bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of pregnancy outcomes in Ghanaian women with varying dietary diversity: a prospective cohort study protocol
Authors: Osman Shaibu Mohammed , Saaka Mahama , Siassi Fereydoun , Qorbani Mostafa , Yavari Parvaneh , Danquah Ina , Sotoudeh Gity
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Poor dietary intake during pregnancy can have negative repercussions on the mother and fetus. This study therefore aims to explore the dietary diversity (DD) of pregnant women and its associations with pregnancy outcomes among women in Northern Ghana. The main outcome variables to be measured are gestational weight gain and birth weight.

Methods and analysis

A prospective cohort study design will be used and 600 pregnant women in their first trimester will be systematically recruited at health facilities and followed until delivery. In three follow-up visits after recruitment, information on sociodemographic and general characteristics, physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form, dietary intake (24-hour food recall), anthropometry and pregnancy outcomes will be collected. DD will be measured three times using the minimum DD-women (MDD-W) indicator and the mean of the three values overall will be used to determine low (<5 food groups) and high (≥5 food groups) DD. Data will be analysed using SPSS. Comparisons between groups (categorical data) will be made using the χ2test for proportions, and t-tests and ANOVA will be performed on continuous variables. Regression analysis will be used to identify independent outcome predictors while controlling for possible confounding factors. The results may help to identify differences in DD between healthy and unhealthy pregnancy outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol has been approved by the ethics committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the ethical review committee of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Written informed consent will be obtained from all subjects. The results will be published in due course.
Ability of preoperative falls to predict postsurgical outcomes in non-selected patients undergoing elective surgery at an academic medical centre: protocol for a prospective cohort study
Authors: Kronzer Vanessa L , Ben Abdallah Arbi , McKinnon Sherry L , Wildes Troy S , Avidan Michael S
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Falls are increasingly recognised for their ability to herald impending health decline. Despite the likely susceptibility of postsurgical patients to falls, a detailed description of postoperative falls in an unselected surgical population has never been performed. One study suggests that preoperative falls may forecast postoperative complications. However, a larger study with non-selected surgical patients and patient-centred outcomes is needed to provide the generalisability and justification necessary to implement preoperative falls assessment into routine clinical practice. The aims of this study are therefore twofold. First, we aim to describe the main features of postoperative falls in a population of unselected surgical patients. Second, we aim to test the hypothesis that a history of falls in the 6 months prior to surgery predicts postoperative falls, poor quality of life, functional dependence, complications and readmission.

Methods and analysis

To achieve these goals, we study adult patients who underwent elective surgery at our academic medical centre and were recruited to participate in a prospective, survey-based cohort study called Systematic Assessment and Targeted Improvement of Services Following Yearlong Surgical Outcomes Surveys (SATISFY-SOS) (NCT02032030). Patients who reported falling in the 6 months prior to surgery will be considered ‘exposed.’ The primary outcome of interest is postoperative falls within 30 days of surgery. Secondary outcomes include postoperative functional dependence, quality of life (both physical and mental), in-hospital complications and readmission. Regression models will permit controlling for important confounders.

Ethics and dissemination

The home institution's Institutional Review Board approved this study (IRB ID number 201505035). The authors will publish the findings, regardless of the results.
Prevalence and factors associated with the occurrence of bacterial enteropathogens in suckling piglets in farrow‐to‐finish herds
Authors: Dors A. , Czyżewska‐Dors E. , Wasyl D. , Pomorska‐Mól M.
Published: September 2016

The aim of the study was to determine both environmental and infectious factors, influencing occurrence of bacterial enteropathogens in suckling piglets. For this purpose, a cross‐sectional study in 70 Polish farrow‐to‐finish pig herds was performed. In each herd, presence of selected intestinal pathogens (Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella species) in faeces of suckling piglets were determined using bacteriological and PCR methods. Using logistic regression models, risk factors for enterotoxigenic E coli with fimbriae F4 (ETEC‐F4) and C perfringens type A were established. Prevalence of bacterial enteropathogens in investigated herds was as follows (on herd and sample level): ETEC‐F4 30.0 per cent and 9.3 per cent, respectively, C perfringens type A 91.4 per cent and 58.3 per cent, C perfringens type C 1.4 per cent and 0.3 per cent, Salmonella species 2.9 per cent and 0.5 per cent. The occurrence of ETEC‐F4 was associated with presence of diarrhoea in piglets and vulval discharge in sows. Vulval discharge in sows, not slatted floor in farrowing pen and lack of coccidiosis prevention were determined as risk factors for C perfringens type A. The results obtained in the study revealed the high prevalence of enteropathogenic bacteria in pig herds and indicate management and organisation of production as factors having the greatest impact on the incidence of bacterial enteropathogens in piglets before weaning.
Supporting rabies control in India
Authors: Mansfield Karen L. , Banyard Ashley C. , Fooks Anthony R. , Franka Richard , Isloor Shrikrishna , Rahman Abdul
Published: September 2016

Earlier this year, Tony Fooks and colleagues described how, under a laboratory twinning project run by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the UK's OIE Reference Laboratory for rabies, based at the APHA in Weybridge, had been working with the Changchun Veterinary Research Institute in the People's Republic of China to help the institute develop into an OIE Reference Laboratory itself (VR, March 5, 2016, vol 178, pp 231‐232). Now, the APHA is taking part in a further three‐year project to build rabies diagnosis capability in Bangalore, India, as he and his colleagues explain below
On the vortex dynamics of shear-driven deep cavity flows with asymmetrical walls
Authors: Cornu D. , Keirsbulck L. , Kerhervé F. , Aloui F. , Lippert M.
Published: September 2016

The influence of the length-to-depth aspect ratio and of wall asymmetry on the main vortical flow structures evolving in rectangular two-dimensional deep cavities is studied experimentally using wall-pressure and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements. Wall-pressure and cavity flow statistics have been analyzed and shown that the flow features are strongly affected especially by the asymmetry. An emphasis is given concerning the behavior of the shear layer oscillations that are compared to the analytical deep-cavity model prediction proposed by P.J.W. Block (NASA Tech. Note. 1976). The results show good agreement with Block’s model if the value of the convection velocity is properly adjusted. Stochastic estimation of the cavity flows demonstrates that convective structures are involved downstream of the cavity along the wall and highlights the physical nature of the pressure-producing flow structures.
Two-Run RAM March Testing with Address Decimation
Authors: Mrozek Ireneusz , Yarmolik Vyacheslav
Published: September 2016

Conventional march memory tests have high fault coverage, especially for simple faults like stack-at fault (SAF), transition fault (TF) or coupling fault (CF). The same-time standard march tests, which are based on only one run, are becoming insufficient for complex faults like pattern-sensitive faults (PSFs). To increase fault coverage, the multi-run transparent march test algorithms have been used. This solution is especially suitable for built-in self-test (BIST) implementation. The transparent BIST approach presents the incomparable advantage of preserving the content of the random access memory (RAM) after testing. We do not need to save the memory content before the test session or to restore it at the end of the session. Therefore, these techniques are widely used in critical applications (medical electronics, railway control, avionics, telecommunications, etc.) for periodic testing in the field. Unfortunately, in many cases, there is very limited time for such test sessions. Taking into account the above limitations, we focus on short, two-run march test procedures based on counter address sequences. The advantage of this paper is that it defines requirements that must be taken into account in the address sequence selection process and presents a deeply analytical investigation of the optimal address decimation parameter. From the experiments we can conclude that the fault coverage of the test sessions generated according to the described method is higher than in the case of pseudorandom address sequences. Moreover, the benefit of this solution seems to be low hardware overhead in implementation of an address generator.
A Multi-Agent Solution to Distributed Fault Diagnosis of Preheater Cement Cyclone
Authors: Chouhal O. , Mouss H. L. , Benaggoune K. , Mahdaoui R.
Published: September 2016

Systems health monitoring is essential to guaranteeing the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of engineering systems. Integrated systems health management methodologies include fault diagnosis mechanism. Diagnosis involves detecting when a fault has occurred, isolating the true fault, and identifying the true damage to the system. This important issue is even harder when the systems to be diagnosed are dynamic and spatially distributed systems with their successively increasing complexity. For such systems, a single diagnostic entity having a model of the whole system approach is inappropriate. Whereas a distributed approach of multiple diagnostic agents can offer a solution. An overall systematic solution for these issues could be obtained by an artificial intelligent mechanism called the multi-agent system (MAS). This paper presents a MAS model for fault diagnosis based on logical theory of diagnosis. In this approach, each local diagnostic agent has knowledge above its subsystem and an abstract view of the neighboring subsystems and it is able to determine the local minimal diagnoses that are consistent with global diagnoses. The multi-agent models are simulated in Java Agent Development Framework and are applied to the preheated cement cyclone in the workshop of SCIMAT clinker.
Ethical considerations in network measurement papers
Authors: Partridge Craig , Allman Mark
Published: September 2016

The most important consideration is how the collection of measurements may affect a person's well-being.
Rethinking security for internet routing
Authors: Lychev Robert , Schapira Michael , Goldberg Sharon
Published: September 2016

Combine simple whitelisting technology, notably prefix filtering, in most BGP-speaking routers with weaker cryptographic protocols.
Dynamics of change
Authors: Medeiros Andre
Published: September 2016

Tame the dynamics of change by centralizing each concern in its own module.
Idle-time garbage-collection scheduling
Authors: Degenbaev Ulan , Eisinger Jochen , Ernst Manfred , Mcilroy Ross , Payer Hannes
Published: September 2016

Taking advantage of idleness to reduce dropped frames and memory consumption.
EXPERIENCE
Authors: D'Urso Ciro
Published: September 2016

Enterprise's archives are inevitably affected by the presence of data quality problems (also called glitches). This article proposes the application of a new method to analyze the quality of datasets stored in the tables of a database, with no knowledge of the semantics of the data and without the need to define repositories of rules. The proposed method is based on proper revisions of different approaches for outlier detection that are combined to boost overall performance and accuracy. A novel transformation algorithm is conceived that treats the items in database tables as data points in real coordinate space of
n
dimensions, so that fields containing dates and fields containing text are processed to calculate distances between those data points. The implementation of an iterative approach ensures that global and local outliers are discovered even if they are subject, primarily in datasets with multiple outliers or clusters of outliers, to masking and swamping effects. The application of the method to a set of archives, some of which have been studied extensively in the literature, provides very promising experimental results and outperforms the application of a single other technique. Finally, a list of future research directions is highlighted.
Ranking-Oriented Collaborative Filtering
Authors: Wang Shuaiqiang , Huang Shanshan , Liu Tie-Yan , Ma Jun , Chen Zhumin , Veijalainen Jari
Published: September 2016

Collaborative filtering (CF) is one of the most effective techniques in recommender systems, which can be either rating oriented or ranking oriented. Ranking-oriented CF algorithms demonstrated significant performance gains in terms of ranking accuracy, being able to estimate a precise preference ranking of items for each user rather than the absolute ratings (as rating-oriented CF algorithms do). Conventional memory-based ranking-oriented CF can be referred to as
pairwise
algorithms. They represent each user as a set of preferences on each pair of items for similarity calculations and predictions. In this study, we propose ListCF, a novel
listwise
CF paradigm that seeks improvement in both accuracy and efficiency in comparison with pairwise CF. In ListCF, each user is represented as a probability distribution of the permutations over rated items based on the Plackett-Luce model, and the similarity between users is measured based on the Kullback--Leibler divergence between their probability distributions over the set of commonly rated items. Given a target user and the most similar users, ListCF directly predicts a total order of items for each user based on similar users’ probability distributions over permutations of the items. Besides, we also reveal insightful connections among pointwise, pairwise, and listwise CF algorithms from the perspective of the matrix representations. In addition, to make our algorithm more scalable and adaptive, we present an incremental algorithm for ListCF, which allows incrementally updating the similarities between users when certain user submits a new rating or updates an existing rating. Extensive experiments on benchmark datasets in comparison with the state-of-the-art approaches demonstrate the promise of our approach.
Two-Hop Relay-Assisted Cooperative Communication in Wireless Body Area Networks
Authors: Dong Jie , Ge Yu , Smith David B.
Published: September 2016

The pervasive use of wireless body area networks (BANs) has incurred potential inter-BAN interference, which can cause severe performance degradation. In this article, the coexistence of BANs is experimentally performed. A relay-assisted cooperative communications scheme is implemented in a real IEEE 802.15.4-based BAN system with a beacon-enabled mode and guaranteed time slot (GTS) scheduling. As far as we know, it is the first experimental work that enables real-time investigation of the effectiveness of cooperative communications in BANs for co-channel radio interference mitigation. First- and second-order statistics, including outage probability, level crossing rate (LCR), and average fade/nonfade duration, are calculated from the measured effective channel gains of the device-to-coordinator links across all superframes. Empirical results demonstrate significant advantages of using two-hop relay-assisted communications over traditional star topology BAN. Advantages include a maximum of a 10dB increase in channel gain threshold at an outage probability of 10%, which corresponds to a guideline for a 10% maximum packet error rate as specified in the IEEE BAN standard; a reduction in the level crossing rate by a factor of 5 at a channel gain threshold of − 100dB; and an average nonfade duration prolonged by a factor of 5 at the same threshold.
Toward Delay-Efficient Game-Aware Data Centers for Cloud Gaming
Authors: Amiri Maryam , Osman Hussein Al , Shirmohammadi Shervin , Abdallah Maha
Published: September 2016

Gaming on demand is an emerging service that has recently started to garner prominence in the gaming industry. Cloud-based video games provide affordable, flexible, and high-performance solutions for end-users with constrained computing resources and enables them to play high-end graphic games on low-end thin clients. Despite its advantages, cloud gaming's Quality of Experience (QoE) suffers from high and varying end-to-end delay. Since the significant part of computational processing, including game rendering and video compression, is performed in data centers, controlling the transfer of information within the cloud has an important impact on the quality of cloud gaming services. In this article, a novel method for minimizing the end-to-end latency within a cloud gaming data center is proposed. We formulate an optimization problem for reducing delay, and propose a Lagrangian Relaxation (LR) time-efficient heuristic algorithm as a practical solution. Simulation results indicate that the heuristic method can provide close-to-optimal solutions. Also, the proposed model reduces end-to-end delay and delay variation by almost 11% and 13.5%, respectively, and outperforms the existing server-centric and network-centric models. As a byproduct, our proposed method also achieves better fairness among multiple competing players by almost 45%, on average, in comparison with existing methods.
Device-to-Device Communication for Mobile Multimedia in Emerging 5G Networks
Authors: Liu Jiajia , Kato Nei , Ujikawa Hirotaka , Suzuki Kenichi
Published: September 2016

Device-to-device (D2D) communication, which utilizes mobile devices located within close proximity for direct connection and data exchange, holds great promise for improving energy and spectrum efficiency of mobile multimedia in 5G networks. It has been observed that most available D2D-based works—considered only the single-cell scenario with a single BS. Such scenario-based schemes, although tractable and able to illustrate the relationship between D2D links and cellular links, failed to take into account the distribution of surrounding base stations and user equipments (UEs), as well as the accumulated interference from ongoing transmissions in other cells. Furthermore, the single-tier network with one BS considered in available works is far from the real 5G scenario in which multi-tier BSs are heterogeneously distributed among the whole network area. In light of such observations, we present in this article a model for network coverage probability and average rate analysis in a D2D communication overlaying a two-tier downlink cellular network, where nineteen macro base stations (MBSs) with pico base stations (PBSs) placed at the end point of macro cell (hexagons) borders are employed according to the 3GPP specifications, and mobile users are spatially distributed according to the homogeneous Poisson Point Process model. Each mobile UE is able to establish a D2D link with adjacent UEs or connect to a nearby macro or pico base station. Stochastic geometric analysis is adopted to characterize the intratier interference distribution within the MBS-tier, PBS-tier, and D2D-tier based on which network coverage probability and per-user average rate are derived with a careful consideration of important issues such as threshold value, SINR value, user density, content hit rate, spectrum allocation, and cell coverage range. Our results show that, even for the overlaying case, D2D communication can significantly improve network coverage probability and per-user average downlink rate. Another finding is that the frequency allocation for D2D communications should be carefully tuned according to network settings, which may result in totally different varying behaviors for the per-user average rate.
The puzzle of Japanese innovation and entrepreneurship
Authors: Cusumano Michael A.
Published: September 2016

Exploring how Japan's unique mixture of social, educational, and corporate practices influence entrepreneurial activity.
Mobile computing and political transformation
Authors: Best Michael L.
Published: September 2016

Connecting increased mobile phone usage with political and market liberalization.
TNF-αAutocrine Feedback Loops in Human Monocytes: The Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Roles of the TNF-αReceptors Support the Concept of Selective TNFR1 BlockadeIn Vivo
Authors: Gane Jennie M. , Stockley Robert A. , Sapey Elizabeth
Published: September 2016

Selective TNFR1 blockade in inflammatory diseases is emerging as a clinical strategy. We studied the roles of the two TNF-αreceptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2, in human monocytes, the principal producer of TNF-αand central to many TNF-αdriven diseases. We hypothesised that TNF-αhas pro- and anti-inflammatory effects on monocytes, occurring differentially via TNFR1 and TNFR2. Monocytes were isolated from healthy human subjects and exposed to LPS, plus/minus the addition of blocking antibodies to TNF-αor its receptors. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production was quantified using real-time PCR and ELISAs. Cell surface expression of TNFR1/2 was measured by flow cytometry. We demonstrated that monocytes vary in the expression patterns of TNFR1 and TNFR2. Autocrine binding of TNF-αled to sustained upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines via TNFR1. In contrast, autocrine binding via TNFR2 upregulated theanti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, without proinflammatory effect. TNFR2 was responsible for binding soluble TNF-αsecreted by monocytes, clearing the cytokine from the pericellular environment. TNFR1 blockade did not change the cell surface expression of TNFR2, leaving this receptor free to upregulate IL-10. These novel results support the concept of selective TNFR1 blockadein vivoin order that positive anti-inflammatory effects of TNF-αcan be retained via TNFR2 ligation.
A Novel Real-Time DDoS Attack Detection Mechanism Based on MDRA Algorithm in Big Data
Authors: Jia Bin , Ma Yan , Huang Xiaohong , Lin Zhaowen , Sun Yi
Published: September 2016

In the wake of the rapid development and wide application of information technology and Internet, our society has come into the information explosion era. Meanwhile, it brings in new and severe challenges to the field of network attack behavior detection due to the explosive growth and high complexity of network traffic. Therefore, an effective and efficient detection mechanism that can detect attack behavior from large scale of network traffic plays an important role. In this paper, we focus on how to distinguish the attack traffic from normal data flows in Big Data and propose a novel real-time DDoS attack detection mechanism based on Multivariate Dimensionality Reduction Analysis (MDRA). In this mechanism, we first reduce the dimensionality of multiple characteristic variables in a network traffic record by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Then, we analyze the correlation of the lower dimensional variables. Finally, the attack traffic can be differentiated from the normal traffic by MDRA and Mahalanobis distance (MD). Compared with previous research methods, our experimental results show that higher precision rate is achieved and it approximates to 100% in True Negative Rate (TNR) for detection; CPU computing time is one-eightieth and memory resource consumption is one-third of the previous detection method based on Multivariate Correlation Analysis (MCA); computing complexity is constant.
Optimal Control for Bufferbloat Queue Management Using Indirect Method with Parametric Optimization
Authors: Radwan Amr , To Hoang-Linh , Hwang Won-Joo
Published: September 2016

Because memory buffers become larger and cheaper, they have been put into network devices to reduce the number of loss packets and improve network performance. However, the consequences of large buffers are long queues at network bottlenecks and throughput saturation, which has been recently noticed in research community as bufferbloat phenomenon. To address such issues, in this article, we design a forward-backward optimal control queue algorithm based on an indirect approach with parametric optimization. The cost function which we want to minimize represents a trade-off between queue length and packet loss rate performance. Through the integration of an indirect approach with parametric optimization, our proposal has advantages of scalability and accuracy compared to direct approaches, while still maintaining good throughput and shorter queue length than several existing queue management algorithms. All numerical analysis, simulation in ns-2, and experiment results are provided to solidify the efficiency of our proposal. In detailed comparisons to other conventional algorithms, the proposed procedure can run much faster than direct collocation methods while maintaining a desired short queue (≈40 packets in simulation and80 (ms) in experiment test).
A Novel Method of Failure Sample Selection for Electrical Systems Using Ant Colony Optimization
Authors: Xiong Jian , Tian Shulin , Yang Chenglin , Liu Cheng
Published: September 2016

The influence of failure propagation is ignored in failure sample selection based on traditional testability demonstration experiment method. Traditional failure sample selection generally causes the omission of some failures during the selection and this phenomenon could lead to some fearful risks of usage because these failures will lead to serious propagation failures. This paper proposes a new failure sample selection method to solve the problem. First, the method uses a directed graph and ant colony optimization (ACO) to obtain a subsequent failure propagation set (SFPS) based on failure propagation model and then we propose a new failure sample selection method on the basis of the number of SFPS. Compared with traditional sampling plan, this method is able to improve the coverage of testing failure samples, increase the capacity of diagnosis, and decrease the risk of using.
Analysis of the Distribution of Forest Management Areas by the Forest Environmental Tax in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Uchiyama Yuta , Kohsaka Ryo
Published: September 2016

Forest management approaches vary according to the needs of individual municipalities with unique geographic conditions and local social contexts. Accordingly, there are two types of subsidies: a unified national subsidy and a prefecture-level subsidy, mainly from forest environmental taxes. The latter is a local tax. Our focus is on examining forest management using these two types of taxes (i.e., central and prefecture-level) and their correlations with social and natural environmental factors. In this paper, we examine the spatial distribution of management areas using subsidies from the central government, the Forestry Agency of Japan, and prefectural forest environmental taxes in Ishikawa. In concrete terms, the spatial correlations of the management areas under two tax schemes are compared with the natural hazard areas (as a natural environmental factor) and areas with high aging rates (as a social factor). The results are tested to see whether the correlations of areas with the two factors are significant, to examine whether the taxes are used for areas with natural and social needs. From the result, positive correlations are identified between the distribution of management areas and natural hazard areas and between the distribution of management areas and areas with high aging rates.
Audiovestibular Function Deficits in Vestibular Schwannoma
Authors: von Kirschbaum Constantin , Gürkov Robert
Published: September 2016

Introduction. Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign tumours of the vestibular nerve and can lead to hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, facial palsy, and brainstem compression. Audiovestibular diagnostic tests are essential for detection and treatment planning.Methods. Medline was used to perform a systematic literature review with regard to how audiovestibular test parameters correlate with symptoms, tumour size, and tumour location.Results. The auditory brainstem response can be used to diagnose retrocochlear lesions caused by VS. Since hearing loss correlates poorly with tumour size, a retrocochlear lesion is probably not the only cause for hearing loss. Also cochlear mechanisms seem to play a role. This can be revealed by abnormal otoacoustic emissions, despite normal ABR and new MRI techniques which have demonstrated endolymphatic hydrops of the inner ear. Caloric and head impulse tests show frequency specific dynamics and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials may help to identify the location of the tumour regarding the involved nerve parts.Conclusion. In order to preserve audiovestibular function in VS, it is important to stop the growth of the tumour and to avoid degenerative changes in the inner ear. A detailed neurotological workup helps to diagnose VS of all sizes and can also provide useful prognostic information.
A New Method for Obtaining the Baryons Mass under the Killingbeck Plus Isotonic Oscillator Potentials
Authors: Salehi Nasrin
Published: September 2016

The spectrum of ground state and excited baryons (N, Δ, Λ, Σ,Ξ, and Ω particles) has been investigated by using nonrelativistic quantum mechanics under the Killingbeck plus isotonic oscillator potentials. Using the Jacobi coordinates, anzast method, and generalized Gürsey Radicati (GR) mass formula the three-body-wave equation is solved to calculate the different states of the considered baryons. A comparison between our calculations and the available experimental data shows that the position of the Roper resonances of the nucleon, the ground states, and the excited multiplets up to three GeV are in general well reproduced. Also one can conclude that the interaction between the quark constituents of baryon resonances could be described adequately by using the combination of Killingbeck and isotonic oscillator potentials form.
Is Low Serum Vitamin D Associated with Early Dental Implant Failure? A Retrospective Evaluation on 1625 Implants Placed in 822 Patients
Authors: Mangano Francesco , Mortellaro Carmen , Mangano Natale , Mangano Carlo
Published: September 2016

Aim. To investigate whether there is a correlation between early dental implant failure and low serum levels of vitamin D.Methods. All patients treated with dental implants in a single centre, in the period 2003–2015, were considered for enrollment in this study. The main outcome was early implant failure. The influence of patient-related variables on implant survival was calculated using the Chi-square test.Results. 822 patients treated with 1625 implants were selected for this study; 27 early failures (3.2%) were recorded. There was no link between gender, age, smoking, history of periodontitis, and an increased incidence of early failures. Statistical analysis reported 9 early failures (2.2%) in patients with serum levels of vitamin D > 30 ng/mL, 16 early failures (3.9%) in patients with levels between 10 and 30 ng/mL, and 2 early failures (9.0%) in patients with levels <10 ng/mL. Although there was an increasing trend in the incidence of early implant failures with the worsening of vitamin D deficiency, the difference between these 3 groups was not statistically significant (P=0.15).Conclusions. This study failed in proving an effective link between low serum levels of vitamin D and an increased risk of early implant failure. Further studies are needed to investigate this topic.
Mini Review: Anticholinergic Activity as a Behavioral Pathology of Lewy Body Disease and Proposal of the Concept of “Anticholinergic Spectrum Disorders”
Authors: Hori Koji , Konishi Kimiko , Hosoi Misa , Tomioka Hiroi , Tani Masayuki , Kitajima Yuka , Hachisu Mitsugu
Published: September 2016

Given the relationship between anticholinergic activity (AA) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we rereview our hypothesis of the endogenous appearance of AA in AD. Briefly, because acetylcholine (ACh) regulates not only cognitive function but also the inflammatory system, when ACh downregulation reaches a critical level, inflammation increases, triggering the appearance of cytokines with AA. Moreover, based on a case report of a patient with mild AD and slightly deteriorated ACh, we also speculate that AA can appear endogenously in Lewy body disease due to the dual action of the downregulation of ACh and hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Based on these hypotheses, we consider AA to be a behavioral pathology of Lewy body disease. We also propose the concept of “anticholinergic spectrum disorders,” which encompass a variety of conditions, including AD, Lewy body disease, and delirium. Finally, we suggest the prescription of cholinesterase inhibitors to patients in this spectrum of disorders to abolish AA by upregulating ACh.
The Role of Interleukin-18 in Serum and Follicular Fluid during In Vitro Fertilization and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Authors: Günther Veronika , Alkatout Ibrahim , Fuhs Corinna , Salmassi Ali , Mettler Liselotte , Hedderich Jürgen , Maass Nicolai , Elessawy Mohamed , Schmutzler Andreas Gerd , Eckmann-Scholz Christel
Published: September 2016

Cytokines are key modulators of the immune system and play an important role in the ovarian cycle. IL-18 levels in serum and follicular fluid were analyzed in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. The cohort study group consisted of 90 women, who were undergoing IVF or ICSI. The body mass index (BMI) was determined in all patients; IL-18 levels were measured in follicular fluid and serum. IL-18 levels in serum were significantly higher than those in follicular fluid. The median level in serum was 162.75 (80.21) pg/mL and that in follicular fluid, 138.24 (91.78) pg/mL. Women undergoing IVF treatment had lower IL-18 levels in serum (median, 151.19 (90.73) pg/mL) than those treated with ICSI (median, 163.57 (89.97) pg/mL). The correlation between IL-18 levels in serum and BMI was statistically significant, as well as the correlation between IL-18 levels in follicular fluid and ovarian stimulation response (p=0.003). IL-18 was correlated with the response to ovarian stimulation and was the reason for successful pregnancy after IVF or ICSI treatment. Among other cytokines, IL-18 appears to be a promising prognostic marker of success in reproductive treatment and should be evaluated as such in further prospective studies.
Ordered Mesoporous Carbons as Novel and Efficient Adsorbent for Dye Removal from Aqueous Solution
Authors: Dang Phuong T. , Nguyen Hoa T. H. , Dao Canh D. , Le Giang H. , Nguyen Quang K. , Nguyen Kien T. , Tran Hoa T. K. , Nguyen Tuyen V. , Vu Tuan A.
Published: September 2016

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) were successfully synthesized by using hard template and soft template methods. These materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, and N2adsorption-desorption Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). From the obtained results, it is revealed that the obtained OMCs samples showed high surface area (>1000 m2/g) with high pore volume, mainly mesopore volume (1.2–2.4 cm3/g). Moreover, OMCs samples had similar structure of the SBA-15 silica and exhibited high MB adsorption capacity withqmof 398 mg·g−1for OMCs synthesis with hard template and 476 mg·g−1for OMCs synthesis with soft template, respectively. From kinetics investigation, it is confirmed that MB adsorption from aqueous solution obeys the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation.
Cross-Sectional Survey on Quitting Attempts among Adolescent Smokers in Dharan, Eastern Nepal
Authors: Pradhan Pranil Man Singh , Marahatta Kedar
Published: September 2016

Background. Adolescents frequently attempt smoking cessation but are unable to maintain long term abstinence because they are dependent on nicotine and experience withdrawal symptoms.Objectives. This study aimed to explore the quitting attempts among adolescent smokers in Dharan Municipality of Eastern Nepal.Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using pretested self-administered questionnaire adapted from Global Youth Tobacco Survey to assess current smokers and quitting attempts among 1312 adolescent students in middle (14-15 years) and late adolescence (16–19 years). Chi square test was used for association of various factors with quitting attempts.Results. The prevalence of current smoking was 13.7%. Among the current smokers, 66.5% had attempted to quit in the past because they believed smoking was harmful to health (35.5%). The median duration of quitting was 150 days. Nearly 8% of the current smokers were unwilling to quit in the future because they thought it is already a habit (60%). Smokers who are willing to quit smoking in the future were more likely to have made quitting attempts (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 0.40–4.45).Conclusion. Relapse often occurs even after multiple quitting attempts. Tobacco focused interventions to support abstinence are important during adolescence to prevent habituation.
The Hyper-Wiener Index of Trees of Ordernwith Diameterd
Authors: Cai Gaixiang , Yu Guidong , Cao Jinde , Alsaedi Ahmad , Alsaadi Fuad
Published: September 2016

The hyper-Wiener index is a kind of extension of the Wiener index, used for predicting physicochemical properties of organic compounds. The hyper-Wiener indexWW(G)is defined asWW(G)=1/2∑u,v∈VGdGu,v+dG2u,vwith the summation going over all pairs of vertices inG, anddGu,vdenotes the distance of the two verticesuandvin the graphG. In this paper, we obtain the second-minimum hyper-Wiener indices among all the trees withnvertices and diameterdand characterize the corresponding extremal graphs.
Perch Selection by Three Cooccurring Species ofCelithemis(Odonata: Libellulidae): Testing for a Competitive Hierarchy among Similar Species
Authors: Worthen Wade B. , Morrow Parker H.
Published: September 2016

In many communities of perching dragonflies (Odonata: Libellulidae), a size-dependent competitive hierarchy creates a positive relationship between male body size and perch height. We tested for this pattern among three similar-sized species:Celithemis elisa,C. fasciata, andC. ornata.Males were caught and photographed from May to July 2015 at Ashmore Heritage Preserve, Greenville County, SC, USA, and perch heights and perch distance to open water were measured. Five indices of body size were measured with ImageJ software: abdomen length, forewing length, hindwing length, area of forewing, and area of hindwing.Celithemis fasciatawas significantly larger than the other two species for all five anatomical characters and used perches that were significantly taller and closer to open water than the other species, though these differences changed over the summer. Aggressive interactions between and within species were tallied and compared to expected distributions based on mean relative abundances derived from hourly abundance counts. Patterns of interspecific aggression were also consistent with a size-dependent hierarchy: the largeC. fasciatawas attacked less frequently, and the smallC. ornatamore frequently, than predicted by their relative abundances. We conclude that even small differences in body size may contribute to niche partitioning in perch selection.
3D Modeling of Transformer Substation Based on Mapping and 2D Images
Authors: Sun Lei , Suo Xuesong , Liu Yifan , Zhang Meng , Han Lijuan
Published: September 2016

A new method for building 3D models of transformer substation based on mapping and 2D images is proposed in this paper. This method segments objects of equipment in 2D images by usingk-means algorithm in determining the cluster centers dynamically to segment different shapes and then extracts feature parameters from the divided objects by using FFT and retrieves the similar objects from 3D databases and then builds 3D models by computing the mapping data. The method proposed in this paper can avoid the complex data collection and big workload by using 3D laser scanner. The example analysis shows the method can build coarse 3D models efficiently which can meet the requirements for hazardous area classification and constructions representations of transformer substation.
Molecular Pathways: Targeting Steroid Receptor Coactivators in Cancer
Authors: Lonard David M. , O'Malley Bert W.
Published: September 2016

Coactivators represent a large class of proteins that partner with nuclear receptors and other transcription factors to regulate gene expression. Given their pleiotropic roles in the control of transcription, coactivators have been implicated in a broad range of human disease states, including cancer. This is best typified by the three members of the steroid receptor coactivator (SRC) family, each of which integrates steroid hormone signaling and growth factor pathways to drive oncogenic gene expression programs in breast, endometrial, ovarian, prostate, and other cancers. Because of this, coactivators represent emerging targets for cancer therapeutics, and efforts are now being made to develop SRC-targeting agents, such as the SI-2 inhibitor and the novel SRC stimulator, MCB-613, that are able to block cancer growth in cell culture and animal model systems. Here, we will discuss the mechanisms through which coactivators drive cancer progression and how targeting coactivators represent a novel conceptual approach to combat tumor growth that is distinct from the use of other targeted therapeutic agents. We also will describe efforts to develop next-generation SRC inhibitors and stimulators that can be taken into the clinic for the treatment of recurrent, drug-resistant cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 22(22); 5403–7. ©2016 AACR.
Development and Validation of a Six-Gene Recurrence Risk Score Assay for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Lee Keun-Wook , Lee Sung Sook , Hwang Jun-Eul , Jang Hee-Jin , Lee Hyun-Sung , Oh Sang Cheul , Lee Sang Ho , Sohn Bo Hwa , Kim Sang Bae , Shim Jae-Jun , Jeong Woojin , Cha Minse , Cheong Jae-Ho , Cho Jae Yong , Lim Jae Yun , Park Eun Sung , Kim Sang Cheol , Kang Yoon-Koo , Noh Sung Hoon , Ajani Jaffer A. , Lee Ju-Seog
Published: September 2016

Purpose: This study was aimed at developing and validating a quantitative multigene assay for predicting tumor recurrence after gastric cancer surgery.

Experimental Design: Gene expression data were generated from tumor tissues of patients who underwent surgery for gastric cancer (n = 267, training cohort). Genes whose expression was significantly associated with activation of YAP1 (a frequently activated oncogene in gastrointestinal cancer), 5-year recurrence-free survival, and 5-year overall survival were first identified as candidates for prognostic genes (156 genes, P < 0.001). We developed the recurrence risk score (RRS) by using quantitative RT-PCR to identify genes whose expression levels were significantly associated with YAP1 activation and patient survival in the training cohort.

Results: We based the RRS assay on 6 genes, IGFBP4, SFRP4, SPOCK1, SULF1, THBS, and GADD45B, whose expression levels were significantly associated with YAP1 activation and prognosis in the training cohort. The RRS assay was further validated in an independent cohort of 317 patients. In multivariate analysis, the RRS was an independent predictor of recurrence [HR, 1.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02–2.4; P = 0.03]. In patients with stage II disease, the RRS had an HR of 2.9 (95% CI, 1.1–7.9; P = 0.03) and was the only significant independent predictor of recurrence.

Conclusions: The RRS assay was a valid predictor of recurrence in the two cohorts of patients with gastric cancer. Independent prospective studies to assess the clinical utility of this assay are warranted. Clin Cancer Res; 22(24); 6228–35. ©2016 AACR.
MEK and TAK1 Regulate Apoptosis in Colon Cancer Cells with KRAS-Dependent Activation of Proinflammatory Signaling
Authors: McNew Kelsey L. , Whipple William J. , Mehta Anita K. , Grant Trevor J. , Ray Leah , Kenny Connor , Singh Anurag
Published: September 2016

MEK inhibitors have limited efficacy in treating RAS–RAF–MEK pathway–dependent cancers due to feedback pathway compensation and dose-limiting toxicities. Combining MEK inhibitors with other targeted agents may enhance efficacy. Here, codependencies of MEK, TAK1, and KRAS in colon cancer were investigated. Combined inhibition of MEK and TAK1 potentiates apoptosis in KRAS-dependent cells. Pharmacologic studies and cell-cycle analyses on a large panel of colon cancer cell lines demonstrate that MEK/TAK1 inhibition induces cell death, as assessed by sub-G1 accumulation, in a distinct subset of cell lines. Furthermore, TAK1 inhibition causes G2–M cell-cycle blockade and polyploidy in many of the cell lines. MEK plus TAK1 inhibition causes reduced G2–M/polyploid cell numbers and additive cytotoxic effects in KRAS/TAK1-dependent cell lines as well as a subset of BRAF-mutant cells. Mechanistically, sensitivity to MEK/TAK1 inhibition can be conferred by KRAS and BMP receptor activation, which promote expression of NF-κB-dependent proinflammatory cytokines, driving tumor cell survival and proliferation. MEK/TAK1 inhibition causes reduced mTOR, Wnt, and NF-κB signaling in TAK1/MEK-dependent cell lines concomitant with apoptosis. A Wnt/NF-κB transcriptional signature was derived that stratifies primary tumors into three major subtypes: Wnt-high/NF-κB-low, Wnt-low/NF-κB-high and Wnt-high/NF-κB-high, designated W, N, and WN, respectively. These subtypes have distinct characteristics, including enrichment for BRAF mutations with serrated carcinoma histology in the N subtype. Both N and WN subtypes bear molecular hallmarks of MEK and TAK1 dependency seen in cell lines. Therefore, N and WN subtype signatures could be utilized to identify tumors that are most sensitive to anti-MEK/TAK1 therapeutics.

Implications: This study describes a potential therapeutic strategy for a subset of colon cancers that are dependent on oncogenic KRAS signaling pathways, which are currently difficult to block with selective agents. Mol Cancer Res; 14(12); 1204–16. ©2016 AACR.
The Cytoskeletal Adapter Protein Spinophilin Regulates Invadopodia Dynamics and Tumor Cell Invasion in Glioblastoma
Authors: Cheerathodi Mujeeburahiman , Avci Naze G. , Guerrero Paola A. , Tang Leung K. , Popp Julia , Morales John E. , Chen Zhihua , Carnero Amancio , Lang Frederick F. , Ballif Bryan A. , Rivera Gonzalo M. , McCarty Joseph H.
Published: September 2016

Glioblastoma is a primary brain cancer that is resistant to all treatment modalities. This resistance is due, in large part, to invasive cancer cells that disperse from the main tumor site, escape surgical resection, and contribute to recurrent secondary lesions. The adhesion and signaling mechanisms that drive glioblastoma cell invasion remain enigmatic, and as a result there are no effective anti-invasive clinical therapies. Here we have characterized a novel adhesion and signaling pathway comprised of the integrin αvβ8 and its intracellular binding partner, Spinophilin (Spn), which regulates glioblastoma cell invasion in the brain microenvironment. We show for the first time that Spn binds directly to the cytoplasmic domain of β8 integrin in glioblastoma cells. Genetically targeting Spn leads to enhanced invasive cell growth in preclinical models of glioblastoma. Spn regulates glioblastoma cell invasion by modulating the formation and dissolution of invadopodia. Spn-regulated invadopodia dynamics are dependent, in part, on proper spatiotemporal activation of the Rac1 GTPase. Glioblastoma cells that lack Spn showed diminished Rac1 activities, increased numbers of invadopodia, and enhanced extracellular matrix degradation. Collectively, these data identify Spn as a critical adhesion and signaling protein that is essential for modulating glioblastoma cell invasion in the brain microenvironment.

Implications: Tumor cell invasion is a major clinical obstacle in glioblastoma and this study identifies a new signaling pathway regulated by Spinophilin in invasive glioblastoma. Mol Cancer Res; 14(12); 1277–87. ©2016 AACR.