bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cryptic species diversity and reproductive isolation among sympatric lineages ofStrongylocentrotussea urchins in the northwest Atlantic
Authors: Addison Jason A. , Kim Jin-Hong
Published: January 2018

Distinguishing between intra- and inter-specific variation in genetic studies is critical to understanding evolution because the mechanisms driving change among populations are expected to be different than those that shape reproductive isolation among lineages. Genetic studies of north Atlantic green sea urchins Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Müller, 1776) have detected significant population substructure and asymmetric gene flow from Europe to Atlantic Canada and interspecific hybridization between S. droebachiensis and Strongylocentrotus pallidus (Sars, 1871). However, combined with patterns of divergence at mtDNA sequences, morphological divergence at gamete traits suggests that the European and North American lineages of S. droebachiensis may be cryptic species. Here, we use a combination of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ( COI) sequences and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to test for cryptic species within Strongylocentrotus sea urchins and hybrids between S. droebachiensis and S. pallidus populations. We detect striking patterns of habitat and reproductive isolation between two S. droebachiensis lineages, with offshore deep-water collections consisting of S. pallidus in addition to a cryptic lineage sharing genetic similarity with previously published sequences from eastern Atlantic S. droebachiensis. We detected only limited hybridization among all three lineages of sea urchins, suggesting that shared genetic differences previously reported may be a result of historical introgression or incomplete lineage sorting.
Comparative Study of Discrete Component Realizations of Fractional-Order Capacitor and Inductor Active Emulators
Authors: Tsirimokou Georgia , Kartci Aslihan , Koton Jaroslav , Herencsar Norbert , Psychalinos Costas
Published: January 2018

Due to the absence of commercially available fractional-order capacitors and inductors, their implementation can be performed using fractional-order differentiators and integrators, respectively, combined with a voltage-to-current conversion stage. The transfer function of fractional-order differentiators and integrators can be approximated through the utilization of appropriate integer-order transfer functions. In order to achieve that, the Continued Fraction Expansion as well as the Oustaloup’s approximations can be utilized. The accuracy, in terms of magnitude and phase response, of transfer functions of differentiators/integrators derived through the employment of the aforementioned approximations, is very important factor for achieving high performance approximation of the fractional-order elements. A comparative study of the accuracy offered by the Continued Fraction Expansion and the Oustaloup’s approximation is performed in this paper. As a next step, the corresponding implementations of the emulators of the fractional-order elements, derived using fundamental active cells such as operational amplifiers, operational transconductance amplifiers, current conveyors, and current feedback operational amplifiers realized in commercially available discrete-component IC form, are compared in terms of the most important performance characteristics. The most suitable of them are further compared using the OrCAD PSpice software.
Context Model Acquisition from Spoken Utterances
Authors: Weigelt Sebastian , Hey Tobias , Tichy Walter F.
Published: January 2018

Current systems with spoken language interfaces do not leverage contextual information. Therefore, they struggle with understanding speakers’ intentions. We propose a system that creates a context model from user utterances to overcome this lack of information. It comprises eight types of contextual information organized in three layers: individual, conceptual, and hierarchical. We have implemented our approach as a part of the project PARSE. It aims at enabling laypersons to construct simple programs by dialog. Our implementation incrementally generates context including occurring entities and actions as well as their conceptualizations, state transitions, and other types of contextual information. Its analyses are knowledge- or rule-based (depending on the context type), but we make use of many well-known probabilistic NLP techniques. In a user study we have shown the feasibility of our approach, achieving [Formula: see text] scores from 72% up to 98% depending on the type of contextual information. The context model enables us to resolve complex identity relations. However, quantifying this effect is subject to future work. Likewise, we plan to investigate whether our context model is useful for other language understanding tasks, e.g. anaphora resolution, topic analysis, or correction of automatic speech recognition errors.
Argumentation Schemes for Collaborative Debate of Requirement Risks in Software Projects
Authors: da Luz Siqueira Denise , Fontoura Lisandra M. , Bordini Rafael H. , Silva Luis A. L.
Published: January 2018

Managing risks in real-world software projects is of paramount importance. A significant class of such risks is related to the engineering of requirements, commonly involving the presentation and analysis of risk management arguments from both software engineers and clients involved in collaborative debates. In this work, drawing inspiration from argumentation theory in Artificial Intelligence, we introduce a number of “argumentation schemes” and associated “critical questions” to support such discussions. In doing so, we propose schemes related to risks due to excessive numbers of requirements; inadequate client representatives and poor understanding of client needs; incorrect, incomplete and conflicting requirements; complex and non-traceable requirements; non-stable requirements; and low quality requirements. We also discuss a case study and two experiments where the developed schemes supported the discussion of requirement risks in software projects. The overall results of these experiments indicate that our schemes are useful in the identification, proposition and analysis of requirement risks, adequately supporting debates on requirement risks.
ASSA: Fast identification of statistically significant interactions between long RNAs
Authors: Antonov Ivan , Marakhonov Andrey , Zamkova Maria , Medvedeva Yulia
Published: January 2018

The discovery of thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in mammals raises a question about their functionality. It has been shown that some of them are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of other RNAs and form inter-molecular duplexes with their targets. Sequence alignment tools have been used for transcriptome-wide prediction of RNA–RNA interactions. However, such approaches have poor prediction accuracy since they ignore RNA’s secondary structure. Application of the thermodynamics-based algorithms to long transcripts is not computationally feasible on a large scale. Here, we describe a new computational pipeline ASSA that combines sequence alignment and thermodynamics-based tools for efficient prediction of RNA–RNA interactions between long transcripts. To measure the hybridization strength, the sum energy of all the putative duplexes is computed. The main novelty implemented in ASSA is the ability to quickly estimate the statistical significance of the observed interaction energies. Most of the functional hybridizations between long RNAs were classified as statistically significant. ASSA outperformed 11 other tools in terms of the Area Under the Curve on two out of four test sets. Additionally, our results emphasized a unique property of the [Formula: see text] repeats with respect to the RNA–RNA interactions in the human transcriptome. ASSA is available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/assa/
When Simpler Data Does Not Imply Less Information
Authors: Park Souneil , Matic Aleksandar , Garg Kamini , Oliver Nuria
Published: January 2018

The exponential growth in smartphone adoption is contributing to the availability of vast amounts of human behavioral data. This data enables the development of increasingly accurate data-driven user models that facilitate the delivery of personalized services that are often free in exchange for the use of its customers’ data. Although such usage conventions have raised many privacy concerns, the increasing value of personal data is motivating diverse entities to aggressively collect and exploit the data. In this article, we unfold profiling scenarios around mobile HTTP(S) traffic, focusing on those that have limited but meaningful segments of the data. The capability of the scenarios to profile personal information is examined with real user data, collected in the wild from 61 mobile phone users for a minimum of 30 days. Our study attempts to model heterogeneous user traits and interests, including personality, boredom proneness, demographics, and shopping interests. Based on our modeling results, we discuss various implications to personalization, privacy, and personal data rights.
Discrete Time Evolution Process Descriptor for Shape Analysis and Matching
Authors: Melzi Simone , Ovsjanikov Maks , Roffo Giorgio , Cristani Marco , Castellani Umberto
Published: January 2018

In shape analysis and matching, it is often important to encode information about the relation between a given point and other points on a shape, namely, its
context
. To this aim, we propose a theoretically sound and efficient approach for the simulation of a discrete time evolution process that runs through all possible paths between pairs of points on a surface represented as a triangle mesh in the discrete setting. We demonstrate how this construction can be used to efficiently construct a multiscale point descriptor, called the
Discrete Time Evolution Process Descriptor
, which robustly encodes the structure of neighborhoods of a point across multiple scales. Our work is similar in spirit to the methods based on diffusion geometry, and derived signatures such as the HKS or the WKS, but provides information that is complementary to these descriptors and can be computed without solving an eigenvalue problem. We demonstrate through extensive experimental evaluation that our descriptor can be used to obtain accurate results in shape matching in different scenarios. Our approach outperforms similar methods and is especially robust in the presence of large nonisometric deformations, including missing parts.
Subatomic Proof Systems
Authors: Tubella Andrea Aler , Guglielmi Alessio
Published: January 2018

This article presents the first in a series of results that allow us to develop a theory providing finer control over the complexity of normalization, and in particular of cut elimination. By considering atoms as self-dual noncommutative connectives, we are able to classify a vast class of inference rules in a uniform and very simple way. This allows us to define simple conditions that are easily verifiable and that ensure normalization and cut elimination by way of a general theorem. In this article, we define and consider
splittable systems
, which essentially make up a large class of linear logics, including Multiplicative Linear Logic and BV, and we prove for them a
splitting theorem
, guaranteeing cut elimination and other admissibility results as corollaries. In articles to follow, we will extend this result to nonlinear logics. The final outcome will be a comprehensive theory giving a uniform treatment for most existing logics and providing a blueprint for the design of future proof systems.
Celebrating SIGCSE's 50th anniversary!
Authors: Morrison Briana , Settle Amber
Published: January 2018

SIGCSE celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding in 2018, an event that will be celebrated throughout the year. In 1968, a group of computing educators met at the Fall Joint Computer Conference (FJCC) in Las Vegas to write and sign a petition that eventually led to the creation of SIGCSE. Elliot Irving Organick (1925 -- 1985) is credited with being the driving force behind the group.
SIGCSE symposium 2018 preview
Authors: Barnes Tiffany , Garcia Dan
Published: January 2018

We are excited to bring the SIGCSE community together in Baltimore, Maryland around the theme of "CS for All" from February 21-24, 2018 for the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education. This year, we had a record 953 submissions to the conference, with 1119 volunteers participating in the reviewing and selection process to whittle it down to 161 papers, 35 panels and special sessions, 90 posters, 10 demos, 34 BOFs, 6 nifty assignments, 11 events, and 34 workshops. We are inspired to see so many of these submissions innovating to engage a broader audience and to create equitable opportunities for access to computer science education! Our theme is enhanced by our co-location with RESPECT 2018, the third international conference on Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology, to be held from 8:30am-5:00pm on Wednesday, February 21.
2018 travel grant program awards
Authors: Decker Adrienne
Published: January 2018

The SIGCSE Board is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Travel Grant Program awards. The Travel Grant Program was created thanks to the generosity of Henry Walker and provides faculty and teachers who have not previously attended the Symposium with up to $500 in travel support to do so. This cycle, there were twenty-three applications, and nine awards were given.
Dynamic Behavior of CO2 in a Wellbore and Storage Formation: Wellbore-Coupled and Salt-Precipitation Processes during Geologic CO2 Sequestration
Authors: Piao Jize , Han Weon Shik , Choung Sungwook , Kim Kue-Young
Published: January 2018

For investigating the wellbore flow process in CO2 injection scenarios, coupled wellbore-reservoir (WR) and conventional equivalent porous media (EPM) models were compared with each other. In WR model, during the injection, conditions for the wellbore including pressure and temperature were dynamically changed from the initial pressure (7.45–8.33 MPa) and temperature (52.0–55.9°C) of the storage formation. After 3.35 days, the wellbore flow reached the steady state with adiabatic condition; temperature linearly increased from the well-head (35°C) to the well-bottom (52°C). In contrast, the EPM model neglecting the wellbore process revealed that CO2 temperature was consistently 35°C at the screen interval. Differences in temperature from WR and EPM models resulted in density contrast of CO2 that entered the storage formation (~200 and ~600 kg/m3, resp.). Subsequently, the WR model causing greater density difference between CO2 and brine revealed more vertical CO2 migration and counterflow of brine and also developed the localized salt-precipitation. Finally, a series of sensitivity analyses for the WR model was conducted to assess how the injection conditions influenced interplay between flow system and the localized salt-precipitation in the storage formation.
Serum Cystatin C Level Is Not a Promising Biomarker for Predicting Clinicopathological Characteristics of Bladder Urothelial Tumors
Authors: Wang Hui , Gao Lijian , Meng Cuiyu , Yu Nengwang , Yang Feilong , Zhang Cong , Li Dawei , Yan Lei , Liu Hainan , Xu Zhonghua
Published: January 2018

The role of cystatin C (Cys-C) in tumorigenesis and progression of bladder urothelial tumors (BUT) is still indefinite. We retrospectively collected the clinical information from the records of 425 BUT patients. Pretreatment serum Cys-C levels were compared across the various groups. Then we subgroup the patients with GFR ≥ 90 mg/min/1.73 m2, to exclude the effects of lower renal function on cystatin C. No statistically significant differences in the levels of serum Cys-C were found among the tumor characteristics (allP>0.05). In conclusion, circulating Cys-C was not a reliable predictor for clinicopathological characteristics of BUT patients.
Astragalus membranaceus and Salvia miltiorrhiza Ameliorate Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats by Regulating the Toll‐Like Receptor 4/Nuclear Factor‐Kappa B Signaling Pathway
Authors: Qin Li , Tan Hong-Ling , Wang Yu-Guo , Xu Cheng-Yong , Feng Jian , Li Min , Dou Yong-Qi
Published: January 2018

Astragalus membranaceus and Salvia miltiorrhiza (AM/SM) are well used in Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) for nourishing Qi and activating blood circulation method. From TCM theory, the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) was determined as Qi deficiency and blood stagnation. In this study, we are aiming to investigate the protective and therapeutic effects of AM/SM on a rat model of lipopolysaccharide‐ (LPS‐) induced ALI in rats and to elucidate potential molecular mechanisms. ALI was induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS (5 mg/kg) in Sprague–Dawley rats. SM/AM was given orally before and after LPS administration. Results demonstrated that AM/SM attenuated lung histopathological changes induced by LPS, decreased wet/dry weight ratios and protein concentrations, and inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in BALF. Moreover, AM/SM significantly downregulated protein and mRNA expression of toll‐like receptors 4 (TLR‐4), interleukin‐1 receptor‐associated kinase‐1 (IRAK‐1), and nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB/p65). These findings suggest that AM/SM showed protective and therapeutic effects in LPS‐induced ALI rat through modulating TLR‐4 signaling pathways. Nourishing Qi and activating blood circulation may be a beneficial treatment for ALI.
Desflurane Attenuates Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury in Rats with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Lin Xue , Ju Ying-nan , Gao Wei , Li Dong-mei , Guo Chang-chun
Published: January 2018

Ventilator-induced lung injury aggravates the existing lung injury. This study investigated the effect of desflurane on VILI in a rat model of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Forty-eight rats were randomized into a sham (S) group, control (C) group, lipopolysaccharide/ventilation (LV) group, lipopolysaccharide/ventilation/desflurane (LVD) group, or lipopolysaccharide/low ventilation with and without desflurane (LLV and LLVD) groups. Rats in the S group received anesthesia only. Rats in the LV and LVD groups received lipopolysaccharide and were ventilated with a high tidal volume. Rats in LLV and LLVD groups were treated as the LV and LVD groups and ventilated with a low tidal volume. PaO2/FiO2, lung wet-to-dry weight ratios, concentrations of inflammatory factors in serum and BALF, histopathologic analysis of lung tissue, and levels of nuclear factor- (NF-) κB protein in lung tissue were investigated. PaO2/FiO2 was significantly increased by desflurane. Total cell count, macrophages, and neutrophils in BALF and proinflammatory factors in BALF and serum were significantly decreased by desflurane, while IL-10 was increased. The histopathological changes and levels of NF-κB protein in lung tissue were decreased by desflurane. The results indicated that desflurane ameliorated VILI in a rat model of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Systematic and Empirical Study of the Dependence of Polyphenol Recovery from Apricot Pomace on Temperature and Solvent Concentration Levels
Authors: Cheaib Dina , El Darra Nada , Rajha Hiba N. , Maroun Richard G. , Louka Nicolas
Published: January 2018

This work aims to study the impact of solvent mixture (between 0 and 50% ethanol/water mixture) and temperature (between 25°C and 75°C) levels on the solid-liquid extraction of phenolic compounds (quantity and bioactivity) from apricot pomace. Results show that the mean augmentation of 1% ethanol in the range [0–12%] enhances by three times the extraction of polyphenols compared to the same augmentation in the range [0–50%]. Similarly, the mean augmentation of 1°Celcius in the range [0–25°Celcius] enhances by two times the extraction of polyphenols compared to the same augmentation in the range [0–75°Celcius]. Moreover, 1% of ethanol exhibited a greater impact on the phenolic compound extraction than 1°Celsius. The response surface methodology showed that the optimal extraction condition was reached with 50% ethanol/water at 75°C giving a total phenolic content (TPC) of 9.8 mg GAE/g DM, a flavonoids content (FC) of 8.9 mg CE/g DM, a tannin content (TC) of 4.72 mg/L, and an antiradical activity (AA) of 44%. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that polyphenols were influenced by the selectivity of the solvent as well as the properties of each phenolic compound. Apricot pomace extracts could therefore be used as natural bioactive molecules for many industrial applications.
The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Life and Longevity After Cancer (LILAC) Study: Description and Baseline Characteristics of Participants
Authors: Paskett Electra D. , Caan Bette J. , Johnson Lisa , Bernardo Brittany M. , Young Gregory S. , Pennell Michael L. , Ray Roberta M. , Kroenke Candyce H. , Porter Peggy L. , Anderson Garnet L.
Published: January 2018

Background: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Life and Longevity After Cancer (LILAC) study offers an important opportunity to advance cancer research by extending the original WHI studies to examine survivorship in women diagnosed with cancer during their participation in WHI.

Methods: The goals of LILAC are to (i) obtain cancer treatment information and long-term cancer outcomes for women diagnosed with one of eight selected cancers (breast, endometrial, ovarian, lung, and colorectal cancers, and melanoma, lymphoma, and leukemia); (ii) augment the existing WHI biorepository with fixed tumor tissue from the solid tumor sites for cancers diagnosed since 2002; and (iii) develop, refine, and validate methods to use administrative data to capture treatment and recurrence data. Methods for accomplishing these goals are described, as are results from the initial LILAC participant survey.

Results: A total of 9,934 WHI participants living with cancer were eligible for LILAC participation, of which 78% (N = 7,760) agreed to participate. Among the three most prevalent cancer types, 54% are breast cancer survivors, 11% are melanoma survivors, and 10% are survivors of colorectal cancer.

Conclusions: In addition to describing this resource, we present pertinent lessons that may assist other investigators interested in embedding survivorship research into existing large epidemiologic cohorts.

Impact: The LILAC resource offers a valuable opportunity for researchers to study cancer survivorship and issues pertinent to cancer survivors in future studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(2); 125–37. ©2017 AACR.
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography of Foveal Neovascularization in Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Andreanos Konstantinos , Rotsos Tryfon , Kymionis George , Koutsandrea Chryssanthi , Kotsolis Athanasios , Ladas Ioannis
Published: January 2018

Purpose: To report a case of foveal neovascularization in a patient with proliferative diabetic retinopathy as seen on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). Methods: Multimodal imaging was used for diagnostic investigation. Patient: A 61-year-old male with a 16-year history of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was referred to our medical retina department for examination and management. Meticulous fundus examination and multimodal imaging revealed proliferative diabetic retinopathy lesions, including neovascularization located in the foveal area. Results: OCT-A allowed us to detect the neovascular lesion, confirm that it originated from perifoveal capillaries, estimate its retinal depth, and evaluate the vessel blood flow in multiple layers. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of OCT-A imaging of foveal neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy. OCT-A is a very useful examination for the diagnostic investigation of patients with diabetic retinopathy.
Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy Associated with Optic Disc Coloboma
Authors: Nakano Yumiko , Miki Akiko , Honda Shigeru , Nakamura Makoto
Published: January 2018

Purpose: To report a case of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy associated with optic disc coloboma. Methods: Case report. Results: A 50-year-old woman presented with optic disc coloboma and retinochoroidal coloboma associated with subretinal hemorrhage and serous retinal detachment (SRD) in her left eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) confirmed SRD at the macula and showed a sharply elevated retinal epithelial detachment at the choroidal excavation. OCT also revealed choroidal cavitation along the temporal side of the optic coloboma. Fluorescein angiography showed hyperfluorescent dye leakage and indocyanine green angiography revealed polypoidal lesions. We diagnosed polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). PCV was located at the end of the choroidal cavitation. Her left eye was treated with an intraocular injection of the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor aflibercept (2 mg). Photodynamic therapy was performed using the standard protocol 1 week after the intravitreal application of aflibercept. One month after the combined treatment, OCT showed completely resolved SRD and her symptoms disappeared. Her best-corrected visual acuity remained stable and no recurrence was found during a 12-month follow-up period. Conclusion: PCV associated with optic disc coloboma has not been previously reported. The morphological abnormality of choroidal cavitation and choroidal excavation connecting with optic disc coloboma may contribute to the development of PCV in this case.
Hyoscine N-Butylbromide for Preventing Propofol Injection Pain: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled and Double-Blind Study
Authors: Sargın Mehmet , Uluer Mehmet Selçuk , Aydoğan Eyüp
Published: January 2018

Objective: In this study, the aim was to investigate the effect of hyoscine N-butylbromide (HnBB) pretreatment on pain during propofol injection. Subjects and Methods: In this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blind trial, 60 patients scheduled to undergo routine outpatient surgery under general anesthesia were randomly allocated to 2 groups, the HnBB (n = 30) and sodium chloride (n = 30) groups. Twenty seconds after the injection of 20 mg HnBB or 0.9 % sodium chloride, a 50-mg dose of propofol was injected in 2–3 s. Ten seconds later, the pain intensity was assessed using a 4-point scale: no pain (0), mild (1), moderate (2), and severe (3) pain. The Student t test was used for the analysis of parametric data and the Pearson χ2 test for categorical data. Results: The occurrence of pain in the HnBB group (43.3%) was significantly lower than the control group (73.3%) (p < 0.018). Of the 30 patients in each group, 10 in the control group and 3 in the HnBB group experienced severe pain (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Pretreatment with 20 mg HnBB significantly reduced propofol injection pain compared to placebo.
A Mechanistic Model to Quantify von Willebrand Factor Release, Survival and Proteolysis in Patients with von Willebrand Disease
Authors: Ferrari Myriam , Galvanin Federico , Barolo Massimiliano , Daidone Viviana , Padrini Roberto , Bezzo Fabrizio , Casonato Alessandra
Published: January 2018

A reduced von Willebrand factor (VWF) synthesis or survival, or its increased proteolysis, alone or in combination, contributes to the development of von Willebrand disease (VWD).

We describe a new, simple mechanistic model for exploring how VWF behaves in well-defined forms of VWD after its 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP)-induced release from endothelial cells. We aimed to ascertain whether the model can consistently predict VWF kinetic changes. The study involved 9 patients with VWD types Vicenza (a paradigmatic form with a reduced VWF survival), 8 type 2B, 2 type 2A-I, 1 type 2A-II (associated with an increased VWF proteolysis), and 42 normal controls, whose VWF levels were measured after a 24-hour-long DDAVP test. The rate constants considered were: k
0, associated with the VWF release phase; k
1, illustrating the phase of conversion from high- to low-molecular-weight VWF multimers; and k
e, associated with the VWF elimination phase. The amount of VWF released (D) was also measured.

k
e and D were significantly higher in O than in non-O blood group controls; k
1 was also higher, but less markedly so. All the parameters were accelerated in type Vicenza, especially k
e (p < 0.0001), which explains the significant reduction in VWF half-life. In types 2B and 2A-II, k
1 was one order of magnitude higher than in controls, which explains their loss of large VWF multimers. All parameters except k
e were lower in type 2A-I.

The proposed mechanistic model clearly describes the altered biochemical pathways in well-characterized VWD, prompting us to suggest that it might help clarify elusive forms of VWD too.
Prognostic Implications of Dual Platelet Reactivity Testing in Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: de Carvalho Leonardo , Fong Alan , Troughton Richard , Yan Bryan , Chin Chee-Tang , Poh Sock-Cheng , Mejin Melissa , Huang Nancy , Seneviratna Aruni , Lee Chi-Hang , Low Adrian , Tan Huay-Cheem , Chan Siew-Pang , Frampton Christopher , Richards A. , Chan Mark
Published: January 2018

Studies on platelet reactivity (PR) testing commonly test PR only after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been performed. There are few data on pre- and post-PCI testing. Data on simultaneous testing of aspirin and adenosine diphosphate antagonist response are conflicting. We investigated the prognostic value of combined serial assessments of high on-aspirin PR (HASPR) and high on-adenosine diphosphate receptor antagonist PR (HADPR) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). HASPR and HADPR were assessed in 928 ACS patients before (initial test) and 24 hours after (final test) coronary angiography, with or without revascularization. Patients with HASPR on the initial test, compared with those without, had significantly higher intraprocedural thrombotic events (IPTE) (8.6 vs. 1.2%, p ≤ 0.001) and higher 30-day major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; 5.2 vs. 2.3%, p = 0.05), but not 12-month MACCE (13.0 vs. 15.1%, p = 0.50). Patients with initial HADPR, compared with those without, had significantly higher IPTE (4.4 vs. 0.9%, p = 0.004), but not 30-day (3.5 vs. 2.3%, p = 0.32) or 12-month MACCE (14.0 vs. 12.5%, p = 0.54). The c-statistic of the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score alone, GRACE score + ASPR test and GRACE score + ADPR test for discriminating 30-day MACCE was 0.649, 0.803 and 0.757, respectively. Final ADPR was associated with 30-day MACCE among patients with intermediate-to-high GRACE score (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 4.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–17.66), but not low GRACE score (adjusted OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.13–10.79). In conclusion, both HASPR and HADPR predict ischaemic events in ACS. This predictive utility is time-dependent and risk-dependent.
Contact System Activation and Cancer: New Insights in the Pathophysiology of Cancer-Associated Thrombosis
Authors: Campello E. , Henderson M.W. , Noubouossie D.F. , Simioni P. , Key N.S.
Published: January 2018

Cancer induces a systemic hypercoagulable state that elevates the baseline thrombotic risk of affected patients. This hypercoagulable state reflects a complex interplay between cancer cells and host cells and the coagulation system as part of the host response to cancer. Although the tissue factor (TF)/factor VIIa pathway is proposed to be the principal initiator of fibrin formation in cancer patients, clinical studies have not shown a consistent relationship between circulating TF levels (often measured as plasma microvesicle-associated TF) and the risk of thrombosis. A renewed interest in the role of the contact pathway in thrombosis has evolved over the past decade, raising the question of its role in the pathogenesis of thrombotic complications in cancer. Recent observations have documented the presence of activation of the contact system in gastrointestinal, lung, breast and prostate cancers. Although the assays used to measure contact activation differ, and despite the absence of standardization of methodologies, it is clear that both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways may be activated in cancer. This review will focus on recent findings concerning the role of activation of the contact system in cancer-associated hypercoagulability and thrombosis. An improved understanding of the pathophysiology of these mechanisms may lead to personalized antithrombotic protocols with improved efficacy and safety compared with currently available therapies.
Chemical Footprinting Reveals Conformational Changes Following Activation of Factor XI
Authors: Stroo Ingrid , Marquart J. , Bakhtiari Kamran , Plug Tom , Meijer Alexander , Meijers Joost
Published: January 2018

Coagulation factor XI is activated by thrombin or factor XIIa resulting in a conformational change that converts the catalytic domain into its active form and exposing exosites for factor IX on the apple domains. Although crystal structures of the zymogen factor XI and the catalytic domain of the protease are available, the structure of the apple domains and hence the interactions with the catalytic domain in factor XIa are unknown. We now used chemical footprinting to identify lysine residue containing regions that undergo a conformational change following activation of factor XI. To this end, we employed tandem mass tag in conjunction with mass spectrometry. Fifty-two unique peptides were identified, covering 37 of the 41 lysine residues present in factor XI. Two identified lysine residues that showed altered flexibility upon activation were mutated to study their contribution in factor XI stability or enzymatic activity. Lys357, part of the connecting loop between A4 and the catalytic domain, was more reactive in factor XIa but mutation of this lysine residue did not impact on factor XIa activity. Lys516 and its possible interactor Glu380 are located in the catalytic domain and are covered by the activation loop of factor XIa. Mutating Glu380 enhanced Arg369 cleavage and thrombin generation in plasma. In conclusion, we have identified novel regions that undergo a conformational change following activation. This information improves knowledge about factor XI and will contribute to development of novel inhibitors or activators for this coagulation protein.
Shifts in Warfare and Party Unity: Explaining China's Changes in Military Strategy
Authors: Fravel M. Taylor
Published: January 2018

Since 1949, China has adopted nine national military strategies, known as “strategic guidelines.” The strategies adopted in 1956, 1980, and 1993 represent major changes in China's military strategy, or efforts by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to wage war in a new way. Shifts in the conduct of warfare in the international system offer one explanation for why China, a developing country for most of this period, pursued major change in its military strategy. Such shifts in the conduct of warfare should be especially powerful if a gap exists between a state's current strategy and the requirements of future warfare. The PLA has only been able to change strategy, however, when the Chinese Communist Party leadership is united and agrees on basic policies and the structure of authority. When the party is united, it delegates substantial responsibility for military affairs to the PLA leadership, which changes or adjusts military strategy in response to changes in China's security environment.
The Impact of Islamic Criminal Law on the Qatari Penal Code
Authors: Hassanein Ahmed Samir
Published: January 2018

The Qatari legislator has adopted a penal code that encompasses rules derived from a divine source and also deals with several other crimes common in positive penal laws. Whoever reads the Qatari Penal Code will notice the significant influence that Islamic criminal rules have had on that law. Its inaugural article unequivocally provides that rules of Islamic law (shariah) shall apply to all crimes of hudud, qisas and diya if a special condition is met. In all other cases, however, shariah rules still permeate the entire code through the proscription of acts derived from shariah law. This article thus aims to present a concise overview of the contemporary Qatari experience in adopting rules derived from Islamic criminal law into its penal code, for the purpose of highlighting its points of strength, as well as identifying points of weakness to overcome.
The Role of Small-Scale Vortices in Enhancing Surface Winds and Damage in Hurricane Harvey (2017)
Authors: Wurman Joshua , Kosiba Karen
Published: January 2018

Strong hurricanes cause severe, but highly variable, wind damage to homes and community infrastructure. It has been speculated, but not previously shown, that damage variability is caused by tornadoes or other small-scale phenomena. Here, the authors present the first mapping and tracking of persistent tornado-scale vortices (TSVs) in the eyewall and the first documentation of the likely role of eyewall mesovortices (MVs) and TSVs in enhancing surface winds and damage. Unprecedented finescale observations in the eyewall of Hurricane Harvey (2017) were obtained by a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar deployed inside the eye. These observations reveal several persistent eyewall MVs revolving about the eye, as well as superimposed subkilometer-scale TSVs. Wind field perturbations associated with TSVs and MVs are less than those typical in supercell tornadoes, but since they are embedded in strong background eyewall flow, they are likely responsible for the enhancement of surface wind gusts and significant damage, including destroyed buildings and lofted vehicles. Potential climate change may result in more frequent intense and/or rapidly intensifying hurricanes; thus, understanding and forecasting the causes of hurricane wind damage is a high priority.
Associations between parental broader autism phenotype and child autism spectrum disorder phenotype in the Study to Explore Early Development
Authors: Rubenstein Eric , Wiggins Lisa D , Schieve Laura A , Bradley Chyrise , DiGuiseppi Carolyn , Moody Eric , Pandey Juhi , Pretzel Rebecca Edmondson , Howard Annie Green , Olshan Andrew F , Pence Brian W , Daniels Julie
Published: January 2018

The autism spectrum disorder phenotype varies by social and communication ability and co-occurring developmental, behavioral, and medical conditions. Etiology is also diverse, with myriad potential genetic origins and environmental risk factors. Examining the influence of parental broader autism phenotype—a set of sub-clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorder—on child autism spectrum disorder phenotypes may help reduce heterogeneity in potential genetic predisposition for autism spectrum disorder. We assessed the associations between parental broader autism phenotype and child phenotype among children of age 30–68 months enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development (N = 707). Child autism spectrum disorder phenotype was defined by a replication of latent classes derived from multiple developmental and behavioral measures: Mild Language Delay with Cognitive Rigidity, Mild Language and Motor Delay with Dysregulation (e.g. anxiety/depression), General Developmental Delay, and Significant Developmental Delay with Repetitive Motor Behaviors. Scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale-Adult measured parent broader autism phenotype. Broader autism phenotype in at least one parent was associated with a child having increased odds of being classified as mild language and motor delay with dysregulation compared to significant developmental delay with repetitive motor behaviors (odds ratio: 2.44; 95% confidence interval: 1.16, 5.09). Children of parents with broader autism phenotype were more likely to have a phenotype qualitatively similar to broader autism phenotype presentation; this may have implications for etiologic research.
Quality of Life Outcomes for Cabozantinib Versus Everolimus in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: METEOR Phase III Randomized Trial
Authors: Cella David , Escudier Bernard , Tannir Nizar M. , Powles Thomas , Donskov Frede , Peltola Katriina , Schmidinger Manuela , Heng Daniel Y.C. , Mainwaring Paul N. , Hammers Hans J. , Lee Jae Lyun , Roth Bruce J. , Marteau Florence , Williams Paul , Baer John , Mangeshkar Milan , Scheffold Christian , Hutson Thomas E. , Pal Sumanta , Motzer Robert J. , Choueiri Toni K.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

In the phase III METEOR trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01865747), 658 previously treated patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive cabozantinib or everolimus. The cabozantinib arm had improved progression-free survival, overall survival, and objective response rate compared with everolimus. Changes in quality of life (QoL), an exploratory end point, are reported here.

Patients and Methods

Patients completed the 19-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Kidney Symptom Index (FKSI-19) and the five-level EuroQol (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaires at baseline and throughout the study. The nine-item FKSI–Disease-Related Symptoms (FKSI-DRS), a subset of FKSI-19, was also investigated. Data were summarized descriptively and by repeated-measures analysis (for which a clinically relevant difference was an effect size ≥ 0.3). Time to deterioration (TTD) was defined as the earlier of date of death, radiographic progressive disease, or ≥ 4-point decrease from baseline in FKSI-DRS.

Results

The QoL questionnaire completion rates remained ≥ 75% through week 48 in each arm. There was no difference over time for FKSI-19 Total, FKSI-DRS, or EQ-5D data between the cabozantinib and everolimus arms. Among the individual FKSI-19 items, cabozantinib was associated with worse diarrhea and nausea; everolimus was associated with worse shortness of breath. These differences are consistent with the adverse event profile of each drug. Cabozantinib improved TTD overall, with a marked improvement in patients with bone metastases at baseline.

Conclusion

In patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, relative to everolimus, cabozantinib generally maintained QoL to a similar extent. Compared with everolimus, cabozantinib extended TTD overall and markedly improved TTD in patients with bone metastases.
Evaluation of spinal involvement in children with mucopolysaccharidosis VI: the role of MRI
Authors: Bulut Elif , Pektas Emine , Sivri Hatice S , Bilginer Burcak , Umaroglu Mumtaz M , Ozgen Burce
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To evaluate spinal MRI features of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) VI and to assess the correlation with clinical findings.

Methods:

We retrospectively evaluated spinal MRI scans and clinical findings at the time of imaging in 14 patients (8 male, 6 female) with MPS VI. Craniometric measurements were performed and the images were assessed for bony anomalies, spinal stenosis and spinal cord compression. The degree of cervical cord compression was scored and correlated with neurological examination findings at the time of imaging. Vertebral alignment, structural changes in spinal ligaments and intervertebral discs were also assessed.

Results:

All patients had cervical stenosis due to bony stenosis and thickened retrodental tissue (median: 6.05 mm, range 3.3–8 mm). Retrodental tissue thickness was found to increase with age (p = 0.042). Compressive myelopathy was detected at upper cervical level in 11 (79%) and lower thoracic level in 2 patients (14%). Significant inverse correlation was found between cervical myelopathy scores and neurological strength scores. The most common bony changes were hypo/dysplastic odontoid; cervical platyspondyly with anterior inferior beaking; thoracic posterior end plate depressions and lumbar posterior scalloping. Kyphosis due to retrolisthesis of the beaked lumbar vertebrae and acute sacrococcygeal angulations were other remarkable findings.

Conclusion:

MRI is an essential component in evaluation of spinal involvement in MPS VI, and scanning of the entire spine is recommended to rule out thoracic cord compression.

Advances in knowledge:

This study provides a detailed description of spinal MRI findings in MPS VI and underlines the role of MRI in management of cord compression.
Global ecology − Economics and Finance
Authors: Пищулов Виктор , Pishchulov Viktor
Published: January 2018

The solution to the problems of global environmental processes are of increasing importance. Changes the state of the environment attract the attention of public organizations, business, governments of many countries. At the end of the twentieth century, General attention was attracted by two global environmental problems. This is, firstly, deformation and weakening of the ozone layer planetai, and secondly, global climate change.
The author attempts to systematize the material on the basis of a common methodological scheme, involving a gradual transition from the simplest models to the more complex. In the present work attempts to provide definitions for many commonly used concepts of the economy from the standpoint of the analysis of the processes of human interaction with the environment. Given the basic definitions of the basic concepts and practices for regulation of interaction of economic agents and the surrounding global environment. Methods are described for the management of companies, territorial economic entities in the specific conditions of global changes of the natural environment, which must comply with the principle of sustainable development. Raises the problem of definitions of the basic concepts and formation of these concepts used in research related to the problems of global ecology.
The theoretical basis of the analysis of economic activities
Authors: Савицкая Глафира , Savitskaya Glafira
Published: January 2018

Theoretical bases of analysis of economic activity as a system of generalized knowledge about its subject, method, functions, principles, objectives and methods. Explores the analytical tools of the study; methodology of deterministic and stochastic factor analysis, financial calculations, methods of determining the value of on-farm reserves, the contents, functions, and methodological features of the main types of analysis issues of analysis at the enterprises.
For students of higher educational institutions of economic specialties.