
Published: October 2017

The
Interactions
website (interactions.acm.org) hosts a stable of bloggers who share insights and observations on HCI, often challenging current practices. Each issue we'll publish selected posts from some of the leading and emerging voices in the field.
The 9th Workshop on Active Internet Measurements (AIMS-9) Report
Authors: claffy kc , Clark David
Published: October 2017

For almost a decade” CAIDA has hosted its Workshop on Active Internet Measurements (AIMS-9). This work- shop series provides a forum for stakeholders in Internet active measurement projects to communicate their inter- ests and concerns, and explore cooperative approaches to maximizing the collective benefit of deployed infrastructure and gathered measurements. On 1-3 March 2017, CAIDA hosted the ninth Workshop on Active Internet Measure- ments (AIMS-9). Materials related to the workshop are at http://www.caida.org/workshops/aims/1703/.
Hierarchical IP flow clustering
Authors: Shadi Kamal , Natarajan Preethi , Dovrolis Constantine
Published: October 2017

The analysis of flow traces can help to understand a network's usage patterns. We present a hierarchical clustering algorithm for network flow data that can summarize terabytes of IP traffic into a parsimonious tree model. The method automatically finds an appropriate scale of aggregation so that each cluster represents a local maximum of the traffic density from a block of source addresses to a block of destination addresses. We apply this clustering method on NetFlow data from an enterprise network, find the largest traffic clusters, and analyze their stationarity across time. The existence of heavy-volume clusters that persist over long time scales can help network operators to perform usage-based accounting, capacity provisioning and traffic engineering. Also, changes in the layout of hierarchical clusters can facilitate the detection of anomalies and significant changes in the network workload.
Abstracting the Geniuses Away from Failure Testing
Authors: Alvaro Peter , Tymon Severine
Published: October 2017

This article presents a call to arms for the distributed systems research community to improve the state of the art in fault tolerance testing. Ordinary users need tools that automate the selection of custom-tailored faults to inject. We conjecture that the process by which superusers select experiments can be effectively modeled in software. The article describes a prototype validating this conjecture, presents early results from the lab and the field, and identifies new research directions that can make this vision a reality.
Layout Lock
Authors: Cohen Nachshon , Tal Arie , Petrank Erez
Published: October 2017

Data-structures can benefit from dynamic data layout modifications when the size or the shape of the data structure changes during the execution, or when different phases in the program execute different workloads. However, in a modern multi-core environment, layout modifications involve costly synchronization overhead. In this paper we propose a novel layout lock that incurs a negligible overhead for reads and a small overhead for updates of the data structure. We then demonstrate the benefits of layout changes and also the advantages of the layout lock as its supporting synchronization mechanism for two data structures. In particular, we propose a concurrent binary search tree, and a concurrent array set, that benefit from concurrent layout modifications using the proposed layout lock. Experience demonstrates performance advantages and integration simplicity.
Thread Data Sharing in Cache
Authors: Luo Hao , Li Pengcheng , Ding Chen
Published: October 2017

On modern multi-core processors, independent workloads often interfere with each other by competing for shared cache space. However, for multi-threaded workloads, where a single copy of data can be accessed by multiple threads, the threads can cooperatively share cache. Because data sharing consolidates the collective working set of threads, the effective size of shared cache becomes larger than it would have been when data are not shared. This paper presents a new theory of data sharing. It includes (1) a new metric called the shared footprint to mathematically compute the amount of data shared by any group of threads in any size cache, and (2) a linear-time algorithm to measure shared footprint by scanning the memory trace of a multi-threaded program. The paper presents the practical implementation and evaluates the new theory using 14 PARSEC and SPEC OMP benchmarks, including an example use of shared footprint in program optimization.
POSTER
Authors: Zhang Minjia , Biswas Swarnendu , Bond Michael D.
Published: October 2017

This work considers the problem of availability for memory models that throw consistency exceptions. We define a new memory model called RIx based on isolation of synchronization-free regions and a new approach called Avalon that provides RIx. Our evaluation shows that Avalon and RIx substantially reduce consistency exceptions, by 1-3 orders of magnitude and sometimes eliminate them completely. Furthermore, our exploration provides new, compelling points in the performance-availability tradeoff space.
POSTER
Authors: Jo Gangwon , Jung Jaehoon , Park Jiyoung , Lee Jaejin
Published: October 2017

Various existing optimization and memory consistency management techniques for GPU applications rely on memory access patterns of kernels. However, they suffer from poor practicality because they require explicit user interventions to extract kernel memory access patterns. This paper proposes an automatic memory-access-pattern analysis framework called MAPA. MAPA is based on a source-level analysis technique derived from traditional symbolic analyses and a run-time pattern selection technique. The experimental results show that MAPA properly analyzes 116 real-world OpenCL kernels from Rodinia and Parboil.
POSTER
Authors: Firoz Jesun Shariar , Kanewala Thejaka Amila , Zalewski Marcin , Barnas Martina , Lumsdaine Andrew
Published: October 2017

In distributed computing, parallel overheads such as \emph{synchronization overhead} may hinder performance. We introduce the idea of \emph{Distributed Control} (DC) where global synchronization is reduced to \emph{termination detection} and each worker proceeds ahead optimistically, based on the local knowledge of the global computation. To avoid "wasted'' work, \DC relies on local work prioritization. However, the work order obtained by local prioritization is susceptible to interference from the runtime. We show that employing effective scheduling policies and optimizations in the runtime, in conjunction with eliminating global barriers, improves performance in two graph applications: single-source shortest paths and connected components.
POSTER
Authors: Dai Dong , Zhang Wei , Chen Yong
Published: October 2017

Large-scale graphs are becoming critical in various domains such as social network, scientific application, knowledge discovery, and even system software, etc. Many of those use cases require large-scale high-performance graph databases, which are designed for serving continuous updates from the clients, and at the same time, answering complex queries towards the current graph in an on-line manner. Those operations in graph databases, also referred as OLTP (online transaction processing) operations, need specific design and implementation in graph partitioning algorithms. In this study, we designed an incremental online graph partitioning (IOGP), optimized for OLTP workloads. It is designed to achieve better locality, generate balanced partitions, and increase the parallelism for accessing hotspots of the graph. Our evaluation results on both real world and synthetic graphs in both simulation and real system confirm a better performance on graph queries (as much as 2X) with small overheads during graph insertion (less than 10%).
The diverse cellular responses of the choroid plexus during infection of the central nervous system
Authors: Lauer Alexa N. , Tenenbaum Tobias , Schroten Horst , Schwerk Christian
Published: October 2017

The choroid plexus (CP) is responsible for the production of a large amount of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). As a highly vascularized structure, the CP also presents a significant frontier between the blood and the central nervous system (CNS). To seal this border, the epithelium of the CP forms the blood-CSF barrier, one of the most important barriers separating the CNS from the blood. During the course of infectious disease, cells of the CP can experience interactions with intruding pathogens, especially when the CP is used as gateway for entry into the CNS. In return, the CP answers to these encounters with diverse measures. Here, we will review the distinct responses of the CP during infection of the CNS, which include engaging of signal transduction pathways, the regulation of gene expression in the host cells, inflammatory cell response, alterations of the barrier, and, under certain circumstances, cell death. Many of these actions may contribute to stage an immunological response against the pathogen and subsequently help in the clearance of the infection.
RhoA increases ASIC1a plasma membrane localization and calcium influx in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells following chronic hypoxia
Authors: Herbert Lindsay M. , Resta Thomas C. , Jernigan Nikki L.
Published: October 2017

Increases in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) intracellular Ca2+ levels and enhanced RhoA/Rho kinase-dependent Ca2+ sensitization are key determinants of PASMC contraction, migration, and proliferation accompanying the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. We previously showed that acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a)-mediated Ca2+ entry in PASMC is an important constituent of the active vasoconstriction, vascular remodeling, and right ventricular hypertrophy associated with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. However, the enhanced ASIC1a-mediated store-operated Ca2+ entry in PASMC from pulmonary hypertensive animals is not dependent on an increase in ASIC1a protein expression, suggesting that chronic hypoxia (CH) stimulates ASIC1a function through other regulatory mechanism(s). RhoA is involved in ion channel trafficking, and levels of activated RhoA are increased following CH. Therefore, we hypothesize that activation of RhoA following CH increases ASIC1a-mediated Ca2+ entry by promoting ASIC1a plasma membrane localization. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found greater plasma membrane localization of ASIC1a following CH. Inhibition of RhoA decreased ASIC1a plasma membrane expression and largely diminished ASIC1a-mediated Ca2+ influx, whereas activation of RhoA had the opposite effect. A proximity ligation assay revealed that ASIC1a and RhoA colocalize in PASMC and that the activation state of RhoA modulates this interaction. Together, our findings show a novel interaction between RhoA and ASIC1a, such that activation of RhoA in PASMC, both pharmacologically and via CH, promotes ASIC1a plasma membrane localization and Ca2+ entry. In addition to enhanced RhoA-mediated Ca2+ sensitization following CH, RhoA can also activate a Ca2+ signal by facilitating ASIC1a plasma membrane localization and Ca2+ influx in pulmonary hypertension.
Vitamin D deficiency: infertility and neurodevelopmental diseases (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and schizophrenia)
Authors: Berridge Michael J.
Published: October 2017

The process of development depends on a number of signaling systems that regulates the progressive sequence of developmental events. Infertility and neurodevelopmental diseases, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia, are caused by specific alterations in these signaling processes. Calcium signaling plays a prominent role throughout development beginning at fertilization and continuing through early development, implantation, and organ differentiation such as heart and brain development. Vitamin D plays a major role in regulating these signaling processes that control development. There is an increase in infertility and an onset of neurodevelopmental diseases when vitamin D is deficient. The way in which vitamin D deficiency acts to alter development is a major feature of this review. One of the primary functions of vitamin D is to maintain the phenotypic stability of both the Ca2+ and redox signaling pathways that play such a key role throughout development.
Wearable physiological sensors and real-time algorithms for detection of acute mountain sickness
Authors: Muza Stephen R.
Published: October 2017

This is a minireview of potential wearable physiological sensors and algorithms (process and equations) for detection of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Given the emerging status of this effort, the focus of the review is on the current clinical assessment of AMS, known risk factors (environmental, demographic, and physiological), and current understanding of AMS pathophysiology. Studies that have examined a range of physiological variables to develop AMS prediction and/or detection algorithms are reviewed to provide insight and potential technological roadmaps for future development of real-time physiological sensors and algorithms to detect AMS. Given the lack of signs and nonspecific symptoms associated with AMS, development of wearable physiological sensors and embedded algorithms to predict in the near term or detect established AMS will be challenging. Prior work using [Formula: see text], HR, or HRv has not provided the sensitivity and specificity for useful application to predict or detect AMS. Rather than using spot checks as most prior studies have, wearable systems that continuously measure SpO2and HR are commercially available. Employing other statistical modeling approaches such as general linear and logistic mixed models or time series analysis to these continuously measured variables is the most promising approach for developing algorithms that are sensitive and specific for physiological prediction or detection of AMS.
Functional roles of three cues that provide nonsynaptic modes of communication in the brain: electromagnetic field, oxygen, and carbon dioxide
Authors: Agnati Luigi F. , Guidolin Diego , Maura Guido , Marcoli Manuela
Published: October 2017

The integrative actions of the brain depend on the exchange of information among its computational elements. Hence, this phenomenon plays the key role in driving the complex dynamics of the central nervous system, in which true computations interact with noncomputational dynamical processes to generate brain representations of the body and of the body in the external world, and hence the finalistic behavior of the organism. In this context, it should be pointed out that, besides the intercellular interactions mediated by classical electrochemical signals, other types of interactions, namely, “cues” and “coercions,” also appear to be exploited by the system to achieve its function. The present review focuses mainly on cues present in the environment and on those produced by cells of the body, which “pervade” the brain and contribute to its dynamics. These cues can also be metabolic substrates, and, in most cases, they are of fundamental importance to brain function and the survival of the entire organism. Three of these highly pervasive cues will be analyzed in greater detail, namely, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and electromagnetic fields (EMF). Special emphasis will be placed on EMF, since several authors have suggested that these highly pervasive energy fluctuations may play an important role in the global integrative actions of the brain; hence, EMF signaling may transcend classical connectionist models of brain function. Thus the new concept of “broadcasted neuroconnectomics” has been introduced, which transcends the current connectomics view of the brain.
Combined Nonlinear Analysis of Atrial and Ventricular Series for Automated Screening of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Ródenas Juan , García Manuel , Alcaraz Raúl , Rieta José J.
Published: October 2017

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice. It often starts with asymptomatic and short episodes, which are difficult to detect without the assistance of automatic monitoring tools. The vast majority of methods proposed for this purpose are based on quantifying the irregular ventricular response (i.e., RR series) during the arrhythmia. However, although AF totally alters the atrial activity (AA) reflected on the electrocardiogram (ECG), replacing stable P-waves by chaotic and time-variant fibrillatory waves, this information has still not been explored for automated screening of AF. Hence, a pioneering AF detector based on quantifying the variability over time of the AA morphological pattern is here proposed. Results from two public reference databases have proven that the proposed method outperforms current state-of-the-art algorithms, reporting accuracy higher than 90%. A less false positive rate in the presence of other arrhythmias different from AF was also noticed. Finally, the combination of this algorithm with the classical analysis of RR series variability also yielded a promising trade-off between AF accuracy and detection delay. Indeed, this combination provided similar accuracy than RR-based methods, but with a significantly shorter delay of 10 beats.
An Evacuation Model for Passenger Ships That Includes the Influence of Obstacles in Cabins
Authors: Ni Baocheng , Li Zhen , Zhang Pei , Li Xiang
Published: October 2017

Passenger behavior and ship environment are the key factors affecting evacuation efficiency. However, current studies ignore the interior layout of passenger ship cabins and treat the cabins as empty rooms. To investigate the influence of obstacles (e.g., tables and stools) on cabin evacuation, we propose an agent‐based social force model for advanced evacuation analysis of passenger ships; this model uses a goal‐driven submodel to determine a plan and an extended social force submodel to govern the movement of passengers. The extended social force submodel considers the interaction forces between the passengers, crew, and obstacles and minimises the range of these forces to improve computational efficiency. We drew the following conclusions based on a series of evacuation simulations conducted in this study: (1) the proposed model endows the passenger with the behaviors of bypassing and crossing obstacles, (2) funnel‐shaped exits from cabins can improve evacuation efficiency, and (3) as the exit angle increases, the evacuation time also increases. These findings offer ship designers some insight towards increasing the safety of large passenger ships.
Simultaneous Determination of Caffeine and Chlorogenic Acids in Green Coffee by UV/Vis Spectroscopy
Authors: Navarra G. , Moschetti M. , Guarrasi V. , Mangione M. R. , Militello V. , Leone M.
Published: October 2017

A simple method for the simultaneous determination of caffeine and chlorogenic acids content in green coffee was reported. The method was based on the use of UV/Vis absorption. It is relevant that the quantification of both caffeine and chlorogenic acids was performed without their preliminary chemical separation despite their spectral overlap in the range 250–350 nm. Green coffee was extracted with 70% ethanol aqueous solution; then the solution was analyzed by spectroscopy. Quantitative determination was obtained analytically through deconvolution of the absorption spectrum and by applying the Lambert-Beer law. The bands used for the deconvolution were the absorption bands of both caffeine and chlorogenic acids standards. The molar extinction coefficients for caffeine and chlorogenic acid in ethanol solution at 70% were calculated by using the chemical standards; the estimated values wereε(272 nm)=12159±97 M−1 cm−1for caffeine andε(330 nm)=27025±190 M−1 cm−1for chlorogenic acids molecules, respectively. The estimate of concentration values was in agreement with the one obtained by High Performance Liquid Chromatography quantification. The method is fast and simple and allows us to realize routine controls during the coffee production. In addition, it could be applied on roasted coffee and espresso coffee.
Chemical Composition and Pharmacological Effects of Geopropolis Produced by Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides
Authors: dos Santos Cintia Miranda , Campos Jaqueline Ferreira , dos Santos Helder Freitas , Balestieri José Benedito Perrella , Silva Denise Brentan , de Picoli Souza Kely , Carollo Carlos Alexandre , Estevinho Leticia M. , dos Santos Edson Lucas
Published: October 2017

Stingless bees produce geopropolis, which is popularly described for its medicinal properties, but for which few scientific studies have demonstrated pharmacological effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of the geopropolis of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides and to evaluate its antioxidant, antimutagenic, anti‐inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. The composition of the hydroethanolic extract of geopropolis (HEG) included di‐ and trigalloyl and phenylpropanyl heteroside derivatives, flavanones, diterpenes, and triterpenes. HEG showed antioxidant action via the direct capture of free radicals and by inhibiting the levels of oxidative hemolysis and malondialdehyde in human erythrocytes under oxidative stress. HEG also reduced the frequency of gene conversion and the number of mutant colonies of S. cerevisiae. The anti‐inflammatory action of HEG was demonstrated by the inhibition of hyaluronidase enzyme activity. In addition, HEG induced cell death in all evaluated gram‐positive bacteria, gram‐negative bacteria, and yeasts, including clinical isolates with antimicrobial drug resistance. Collectively, these results demonstrate the potential of M. q. anthidioides geopropolis for the prevention and treatment of various diseases related to oxidative stress, mutagenesis, inflammatory processes, and microbial infections.
Influence of Orally Administered Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains on Vaginal Microbiota in Women with Breast Cancer during Chemotherapy: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Double-Blinded Pilot Study
Authors: Marschalek Julian , Farr Alex , Marschalek Marie-Louise , Domig Konrad J. , Kneifel Wolfgang , Singer Christian F. , Kiss Herbert , Petricevic Ljubomir
Published: October 2017

Background: Due to chemotherapy and estrogen deprivation therapy, genitourinary syndrome of menopause is a common condition in breast cancer patients. We aimed to determine the effect of an orally administered Lactobacillus preparation on the vaginal microbiota in breast cancer patients. Methods: Postmenopausal breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, with vaginal atrophy and an intermediate vaginal microbiota (Nugent score 4-6), were either randomized to the intervention group receiving probiotic capsules of 4 Lactobacillus species or to the control group receiving placebo twice daily for 2 weeks. Consecutive vaginal swabs were taken at baseline, 1 day after administration of the last capsule (follow-up 1), and after 1 week (follow-up 2) in 22 patients (11 vs. 11). Results: We observed a positive influence on the vaginal microbiota in 7/11 (63%) women in the intervention group, and 4/11 (36%) women in the control group. There was a shift in Nugent score towards normal microbiota levels in the intervention group (-1.3 at follow-up 1, -0.45 at follow-up 2) and a significant deterioration of the Nugent score in the control group (+0.4 at follow-up 1, +2.5 at follow-up 2). Conclusion: The orally administered Lactobacillus preparation has the potential to improve the vaginal microbiota in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.
A Influência das Características dos Prestadores e dos Utentes no Consumo de Recursos em Unidades de Cuidados Continuados
Authors: Santana Rui , Marques Ana Patrícia , Lopes Sílvia , Boto Paulo , Telles José Luis , Félix Sónia , Mestre Ricardo , Matos Rosa , Moita Bruno
Published: October 2017

Introdução: O envelhecimento populacional, o aumento da prevalência de doenças crónicas e de multipatologia, são fenómenos que encontraram novas respostas com a criação da Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados (RNCCI) em Portugal, a partir de 2006. É esperado que esta estrutura adicional de oferta de cuidados permita contribuir para a criação de valor aos seus utentes. Objetivo: O presente estudo teve como objetivos estimar o consumo de recursos medido através da duração de internamento em unidades de internamento em cuidados continuados (UICC) em Portugal e analisar a associação com as características dos utentes e dos prestadores de cuidados. Método: Foi realizado um estudo transversal e retrospetivo, que utilizou informação da atividade das unidades da RNCCI entre 2010 e 2012. Recorreu-se a modelos de regressão lineares múlti­plos, utilizando a duração de internamento como variável dependente e, como preditores, variáveis representativas das características individuais dos utentes e dos prestadores. Resultados: Para os 30.090 episódios incluídos, a duração média de internamento foi de 34,2 dias nas unidades de convalescença, 84,1 dias nas unidades de média duração e reabilitação e 106 dias nas unidades de longa duração e manutenção. A dispersão da duração de internamento foi elevada em todas as tipologias e regiões. Isoladamente, as variáveis associadas às características dos utentes apresentaram capacidade preditiva muito reduzida. A inclusão das variáveis associadas à organização da oferta de cuidados aumentou a capacidade do modelo explicar a variabilidade do tempo de internamento dos utentes. Conclusão: Os resultados do modelo de regressão linear múltipla sugerem que são as características associadas à oferta de cuidados que apresentam maior relevância para explicar a variabilidade da duração de internamento em cuidados continuados. Sugere-se que futuros desenvolvimentos incluam melhorias nas práticas de registo e a implementação de um sistema de classificação de utentes específico, internacionalmente validado para a estratificação do risco em cuidados continuados.
Prenatal Dynamics of Kynurenine Pathway Metabolism in Mice: Focus on Kynurenic Acid
Authors: Goeden Nick , Notarangelo Francesca M. , Pocivavsek Ana , Beggiato Sarah , Bonnin Alexandre , Schwarcz Robert
Published: October 2017

The kynurenine pathway (KP), the major catabolic route of tryptophan in mammals, contains several neuroactive metabolites, including kynurenic acid (KYNA) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK). KP metabolism, and especially the fate of KYNA, during pregnancy is poorly understood, yet it may play a significant role in the development of psychiatric disorders later in life. The present study was designed to investigate the prenatal features of KP metabolism in vivo, with special focus on KYNA. To this end, pregnant CD-1 mice were treated systemically with kynurenine (100 mg/kg), KYNA (10 mg/kg), or saline on embryonic day 18. As expected, administration of either kynurenine or KYNA increased KYNA levels in the maternal plasma and placenta. Maternal kynurenine treatment also raised kynurenine levels in the fetal plasma and brain, demonstrating the ability of this pivotal KP metabolite to cross the placenta and increase the levels of both KYNA and 3-HK in the fetal brain. In contrast, maternal administration of KYNA caused only a small, nonsignificant elevation in KYNA levels in fetal plasma and brain. Complementary experiments using an ex vivo placental perfusion procedure confirmed the significant transplacental transfer of kynurenine and demonstrated that only a very small fraction of maternal kynurenine is converted to KYNA in the placenta and released into the fetal compartment under physiological conditions. Jointly, these results help to clarify the contributions of the maternal circulation and the placenta to fetal KYNA in the late prenatal period.
Interleukin-17 Alteration in First-Episode Psychosis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fang Xinyu , Zhang Yi , Fan Weixing , Tang Wei , Zhang Chen
Published: October 2017

Schizophrenia is accompanied with central nervous system and peripheral immune system imbalances. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is implicated in various immune and inflammatory processes. Aberrant levels of IL-17 have been reported in patients with schizophrenia, whereas the results are not consistent. To clarify the relationship between IL-17 and schizophrenia, we performed a meta-analysis in this study. We carried out a structured literature search in PubMed and Embase database up to April 16, 2017, and retrieved all eligible case-control studies according to the inclusion criteria. Finally, a total of 313 patients with drug-naïve first-episode psychosis and 238 healthy control subjects from 5 studies were included in our meta-analysis. There were no significant differences between first-episode psychosis patients and healthy controls with respect to the levels of IL-17 (p = 0.21), even when we removed 2 studies which were not European samples (p = 0.12). Our findings suggested that IL-17 may not be involved in the pathological mechanism of schizophrenia.
Recurrent Vitreous Hemorrhage from an Optic Nerve Retinal Arterial Macroaneurysm
Authors: Yang Jessica F. , Kishore Kamal
Published: October 2017

Objective: To report a case of recurrent vitreous hemorrhage from an optic nerve retinal arterial macroaneurysm (ONRAM) successfully treated with intraoperative endolaser. Patient and Methods: A 92-year-old woman on oral aspirin and warfarin anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation developed three episodes of dense vitreous hemorrhage from an ONRAM. Due to failure of the vitreous hemorrhage to clear spontaneously, a total of three pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) procedures were performed along with a 1.25-mg intravitreal bevacizumab injection after the third episode of hemorrhage. During the third PPV procedure, a 25-gauge 532-nm green diode laser endoprobe was used to deliver low-power (100 mW) and long-duration (500 ms) laser spots directly on the ONRAM to induce intraoperative shrinkage of the ONRAM. Results: After the endolaser treatment, the macroaneurysm showed involution due to fibrosis without any adverse effects on retinal circulation or visual field defect. No recurrence of vitreous hemorrhage was noted after 2 years of follow-up. Conclusion: Oral anticoagulant use may have been responsible for the atypical clinical course in our patient. Laser photocoagulation, including intraoperative endolaser photocoagulation, may be considered in selected cases of symptomatic ONRAMs.
N-Cadherin Maintains the Healthy Biology of Nucleus Pulposus Cells under High-Magnitude Compression
Authors: Wang Zhenyu , Leng Jiali , Zhao Yuguang , Yu Dehai , Xu Feng , Song Qingxu , Qu Zhigang , Zhuang Xinming , Liu Yi
Published: October 2017

Background/Aims: Mechanical load can regulate disc nucleus pulposus (NP) biology in terms of cell viability, matrix homeostasis and cell phenotype. N-cadherin (N-CDH) is a molecular marker of NP cells. This study investigated the role of N-CDH in maintaining NP cell phenotype, NP matrix synthesis and NP cell viability under high-magnitude compression. Methods: Rat NP cells seeded on scaffolds were perfusion-cultured using a self-developed perfusion bioreactor for 5 days. NP cell biology in terms of cell apoptosis, matrix biosynthesis and cell phenotype was studied after the cells were subjected to different compressive magnitudes (low- and high-magnitudes: 2% and 20% compressive deformation, respectively). Non-loaded NP cells were used as controls. Lentivirus-mediated N-CDH overexpression was used to further investigate the role of N-CDH under high-magnitude compression. Results: The 20% deformation compression condition significantly decreased N-CDH expression compared with the 2% deformation compression and control conditions. Meanwhile, 20% deformation compression increased the number of apoptotic NP cells, up-regulated the expression of Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 and down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2, matrix macromolecules (aggrecan and collagen II) and NP cell markers (glypican-3, CAXII and keratin-19) compared with 2% deformation compression. Additionally, N-CDH overexpression attenuated the effects of 20% deformation compression on NP cell biology in relation to the designated parameters. Conclusion: N-CDH helps to restore the cell viability, matrix biosynthesis and cellular phenotype of NP cells under high-magnitude compression.
Primeiros diálogos no grande tempo
Authors: Fabrino Ana Maria Junqueira
Published: October 2017

O objetivo deste trabalho é o de oferecer uma sugestão de ensino de literatura para o Ensino Médio, recuperando aspectos primitivos de sua história para buscar uma contextualização de seu conceito e da extensão da importância de seu ensino, pois a literatura pode ser reconhecida como uma das necessidades básicas do ser humano, que fabula e fantasia. Para tal, parte-se de um resgate conceitual com amparo na ideia de cronotopo e do diálogo no grande tempo, de Bakhtin, e na sua exemplificação, estabelecendo um diálogo entre algumas formas primitivas de narrativa, os chamados “mitos da criação”.
(Con) fabulando na praça: a criação de espaços literários e lúdicos no Festival do Livro e da Literatura de São Miguel Paulista
Authors: Carvalho Helba
Published: October 2017

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar os resultados de uma experiência prática de incentivo à leitura de textos literários em projetos que coordeno, durante quatro anos, com os alunos do Curso de Letras da Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, para o Festival do Livro e da Literatura de São Miguel Paulista. Todas as atividades propostas no evento buscam resgatar a tradição oral de contar histórias e “a arte de contá-las de novo”, conforme Walter Benjamin (1994) e ressignificar o espaço público (a praça), onde ocorre o Festival, transformando-o em um espaço lúdico com intervenções literárias e artísticas que promovam transformações ou reações, sejam elas intelectuais, sensoriais ou físicas no público, em sua maioria, alunos de escolas públicas e privadas da Zona Leste. Neste sentido, o futuro professor, aluno do Curso de Licenciatura em Letras, tem a oportunidade de se relacionar com jovens e crianças, durante três dias ininterruptos, em um espaço fora do ambiente escolar, criando situações de interação que exijam dele conhecimento sobre a literatura, gosto pela leitura, criatividade, capacidade de trabalhar em equipe e interagir com o público e, sobretudo, de responsabilidade social nas ações propostas, a fim de sensibilizar o público participante por meio da literatura.
ABCA1-Derived Nascent High-Density Lipoprotein–Apolipoprotein AI and Lipids Metabolically Segregate
Authors: Xu Bingqing , Gillard Baiba K. , Gotto Antonio M. , Rosales Corina , Pownall Henry J.
Published: October 2017

Objective—

Reverse cholesterol transport comprises cholesterol efflux from ABCA1-expressing macrophages to apolipoprotein (apo) AI, giving nascent high-density lipoprotein (nHDL), esterification of nHDL-free cholesterol (FC), selective hepatic extraction of HDL lipids, and hepatic conversion of HDL cholesterol to bile salts, which are excreted. We tested this model by identifying the fates of nHDL-[
3
H]FC, [
14
C] phospholipid (PL), and [
125
I]apo AI in serum in vitro and in vivo.

Approach and Results—

During in vitro incubation of human serum, nHDL-[
3
H]FC and [
14
C]PL rapidly transfer to HDL and low-density lipoproteins (
t
1/2
=2–7 minutes), whereas nHDL-[
125
I]apo AI transfers solely to HDL (
t
1/2
<10 minutes) and to the lipid-free form (
t
1/2
>480 minutes). After injection into mice, nHDL-[
3
H]FC and [
14
C]PL rapidly transfer to liver (
t
1/2
=≈2–3 minutes), whereas apo AI clears with
t
1/2
=≈460 minutes. The plasma nHDL-[
3
H]FC esterification rate is slow (0.46%/h) compared with hepatic uptake. PL transfer protein enhances nHDL-[
14
C]PL but not nHDL-[
3
H]FC transfer to cultured Huh7 hepatocytes.

Conclusions—

nHDL-FC, PL, and apo AI enter different pathways in vivo. Most nHDL-[
3
H]FC and [
14
C]PL are rapidly extracted by the liver via SR-B1 (scavenger receptor class B member 1) and spontaneous transfer; hepatic PL uptake is promoted by PL transfer protein. nHDL-[
125
I]apo AI transfers to HDL and to the lipid-free form that can be recycled to nHDL formation. Cholesterol esterification by lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase is a minor process in nHDL metabolism. These findings could guide the design of therapies that better mobilize peripheral tissue-FC to hepatic disposal.
Prevalence and Natural History of Superficial Siderosis
Authors: Pichler Michael , Vemuri Prashanthi , Rabinstein Alejandro A. , Aakre Jeremiah , Flemming Kelly D. , Brown Robert D. , Kumar Neeraj , Kantarci Kejal , Kremers Walter , Mielke Michelle M. , Knopman David S. , Jack Clifford R. , Petersen Ronald C. , Lowe Val , Graff-Radford Jonathan
Published: October 2017

Background and Purpose—

Superficial siderosis (SS) is characterized by hemosiderin deposition in the superficial layers of the central nervous system and can be seen during postmortem examination or with iron-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging techniques. The distribution of SS may predict the probable underlying cause. This study aimed to report the prevalence and natural history of SS in a population-based study.

Methods—

Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from the MCSA (Mayo Clinic Study of Aging), a population-based study of residents 50 to 89 years of age in Olmsted County, Minnesota, were reviewed. Participants with imaging consistent with SS were identified from 2011 through 2016. An inverse probability weighting approach was used to convert our observed frequencies to population prevalence of SS. Additional data abstracted included amyloid positron emission tomography, Apolipoprotein E genotype, coexisting cerebral microbleeds, and extent of SS.

Results—

A total of 1412 participants had eligible magnetic resonance imaging scans. Two participants had infratentorial SS, restricted to the posterior fossa. Thirteen participants had cortical SS involving the cerebral convexities (7 focal and 6 disseminated). Only 3 of the participants with cortical SS (23%) also had cerebral microbleeds. The population prevalence of SS was 0.21% (95% confidence interval, 0–0.45) in those 50 to 69 years old and 1.43% (confidence interval, 0.53–2.34) in those over 69 years old. Apolipoprotein E ε2 allele was more common in those with SS (57.1% versus 15.0%;
P
<0.001). Compared with participants without SS, those with SS were also more likely to have a positive amyloid positron emission tomographic scan (76.9% versus 29.8%;
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

SS may be encountered in the general elderly population. The association with increased amyloid burden and Apolipoprotein E ε2 genotype supports cerebral amyloid angiopathy as the most common mechanism. Longitudinal follow-up is needed to evaluate the risk of subsequent hemorrhage in cases of incidentally discovered SS.
On the Benefit of a Phenomenological Revision of Problem Solving
Authors: Wendt Alexander Nicolai
Published: October 2017

Problem solving has been empirical psychology’s concern for half a century. Cognitive science’s work on this field has been stimulated especially by the computational theory of mind. As a result, most experimental research originates from a mechanistic approach that disregards genuine experience. On the occasion of a review of problem solving’s foundation, a phenomenological description offers fruitful perspectives. Yet, the mechanistic paradigm is currently dominant throughout problem solving’s established patterns of description. The review starts with a critical historical analysis of the state of problem solving in academic psychology. Subsequently, a phenomenological, contrastive approach is proposed. It questions the notion of problems as “goal-driven” behavior by making vivid experience the subject of discussion. As its given compounds, solvability, oppressiveness, and the problem’s horizon are discussed. Ultimately, an experience-based multimodal notion of the problem is elaborated that relates problems to challenges, fatalities and opportunities as different types of situations.
Public Theology and Interreligious Dialogue
Authors: Bedford-Strohm Heinrich
Published: October 2017

The article assesses the current intercultural and interreligious situation in Germany after the arrival of a great number of mostly Muslim refugees in 2015. It describes four approaches of interreligious dialogue and further explores the concept of Trinitarian Inclusivism. Among four different ways of defining the relationship between state and religion, the model of ‘Public Religion’ is seen as the most plausible social theoretical counterpart to such Trinitarian Inclusivism. John Rawls’ idea of an overlapping consensus provides the space for constructively exchanging strong religious or nonreligious truth claims in a lively pluralism. Finally, the article pleads for developing a public theology of the religions to contribute to the peacebuilding and reconciliatory task of the religions.
Akuapem in Retrospect
Authors: Amenga-Etego Rose Mary
Published: October 2017

The intermittent conflicts within the Akuapem State are a legacy of the Akwamu wars with the people of the Hill Territory (Akuapem Ridge) in the 17th and 18th centuries. As the catalyst for the Guan-Akyem alliance and the subsequent formation of the ‘Akuapem State,’ this study examines the intricate role of the African indigenous religions in conflicts and state formation in indigenous Africa. With focus on the indigenous equivalent of the Abotakyi Accord, the ritual planting of stone(s) and salt, the study raises questions on the significance of that ritual and its embedded symbolism.