bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Full‐duplex OFDMA multi‐user cellular systems: resource allocation and user pairing
Authors: Jiang Yunxiang , Chen He (Henry) , Lau Francis C.M. , Wang Peng , Li Yonghui 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we consider an orthogonal frequency division multiple access multi‐user cellular system with one full‐duplex base station communicating with multiple half‐duplex users in a bidirectional way. The uplink and downlink transmissions are coupled together because of the existence of the self‐interference at the base station and the inter‐user interference (IUI) from the uplink users to the downlink users. We aim to maximize the system sum‐rate of uplink and downlink transmissions by optimally pairing the uplink and downlink users and allocating the subcarriers and powers to these users. We formulate the problem as a mixed integer nonlinear programming problem. A two‐layer iterative solution based on the dual method and the sequential parametric convex approximation (SPCA) method is proposed. It is referred to as the dual–SPCA algorithm. The dual–SPCA algorithm requires the IUI channel state information to be available at the base station, and hence, a significant overhead is generated. To reduce the amount of overhead required, we assume that the IUI channel model is known at the base station, and we design a location‐aware resource allocation algorithm with limited channel state information that maximizes the system sum‐rate. Simulation results show that when self‐interference is low, uplink and downlink user‐pairing can provide significant improvement on the system sum‐rate compared with the conventional unidirectional half‐duplex transmission. In addition, by considering two different network deployments, such as urban macro cell scenario and small cell scenario, we show that the improvement of full‐duplex transmission over half‐duplex transmission highly depends on the channel parameters. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Significance of visual hallucinations and cerebral hypometabolism in the risk of dementia in Parkinson's disease patients with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Gasca‐Salas Carmen , Clavero Pedro , García‐García David , Obeso José A. , Rodríguez‐Oroz María C. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIntroductionMild cognitive impairment (MCI) and visual hallucinations (VH) are common co‐morbidities and risk factors for dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). The relative value of each of them in the progression to dementia is unknown. We investigated cognitive impairment and cerebral hypometabolism in PD‐MCI patients with VH (VH‐positive) and without (VH‐negative).MethodsTwenty‐one PD‐MCI patients (12 VH‐negative, nine VH‐positive) and 19 controls were studied using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and [18F]‐Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET). The neuropsychological assessment was repeated after 30 months. Regional FDG uptake was analyzed using statistical parametric mapping.ResultsVH‐positive patients had lower FDG uptake bilaterally in the occipital, and parietal cortex, right temporal lobe and in the left cingulum compared with VH‐negative patients. The two groups showed no significant differences in clinical characteristics and cognitive status at baseline. After 30 months of follow‐up, three (25%) and four (50%) of the VH‐negative and VH‐positive patients, respectively, had progressed to dementia.ConclusionEven in the absence of significant cognitive differences, PD‐MCI patients with VH exhibit more severe cerebral hypometabolism and had a higher rate of progression to dementia than VH‐negative patients, supporting the importance of VH and cerebral hypometabolism in establishing the risk of dementia in PD‐MCI. Hum Brain Mapp 37:968–977, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Coprisin exerts antibacterial effects by inducing apoptosis‐like death in Escherichia coli
Authors: Choi Hyemin , Hwang Jae‐Sam , Lee Dong Gun 
Published: December 2015

AbstractApoptosis commonly occurs in eukaryotes to eliminate unwanted cells. In this study, we demonstrated that coprisin‐treated bacteria undergo cell death that is mechanistically and morphologically similar to apoptosis in eukaryotes. Time‐kill kinetic assay against Escherichia coli indicated that coprisin exerted bactericidal activity. The bactericidal mechanism was studied by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling analysis, followed by Western blotting. We confirmed coprisin‐induced DNA fragmentation and activation of the RecA protein as a SOS response. Furthermore, FITC‐VAD‐FMK, FITC‐Annexin V, and bis‐(1,3‐dibutylbarbituric acid) trimethineoxonol [DiBAC4(3)] staining showed that caspase‐like protein(s), such as RecA, were activated, and membrane alterations such as phosphatidylserine externalization and cytoplasmic depolarization were induced. Finally, 3′‐(p‐hydroxyphenyl) fluorescein assay indicated that depolarization of membrane potential leads to hydroxyl radicals (•OH) formation. Based on these results, we conclude that coprisin exerts bactericidal activity against E. coli by causing severe DNA damage, which induces apoptosis‐like death. © 2015 IUBMB Life, 68(1):72–78, 2016
Foxc1 Expression in Early Osteogenic Differentiation Is Regulated by BMP4‐SMAD Activity
Authors: Hopkins Alexander , Mirzayans Freda , Berry Fred 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTFOXC1 is an important regulator of the initial steps in intramembranous and endochondral ossification processes. As BMP signalling is a key initiator of these processes, we sought to determine whether Foxc1 expression is regulated by such signalling factors. BMP4 treatment of C2C12 cells resulted in an induction in Foxc1 mRNA levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that SMAD proteins interacted with the mouse Foxc1 promoter approximately 300 bp upstream of the transcription start site. This ChIP positive region was cloned into a luciferase reporter and demonstrated to be responsive to BMP4 stimulation. Reduction of Foxc1 levels in C2C12 cells though siRNA impaired BMP4 osteogenic differentiation. In contrast, BMP4 treatment repressed Foxc1 expression in 10T1/2 or D1‐ORL mesenchymal cells and MC3T3 preosteoblasts. Finally, siRNA knock‐down of Foxc1 in MC3T3 cells resulted in an induction of markers of osteoblast differentiation and an accelerated mineralization. These data indicate that Foxc1 expression is regulated by BMP4 and FOXC1 functions in the commitment of progenitor cells to the osteoblast fate and its expression is reduced when differentiation proceeds. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1707–1717, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A hybrid adaptive sampling algorithm for obtaining reduced order models for systems with frequency dependent state‐space matrices
Authors: Samuel Elizabeth Rita , Ferranti Francesco , Knockaert Luc , Dhaene Tom 
Published: December 2015

SummaryThis paper proposes a hybrid adaptive sampling algorithm to automate the generation of reduced order models for systems described by large‐scale frequency dependent state‐space models. The evaluation of the frequency dependent state‐space model for each frequency sample can be computationally expensive. The distribution of frequency samples must be optimized to avoid oversampling and undersampling. In order to have an optimum number of frequency samples, the proposed algorithm uses the reflective exploration technique for the adaptive selection of samples, and the sampling is further refined using a binary search to validate the frequency dependent reduced order models. Projection‐based model order reduction techniques are used for obtaining the reduced order model. The projection matrix for each frequency sample is merged to obtain a common projection matrix for all samples. However, in certain cases when the number of sample points increases, the merged projection matrix also increases in dimension and might fail to provide a satisfactory reduction in model size. Thus, the merged projection matrix is truncated based on its singular values to obtain a compact common projection matrix. Then, the reduced order state‐space matrices per frequency are interpolated over the frequency range of interest to obtain the system response. Pertinent examples validate the proposed hybrid adaptive sampling algorithm. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Activity of α‐Chymotrypsin in Cationic and Nonionic Micellar Media: Ultraviolet and Fluorescence Spectroscopic Approach
Authors: Verma Santosh K. , Ghosh Kallol K. , Verma Rameshwari , Verma Shekhar , N. Girish H. , Zhao Xiujian 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTα‐Chymotrypsin (α‐CT) activity was measured in aqueous buffer with the following alkyltriphenylphosphonium bromide surfactants in the series cetyl, tetradecyl, and dodecyl as a tail length. For the sake of comparison with mixed micellar investigation on activity of α‐CT, cationic cetyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (CTPB) and nonionic surfactant Triton X‐100, Brij‐56, Brij‐35, Tween 20, and Igepal Co‐210 have been used. The p‐nitrophenyl acetate (PNPA) hydrolysis rate was determined at the surfactant concentration of both cationic and mixed micellar systems by a UV–vis spectrophotometer. The catalytic reaction follows the Michaelis–Menten mechanism, and the catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) was evaluated for both homogeneous and mixed‐micellar media. The maximum catalytic efficiency was observed at 5 mM concentration of CTPB, but the highest catalytic efficiency, 572 M−1 s−1, was measured in the presence of mixed micellar (7.5 mM CTPB + 2.5 mM Tween‐20). The fluorescence (FL) spectra showed the differences of α‐CT conformations in the presence of cationic surfactants. The FL results suggest that the influence of cationic surfactant on proteolysis arises from the interaction with the α‐CT. The binding constant, ksv, of α‐CT with cationic aggregates was determined in the buffer using the Stern–Volmer equation by the fluorescence spectroscopic approach.
Early Clinical Predictors of Treatment‐Resistant and Functional Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Kurlan Roger , Ravina Bernard , Eberly Shirley , Lang Anthony E. , Tanner Caroline M. , Marek Kenneth , Marder Karen , Beck James , Elliott Robin , Oakes David , Shoulson Ira ,   the PSG PostCEPT (LABS‐PD) Investigators
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this work was to identify early clinical predictors of important outcomes in Parkinson's disease (PD). In PD, treatment‐resistant (e.g., dementia, falling) and other important functional outcomes (e.g., declines in quality of life [QOL] and activities of daily living [ADL]) emerge and become increasingly disabling.MethodsWe analyzed longitudinal data from 491 early, untreated PD subjects who enrolled in the PreCEPT trial, had baseline SPECT dopamine transporter deficit, and have continued in the PostCEPT observational cohort. After PreCEPT, antiparkinsonian medications were added if needed. Baseline clinical precursors were examined as potential predictors of selected outcomes. Separate and multivariate logistic regressions, adjusted for certain baseline factors, were performed for dichotomized outcomes evaluated at the last PostCEPT visit.ResultsOn enrollment, subjects had average disease duration of 0.8 years and were followed for an average of 5.5 years. Some baseline precursors were found to be predictive: disease stage, cognitive, and ADL scores for dementia; disease stage, ADL, and motor and freezing scores for hallucinations; disease stage, depression, ADL, and freezing and walking scores for falling; and ADL, depression, and motor and walking scores and disease stage for QOL decline. No baseline clinical feature predicted decline in ADL. Being on levodopa was not a significant predictor of any outcome, but subjects on a dopamine agonist were significantly less impaired with respect to falling, abnormal Mini–Mental State Examination, and QOL.ConclusionsAlthough there are limitations, results support the value of longitudinal follow‐up of clinical trial populations to identify early clinical precursors of important outcomes and thereby identify high‐risk patients early on.
Prescription opioid exposures and adverse outcomes among older adults
Authors: West Nancy A. , Dart Richard C. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractPurposeA high prevalence of chronic pain and high rates of polypharmacy among older adults suggest that this age group may be particularly susceptible to unintentional misuse of prescription opioids. We examined recent trends in misuse of prescription opioids and associated medical outcomes among older‐aged adults (60+ years) and compared the patterns with trends among younger‐aged adults (20–59 years).MethodsLinear regression trend analysis was used to analyze 57 681 misuse cases reported to participating US poison centers during 2006–2014.ResultsPopulation rates of misuse of prescription opioids were higher for older adults than for younger adults, and this disparity increased over time. Rates among the older ages increased each year, although the rate of increase slowed over time (p < 0.0001 for negative quadratic trend). In contrast, among the younger adults, there was a significant negative quadratic trend in population rates (p < 0.0001) with a rise in rates during 2006–2010 followed by a decline during 2011–2014. Rates of serious medical outcomes among the older ages followed an increasing linear trend (p < 0.0001); in contrast, rates among younger adults rose and fell during the period, with recent rates trending downward (p < 0.0001 for quadratic trend).ConclusionsRecent increases in rates of misuse of prescription opioids and associated unfavorable medical outcomes among older adults have important implications as the USA undergoes a rapid expansion of its elderly population. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating loads on shores during the construction of RC building structures
Authors: Buitrago Manuel , Adam Jose M. , Calderón Pedro A. , Moragues Juan J. , Alvarado Yezid A. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractWhen constructing reinforced concrete (RC) building structures, knowing the loads to which the shoring system will be subjected during the entire process is one of the key aspects for ensuring safety during the work. Although various simplified methods of estimating the load transmission between shores and slabs during construction have been proposed to date, none of these methods can estimate the loads on individual shores during the different construction phases. This paper proposes a calculation method that allows the loads on individual shores to be calculated for each construction phase without having to resort to the use of advanced software. The proposal was validated by comparison with the results obtained from two actual buildings under construction and represents a step forward in the construction of RC building structures, as it is the first method that offers the possibility of estimating the loads acting on each shore during all the construction phases.
Implementation of Enhanced Recovery (ERAS) in Colorectal Surgery Has a Positive Impact on Non‐ERAS Liver Surgery Patients
Authors: Labgaa Ismail , Jarrar Ghada , Joliat Gaëtan‐Romain , Allemann Pierre , Gander Sylvain , Blanc Catherine , Hübner Martin , Demartines Nicolas 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundEnhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) reduces complications and hospital stay in colorectal surgery. Thereafter, ERAS principles were extended to liver surgery. Previous implementation of an ERAS program in colorectal surgery may influence patients undergoing liver surgery in a non‐ERAS setting, on the same ward. This study aimed to test this hypothesis.MethodsRetrospective analysis based on prospective data of the adherence to the institutional ERAS‐liver protocol (compliance) in three cohorts of consecutive patients undergoing elective liver surgery, between June 2010 and July 2014: before any ERAS implementation (pre‐ERAS n = 50), after implementation of ERAS in colorectal (intermediate n = 50), and after implementation of ERAS in liver surgery (ERAS‐liver n = 74). Outcomes were functional recovery, postoperative complications, hospital stay, and readmissions.ResultsThe three groups were comparable for demographics; laparoscopy was more frequent in ERAS‐liver (p = 0.009). Compliance with the enhanced recovery protocol increased along the three periods (pre‐ERAS, intermediate, and ERAS‐liver), regardless of the perioperative phase (pre‐, intra‐, or postoperative). ERAS‐liver group displayed the highest overall compliance rate with 73.8 %, compared to 39.9 and 57.4 % for pre‐ERAS and intermediate groups (p = 0.072/0.056). Overall complications were unchanged (p = 0.185), whereas intermediate and ERAS‐liver groups showed decreased major complications (p = 0.034). Consistently, hospital stay was reduced by 2 days (p = 0.005) without increased readmissions (p = 0.158).ConclusionsThe previous implementation of an ERAS protocol in colorectal surgery may induce a positive impact on patients undergoing non‐ERAS‐liver surgery on the same ward. These results suggest that ERAS is safely applicable in liver surgery and associated with benefits.
A Modest Art: Securing Privacy in Technologically Mediated Homecare
Authors: Kamphof Ike 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
This article addresses the art of living in a technological culture as the active engagement with technomoral change. It argues that this engagement does not just take the form of overt deliberation. It shows in more modest ways as reflection-in-action, an experimental process in which new technology is fitted into existing practices. In this process challenged values are re-articulated in pragmatic solutions to the problem of working with new technology. This art of working with technology is also modest in the sense that it is not oriented to shaping one’s own subjectivity in relation to technology. It emanates from human existence as relational and aims at securing good relationships. The argument will be developed in relation to a case study of the ways in which homecare workers engaged with the value of privacy, challenged by tele-monitoring technology that was newly introduced into their work.
Mechanism of Calcium Fluoride Acceleration for Vacuum Carbothermic Reduction of Magnesia
Authors: Jiang Yun , Liu Yu-qin , Ma Hong-wen , Zhou Wei-gong 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The use of a small amount of calcium fluoride as an additive greatly accelerated the reduction of magnesia during the preparation of magnesium from magnesia using the vacuum carbothermic reduction method. At 1573 K (1300 °C), the magnesia reaction rates of the samples with 1, 3, and 5 pct CaF2 were all approximately 26 pct, three times that of free CaF2, and they were arranged in order of the calcium fluoride weight percentages at 1673 K (1400 °C). The residues were analyzed using chemical analysis, XRD, SEM, EDS, and XRF. The possible acceleration mechanism was discussed. Calcium fluoride combined with magnesia and silicon dioxide to form a eutectic that melted as a channel to aid the solid–solid reaction between carbon and magnesia at approximately 1573 K (1300 °C). Calcium fluoride in the molten state offered free calcium ions and fluorine ions. Fluorine ions entered and distorted the magnesia crystal lattice. The structural strength and chemical stability of the magnesia crystal lattice decreased, which facilitated the magnesia reduction by carbon. Calcium ions were employed to generate the calcium and magnesium silicate. The easyly evaporating fluorides, including magnesium fluoride and silicon tetrafluoride, were regarded as the main reason for the loss of fluorine.
OPTIMAL REINSURANCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF BOTH AN INSURER AND A REINSURER
Authors: Cai Jun , Lemieux Christiane , Liu Fangda 
Published: December 2015

AbstractOptimal reinsurance from an insurer's point of view or from a reinsurer's point of view has been studied extensively in the literature. However, as two parties of a reinsurance contract, an insurer and a reinsurer have conflicting interests. An optimal form of reinsurance from one party's point of view may be not acceptable to the other party. In this paper, we study optimal reinsurance designs from the perspectives of both an insurer and a reinsurer and take into account both an insurer's aims and a reinsurer's goals in reinsurance contract designs. We develop optimal reinsurance contracts that minimize the convex combination of the Value-at-Risk (VaR) risk measures of the insurer's loss and the reinsurer's loss under two types of constraints, respectively. The constraints describe the interests of both the insurer and the reinsurer. With the first type of constraints, the insurer and the reinsurer each have their limit on the VaR of their own loss. With the second type of constraints, the insurer has a limit on the VaR of his loss while the reinsurer has a target on his profit from selling a reinsurance contract. For both types of constraints, we derive the optimal reinsurance forms in a wide class of reinsurance policies and under the expected value reinsurance premium principle. These optimal reinsurance forms are more complicated than the optimal reinsurance contracts from the perspective of one party only. The proposed models can also be reduced to the problems of minimizing the VaR of one party's loss under the constraints on the interests of both the insurer and the reinsurer.
Pre-conceptional intake of folic acid supplements is inversely associated with risk of preterm birth and small-for-gestational-age birth: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Zheng Ju-Sheng , Guan Yuhong , Zhao Yimin , Zhao Wei , Tang Xuejuan , Chen Hua , Xu Meilong , Wu Lingping , Zhu Shanlin , Liu Huijuan , Huang Tao , Li Duo 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAssociations of folic acid supplementation with risk of preterm birth (PTB) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth were unclear for the Chinese populations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations in a large Chinese prospective cohort study: the Jiaxing Birth Cohort. In the Jiaxing Birth Cohort, 240 954 pregnant women visited local clinics or hospitals within their first trimester in Southeast China during 1999–2012. Information on anthropometric parameters, folic acid supplementation and other maternal characteristics were collected by in-person interviews during their first visit. Pregnancy outcomes were recorded during the follow-up of these participants. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association of folic acid supplementation with pregnancy outcomes. The prevalence of folic acid supplementation was 24·9 % in the cohort. The prevalence of PTB and SGA birth was 3·48 and 9·2 %, respectively. Pre-conceptional folic acid supplementation was associated with 8 % lower risk of PTB (relative risk (RR) 0·92; 95 % CI 0·85, 1·00; P=0·04) and 19 % lower risk of SGA birth (RR 0·81; 95 % CI 0·70, 0·95; P=0·008), compared with non-users. Higher frequency of pre-conceptional folic acid use was associated with lower risk of PTB (Ptrend=0·032) and SGA birth (Ptrend=0·046). No significant association between post-conceptional initiation of folic acid supplementation and either outcome was observed. In conclusion, the present study suggests an association between pre-conceptional, but not post-conceptional, folic acid supplementation and lower risk of PTB and SGA birth in the Jiaxing Birth Cohort. Further research in other cohorts of large sample size is needed to replicate these findings.