bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A VISION FOR HUMAN‐MODEL INTERACTION IN INTERACTIVE MODEL‐CENTRIC SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Authors: Rhodes Donna H. , Ross Adam M. 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTThe Interactive Model‐Centric Systems Engineering (IMCSE) research program arises from the unique opportunity to investigate the various aspects of humans interacting with models and model‐generated data, in the context of systems engineering practice. This paper explores the dimensions of this interaction and shares findings from a recent workshop organized to seed the initial research agenda. Many open areas of inquiry exist; examples include: use cases for stakeholders interacting with models; how multiple stakeholders interact with each other using models and model generated information; facets of human interaction with visualizations and large data sets; and underlying fundamentals such as model purpose and model handling. Realizing the envisioned future for an interactive model‐centric systems engineering experience will require new knowledge and ways of working, and innovation in constructs and technologies. A shared research agenda is proposed as a means to provide a common frame for alignment and synergies of research across the community. Research needs and progress are discussed and several ongoing research projects are briefly discussed.
Business, housing, and credit cycles
Authors: Rünstler Gerhard , Vlekke Marente 
Published: October 2017

SummaryWe use multivariate unobserved components models to estimate trend and cyclical components in gross domestic product (GDP), credit volumes, and house prices for the USA and the five largest European economies. With the exception of Germany, we find large and long cycles in credit and house prices, which are highly correlated with a medium‐term component in GDP cycles. Differences across countries in the length and size of cycles appear to be related to the properties of national housing markets. The precision of pseudo real‐time estimates of credit and house price cycles is roughly comparable to that of GDP cycles.
Improving Markov switching models using realized variance
Authors: Liu Jia , Maheu John M. 
Published: October 2017

SummaryThis paper proposes a class of models that jointly model returns and ex post variance measures under a Markov switching framework. Both univariate and multivariate return versions of the model are introduced. Estimation can be conducted under a fixed dimension state space or an infinite one. The proposed models can be seen as nonlinear common factor models subject to Markov switching and are able to exploit the information content in both returns and ex post volatility measures. Applications to equity returns compare the proposed models to existing alternatives. The empirical results show that the joint models improve density forecasts for returns and point predictions of return variance. Using the information in ex post volatility measures can increase the precision of parameter estimates, sharpen the inference on the latent state variable, and improve portfolio decisions.
Evaluation of a novel poly(amidoamine) with pendant aminobutyl group on the cellular properties of transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Chen Lili , Long Dan , Huang Shishu , Yang Qian , Hao Jin , Wu Nan , Peng Lin 
Published: October 2017

AbstractStem cell‐based gene therapy has been considered in the treatment of many degenerative diseases. Gene‐modified stem cells should maintain its reproductive activity without losing stem cell properties, including genetic phenotype and differentiation potential. In the study, a novel poly (amidoamine) with pendant aminobutyl group (PAA‐BA) designed by our group was used in the transfection of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) and the cellular properties post‐transfection were evaluated, including DNA content, colony forming capacity, genetic phenotype, and multi‐directional differentiation. Two classical non‐viral gene delivery vectors, polyethylenimine (PEI) and Lipofectamine 2000 (LP2000) were also used. Compared to non‐transfected group, PAA‐BA showed minor decreased DNA content but maintained BMSCs’ phenotype, reproductive activity and multi‐differentiation potential (osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic, and neurogenic differentiation). Both PAA‐BA and PEI transfected BMSCs demonstrated improved osteogenic differentiation ability at late stage but suppressed adipogenic as well as mature neural differentiationin vitro. LP2000 and PEI transfected BMSCs displayed significantly lower DNA content and reproductive activity. These findings suggest that PAA‐BA is one of safe gene delivery vectors in BMSCs transfection and plays a role in stem cell's osteogenic and neurogenic differentiation. This study proposes the potential application of PAA‐BA in BMSCs based gene therapy, in particular bone and nerve relative diseases. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 686–697, 2018.
Modeling of the interaction between osteoblasts and biocompatible substrates as a function of adhesion strength
Authors: Portan D. V. , Deligianni D. D. , Deligianni K. , Kroustalli A. A. , Tyllianakis M. , Papanicolaou G. C. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractA goal of current implantology research is to design devices that induce controlled, guided, and rapid healing. Nanoscale structured substrates [e.g., titania nanotubes (TNTs) or carbon nanotubes (CNTs)] dramatically improve the functions of conventional biomaterials. The present investigation evaluated the behavior of osteoblasts cells cultured on smooth and nanostructured substrates, by measuring osteoblasts specific biomarkers [alkaline phosphatase (AP) and total protein] and cells adhesion strength to substrates, followed by semi‐empirical modeling to predict the experimental results. Findings were in total agreement with the current state of the art. The proliferation, as well as the AP and total protein levels were higher on the nanostructure phases (TNTs, CNTs) comparing to the smooth ones (plastic and pure titanium). Cells adhesion strength measured was found higher on the nanostructured materials. This coincided with a higher value of proteins which are directly implicated in the process of adherence. Results were accurately predicted through the Viscoelastic Hybrid Interphase Model. A gradual adherence of bone cells to implants using multilayered biomaterials that involve biodegradable polymeric films and a nanoscale modification of titanium surface is suggested to improve performance through an interphase‐mediated osteointegration of orthopedic implants. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 621–628, 2018.
In vivo diabetic wound healing with nanofibrous scaffolds modified with gentamicin and recombinant human epidermal growth factor
Authors: Dwivedi Charu , Pandey Ishan , Pandey Himanshu , Patil Sandip , Mishra Shanti Bhushan , Pandey Avinash C. , Zamboni Paolo , Ramteke Pramod W , Singh Ajay Vikram 
Published: October 2017

AbstractDiabetic wounds are susceptible to microbial infection. The treatment of these wounds requires a higher payload of growth factors. With this in mind, the strategy for this study was to utilize a novel payload comprising of Eudragit RL/RS 100 nanofibers carrying the bacterial inhibitor gentamicin sulfate (GS) in concert with recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF); an accelerator of wound healing. GS containing Eudragit was electrospun to yield nanofiber scaffolds, which were further modified by covalent immobilization of rhEGF to their surface. This novel fabricated nanoscaffold was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The thermal behavior of the nanoscaffold was determined using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. In the in vitro antibacterial assays, the nanoscaffolds exhibited comparable antibacterial activity to pure gentemicin powder. In vivo work using female C57/BL6 mice, the nanoscaffolds induced faster wound healing activity in dorsal wounds compared to the control. The paradigm in this study presents a robust in vivo model to enhance the applicability of drug delivery systems in wound healing applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 641–651, 2018.
Bone Turnover in Young Adult Men: Cross-Sectional Determinants and Associations With Prospectively Assessed Bone Loss
Authors: Verroken Charlotte , Zmierczak Hans-Georg , Goemaere Stefan , Kaufman Jean-Marc , Lapauw Bruno 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACT Biochemical markers of bone turnover are higher in young adult men than in middle-aged men or young adult women. Nonetheless, little is known about the determinants and clinical significance hereof. The present study examined determinants of serum bone turnover markers in men around peak bone mass age, and explored whether bone turnover at this age predicts subsequent changes in bone mass. We used cross-sectional and longitudinal data from 973 and 428 healthy men, respectively, aged 25 to 45 years at baseline, including baseline procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP), osteocalcin, and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) from fasting serum samples, baseline questionnaire-assessed physical activity levels, and baseline and follow-up dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry–derived areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and body composition. Mean follow-up time was 12.4 ± 0.4 years. At baseline, all bone turnover markers were inversely associated with total body fat mass (β ≤ –0.20, p &lt; 0.001), and positively with physical activity during sports activities (β ≥ 0.09, p ≤ 0.003), and, albeit not independently from fat mass, total body lean mass (β ≥ 0.20, p ≤ 0.003). Mean annual aBMD changes in the longitudinal cohort were –0.19% ± 0.24% at the total body, –0.14% ± 0.42% at the spine, –0.49% ± 0.47% at the femoral neck, and –0.25% ± 0.37% at the total hip (all p &lt; 0.001). Higher bone turnover markers at baseline were associated with larger decreases in aBMD at all measurement sites (β ≤ –0.08, p ≤ 0.081 for P1NP; β ≤ –0.16, p ≤ 0.002 for osteocalcin; and β ≤ –0.21, p &lt; 0.001 for CTX). In conclusion, our findings show that sports activities and body composition, primarily fat mass, are the main identified determinants of bone turnover in men around peak bone mass age. Further, bone turnover at this age is an important determinant of subsequent changes in bone mass, with higher levels of bone turnover markers being associated with greater decreases in aBMD. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Depletion of Mast Cells and Macrophages Impairs Heterotopic Ossification in an Acvr1R206H Mouse Model of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
Authors: Convente Michael R , Chakkalakal Salin A , Yang EnJun , Caron Robert J , Zhang Deyu , Kambayashi Taku , Kaplan Frederick S , Shore Eileen M 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACT

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a clinical condition that often reduces mobility and diminishes quality of life for affected individuals. The most severe form of progressive HO occurs in those with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP; OMIM #135100), a genetic disorder caused by a recurrent heterozygous gain-of-function mutation (R206H) in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptor ACVR1/ALK2. In individuals with FOP, episodes of HO frequently follow injury. The first sign of active disease is commonly an inflammatory “flare-up” that precedes connective tissue degradation, progenitor cell recruitment, and endochondral HO. We used a conditional-on global knock-in mouse model expressing Acvr1R206H (referred to as Acvr1cR206H/+) to investigate the cellular and molecular inflammatory response in FOP lesions following injury. We found that the Acvr1 R206H mutation caused increased BMP signaling in posttraumatic FOP lesions and early divergence from the normal skeletal muscle repair program with elevated and prolonged immune cell infiltration. The proinflammatory cytokine response of TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6 was elevated and prolonged in Acvr1cR206H/+ lesions and in Acvr1cR206H/+ mast cells. Importantly, depletion of mast cells and macrophages significantly impaired injury-induced HO in Acvr1cR206H/+ mice, reducing injury-induced HO volume by ∼50% with depletion of each cell population independently, and ∼75% with combined depletion of both cell populations. Together, our data show that the immune system contributes to the initiation and development of HO in FOP. Further, the expression of Acvr1R206H in immune cells alters cytokine expression and cellular response to injury and unveils novel therapeutic targets for treatment of FOP and nongenetic forms of HO. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Association study of polymorphisms in the ABO gene and their gene‐gene interactions with ischemic stroke in Chinese population
Authors: Li Hao , Cai Yong , Xu An‐Ding 
Published: October 2017

AimsTo investigate the impact of 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within ABO gene and their gene‐gene interactions on ischemic stroke (IS) susceptibility in Chinese Han population.MethodsA total of 1993 participants (1375 males, 618 females) were selected, including 991 IS patients and 1002 normal controls. The SNPstats (http://bioinfo.iconcologia.net/SNPstats) was used for Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) test. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to screen the best interaction combination among 4 SNPs within ABO gene. Logistic regression was performed to calculate the ORs (95%CI) for interaction between SNPs.ResultsBoth rs579459 and rs505922 within ABO gene were associated with IS risk in additive and dominant models. IS risks were higher in those with minor alleles of rs579459 and rs505922 than those with wild‐type homozygotes, OR (95%CI) were 1.62 (1.19‐2.10) and 1.69 (1.23‐2.18), respectively. We did not find any relation of rs651007 and rs529565 with IS risk in both additive and dominant models. GMDR model indicated a significant two‐locus model (P = .0010) involving rs505922 and rs579459, indicating a potential interaction between rs505922 and rs579459, the cross‐validation consistency of the two‐locus models was 9/10, and the testing accuracy was 60.72%. We also found that participants with rs505922‐ TC/CC and rs579459‐ TC/CC genotype have the highest IS risk, compared to participants with rs505922‐ TT and rs579459‐ TT genotype, OR (95%CI) was 2.94 (1.28‐4.66).ConclusionsWe found that rs579459 and rs505922 within ABO gene and their interaction were both associated with increased IS risk in Chinese population.
Evaluation of the highly sensitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay “Lumipulse HBsAg‐HQ” for hepatitis B virus screening
Authors: Deguchi Matsuo , Kagita Masanori , Yoshioka Nori , Tsukamoto Hiroko , Takao Miyuki , Tahara Kazuko , Maeda Ikuhiro , Hidaka Yoh , Yamauchi Satoshi , Kaneko Atsushi , Miyakoshi Hideo , Isomura Mitsuo 
Published: October 2017

BackgroundOngoing efforts in the development of HBsAg detection kits are focused on improving sensitivity and specificity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an improved, highly sensitive quantitative assay, “Lumipulse HBsAg‐HQ”, a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay designed for a fully automated instrument, the “Lumipulse G1200”.MethodsSerum samples for reproducibility, dilution, correlation, sensitivity, and specificity studies were obtained from patients at the Osaka University Hospital. Seroconversion and sensitivity panels were purchased from a commercial vender. Subtype, sensitivity panels, and HBsAg recombinant proteins with one or two amino acid substitutions were prepared in‐house.ResultsThe coefficients of variation for the low, medium, and high concentration samples ranged from 1.93 to 2.55%. The HBsAg‐HQ reagent for dilution testing showed good linearity in the 0.005‐150 HBsAg IU/mL range and no prozone phenomenon. All 102 HBV carrier samples were positive by HBsAg‐HQ, while other commercial reagents showed one or more to be negative. In the seroconversion panel, the 14‐day blood sample was positive. The sensitivity against HBsAg‐HQ “ad” and “ay” subtypes was 0.025 ng/mL. Comparisons among the HBsAg‐HQ, HISCL, and Architect HBsAg reagents were performed using the Bland‐Altman plot. Specificity for 1000 seronegative individuals was 99.7%. HBsAg‐HQ detected 29 positive serum among 12 231 routinely obtained serum samples, which showed concentrations of 0.005‐0.05 HBsAg IU/mL.ConclusionsAccording to these results, the Lumipulse HBsAg‐HQ assay, with a highly sensitive limit of detection of 0.005 IU/mL, may facilitate the development of a better management strategy for a considerable proportion of infected patients.
The effect of hot water pretreatment on the heavy metal adsorption capacity of acid insoluble lignin from Paulownia elongata
Authors: Chen Hanchi , Liu Ni , Qu Xiaolin , Joshee Nirmal , Liu Shijie 
Published: October 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDBiorefinery processes utilize carbohydrates from biomass in order to produce biochemical and biomaterials. Lignin as the byproduct after biorefinery needs to be studied for applications. This study evaluated how hot water pretreatment, a typical biorefinery process, will impact on the heavy metal adsorption capacity of lignin.RESULTSPaulownia elongata acid insoluble lignin was tested for its heavy metal adsorption capacities for Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II). Hot water pretreatment was conducted on the lignin with both water and dilute acetic acid solution. Samples with both increased and decreased adsorption capacity were observed after the pretreatment, while samples with long duration of pretreatment encountered a substantial loss in the adsorption ability. Depolymerization and condensation lignin reaction schemes under acidic environment were summarized and applied to explain the capacity changes. NMR analysis was performed to quantify the functional groups in the lignin samples. Changes in the amount of functional groups were found in the samples after pretreatment.CONCLUSIONHot water pretreatment can either increase or decrease the adsorption capacity of lignin depending on the treatment duration. Lignin byproducts after treatment under acidic and high temperature environments with long duration is no longer suggested for use as a heavy metal adsorbent. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Computer‐aided diagnosis software for vulvovaginal candidiasis detection from Pap smear images
Authors: Momenzadeh Mohammadreza , Vard Alireza , Talebi Ardeshir , Mehri Dehnavi Alireza , Rabbani Hossein 
Published: October 2017

AbstractVulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common gynecologic infection and it occurs when there is overgrowth of the yeast called Candida. VVC diagnosis is usually done by observing a Pap smear sample under a microscope and searching for the conidium and mycelium components of Candida. This manual method is time consuming, subjective and tedious. Any diagnosis tools that detect VVC, semi‐ or full‐automatically, can be very helpful to pathologists. This article presents a computer aided diagnosis (CAD) software to improve human diagnosis of VVC from Pap smear samples. The proposed software is designed based on phenotypic and morphology features of the Candida in Pap smear sample images. This software provide a user‐friendly interface which consists of a set of image processing tools and analytical results that helps to detect Candida and determine severity of illness. The software was evaluated on 200 Pap smear sample images and obtained specificity of 91.04% and sensitivity of 92.48% to detect VVC. As a result, the use of the proposed software reduces diagnostic time and can be employed as a second objective opinion for pathologists.
The micromorphological characterization of adhesive bond in dentin different locations
Authors: Ramic Bojana D. , Drobac Milan R. , Stojanac Igor L. , Premovic Milica T. , Petrovic Ljubomir M. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThe aim of this study was to analyse the interfacial micromorphology of total‐etch adhesives and dentin structures different locations by using SEM. Standardized cylindrical cavities (3mm in diameter, 2mm deep) with all margins in dentin were prepared on occlusal and buccal surfaces of twenty extracted human third molars. A total‐etch dentin adhesive system and a light‐cure flowable composite (Filtek Ultimate Flowable, 3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA) were used in this study. Micro‐morphological SEM analysis of the marginal seal of the original tooth specimens was performed using high magnification of up to 1000×. In this study, we found the difference in interfacial micromorphology in dentin different locations. Also, marginal gap was found in both observed dentin area. Better understanding of complexity and three‐ dimensional variations of the tooth structure is important for prevention of clinical challenges such as postoperative sensitivity, marginal discoloration and secondary caries, which could be prevented by achieving of predictable and long‐lasting adhesive bond.
Adhesion, unfolding forces, and molecular elasticity of fibronectin coatings: An atomic force microscopy study
Authors: Sumarokova Maria , Iturri Jagoba , Toca‐Herrera José L. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractFibronectin is an extracellular matrix protein that is involved in cell adhesion, growth, migration, differentiation, and wound healing. Fibronectin coatings are currently used in many laboratories for biomedical and biotechnology purposes. In this study we have investigated the adhesion and mechanical properties of fibronectin coatings. The coatings were also used to study the role of the residence time and the influence of the loading rate in nonspecific interactions. The results showed that the adhesion force between silica and fibronectin increased with loading rate delivering similar values for residence times of 1 and 2 s. Further analysis indicated that the distance to the transition state was about 0.5 nm. Moreover, the adhesion force did not vary with the loading rate for contact time of 0 s. The unfolding of fibronectin domains also depended of the Dwell time (no unfolding events were observed for zero residence time). Applied loads of 2 nN were able to stretch the fibronectin layer up to 200 nm and to unfold the three fibronectin domains, which were similar for a Dwell time of 1 and 2 s. However, the unfolding length increased with loading rate: below 2.5 µm s−1 the obtained lengths matched the value of FN I (13.5 nm), while for higher speeds the measured values corresponded to the lengths of FN II (18 nm) and FN III (27 nm). This investigation has answered and opened new questions about the mechanical stability and function of fibronectin coatings. The results have also raised theoretical questions about the difference between specific and nonspecific interactions to be addressed in future work.