Robust detection of communities with multi-semantics in large attributed networks

© 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. In this paper, we are interested in how to explore and utilize the relationship between network communities and semantic topics in order to find the strong explanatory communities robustly. First, the relationship between communities and topics displays different situations. For example, from the viewpoint of semantic mapping, their relationship can be one-to-one, one-to-many or many-to-one. But from the standpoint of underlying community structures, the relationship can be consistent, partially consistent or completely inconsistent. Second, it will be helpful to not only find communities more precise but also reveal the communities’ semantics that shows the relationship between communities and topics. To better describe this relationship, we introduce the transition probability which is an important concept in Markov chain into a well-designed nonnegative matrix factorization framework. This new transition probability matrix with a suitable prior which plays the role of depicting the relationship between communities and topics can perform well in this task. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed new approach, we conduct some experiments on both synthetic and real networks. The results show that our new method is superior to baselines in accuracy. We finally conduct a case study analysis to validate the new method’s strong interpretability to detected communities

Injectable Poly-l-Lactic Acid: A Novel Sculpting Agent for the Treatment of Dermal Fat Atrophy After Severe Acne

Acne vulgaris affects up to 80% of people 11 to 30 years of age, and scarring can occur for up to 95% of these patients. Scarring may be pitted or hypertrophic in nature, although in most cases it is atrophic. Atrophic acne scarring follows dermal collagen and fat loss after moderate to severe acne infection. Injectable poly-L-acid (PLLA) is a biocompatible, biodegradable, synthetic polymer device that is hypothesized to enhance dermal volume via the endogenous production of fibroblasts and, subsequently, collagen. The gradual improvements in cutaneous volume observed after treatment with injectable PLLA have been noted to last up to 2 years. The case studies presented describe the use of injectable PLLA to correct dermal fat loss in macular atrophic acne scarring of the cheeks. Two female patients underwent three treatment sessions with injectable PLLA over a 12-week period. At each treatment session, the reconstituted product was injected into the deep dermis under the depressed portion of the scar. Both patients were extremely pleased with their results at, respectively, 1- and 4-year follow-up evaluations. Patients experienced minimal swelling and redness after injection and no product-related adverse events such as papule and/or nodule formation. The author believes these data suggest that injectable PLLA is a good treatment option for the correction of macular atropic scarring with thin dermis (off-label use), particularly compared with other injectable fillers currently used for this indication that have shorter durations of effect

Transcriptional upregulation of human tissue kallikrein 6 in ovarian cancer: clinical and mechanistic aspects

The human tissue kallikrein family (KLK for protein; KLK for gene) includes 15 members. Twelve kallikreins, including KLK6, are concurrently upregulated in ovarian cancer. However, the mechanism of this phenomenon remains unclear. In this study, we measured KLK6 expression in a large series of ovarian tissue cytosols and examined possible mechanisms of KLK6 up-regulation in ovarian cancer. Using a newly developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with two monoclonal antibodies, we quantified KLK6 expression in ovarian tissue cytosols, and confirmed the upregulation of KLK6 in ovarian cancer and its unfavourable prognostic value. We then examined KLK6 mRNA expression using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and established its good concordance with KLK6 protein expression. This finding suggested that the KLK6 gene is under transcriptional regulation. We then scrutinised a few mechanisms that could explain KLK6 upregulation. The relative abundance of two KLK6 mRNA transcripts was studied; we found the same differential expression pattern in all samples, regardless of KLK6 levels. Genomic mutation screening of all exons and the 5′-flanking region of the KLK6 gene identified two linked single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the 5′-untranslated region, but neither correlated with KLK6 expression. Ovarian cell lines were separately treated with five steroid hormones. None of the treatments produced significant effects on KLK6 expression. We conclude that KLK6 is transcriptionally upregulated in ovarian cancer, but probably not through alternative mRNA transcript expression, genomic mutation, or steroid hormone induction

What should an ideal spinal injury classification system consist of? A methodological review and conceptual proposal for future classifications

Since Böhler published the first categorization of spinal injuries based on plain radiographic examinations in 1929, numerous classifications have been proposed. Despite all these efforts, however, only a few have been tested for reliability and validity. This methodological, conceptual review summarizes that a spinal injury classification system should be clinically relevant, reliable and accurate. The clinical relevance of a classification is directly related to its content validity. The ideal content of a spinal injury classification should only include injury characteristics of the vertebral column, is primarily based on the increasingly routinely performed CT imaging, and is clearly distinctive from severity scales and treatment algorithms. Clearly defined observation and conversion criteria are crucial determinants of classification systems’ reliability and accuracy. Ideally, two principle spinal injury characteristics should be easy to discern on diagnostic images: the specific location and morphology of the injured spinal structure. Given the current evidence and diagnostic imaging technology, descriptions of the mechanisms of injury and ligamentous injury should not be included in a spinal injury classification. The presence of concomitant neurologic deficits can be integrated in a spinal injury severity scale, which in turn can be considered in a spinal injury treatment algorithm. Ideally, a validation pathway of a spinal injury classification system should be completed prior to its clinical and scientific implementation. This review provides a methodological concept which might be considered prior to the synthesis of new or modified spinal injury classifications

Principles and Applications of Cell Delivery Systems for Periodontal Regeneration

The management of periodontal defects has been an ongoing challenge in clinical periodontics. This is mainly a result of the fact that the tissues which comprise the periodontium, the periodontal ligament, and the cementum and alveolar bone, represent three unique tissues in their own right. Thus, reconstruction of the periodontium is not just a simple matter of regenerating one tissue but involves at least three quite diverse and unique tissues. Resective surgical therapy, with or without osseous recontouring, was considered the norm during the 1950s and into the 1960s, in the belief that attainment of shallow pocket depths was a worthwhile goal. More recently, attention has been focused more on regenerative and reconstructive therapies, rather than on resective therapies. Currently, clinical and scientific research is focusing on a number of approaches for periodontal regeneration

Input to EU-US Trade and Technology Council for Working Group 7 - Export Controls

To contribute to the laudable objectives regarding Export Controls the EU – US Trade and Technology Council has set, a multi-disciplinary network of independent experts from research institutes, think tanks, and policy advisory bodies, has joined forces and drafted the following priorities for action. A further elaboration of the actions recommended below will be performed by the members of this international network in the weeks and months to come, as Working Group 7 of the EU – US Trade and Technology Council will proceed in its work