bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultured Human Mast Cells Are Heterogeneous for Expression of the High-Affinity IgE Receptor FcεRI
Authors: Hoffmann Hans Jürgen , Frandsen Pernille Munk , Christensen Lars Harder , Schiøtz Peter Oluf , Dahl Ronald
Published: October 2011

Objective: We determined the density of FcΕRI on mast cells cultured from cord (CBMC) and peripheral blood (PBMC) and studied the kinetics of the response through FcΕRI. Methods: Mast cells were cultured from CD133+ progenitors from peripheral or cord blood. FcΕRI was stabilized by culture with 2 µg/ml IgE. Cells were activated by addition of anti-FcΕRI antibody (1 ng/ml–10 µg/ml). Maximal activation, sensitivity, and cooperativity were determined. Results: All cultures were homogeneous for tryptase and metachromasy. All cells expressing FcΕRI could be activated by cross-linking FcΕRI to upregulate CD63. PBMC bind 203,000 molecules of IgE/cell. Stabilization of FcΕRI with IgE doubled the number of CD63+ cells (p = 0.0001) and increased the sensitivity (from 0.083 to 0.013 µg/ml anti-FcΕRI) and the slope factor (from 10.8 to 68) of PBMC but not of CBMC. Anti-IgE reversed these effects (p = 0.0002) but did not reduce activation levels below that of cell lines not stabilized with IgE. Conclusion: Baseline expression of FcΕRI is independent of anti-IgE. The fraction of PBMC that binds high levels of IgE can be activated through FcΕRI.
Two-Year Results of Photodynamic Therapy Combined with Intravitreal Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy
Authors: Kim Moosang , Kim Kookyoung , Kim Do Gyun , Yu Seung-Young , Kwak Hyung-Woo
Published: October 2011

Background/Aims: To evaluate the 2-year efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Methods: Twenty-two eyes of 22 patients with PCV followed up for ≧24 months after PDT and anti-VEGF combination therapy were retrospectively reviewed. The patients received intravitreal anti-VEGF (1.25 mg bevacizumab or 0.5 mg ranibizumab) within 7 days after PDT. Eyes were retreated with PDT and anti-VEGF injection, or with only anti-VEGF injection, when indicated. Main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT). Results: The mean baseline BCVA (0.43 ± 0.33 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, logMAR) was 0.28 ± 0.24 at 12 months (p < 0.05 vs. baseline) and 0.39 ± 0.28 at 24 months (not significant). At 24 months, BCVA improved by ≧0.3 logMAR in 27.3% of the eyes, did not significantly decrease in 59.1%, and decreased by ≧0.3 logMAR in 13.6%. The mean CFT was 269.4 ± 134.5 µm at baseline and significantly decreased to 139.6 ± 45.8 µm (12 months) and 199.6 ± 72.9 µm (24 months). PDT was administered 1.45 ± 0.86 times and anti-VEGF injected 4.45 ± 1.36 times over the 24-month period. Conclusion: Combined PDT and anti-VEGF injection were effective for 2 years in PCV patients. Visual acuity significantly improved during year 1, but the benefit diminished in year 2. Further investigations are required to determine how to prolong the therapeutic effect of combination therapy for PCV.
MAPI: towards the integrated exploitation of bioinformatics Web Services
Authors: Ramirez Sergio , Karlsson Johan , Trelles Oswaldo
Published: October 2011

Background

Bioinformatics is commonly featured as a well assorted list of available web resources. Although diversity of services is positive in general, the proliferation of tools, their dispersion and heterogeneity complicate the integrated exploitation of such data processing capacity.

Results

To facilitate the construction of software clients and make integrated use of this variety of tools, we present a modular programmatic application interface (MAPI) that provides the necessary functionality for uniform representation of Web Services metadata descriptors including their management and invocation protocols of the services which they represent. This document describes the main functionality of the framework and how it can be used to facilitate the deployment of new software under a unified structure of bioinformatics Web Services. A notable feature of MAPI is the modular organization of the functionality into different modules associated with specific tasks. This means that only the modules needed for the client have to be installed, and that the module functionality can be extended without the need for re-writing the software client.

Conclusions

The potential utility and versatility of the software library has been demonstrated by the implementation of several currently available clients that cover different aspects of integrated data processing, ranging from service discovery to service invocation with advanced features such as workflows composition and asynchronous services calls to multiple types of Web Services including those registered in repositories (e.g. GRID-based, SOAP, BioMOBY, R-bioconductor, and others).
Activation of PI3K/AKT and ERK MAPK signal pathways is required for the induction of lytic cycle replication of Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus by herpes simplex virus type 1
Authors: Qin Di , Feng Ninghan , Fan Weifei , Ma Xinting , Yan Qin , Lv Zhigang , Zeng Yi , Zhu Jianzhong , Lu Chun
Published: October 2011

Background

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is causally linked to several acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related malignancies, including Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and a subset of multicentric Castleman's disease. Regulation of viral lytic replication is critical to the initiation and progression of KS. Recently, we reported that herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was an important cofactor that activated lytic cycle replication of KSHV. Here, we further investigated the possible signal pathways involved in HSV-1-induced reactivation of KSHV.

Results

By transfecting a series of dominant negative mutants and protein expressing constructs and using pharmacologic inhibitors, we found that either Janus kinase 1 (JAK1)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) or JAK1/STAT6 signaling failed to regulate HSV-1-induced KSHV replication. However, HSV-1 infection of BCBL-1 cells activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB, also called AKT) pathway and inactivated phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). PTEN/PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway was found to be involved in HSV-1-induced KSHV reactivation. Additionally, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway also partially contributed to HSV-1-induced KSHV replication.

Conclusions

HSV-1 infection stimulated PI3K/AKT and ERK MAPK signaling pathways that in turn contributed to KSHV reactivation, which provided further insights into the molecular mechanism controlling KSHV lytic replication, particularly in the context of HSV-1 and KSHV co-infection.
Fixed point theory for cyclic (ϕ - ψ)-contractions
Authors: Karapinar Erdal , Sadarangani Kishin
Published: October 2011

In this article, the concept of cyclic (ϕ - ψ)-contraction and a fixed point theorem for this type of mappings in the context of complete metric spaces have been presented. The results of this study extend some fixed point theorems in literature.

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 47H10;46T99 54H25.
Lycorine reduces mortality of human enterovirus 71-infected mice by inhibiting virus replication
Authors: Liu Jiangning , Yang Yajun , Xu Yanfeng , Ma Chunmei , Qin Chuan , Zhang Lianfeng
Published: October 2011

Human enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection causes hand, foot and mouth disease in children under 6 years old and this infection occasionally induces severe neurological complications. No vaccines or drugs are clinical available to control EV71 epidemics. In present study, we show that treatment with lycorine reduced the viral cytopathic effect (CPE) on rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells by inhibiting virus replication. Analysis of this inhibitory effect of lycorine on viral proteins synthesis suggests that lycorine blocks the elongation of the viral polyprotein during translation. Lycorine treatment of mice challenged with a lethal dose of EV71 resulted in reduction of mortality, clinical scores and pathological changes in the muscles of mice, which were achieved through inhibition of viral replication. When mice were infected with a moderate dose of EV71, lycorine treatment was able to protect them from paralysis. Lycorine may be a potential drug candidate for the clinical treatment of EV71-infected patients.
Comparison of agar gel immunodiffusion test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR in diagnostics of enzootic bovine leukosis
Authors: Malovrh Tadej , Pate M. , Ocepek M. , Krt B.
Published: October 2011

Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) is a retrovirus that induces a chronic infection in cattle. Once infected, cattle remain virus carriers for life and start to show an antibody response within a few weeks after infection. Eradication and control of the disease are based on early diagnostics and segregation of the carriers. The choice of a diagnostic method depends on the eradication programme, money resources and characteristics of the herd to be analysed. The agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test has been the serological test of choice for routine diagnosis of serum samples. Nevertheless, in more recent years, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has replaced the AGID for large scale testing. For this purpose, commercially available BLV-ELISA kits were compared to the AGID and to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method performed with two sets of primers, amplifying env region. The ELISA kit based on the p24 core protein was found to be less specific and served as a screening test. The ELISA kit based on the envelope glycoprotein (gpSI) served as a verification test and gave a good correlation with the AGID test and PCR method. However, ELISA showed a higher sensitivity than AGID. The p24 based ELiSA was useful for screening a large number of samples, whereas gp51 based ELISA, AGID and PCR were more important for detecting the antibody response against the individual BLV-proteins and therefore for verification of the infection with BLV.
Analysis of risk factors from salmonella infections and determination of critical control points in poultry industry production chain
Authors: Velhner Maja , Plavsa Nada , Rackov Olga , Orlic Dusan
Published: October 2011

This paper encompasses problems related to infection caused by Salmonella spp in poultry. The need to carry out adequate control measures and to provide safe food is emphasized. Using experiences from other countries, critical control points are presented in flocks during rearing and in hatcheries. In attempt to diagnose disease as early as possible and to advise proper therapy, the significance of serology monitoring is underlined. In order to produce safe food there is a need to control disease applying our Regulations concerning eradication of Salmonella spp in poultry flocks that is given in Official paper of Republic of Serbia No 6&88 and also to include serology monitoring in poultry flocks. Veterinary practitioners are expected to perform analysis of critical control points in poultry industry as well as to determine specificity and differences in production for single farms, which would enable more effective struggle with diseases in general.
Uticaj mesecevih (pro)mena, dnevne osuncanosti (fotoperiod) na pojavu seksualnih manifestacija krava (estrusa), odnosno na njihovo oplodjavanje
Authors: Predojevic M.R. , Varagic M. , Predojevic N.M. , Marinkovic M.
Published: October 2011

nema
MMA syndrome in swine
Authors: Pavlovic Vojislav , Vakanjac Slobodanka , Pavlovic Milos , Pavlovic Nebojsa
Published: October 2011

The so-called swine civilization disease, also known as the MMA syndrome, implies good housing conditions and primarily a good diet. It occurs in highly productive swine breeds, and it does not occur in primitive breeds or in free-range swine production. Coprostasis which is present because of a subatantial diet occurs just before delivery of piglets. As a result of the altered conditions resulting from the appearance of coprostasis, the normal saprophytic microflora becomes pathogenic causing toxemia and bacteriemia which lead to puerperal diseases known as the metritis-mastitis-agalactia (MMA) syndrome. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the mammary gland (mastitis), the uterus (metritis), and reduced and suspended milk secretion (agalactia). The most recent data in literature indicate the complex etiology of this disease which involves infection with coliform bacteria, stress and hormonal disbalance.
Evaluation of genotoxic potential of amitraz by cytogenetic test in vivo
Authors: Pejin Ivana , Stanimirovic Zoran , Stevanovic Jevrosima , Kulisic Zoran
Published: October 2011

The genotoxic effect of amitraz (3.6 mg/kg b.m, 1.8 mg/kg b.m, 0.9 mg/kg b.m) on bone marrow cells of HAN strain mice was examined in vivo by following the frequency of numeric and structural chromosomal aberrations, while the cytostatic effect of the same preparation was followed through the mitotic index. The first experimental dose (3.6 mg/kg b.m) caused a statistically significant (p<0.01) increase in the mitotic index, while the second (1.8 mg/kg b.m) and the third (0.9 mg/kg b.m.) experimental dose statistically significantly (p<0.01) decreased the value of the mitotic index in animals of both sexes. All the applied doses exhibited an ability to induce numeric (aneuploidy and polyploidy) and structural (Robertsonian translocation) chromosomal aberrations. It can be concluded on the basis of the obtained results that the examined substance exhibits a genotoxic dose-dependant effect. .
Implementation of immunohistochemical methods in diagnostics of bovine sarcocystosis
Authors: Novakovic Zorica , Katic-Radivojevic Sofija , Todorovic Vera
Published: October 2011

Bovine sarcocystosis was examined in three age categories of cattle using direct and immunohistochemical methods. The direct methods of compression, trypsin digestion and a histological method were applied, and the applied immunohistochemical methods included peroxidase antiperoxidase (PAP), the highly sensitive streptavidin biotin immunoperoxidase complex technique (LSAB+) and indirect immunofluorescence (IF). Primary rabbit antiserum obtained for the zoites Sarcocystis cruzi syn. S. bovicanis was used for all immunochemical and immunohistochemical examinations. Cross reactivity was determined using primary rabbit antiserum to antigens of S. ovifelis zoites. Both primary antiserums were produced in the laboratory, as no commercial preparations were available on the market. The evaluation of the sensitivity and efficacy of the immunohistochemical methods was performed on the grounds of comparisons with the direct methods: compression, trypsin digestion and a histological method. The applied immunohistochemical analyses are very specific in proving sarcocystosis in cattle, especially the LSAB+ technique, and, according to their sensitivity in detecting this infection, they are similar to the method of trypsin digestion. The obtained rabbit antiserum against antigens of S. bovicanis zoites yielded good results in the diagnosis of the homologous specie. Proven cross reactivity of the homologous and heterologous antiserums and antigens, as an immunochemical reaction of complete identity in one part to the antigen structure, was established in primary rabbit antiserum to S. ovifelis zoites, which indicates that heterologous antiserums can also be used in immunohistochemical reactions in the diagnostics of bovine sarcocystosis. .
Control methods for cattle feedstuffs aimed at prevention of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
Authors: Nesic Ksenija
Published: October 2011

In the course of the last decades of the twentieth century, more than 30 new diseases were determined for the first time in history. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow disease" is one of them. The disease implies the subacute neurodegenerative transmission of spongiform encephalopathy and it was diagnosed and described for the first time in Great Britain in 1986. A theory has been established that BSE is spread through feedstuffs, more precisely, meat-bone flour which contains infective proteins of ruminants, and legislature has been passed throughout the world with the objective of preventing the entry of meat-bone flour into the food chain. The complete ban of the use of meat-bone flour for all farm animals (with the exception of fish flour for non-ruminants) and an adequate thermal treatment in the production of meat-bone flour (133?C, 3 bar, 20 min) are the elements on which the European Union (EU) legislature is based. The regulations in our country include a ban on the use of meat-bone flour in cattle feedstuffs and a ban on imports of beef proteins. The implementation of this legislature throughout the world requires the corresponding analytical means. At the present time, there are several available possibilities: optic microscopy, PCR, immunoprobes, spectroscopic methods, and several others which are still being examined for use for this purpose. All the analytical methods are being applied with the objective of controlling the implementation of the current regulations, but also in order to discover possible cross contamination that could take place in factories of animal feedstuffs, during transportation, storage, or on farms, in particular when there are no separate lines for feedstuffs that contains meat-bone flour and others in which even its traces are banned. In order to secure the successful control and prevention of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in our country, as well as to secure the unhindered continuation of the integration processes with the European Union, it is necessary to create an adequate system for the monitoring of this disease, not only because of food safety as a precondition for the good health of people, but also for commercial reasons, as that is the only way to have an active role on the world market. .
Comparative relations between progesterone blood concentration and appearance of oestrus in cows
Authors: Otava Gabriel , Mircu Calin , Cernescu Horia , Igna Violeta
Published: October 2011

The timely detection of oestrus presents an important professional procedure with which cattle farmers, in addition to veterinarians, are very often faced, because failure to detect oestrus poses a big economic problem. The objective of this work is to evaluate the efficacy of discovering oestrus in cows by determining the progesterone concentration (P4) in blood plasma. This experiment covered 22 animals, including 15 cows and 7 heifers, in which spontaneous oestrus was discovered. P4 concentration was determined using the ELISA test in samples of blood taken from the animals at the moment of insemination. Of the 15 cows, four cows (26.6%) were not inseminated at the optimal time, and the P4 level in these animals was higher than 1 ng/ml. All the heifers showed a progesterone concentration of over 1 ng/ml, and a percentage of conception which was 85%. The high P4 level in heifers at the moment of insemination could also be a consequence of stress caused by the regrouping and separating of the animals. Even though the heifers were under stress, which is indicated by the high progesteronemia values at the moment of insemination, the percentage of conception among them was beyond expectations. Therefore, the determination of P4 values at the moment of insemination is a suitable method for improving reproduction management on cattle farms. Inappropriate treatment of cows which are expected to show oestrus can cause stress and an increase in the values of the blood concentration of P4. On the grounds of the results obtained in this work, no negative influence of stress on the insemination results in heifers was observed.
Malignant catarrhal fever (Coryza gangraenosa bovum)
Authors: Spasojevic Filip , Uzelac Djordje , Milosavljevic Zlatko , Vujanac Ivan
Published: October 2011

Malignant catarrhal fever is a disease of cattle and other ruminants, which most often has a lethal outcome. The disease occurs sporadically and is very difficult to control. At a private mini cattle farm, the occurrence of malignant catarrhal fever was suspected on the grounds of anaemnestic data and results of clinical examinations. The owner said that, in addition to cattle, he also breeds sheep in a separate facility, but said these animals had not been in contact with the diseased cow. In the course of the disease, the characteristic symptoms developed so that the clinical diagnosis set earlier was subsequently confirmed. In addition to constantly elevated body temperature, changes in the eyes were observed very soon (congested blood vessels and capillaries of the white sclera with keratitis on both sides). In addition to photofobia and a copious discharge from the nasal cavities, the discharge was at first seromucous and later became mucopurrulent. In the later course of the disease, there was progressive loss of weight and exhaustion of the animal. Since therapy included, in addition to other medicines, also a glucocorticosteroid preparation, the animal aborted its fetus on the fifth day. A pathological-anatomical examination did not reveal any changes on the fetus. In spite of the applied therapy, the medical condition deteriorated from day to day, and the animal expired on the eighth day of the disease.
Parenteral feeding of cats and dogs
Authors: Jovanovic Milan , Andric Nenad
Published: October 2011

Inadequate diet combined with disease, injury or stress increases the metaobolic activity of patients to above the normal activity at rest. Sick or injured patients that are incapable of the intake of food and use nutritive matter through the digestive tract are indicated for parenteral feeding. Prior to the application of parenteral nutrition itself, it is necessary to carry out a series of clinical and laboratory analyses in order to determine which patients should actually be treated in this way. In order to determine the parenteral nutritive requirements, the veterinarian must assess the nutritive requirements of the patient, and on these grounds determine the type of solution that will be applied. It is very difficult to determine the precise requirements, so that certain relations are used in practice between the individual nutritive components that are based on the average requirements of these animal species. For parenteral nutrition, solutions are applied that are based on dextrose or glucose, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, micro and macro elements. In the course of the application of parenteral feeding, constant monitoring of the patient is necessary in the form of clinical examinations and laboratory tests.
Analysis of possible reasons for dissolution of stallion after castration
Authors: Stevancevic Milenko , Toholj Bojan , Ivetic Vojin , Potkonjak Aleksandar , Stancic Ivan
Published: October 2011

Within the practical training of students of the fifth year of studies of veterinary medicine, a demonstration was performed of stallion castration. The owner of the horse decided to take this step because of the unpredictable temperament of the stallion. The castration was carried out under general anaesthesia. The stallion was laid down and immobilized for castration in keeping with the so-called in-the-field conditions. The castration pro?ceeded without any complications, and the postoperative course was in order. Three days after castration, the horse died with symptoms of colic. The autopsy showed obturation of the ileum and ileocecal valve by Parascaris equorum parasites.
Contemporary food safety trends: Antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic pathogens
Authors: Petrovic Jelena , Milanov Dubravka , Ratajac Radomir
Published: October 2011

Antimicrobial resistance is a daunting public health threat affecting both human and animal health and it is a cause for concern wherever antimicrobial agents are in use. The usage of antimicrobial drugs in food producing animals could result in a significant food safety issue - antimicrobial resistance among zoonotic bacteria in these animals. The resistant bacteria may then be transmitted to humans through the food supply and increase risk of treatment failures. Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are two examples of food borne pathogens in which increasing resistance gives rise to concern. No monitoring program has been applied in Serbia. Therefore, the Veterinary Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture financed three projects of the Scientific Veterinary Institute 'Novi Sad' to screen the spread of resistant food borne pathogens. The examinations have shown a similar situation as in the EU. Resistance to one or more antimicrobial drugs was found in 25-40.58% Salmonella spp. and 40-75.32% Campylobacter spp. isolates from poultry and pig carcasses. Zoonotic pathogens in food have to be controlled through a complete, continuous farm-to-fork system. Application of prophylactic and sanitary measures in farm breeding, slaughtering, food distribution and preparation of food in the kitchen may considerably reduce risk from the incidence of resistant zoonotic pathogens.
Quality assurance of sphincterotomy: A prospective single-centre survey
Authors: Sulz Michael , Sagmeister Markus , Schelling Martin , Binek Janek , Borovicka Jan , Ulmer Hanno , Meyenberger Christa
Published: October 2011

Quality assurance becomes an increasingly important part of clinical medicine and of the field of endoscopy. Endoscopic sphincterotomy is associated with a fairly high complication rate. We aimed to assess our quality of sphincterotomy for benchmarking by using a prospective electronic database registry, and to identify potential risk factors for post-interventional complications. Over 2 years, 471 sphincterotomies were performed in a single tertiary referral centre. Patient- and procedure-related variables were prospectively recorded with the support of a multi-centre international sphincterotomy registry. Multivariate analysis was performed. The overall post-interventional complication rate was 9.3%. Pancreatitis happened in 5.5%, bleeding in 2.1%, perforation in 1.3%, and cholangitis in 0.4%. In the multivariate analysis following variables remained highly significant and predictive for complications: ‘papilla only in lateral view’ (p=0.001), antiplatelet therapy (p=0.024), and opacification with contrast up to the pancreatic tail (p=0.001). The primary success rate of sphincterotomy was 95.1%. The rate of post-interventional pancreatitis did not differ significantly regardless of the presence of prophylactic pancreatic stent (p=0.56). The outcome of sphincterotomy in our centre matches with literature data. The extent of pancreatic duct opacification has an influence on the pancreatitis rate. Prevention of pancreatitis by inserting pancreatic stents is not confirmed.
Role of P-Glycoprotein Expression and Function in Cystinotic Renal Proximal Tubular Cells
Authors: Peeters Karen , Wilmer Martijn J. , Schoeber Joost P. , Reijnders Dorien , Heuvel Lambertus P. van den , Masereeuw Rosalinde , Levtchenko Elena
Published: October 2011

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an ATP-dependent transporter localized at the apical membrane of the kidney proximal tubules, which plays a role in the efflux of cationic and amphipathic endogenous waste products and xenobiotics, such as drugs, into urine. Studies in mice deficient in P-gp showed generalized proximal tubular dysfunction similar to the phenotype of patients with cystinosis, an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the lysosomal cystine transporter cystinosin. Renal disease in cystinosis is characterized by generalized dysfunction of the apical proximal tubular influx transporters (so-called renal Fanconi syndrome) developing during infancy and gradually progressing towards end-stage renal disease before the 10th birthday in the majority of patients that are not treated with the cystine-depleting drug cysteamine. Here, we investigated whether the proximal tubular efflux transporter P-gp is affected in cystinosis and whether this might contribute to the development of renal Fanconi syndrome. We used conditionally immortalized (ci) proximal tubular epithelial cells (ciPTEC) derived from cystinotic patients and healthy volunteers. P-gp-mediated transport was measured by using the P-gp substrate calcein-AM in the presence and absence of the P-gp-inhibitor PSC833. P-gp activity was normal in cystinotic cells as compared to controls. Additionally, the effect of cysteamine on P-gp transport activity and phosphate uptake was determined; demonstrating increased P-gp activity in cystinotic cells, and further decrease of proximal tubular phosphate uptake. This observation is compatible with the persistence of renal Fanconi syndrome in vivo under cysteamine therapy. In summary, P-gp expression and activity are normal in cystinotic ciPTEC, indicating that P-gp dysfunction is not involved in the pathogenesis of cystinosis.
POSSIBILITIES OF IT AUDIT IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE COMPANIES IN LITHUANIA / IT AUDITAS LIETUVOS SMULKAUS IR VIDUTINIO DYDŽIO ĮMONĖSE
Authors: Janeliūnienė Rasma , Liberytė Ginta , Davidavičienė Vida
Published: October 2011

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have a decisive influence on the competitiveness of an organization. The efficiency of ICT management is a key factor in the process of production optimization, resource planning and management and other activities concerning the objectives of the organization. ICT like other resources have not only advantages, but also causes certain challenges for organizations. Information systems become an organic part of the organization. Thus, it is hard to imagine a contemporary organization where information and communication technologies are not used. The organizations, where activity success is based on ICT, are affecting external and internal factors as well as the ability to manage ICT and use different information systems. Success is not guaranteed by implementing a new information system or technology, because business processes should be evaluated taking into account the ability to react to potential changes. In order to prevent ICT risk, IT audit becomes extremely important within the organization. The aim of the article is to evaluate the possibilities of applying the existing IT audit methodologies (such as ITIL, CobIT, Val IT, ISO) in small and medium size organizations of Lithuania. The paper analyzes the significance and need of IT audit in small and medium size companies, identifies the features of such companies and proposes the existing IT audit methodologies. The methods of scientific literature analysis and comparison and statistical data analysis have been applied in the article.

Santrauka

Informacinės technologijos užima svarbią vietą organizacijos veikloje siekiant konkurencinio pranašumo. Efektyvus IT valdymas padeda organizacijai optimizuoti darbą, teisingai valdyti resursus, tinkamai siekti užsibrėžtų tikslų. Kaip ir visi veiklai vykdyti reikalingi ištekliai, informacinės technologijos ne tik teikia naudą, bet kelia ir tam tikrą grėsmę. Informacinės sistemos tampa organine bet kurios organizacijos dalimi. Šiuolaikinių įmonių veikla neįsivaizduojama ir neįmanoma be naujausių informacinių technologijų. Įmonių veiklą, grindžiamą šiuolaikinėmis IT, taip pat jų organizavimą ir valdymą veikia ne tik išorinės aplinkos veiksniai – didelę reikšmę turi ir vidiniai organizaciniai veiksniai bei IS ir valdymo aspektai. Neužtenka tik įsidiegti naują sistemą, ją būtina suderinti su įmonės veiklos procesais, siekiant išnaudoti visus privalumus, būtina vertinti pokyčius ir į juos reaguoti. Siekiant mažinti IT riziką, itin aktualus tampa IT auditas organizacijoje. Straipsnyje analizuojamos egzistuojančios IT audito metodikos, vertinamas IT audito poreikis, Lietuvos smulkaus ir vidutinio dydžio įmonių specifika. Straipsnio tikslas – įvertinti IT audito metodikų taikymo Lietuvos smulkaus ir vidutinio dydžio įmonėse galimybes.
TOTAL EXPENSE RATIO ANALYSIS OF EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS / BIRŽOJE PREKIAUJAMŲ FONDŲ (ETF) BENDROJO IŠLAIDŲ RODIKLIO TYRIMAS
Authors: Macijauskas Lukas
Published: October 2011

As virtual discussion about passive versus active investment heats up, ETF instruments being second biggest investment vehicle (after mutual funds) in United States receive more and more attention. In this paper we perform a cross section, type and style analysis of total expense ratios (TER) of exchange traded funds. Using Database of 1020 ETFs, we find capitalization weighted average for total expense ratios of simple (non-inverse and not leveraged) ETFs are equal to 0.32 proc. Analysis shows that inverse and leveraged ETFs on average are about 3 times more expensive than simple ETFs. These numbers of total expense ratios of simple ETFs are significantly lower than in average mutual funds. This leads us to the conclusion that especially for passive investment management where cost effectiveness is critically important, ETFs are much more attractive than regular mutual funds.
THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY FACTORS AND APPLICATION FIELDS / PENKI DIDIEJI ASMENYBĖS FAKTORIAI IR JŲ TAIKYMO KRYPTYS
Authors: Matuliauskaitė Agnė , Bartkienė Lina , Rutė Jevgenija
Published: October 2011

The Big five factors are used in many research fields. The literature survey showed that the personality trait theory was used to study and explain relations with different variables. The article focuses on a brief description of methods that can help with identifying the Big five factors and considers the model for applying them in personnel selection. The paper looks at scientific researches assessing relations between the Big five factors and different variables such as job performance, academic performance, student knowledge management and evaluation.
INTEGRATED APPROACH TO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE / INTEGRUOTASIS POŽIŪRIS Į KONKURENCINĮ PRANAŠUMĄ
Authors: Ragelskaja Edita , Korsakienė Renata
Published: October 2011

Environmental changes and globalization of markets make an impact on intense competition in almost all business sectors. Evolutionary changes influence companies to learn, adequately react, adapt to environmental changes and to change themselves. Such a situation has revealed the problems of competitive advan­tage of industry companies. Therefore the focus to the factors impacting competitive advantage is seen as timely and relevant. The authors of the paper analyze approaches to competitive advantage and the factors impacting competitive advantage. The integrated model of competitive advantage is proposed in the paper.

Santrauka

Sparčiai kintanti verslo aplinka ir rinkų globalizacija lemia vis didėjančią konkurenciją beveik visuose verslo sektoriuose. Vykstantys evoliuciniai pokyčiai skatina įmones greičiau mokytis, atitinkamai reaguoti ir aktyviai prisitaikyti prie aplinkos ir pačioms keistis. Išryškėjus pramonės įmonių gebėjimo įgyti konkurencinį pranašumą problemai, dėmesys jį lemian­tiems veiksniams laikytinas aktualiu. Straipsnio autorės išsamiai analizuoja vyraujančius požiūrius ir konkurencinį pranašumą lemiančius veiksnius bei siūlo integruotąjį konkurencinio pranašumo modelį.
THE ANALYSIS OF EASE OF DOING BUSINESS ASSESSMENT METHODS / VERSLO SĄLYGŲ VERTINIMO METODŲ ANALIZĖ
Authors: Samoška Mindaugas
Published: October 2011

The study deals with the ease of doing business assessment models. Analysed models describe conditions for doing busi­ness in a certain country that is being ranked and evaluated. However obvious need for improvement in methodology accrues while analysing five most known models in a comparative way. Different data aggregation principles differ the results (quantative and qualitive methods of aggregation) despite the factors that are evaluated in both models and are quite similar. After analysing all five methods we state critics about them and insights for possible improvement.

Santrauka

Aptariami žinomiausi verslo sąlygų vertinimo metodai, tokie kaip Pasaulio banko verslo sąlygų vertinimo modelis ir Pasaulio ekonomikos forumo konkurencingumo vertinimo modelis. Taikant šiuos modelius, kasmet atliekami tyrimai verslo sąlygų palankumo lygiui nustatyti. Rezultatai tarpusavyje lyginami, jais remiantis sudaromi ir publikuojami šalių reitingai pa­gal konkurencingumo lygio kriterijų. Straipsnyje aptariami pagal šias metodikas vertinami veiksniai, analizuojami ir lyginami jų vertinimo būdai, pirminiai ir grupiniai kriterijai, pagal kuriuos atliekamas verslo aplinkos veiksnių vertinimas. Atlikus esamų metodikų ir modelių analizę, pateikiamas jų tinkamumo vertinimas, identifikuojami metodikų trūkumai, pateikiamos įžvalgos verslo sąlygų vertinimui tobulinti.
CAR SALES: INVESTIGATION INTO FACTORS DETERMINING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR / PREKYBA LENGVAISIAIS AUTOMOBILIAIS: VARTOTOJŲ ELGSENĄ LEMIANČIŲ VEIKSNIŲ TYRIMAS
Authors: Samoškienė Aurelija
Published: October 2011

The article examines customer behaviour in general and discusses factors determining customer behaviour in car industry. The paper describes a concept of consumer behaviour and the importance of factors influencing the situation. Empirical study about factors determining car industry in consumer-made decisions is carried out. In addition, statistical factor analysis is performed. The key sets of factors helping the user with choosing a new car are iden­tified and analysed at the level of the groups of factors (factor). The conducted analysis shows that car price, ergonomics, image, dynamic and user-friendliness as well as environmental groups are the main points that assist in buying a new car.

Santrauka

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama vartotojų elgsenos ir veiksnių, lemiančių jų sprendimus lengvųjų automobilių sektoriuje, problema. Aprašyta vartotojų elgsenos samprata ir veiksnių reikšmė formuojant vartotojų elgesį. Atliktas veiksnių, lemian­čių lengvųjų automobilių sektoriaus vartotojų sprendimus, empirinis tyrimas. Atlikta faktorinė statistinių duomenų analizė. Remiantis empirinio tyrimo, skirto nustatyti svarbiausias veiksnių grupes, lemiančias vartotojo apsisprendimą pirkti naują automobilį, veiksnių grupių (faktorinės) analizės rezultatais, galima teigti, kad automobilio kaina, ergonomiškumas, įvaizdis, dinamika ir draugiškumas vartotojui bei aplinkai yra pagrindinės veiksnių grupės, lemiančios vartotojo apsisprendimą pirkti naują automobilį.
Query Based Topic Modeling
Authors: Ramírez Eduardo H. , Brena Ramón F.
Published: October 2011

Finally, in order to compare the QTM results with models generated by other methods we have developed probabilistic metrics that formalize the notion of semantic coherence using probabilistic concepts and can be used to validate overlapping and incomplete clustering using multi-labeled corpora. They show that the proposed method can produce models of comparable, or even superior quality, than those produced with state of the art probabilistic methods.
Evaluating and Enhancing Contextual Search with Semantic Similarity Data
Authors: Maguitman Ana Gabriela , Lorenzetti Carlos M. , Cecchini Rocío L.
Published: October 2011

Performance evaluation plays a crucial role in the development and improvement of search systems in general and context-based systems in particular. In order to evaluate search systems, test collections are needed. These test collections typically involve a corpus of documents, a set of queries and a series of relevance assessments. In traditional approaches users or hired evaluators provide manual assessments of relevance. However this is difficult and expensive, and does not scale with the complexity and heterogeneity of available digital information. This chapter proposes a semantic evaluation framework that takes advantages of topic ontologies and semantic similarity data derived from these ontologies. The structure and content of the Open Directory Project topic ontology is used to derive semantic relations among a massive number of topics and to implement classical and ad hoc retrieval performance evaluation metrics. In addition, this chapter describes an incremental method for context-based retrieval, which is based on the notions of topic descriptors and topic discriminators. The incremental context-based retrieval method is used to illustrate the application of the proposed semantic evaluation framework. Finally, the chapter discusses the advantages of applying the proposed framework.
Maximal Sequential Patterns
Authors: García-Hernández René Arnulfo , Martínez-Trinidad J. Fco. , Carrasco-Ochoa J. Ariel
Published: October 2011

This chapter introduces maximal sequential patterns, how to extract them, and some applications of maximal sequential patterns for document processing and web content mining. The main objective of this chapter is showing that maximal sequential patterns preserve document semantic, and therefore they could be a good alternative to the word and n-gram models. First, this chapter introduces the problem of maximal sequential pattern mining when the data are sequential chains of words. After, it defines several basic concepts and the problem of maximal sequential pattern mining in text documents. Then, it presents two algorithms proposed by the authors of this chapter for efficiently finding maximal sequential patterns in text documents. Additionally, it describes the use of maximal sequential patterns as a quantitative semantic tool for solving different problems related to document processing and web content mining. Finally, it shows some future research directions and conclusions.
Restoration and Enhancement of Digitally Reconstructed Holographic Images
Authors: Srivastava Rajeev
Published: October 2011

Holograms can be reconstructed optically or digitally with the use of computers and other related devices. During the reconstruction phase of a hologram by optical or digital methods, some errors may also be introduced that may degrade the quality of obtained hologram, and may lead to a misinterpretation of the holographic image data, which may not be useful for particular application. The basic common errors are zero-order diffraction and speckle noise. These errors have more undesirable effects in digital than in optical holography because the systems of recording and visualization used in the digital holography are extremely sensitive to them or inclusively increase them. The zero-order diffraction can be removed by using high pass filters with low cut-off frequencies and by subtracting the average intensity of all pixels of the hologram image from the original hologram image. Further, the speckle noise introduced during the formation of digital holographic images, which is multiplicative in nature, reduces the image quality, which may not be suitable for specific applications. As the range of applications get broader, demands toward better image quality increases. Hence, the suppression of noise, higher resolution of the reconstructed images, precise parameter adjustment, and faster, more robust algorithms are the essential issues. In this chapter, the various methods available in literature for enhancement and speckle reduction of digital holographic images have been discussed, and a comparative study of results has been presented.
Three-Dimensional Scene Reconstruction
Authors: Chrysostomou Dimitrios , Gasteratos Antonios
Published: October 2011

The production of 3D models has been a popular research topic already for a long time, and important progress has been made since the early days. During the last decades, vision systems have established to become the standard and one of the most efficient sensorial assets in industrial and everyday applications. Due to the fact that vision provides several vital attributes, many applications tend to use novel vision systems into domestic, working, industrial, and any other environments. To achieve such goals, a vision system should robustly and effectively reconstruct the 3D surface and the working space. This chapter discusses different methods for capturing the three-dimensional surface of a scene. Geometric approaches to three-dimensional scene reconstruction are generally based on the knowledge of the scene structure from the camera’s internal and external parameters. Another class of methods encompasses the photometric approaches, which evaluate the pixels’ intensity to understand the three-dimensional scene structure. The third and final category of approaches, the so-called real aperture approaches, includes methods that use the physical properties of the visual sensors for image acquisition in order to reproduce the depth information of a scene.
Effectiveness of New Technology to Compose Stereoscopic Movies
Authors: Takada Hiroki , Matsuura Yasuyuki , Miyao Masaru
Published: October 2011

The most widely known theory of motion sickness and asthenopia are based on the concept of sensory conflict, a disagreement between vergence and visual accommodation while viewing stereoscopic images. Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) can be measured by using psychological and physiological methods. We quantitatively measured vergence, visual accommodation, head acceleration, and body sway before and during exposure to conventional and new stereoscopic movies. Sickness symptoms appeared with exposure to stereoscopic images. We found that some analytical index for stabilograms increased significantly when the subjects viewed a 3D movie. VIMS could be detected by using these indices. While lateral sway is dependent on the transverse component of head movement while watching the conventional stereoscopic movie, we examine whether this tendency is reduced by Power 3D.
3D Face Recognition using an Adaptive Non-Uniform Face Mesh
Authors: Chew Wei Jen , Seng Kah Phooi , Ang Li-Minn
Published: October 2011

Face recognition using 3D faces has become widely popular in the last few years due to its ability to overcome recognition problems encountered by 2D images. An important aspect to a 3D face recognition system is how to represent the 3D face image. In this chapter, it is proposed that the 3D face image be represented using adaptive non-uniform meshes which conform to the original range image. Basically, the range image is converted to meshes using the plane fitting method. Instead of using a mesh with uniform sized triangles, an adaptive non-uniform mesh was used instead to reduce the amount of points needed to represent the face. This is because some parts of the face have more contours than others, hence requires a finer mesh. The mesh created is then used for face recognition purposes, using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Simulation results show that an adaptive non-uniform mesh is able to produce almost similar recognition rates compared to uniform meshes but with significant reduction in number of vertices.
3D Thumbnails for 3D Videos with Depth
Authors: Yigit Yeliz , Isler S. Fatih , Capin Tolga
Published: October 2011

In this chapter, we present a new thumbnail format for 3D videos with depth, 3D thumbnail, which helps users to understand the content by preserving the recognizable features and qualities of 3D videos. The current thumbnail solutions do not give the general idea of the content and are not illustrative. In spite of the existence of 3D media content databases, there is no thumbnail representation for 3D contents. Thus, we propose a framework that generates 3D thumbnails from layered depth video (LDV) and video plus depth (V+D) by using two different methodologies on importance maps: saliency-depth and layer based approaches. Finally, several experiments are presented that indicate 3D thumbnails are illustrative.
Expression of HIV-1 Vif and Human APOBEC3G with a Bicistronic Vector
Authors: Yang Yi Shu , Sun Xiao Na , Liu Di , Wang Xiao Li , Shen Si Si , Li Ze Lin , Zeng Yi
Published: October 2011

Novel targets against HIV-1 are booming recently. APOBEC3G has the potential to inhibit the replication of HIV-1, while its antiviral activity is counteracted by Vif. The antiviral mechanism of APOBEC3G and the antagonistic mechanism of Vif have drawn great attention. Considering the occurrence of interaction between Vif and APOBEC3G should be based on that these two proteins coexist in the same cells, a eukaryotic bicistronic vector was adopted to express both Vif and APOBEC3G simultaneously. The expression and distribution of Vif and APOBEC3G proteins are detected with fluorescent microscope.