bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gravitational rescue of minimal gauge mediation
Authors: Iyer Abhishek M. , Mummidi V. Suryanarayana , Vempati Sudhir K. 
Published: April 2016

Gravity mediated supersymmetry breaking becomes comparable to gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking contributions when messenger masses are close to the GUT scale. By suitably arranging the gravity contributions, one can modify the soft supersymmetry breaking sector to generate a large stop mixing parameter and a light Higgs mass of 125 GeV. In this kind of hybrid models, however, the nice features of gauge mediation like flavor conservation, etc. are lost. To preserve the nice features, gravitational contributions should become important for lighter messenger masses and should be important only for certain fields. This is possible when the hidden sector contains multiple (at least two) spurions with hierarchical vacuum expectation values. In this case, the gravitational contributions can be organized to be “just right.” We present a complete model with two spurion hidden sector where the gravitational contribution is from a warped flavor model in a Randall–Sundrum setting. Along the way, we present simple expressions to handle renormalization group equations when supersymmetry is broken by two different sectors at two different scales.
Coffee Consumption and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Schmit Stephanie L. , Rennert Hedy S. , Rennert Gad , Gruber Stephen B. 
Published: April 2016

Abstract
Background: Coffee contains several bioactive compounds relevant to colon physiology. Although coffee intake is a proposed protective factor for colorectal cancer, current evidence remains inconclusive.
Methods: We investigated the association between coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in 5,145 cases and 4,097 controls from the Molecular Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer (MECC) study, a population-based case–control study in northern Israel. We also examined this association by type of coffee, by cancer site (colon and rectum), and by ethnic subgroup (Ashkenazi Jews, Sephardi Jews, and Arabs). Coffee data were collected by interview using a validated, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.
Results: Coffee consumption was associated with 26% lower odds of developing colorectal cancer [OR (drinkers vs. non-drinkers), 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.64–0.86; P &lt; 0.001]. The inverse association was also observed for decaffeinated coffee consumption alone (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68–0.99; P = 0.04) and for boiled coffee (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71–0.94; P = 0.004). Increasing consumption of coffee was associated with lower odds of developing colorectal cancer. Compared with &lt;1 serving/day, intake of 1 to &lt;2 servings/day (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68–0.90; P &lt; 0.001), 2 to 2.5 servings/day (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.51–0.68; P &lt; 0.001), and &gt;2.5 servings/day (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.39–0.54; P &lt; 0.001) were associated with significantly lower odds of colorectal cancer (Ptrend &lt; 0.001), and the dose–response trend was statistically significant for both colon and rectal cancers.
Conclusions: Coffee consumption may be inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer in a dose–response manner.
Impact: Global coffee consumption patterns suggest potential health benefits of the beverage for reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(4); 634–9. ©2016 AACR.
Recommendations for Cancer Epidemiologic Research in Understudied Populations and Implications for Future Needs
Authors: Martin Damali N. , Lam Tram Kim , Brignole Katy , Ashing Kimlin T. , Blot William J. , Burhansstipanov Linda , Chen Jarvis T. , Dignan Mark , Gomez Scarlett Lin , Martinez Maria Elena , Matthews Alicia , Palmer Julie R. , Perez-Stable Eliseo J. , Schootman Mario , Vilchis Hugo , Vu Alexander , Srinivasan Shobha 
Published: April 2016

Abstract
Medically underserved populations in the United States continue to experience higher cancer burdens of incidence, mortality, and other cancer-related outcomes. It is imperative to understand how health inequities experienced by diverse population groups may contribute to our increasing unequal cancer burdens and disparate outcomes. The National Cancer Institute convened a diverse group of scientists to discuss research challenges and opportunities for cancer epidemiology in medically underserved and understudied populations. This report summarizes salient issues and discusses five recommendations from the group, including the next steps required to better examine and address cancer burden in the United States among our rapidly increasing diverse and understudied populations. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(4); 573–80. ©2016 AACR.
See all articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Multilevel Approaches to Addressing Cancer Health Disparities.”
Rapid Fiber-optic Raman Spectroscopy for Real-Time In Vivo Detection of Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia during Clinical Gastroscopy
Authors: Lin Kan , Wang Jianfeng , Zheng Wei , Ho Khek Yu , Teh Ming , Yeoh Khay Guan , Huang Zhiwei 
Published: April 2016

Abstract
We report a unique simultaneous fingerprint (FP) and high-wavenumber (HW) Raman spectroscopy technique coupled with a beveled fiber-optic Raman probe for improving in vivo detection of gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM)–precancerous lesions in real-time during clinical gastroscopy. A total of 4,520 high-quality in vivo FP/HW gastric Raman spectra (normal = 4,178; IM = 342) were acquired from 157 gastric patients undergoing endoscopic examination. Multivariate diagnostic algorithms based on principal components analysis and linear discriminant analysis together with the leave-one tissue site-out, cross-validation on in vivo tissue Raman spectra yield the diagnostic sensitivities of 89.3%, 89.3%, and 75.0%; specificities of 92.2%, 84.4%, and 82.0%; positive predictive values of 52.1%, 35.2%, and 28.4%; and negative predictive values of 98.9%, 98.8%, and 97.2%, respectively, by using the integrated FP/HW, FP, and HW Raman techniques for identifying IM from normal gastric tissue. Further, ROC curves generated show that the integrated FP/HW Raman technique gives the integration area under the ROC curve of 0.92 for IM classification, which is superior to either FP (0.89) or HW Raman (0.86) technique alone. This work demonstrates for the first time that the simultaneous FP/HW fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy has great potential to enhance early diagnosis of gastric precancer in vivo during routine endoscopic examination. Cancer Prev Res; 9(6); 476–83. ©2016 AACR.
Evaluating Simulated Fraction of Attributable Risk Using Climate Observations
Authors: Lott Fraser C. , Stott Peter A. 
Published: April 2016

Abstract
Although it is critical to assess the accuracy of attribution studies, the fraction of attributable risk (FAR) cannot be directly assessed from observations since it involves the probability of an event in a world that did not happen, the “natural” world where there was no human influence on climate. Instead, reliability diagrams (usually used to compare probabilistic forecasts to the observed frequencies of events) have been used to assess climate simulations employed for attribution and by inference to evaluate the attribution study itself. The Brier score summarizes this assessment of a model by the reliability diagram. By constructing a modeling framework where the true FAR is already known, this paper shows that Brier scores are correlated to the accuracy of a climate model ensemble’s calculation of FAR, although only weakly. This weakness exists because the diagram does not account for accuracy of simulations of the natural world. This is better represented by two reliability diagrams from early and late in the period of study, which would have, respectively, less and greater anthropogenic climate forcing. Two new methods are therefore proposed for assessing the accuracy of FAR, based on using the earlier observational period as a proxy for observations of the natural world. It is found that errors from model-based estimates of these observable quantities are strongly correlated with errors in the FAR estimated in the model framework. These methods thereby provide new observational estimates of the accuracy in FAR.
The emergence of materialism in geography: Belonging and being, space and place, sea and land
Authors: Nieuwenhuis Marijn 
Published: April 2016

This article provides an analysis and discussion of the concept of emergence in the context of the materialist turn in the discipline of geography. Etymologically, the word emergence is said to describe that which ‘becomes visible after being concealed’ but is also described as an ‘unforeseen occurrence; a state of things unexpectedly arising, and demanding immediate attention’ ( Oxford English Dictionary). The concept is in this article analysed through the lens of two distinct traditions of thought. The first is commonly associated with relational ontologies of becoming. The second finds its ‘roots’ and is ‘grounded’ in a metaphysical analysis of the ontology of being. Divisions between these two schools of thought are characterized by conceptual differences over concepts of space and place, difference and sameness, process and constancy, land and sea, etc. These differences are not restricted to the conceptual level but also bear political relevance. The article makes this explicit by looking at the theme of emergence, which can be understood either as a relational process of change or as a force of stability and a quest for origins. The former suggests an understanding of materiality that is always in a state of becoming, while the latter infers an approach to materiality that is static and permanent. The article critiques both of these approaches: the relational one for its lack of place, the metaphysical one for its reification of place and its omission of relationality. The article finishes with a call for an elemental ontological approach to place. Rather than abandoning place (Being) for the sake of space (Becoming), the material turn should seek ways to broaden understandings of place.
Are elite cricketers more prone to suicide? A psychological autopsy study of Test cricketer suicides
Authors: Shah Ajit , Sava-Shah Shrenik , Wijeratne Chanaka , Draper Brian 
Published: April 2016

Objectives: It has been hypothesised that the very nature of the game predisposes elite cricketers to higher rates of suicide. Aim: We aim to estimate the suicide rate of male Test cricketers and to determine the reasons for suicide. Methods: The suicide rate in male Test cricketers was determined. A psychological autopsy was conducted using published biographical data. Results: Twenty suicides amongst 2794 male Test cricketers from 1877 to 2014 yielded a suicide rate of 715.4 per 100,000 for that period. Health, financial and relationship issues were prominent; depression and alcohol misuse were common. Conclusions: Most suicides in Test cricketers occurred post-retirement in mid to late life with similar correlates to those found in the general male population. The idiosyncrasies of cricket are unlikely to contribute to suicide; however, the post-retirement welfare of Test cricketers should remain a focus of concern and the greater supports available to contemporary Test cricketers needs to extend beyond retirement.
Exploring Nurse Communication About Spirituality
Authors: Wittenberg Elaine , Ragan Sandra L. , Ferrell Betty 
Published: April 2016

Objective: Although spiritual care is considered one of the pillars of palliative care, many health-care providers never receive formal training on how to communicate about spirituality with patients and families. The aim of this study was to explore the spiritual care experiences of oncology nurses in order to learn more about patient needs and nurse responses. Methods: A survey was circulated at a communication training course for oncology nurses in June 2015. Nurses recalled a care experience that included the initiation of a spiritual care topic and their response to the patient/family. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Nurses reported that communication about spirituality was primarily initiated by patients, rather than family members, and spiritual topics commonly emerged during the end of life or when patients experienced spiritual distress. Nurses’ experiences highlighted the positive impact spiritual conversations had on the quality of patient care and its benefit to families. Spiritual communication was described as an important nursing role at the end of patients’ lives, and nonverbal communication, listening, and discussing patients’ emotions were emphasized as important and effective nurse communication skills during spiritual care conversations. Approximately one-third of nurses in the sample reported sharing their own personal spiritual or religious backgrounds with patients, and they reported that these sharing experiences strengthened their own faith. Conclusion: It is evident that patients want to discuss spiritual topics during care. Study findings illustrate the need to develop a spiritual communication curriculum and provide spiritual care communication training to clinicians.
The Diabetes Telephone Study: Design and challenges of a pragmatic cluster randomized trial to improve diabetic peripheral neuropathy treatment
Authors: Adams Alyce S , Bayliss Elizabeth A , Schmittdiel Julie A , Altschuler Andrea , Dyer Wendy , Neugebauer Romain , Jaffe Marc , Young Joseph D , Kim Eileen , Grant Richard W ,   for the Diabetes Telephone Study Team
Published: April 2016

Background: Challenges to effective pharmacologic management of symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy include the limited effectiveness of available medicines, frequent side effects, and the need for ongoing symptom assessment and treatment titration for maximal effectiveness. We present here the rationale and implementation challenges of the Diabetes Telephone Study, a randomized trial designed to improve medication treatment, titration, and quality of life among patients with symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Methods: We implemented a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an automated interactive voice response tool designed to provide physicians with real-time patient-reported data about responses to newly prescribed diabetic peripheral neuropathy medicines. A total of 1834 primary care physicians treating patients in the diabetes registry at Kaiser Permanente Northern California were randomized into the intervention or control arm. In September 2014, we began identification and recruitment of patients assigned to physicians in the intervention group who receive three brief interactive calls every 2 months after a medication is prescribed to alleviate diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptoms. These calls provide patients with the opportunity to report on symptoms, side effects, self-titration of medication dose and overall satisfaction with treatment. We plan to compare changes in self-reported quality of life between the intervention group and patients in the control group who receive three non-interactive automated educational phone calls. Results: Successful implementation of this clinical trial required robust stakeholder engagement to help tailor the intervention and to address pragmatic concerns such as provider time constraints. As of 27 October 2015, we had screened 2078 patients, 1447 of whom were eligible for participation. We consented and enrolled 1206 or 83% of those eligible. Among those enrolled, 53% are women and the mean age is 67 (standard deviation = 12) years. The racial ethnic make-up is 56% White, 8% Asian, 13% Black or African American, and 19% Hispanic or Latino. Conclusion: Innovative strategies are needed to guide improvements in healthcare delivery for patients with symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This trial aims to assess whether real-time collection and clinical feedback of patient treatment experiences can reduce patient symptom burden. Implementation of a clinical trial closely involving clinical care required researchers to partner with clinicians. If successful, this intervention provides a critical information feedback loop that would optimize diabetic peripheral neuropathy medication titration through widely available interactive voice response technology.
A mixed-method outcome evaluation of a specialist Alcohol Hospital Liaison Team
Authors: McGeechan Grant J , Wilkinson Kirsty G , Martin Neil , Wilson Lynn , O’Neill Gillian , Newbury-Birch Dorothy 
Published: April 2016

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of an Alcohol Hospital Liaison Team at reducing alcohol-specific hospital attendances and admissions. Methods: In a mixed-method evaluation, 96 patients who accessed the team were monitored using data for alcohol-specific hospital attendances and Accident and Emergency (A&E) admissions before, during, and after engaging with the team. A feedback survey was sent to patients and a focus group was held with staff from the team to identify barriers and facilitators to the successful delivery of this service. Results: No differences were observed when looking at alcohol admissions or A&E attendances before patients engaged with the service to those after discharge. While hospital admissions decreased slightly and A&E attendances increased slightly, these differences were not significant. Hospital admissions and A&E attendances increased significantly during engagement with the service. The focus group identified confusion over who should be delivering brief interventions and that the team was holding onto patients for too long. Conclusion: The results of this evaluation demonstrated that this team was not effective at reducing alcohol attendances or admissions due to a number of factors. Policy makers should make note of the barriers to effectiveness highlighted in this article, before commissioning alcohol care teams in the future.
Minicircle DNA-mediated endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene transfer enhances angiogenic responses of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Bandara Nadeeka , Gurusinghe Saliya , Chen Haiying , Chen Shuangfeng , Wang Le-xin , Lim Shiang Y. , Strappe Padraig 
Published: April 2016

Abstract
Background
Non-viral-based gene modification of adult stem cells with endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) may enhance production of nitric oxide and promote angiogenesis. Nitric oxide (NO) derived from endothelial cells is a pleiotropic diffusible gas with positive effects on maintaining vascular tone and promoting wound healing and angiogenesis. Adult stem cells may enhance angiogenesis through expression of bioactive molecules, and their genetic modification to express eNOS may promote NO production and subsequent cellular responses.

Methods
Rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were transfected with a minicircle DNA vector expressing either green fluorescent protein (GFP) or eNOS. Transfected cells were analysed for eNOS expression and NO production and for their ability to form in vitro capillary tubules and cell migration. Transcriptional activity of angiogenesis-associated genes, CD31, VEGF-A, PDGFRα, FGF2, and FGFR2, were analysed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results
Minicircle vectors expressing GFP (MC-GFP) were used to transfect HEK293T cells and rBMSCs, and were compared to a larger parental vector (P-GFP). MC-GFP showed significantly higher transfection in HEK293T cells (55.51 ± 3.3 %) and in rBMSC (18.65 ± 1.05 %) compared to P-GFP in HEK293T cells (43.4 ± 4.9 %) and rBMSC (15.21 ± 0.22 %). MC-eNOS vectors showed higher transfection efficiency (21 ± 3 %) compared to P-eNOS (9 ± 1 %) and also generated higher NO levels. In vitro capillary tubule formation assays showed both MC-eNOS and P-eNOS gene-modified rBMSCs formed longer (14.66 ± 0.55 mm and 13.58 ± 0.68 mm, respectively) and a greater number of tubules (56.33 ± 3.51 and 51 ± 4, respectively) compared to controls, which was reduced with the NOS inhibitor L-NAME. In an in vitro wound healing assay, MC-eNOS transfected cells showed greater migration which was also reversed by L-NAME treatment. Finally, gene expression analysis in MC-eNOS transfected cells showed significant upregulation of the endothelial-specific marker CD31 and enhanced expression of VEGFA and FGF-2 and their corresponding receptors PDGFRα and FGFR2, respectively.

Conclusions
A novel eNOS-expressing minicircle vector can efficiently transfect rBMSCs and produce sufficient NO to enhance in vitro models of capillary formation and cell migration with an accompanying upregulation of CD31, angiogenic growth factor, and receptor gene expression.
An efficient transmission mode selection based on reinforcement learning for cooperative cognitive radio networks
Authors: Rahman Md. Arifur , Lee Young-Doo , Koo Insoo 
Published: April 2016

AbstractCooperative communication systems use cooperative relays for transmitting their data packets to the destination. Cooperative communication schemes having all relays participating in transmission may cause unnecessary wastes of most valuable spectrum resources. So it is mandatory to effectively select a transmission mode for cooperative cognitive radio networks (CCRNs). In this paper, an efficient transmission mode scheme based on Q-learning algorithm is proposed. State, action, and reward are defined to achieve a good performance on time delay and energy efficiency in data transmission as well as the interference to primary users during secondary users transmission. The proposed scheme selects an optimal action on the networks environment to maximize the total revenue of the multilateral metric. The simulation result shows that the proposed scheme can efficiently support the determination for the transmission mode and outperforms conventional schemes for a single metric in CCRNs.
Sensitivity of dendritic cells to NK-mediated lysis depends on the inflammatory environment and is modulated by CD54/CD226-driven interactions
Authors: Smith Laura E , Olszewski Marcin A , Georgoudaki Anna-Maria , Wagner Arnika K , Hägglöf Thomas , Karlsson Mikael C I , Dominguez-Villar Margarita , Garcia-Cozar Francisco , Mueller Steffan , Ravens Inga , Bernhardt Günter , Chambers Benedict J 
Published: April 2016

AbstractPrevious studies have suggested that NK cells may limit T cell responses by their ability to eradicate dendritic cells, as demonstrated by NK cell-mediated killing of dendritic cells generated from mouse bone marrow cells or human monocytes with GM-CSF. In the present study, we demonstrated that conventional dendritic cells, generated in vitro with Flt3 ligand or from spleens, were resistant to NK cell-mediated lysis. However, upon stimulation with GM-CSF, NK cells could mediate lysis of these dendritic cells. GM-CSF-stimulated Flt3 ligand dendritic cells or splenic dendritic cells increased surface expression of costimulatory molecules and known NK cell ligands. Likewise, NK cells could target dendritic cells in vivo, which could be inhibited, in part, by anti-GM-CSF antibodies. The blocking of CD54 or CD226 inhibited NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity of the GM-CSF-stimulated Flt3 ligand conventional dendritic cells. Furthermore, the CD226+NKG2A− subset of NK cells was selectively better at targeting GM-CSF-stimulated Flt3 ligand conventional dendritic cells. However, CD155, a known ligand for CD226, could also act as an inhibitor of NK cell-mediated lysis, as dendritic cells lacking CD155 were more sensitive to NK cell-mediated lysis than wild-type dendritic cells. We hypothesize that by only permitting a subset of NK cells to target activated dendritic cells during inflammation, this would allow the immune system to balance between dendritic cells able to drive adaptive immune responses and dendritic cells targeted for elimination by NK cells to hinder, e.g., spread of infection.