A bibliometric analysis of the first twenty years of soft computing

© 2018, Springer International Publishing AG. Soft Computing was launched in 1997. Today, the journal is becoming twenty years old. Motivated by this anniversary, this article develops a bibliometric analysis of the journal in order to identify the leading trends of the journal in terms of publications and citations. The work considers several issues including the leading authors, institutions and countries. The study also uses a software to develop a graphical analysis. The results show a significant increase of the journal during the last years that has consolidated the journal as a leading one in the field

Additional chromosome abnormalities in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid and chemotherapy

Background Acute promyelocytic leukemia is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia characterized by the t(15;17). The incidence and prognostic significance of additional chromosomal abnormalities in acute promyelocytic leukemia is still a controversial matter. Design and Methods Based on cytogenetic data available for 495 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia enrolled in two consecutive PETHEMA trials (LPA96 and LPA99), we analyzed the incidence, characteristics, and outcome of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia with and without additional chromosomal abnormalities who had been treated with all-trans retinoic acid plus anthracycline monochemotherapy for induction and consolidation. Results Additional chromosomal abnormalities were observed in 140 patients (28%). Trisomy 8 was the most frequent abnormality (36%), followed by abn(7q) (5%). Patients with additional chromosomal abnormalities more frequently had coagulopathy (P=0.03), lower platelet counts (P=0.02), and higher relapse-risk scores (P=0.02) than their counterparts without additional abnormalities. No significant association with FLT3/ITD or other clinicopathological characteristics was demonstrated. Patients with and without additional chromosomal abnormalities had similar complete remission rates (90% and 91%, respectively). Univariate analysis showed that additional chromosomal abnormalities were associated with a lower relapse-free survival in the LPA99 trial (P=0.04), but not in the LPA96 trial. However, neither additional chromosomal abnormalities overall nor any specific abnormality was identified as an independent risk factor for relapse in multivariate analysis. Conclusions The lack of independent prognostic value of additional chromosomal abnormalities in acute promyelocytic leukemia does not support the use of alternative therapeutic strategies when such abnormalities are found

Sun exposure and protection habits in transplant athletes: an international survey

Background: Transplant recipients are particularly prone to the development of skin cancer, and overexposure to UV radiation during outdoor activities increases the risk of carcinogenesis. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze sun-related behaviors and knowledge in transplant athletes, examine the equency of sunburns, and explore associations with a history of skin cancer. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Participants (n = 170) in the XXI World Transplant Games from >50 countries completed a questionnaire on sun protection habits and knowledge, type of transplant, immunosuppressive therapy, and personal history of skin cancer. Results: The most common transplanted organs were the kidney (n = 79), the liver (n = 33), and the heart (n = 31). Overall, 61.3% of athletes had been doing sport for >15 years and 79.5% spent >1–2 h a day outdoors. Fifteen % of athletes had a history of skin cancer. The prevalence of sunburn in the previous year was 28.9%, higher in athletes aged <50 years (37.2%); without a primary school education (58.3%), not taking cyclosporin (32.6%), and athletes who played basketball (75%). The main sun protection measures used were sunscreen (68.9%) and sunglasses (67.3%). Use of a hat or cap was the only measure significantly associated with a reduced prevalence of sunburn. Conclusions: Despite high awareness that sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, sunburn was common in transplant athletes. Efforts should be made to strengthen multidisciplinary sun protection education strategies and ensure periodic dermatologic follow-up to prevent sun-induced skin cancer in this population.This work has been supported by the project no. PID2020-117224RB-100 of State Programs of Generation of Knowledge and Scientific and Technological Strengthening of the System from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. This is part of the research of the Institute of Biomedicine of Málaga (IBIMA) and the Junta de Andalucía working group CTS-162. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBUA

Operational approach to open dynamics and quantifying initial correlations

A central aim of physics is to describe the dynamics of physical systems. Schrodinger's equation does this for isolated quantum systems. Describing the time evolution of a quantum system that interacts with its environment, in its most general form, has proved to be difficult because the dynamics is dependent on the state of the environment and the correlations with it. For discrete processes, such as quantum gates or chemical reactions, quantum process tomography provides the complete description of the dynamics, provided that the initial states of the system and the environment are independent of each other. However, many physical systems are correlated with the environment at the beginning of the experiment. Here, we give a prescription of quantum process tomography that yields the complete description of the dynamics of the system even when the initial correlations are present. Surprisingly, our method also gives quantitative expressions for the initial correlation.Comment: Completely re-written for clarity of presentation. 15 pages and 2 figure

What happens if you single out? An experiment

We present an experiment investigating the effects of singling out an individual on trust and trustworthiness. We find that (a) trustworthiness falls if there is a singled out subject; (b) non-singled out subjects discriminate against the singled out subject when they are not responsible of the distinct status of this person; (c) under a negative frame, the singled out subject returns significantly less; (d) under a positive frame, the singled out subject behaves bimodally, either selecting very low or very high return rates. Overall, singling out induces a negligible effect on trust but is potentially disruptive for trustworthiness

Partial complementation of Sinorhizobium meliloti bacA mutant phenotypes by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis BacA protein

The Sinorhizobium meliloti BacA ABC transporter protein plays an important role in its nodulating symbiosis with the legume alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The Mycobacterium tuberculosis BacA homolog was found to be important for the maintenance of chronic murine infections, yet its in vivo function is unknown. In the legume plant as well as in the mammalian host, bacteria encounter host antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). We found that the M. tuberculosis BacA protein was able to partially complement the symbiotic defect of an S. meliloti BacA-deficient mutant on alfalfa plants and to protect this mutant in vitro from the antimicrobial activity of a synthetic legume peptide, NCR247, and a recombinant human \u3b2-defensin 2 (HBD2). This finding was also confirmed using an M. tuberculosis insertion mutant. Furthermore, M. tuberculosis BacA-mediated protection of the legume symbiont S. meliloti against legume defensins as well as HBD2 is dependent on its attached ATPase domain. In addition, we show that M. tuberculosis BacA mediates peptide uptake of the truncated bovine AMP, Bac71-16. This process required a functional ATPase domain. We therefore suggest that M. tuberculosis BacA is important for the transport of peptides across the cytoplasmic membrane and is part of a complete ABC transporter. Hence, BacA-mediated protection against host AMPs might be important for the maintenance of latent infections

Phylogenetically related Argentinean and Australian Escherichia coli O157 isolates are distinguished by virulence clades and alternative shiga toxin 1 and 2 prophages

Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli O157 is the leading cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) worldwide. The frequencies of stx genotypes and the incidences of O157-related illness and HUS vary significantly between Argentina and Australia. Locusspecific polymorphism analysis revealed that lineage I/II (LI/II) E. coli O157 isolates were most prevalent in Argentina (90%) and Australia (88%). Argentinean LI/II isolates were shown to belong to clades 4 (28%) and 8 (72%), while Australian LI/II isolates were identified as clades 6 (15%), 7 (83%), and 8 (2%). Clade 8 was significantly associated with Shiga toxin bacteriophage insertion (SBI) type stx2 (locus of insertion, argW) in Argentinean isolates (P<0.0001). In Argentinean LI/II strains, stx2 is carried by a prophage inserted at argW, whereas in Australian LI/II strains the argW locus is occupied by the novel stx1 prophage. In both Argentinean and Australian LI/II strains, stx2c is almost exclusively carried by a prophage inserted at sbcB. However, alternative q933- or q21-related alleles were identified in the Australian stx2c prophage. Argentinean LI/II isolates were also distinguished from Australian isolates by the presence of the putative virulence determinant ECSP_3286 and the predominance of motile O157:H7 strains. Characteristics common to both Argentinean and Australian LI/II O157 strains included the presence of putative virulence determinants (ECSP_3620, ECSP_0242, ECSP_2687, ECSP_2870, and ECSP_2872) and the predominance of the tir255T allele. These data support further understanding of O157 phylogeny and may foster greater insight into the differential virulence of O157 lineages. © 2012, American Society for Microbiology

Induction of B-cell lymphoma by UVB Radiation in p53 Haploinsufficient Mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has increased over recent years. The exact etiology of lymphoma remains unknown. Ultraviolet light exposure has been associated with the development of internal lymphoid malignancies and some reports suggest that it may play a role in the development of lymphoma in humans. Here we describe the characterization and progression of lymphoma in p53 heterozygous mice exposed to UVB irradiation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>UVB-irradiated p53^+/-mice developed enlargement of the spleen. Isolated spleen cells were transplanted into Rag deficient hosts. The UV-induced tumor cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The tumor cells were tagged with GFP to study their metastatic potential. SKY and karyotypic analysis were carried out for the detection of chromosomal abnormalities. Functional assays included in vitro class switch recombination assay, immunoglobulin rearrangement assay, as well as cytokine profiling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>UVB-exposed mice showed enlargement of the spleen and lymph nodes. Cells transplanted into Rag deficient mice developed aggressive tumors that infiltrated the lymph nodes, the spleen and the bone marrow. The tumor cells did not grow in immune competent syngeneic C57Bl/6 mice yet showed a modest growth in UV-irradiated B6 mice. Phenotypic analysis of these tumor cells revealed these cells are positive for B cell markers CD19⁺, CD5⁺, B220⁺, IgM⁺and negative for T cell, NK or dendritic cell markers. The UV-induced tumor cells underwent robust in vitro immunoglobulin class switch recombination in response to lipopolysaccharide. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a t(14;19) translocation and trisomy of chromosome 6. These tumor cells secret IL-10, which can promote tumor growth and cause systemic immunosuppression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>UV-irradiated p53^+/-mice developed lymphoid tumors that corresponded to a mature B cell lymphoma. Our results suggest that an indirect mechanism is involved in the development of internal tumors after chronic exposure to UV light. The induction of B cell lymphoma in UV-irradiated p53 heterozygous mice may provide a useful model for lymphoma development in humans.</p

Characterisation of the Immunophenotype of Dogs with Primary Immune-Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia

Immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) is reported to be the most common autoimmune disease of dogs, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in affected animals. Haemolysis is caused by the action of autoantibodies, but the immunological changes that result in their production have not been elucidated.To investigate the frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and other lymphocyte subsets and to measure serum concentrations of cytokines and peripheral blood mononuclear cell expression of cytokine genes in dogs with IMHA, healthy dogs and dogs with inflammatory diseases.19 dogs with primary IMHA, 22 dogs with inflammatory diseases and 32 healthy control dogs.Residual EDTA-anti-coagulated blood samples were stained with fluorophore-conjugated monoclonal antibodies and analysed by flow cytometry to identify Tregs and other lymphocyte subsets. Total RNA was also extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells to investigate cytokine gene expression, and concentrations of serum cytokines (interleukins 2, 6 10, CXCL-8 and tumour necrosis factor α) were measured using enhanced chemiluminescent assays. Principal component analysis was used to investigate latent variables that might explain variability in the entire dataset.There was no difference in the frequency or absolute numbers of Tregs among groups, nor in the proportions of other lymphocyte subsets. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines were greater in dogs with IMHA compared to healthy controls, but the concentration of IL-10 and the expression of cytokine genes did not differ between groups. Principal component analysis identified four components that explained the majority of the variability in the dataset, which seemed to correspond to different aspects of the immune response.The immunophenotype of dogs with IMHA differed from that of dogs with inflammatory diseases and from healthy control dogs; some of these changes could suggest abnormalities in peripheral tolerance that permit development of autoimmune disease. The frequency of Tregs did not differ between groups, suggesting that deficiency in the number of these cells is not responsible for development of IMHA

Enterococcus faecalis Endocarditis Severity in Rabbits Is Reduced by IgG Fabs Interfering with Aggregation Substance

Background: Enterococcus faecalis is a significant cause of infective endocarditis, an infection of the heart endothelium leading to vegetation formation (microbes, fibrin, platelets, and host cells attached to underlying endothelial tissue). Our previous research determined that enterococcal aggregation substance (AS) is an important virulence factor in causation of endocarditis, although endocarditis may occur in the absence of AS production. Production of AS by E. faecalis causes the organism to form aggregates through AS binding to enterococcal binding substance. In this study, we assessed the ability of IgGs and IgG Fabs against AS to provide protection against AS + E. faecalis endocarditis. Methodology/Principal Findings: When challenged with AS + E. faecalis, 10 rabbits actively immunized against AS + E. faecalis developed more significant vegetations than 9 animals immunized against AS 2 E. faecalis, and 9/10 succumbed compared to 2/9 (p,0.005), suggesting enhanced aggregation by IgG contributes significantly to disease. IgG antibodies against AS also enhanced enterococcal aggregation as tested in vitro. In contrast, Fab fragments of IgG from rabbits immunized against purified AS, when passively administered to rabbits (6/group) immediately before challenge with AS + E. faecalis, reduced total vegetation (endocarditis lesion) microbial counts (7.9610 6 versus 2.0610 5, p = 0.02) and size (40 mg versus 10, p = 0.05). In vitro, the Fabs prevented enterococcal aggregation. Conclusions/Significance: The data confirm the role of AS in infective endocarditis formation and suggest that use of Fab