bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
You say
reference
, I say
pointer
Authors: Schimpf Paul H.
Published: October 2012

This article discusses a common confusion between references and pointers that will be familiar to many faculty members teaching programming courses. It does so in the guise of a conversation between a faculty member and a student. In this conversation, the faculty member resolves the confusion in a manner that is somewhat different from the resolution commonly heard, at least by the author. More importantly, this article attempts to illustrate how important programming concepts can become obscured by the language used in a curriculum, and how such confusions can be leveraged to encourage the student to think beyond the bounds of the language that is being used, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of programming languages in general.
A code snippet library for CS1
Authors: Lorenzen Torben , Mondshein Lee , Sattar Abdul , Jung Seikyung
Published: October 2012

The authors describe several methods they had used in an attempt to lessen the frustration of entry-level CS1 students as they learn to code. The suggested method is to use a specially designed library of code "snippets" of the control structures in the language. The work describes the process by which students copy and mechanically modify the snippets. The C++ and Java versions of the library are available to the reader as a download.
Transforming high school computing
Authors: Cuny Jan
Published: October 2012

The CS 10K project is an ambitious initiative to transform computing education in the United States; its success is critical to the country's ability to innovate and compete. The computing community has an unprecedented opportunity to affect K-12 education with its enthusiasm and experience, together with its best ideas on curriculum, pedagogy, and ways to engage a broader, more diverse group of students. This community will be able to showcase the potential and promise of computing and it will have the opportunity to inspire and be inspired by local teachers and students.
How to implement a peer instruction-designed CS principles course
Authors: Simon Beth , Cutts Quintin
Published: October 2012

The CS Principles curriculum framework includes explicit learning goals regarding student abilities in communication and collaboration. Computing majors need these skills. However, what kinds of activities support the development of these skills, especially in a large lecture course? This paper describes Peer Instruction---a pedagogy developed to support students in developing deep understanding in a lecture environment---and its use in the pilot offering of CS Principles in 2010-11 at the University of California at San Diego
Computer science principles at Newbury Park High School
Authors: Kick Richard
Published: October 2012

Newbury Park high School in Southern California is one of 10 high schools participating in the 2011-12 pilot of Computer Science Principles. Teacher Richard Kick describes student activities from his course, shares some examples of student work, and reflects on student engagement with the material and the inspiration they draw from it.
What MIT Should Have Done
Authors: Butin Dan W.
Published: October 2012

The launch of MITx and similar online initiatives has sparked heated discussion on the future of higher education. In this article, Dan Butin offers an alternative perspective on the limits and possibilities of such MOOCs for teaching and learning in the college classroom.
In the Google Age, Information Literacy is Crucial
Authors: Brown Andrew
Published: October 2012

Students having instant access to information through Google or Yahoo is a double edged sword. While students can find answers through public search engines quickly, many are unable to discern valid information from bad information. Students must develop good habits before they enter the workforce. This article highlights higher education teaching strategies for information literacy.
A Small Conference with Big Reach
Authors: Campos Jeannette
Published: October 2012

The 8th Annual Innovations in eLearning Symposium (IEL) attracted a variety of speakers and attendees earlier this month. The event focused on three core areas: informal learning and social media, learning and performance analytics, and competitive edge(through innovation. In this recap, Jeanette Campos gives an overview of IEL12, a small conference with global reach.
Book Review: 'Learning Through Practice: Models, Traditions, Orientations, and Approaches' edited by Stephen Billett
Authors: Quinn Clark
Published: October 2012

Stephen Billett is the editor of "Learning Through Practice: Models, Traditions, Orientations, and Approaches," a collection of chapters by academics from around the globe, with a variety of analytic frameworks and based upon a wide variety of task domains. This is deep reading, not a practitioner-oriented review, but does have rewards for the patient and erudite reader.
CZLoD
Authors: Wu Wanmin , Arefin Ahsan , Kurillo Gregorij , Agarwal Pooja , Nahrstedt Klara , Bajcsy Ruzena
Published: October 2012

This article presents a psychophysical study that measures the perceptual thresholds of a new factor called Color-plus-Depth Level-of-Details (CZLoD) peculiar to polygon-based 3D tele-immersive video. The results demonstrate the existence of Just Noticeable Degradation and Just Unacceptable Degradation thresholds on the factor. In light of the results, we design and implement a real-time perception-based quality adaptor for 3D tele-immersive video. Our experimental results show that the adaptation scheme can reduce resource usage (e.g., CPU cycles) while considerably enhancing the overall perceived visual quality. Our analysis confirms the potential temporal and spatial performance benefits achievable with CZLoD adaptation.
Active query sensing
Authors: Ji Rongrong , Yu Felix X. , Zhang Tongtao , Chang Shih-Fu
Published: October 2012

While much exciting progress is being made in mobile visual search, one important question has been left unexplored in all current systems. When searching objects or scenes in the 3D world, which viewing angle is more likely to be successful? More particularly, if the first query fails to find the right target, how should the user control the mobile camera to form the second query? In this article, we propose a novel
Active Query Sensing
system for mobile location search, which actively suggests the best subsequent query view to recognize the physical location in the mobile environment. The proposed system includes two unique components: (1) an offline process for analyzing the saliencies of different views associated with each geographical location, which predicts the location search precisions of individual views by modeling their self-retrieval score distributions. (2) an online process for estimating the view of an unseen query, and suggesting the best subsequent view change. Specifically, the optimal viewing angle change for the next query can be formulated as an online information theoretic approach. Using a scalable visual search system implemented over a NYC street view dataset (0.3 million images), we show a performance gain by reducing the failure rate of mobile location search to only 12% after the second query. We have also implemented an end-to-end functional system, including user interfaces on iPhones, client-server communication, and a remote search server. This work may open up an exciting new direction for developing interactive mobile media applications through the innovative exploitation of active sensing and query formulation.
Energy-efficient multicasting of multiview 3D videos to mobile devices
Authors: Hamza Ahmed , Hefeeda Mohamed
Published: October 2012

Multicasting multiple video streams over wireless broadband access networks enables the delivery of multimedia content to large-scale user communities in a cost-efficient manner. Three dimensional (3D) videos are the next natural step in the evolution of digital media technologies. In order to provide 3D perception, 3D video streams contain one or more views that greatly increase their bandwidth requirements. Due to the limited channel capacity and variable bit rate of the videos, multicasting multiple 3D videos over wireless broadband networks is a challenging problem. In this article, we consider a 4G wireless access network in which a number of 3D videos represented in two-view plus depth format and encoded using scalable video coders are multicast. We formulate the optimal 3D video multicasting problem to maximize the quality of rendered virtual views on the receivers' displays. We show that this problem is NP-complete and present a polynomial time approximation algorithm to solve it. We then extend the proposed algorithm to efficiently schedule the transmission of the chosen substreams from each video in order to maximize the power saving on the mobile receivers. Our simulation-based experimental results show that our algorithm provides solutions that are within 0.3 dB of the optimal solutions while satisfying real-time requirements of multicast systems. In addition, our algorithm results in an average power consumption reduction of 86%.
How important is Twitter in your Personal Learning Network?
Authors: Lalonde Clint
Published: October 2012

There is a growing interest in Personal Learning Networks (PLN) and Twitter among educators. In this phenomenological research study, seven educators were interviewed about their experiences using Twitter within a PLN to try to understand if Twitter played a unique and specific role within their PLN. While a PLN does not require Twitter, this research shows that Twitter does play a significant role in the PLN, and that there are unique characteristics of Twitter which makes it a powerful platform to connect and collaborate with a PLN.
Has the pattern emperor any clothes?
Authors: d'Adderio Luciana , Dewar Rick , Lloyd Ashley , Stevens Perdita
Published: October 2012

The following is a light-hearted attempt to expose some difficulties in the use of patterns, including some places where naive ways of thinking about how they are used may be insufficient. We'd very much welcome comments, to feed into a more "academic" paper on the same subject.
Verifying software requirements with XSLT
Authors: Durán Amador , Ruiz Antonio , Bernárdez Beatriz , Toro Miguel
Published: October 2012

In this article, we present an approach for the automatic verification of software requirements documents. This approach is based on the representation of software requirements in XML and the usage of the XSLT language not only to automatically generate requirements documents, but also to verify some desired quality properties and to compute some metrics. These ideas have been implemented in REM, an experimental requirements management tool that is also described in this paper.
Exploiting object-oriented methodologies to model MAS on organizations
Authors: Bo Gao , Qi Fei , Xueguang Chen
Published: October 2012

Researchers have recognized multi-agent systems (MAS) as being a promising means to cope with distributed and complex problems. However, how to analyze and design an agent-based system in practical environments is still difficult. Based on the inherent consistency between objects and agents, MAS and human social organizations, we propose an approach using comparatively mature object-oriented (OO) methodologies and tools (mostly UML) to model MAS from the point of view of organization depiction. This paper uses a distributed logistics management system (DLMS) as an example and describes a method to model MAS based on extended UML from the following three aspects:•extracting roles for agent organizations based on the theory of use cases,•depicting the static organizational structures of MAS based on the semantics and syntax of class diagrams, and•extending collaboration diagrams, sequence diagrams and state chart diagrams to portray the interactive behaviors among agent roles and the reasoning behaviors within agent roles themselves.
Interactions of Soil Order and Land Use Management on Soil Properties in the Kukart Watershed, Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Sakbaeva Zulfiia , Acosta-Martínez Veronica , Moore-Kucera Jennifer , Hudnall Wayne , Nuridin Karabaev
Published: October 2012

Surveys of soil properties related to soil functioning for many regions of Kyrgyzstan are limited. This study established ranges of chemical (soil organic matter (SOM), pH and total N (TN)), physical (soil texture), and biochemical (six enzyme activities of C, N, P, and S cycling) characteristics for nine profiles from the Kukart watershed of Jalal-Abad region in Kyrgyzstan. These profiles represent different soil orders (Inceptisols, Alfisols, and Mollisols) and land uses (cultivated, nut-fruit forests, and pasture). The Sierozem (Inceptisols) soils had the highest pH and contained the lowest SOM and TN contents compared to the Brown, Black-brown, and Meadow-steppe soils (Alfisols and Mollisols). Enzymatic activities within surface horizons (0–18 cm) typically decreased in the following order: forest > pasture > cultivated. Enzyme activity trends due to land use were present regardless of elevation, climate, and soil types although subtle differences among soil types within land use were observed. The significant reductions in measured soil enzyme activities involved in C, N, P, and S nutrient transformations under cultivation compared to pasture and forest ecosystems and lower values under Inceptisols can serve as soil quality indicators for land use decisions in the watershed.
So Many Plasminogen Receptors: Why?
Authors: Plow Edward F. , Doeuvre Loic , Das Riku
Published: October 2012

Plasminogen and plasmin tether to cell surfaces through ubiquitously expressed and structurally quite dissimilar family of proteins, as well as some nonproteins, that are collectively referred to as plasminogen receptors. Of the more than one dozen plasminogen receptors that have been identified, many have been shown to facilitate plasminogen activation to plasmin and to protect bound plasmin from inactivation by inhibitors. The generation of such localized and sustained protease activity is utilized to facilitate numerous cellular responses, including responses that depend on cellular migration. However, many cells express multiple plasminogen receptors and numerous plasminogen receptors are expressed on many different cell types. Furthermore, several different plasminogen receptors can be used to support the same cellular response, such as inflammatory cell migration. Here, we discuss the perplexing issue: why are there so many different Plg-Rs?
Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation during the Induction and Progression of Osteoarthritis in a Rat Model
Authors: Castillo E. C. , Hernandez-Cueto M. A. , Vega-Lopez M. A. , Lavalle C. , Kouri J. B. , Ortiz-Navarrete V.
Published: October 2012

Epidemiological studies correlate low levels of vitamin D with the osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Cytokines and metalloproteases play a major role in OA promoting the inflammation and degradation of the cartilage and can be induced through the Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of vitamin D supplementation on the development of osteoarthritis (OA) through examining the genetic regulation of TLRs, cytokines, and metalloproteases in chondrocytes as well as the wideness of cartilage in rats with OA. Our results demonstrate that the signaling through TLR-4 is a proinflammatory mechanism in osteoarthritis that drives the upregulation of MMP-3, IL-1β, and TNF-αgene expression, leading to cartilage degradation and inflammation. Vitamin D supplementation had a protective effect during the onset but not during the chronic stage of OA in the rat model.
Some Properties of Certain Integral Operators on New Subclasses of Analytic Functions with Complex Order
Authors: Mohammed Aabed , Darus Maslina
Published: October 2012

We define new subclasses of p‐valent meromorphic functions with complex order. We prove some properties for certain integral operators on
these subclasses.
The Serine Protease Plasmin Triggers Expression of the CC-Chemokine Ligand 20 in Dendritic CellsviaAkt/NF-κB-Dependent Pathways
Authors: Li Xuehua , Syrovets Tatiana , Simmet Thomas
Published: October 2012

The number of dendritic cells is increased in advanced atherosclerotic lesions. In addition, plasmin, which might stimulate dendritic cells, is generated in atherosclerotic lesions. Here, we investigated cytokine and chemokine induction by plasmin in human dendritic cells. In human atherosclerotic vessel sections, plasmin colocalized with dendritic cells and the CC-chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20, MIP-3α), which is important for homing of lymphocytes and dendritic cells to sites of inflammation. Stimulation of human dendritic cells with plasmin, but not with catalytically inactivated plasmin, induced transcriptional regulation of CCL20. By contrast, proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1α, and IL-1βwere not induced. The plasmin-mediated CCL20 expression was preceded by activation of Akt and MAP kinases followed by activation of the transcription factor NF-κB as shown by phosphorylation of its inhibitor IκBα, by nuclear localization of p65, its phosphorylation, and binding to NF-κB consensus sequences. The plasmin-induced CCL20 expression was dependent on Akt- and ERK1/2-mediated phosphorylation of IκBαon Ser32/36 and of p65 on Ser276, whereas p38 MAPK appeared to be dispensable. Thus, plasmin triggers release of the chemokine CCL20 from dendritic cells, which might facilitate accumulation of CCR6+immune cells in areas of plasmin generation such as inflamed tissues including atherosclerotic lesions.
Production of Ethanol from Sugars and Lignocellulosic Biomass byThermoanaerobacterJ1 Isolated from a Hot Spring in Iceland
Authors: Jessen Jan Eric , Orlygsson Johann
Published: October 2012

Thermophilic bacteria have gained increased attention as candidates for bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. This study investigated ethanol production byThermoanaerobacterstrain J1 from hydrolysates made from lignocellulosic biomass in batch cultures. The effect of increased initial glucose concentration and the partial pressure of hydrogen on end product formation were examined. The strain showed a broad substrate spectrum, and high ethanol yields were observed on glucose (1.70 mol/mol) and xylose (1.25 mol/mol). Ethanol yields were, however, dramatically lowered by adding thiosulfate or by cocultivating strain J1 with a hydrogenotrophic methanogen with acetate becoming the major end product. Ethanol production from 4.5 g/L of lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates (grass, hemp stem, wheat straw, newspaper, and cellulose) pretreated with acid or alkali and the enzymes Celluclast and Novozymes 188 was investigated. The highest ethanol yields were obtained on cellulose (7.5 mM·g−1) but the lowest on straw (0.8 mM·g−1). Chemical pretreatment increased ethanol yields substantially from lignocellulosic biomass but not from cellulose. The largest increase was on straw hydrolysates where ethanol production increased from 0.8 mM·g−1to 3.3 mM·g−1using alkali-pretreated biomass. The highest ethanol yields on lignocellulosic hydrolysates were observed with hemp hydrolysates pretreated with acid, 4.2 mM·g−1.
Lovastatin Production byAspergillus terreusUsing Agro-Biomass as Substrate in Solid State Fermentation
Authors: Faseleh Jahromi Mohammad , Liang Juan Boo , Ho Yin Wan , Mohamad Rosfarizan , Goh Yong Meng , Shokryazdan Parisa
Published: October 2012

Ability of two strains ofAspergillus terreus(ATCC 74135 and ATCC 20542) for production of lovastatin in solid state fermentation (SSF) using rice straw (RS) and oil palm frond (OPF) was investigated. Results showed that RS is a better substrate for production of lovastatin in SSF. Maximum production of lovastatin has been obtained usingA. terreusATCC 74135 and RS as substrate without additional nitrogen source (157.07 mg/kg dry matter (DM)). Although additional nitrogen source has no benefit effect on enhancing the lovastatin production using RS substrate, it improved the lovastatin production using OPF with maximum production of 70.17 and 63.76 mg/kg DM forA. terreusATCC 20542 andA. terreusATCC 74135, respectively (soybean meal as nitrogen source). Incubation temperature, moisture content, and particle size had shown significant effect on lovastatin production (P<0.01) and inoculums size and pH had no significant effect on lovastatin production (P>0.05). Results also have shown that pH 6, 25°C incubation temperature, 1.4 to 2 mm particle size, 50% initial moisture content, and 8 days fermentation time are the best conditions for lovastatin production in SSF. Maximum production of lovastatin using optimized condition was 175.85 and 260.85 mg/kg DM forA. terreusATCC 20542 and ATCC 74135, respectively, using RS as substrate.
Accelerated Fibrinolysis and Its Propagation on Vascular Endothelial Cells by Secreted and Retained tPA
Authors: Urano Tetsumei , Suzuki Yuko
Published: October 2012

We successfully visualized the secretory dynamics of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) tagged by green fluorescent protein (tPA-GFP) from cultured vascular endothelial cells (VECs) using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and demonstrated that tPA-GFP secreted from VECs was retained on cell surfaces in a heavy-chain-dependent manner. Progressive binding of Alexa568-labeled Glu-plasminogen was also observed on the surface of active tPA-GFP expressing cells via lysine binding sites (LBS), which was not observed on inactive mutant tPA-GFP expressing cells. These results suggest that retained tPA on VECs effectively activated plasminogen to plasmin, which then facilitated the binding of additional plasminogen on the cell surface by proteolytically cleaving surface-associated proteins and exposing their C-terminal lysine residues. Thus prolonged retention of tPA appeared to play an important role in initiating and amplifying plasmin generation on VECs. LBS-dependent binding of plasminogen was also observed as a narrow band at the lytic front of the fibrin mesh formed on active tPA-GFP expressing cells, which expanded outward as the lytic area increased. This binding was not observed on inactive mutant tPA-GFP expressing cells or in the presence of aprotinin. The binding of plasminogen to partially digested fibrin appears to be indispensable for spontaneous fibrinolysis.
The Plasminogen Receptor, , and Macrophage Function
Authors: Miles Lindsey A. , Lighvani Shahrzad , Baik Nagyung , Andronicos Nicholas M. , Chen Emily I. , Parmer Caitlin M. , Khaldoyanidi Sophia , Diggs Jenna E. , Kiosses William B. , Kamps Mark P. , Yates John R. , Parmer Robert J.
Published: October 2012

When plasminogen binds to cells its activation to plasmin is markedly enhanced compared to the reaction in solution. Thus, cells become armed with the broad spectrum proteolytic activity of plasmin. Cell-surface plasmin plays a key role in macrophage recruitment during the inflammatory response. Proteins exposing basic residues on the cell surface promote plasminogen activation on eukaryotic cells. We have used a proteomics approach combining targeted proteolysis with carboxypeptidase B and multidimensional protein identification technology, MudPIT, and a monocyte progenitor cell line to identify a novel transmembrane protein, the plasminogen receptor, . exposes a C-terminal lysine on the cell surface in an orientation to bind plasminogen and promote plasminogen activation. Here we review the characteristics of this new protein, with regard to membrane topology, conservation of sequence across species, the role of its C-terminus in plasminogen binding, its function in plasminogen activation, cell migration, and its role in macrophage recruitment in the inflammatory response.
Placenta Percreta Invading Broad Ligament and Parametrium in a Woman with Two Previous Cesarean Sections: A Case Report
Authors: Vahdat Mansoureh , Mehdizadeh Abolfazl , Sariri Elaheh , Chaichian Shahla , Najmi Zahra , Kadivar Maryam
Published: October 2012

Introduction. The incidence of placenta accreta has dramatically increased due to increasing caesarean section rate all over the world. Placenta percreta is the most severe form of placenta accretes. It frequently results in maternal morbidity and mortality mainly caused by massive obstetric hemorrhage or emergency hysterectomy. Percreta invading into the broad ligament has rarely been previously reported.Case presenting. We presented a case of placenta percreta invading left broad ligament and parametrium in a woman with two previous cesarean sections, which led to massive intraoperative hemorrhage during hysterectomy and transient ischemic encephalopathy.Conclusion. In cases of parametrial involvement, it would be more difficult to decide whether to remove placenta or leave it in site. In surgical removal neither local excision of placental bed and uterine repair nor traditional hysterectomy is adequate if parametrium invaded by placenta. We suggest delayed elective hysterectomy in such cases. So, pregnancy-induced pelvic congestion would be decreased, we can gather an expert team of gynecologists, urologists, and vascular surgeons, we could get plenty of blood products, and we may have the chance to administer methotrexate.
Semistability of Nonlinear Impulsive Systems with Delays
Authors: Mu Xiaowu , Gao Yongliang
Published: October 2012

This paper is concerned with the stability analysis and semistability theorems for delay impulsive systems having a continuum of equilibria. We relate stability and semistability to
the classical concepts of system storage functions to impulsive systems providing a generalized hybrid system energy interpretation in terms of storage energy. We show a set of Lyapunov‐based sufficient conditions for establishing these stability properties. These make it possible to deduce properties of the Lyapunov functional and thus lead to sufficient conditions for stability and semistability. Our proposed results are evaluated using an illustrative example to show their effectiveness.
CD73 Is Critical for the Resolution of Murine Colonic Inflammation
Authors: Bynoe Margaret S. , Waickman Adam T. , Mahamed Deeqa A. , Mueller Cynthia , Mills Jeffrey H. , Czopik Agnieszka
Published: October 2012

CD73 is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-(GPI-) linked membrane protein that catalyzes the extracellular dephosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to adenosine. Adenosine is a negative regulator of inflammation and prevents excessive cellular damage. We investigated the role of extracellular adenosine in the intestinal mucosa during the development of Dextran-Sulfate-Sodium-(DSS-)salt-induced colitis in mice that lack CD73 (CD73−/−) and are unable to synthesize extracellular adenosine. We have found that, compared to wild-type (WT) mice, CD73−/−mice are highly susceptible to DSS-induced colitis. CD73−/−mice exhibit pronounced weight loss, slower weight recovery, an increase in gut permeability, a decrease in expression of tight junctional adhesion molecules, as well as unresolved inflammation following the removal of DSS. Moreover, colonic epithelia in CD73−/−mice exhibited increased TLR9 expression, high levels of IL-1βand TNF-α, and constitutive activation of NF-κB. We conclude that CD73 expression in the colon is critical for regulating the magnitude and the resolution of colonic immune responses.
Bacterial Plasminogen Receptors: Mediators of a Multifaceted Relationship
Authors: Sanderson-Smith Martina L. , De Oliveira David M. P. , Ranson Marie , McArthur Jason D.
Published: October 2012

Multiple species of bacteria are able to sequester the host zymogen plasminogen to the cell surface. Once localised to the bacterial surface, plasminogen can act as a cofactor in adhesion, or, following activation to plasmin, provide a source of potent proteolytic activity. Numerous bacterial plasminogen receptors have been identified, and the mechanisms by which they interact with plasminogen are diverse. Here we provide an overview of bacterial plasminogen receptors and discuss the diverse role bacterial plasminogen acquisition plays in the relationship between bacteria and the host.
Changes in the Material Characteristics of Maize Straw during the Pretreatment Process of Methanation
Authors: Feng Yongzhong , Zhao Xiaoling , Guo Yan , Yang Gaihe , Xi Jianchao , Ren Guangxin
Published: October 2012

Pretreatment technology is important to the direct methanation of straw. This study used fresh water, four bacterium agents (stem rot agent, “result” microbe decomposition agent, straw pretreatment composite bacterium agent, and complex microorganism agent), biogas slurry, and two chemical reagents (sodium hydroxide and urea) as pretreatment promoters. Different treatments were performed, and the changes in the straw pH value, temperature, total solid (TS), volatile solid (VS), and carbon-nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio) under different pretreatment conditions were analyzed. The results showed that chemical promoters were more efficient than biological promoters in straw maturity. Pretreatment using sodium hydroxide induced the highest degree of straw maturity. However, its C/N ratio had to be reduced during fermentation. In contrast, the C/N ratio of the urea-pretreated straw was low and was easy to regulate when used as anaerobic digestion material. The biogas slurry pretreatment was followed by pretreatments using four different bacterium agents, among which the effect of the complex microorganism agent (BA4) was more efficient than the others. The current study is significant to the direct and efficient methanation of straw.
Ocriplasmin for Vitreoretinal Diseases
Authors: Tsui Irena , Pan Carolyn K. , Rahimy Ehsan , Schwartz Steven D.
Published: October 2012

Fibronectin and laminin are clinically relevant plasmin receptors in the eye. Located at the vitreoretinal interface, they are cleaved by ocriplasmin (Microplasmin, ThromboGenics, Iselin, NJ), a novel ophthalmic medication. A series of clinical trials to study ocriplasmin for the treatment of vitreoretinal diseases such as vitreomacular traction, macular hole, and exudative age-related macular degeneration are underway. The results are promising and may impact patient care.
Perioperative Anesthesiological Management of Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Gille Jochen , Seyfarth Hans-Jürgen , Gerlach Stefan , Malcharek Michael , Czeslick Elke , Sablotzki Armin
Published: October 2012

Pulmonary hypertension is a major reason for elevated perioperative morbidity and mortality, even in noncardiac surgical procedures. Patients should be thoroughly prepared for the intervention and allowed plenty of time for consideration. All specialty units involved in treatment should play a role in these preparations. After selecting each of the suitable individual anesthetic and surgical procedures, intraoperative management should focus on avoiding all circumstances that could contribute to exacerbating pulmonary hypertension (hypoxemia, hypercapnia, acidosis, hypothermia, hypervolemia, and insufficientanesthesia and analgesia). Due to possible induction of hypotonic blood circulation, intravenous vasodilators (milrinone, dobutamine, prostacyclin, Na-nitroprusside, and nitroglycerine) should be administered with the greatest care. A method of treating elevations in pulmonary pressure with selective pulmonary vasodilation by inhalation should be available intraoperatively (iloprost, nitrogen monoxide, prostacyclin, and milrinone) in addition to invasive hemodynamic monitoring. During the postoperative phase, patients must be monitored continuously and receive sufficient analgesic therapy over an adequate period of time. All in all, perioperative management of patients with pulmonary hypertension presents an interdisciplinary challenge that requires the adequate involvement of anesthetists, surgeons, pulmonologists, and cardiologists alike.
Dynamical Behaviors of Stochastic Reaction‐Diffusion Cohen‐Grossberg Neural Networks with Delays
Authors: Wan Li , Zhou Qinghua , Li Jizi
Published: October 2012

This paper investigates dynamical behaviors of stochastic Cohen‐Grossberg neural network with delays and reaction diffusion. By employing Lyapunov method, Poincaré inequality and matrix technique, some sufficient criteria on ultimate boundedness, weak attractor, and asymptotic stability are obtained. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the correctness and effectiveness of our theoretical results.
Compact Dual-Band Dual-Polarized Antenna for MIMO LTE Applications
Authors: Mouffok Lila , Lepage Anne Claire , Sarrazin Julien , Begaud Xavier
Published: October 2012

A system of two dual-band dual-polarized antennas is proposed. It operates in two bands, 700 to 862 MHz and 2.5 to 2.69 GHz, thereby making it suitable for LTE applications. The design is composed of two compact orthogonal monopoles printed close to each other to perform diversity in mobile terminals such as tablets or laptops. For each band, two orthogonal polarizations are available and an isolation higher than 15 dB is achieved between the two monopoles spaced byλ0/10 (whereλ0the central wavelength in free space of the lower band). A good agreement is observed between simulated and experimental results. The antenna diversity capability is highlighted with the calculation of envelope correlation and mean effective gain for several antennas' positions in different environment scenarios.
Necessary Optimality Conditions for a Class of Impulsive and Switching Systems
Authors: Li Lihua , Gao Yan , Wang Gexia
Published: October 2012

An optimal control problem for a class of hybrid impulsive and switching systems is considered. By defining switching times as part of extended state, we get the
necessary optimality conditions for this problem. It is shown that the adjoint variables satisfy certain jump conditions and the Hamiltonian are continuous at switching instants. In addition, necessary optimality conditions of Fréchet subdifferential form are presented in this paper.
Rapid Beam Forming in Smart Antennas Using Smart-Fractal Concepts Employing Combinational Approach Algorithms
Authors: Levy Mounissamy , Bose Sumanta , Kumar D. Sriram , Dinh Anh Van
Published: October 2012

Smart antennas offer a broad range of ways to improve wireless system performance. They provide enhanced coverage through range extension, hole filling, and better building penetration. Smart antennas use an array of low gain antenna elements which are connected by a network. Fractal concepts have been used in antenna arrays recently. The important properties of fractal arrays are frequency independent multiband characteristics, schemes for realizing low side lobe designs, systematic approaches to thinning, and the ability to develop rapid beam forming algorithms. In this paper, an attempt has been made to apply assignment of usage time and location tag algorithm for smart antennas combined with the fractal concepts to reduce the computational complexity and enhance resource allocation for rapid beam forming algorithms. Furthermore, two combinational approach algorithms are proposed for peer users within single base station and peer users between different base stations.
Critical Oscillation Constant for Difference Equations with Almost Periodic Coefficients
Authors: Hasil Petr , Veselý Michal
Published: October 2012

We investigate a type of the Sturm‐Liouville difference equations with almost periodic coefficients. We prove that there exists a constant, which is the borderline between the oscillation and the nonoscillation of these equations. We compute this oscillation constant explicitly. If the almost periodic coefficients are replaced by constants, our result reduces to the well‐known result about the discrete Euler equation.
Production of Adenosine by Ectonucleotidases: A Key Factor in Tumor Immunoescape
Authors: Ghiringhelli François , Bruchard Mélanie , Chalmin Fanny , Rébé Cédric
Published: October 2012

It is now well known that tumor immunosurveillance contributes to the control of cancer growth. Many mechanisms can be used by cancer cells to avoid the antitumor immune response. One such mechanism relies on the capacity of cancer cells or more generally of the tumor microenvironment to generate adenosine, a major molecule involved in antitumor T cell response suppression. Adenosine is generated by the dephosphorylation of extracellular ATP released by dying tumor cells. The conversion of ATP into adenosine is mediated by ectonucleotidase molecules, namely, CD73 and CD39. These molecules are frequently expressed in the tumor bed by a wide range of cells including tumor cells, regulatory T cells, Th17 cells, myeloid cells, and stromal cells. Recent evidence suggests that targeting adenosine by inhibiting ectonucleotidases may restore the resident antitumor immune response or enhance the efficacy of antitumor therapies. This paper will underline the impact of adenosine and ectonucleotidases on the antitumor response.
CardioSmart365: Artificial Intelligence in the Service of Cardiologic Patients
Authors: Sourla Efrosini , Sioutas Spyros , Syrimpeis Vasileios , Tsakalidis Athanasios , Tzimas Giannis
Published: October 2012

Artificial intelligence has significantly contributed in the evolution of medical informatics and biomedicine, providing a variety of tools available to be exploited, from rule-based expert systems and fuzzy logic to neural networks and genetic algorithms. Moreover, familiarizing people with smartphones and the constantly growing use of medical-related mobile applications enables complete and systematic monitoring of a series of chronic diseases both by health professionals and patients. In this work, we propose an integrated system for monitoring and early notification for patients suffering from heart diseases. CardioSmart365 consists of web applications, smartphone native applications, decision support systems, and web services that allow interaction and communication among end users: cardiologists, patients, and general doctors. The key features of the proposed solution are (a) recording and management of patients' measurements of vital signs performed at home on regular basis (blood pressure, blood glucose, oxygen saturation, weight, and height), (b) management of patients' EMRs, (c) cardiologic patient modules for the most common heart diseases, (d) decision support systems based on fuzzy logic, (e) integrated message management module for optimal communication between end users and instant notifications, and (f) interconnection to Microsoft HealthVault platform. CardioSmart365 contributes to the effort for optimal patient monitoring at home and early response in cases of emergency.
Sclerosing Stromal Tumor of Ovary: A Case Report
Authors: Khanna Menka , Khanna Ashish , Manjari Mridu
Published: October 2012

Sclerosing stromal tumor (SST) is an extremely rare and distinctive sex cord stromal tumor which occurs predominantly in the second and third decades of life. We report a case of a 32-year-old woman who developed a sclerosing stromal tumor of ovary and presented with irregular menstruation and pelvic pain. Her hormonal status was normal but CA-125 was raised. She was suspected to have a malignant tumor on computed tomography and underwent bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy. It is therefore necessary to keep in mind the possibility of sclerosing stromal tumor in a young woman.
Network Coded Wireless Cooperative Multicast with Minimum Transmission Cost
Authors: Wang Xiumin , Wang Jin , Zhang Shukui
Published: October 2012

We study multicasting over wireless lossy links. Instead of downloading all the data from the source node, we allow the destination nodes themselves to locally exchange the packets, as local communication within a cluster achieves higher packet reception probability with less transmission cost. However, when shall we stop the transmission from the source node? If the source stops too early, the destination nodes locally cannot reconstruct all the original packets, while if the source stops too late, the benefit of cooperative data exchange cannot be fully exploited. In this paper, we propose a network coded hybrid source and cooperative exchange scheme to determine when to stop the source sending and start the exchange process, so as to minimize the total transmission cost. For the case when the clusters are predefined, we derive the expected total transmission cost with our hybrid scheme. Our theoretical results show that under a special condition, the source node should keep sending the packets until all the destinations get the complete information. For the case when the clusters are not predefined, we propose a cluster division algorithm such that the destination nodes within each cluster can conduct data exchange locally with energy efficiency. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Elimination of Cancer Stem-Like “Side Population” Cells in Hepatoma Cell Lines by Chinese Herbal Mixture “Tien-Hsien Liquid”
Authors: Yao Chih-Jung , Yeh Chi-Tai , Lee Liang-Ming , Chuang Shuang-En , Yeh Chuan-Feng , Chao Wan-Ju , Lai Tung-Yuan , Lai Gi-Ming
Published: October 2012

There are increasing pieces of evidence suggesting that the recurrence of cancer may result from a small subpopulation of cancer stem cells, which are resistant to the conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We investigated the effects of Chinese herbal mixtureTien-Hsien Liquid(THL) on the cancer stem-like side population (SP) cells isolated from human hepatoma cells. After sorting and subsequent culture, the SP cells from Huh7 hepatoma cells appear to have higher clonogenicity and mRNA expressions of stemness genes such asSMO, ABCG2, CD133,β-catenin,andOct-4than those of non-SP cells. At dose of 2 mg/mL, THL reduced the proportion of SP cells in HepG2, Hep3B, and Huh7 cells from 1.33% to 0.49%, 1.55% to 0.43%, and 1.69% to 0.27%, respectively. The viability and colony formation of Huh7 SP cells were effectively suppressed by THL dose-dependently, accompanied with the inhibition of stemness genes, e.g.,ABCG2, CD133,andSMO. The tumorigenicity of THL-treated Huh7 SP cells in NOD/SCID mice was also diminished. Moreover, combination with THL could synergize the effect of doxorubicin against Huh7 SP cells. Our data indicate that THL may act as a cancer stem cell targeting therapeutics and be regarded as complementary and integrative medicine in the treatment of hepatoma.
Practical Approaches to the Use of Lenalidomide in Multiple Myeloma: A Canadian Consensus
Authors: Reece Donna , Kouroukis C. Tom , LeBlanc Richard , Sebag Michael , Song Kevin , Ashkenas John
Published: October 2012

In Canada, lenalidomide combined with dexamethasone (Len/Dex) is approved for use in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Our expert panel sought to provide an up-to-date practical guide on the use of lenalidomide in the managing RRMM within the Canadian clinical setting, including management of common adverse events (AEs). The panel concluded that safe, effective administration of Len/Dex treatment involves the following steps: (1) lenalidomide dose adjustment based on creatinine clearance and the extent of neutropenia or thrombocytopenia, (2) dexamethasone administered at 20–40 mg/week, and (3) continuation of treatment until disease progression or until toxicity persists despite dose reduction. Based on available evidence, the following precautions should reduce the risk of common Len/Dex AEs: (1) all patients treated with Len/Dex should receive thromboprophylaxis, (2) erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) should be used cautiously, and (3) females of child-bearing potential and males in contact with such females must use multiple contraception methods. Finally, while Len/Dex can be administered irrespective of prior therapy and in all prognostic subsets, patients with chromosomal deletion 17(p13) have less favorable outcomes with all treatments, including Len/Dex. New directions for the use of lenalidomide in RRMM are also considered.
Structural Characterisation of ZnO Particles Obtained by the Emulsion Precipitation Method
Authors: Kołodziejczak-Radzimska Agnieszka , Markiewicz Ewa , Jesionowski Teofil
Published: October 2012

Zinc oxide was obtained by precipitation in an emulsion system with zinc acetate used as a precursor of ZnO and potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide as a precipitating agent. The cyclohexane, as an organic phase, and a nonionic surfactant mixture were also used for preparation of the emulsion. By applying modifications of the ZnO precipitation process, such as changing the precipitating agent, composition of substrates, and the rate of substrate dosing, some interesting structures of ZnO particles were obtained. The morphology of the modified samples was analysed based on SEM (scanning electron microscope) and TEM (transmission electron microscope) images. Moreover the samples were characterised by determination of their dispersive properties using the noninvasive back scattering method (NIBS), adsorption parameters (BET), and crystalline structure (XRD). Thermogravimetric analysis (TG) as well as infrared spectrophotometry (FT‐IR) was also applied. For selected samples their electrical properties (dielectric permittivity and electric conductivity) were also measured. The zinc oxide obtained consisted of particles in the shapes of solids, ellipsoids, rods, and flakes, with size ranging from 164 to 2670 nm and showed well‐developed surface area with values as high as 20 m2/g.
Intestinal Infarction and Portal Vein Thrombosis in a Patient with Henoch Schonlein Purpura
Authors: Abebe Mekdess , Patnaik Asha , Miller Frederick , Roppelt Heidi , Wadhwa Nand K. , Abate Mersema , Nord Edward P.
Published: October 2012

Henoch Schonlein purpura is a systemic vasculitis that commonly affects children and teenagers but also affects adults of all ages. In most instances it has a benign course. Organ involvement, particularly in adults, and notably the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract may require therapeutic intervention and may have a less favorable outcome. We report a case of a 58-year-old man who presented with purpura and who rapidly developed catastrophic intestinal vasculitis, leading to his demise.
The Plasminogen Activation System and the Regulation of Catecholaminergic Function
Authors: Bai Hongdong , Nangia Samir , Parmer Robert J.
Published: October 2012

The local environment of neurosecretory cells contains the major components of the plasminogen activation system, including the plasminogen activators, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), as well as binding sites for t-PA, the receptor for u-PA (uPAR), and also the plasminogen activator inhibitor, PAI-1. Furthermore, these cells express specific binding sites for plasminogen, which is available in the circulation and in interstitial fluid. Colocalization of plasminogen and its activators on cell surfaces provides a mechanism for promoting local plasminogen activation. Plasmin is retained on the cell surface where it is protected from its inhibitor,α2-antiplasmin. In neurosecretory cells, localized plasmin activity provides a mechanism for extracellular processing of secreted hormones. Neurotransmitter release from catecholaminergic cells is negatively regulated by cleavage products formed by plasmin-mediated proteolysis. Recently, we have identified a major plasminogen receptor, Plg-RKT. We have found that Plg-RKTis highly expressed in chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla as well as in other catecholaminergic cells and tissues. Plg-RKT-dependent plasminogen activation plays a key role in regulating catecholaminergic neurosecretory cell function.