bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Internal jugular vein thrombosis in Behcet’s disease: a rare complication
Authors: Bilici Muhammet , Pehlivan Yavuz , Kimyon Gezmis , Kisacik Bunyamin
Published: September 2014

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterised by oral/genital ulcers, ocular lesions, and gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, neurological and major vessel involvements. Venous manifestations are more common than arterial involvements. In this case report, we present a patient with internal jugular vein thrombosis, which is a very rare complication of BD.
Sparfloxacin-associated corneal epithelial toxicity
Authors: Agarwal Aniruddha Kishandutt , Ram Jagat , Singh Ramandeep
Published: September 2014

Sparfloxacin is a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic commonly used for various bacterial corneal infections. Topical use of fluoroquinolones is considered to be safe leading to their widespread use. Common indications include blepharitis, conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers. However, unsupervised prolonged use is associated with deposition of crystalline material in the epithelial and anterior stromal layers of the cornea. These may be associated with significant visual symptoms including diminution of vision and glare/photophobia. We present a case of a 40-year-old man who was treated with topical 0.3% sparfloxacin unsupervised for a long time. The patient developed significant visual impairment due to diffuse epitheliopathy. Cessation of the drug was slowly followed by reversal of manifestations and normalisation of corneal morphology.
Ocular rosacea: an underdiagnosed cause of relapsing conjunctivitis-blepharitis in the elderly
Authors: De Marchi Sergio Umberto , Cecchin Emanuela , De Marchi Sergio
Published: September 2014

Red eye and relapsing conjunctivitis-blepharitis are among the most common ocular disease in elderly patients. In these cases the search for causes is difficult and frustrating. We report the case of a 79-year-old woman with a long history of red eye and relapsing conjunctivitis-blepharitis caused by ocular rosacea. In this patient the proper diagnosis was performed after 10 years of ocular disease, and repeated evaluations by general practitioners and clinical specialists, only after the appearance of facial signs of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea. Adequate therapy with oral doxycycline led to the improvement of the clinical picture that previously had shown a poor response to several topical treatments. The possibility of ocular rosacea should be considered in evaluating an elderly patient with persistent red eye and relapsing conjunctivitis-blepharitis. Making the proper diagnosis is crucial because ocular rosacea does not respond as expected to topical therapy and may lead to severe corneal involvement.
Double trouble: a tale of two radio-treatments
Authors: Ogbonnaya Ebere Sunny , Peev Nikolay , Nagaraja Sanjoy , Dardis Ronan
Published: September 2014

In recent years, an increasing number of patients are treated with radiation. In the early era of radiotherapy, which began soon after X-rays were discovered by Roentgen in 1895, tumours were irradiated with high doses of X-rays in a single fraction. The major initial setback was the damage caused to normal tissues; however, in recent times the use of stereotactic radiosurgery, which delivers high doses of radiation precisely to abnormal tissue targets while sparing the surrounding normal brain tissue, and particularly for surgically inaccessible tumours, has taken centre stage. Prophylactic whole brain radiation (in conjunction with aggressive chemotherapy) for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia has been shown to improve patient survival, however, this is associated with complications in survivors. We report an interesting case of one of the longest survivors who has had double complications from radiotherapy-based interventions.
Varicosity of a single breast: a rare entity
Authors: Jain Vinod , Misra Samir , Jaiswal Vaibhav , Singh Saumya
Published: September 2014

Varicosity of the breasts is a rare clinical entity that may lead to symptoms such as prominent vascular markings over the breasts and may be painless; in long-standing cases it can lead to recurrent bleeding episodes. Bilateral venous affection in the breasts has been described in the literature; however, unilateral affection is a rarely documented phenomenon. Since vascular affliction of a single breast is rare and there is inherent difficulty in obtaining a histopathological diagnosis against a background of suspicion of malignancy, it is always challenging to provide optimal management to the patient. We are reporting a rare case of a 42-year-old, postmenopausal Indian woman with a long-standing history of unilateral varicosity of the left breast, who was treated successfully with a simple mastectomy; postoperative histopathology was consistent with benign vascular lesion, that is, angiomatosis.
Untangle lip through Z-plasty
Authors: Sinha Jolly , Kumar Vivek , Tripathi Amitandra Kumar , Saimbi Charanjit Singh
Published: September 2014

An aberrant frenum causes gingival recession either due to an interference in the plaque control or due to a muscle pull. It also presents an aesthetic problem and may compromise the orthodontic result in midline diastema cases, thus causing a recurrence after the treatment. The management of such an aberrant frenum is accomplished by performing a frenectomy. The present case report shows the removal of the abnormal maxillary labial frenum in a 26-year-old male patient and an 18-year-old female patient through the Z-plasty technique.
Long-term use and cost-effectiveness of secondary prevention drugs for heart disease in Western Australian seniors (WAMACH): a study protocol
Authors: Gunnell Anthony S , Knuiman Matthew W , Geelhoed Elizabeth , Hobbs Michael S T , Katzenellenbogen Judith M , Hung Joseph , Rankin Jamie M , Nedkoff Lee , Briffa Thomas G , Ortiz Michael , Gillies Malcolm , Cordingley Anne , Messer Mitch , Gardner Christian , Lopez Derrick , Atkins Emily , Mai Qun , Sanfilippo Frank M
Published: September 2014

Introduction

Secondary prevention drugs for cardiac disease have been demonstrated by clinical trials to be effective in reducing future cardiovascular and mortality events (WAMACH is theWesternAustralianMedicationAdherence andCosts inHeart disease study). Hence, most countries have adopted health policies and guidelines for the use of these drugs, and included them in government subsidised drug lists to encourage their use. However, suboptimal prescribing and non-adherence to these drugs remains a universal problem. Our study will investigate trends in dispensing patterns of drugs for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events and will also identify factors influencing these patterns. It will also assess the clinical and economic consequences of non-adherence and the cost-effectiveness of using these drugs.

Methods and analysis

This population-based cohort study will use longitudinal data on almost 40 000 people aged 65 years or older who were hospitalised in Western Australia between 2003 and 2008 for coronary heart disease, heart failure or atrial fibrillation. Linking of several State and Federal government administrative data sets will provide person-based information on drugs dispensed precardiac and postcardiac event, reasons for hospital admission, emergency department visits, mortality and medical visits. Dispensed drug trends will be described, drug adherence measured and their association with future all-cause/cardiovascular events will be estimated. The cost-effectiveness of these long-term therapies for cardiac disease and the impact of adherence will be evaluated.

Ethics and dissemination

Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approvals have been obtained from the Department of Health (Western Australian #2011/62 and Federal) and the University of Western Australia (RA/4/1/1130), in addition to HREC approvals from all participating hospitals. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at local, national and international conferences. Results will also be disseminated to consumer groups.
Impact of short-term exposure to fine particulate matter on emergency ambulance dispatches in Japan
Authors: Michikawa Takehiro , Ueda Kayo , Takeuchi Ayano , Kinoshita Makoto , Hayashi Hiromi , Ichinose Takamichi , Nitta Hiroshi
Published: September 2014

Background

Evidence of an association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and morbidity is limited in Asia. We used a case-crossover design to evaluate the association between short-term exposure to PM2.5and emergency ambulance dispatches (as a proxy of acute health outcomes), and to calculate the extent to which a 10 μg/m3decrease in PM2.5concentrations would reduce the number of ambulance dispatches.

Methods

We used data on emergency ambulance dispatches in Fukuoka City, Japan between 2005 and 2010. Emergency ambulance services are publicly funded and cover the entire city. After excluding ambulance dispatches related to external injuries and pregnancy/childbirth, we analysed data on the remaining 176 123 dispatches. We also collected records of daily concentrations of PM2.5from one ambient air pollution monitoring station. ORs per 10 μg/m3increase in PM2.5were estimated using conditional logistic regression controlled for ambient temperature and relative humidity.

Results

During the study period, the average daily concentration of PM2.5was 20.3 μg/m3. Exposure to PM2.5was associated with emergency ambulance dispatches in general (lag0–1; OR=1.008 (95% CI 1.002 to 1.014)) and with dispatches due to respiratory diseases (lag0–1; OR=1.027 (1.007 to 1.048)). No association was observed for dispatches due to cardiovascular diseases. We estimated that a 10 μg/m3decrease in PM2.5concentrations would have led to approximately 260 (estimated range=70–460) fewer ambulance dispatches in Fukuoka for 2012.

Conclusions

Providing further evidence on the short-term health effects of PM2.5exposure, we found that exposure was associated with an increased number of emergency ambulance dispatches. The effect was, however, relatively small.
Design and construction of the Barriga Dam spillway through an improved wedge-shaped block technology
Authors: Morán Rafael , Toledo Miguel A.
Published: September 2014

The Barriga Dam (Burgos, Spain) is a unique case study because its trapezoid spillway is located on the dam body and is composed of wedge-shaped concrete blocks (WSB) that include certain relevant improvements. This note summarizes the main features of the studies, the key aspects of the final design of the WSB and their placement on the dam, and important details of the spillway design. The design team concluded the study by showing the suitability of this enhanced technology for application to small dams and ponds in the short term, even with unit flows above 5 m2/s.
Orbital dynamics of the gravitational field of stringy black holes
Authors: Zhang Yu , Geng Jin-Ling , Li En-Kun
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we study the orbital dynamics of the gravitational field of stringy black holes by analyzing the effective potential and the phase plane diagram. By solving the equation of Lagrangian, the general relativistic equations of motion in the gravitational field of stringy black holes are given. It is easy to find that the motion of test particles depends on the energy and angular momentum of the test particles. Using the phase plane analysis method and combining the conditions of the stability, we discuss different types of the test particles' orbits in the gravitational field of stringy black holes. We get the innermost stable circular orbit which occurs at rmin= 5.47422 and when the angular momentum b ≤ 4.3887 the test particles will fall into the black hole.
High-energy collision of particles in the magnetic field far from black holes
Authors: Zaslavskii O. B.
Published: September 2014

We consider collision of two particles in the axially symmetric black hole metric in the magnetic field. If the value of the angular momentum |L| of one particles grows unbound (but its Killing energy remains fixed) one can achieve unbound energy in the center-of-mass frame E c.m. In the absence of the magnetic field, collision of this kind is known to happen in the ergoregion. However, if the magnetic field strength B is also large, with the ratio |L|/B being finite, large E c.m. can be achieved even far from a black hole, in the almost flat region. Such an effect also occurs in the metric of a rotating star.
A New Framework for Container Code Recognition by Using Segmentation-Based and HMM-Based Approaches
Authors: Wu Wei , Liu Zheng , Chen Mo , Liu Zhiming , Wu Xi , He Xiaohai
Published: September 2014

Traditional methods for automatic recognition of container code in visual images are based on segmentation and recognition of isolated characters. However, when the segment fails to separate each character from the others, those methods will not function properly. Sometimes the container code characters are printed or arranged very closely, which makes it a challenge to isolate each character. To address this issue, a new framework for automatic container code recognition (ACCR) in visual images is proposed in this paper. In this framework, code-character regions are first located by applying a horizontal high-pass filter and scan line analysis. Then, character blocks are extracted from the code-character regions and further classified into two categories, i.e. single-character block and multi-character block. Finally, a segmentation-based approach is implemented for recognition of the characters in single-character blocks, and a hidden Markov model (HMM)-based method is proposed for the multi-character blocks. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, which can successfully recognize the container code with closely arranged characters.
An Evolutive Approach for Smile Recognition in Video Sequences
Authors: Freire-Obregón David , Castrillón-Santana Modesto
Published: September 2014

Facial expression recognition is one of the most challenging research areas in the image recognition field and has been actively studied since the 70's. For instance, smile recognition has been studied due to the fact that it is considered an important facial expression in human communication, it is therefore likely useful for human–machine interaction. Moreover, if a smile can be detected and also its intensity estimated, it will raise the possibility of new applications in the future. We are talking about quantifying the emotion at low computation cost and high accuracy. For this aim, we have used a new support vector machine (SVM)-based approach that integrates a weighted combination of local binary patterns (LBPs)-and principal component analysis (PCA)-based approaches. Furthermore, we construct this smile detector considering the evolution of the emotion along its natural life cycle. As a consequence, we achieved both low computation cost and high performance with video sequences.
Torsion points and matrices defining elliptic curves
Authors: Ravindra G. V. , Tripathi Amit
Published: September 2014

Let k be an algebraically closed field, char k ≠ 2, 3, and let X ⊂ ℙ2 be an elliptic curve with defining polynomial f. We show that any non-trivial torsion point of order r, determines up to equivalence, a unique minimal matrix Φr of size 3r × 3r with linear polynomial entries such that det Φr = fr. We also show that the identity, thought of as the trivial torsion point of order r, determines up to equivalence, a unique minimal matrix Ψr of size (3r - 2) × (3r - 2) with linear and quadratic polynomial entries such that det Ψr = fr.
The Role of System-Thinking Development and Experiential Learning on Enterprise Transformation
Authors: Lopez Gabriel , Mazzuchi Thomas A. , Sarkani Shahram
Published: September 2014

During challenging market conditions, enterprises have to find ways to develop and train their workforce in a manner that enhances the innovative capabilities of the enterprise. Additionally, if companies are to stay competitive, they have to ensure critical skills in their workforce are transferred from generation to generation. This study builds on recent research on system-thinking development and experiential learning methodologies. First, a conceptual model was created in order to capture a methodology to construct a system-thinking apprenticeship program for system engineers. Then, a survey of system engineering professionals was conducted in order to assess the proposed model; the findings of the model are presented and the implications of the study are discussed.
Analysing the Viability of Business Networks in Multinational Organisations: A Case Study of the Aerospace and Defence Industry
Authors: Israilidis John , Cooke Louise , Lock Russell
Published: September 2014

This paper outlines ways of increasing the productivity and performance of organisational networks within multinational corporations. It explores their heterogeneous knowledge structures, while analysing their strengths and weaknesses. The research examines the collaborative knowledge networks of one of the largest multinational defence and aerospace organisations in the world and adopts an interpretivist philosophy, using a qualitative research methodology. This study argues that, both informal and formal business networks should be supported by management to enhance knowledge sharing between different groups within multinational organisations. It also argues that, knowledge sharing policies should be reviewed on an on-going basis in order to create a robust network of networks while acknowledging the importance of smaller and more isolated knowledge exchange communities.
Helping as Mundane Knowledge Sharing: Do Bundled Help Request and Quiet Time Increase Performance?
Authors: Käser Philipp A. W. , König Cornelius J. , Fischbacher Urs , Kleinmann Martin
Published: September 2014

On a daily level, knowledge is shared when one employee asks another for help. The positive effects of helping have been studied, but less is known about how helping can be made more efficient in terms of lowering the costs for the helpers. We investigated how two methods to channel knowledge sharing (bundled help requests and quiet time) affect helping efficiency. Bundling means that help requesters first collect some requests before asking; quiet time means that an organization defines time spans during which its employees must not interrupt and ask one another for help. We conducted a laboratory experiment and found that bundling increased the efficiency of helping, thereby increasing the combined performance of the helper and the help requester. Quiet time, however, decreased their combined performance. We discuss the implications of our findings for knowledge management research and practice.
Improved Text Clustering Using k-Mean Bayesian Vectoriser
Authors: Alghamdi Hanan M. , Selamat Ali , Karim Nor Shahriza Abdul
Published: September 2014

In literature studies, high-dimensional data reduces the efficiency of clustering algorithms and maximises execution time. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an approach called a BV-kmeans (Bayesian Vectorisation along with k-means) that aims to improve document representation models for text clustering. This approach consists of integrating the k-means document clustering with the Bayesian Vectoriser that is used to compute the probability distribution of the documents in the vector space in order to overcome the problems of high-dimensional data and lower the consumption time. We have used various similarity measures which are namely: K divergence, Squared Euclidean distance and Squared χ2 distance in order to determine the effective metrics for modelling the similarity between documents with the proposed approach. We have evaluated the proposed approach on a set of common newspaper websites that have highly dimensional data. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can increase the degree to which a cluster encases documents from a specific category by 85%. This is in comparison with the standard k-means algorithm and it has succeeded in lowering the runtime using the proposed approach by 95% compared to the standard k-means algorithm.
Source Code Plagiarism Detection Using Biological String Similarity Algorithms
Authors: Rahal Imad , Wielga Colin
Published: September 2014

Source code plagiarism is easy to commit but difficult to catch. Many approaches have been proposed in the literature to automate its detection; however there is little consensus on what works best. In this paper, we propose two new measures for determining the accuracy of a given technique and describe an approach to convert code files into strings which can then be compared for similarity in order to detect plagiarism. We then compare several string comparison techniques, heavily utilised in the area of biological sequence alignment, and compare their performance on a large collection of student source code containing various types of plagiarism. Experimental results show that the compared techniques succeed in matching a plagiarised file to its original files upwards of 90% of the time. Finally, we propose a modification for these algorithms that drastically improves their runtimes with little or no effect on accuracy. Even though the ideas presented herein are applicable to most programming languages, we focus on a case study pertaining to an introductory-level Visual Basic programming course offered at our institution.
Mitigating risk incentives by issuing convertible bonds: A refinement to the Black–Scholes evaluation model
Authors: Miyake Masatoshi , Yu Mei , Inoue Hiroshi
Published: September 2014

This study employs option pricing theory to analyze the risk incentive conflict between shareholders and creditors. It evaluates the volatility of investment projects funded by borrowed money and compares their gains for the shareholder and creditor. Our analysis is based on the recognition that shareholders' and creditors' objectives may differ. We identify the shareholder's risk incentive as a source of agency cost originating with the shareholder and find that issuing a convertible bond avoids agency cost without diluting existing shareholders' ownership. Numerical examples are shown to examine it.
Intelligent Interface for Textual Attitude Analysis
Authors: Neviarouskaya Alena , Aono Masaki , Prendinger Helmut , Ishizuka Mitsuru
Published: September 2014

This article describes a novel intelligent interface for attitude sensing in text driven by a robust computational tool for the analysis of fine-grained attitudes (emotions, judgments, and appreciations) expressed in text. The module responsible for textual attitude analysis was developed using a compositional linguistic approach based on the attitude-conveying lexicon, the analysis of syntactic and dependency relations between words in a sentence, the compositionality principle applied at various grammatical levels, the rules elaborated for semantically distinct verb classes, and a method considering the hierarchy of concepts. The performance of this module was evaluated on sentences from personal stories about life experiences. The developed web-based interface supports recognition of nine emotions, positive and negative judgments, and positive and negative appreciations conveyed in text. It allows users to adjust parameters, to enable or disable various functionality components of the algorithm, and to select the format of text annotation and attitude statistics visualization.
Welcome to AI matters
Authors: Wagstaff Kiri
Published: September 2014

Welcome to AI Matters
, the new quarterly newsletter for SIGAI, the ACM Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence. This newsletter features ideas and announcements of interest to the AI community. These include:

Book Announcement:
Description of a newly published book and its major contributions.

Dissertation briefings:
Extended abstracts from new Ph.D.s.

Event reports:
Technical conference or workshop reports, policy forums, or community events on topics of general interest to an AI audience.

AI Impact:
Description of an AI system or method that has had a tangible impact on the world outside of the AI research community.

AI News:
Innovations, open source AI software, course materials, challenges and competitions, and other news of broad interest to AI researchers and practitioners.

Opinion:
Discussion of thought-provoking issues and responses to previous items.

Paper Précis:
Short summary of the major contributions of a recently published AI paper, written for the general AI audience.

Tutorial:
Short introduction or explanation of an AI concept or technique.

Videos and Images:
Audio-visual materials with content of general interest to an AI audience.
Artificial intelligence
Authors: Gil Yolanda
Published: September 2014

As Chair of SIGAI, I wanted to share the excitement that I see emerging in our field for this first issue of AI Matters.
Toward a secured automated test-data generator using S-Box
Authors: Bhasin Harsh , Kaur Harleen
Published: September 2014

Automated test-data generation is a convoluted task. The quality of test cases generated determines the quality of the program under test. This paper proposes two major changes in the architecture of the automated test-data generator proposed in our earlier work. The new model of artificial-life-based test-data generation uses an s-box-based component.

The earlier paper used an artificial-life based component. The component that generated black box test cases has been replaced by an s-box-based component in this paper. The test cases generated have also been encrypted using a block cipher encryption system. The encryption of test cases makes the system less prone to intrusion. This work has been done to make the system secure and prevent attacks on the proposed system by accessing the test data. The proposed model has been implemented, tested and validated using an enterprise resource planning system.
Beta-testing a requirements analysis tool
Authors: Brooks Andrew , Krebs Laura , Paulsen Brandon
Published: September 2014

Two requirements specifications were analyzed using three requirements analysis tools: a reconstruction of NASA's ARM tool, TIGER Pro 2.0, and a new tool. The new tool being beta-tested reported many more true positives than TIGER Pro 2.0, which in turn reported many more true positives than the ARM reconstruction. However, using its default settings, the new tool raised many false positives, which resulted in unacceptably low values for precision. Feedback has been provided to the company developing the new tool. Lessons learned about beta-testing and requirements analysis tools are described.
Automated web testing based on textual-visual UI patterns
Authors: Zhou Jingang , Yin Kun
Published: September 2014

Automated software testing is the only resort for delivering quality software, since there are usually large test suites to be executed, especially for regression testing. Though many automated testing tools and techniques have been developed, they still do not solve all problems like cost and maintenance, and they can even be brittle in some situations, thus confining their adoption. To address these issues, we develop a pattern-based automated testing framework, called UTF (User-oriented Testing Framework), for Web applications. UTF encodes textual-visual information about and relationships between widgets into a domain specific language for test scripts based on the underlying invariant structural patterns in the DOM, which allows test scripts to be easily created and maintained. In addition, UTF provides flexible extension and customization capabilities to make it adaptable for various Web-application scenarios. Our experiences show UTF can greatly reduce the cost of adopting automated testing and facilitate its institutionalization.
What can be computed without communications?
Authors: Arfaoui Heger , Fraigniaud Pierre
Published: September 2014

The main objective of this paper is to provide illustrative examples of distributed computing problems for which it is possible to design tight lower bounds for quantum algorithms without having to manipulate concepts from quantum mechanics, at all. As a case study, we address the following class of 2-player problems. Alice (resp., Bob) receives a boolean x (resp., y) as input, and must return a boolean a (resp., b) as output. A game between Alice and Bob is defined by a pair (?, f) of boolean functions. The objective of Alice and Bob playing game (?, f) is, for every pair (x, y) of inputs, to output values a and b, respectively, satisfying ?(a, b) = f(x, y), in absence of any communication between the two players, but in presence of shared resources. The ability of the two players to solve the game then depends on the type of resources they share. It is known that, for the so-called CHSH game, i.e., for the game a ? b = x ? y, the ability for the players to use entangled quantum bits (qubits) helps. We show that, apart from the CHSH game, quantum correlations do not help, in the sense that, for every game not equivalent to the CHSH game, there exists a classical protocol (using shared randomness) whose probability of success is at least as large as the one of any protocol using quantum resources. This result holds for both worst case and average case analysis. It is achieved by considering a model stronger than quantum correlations, the non-signaling model, which subsumes quantum mechanics, but is far easier to handle.
Sirtuin 1 ablation in endothelial cells is associated with impaired angiogenesis and diastolic dysfunction
Authors: Maizel Julien , Xavier Sandhya , Chen Jun , Lin Chi Hua Sarah , Vasko Radovan , Goligorsky Michael S.
Published: September 2014

Discordant myocardial growth and angiogenesis can explain left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy progressing toward heart failure with aging. Sirtuin 1 expression declines with age; therefore we explored the role played by angiogenesis and Sirtuin 1 in the development of cardiomyopathy. We compared the cardiac function of 10- to 15-wk-old (wo), 30–40 wo, and 61–70 wo endothelial Sirtuin 1-deleted (Sirt1endo−/−) mice and their corresponding knockout controls (Sirt1Flox/Flox). After 30–40 wk, Sirt1endo−/− animals exhibited diastolic dysfunction (DD), decreased mRNA expression of Serca2a in the LV, and decreased capillary density compared with control animals despite a similar VEGFa mRNA expression. However, LV fibrosis and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)1α expression were not different. The creation of a transverse aortic constriction (TAC) provoked more severe DD and LV fibrosis in Sirt1endo−/− compared with control TAC animals. Although the VEGFa mRNA expression was not different and the protein expression of HIF1α was higher in the Sirt1endo−/− TAC animals, capillary density remained reduced. In cultured endothelial cells administration of Sirtuin 1 inhibitor decreased mRNA expression of VEGF receptors FLT 1 and FLK 1. Ex vivo capillary sprouting from aortic explants showed impaired angiogenic response to VEGF in the Sirt1endo−/− mice. In conclusion, the data demonstrate 1) a defect in angiogenesis preceding development of DD; 2) dispensability of endothelial Sirtuin 1 under unstressed conditions and during normal aging; and 3) impaired angiogenic adaptation and aggravated DD in Sirt1endo−/− mice challenged with LV overload.
Dichloroacetate treatment accelerates the development of pathology in rodent autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease
Authors: Gattone Vincent H. , Bacallao Robert L.
Published: September 2014

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a toxicant by-product from the chlorination disinfection process for municipal water. The levels would not affect people with normal renal and liver function. However, people with impaired renal or liver function may have an increased susceptibility to DCA toxicity as those are the organs affected by DCA. People (and rodents) with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) are polyuric, drink more fluids, and have both renal and liver pathology. In PKD, renal tubules and biliary epithelial cells proliferate to form cysts, which can eventually cause renal and/or liver dysfunction. Therefore, PKD may be a predisposing condition with an increased sensitivity to DCA toxicity. PCK rats are an orthologous model of human autosomal recessive PKD and were treated with 75 mg/l DCA in their drinking water. Male and female PCK and male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated from 4 to 8 wk of age, after which the severity of the renal and liver pathology induced by DCA were assessed. Only male PCK rats were adversely affected by DCA treatment, with an increase in the severity of renal cystic disease evinced by an increase in cystic enlargement and proteinuria. In conclusion, the chlorination byproduct DCA may adversely affect those with a preexisting renal disease, especially those who are polydipsic, like those with PKD.
Heat acclimation memory: do the kinetics of the deacclimated transcriptome predispose to rapid reacclimation and cytoprotection?
Authors: Tetievsky Anna , Assayag Miri , Ben-Hamo Rotem , Efroni Sol , Cohen Gal , Abbas Atallah , Horowitz Michal
Published: September 2014

Faster reinduction of heat acclimation (AC) after its decline indicates “AC memory.” Our previous results revealed involvement of epigenetic mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. We hypothesized that the decline of AC (DeAC) is a period of “dormant memory” during which many processes are alerted to enable rapid reacclimation (ReAC). Using a genomewide approach we studied the AC, DeAC, and ReAC transcriptomes, to uncover hallmark pathways linked to “molecular memory” in the cardioacclimatome. Fifty rats subjected to heat acclimation [34°C for 2d (AC2d) or 30d (AC30)], DeAC (24°C, 30 days), ReAC (34°C, 2 days), and untreated controls were used. The GeneChip Rat Gene 1.0 ST Array was employed for left ventricular (cardiac) mRNA hybridization. Three independent bioinformatic analyses showed that 1) during AC2d enrichment of DNA impair/repair-linked genes is seen, and this is the molecular on-switch of acclimation; 2) genes activated in AC30 underlie the qualitative physiological adaptations of cardiac performance; 3) particular molecular programs encompassing constitutive upregulation of p38 MAPK, Jak/Stat, and Akt pathways and targets are specifically activated during DeAC and ReAC; and 4) epigenetic markers such as linker histones (histones H1 cluster), associated with nucleosome spacing, transcriptional chromatin modifiers, poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) linked to chromatin compaction, and microRNAs are only altered during DeAC/ReAC. The latter are newcomers to the AC/DeAC puzzle. We suggest that these transcriptional responses maintain euchromatin and proteostasis and enable faster physiological recovery upon ReAC by rapidly reestablishing the protected acclimated cardiophenotype. We propose that the cardiac AC model can be applied to acclimation processes in general.
Holo-Retinol–Binding Protein and Its Receptor STRA6 Drive Oncogenic Transformation
Authors: Berry Daniel C. , Levi Liraz , Noy Noa
Published: September 2014

Vitamin A, retinol, circulates in blood bound to retinol-binding protein (RBP). At some tissues, RBP is recognized by STRA6, a plasma membrane protein that serves a dual role: it transports retinol from extracellular RBP into cells and it transduces a signaling cascade mediated by the Janus kinase JAK2 and the transcription factors STAT3 and STAT5. We show here that expression of RBP and STRA6 is markedly upregulated in human breast and colon tumors, that holo-RBP/STRA6 signaling promotes oncogenic properties, and that STRA6 expression is critical for tumor formation by colon carcinoma cells in vivo. The holo-RBP/STRA6 pathway also efficiently induces fibroblasts to undergo oncogenic transformation, rendering them highly tumorigenic. These data establish that holo-RBP and its receptor STRA6 are potent oncogenes and suggest that the pathway is a novel target for therapy of some human cancers. Cancer Res; 74(21); 6341–51. ©2014 AACR.
Use of a Urinary Sugars Biomarker to Assess Measurement Error in Self-Reported Sugars Intake in the Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment Study (NPAAS)
Authors: Tasevska Natasha , Midthune Douglas , Tinker Lesley F. , Potischman Nancy , Lampe Johanna W. , Neuhouser Marian L. , Beasley Jeannette M. , Van Horn Linda , Prentice Ross L. , Kipnis Victor
Published: September 2014

Background: Measurement error in self-reported sugars intake may be obscuring the association between sugars and cancer risk in nutritional epidemiologic studies.

Methods: We used 24-hour urinary sucrose and fructose as a predictive biomarker for total sugars, to assess measurement error in self-reported sugars intake. The Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment Study (NPAAS) is a biomarker study within the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study that includes 450 postmenopausal women ages 60 to 91 years. Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ), four-day food records (4DFR), and three 24-hour dietary recalls (24HRs) were collected along with sugars and energy dietary biomarkers.

Results: Using the biomarker, we found self-reported sugars to be substantially and roughly equally misreported across the FFQ, 4DFR, and 24HR. All instruments were associated with considerable intake- and person-specific bias. Three 24HRs would provide the least attenuated risk estimate for sugars (attenuation factor, AF = 0.57), followed by FFQ (AF = 0.48) and 4DFR (AF = 0.32), in studies of energy-adjusted sugars and disease risk. In calibration models, self-reports explained little variation in true intake (5%–6% for absolute sugars and 7%–18% for sugars density). Adding participants' characteristics somewhat improved the percentage variation explained (16%–18% for absolute sugars and 29%–40% for sugars density).

Conclusions: None of the self-report instruments provided a good estimate of sugars intake, although overall 24HRs seemed to perform the best.

Impact: Assuming the calibrated sugars biomarker is unbiased, this analysis suggests that measuring the biomarker in a subsample of the study population for calibration purposes may be necessary for obtaining unbiased risk estimates in cancer association studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(12); 2874–83. ©2014 AACR.
Cancer Immunoprevention: A New Approach to Intercept Cancer Early
Authors: Umar Asad
Published: September 2014

Cancer immunoprevention refers to the modulation of the host immune response to control the initiation or development of cancer. The significant role of host immunity in early tumorigenesis has only recently been confirmed, as a better understanding of the mechanisms, molecules and cells involved in tumor immunology have been elucidated over the past two decades. Of utmost importance, preclinical and clinical evidences have demonstrated that early neoplastic cells (transformed cells that initiate cancer formation) express antigens that allow the immune system to distinguish them from normal cells. Furthermore, recognition of the aberrant cell by the immune cells activates a complex interaction of mutual modulation between the immune cells, the tumor and the tumor microenvironment that may result not only in inhibition but also promotion of cancer. The deepening understanding of cancer-related immunologic processes, properties, and components has spawned exploration of more rational, mechanism-based immunologic strategies (using vaccines, antibodies, and immune modulators) for cancer prevention. This introduction to the Cancer Prevention Research immunoprevention series will attempt to review the basics of the immune response modulation as a basis for potential application to cancer immunoprevention strategies with an emphasis on vaccines. Recognizing the fast-paced research in immune response modulation, the series will cover current understandings and future directions of cancer immunoprevention research.

See all articles in this Cancer Prevention Research collection, “Cancer Immunoprevention Series.”

Cancer Prev Res; 7(11); 1067–71. ©2014 AACR.
Treatment of Sporotrichoid Fish Tank Granuloma with Pulsed Clarithromycin
Authors: Veraldi Stefano , Çuka Ermira , Nazzaro Gianluca
Published: September 2014

Background: There is no established therapy of choice for Mycobacterium marinum skin infections; clarithromycin monotherapy was used in some anecdotical cases at changeable daily doses and length. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pulsed clarithromycin monotherapy. Methods: 29 patients with a clinical diagnosis of sporotrichoid fish tank granuloma were admitted from 2002 to 2013. In 14 patients, the clinical diagnosis was confirmed by history, histopathology and bacteriological examinations. All patients were treated with clarithromycin (500 mg/day for 10 consecutive days/month for 5 months). Results: In 12 out of 14 patients (85.7%) complete clinical remission was recorded. Two patients showed partial remission after 3 months of therapy, but they were lost to follow-up and were therefore not considered evaluable. Conclusion: Our study suggests that pulsed clarithromycin monotherapy is effective and safe in sporotrichoid M. marinum skin infections.
Correlation of Fatigue During the Acute Stage of Stroke with Serum Uric Acid and Glucose Levels, Depression, and Disability
Authors: Wu Dan , Wang Lin , Teng Weiyu , Huang Kui , Shang Xiuli
Published: September 2014

Background: To clarify the correlation of fatigue during the acute stage of stroke with serum uric acid (UA) and glucose levels, depression, and disability. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Methods: A stroke group of 312 patients and a reference group of 312 healthy controls were recruited during the same period. Fatigue was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Patients with an FSS score ≥4 points were defined as having fatigue. Depression was assessed using the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Patients with an SDS score ≥50 points were defined as having depression. Stroke severity and the level of disability were assessed with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS). Results: The prevalence of fatigue in the stroke group was higher than that in the reference group (p < 0.001). Within the stroke group, low serum UA level, high MRS score, high serum glucose level, and high SDS score were associated with increased FSS score. The MRS score was associated most consistently with the FSS score (B = 0.411, 95% CI: 0.297, 0.525). Age, gender, chronic disease history, and NIHSS score were not associated with FSS score. Conclusions: Serum UA and glucose levels, depression, and disability are closely related to fatigue during the acute stage of ischaemic stroke.
Convergent Evolution of Vocal Cooperation without Convergent Evolution of Brain Size
Authors: Borjon Jeremy I. , Ghazanfar Asif A.
Published: September 2014

One pragmatic underlying successful vocal communication is the ability to take turns. Taking turns - a form of cooperation - facilitates the transmission of signals by reducing the amount of their overlap. This allows vocalizations to be better heard. Until recently, non-human primates were not thought of as particularly cooperative, especially in the vocal domain. We recently demonstrated that common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a small New World primate species, take turns when they exchange vocalizations with both related and unrelated conspecifics. As the common marmoset is distantly related to humans (and there is no documented evidence that Old World primates exhibit vocal turn taking), we argue that this ability arose as an instance of convergent evolution, and is part of a suite of prosocial behavioral tendencies. Such behaviors seem to be, at least in part, the outcome of the cooperative breeding strategy adopted by both humans and marmosets. Importantly, this suite of shared behaviors occurs without correspondence in encephalization. Marmoset vocal turn taking demonstrates that a large brain size and complex cognitive machinery is not needed for vocal cooperation to occur. Consistent with this idea, the temporal structure of marmoset vocal exchanges can be described in terms of coupled oscillator dynamics, similar to quantitative descriptions of human conversations. We propose a simple neural circuit mechanism that may account for these dynamics and, at its core, involves vocalization-induced reductions of arousal. Such a mechanism may underlie the evolution of vocal turn taking in both marmoset monkeys and humans.
Mitochondrial DNA in Placenta: Associations with Fetal Growth and Superoxide Dismutase Activity
Authors: Díaz Marta , Aragonés Gemma , Sánchez-Infantes David , Bassols Judit , Pérez-Cruz Míriam , de Zegher Francis , Lopez-Bermejo Abel , Ibáñez Lourdes
Published: September 2014

Background: Prenatal growth restraint is associated with increased oxidative stress - as judged by mitochondrial dysfunction - in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia or diabetes, but it is uncertain whether this is also the case in uncomplicated pregnancies. We assessed the link between fetal growth restraint and placental mitochondrial dysfunction, as reflected by changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Methods: After uncomplicated pregnancies, placentas (n = 48) were collected at term delivery of singleton infants who were appropriate for gestational age (AGA) or small for gestational age (SGA) (n = 24 in each subgroup). Placental mtDNA content was assessed by real-time PCR, placental SOD activity by colorimetry, and citrate synthase activity - to determine mitochondrial mass - by the spectrophotometric method. Results: Placentas of SGA infants had a lower mtDNA content (p = 0.015) and a higher SOD activity (p = 0.001) than those of AGA controls. These differences were maintained after normalization of the mtDNA content by citrate synthase activity. In placentas of SGA infants, there was a negative association between mtDNA content and SOD activity (r = -0.58, p = 0.008). Conclusions: Fetal growth restraint is accompanied by adaptive changes in the mitochondrial function of the placenta, also in uncomplicated pregnancies.
Cytologic Features of Renal Carcinoma Associated with Xp11.2 Translocations/TFE3 Gene Fusions: A Case Report with Voided and Catheterized Urine Cytology and a Literature Review
Authors: Kuwamoto Satoshi , Murai Yuki , Endo Yukari , Masago Toshihiko , Kuroda Naoto , Horie Yasushi
Published: September 2014

Background: Renal carcinomas associated with Xp11.2 translocations/TFE3 gene fusions are rare subtypes of renal neoplasm that predominantly occur in younger individuals. There are very few reports describing the cytologic features of these tumors. Case: A 27-year-old man presented with hematuria and was found to have a mass in the lower part of the right kidney. Cytology of catheterized urine obtained from the right renal pelvis showed clusters of cells with abundant clear or eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, large round nuclei and prominent nucleoli. Papillary clusters containing thin fibrous stroma were occasionally seen. Voided urine cytology showed similar cell clusters but degeneration made the features obscure. Nephroureterectomy revealed a renal tumor showing a mixed papillary and nested architecture. The diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Conclusion: The present case indicates that the characteristic features of these tumor subtypes can be retained in urine cytology. Cytology may be enough to suspect these tumors as part of the differential diagnosis when the patient's age and imaging findings are taken into account and may facilitate further studies for a definitive diagnosis.