bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Testis Involvement in Neuroblastoma: Report of 3 Cases in the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group-Neuroblastoma Study and Review of the Literature
Authors: Kebudi Rejin , Koc Begum Sirin , Akici Ferhan , Cakir Fatma Betul , Gorgun Omer , Olgun Nur 
Published: October 2018

Background:
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood. Primary and secondary testicular involvement is extremely uncommon in neuroblastoma.

Procedure:
All children with neuroblastoma treated with the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG)-Neuroblastoma (NB) Study and who had testis involvement either at diagnosis or at relapse were retrospectively evaluated. A review of all cases with neuroblastoma and testis involvement in the literature was done.

Results:
There were 3 children with NB documented to have involvement of the testis, 2 at diagnosis, 1 at recurrence, within the 559 cases (0.5%) treated with the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG)-Neuroblastoma Protocol. All had advanced stage. Two were infants. A total of 57 cases of testicular or paratesticular neuroblastoma have been reported in children, and most cases represent metastases as in the 3 cases in our series.

Conclusions:
Neuroblastoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of testicular mass and work-up for neuroblastoma should be done before orchiectomy. Scrotal ultrasonography should be used as the first diagnostic tool and abdominal ultrasonography shall be done additionally. Testis examination should be performed at diagnosis and regularly during follow-up for boys diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Testes may be sanctuary sites when neuroblastoma is metastatic, as is the case in leukemia.
Evolving optimum camouflage with Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Talas Laszlo , Fennell John G. , Kjernsmo Karin , Cuthill Innes C. , Scott-Samuel Nicholas E. , Baddeley Roland J. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractWe describe a novel method to exploit Generative Adversarial Networks to simulate an evolutionary arms race between the camouflage of a synthetic prey and its predator. Patterns evolved using our methods are shown to provide progressively more effective concealment and outperform two recognised camouflage techniques. The method will be invaluable, particularly for biologists, for rapidly developing and testing optimal camouflage or signalling patterns in multiple environments.
Disentangling unspecific and specific transgenerational immune priming components in host-parasite interactions
Authors: Ben-Ami Frida , Orlic Christian , Regoes Roland R. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractExposure to a pathogen primes many organisms to respond faster or more efficiently to subsequent exposures. Such priming can be unspecific or specific, and has been found to extend across generations. Disentangling and quantifying specific and unspecific effects is essential for understanding the genetic epidemiology of a system. By combining a large infection experiment and mathematical modeling, we disentangle different transgenerational effects in the crustacean model Daphnia magna exposed to different strains of the bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa. In the experiments, we exposed hosts to a high-dose of one of three parasite strains, and subsequently challenged their offspring with multiple doses of the same or a different strain, i. e. homologously or heterogously. We find that exposure to Pasteuria decreases the susceptibility of a host’s offspring by approximately 50%. This transgenerational protection is not larger for homologous than for heterologous parasite challenges. Our work represents an important contribution not only to the analysis of immune priming in ecological systems, but also to the experimental assessment of vaccines. We present for the first time an inference framework to investigate specific and unspecific effects of immune priming on the susceptibility distribution of hosts — effects that are central to understanding immunity and the effect of vaccines.Author summaryImmune memory is a feature of immune systems that forms the basis of vaccination. In opposition to textbook accounts, the ability to specifically remember previous exposures has been found to extend to invertebrates and shown to be able to be passed on from mother to off-spring, i. e. to be transgenerational. In this paper, we investigate the extent of this specificity in unprecedented detail in water fleas. We exposed water flea mothers to different strains of a bacterial pathogen and challenged their offspring with a wide range of doses of a strain that were either identical to (homologous) or different from (heterologous) the strain, to which the mother had been exposed. We find that, while exposure of the mother reduces the susceptibility of the offspring, this effect is not specific. This work outlines the limits of specific transgenerational immune memory in this invertebrate system.
Urbanization and species-energy relationships
Authors: Leveau Lucas M. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractSpecies-energy relationships (SER) have been used scarcely to predict responses of biodiversity to changes in land use. In this work, two hypothesis of the SER were tested on bird communities along urbanization gradients: the increasing population size (IPS) and the niche position (NP) hypotheses. The IPS hypothesis states that sites with more primary productivity have more individuals, decreasing the probability of extinction and increasing species richness. The HPN predicts that sites with greater primary productivity and environmental heterogeneity allow the availability of a greater variety of resources and the presence of specialist species, thus increasing species richness. The hypothesis of habitat heterogeneity was evaluated by which more complex habitats provide more variety of resources and greater species richness. Birds were counted along three urban-rural gradients in the Pampean region of Argentina during the breeding season. The productive energy was measured from the NDVI and the environmental heterogeneity through the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, calculated with the percentage coverage of different substrates. Bird richness and habitat diversity were higher at intermediate levels of urbanization, while primary productivity had a negative relationship with urbanization. Although there was a positive relationship between bird richness and abundance, there was no positive relationship between bird abundance and primary productivity. Bird richness showed a positive relationship with habitat diversity and primary productivity; although path analysis revealed that the habitat diversity increased bird richness through an increase of bird abundance. The NP hypothesis was the most consistent to predict the bird richness along urban-rural gradients.
Unveiling the molecular basis of disease co-occurrence: towards personalized comorbidity profiles
Authors: Sánchez-Valle Jon , Tejero Hector , Fernández José María , Juan David , Capella-Gutiérrez Salvador , Al-Shahrour Fatima , Tabarés-Seisdedos Rafael , Pancaldi Vera , Valencia Alfonso 
Published: October 2018

AbstractComorbidity is an impactful medical problem that is attracting increasing attention in healthcare and biomedical research. However, little is known about the molecular processes leading to the development of a specific disease in patients affected by other conditions. We present a disease interaction network inferred from similarities in patients’ molecular profiles, which significantly recapitulates epidemiologically documented comorbidities, providing the basis for their interpretation at a molecular level. Furthermore, expanding on the analysis of subgroups of patients with similar molecular profiles, our approach discovers comorbidity relations not previously described, implicates distinct genes in such relations, and identifies drugs whose side effects are potentially associated to the observed comorbidities.
Relationship between ecological stoichiometry and community diversity of plant ecosystems in the upper reaches of the Tarim River, China
Authors: Zhao Jingjing , Gong Lu , Chen Xin 
Published: October 2018

AbstractAimAlthough it is commonly proposed that nutrient cycling can impact plant community diversity, this relationship has not been fully examined in arid and semi-arid zones. Here, we expand on the framework for evaluating the relationship between biodiversity and ecological stoichiometry by scaling up from the level of the community.LocationThe upper reaches of the Tarim River (Northwest China, 80°10’-84°36’E, 0°25’-41°10’N).MethodsWe used multivariate analysis of variance to compare the stoichiometric characteristics and species diversity indices of sampled plant communities. We also measured carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P) content of plants. We then assessed correlations between community stoichiometry and species diversity through structural equation models (SEM) and redundancy analysis (RDA).ResultsWe found that the differences between stoichiometric characteristics and community diversity indices were highly significant. The Margalef index was strongly related to C and P content. The Simpson’s index and Shannon-Weaner index were most strongly correlated with C content. Pielou’s index was closely related to C and N contents, and the C:N and C:P ratios were important at driving ecological dominance.Main ConclusionsOur study highlights the importance of ecological stoichiometry in driving community assembly and diversity within a desert ecosystems in northwestern China. The relationship between eclogical stoichiometry in the desert plant community had an effect on species diversity, and it was a good indicator of plant community diversity.
A seleno-hormetine protects bone marrow hematopoietic cells against ionizing radiation-induced toxicity
Authors: Desirée Bartolini , Yanzhong Wang , Jie Zhang , Daniela Giustarini , Ranieri Rossi , Wang Gavin Y. , Pierangelo Torquato , Townsend Danyelle M. , Tew Kenneth D. , Francesco Galli 
Published: October 2018

Abstract2,2’-diselenyldibenzoic acid (DSBA) is a mild thiol peroxidase agent presently in preclinical development. This study reports that the drug has novel seleno-hormetic properties in both murine bone marrow and human liver cells. According with previous in vitro findings, mechanistic aspects of such properties were confirmed to include the activation of Nrf2 transcription factor and an increased expression of downstream stress response genes in the liver and in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells of the myeloid lineage. These genes include glutathione S-transferase that is reported to represent a major player in the metabolism and pharmacological function of seleno-organic compounds. As a practical application, DSBA administration prevented bone marrow toxicities following acute exposure to sub-lethal doses of ionizing radiation in C57 BL/6 mice.In conclusion, this study demonstrates for the first time the pharmacological properties of DSBAin vivo. The findings suggest applications for this selenohormetine in radioprotection and prevention protocols.
Social networks in the presence and absence of visual cues
Authors: Bierbach David , Krause Stefan , Romanczuk Pawel , Lukas Juliane , Arias-Rodriguez Lenin , Krause Jens 
Published: October 2018

AbstractWe compared the social dynamics of two populations of the live-bearing Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) that live in adjacent habitats with very different predator regimes: cave mollies that inhabit a low-predation environment inside a sulfidic cave with a low density of predatory water bugs (Belostomasp.), and mollies that live directly outside the cave (henceforth called “surface” mollies) in a high-predation environment with a high density of fish-eating birds. We filmed the social interactions of marked fish in both environments and analysed their social network dynamics using a Markov model under two different fish densities of 12 and 6 fish per 0.36 m2. As expected, surface mollies spent overall much more time social than cave mollies. This difference in overall social time was a result of surface mollies being less likely to discontinue social contact (once they had a social partner) and being more likely to resume social contact (once alone) than cave mollies. Interestingly surface mollies were also less likely to leave a current social partner than cave mollies. At low density, mollies (in both environments) were expected to show reduced social encounters which should dramatically change their social dynamics. Surface mollies, however, displayed an ability to maintain their social dynamics at low density (primarily by reducing the convex polygon spanned by the group) which was not observed in cave mollies. Despite the fact that we only compared two populations, our data provide a mechanistic explanation for density compensations of social dynamics that have also been observed in other fish species and give an example of how comparisons between the social dynamics of different populations can be made that go beyond conventional network analyses.
Information management in the smart city
Authors: Stone Merlin , Knapper Jonathan , Evans Geraint , Aravopoulou Eleni 
Published: October 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate information management in a smart city. It identifies the main trends in progress and how innovation in information technology is helping all those in the smart city ecosystem in terms of generating new sources of data and connecting them. It investigates how information management in the smart city may go through several phases, but contests the notion that the co-ordinated information management that is the dream of many city managers is an appropriate vision, given the tendency in the private sector for competing information platforms to develop, giving value in different ways.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper has been written by using a combination of academic insight and literature, extensive research of relevant grey literature (e.g. blogs and industry press) and interviews and interaction with some of the organisations involved in developing and implementing the smart city concept, including public transport organisations, other data providers, analysts and systems and sensor suppliers.

Findings
Smart city concepts are evolving in different ways, with divergence of views which involves centralisation and control of information by city authorities and a more democratic view in which the information is managed on different platforms between which smart city stakeholders can choose.

Research limitations/implications
The research method is exploratory. Validating the findings would require a more structured approach in which stakeholders of all kinds are consulted.

Practical implications
All organisational stakeholders in the idea and delivery of smart cities need to consider how their interests in smart city information and those of other stakeholders are evolving and to what extent they should be in partnership with other members of the ecosystem in generating and using the information.

Social implications
Individuals, whether workers, commuters, shoppers, tourists or others, will be greatly affected by the evolution of smart city information, and their choices about whether to be smart themselves will have an important effect on the benefits they receive from city smartening and on the viability of the smart cities.

Originality/value
Little research has been carried out into the different choices organisations and individuals have in terms of how they will relate to smart city information and how they can manage it. This research makes a start on this task.
A novel adaptive beamforming with reduced side lobe level using GSA
Authors: Sharma Abhinav , Mathur Sanjay 
Published: October 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present and solve the problem of adaptive beamforming (ABF) for a uniform linear array (ULA) as an optimization problem. ABF mainly concerns with estimation of weights of antenna array so as to direct the major lobe in the direction of desired user and nulls in the direction of interfering signals with reduced side lobe level (SLL).

Design/methodology/approach
The potential of gravitational search algorithm is explored to optimize multi-objective fitness function for ABF using MATLAB software.

Findings
The performance of the algorithm has been compared by considering different number of interference signals at different power levels. The proposed algorithm presents good convergence rate and accurate steering of main lobe and nulls with reduced SLL compared to the well-known ABF technique, namely, minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) and previously reported results. The simulation results are presented in tabular form.

Research limitations/implications
The present work is limited to simulation. The researchers are encouraged to solve the problem of ABF using the proposed approach in hardware.

Originality/value
The application of proposed algorithm is to optimize multi-objective function for ABF with reduced SLL in linear antenna arrays.
Antecedents and consequences of trust on a virtual team leader
Authors: Flavian Carlos , Guinalíu Miguel , Jordan Pau 
Published: October 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine, among the possible causes, whether trust in the leader is one of the most relevant factors on the success of a virtual work team by analyzing different antecedents of the trust and its consequences.

Design/methodology/approach
The influence that certain physical and behavioral characteristics of the leader (attractiveness, empathy and justice) exert on the degree of trust is evaluated. On the other hand, the influence of trust on the efficiency of the team, in terms of organizational citizenship behavior and commitment, is analyzed. To test the model, a survey was conducted on real work teams and the data were analyzed through a model of structural equations.

Findings
The results support the hypotheses and consequently, the relevance of trust in the leader. Specifically, the leader’s physical and behavioral characteristics have a significant effect on the trust in the leader. This trust results in greater organizational efficiency.

Originality/value
Despite the undisputable growth in the number of companies using virtual teams, it is also true that many of these teams fail to perform. In this sense, this paper analyzes if certain factors related to leadership can be relevant when influencing the efficiency of a virtual work team. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the internal processes within a virtual team in order to maximize the chances of success in this type of organizations.
Information security practice in Saudi Arabia: case study on Saudi organizations
Authors: Alzamil Zakarya A. 
Published: October 2018

Purpose
Information security of an organization is influenced by the deployed policy and procedures. Information security policy reflects the organization’s attitude to the protection of its information assets. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the status of the information security policy at a subset of Saudi’s organizations by understanding the perceptions of their information technology’s employees.

Design/methodology/approach
A descriptive and statistical approach has been used to describe the collected data and characteristics of the IT employees and managers to understand the information security policy at the surveyed organizations. The author believes that understanding the IT employees’ views gives a better understanding of the organization’s status of information security policy.

Findings
It has been found that most of the surveyed organizations have established information security policy and deployed fair technology; however, many of such policies are not enforced and publicized effectively and efficiently which degraded the deployed technology for such protection. In addition, the clarity and the comprehensibility of such policies are questionable as indicated by most of the IT employees’ responses. A comparison with similar studies at Middle Eastern and European countries has shown similar findings and shares the same concerns.

Originality/value
The findings of this research suggest that the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission should develop a national framework for information security to guide the governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the information security practitioners on the good information security practices in terms of policy and procedures to help the organizations to avoid any vulnerability that may lead to violations on the security of their information.
MMSPhiD: a phoneme based phishing verification model for persons with visual impairments
Authors: Sonowal Gunikhan , Kuppusamy KS 
Published: October 2018

PurposeThis paper aims to propose a model entitled MMSPhiD (multidimensional similarity metrics model for screen reader user to phishing detection) that amalgamates multiple approaches to detect phishing URLs.Design/methodology/approachThe model consists of three major components: machine learning-based approach, typosquatting-based approach and phoneme-based approach. The major objectives of the proposed model are detecting phishing URL, typosquatting and phoneme-based domain and suggesting the legitimate domain which is targeted by attackers.FindingsThe result of the experiment shows that the MMSPhiD model can successfully detect phishing with 99.03 per cent accuracy. In addition, this paper has analyzed 20 leading domains from Alexa and identified 1,861 registered typosquatting and 543 phoneme-based domains.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed model has used machine learning with the list-based approach. Building and maintaining the list shall be a limitation.Practical implicationThe results of the experiments demonstrate that the model achieved higher performance due to the incorporation of multi-dimensional filters.Social implicationsIn addition, this paper has incorporated the accessibility needs of persons with visual impairments and provides an accessible anti-phishing approach.Originality/valueThis paper assists persons with visual impairments on detection phoneme-based phishing domains.