bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An adaptive retransmission‐based multipath transmission mechanism for conversational video
Authors: Li Guangye , Liu Shaowei , Li Hao , Lei Weimin , Zhang Wei 
Published: August 2018

SummaryConversational video service is characterized by high bandwidth demand and low delay requirement. Bandwidth and transmission schemes play an important role in providing high‐quality delivery service for point‐to‐point conversational video service. Multipath transmission is regarded as an effective way to aggregate bandwidth. Transmission schemes need to ensure the strict time relation between information entities and to alleviate the negative impact of packet loss on video quality. To achieve this, existing transmission schemes may incur either a large delay or a large amount of duplicated packets that are not suitable for conversational video service. In this paper, we propose an adaptive retransmission mechanism–based multipath transmission (MT‐AR) for conversational video service delivery. MT‐AR takes advantage of historical reception experience to timely detect packet loss with a certain degree of misjudgement. Receiver requests sender to retransmit the lost packet if the lost packet benefits the decoding. Adaptive playout speed adjustment and alternative path retransmission cooperatively optimize the performance of retransmission. Receiver slightly extends playout speed to reserve time for retransmission and accelerates playout speed to alleviate negative impact of cumulative extension. Multiple paths support to conduct retransmission on an optimal path selected from alternative paths to avoid continuous congestion or error on the original path. Finally, we conduct extensive tests to evaluate the performance of MT‐AR. Experimental results show that MT‐AR can effectively improve the quality of experience of conversational video service by retransmission.
Serum cathelicidin as a marker for diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes
Authors: El‐Ashmawy Hazem M. , Ahmed Azza M. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between serum cathelicidin level and diabetic nephropathy (DN) in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).MethodsThe study group consisted of 76 patients with T1DM (47 men), aged 36 ± 7 years, and with duration of T1DM 14 (7–18) years. Serum cathelicidin was measured by ELISA test in healthy controls (n = 20) and in 76 T1DM patients grouped as follows: G1 = patients with normal urinary albumin excretion (n = 20), G2 = patients with microalbumin excretion (n = 19), G3 = patients with macroalbumin excretion but normal serum creatinine level (n = 19), and G4 = patients with macroalbumin excretion with increased serum creatinine (n = 18).ResultsThere was no significant difference in serum cathelicidin levels between healthy controls and G1 diabetic patients, but serum levels were progressively increased from the stage of microalbuminuria to frank nephropathy (P < .001). Positive correlation between serum cathelicidin level and the presence of DN, thyroid‐stimulating hormone, total cholesterol, and negative with male sex and fasting plasma glucose, was found. In multiple regression analysis, serum cathelicidin level was associated with the presence of DN after adjustment of sex, waist‐to‐hip ratio, total cholesterol, and thyroid‐stimulating hormone.ConclusionsPatients with T1DM and DN are characterized by increased serum cathelicidin level. There was an independent relationship between serum cathelicidin level and DN. Serum cathelicidin level can be used as an early marker for the presence and progression of DN in T1DM patients.
Oxytocin analysis from human serum, urine, and saliva by orbitrap liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry
Authors: Franke Adrian A. , Li Xingnan , Menden Ariane , Lee Mary R. , Lai Jennifer F. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractOxytocin (OT) is a neurohormone that has gained interest recently due to its emerging role in cognition and social/emotional behaviors, including possibly depression and autism. OT is commonly measured using enzyme‐ or radio‐based immunoassays (RIA, ELISA), which lack specificity or are complicated to perform and involve hazardous radioactive material. We have developed a high resolution accurate‐mass (HRAM) liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method that separates interferences and selectively and accurately quantitates native OT from human serum, urine, and saliva after solid phase extraction. The doubly protonated OT ion m/z 562.25503 was selected for quantitation due its high signal intensity. With our method lower limit of detection (LLOD) of 5–25 pg/mL, we measured native OT in serum from pregnant women (16–24 pg/mL) and rats (350 pg/mL), and in serum, urine, and saliva from a healthy male after intranasal (IN) OT application of 100 IU and 20 IU and from a healthy post‐menopausal female after IN OT application of 100 IU. Peak levels were detected in serum, urine, and saliva 15–30 minutes after each dose then decreased to below detection limits 1–2 hours thereafter. We were unable to detect native OT in serum from non‐pregnant/non‐lactating/non‐medicated women due to levels known to occur below 5 pg/mL. The fast elimination of OT we found is in excellent agreement with the pharmacokinetics of OT in other studies. The effects on the central nervous system occurring after IN OT administration remains to be determined.
Plant community responses to historical wildfire in a shrubland–grassland ecotone reveal hybrid disturbance response
Authors: Porensky Lauren M. , Derner Justin D. , Pellatz David W. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMost ecotones include structural and taxonomic elements from both adjacent communities, but it remains unclear how these elements function and interact within ecotones. We investigated long‐term plant community responses to wildfire in a 7000‐km2 ecotone between mixed‐grass prairie and sagebrush steppe ecosystems, which have dramatically different historical fire regimes. We asked whether plant community responses to wildfire in the ecotone were more similar to mixed‐grass prairie, sagebrush steppe, or a hybrid of these two. We sampled plant community composition at 70 pairs of transects located inside and outside of wildfires that burned from 1937 to 2012. We determined whether (1) wildfires predicted plant community composition, (2) plant community response to fire varied based on abiotic factors, and (3) effects of wildfire varied based on time since fire. Plant community responses to wildfire did not vary substantially across the study region, despite continuous plant community variation in response to abiotic factors. Overstory responses were characteristic of sagebrush steppe. Burned transects had <10% as much big sagebrush cover as unburned transects, and cover did not increase with time since fire. In contrast, understory plant community responses to fire were similar to mixed‐grass prairie. Burned sites had high forb cover in the short term and perennial grass cover in the long term. Within an ecotone, different components of the plant community can maintain functional fidelity to their home ecosystems, despite being spatially juxtaposed. The idea of hybrid disturbance response may provide new opportunities for targeted management within ecotones.
Antinociception by intrathecal delivery of the novel non‐opioid 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid
Authors: Fung Timothy , Asiri Yahya I. , Taheri Kamyar , Wall Richard , Schwarz Stephan K. W. , Puil Ernest , MacLeod Bernard A. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackgroundNeuraxial opioids are widely used for intraoperative and post‐operative analgesia. The risk of severe adverse effects including respiratory depression accompanies this analgesia, prompting the need for effective non‐opioid alternatives. Systemic 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid showed promise in preliminary studies to produce antinociception without observable toxicity. However, the effects of 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid after intrathecal administration are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether intrathecal administration of 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid produces antinociceptive effects in murine models and to elucidate its site and receptor mechanism of action.MethodsFemale CD‐1 mice were randomized to receive intrathecal, intraperitoneal and intraplantar injections of 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid. Animals receiving intrathecal injections were anaesthetized and injected between L5 and L6. Animals then received an intraplantar injection of 10% hypertonic saline into the right hindpaw and were video‐recorded for 30 min. Videos were analyzed by a blinded observer who determined the duration that animals exhibited nocifensive responses.ResultsIntrathecal or intraperitoneal administration of 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid reduced the time that animals exhibited nocifensive behaviour, whereas intraplantar administration produced no effect. The effects of intrathecal 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid were restricted in dermatomal distribution, reversible and produced little or no depression of respiratory rate. An NMDA antagonist blocked antinociception, while mu‐opioid or GABAB antagonists did not prevent ACBC antinociception.ConclusionsIntrathecal 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid in mice produces robust, brief antinociceptive effects with a dermatomal distribution corresponding to the lumbar site of administration. This amino acid merits further exploration as a non‐opioid neuraxial analgesic with little or no respiratory side effects.SignificanceThe novel, non‐opioid analgesic, 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid, produced robust, reversible and localized antinociception in murine models of pain. This study provides evidence supporting further investigation and development of 1‐amino‐1‐cyclobutanecarboxylic acid as a non‐opioid spinal analgesic.
Development of a SNP panel for predicting biogeographical ancestry and phenotype using massively parallel sequencing
Authors: Bulbul Ozlem , Filoglu Gonul 
Published: August 2018

AbstractInferring ancestry and physical characteristics of an unknown individual can contribute to the direction of the investigation and to clarify the event for unknown contributors, cold cases or identification of missing persons and disaster victims. The objective of this study is to develop a custom SNP panel on massively parallel sequencing devices for predicting the biogeographic ancestry and phenotype of an individual. We focused on a two‐tier approach to enhance ancestry. Our MPS panel contains two ancestry informative SNP (AISNPs) panels (i.e., Kidd 55 and SWA panel) to differentiate Southwest Asia from Europe and other continental regions. Then we integrated the set of phenotype informative SNPs into a set of AISNPs. The final set of 156 SNPs was evaluated on the following: sensitivity, genotype concordance, mixtures, ancestry assignment, and phenotype prediction. SNP rs6599400 had consistently poor performance and was removed from further analyses. The extreme mixture (1:10) was difficult to interpret for minor contributor. Ancestry assignment and phenotype predictions (for eye, hair and skin) were accurate for samples’ population origin. The results show that the developed panel provides high coverage data that can be used for inferring ancestry and predicting eye, hair, and skin color from the intermediate population regions.
Privacy‐preserving collision detection of moving objects
Authors: Dehghan Motahareh , Sadeghiyan Babak 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIn this paper, we present secure protocols for obtaining the collision points of two or more moving objects, while preserving their movements' privacy. We assume that the paths of moving objects can be presented with polynomial functions of time. We reduce the problem of obtaining collision points of two moving objects to the problem of obtaining common roots of polynomials. Then, we propose a secure protocol for obtaining the common roots of two polynomials, which is based on a Gröbner basis. Moreover, we propose another secure protocol for obtaining collision points of more than two moving objects based on a line segment intersection algorithm. We also demonstrate the security proof of our proposed protocols based on the ideal/real simulation paradigm.
DE/PSO‐aided hybrid linear detectors for MIMO‐OFDM systems under correlated arrays
Authors: Fukuda Rafael Masashi , Guerra David William Marques , Kobayashi Ricardo Tadashi , Abrão Taufik 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIn this paper, we analyze the performance of evolutionary heuristic‐aided linear detectors deployed in multiple‐input–multiple‐output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency‐division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, considering realistic operating scenarios. Hybrid linear‐heuristic detectors under different initial solutions provided by linear detectors are considered, namely, differential evolution and particle swarm optimization. Numerical results demonstrated the applicability of hybrid detection approach, which can improve considerably the performance of minimum mean‐square error and matched filter detectors. Furthermore, we discuss how the complexity of the presented algorithms scales with the number of antennas, besides of verifying the spatial correlation effects on MIMO‐OFDM performance assisted by linear, heuristic, and hybrid detection schemes. The influence of the initial point in the performance improvement and complexity reduction is evaluated numerically.
Joint energy and latency optimization for upstream IoT offloading services in fog radio access networks
Authors: Vu Duc‐Nghia , Dao Nhu‐Ngoc , Jang Yongwoon , Na Woongsoo , Kwon Young‐Bin , Kang Hyunchul , Jung Jason J. , Cho Sungrae 
Published: August 2018

AbstractRecently, the emergence of fog computing and big internet of things (IoT) data have been considered as the main representatives identifying fifth‐generation mobile networks. In fifth generation, cloudization is extended from the core to the access tiers, referred to as fog radio access networks. Fog radio access networks provide ultralow latency offloading services to a massive number of IoT devices in their proximity. In this paper, we propose a joint energy and latency optimization (JELO) scheme for upstream IoT offloading services in fog radio access networks. The JELO scheme controls the offloaded task assignment among fog‐enabled eNodeBs (fog nodes) with strict consideration of the systematic resources and specific characteristics of individual tasks. The joint objective function aims at red optimizing the energy red consumption and offload latency for entire networks. Simulation results demonstrate that the JELO scheme outperforms existing approaches in terms of the energy consumption and load balancing while maintaining IoT service satisfaction.
Examining the association between educational attainment and life expectancy in MENA region: A panel data analysis
Authors: Hamidi Samer , Alzouebi Khadeegha , Akinci Fevzi , Zengul Ferhat D. 
Published: August 2018

SummaryBackgroundThe purpose of this study is to investigate the association between educational attainment and life expectancy in 18 countries in MENA region.MethodsWe used World Bank database for a panel of 18 MENA countries during the years 1995 to 2009. We used Life Expectancy at Birth, as the key health care output measure. Additionally, we used six health care input independent variables. All variables were transformed into natural logarithms. We estimated the production function using Cobb‐Douglas function.ResultsResults indicate that 1% increase in educational attainment of males 25 to 34 years old, males 25 years and older, females 25 to 34 years old, females 25 years and older, and females aged 15 to 44 years old will increase life expectancy by 0.14%, 0.07%, 0.04%, 0.03%, and 0.04%, respectively, while everything else remains constant.ConclusionOur results suggest that for MENA region countries investing in education to broaden access would improve health outcomes and life expectancy. Boosting educational attainment for both male and female population may close the life expectancy gaps between the MENA region and other developed countries, and males and females within the same country. Education attainment has the potential to be a social remedy for better health outcomes in MENA countries.
The roles of, activities of, and competencies for, community nursing services in rural Vietnam: Implications for policy decisions
Authors: Huy Nguyen Van , Bang Kyung‐Sook , Xuan Hoang Thi Ai , Thang Cao Duc , Thanh Nguyen Van , Hoan Le Thi , Tak Sunghee H. , Yu Soo‐Young , Yi Jinseon , Son Dinh Thai , Minh Hoang Van , Hoat Luu Ngoc 
Published: August 2018

SummaryCommunity health workforce plays a vital role in providing primary health care services as per the needs of residents; however, few studies have examined how nurses work within commune health centers (CHCs). Using qualitative methods including interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders, this study explores the roles, activities, and competencies required of community nursing services in rural districts within Vietnam. Two primary roles were identified: CHC nursing and family nursing. For the latter, in addition to providing people with general health care and health communication, they were expected to also deliver psychological care. CHC nursing fulfilled more roles and required four specific competencies: clinical care, communication, management, and planning/coordination activities. Despite these various roles serving people within a community, few ongoing efforts at either the local or national level are aimed at supporting these nurses. The study highlights the need for policy decisions via either developing a new job position policy or adapting the existing policy by integrating new roles into the existing positions of CHC nurses in Vietnam.
Doctors' career choices in health systems constrained by national medical exams: A discrete choice experiment
Authors: Ramos Pedro , Alves Hélio 
Published: August 2018

SummaryPrevious studies that addressed factors influencing junior doctors' career decisions have failed to consider that the market for medical specialty is regulated and doctors are not always able to pursue their career of choice. There is the concern that the National Medical Exam that doctors have to take in many countries conditions their career choices and is behind the low efficacy of policies for retaining doctors in rural areas. In this paper, we use data from a Discrete Choice Experiment applied to a large sample of Portuguese junior doctors (N = 503) who had already taken their Medical Exam but had not chosen their medical specialty yet. We show that the exam score is de facto a strong predictor for (different) job preferences, but only for doctors who are amongst the highest and the lowest exam scores. For all others—almost half of our sample—geographical attachment (having lived or studied in rural areas or in metropolis) is more relevant in determining specialization decisions. Having a good work‐life balance, specially amongst female physicians, is also an important determinant of specialty choice. Using latent‐class analysis may help policymakers profiling different groups of doctors and tailoring incentive packages according to their characteristics.
Outsourcing in Iranian hospitals: Findings from a qualitative study
Authors: Raeissi Pouran , Sokhanvar Mobin , Kakemam Edris 
Published: August 2018

SummaryOutsourcing is used as a strategy to improve efficiency, quality, and satisfaction of beneficiaries in hospitals. This study aimed to determine the reasons for outsourcing, outsourced services, achieved objectives, and outsourcing challenges. This qualitative study was conducted through 58 face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews with chief executive officers (CEOs), chief financial officers (CFOs), and contracting experts (CEs) in 42 public hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used. Interviews were recorded digitally and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was performed based on an inductive‐deductive approach via MAXQDA‐10. The Participants included 26 CEOs, 15 CFOs, and 17 CEs. The most important reasons for outsourcing were divided into four main categories including financial resources and funding, customers, management, and factors related to the hospitals. Accessing to up‐to‐date knowledge and technology, improving service quality and accountability, focusing on strategic points, reducing workload, and increasing patient satisfaction turned out to be the positive outcomes of outsourcing. Weakness in laws and regulations, monitoring and assessment of an outsourced unit, creating dependency and changing organizational culture, as well as human resource issues were introduced as the main pitfalls and challenges of outsourcing. Based on the results, it was suggested that the hospital managers must attempt to outsource services by realistic analysis of the organization's current status. They should specify the reasons and objectives of outsourcing and make decisions based on outsourcing potentials. By taking the current challenges of outsourcing in Iranian hospitals into account, the authorities can make the most efficient decisions with regard to outsourcing.
Review of toxicological effect of quantum dots on the liver
Authors: Lu Jie , Tang Meng , Zhang Ting 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIn recent years, quantum dots (QDs) have potential applications in technology, research and medicine. The small particle size is coupled to their unique chemical and physical properties and their excellent fluorescence characteristics. A growing number of studies have shown that QDs are distributed to secondary organs through multiple pathways, while the liver is the main reservoir of QDs. Here, we review current liver toxicity studies of QDs in vivo and in vitro. Mechanisms of hepatotoxicity are discussed and the problem of extrapolating knowledge gained from cell‐based studies into animal studies is highlighted. In this context, there still exists significant discrepancies between in vitro and in vivo results, and the specific toxicity mechanism remains unclear. The hepatotoxicities of QDs are the need for a unifying protocol for reliable and realistic toxicity reports.
Silane coatings of metallic biomaterials for biomedical implants: A preliminary review
Authors: Somasundaram Sahadev 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIn response to increased attention in literature, this work provides a qualitative review surrounding the application of silane‐based coatings of metallic biomaterials for biomedical implants. Included herein is both a brief summary of existing knowledge and concepts regarding silane‐based thin films, along with an analysis of recent peer‐reviewed publications and advances towards their practical application for biomedical coatings. Specifically, the review identifies innovative silane‐based coatings according to their molecular identity and film structure and analyses their impact on the biocorrosion resistance, protein adsorption, cell viability, and antimicrobial properties of the overall coated implant. It is shown that a range of common silanes clearly exhibit promising properties for biomedical implant coatings, but further work is needed, particularly on mechanisms of physiological interaction and characteristic effects of silane functional groups, before seeing clinical use. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2901–2918, 2018.