bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Screening for Vel- Blood Donors in Southwestern Germany
Authors: Wieckhusen Carola , Rink Gabi , Scharberg Erwin A. , Rothenberger Sina , Kömürcü Naime , Bugert Peter
Published: November 2015

Background: The SMIM1 protein carries the Vel blood group antigen, and homozygosity for a 17 bp deletion in the coding region of the SMIM1 gene represents the molecular basis of the Vel- blood group phenotype. We developed PCR-based methods for typing the SMIM1 17 bp (64-80del) gene deletion and performed a molecular screening for the Vel- blood type in German blood donors. Methods: For SMIM1 genotyping, TaqMan-PCR and PCR-SSP methods were developed and validated using reference samples. Both methods were used for screening of donors with blood group O from southwestern Germany. Heterozygotes and homozygotes for the SMIM1 64-80del allele were serologically typed for the Vel blood group antigen. In addition, the rs1175550 SNP in SMIM1 was typed and correlated to the results of the phenotyping. Results: Both genotyping methods, TaqMan-PCR and PCR-SSP, represent reliable methods for the detection of the SMIM1 64-80del allele. Screening of 10,598 blood group O donors revealed 5 individuals homozygous for the deletional allele. They were confirmed Vel- by serological typing. Heterozygotes for the 64-80del allele showed different antigen expressions ranging from very weak to regular positive. Conclusion: Molecular screening of blood donors for the Vel- blood type is feasible and avoids the limitations of serological typing which might show false-negative results with heterozygous individuals. The identification of Vel- blood donors significantly contributes to the adequate blood supply of patients with anti-Vel.
Gaucher Disease: Clinical, Biological and Therapeutic Aspects
Authors: Dandana Azza , Ben Khelifa Souhaira , Chahed Hinda , Miled Abdelhédi , Ferchichi Salima
Published: November 2015

We present a brief review of Gaucher disease (GD), the most common lysosomal storage disease. GD is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the defective function of the catabolic enzyme β-glucocerebrosidase (GBA), leading to an accumulation of its substrate, glucocerebroside. Clinical signs and symptoms include neurological dysfunctions, bone infarcts and malformations, hepatosplenomegaly and hypersplenism leading to anemia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant GBA is the mainstay of treatment for GD, which became the first successfully managed lipid storage disease. Future treatments may include oral enzyme replacement and/or gene therapy interventions.
The Shreveport Myeloma Experience: Survival, Risk Factors and Other Malignancies in the Age of Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Munker Reinhold , Shi Runhua , Nair Binu , Devarakonda Srinivas , Cotelingam James D. , McLarty Jerry , Mills Glenn M. , Glass Jonathan
Published: November 2015

Background: The overall prognosis of multiple myeloma has improved significantly over the last 15 years. We wondered whether the overall improvement would also be seen in unselected patients in an academic center in Northwest Louisiana with a high proportion of minority patients, and if second malignant neoplasms are relevant for our patients. Materials and Methods: Between 1998 and 2009, 215 patients were treated for multiple myeloma at our center and had complete follow-up until May 2013. Results: The mean survival of patients with multiple myeloma increased from 3.25 to 5.34 years, which is comparable to patients treated at larger centers. No prognostic difference was observed in the subgroups of myeloma patients. Among 215 patients followed for the development of secondary cancers, 16 already had a preexisting or concomitant malignancy (7.4%) and 10 developed secondary cancers. Our data indicate a significant background of histologically unrelated cancers and a cumulative incidence of new cancers of about 20% after 10 years of follow-up. Based on SEER data, preexisting or secondary cancers were not statistically increased in our population. Conclusions: The use of autologous transplantation and the introduction of new agents resulted in a significant improvement in the prognosis of multiple myeloma. Other cancers are not statistically increased before or after multiple myeloma is diagnosed and are not prognostically relevant.
Diversity and Karyotypic Evolution in the Genus Neacomys (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae)
Authors: da Silva Willam O. , Pieczarka Julio C. , Rossi Rogério V. , Schneider Horacio , Sampaio Iracilda , Miranda Cleuton L. , da Silva Cláudia R. , Cardoso Elizandra M. , Nagamachi Cleusa Y.
Published: November 2015

Neacomys (Sigmodontinae) comprises 8 species mainly found in the Amazonian region. We describe 5 new karyotypes from Brazilian Amazonia: 2 cytotypes for N. paracou (2n = 56/FNa = 62-66), 1 for N. dubosti (2n = 64/FNa = 68), and 2 for Neacomys sp. (2n = 58/FNa = 64-70), with differences in the 18S rDNA. Telomeric probes did not show ITS. We provide a phylogeny using Cytb, and the analysis suggests that 2n = 56 with a high FNa is ancestral for the genus, as found in N. paracou, being retained by the ancestral forms of the other species, with an increase in 2n occurring independently in N. spinosus and N. dubosti. Alternatively, an increase in 2n may have occurred in the ancestral taxon of the other species, followed by independent 2n-reduction events in Neacomys sp. and in the ancestral species of N. tenuipes, N. guianae, N. musseri, and N. minutus. Finally, a drastic reduction event in the diploid number occurred in the ancestral species of N. musseri and N. minutus which exhibit the lowest 2n of the genus. The karyotypic variations found in both intra- and interspecific samples, associated with the molecular phylogeny, suggest a chromosomal evolution with amplification/deletion of constitutive heterochromatin and rearrangements including fusions, fissions, and pericentric inversions.
Impact of Mechanical Bowel Preparation on Postoperative Outcomes after Liver Resection for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Hokuto Daisuke , Nomi Takeo , Yamato Ichiro , Yasuda Satoshi , Obara Shinsaku , Nakajima Yoshiyuki
Published: November 2015

Background: Despite the routine use of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP), the real impact of MBP for liver resection remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative outcomes of MBP after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients undergoing liver resection for patients with HCC between from April 2008 to March 2015. MBP was defined as a preoperative medication of polyethylene glycol lavage. We compared perioperative outcomes in patients who did or did not receive MBP before liver resection. Open and laparoscopic hepatectomy were analyzed separately. Results: A total of 227 patients underwent potentially curative liver resection for HCC during the study period. One hundred twenty-eight patients received MBP while 99 did not. In the open hepatectomy group, overall and major (Clavien-Dindo ≥3) complications were equivalent between the groups (31.9 vs. 25.8%, p = 0.840; 12.1 vs. 8.7%, p = 0.475). There were no meaningful differences in the incidence of liver failure (MBP: 22.4%, non-MBP: 13.0%, p = 0.116). Surgical-site infections occurred in 20 (17.2%) vs. 10 (14.5%) with no significant difference (p = 0.624). Similar results were obtained from the laparoscopic hepatectomy group. Conclusion: The use of MBP does not appear to impact the short outcomes after liver resection for patients with HCC. MBP might be omitted in liver surgery.
Clinical Neurophysiological and Automated EEG-Based Diagnosis of the Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Bhat Shreya , Acharya U. Rajendra , Dadmehr Nahid , Adeli Hojjat
Published: November 2015

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive disorder affecting intellectual, behavioral and functional abilities. It is associated with age and pathological alterations leading to the formation of amyloid plaques and tangles. It is the most common source of dementia in the older population, which varies in its degrees of severity. We are yet to find efficient methods of diagnosis of AD, as its symptoms vary among individuals. This paper presents a review of recent research on the clinical neurophysiological and automated electroencephalography-based diagnosis of the AD. Various therapeutic measures are also discussed briefly.
Food Protein-Induced Non-Immunoglobulin E-Mediated Allergic Colitis in Infants and Older Children: What Cytokines Are Involved?
Authors: Ozen Ahmet , Gulcan Enver Mahir , Ercan Saricoban Hulya , Ozkan Ferda , Cengizlier Reha
Published: November 2015

Background: Food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP) is mostly a non-immunoglobulin E-mediated disease where a T-cell-mediated reaction to cow's milk protein has been suggested. We determined the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, TGF-β receptor-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, CD86, and CD23 on the colon mucosa to investigate their roles in the pathogenesis of the two subtypes of FPIAP, i.e. infantile FPIAP and FPIAP in older children. Methods: Group 1 comprised children with infantile FPIAP (age <6 months, n = 21), group 2 referred to FPIAP in older children (age >1.5 years, n = 7), and group 3 included children with juvenile hyperplastic polyps (n = 22). Immunohistochemical staining of colonic biopsy specimens was performed. Results: The expression of TNF-α was signiﬁcantly higher in groups 1 and 2 compared to group 3. Group 2 patients had a signiﬁcantly lower TGF-β expression compared to the other groups. The expression of CD86 was higher in group 1 than in group 3 (p = 0.012). Eosinophil counts per high-power field in the lamina propria were signiﬁcantly correlated with CD86 expression (p = 0.026, r = 0.388). Conclusion: Our results suggest that TNF-α is implicated in the pathogenesis of both types of FPIAP. The decreased activity of TGF-β receptor-1 accompanied by the increased expression of CD86 in infants and the decreased activity of TGF-β in older children appear to play a role in the development of FPIAP.
Caffeine Impact on Metabolic Syndrome Components Is Modulated by a CYP1A2 Variant
Authors: Platt Daniel E. , Ghassibe-Sabbagh Michella , Salameh Pascale , Salloum Angelique K. , Haber Marc , Mouzaya Francis , Gauguier Dominique , Al-Sarraj Yasser , El-Shanti Hatem , Zalloua Pierre A. , Abchee Antoine B.
Published: November 2015

Cultural, dietary, and lifestyle factors are the main modulators of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disease risk. Coffee is one of the most popular worldwide beverages, and recent epidemiological studies have showed that coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of T2DM. This study investigates the impact of coffee intake on T2DM risk and assesses the effect of CYP variants with caffeine exposures on T2DM. Data from 7,607 study subjects were analyzed by logistic regression models, among whom 3,290 GWAS data were available for CYP variants association studies using Plink analysis. These data suggest a protective relationship for women, but not for men; however, the results were not statistically significant in this dataset and there is a significant interaction in favor of women regarding heavy coffee consumption. The interaction between male gender and heavy coffee consumption becomes significant, thereby tending to cancel the protective effect of coffee for males. CYP rs2470890 allele ‘C' increases the odds of T2DM by a factor of around 1.2 but decreases the odds of caffeine boosting T2DM of 1.7 by a factor of 0.77. rs2470890 showed an association with T2DM only when the interaction with coffee was considered, thereby setting an example of genetic activation by dietary changes associating with metabolic syndrome.
Cytologic Features and Immunocytochemical Profiles of Malignant Effusions with Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Series from a Single Institution
Authors: Lew Madelyn , Pang Judy C. , Roh Michael H. , Jing Xin
Published: November 2015

Objective: Malignant effusions due to papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are rare, but portend a poor prognosis. PTC metastases, although rare, most frequently occur in the lungs and bone. Therefore, differentiating thyroid etiology of malignant effusions from other sites becomes clinically significant in patient management. This study examines morphologic and immunocytochemical findings in 5 cases of malignant effusions with PTC involvement. Study Design: The electronic database at the University of Michigan was searched from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2014 for malignant pleural effusions with PTC involvement. Clinicopathologic data were obtained from electronic medical records. Cytologic slides were reviewed. Results: Five cases of malignant effusions due to PTC were identified. Characteristic cytologic features of PTC, including ovoid nuclei, irregular nuclear contours, and psammomatous calcifications, were seen. However, the predominant cytologic feature observed was moderate amounts of delicate to vacuolated cytoplasm within the tumor cells. A review of immunocytochemistry demonstrated that all 5 cases showed patchy to diffuse TTF-1 positivity and diffuse positivity for Pax-8. Thyroglobulin only showed focal to patchy positivity in 3 of 5 cases. Conclusion: Given the morphologic features found in our case series, an immunocytochemical workup for the evaluation of involvement of an effusion by a thyroid primary is crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate clinical treatment.
Vitamin D Status Is Related to Oxidative Stress But Not High-Sensitive C-Reactive Protein in Women with Pre-Eclampsia
Authors: Pourghassem Gargari Bahram , Pourteymour Fard Tabrizi Fatemeh , Sadien Bita , Asghari Jafarabadi Mohammad , Farzadi Laya
Published: November 2015

Background/Aims: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with unfavorable metabolic profiles. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been increasingly postulated as major contributors to PE. Research suggests that vitamin D status is disturbed in women with PE. The aims of this study were to compare the serum levels of vitamin D and oxidative stress status in women with PE vs. women with normal pregnancies, and to evaluate the relationship between these 2 factors in women with PE. Methods: In this case-control study, 40 women with PE and 40 healthy pregnant women were selected, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were assessed. We compared the biochemical indicators between the 2 groups by analysing the data using the independent t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square and logistic regression. Results: Compared with the controls, the serum levels of MDA in women with PE were significantly higher (p = 0.001) and TAC and 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05). TAC concentration was positively associated with 25(OH)D levels in cases of PE (β = 0.428, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Our findings show lower levels of TAC and 25(OH)D in women with PE in comparison to controls, while having similar vitamin D intakes. In addition, our results suggest a positive relationship between TAC concentration and 25(OH)D levels in PE cases.
Eye Morphology and Retinal Topography in Hummingbirds (Trochilidae: Aves)
Authors: Lisney Thomas J. , Wylie Douglas R. , Kolominsky Jeffrey , Iwaniuk Andrew N.
Published: November 2015

Hummingbirds are a group of small, highly specialized birds that display a range of adaptations to their nectarivorous lifestyle. Vision plays a key role in hummingbird feeding and hovering behaviours, yet very little is known about the visual systems of these birds. In this study, we measured eye morphology in 5 hummingbird species. For 2 of these species, we used stereology and retinal whole mounts to study the topographic distribution of neurons in the ganglion cell layer. Eye morphology (expressed as the ratio of corneal diameter to eye transverse diameter) was similar among all 5 species and was within the range previously documented for diurnal birds. Retinal topography was similar in Amazilia tzacatl and Calypte anna. Both species had 2 specialized retinal regions of high neuron density: a central region located slightly dorso-nasal to the superior pole of the pecten, where densities reached ∼45,000 cells·mm-2, and a temporal area with lower densities (38,000-39,000 cells·mm-2). A weak visual streak bridged the two high-density areas. A retina from Phaethornis superciliosus also had a central high-density area with a similar peak neuron density. Estimates of spatial resolving power for all 3 species were similar, at approximately 5-6 cycles·degree-1. Retinal cross sections confirmed that the central high-density region in C. anna contains a fovea, but not the temporal area. We found no evidence of a second, less well-developed fovea located close to the temporal retina margin. The central and temporal areas of high neuron density allow for increased spatial resolution in the lateral and frontal visual fields, respectively. Increased resolution in the frontal field in particular may be important for mediating feeding behaviors such as aerial docking with flowers and catching small insects.
A Rare Case of an Osteoid Osteoma of the Rib Treated under Computed Tomography Guidance: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Mizuno Sakiko , Anazawa Ukei , Hotta Hiraku , Asano Naofumi , Susa Michiro , Miyauchi Jun , Shiraishi Tateru
Published: November 2015

Osteoid osteoma (OO) usually occurs in the extremities of young adults. The tumor can arise in any part of the skeletal tissue; however, it is rarely found in the rib, with limited reports to date. In this report, we present a rare case of OO arising in the rib, which was successfully treated under computed tomography guidance with minimal invasiveness. At the final follow-up after 4 years, no local recurrence was observed.
Rare Association of Perivascular Granulomatous Lesions in a Patient with Acute Retinal Necrosis
Authors: Sogawa Takahiro , Hashida Noriyasu , Sawa Miki , Nishida Kohji
Published: November 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine sequential changes in perivascular granulomatous lesions with acute retinal necrosis (ARN). Methods: A healthy 46-year-old Japanese woman, who developed floaters and pain in her left eye, underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein angiography, and routine ophthalmological examinations. Treatment-associated changes in perivascular granulomatous lesions were monitored using spectral-domain (SD)-OCT. Results: The patient had no previous ophthalmic history, and her general condition was good. A slit-lamp examination revealed keratic precipitates and aqueous cells (2+) in the left eye. A fundus examination showed yellow-white patches of necrotizing retinal lesions in the temporal upper area, retinal arteritis, retinal hemorrhage, and vitreous opacities. The patient was diagnosed with ARN according to diagnostic criteria. SD-OCT images confirmed high-intensity and uniform granulomatous deposits in the perivascular area and fovea. Systemic corticosteroids and antiviral therapy were initiated, resulting in the gradual resolution of granulomatous lesions. The patient continues to be followed untreated without evidence of recurrence, retinal detachment, or active inflammation. Conclusions: This is the first report of perivascular granulomatous lesions in a patient with ARN. Our results showed that the formation of granulomas may be induced in the retina of ARN patients without fulminant inflammation.
Compliance with the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) among Balearic Islands' Adolescents and Its Association with Socioeconomic, Anthropometric and Lifestyle Factors
Authors: del Mar Bibiloni Maria , Pons Antoni , Tur Josep A.
Published: November 2015

Background and Aims: To assess the compliance levels of adolescents in the Balearic Islands with the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED Index) and to assess its associations with socioeconomic, anthropometric and lifestyle characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (n = 1,231; 12-17 years) carried out in 2007-2008. The degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was evaluated using the KIDMED Index. Body composition, body image, socioeconomic factors, and physical activity were also assessed. Results: Around 30% of adolescents showed high adherence to MedDiet and 15.7% showed poor adherence. More boys (32.0%) than girls (25.2%) showed high adherence to MedDiet. However, the proportion of adolescents who were reported to skip breakfast was higher among girls than boys (30.0 vs. 19.2%, respectively). The OR for poor adherence to MedDiet was higher in adolescents who usually attend mass media during mealtime, in boys eating ≤3 occasions/day, and in physically inactive girls. In boys, poor adherence to MedDiet was associated with lower OR in the age range 12-13 and in those who wished to have a thin body shape. In girls, high parental educational level, time spent on media <2 h/day and eating breakfast regularly were also associated with lower OR for poor adherence to MedDiet. Conclusions: A high percentage of adolescents in Balearic Islands showed poor adherence to MedDiet.
Assuring Assured Retaliation: China's Nuclear Posture and U.S.-China Strategic Stability
Authors: Cunningham Fiona S. , Fravel M. Taylor
Published: November 2015

Whether China will abandon its long-standing nuclear strategy of assured retaliation for a first-use posture will be a critical factor in future U.S.-China strategic stability. In the past decade, advances in U.S. strategic capabilities, especially missile defenses and enhanced long-range conventional strike capacity, could undermine China's nuclear retaliatory capability, which is based on a relatively small force and second-strike posture. An exhaustive review of Chinese writings on military affairs indicates, however, that China is unlikely to abandon its current nuclear strategy of assured retaliation. Instead, China will modestly expand its arsenal, increase the sophistication of its forces, and allow limited ambiguity regarding its pledge not to use nuclear weapons first. This limited ambiguity allows China to use the threat of nuclear retaliation to deter a conventional attack on its nuclear arsenal, without significantly increasing the size of its nuclear forces and triggering a costly arms race. Nevertheless, China's effort to maintain its strategy of assured retaliation while avoiding an arms race could backfire. Those efforts increase the risk that nuclear weapons could be used in a crisis between the United States and China, even though China views this possibility as much less likely than the United States does.
Balancing in Neorealism
Authors: Parent Joseph M. , Rosato Sebastian
Published: November 2015

Does neorealism offer a convincing account of great power balancing behavior? Many scholars argue that it does not. This conclusion rests on a misunderstanding of neorealist theory and an erroneous reading of the evidence. Properly specified, neorealism holds that great powers place an overriding emphasis on the need for self-help. This means that they rely relentlessly both on arming and on imitating the successful military practices of their peers to ensure their security. At the same time, they rarely resort to alliances and treat them with skepticism. There is abundant historical evidence to support these claims. Since 1816, great powers have routinely achieved an effective balance in military capabilities with their relevant competitors and promptly copied the major military innovations of the period. Case studies show that these outcomes are the product of states' efforts to ensure security against increasingly capable rivals. Meanwhile, the diplomatic record yields almost no examples of firm peacetime balancing coalitions over the past 200 years. When alliances have formed, great powers have generally doubted the reliability of their allies and of their opponents' allies. Thus neorealism provides a solid foundation for explaining great power balancing behavior.
Blood Revenge and Violent Mobilization: Evidence from the Chechen Wars
Authors: Souleimanov Emil Aslan , Aliyev Huseyn
Published: November 2015

Despite a considerable amount of ethnographic research into the phenomena of blood revenge and blood feud, little is known about the role of blood revenge in political violence, armed conflict, and irregular war. Yet blood revenge—widespread among many conflict-affected societies of the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond—is not confined to the realm of communal infighting, as previous research has presumed. An empirical analysis of Russia's two counterinsurgency campaigns in Chechnya suggests that the practice of blood revenge has functioned as an important mechanism in encouraging violent mobilization in the local population against the Russian troops and their Chechen proxies. The need to exact blood revenge has taken precedence over an individual's political views, or lack thereof. Triggered by the loss of a relative or humiliation, many apolitical Chechens who initially sought to avoid involvement in the hostilities or who had been skeptical of the insurgency mobilized to exact blood revenge to restore their individual and clan honor. Blood revenge functions as an effective, yet heavily underexplored, grievance-based mechanism encouraging violent mobilization in irregular wars.
Spectral Characteristics of Instrumental and Climate Model Surface Temperatures
Authors: Fredriksen Hege-Beate , Rypdal Kristoffer
Published: November 2015

The spatiotemporal temperature variability for several gridded instrumental and general circulation climate model data is characterized, contrasting power spectra of local and global temperatures, land and sea temperatures, and temperatures of different regions. There is generally a high degree of agreement between the spectral characteristics of instrumental and climate model data. All but the equatorial spectra exhibit a power-law shape and are hence more consistent with the spectra expected from long-memory processes than from short-memory processes. The power-law exponent β of the spectra is a measure of memory, or persistence, of the temperatures and is observed to be about twice as large for global temperature than for local temperatures. However, there are large variations, in particular between land and sea surface temperatures. This is shown by estimates of the spectra for different regions and global maps of β. It is also demonstrated that global spectra are related to local spectra via teleconnections between local temperatures.
Climatology of Wind, Kinetic Energy, and Temperature Spectra Using a High-Resolution Climate Model for Mid-Europe
Authors: Zentek Rolf , Heinemann Günther , Sachs Ekkehard
Published: November 2015

Spectra of wind, kinetic energy, and temperature are investigated for a dataset of 10 years of regional climate simulations for mid-Europe. The nonhydrostatic Consortium for Small-Scale Modeling (COSMO) model in Climate Mode [COSMO-CLM (CCLM)] climate model is used in a hindcast mode for 1991–2000. The three-step nesting chain starts with a CCLM run with 18-km resolution covering all of Europe nested in ERA-40 reanalyses and then a run with a resolution of 4.4 km is performed for mid-Europe. Finally, the 1.3-km run focuses on the region of mid-Germany and Luxembourg. In the present study, only results for the 4.4- and 1.3-km runs are shown. Different methods based on the Fourier and cosine transformations for the computation of the spectra are evaluated.

The kinetic energy spectra show the expected slope in the mesoscale (up to the effective resolution), while the spectrum of the vertical wind shows a zero-slope behavior. The spectra of the horizontal wind components and temperature compare well to the observations. The effective model resolution was found to be about 7–10 (5–7) times the horizontal grid spacing for the one-dimensional (two-dimensional) spectral methods. A comparison between the different model resolutions shows a benefit of the 1.3-km simulations for the boundary layer for horizontal scales up to 25 km. The multiyear time-scale simulations allow for a climatological study of the seasonal cycle. The kinetic energy spectrum is found to have the largest values in summer.
Wind, Waves, and Fronts: Frictional Effects in a Generalized Ekman Model
Authors: Wenegrat Jacob O. , McPhaden Michael J.
Published: November 2015

Ocean currents in the surface boundary layer are sensitive to a variety of parameters not included in classic Ekman theory, including the vertical structure of eddy viscosity, finite boundary layer depth, baroclinic pressure gradients, and surface waves. These parameters can modify the horizontal and vertical flow in the near-surface ocean, making them of first-order significance to a wide range of phenomena of broad practical and scientific import. In this work, an approximate Green’s function solution is found for a model of the frictional ocean surface boundary layer, termed the generalized Ekman (or turbulent thermal wind) balance. The solution admits consideration of general, more physically realistic forms of parameters than previously possible, offering improved physical insight into the underlying dynamics. Closed form solutions are given for the wind-driven flow in the presence of Coriolis–Stokes shear, a result of the surface wave field, and thermal wind shear, arising from a baroclinic pressure gradient, revealing the common underlying physical mechanisms through which they modify currents in the ocean boundary layer. These dynamics are further illustrated by a case study of an idealized two-dimensional front. The solutions, and estimates of the global distribution of the relative influence of surface waves and baroclinic pressure gradients on near-surface ocean currents, emphasize the broad importance of considering ocean sources of shear and physically realistic parameters in the Ekman problem.
A new understanding of friendships in space: Complex networks meet Twitter
Authors: Shin Won-Yong , Singh Bikash C. , Cho Jaehee , Everett André M.
Published: November 2015

Studies on friendships in online social networks involving geographic distance have so far relied on the city location provided in users’ profiles. Consequently, most of the research on friendships has provided accuracy at the city level, at best, to designate a user’s location. This study analyses a Twitter dataset because it provides the exact geographic distance between corresponding users. We start by introducing a strong definition of ‘ friend’ on Twitter (i.e. a definition of bidirectional friendship), requiring bidirectional communication. Next, we utilize geo-tagged mentions delivered by users to determine their locations, where ‘ @username ’ is contained anywhere in the body of tweets. To provide analysis results, we first introduce a friend-counting algorithm. From the fact that Twitter users are likely to post consecutive tweets in the static mode, we also introduce a two-stage distance-estimation algorithm. As the first of our main contributions, we verify that the number of friends of a particular Twitter user follows a well-known power-law distribution (i.e. a Zipf’s distribution or a Pareto distribution). Our study also provides the following newly discovered friendship degree related to the issue of space: the number of friends according to distance follows a double power-law (i.e. a double Pareto law) distribution, indicating that the probability of befriending a particular Twitter user is significantly reduced beyond a certain geographic distance between users, termed the separation point. Our analysis provides concrete evidence that Twitter can be a useful platform for assigning a more accurate scalar value to the degree of friendship between two users.
Time-sensitive influence maximization in social networks
Authors: Mohammadi Azadeh , Saraee Mohamad , Mirzaei Abdolreza
Published: November 2015

One of the fundamental issues in social networks is the influence maximization problem, where the goal is to identify a small subset of individuals such that they can trigger the largest number of members in the network. In real-world social networks, the propagation of information from a node to another may incur a certain amount of time delay; moreover, the value of information may decrease over time. So not only the coverage size, but also the propagation speed matters. In this paper, we propose the Time-Sensitive Influence Maximization (TSIM) problem, which takes into account the time dependence of the information value. Considering the time delay aspect, we develop two diffusion models, namely the Delayed Independent Cascade model and the Delayed Linear Threshold model. We show that the TSIM problem is NP-hard under these models but the spread function is monotone and submodular. Thus, a greedy approximation algorithm can achieve a 1 − 1/ e approximation ratio. Moreover, we propose two time-sensitive centrality measures and compare their performance with the greedy algorithm. We evaluate our methods on four real-world datasets. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithms outperform existing methods, which ignore the decay of information value over time.
Knowledge discovery from social media using big data-provided sentiment analysis (SoMABiT)
Authors: Bohlouli Mahdi , Dalter Jens , Dornhöfer Mareike , Zenkert Johannes , Fathi Madjid
Published: November 2015

In today’s competitive business world, being aware of customer needs and market-oriented production is a key success factor for industries. To this aim, the use of efficient analytical algorithms ensures better understanding of customer feedback and improves the next generation of products. Accordingly, the dramatic increase in the use of social media in daily life provides beneficial sources for market analytics. Yet how traditional analytic algorithms and methods can be scaled up for such disparate and multistructured data sources is a major challenge. This paper presents and discusses the technological and scientific focus of SoMABiT as a social media analysis platform using big data technology. Sentiment analysis has been employed in order to discover knowledge from social media. The use of MapReduce and the development of a distributed algorithm towards an integrated platform that can scale for any data volume and provide social media-driven knowledge is the main novelty of the proposed concept in comparison to the state-of-the-art technologies.
A survey of location inference techniques on Twitter
Authors: Ajao Oluwaseun , Hong Jun , Liu Weiru
Published: November 2015

The increasing popularity of the social networking service, Twitter, has made it more involved in day-to-day communications, strengthening social relationships and information dissemination. Conversations on Twitter are now being explored as indicators within early warning systems to alert of imminent natural disasters such as earthquakes and aid prompt emergency responses to crime. Producers are privileged to have limitless access to market perception from consumer comments on social media and microblogs. Targeted advertising can be made more effective based on user profile information such as demography, interests and location. While these applications have proven beneficial, the ability to effectively infer the location of Twitter users has even more immense value. However, accurately identifying where a message originated from or an author’s location remains a challenge, thus essentially driving research in that regard. In this paper, we survey a range of techniques applied to infer the location of Twitter users from inception to state of the art. We find significant improvements over time in the granularity levels and better accuracy with results driven by refinements to algorithms and inclusion of more spatial features.
Where to go and what to play: Towards summarizing popular information from massive tourism blogs
Authors: Xu Hualin , Yuan Hua , Ma Baojun , Qian Yu
Published: November 2015

In this work, we propose a novel method to summarize popular information from massive tourism blog data. First, we crawl blog contents and segment them into semantic word vectors separately. Then, we select the geographical terms in each word vector into a corresponding geographical term vector and present a new method to explore hot tourism locations and, in particular, their frequent sequential relations from a set of geographical term vectors. Third, we propose a novel word vector subdividing method to collect local features for each hot location, and introduce the metric of max-confidence to identify the Things of Interest (ToI) associated with the location from the collected data. We illustrate the benefits of this approach by applying it to a Chinese online tourism blog dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed method can be used to explore hot locations, as well as their sequential relations and corresponding ToI, efficiently.
Recommendations based on personalized tendency for different aspects of influences in social media
Authors: Lai Chin-Hui , Liu Duen-Ren , Liu Mei-Lan
Published: November 2015

Among the applications of Web 2.0, social networking sites continue to proliferate and the volume of content keeps growing; as a result, information overload causes difficulty for users attempting to choose useful and relevant information. To resolve this problem, most researches only utilize users’ preferences, the content of items or social influence to make recommendations. However, people’s preferences for items may be affected by social friends, personal interest and item popularity. Moreover, each factor has a different impact on each user. In this work, we propose a novel recommendation method based on different types of influences: social, interest and popularity, using personal tendencies in regard to these factors to recommend photos in a photo-sharing website, Flickr. The personal tendencies related to these three influences are regarded as personalized weights to combine influence scores for predicting the scores of items. The experimental results show that our proposed methods can improve the quality of recommendations.
The contribution of TT Fujita to the understanding of tornado suction marks, spots, swaths, and vortices
Authors: Zunkel Paul
Published: November 2015

For years USA Plains state residents wondered why tornado events resulted in the destruction of one neighborhood house while leaving neighboring houses almost untouched. Research conducted during the 1960s and 1970s identified that areas of intense convergence are responsible for this sporadic destruction. Furthermore, research identified six specific types of convergence vortices that may possibly accompany a tornado.
The Changing Risk of Japanese Encephalitis for Business Travelers
Authors: Connor Bradley A. , Bunn William B.
Published: November 2015

Japanese Encephalitis is an often fatal and vaccine preventable disease. New vaccine recommendations are needed due to changes in travel and disease patterns.
A comparison of human and mouse gene co-expression networks reveals conservation and divergence at the tissue, pathway and disease levels
Authors: Monaco Gianni , van Dam Sipko , Casal Novo Ribeiro João Luis , Larbi Anis , de Magalhães João Pedro
Published: November 2015

Background

A deeper understanding of differences and similarities in transcriptional regulation between species can uncover important information about gene functions and the role of genes in disease. Deciphering such patterns between mice and humans is especially important since mice play an essential role in biomedical research.

Results

Here, in order to characterize evolutionary changes between humans and mice, we compared gene co-expression maps to evaluate the conservation of co-expression. We show that the conservation of co-expression connectivity of homologous genes is negatively correlated with molecular evolution rates, as expected. Then we investigated evolutionary aspects of gene sets related to functions, tissues, pathways and diseases. Genes expressed in the testis, eye and skin, and those associated with regulation of transcription, olfaction, PI3K signalling, response to virus and bacteria were more divergent between mice and humans in terms of co-expression connectivity. Surprisingly, a deeper investigation of the PI3K signalling cascade revealed that its divergence is caused by the most crucial genes of this pathway, such as mTOR and AKT2. On the other hand, our analysis revealed that genes expressed in the brain and in the bone, and those associated with cell adhesion, cell cycle, DNA replication and DNA repair are most strongly conserved in terms of co-expression network connectivity as well as having a lower rate of duplication events. Genes involved in lipid metabolism and genes specific to blood showed a signature of increased co-expression connectivity in the mouse. In terms of diseases, co-expression connectivity of genes related to metabolic disorders is the most strongly conserved between mice and humans and tumor-related genes the most divergent.

Conclusions

This work contributes to discerning evolutionary patterns between mice and humans in terms of gene interactions. Conservation of co-expression is a powerful approach to identify gene targets and processes with potential similarity and divergence between mice and humans, which has implications for drug testing and other studies employing the mouse as a model organism.
Evolutionary comparison of prenylation pathway in kinetoplastid Leishmania and its sister Leptomonas
Authors: Chauhan Indira Singh , Kaur Jaspreet , Krishna Shagun , Ghosh Arpita , Singh Prashant , Siddiqi Mohammad Imran , Singh Neeloo
Published: November 2015

Background

Leptomonas is monogenetic kinetoplastid parasite of insects and is primitive in comparison to Leishmania. Comparative studies of these two kinetoplastid may share light on the evolutionary transition to dixenous parasitism in Leishmania. In order to adapt and survive within two hosts, Leishmania species must have acquired virulence factors in addition to mechanisms that mediate susceptibility/resistance to infection in the pathology associated with disease. Rab proteins are key mediators of vesicle transport and contribute greatly to the evolution of complexity of membrane transport system. In this study we used our whole genome sequence data of these two divergent kinetoplastids to analyze the orthologues/paralogues of Rab proteins.

Results

During change of lifestyle from monogenetic (Leptomonas) to digenetic (Leishmania), we found that the prenyl machinery remained unchanged. Geranylgeranyl transferase-I (GGTase-I) was absent in both Leishmania and its sister Leptomonas. Farnesyltransferase (FTase) and geranylgeranyl transferase-II (GGTase-II) were identified for protein prenylation. We predict that activity of the missing alpha-subunit (α-subunit) of GGTase-II in Leptomonas was probably contributed by the α-subunit of FTase, while beta-subunit (β-subunit) of GGTase-II was conserved and indicated functional conservation in the evolution of these two kinetoplastids. Therefore the β-subunit emerges as an excellent target for compounds inhibiting parasite activity in clinical cases of co-infections. We also confirmed that during the evolution to digenetic life style in Leishmania, the parasite acquired capabilities to evade drug action and maintain parasite virulence in the host with the incorporation of short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR/MDR) superfamily in Rab genes.

Conclusion

Our study based on whole genome sequences is the first to build comparative evolutionary analysis and identification of prenylation proteins in Leishmania and its sister Leptomonas. The information presented in our present work has importance for drug design targeted to kill L. donovani in humans but not affect the human form of the prenylation enzymes.
Cues Matter: Learning Assistants Influence Introductory Biology Student Interactions during Clicker-Question Discussions
Authors: Knight Jennifer K. , Wise Sarah B. , Rentsch Jeremy , Furtak Erin M.
Published: November 2015

The cues undergraduate biology instructors provide to students before discussions of clicker questions have previously been shown to influence student discussion. We further explored how student discussions were influenced by interactions with learning assistants (LAs, or peer coaches). We recorded and transcribed 140 clicker-question discussions in an introductory molecular biology course and coded them for features such as the use of reasoning and types of questions asked. Students who did not interact with LAs had discussions that were similar in most ways to students who did interact with LAs. When students interacted with LAs, the only significant changes in their discussions were the use of more questioning and more time spent in discussion. However, when individual LA–student interactions were examined within discussions, different LA prompts were found to generate specific student responses: question prompts promoted student use of reasoning, while students usually stopped their discussions when LAs explained reasons for answers. These results demonstrate that LA prompts directly influence student interactions during in-class discussions. Because clicker discussions can encourage student articulation of reasoning, instructors and LAs should focus on how to effectively implement questioning techniques rather than providing explanations.
S-Nitrosylation of NF-κB p65 Inhibits TSH-Induced Na+/I− Symporter Expression
Authors: Nicola Juan Pablo , Peyret Victoria , Nazar Magalí , Romero Jorge Miguel , Lucero Ariel Maximiliano , Montesinos María del Mar , Bocco José Luis , Pellizas Claudia Gabriela , Masini-Repiso Ana María
Published: November 2015

Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous signaling molecule involved in a wide variety of cellular physiological processes. In thyroid cells, NO-synthase III-endogenously produced NO reduces TSH-stimulated thyroid-specific gene expression, suggesting a potential autocrine role of NO in modulating thyroid function. Further studies indicate that NO induces thyroid dedifferentiation, because NO donors repress TSH-stimulated iodide (I−) uptake. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the NO-inhibited Na+/I− symporter (NIS)-mediated I− uptake in thyroid cells. We showed that NO donors reduce I− uptake in a concentration-dependent manner, which correlates with decreased NIS protein expression. NO-reduced I− uptake results from transcriptional repression of NIS gene rather than posttranslational modifications reducing functional NIS expression at the plasma membrane. We observed that NO donors repress TSH-induced NIS gene expression by reducing the transcriptional activity of the nuclear factor-κB subunit p65. NO-promoted p65 S-nitrosylation reduces p65-mediated transactivation of the NIS promoter in response to TSH stimulation. Overall, our data are consistent with the notion that NO plays a role as an inhibitory signal to counterbalance TSH-stimulated nuclear factor-κB activation, thus modulating thyroid hormone biosynthesis.