bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Epidermal Growth Factor‐Activated Extracellular Signal‐Regulated Kinase Suppresses Growth Hormone Expression and Stimulates Proliferation in MtT/ E Cells
Authors: Nogami H. , Soya H. , Hiraoka Y. , Aiso S. , Hisano S.
Published: October 2011

The mechanism for the inhibition of growth hormone (GH) expression by the epidermal growth factor (EGF) was examined in two clonal cell lines, MtT/E and MtT/S. The former has a negligible basal level of GH, whereas the latter has a high basal GH. The treatment of MtT/E cells with retinoic acid resulted in a significant increase in GH mRNA and subsequently GH. This stimulatory response to retinoic acid was strongly suppressed by EGF. This suppression was associated with an increase in the phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1 and 2 (Erk1/2). The MEK [mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinases that activate ERK1 and ERK2] inhibitor, PD98059, clearly inhibited the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and restored the stimulatory effects of retinoic acid. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of EGF on GH expression are mediated by MAPK activation in these cells. By contrast to the GH‐producing clones examined previously, EGF showed a marked stimulation of proliferation of the MtT/E cells through a mechanism dependent on MAPK activation. On the other hand, the inhibitory effect of EGF on GH expression was less pronounced and the stimulation of cellular proliferation was not seen in MtT/S cells, even though it induced Erk‐phosphorylation similar to that seen in MtT/E. The distinct difference in the response to EGF between these two GH cell lines appears to be attributed to differences in the function of MAPK cascade in each cell line. This may reflect the developmental stage of the cells from which MtT/E and MtT/S are derived.
Efficacy and safety of clonidine as additive for caudal regional anesthesia: a quantitative systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Schnabel Alexander , Poepping Daniel M. , Pogatzki‐Zahn Esther M. , Zahn Peter K.
Published: October 2011

Background:  Clonidine is still the most popular additive for caudal regional anesthesia. Aim of the present quantitative systematic review was to assess the efficacy and safety of the combined use of clonidine and local anesthetics in comparison with caudal local anesthetics alone.

Methods:  The systematic search, data extraction, critical appraisal and pooled analysis were performed according to the PRISMA statement. The systematic search included the Central register of controlled trials of the Cochrane Library (to present), MEDLINE (1966 to present), EMBASE (1980 to present) and CINAHL (1981 to present). Relative risk (RR), mean difference (MD) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the Revman® statistical software for dichotomous and continuous outcomes.

Results:  Twenty randomized controlled trials (published between 1994 and 2010) including 993 patients met the inclusion criteria. There was a longer duration of postoperative analgesia in children receiving clonidine in addition to local anesthetic (MD: 3.98 h; 95% CI: 2.84–5.13; P < 0.00001). Furthermore, there was a lower number of patients requiring rescue analgesics in the clonidine group (RR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.57–0.90; P = 0.003). The incidence of complications (e.g., respiratory depression) remained very low and was not different to caudal local anesthetics alone.

Conclusions:  There is considerable evidence that caudally administered clonidine in addition to local anesthetics provides extended duration of analgesia with a decreased incidence for analgesic rescue requirement and little adverse effects compared to caudal local anesthetics alone.
Determining an Optimal Maintenance Period for Infrastructure Systems
Authors: Zhang Xueqing , Gao Hui
Published: October 2011

Abstract:  This article proposes a maintenance policy that sets a limit to the cumulative failure rate over the life cycle of an infrastructure system. Under this policy, there are three maintenance scenarios in an arbitrary period of the life cycle: a maintenance action will be implemented in scenario 1 in which the failure rate limit has not been reached and the system does not fail; a preventive replacement will be implemented to renew the system in scenario 2 where the failure rate limit has been reached and the system does not fail; and a corrective replacement will be implemented at the time of failure to renew the system in scenario 3 where the system fails no matter whether the failure rate limit has been reached or not. The maintenance effect is measured by the type 1 effective age model. An optimization model is developed to determine the optimal length of the maintenance period on the basis of the proposed maintenance policy, with an objective to minimize the system's life cycle cost per unit time that includes maintenance cost, failure loss, and the cost of system unavailability. This optimization model and the search algorithm that is consequently formulated are applied to the maintenance of bridge decks. Weibull distribution is used to model the deterioration process of the bridge deck.
Unveiling dimensions of organizational culture: an exploratory study in Malaysian R&D organizations
Authors: Asmawi Arnifa , Mohan Avvari V.
Published: October 2011

Previous literature indicated that research and development (R&D) activities are influenced, to a large extent, by the culture of the organization. While these studies have identified elements of culture that are conducive to R&D, identifying the existing dimensions of organizational culture in Malaysian R&D organizations has not been empirically explored. The measures for this study were originally developed for the sole purpose of capturing cultural aspects in R&D organizations in the Malaysian context. These measures were developed based on the relevant issues discovered from exploratory case studies and nine categories of cultural values identified from the literature. A sample of employees (n = 198) from 45 R&D organizations took part in this study. Factor analysis was adopted to uncover common underlying dimensions (factors) of the organizational culture construct. The findings suggest that the organizational culture construct in R&D organizations may best be represented through a structure of eight factors. The eight factors are teamwork and knowledge sharing, empowerment and recognition, conformity and impediments to R&D, risk‐taking, customer orientation, autonomy, social networking, and organizational design. Despite some methodological issues that arose from this study, this model has the potential to become a management instrument to measure the underlying culture in R&D organizations. R&D managers can deploy this model to establish the baseline level of research culture in their respective units and thus provide the foundation for management initiatives to drive R&D activities. This model can also be used as benchmarking parameters when an R&D organization intends to evaluate various aspects of their organizational culture in relation to others that are considered to be leaders in the industry.
The paradox of tie strength in customer relationships for innovation: a longitudinal case study in the sports industry
Authors: Fredberg Tobias , Piller Frank T.
Published: October 2011

Current literature argues that firms should have strong ties to customers to benefit from increased customer retention and loyalty. Strong ties, however, have also shown to prevent innovation, suggesting that firms should also develop weak ties to other customer groups. This paper focuses on the potential for strong ties to facilitate, rather than prohibit, innovation. It is based in a 7‐year longitudinal research project with Adidas, a global sporting goods company. From the case, we find that the paradox of tie strength results from an overly simplified view of the nature of company–customer relationships. Contrary to the established literature, we find that strong ties in the Adidas case supported significant innovation. In fact, the involvement resulted in the development of a new product with a radically different product architecture and led to one of the most successful product launches in the company's history. To explain these findings, we introduce the nature of customer participation in a firm's value creation processes as a new dimension of the constitution of firm–customer ties and discuss how such a kind of relationship can develop.
Collective entrepreneurship atQualcomm: combining collective and entrepreneurial practices to turn employee ideas into action
Authors: dos Santos Ricardo , Spann Martin
Published: October 2011

Successful new products are essential to every company for survival in the marketplace. Especially discontinuous innovations are attractive because they can contribute to revenue growth by creating new businesses or addressing new market segments. Employees and their entrepreneurial spirit are often not fully utilized in a company's innovation activity. This paper presents a coherent methodology to promote corporate entrepreneurship and transform the creative thinking of many employees into valuable products. The application of this methodology atQualcomm has resulted in more than 1,100 participants submitting almost 730 new business ideas, resulting in over $60 million in funding for several incubation and joint‐venture projects over the past four years, some of which have already produced innovations that the company values at over $300 million. Further, the paper discusses the limitations of this approach, its transferability to other companies as well as implications for future research.
Overcoming stigma: how young people position themselves as counselling service users
Authors: Prior Seamus
Published: October 2011

Increasing attention has been focused on adolescent help‐seeking in relation to services aimed at promoting mental health and wellbeing. Much research reinforces the ubiquity of concerns about negative stigmatisation by peers as a barrier to young people accessing services. This paper draws on interviews conducted with young people, who completed a course of counselling in school, to investigate how they managed and negotiated this. Drawing on positioning theory from discourse analysis, young people’s accounts are analysed with reference to the variety of positions they articulated and adopted. This demonstrates how they elaborated and reinforced virtuous problem‐solver positions within broader discourses of individualisation and normalisation, and resisted positioning within a stigmatised mental illness discourse. Although focused on a small sample, the analysis offers potential insights into the ways other people may negotiate stigma concerns to access mental health resources, while also demonstrating the utility of positioning theory for understanding stigma and normalisation.
Efficacy and safety of adalimumab when added to inadequate therapy for the treatment of psoriasis: results of PRIDE, an open‐label, multicentre, phase IIIb study
Authors: Papp K. , Ho V. , Teixeira H.D. , Guerette B. , Chen K. , Lynde C.
Published: October 2011

Background  Adalimumab is an effective treatment for chronic plaque psoriasis.

Objective  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of adalimumab for psoriasis patients who did not adequately respond to prior psoriasis therapy.

Methods  PRIDE (an Open‐Label Access PRogram to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of Adalimumab When Added to InaDEquate Therapy for the Treatment of Psoriasis) was a multicentre, Phase IIIb study in Canada. Patients with active moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis who failed to respond to, or were intolerant of, prior therapies received adalimumab 80 mg at Week 0 followed by adalimumab 40 mg every other week Weeks 1 through 23. The primary efficacy measure was PASI (Psoriasis Area Severity Index) 75 response at Week 16. Secondary efficacy measures included PASI 90/100 and percentage change from baseline PASI score. Adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs were recorded.

Results  A total of 203 patients were enrolled at 26 sites. Baseline characteristics were: male, 61.1%; mean age, 45.5 years; mean PASI score, 20.0; previous exposure to biologics, 38.4%. At Week 16, PASI 75/90/100 responses were achieved by 70.9%/49.3%/24.1% of patients, respectively. Mean percentage PASI score decrease from baseline to Week 16 was 79.5%. Mean percentage PASI improvement and response rates were maintained through Week 24. Nasopharyngitis and upper respiratory tract infection were the only AEs to occur in ≥5% of patients. Nine patients experienced serious AEs; four were considered possibly or probably related to adalimumab.

Conclusion  Adalimumab was safe, well‐tolerated and effective for treatment of active plaque psoriasis in patients who had not adequately responded to prior therapy.
Freckling Promoted by Topical Tacalcitol in a Japanese Boy with Left Eyelid Vitiligo
Authors: Oiso Naoki , Kawada Akira
Published: October 2011

Abstract:  Vitiligo is an acquired disorder in which the loss of melanocytes results in depigmented patches. Topical tacalcitol, a vitamin D3 analog, is occasionally used to treat vitiligo. We report a case of a 7‐year‐old Japanese boy who showed moderate repigmentation and worsened freckles after using topical tacalcitol to treat a vitiligo lesion on and around the left eyelid. Topical tacalcitol might have induced and worsened the freckles, because the changes occurred during treatment. Dermatologists should be aware that topical application of tacalcitol to the cheeks can cause freckling and worsen existing freckles, in predisposed children, as described here.
French Tenses Again
Authors: Meylan Edward F.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The passé surcomposé exists but is not widely used. How the French usually express anteriority in a subordinate clause.
Modern Foreign Languages in a Social Study Program with Special Reference to the Training of Modern Language Teachers*
Authors: Gullette Cameron C.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— A discussion of: (a) the difficulty facing prospective teachers who must prepare to teach several subjects, who must secure sufficient hours in each and suitable education credits for certification, and who must meet requirements for graduation; (b) the relative value of subject combinations as an aid to securing a position.)
Our School Is Perfect!
Authors: Smith M. Margaret
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— In these days of alarming rise in juvenile delinquency language teachers need to awaken to the causes and possible prevention of crime. There is much we can do to build sound, democratic character.
The Language Studio
Authors: Eddy Frederick D.
Published: October 2011

Description of methods and materials used at the junior college level to provide intensive individualized oral and aural training, using student assistants, as developed at Green Mountain Junior College, 1941–1944.
A Few Points of French Grammar to Clarify for Our Students
Authors: Koëlla Charles E.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— This study aims at clarifying certain points of elementary French grammar or of the French language that seem to create difficulties in the minds of our American students. I have chosen 11 cases in which errors are committed quite often.
Men Wanted—Knowledge of a Foreign Language Necessary
Authors: Burke Victor W.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— This article is intended to show the increasing commercial importance of Spanish and French, and also, to bring to the attention of North American educators and business men that a greater effort should be made to improve our foreign trade policies.
Language as Power: A Linguistic Critique of U.S. ENGLISH
Authors: THOMAS LEE
Published: October 2011

Legislating restrictive language laws is not a new phenomenon; however, in the U.S., our history of such macrolevel language planning has been limited and relatively uninformed by language policy and planning research concerning the role that language legislation plays in any society. The current agenda of an organization called U.S. ENGLISH, promoting the legislation of English as the official language of the U.S., deserves the attention of all language teaching professionals as not only a thought‐provoking example of hegemonic language planning, but one which, if approved, will affect our professional lives as well as the balance of power in the country. History indicates that restricting language rights can be divisive and can lead to segregationist tendencies in a society. At the same time, such legislation rarely results in a unified society speaking solely the mandated language(s). This article presents a critical documentary analysis of the complex issues at stake in the debate on the role of language legislation in the U.S.
A Constructivist Approach to Grammar: Teaching Teachers to Teach Aspect
Authors: BLYTH CARL
Published: October 2011

This article demonstrates how a constructivist approach to teacher education helps inexperienced teachers understand the learning and teaching of aspect, a core grammatical concept. By consciously experiencing the process of narration (i.e., how a speaker perceives real or imagined events and then organizes perceptions into a coherent recounting of events), apprentice teachers construct a deeper awareness of the form/meaning aspectual correlations of the target language. More generally, this study argues that a constructivist approach to teacher education facilitates the development of an innovative grammar pedagogy by challenging TAs's traditional beliefs about the nature of grammar.
The Role of Interaction in Native Speaker Comprehension of Nonnative Speaker Speech
Authors: POLIO CHARLENE , GASS SUSAN M.
Published: October 2011

Interaction has often been shown to have a positive effect on nonnative speakers' (NNS) comprehension of their second language (L2). Based on the fact that interaction gives learners an opportunity to modify their speech upon a signal of noncomprehension, it should also have a positive effect on native speakers' (NS) comprehension of NNSs. However, in a 1994 study, Gass and Varonis did not find that interaction led to better comprehension of NNSs by NSs in an information gap task. Because such a result has important implications for theory and practice, the present study attempted to replicate their results. Thirty dyads performed an information gap activity with and without interaction. The results show that interaction does indeed help NSs comprehend NNSs. This article discusses various reasons for the discrepancy between the results obtained in the Gass and Varonis study and those from the present study as well as the implications of this study for research methodology.
Apples and Oranges: Or, Why Apples Are Not Orange and Don't Need to Be A Response to Firth and Wagner
Authors: GASS SUSAN
Published: October 2011

This is a response to the article by Firth and Wagner (F&W) “On Discourse, Communication, and (Some) Fundamental Concepts in SLA Research” that appeared in MLJ 81,3. The present article deals with three areas discussed by F&W. First, I point out that F&W misinterpret my own work as well as that by others who have written within the input/interactionist framework (and within SLA in general); claims that are attributed to certain researchers were not ones made by those researchers. In particular, the scope of inquiry that F&W attribute to some SLA research is quite different from the actual area of inquiry. Second, I deal with the notion of “learners as deficient communicators,” arguing that F&W's attribution of this concept to SLA researchers is flawed. Finally, I discuss F&W's reanalysis of data that originally appeared in some of my earlier publications.
Quebec French: Attitudes and Pedagogical Perspectives
Authors: SALIEN JEAN‐MARIE
Published: October 2011

Teachers of French in the U.S. have either ignored, frowned upon, or ridiculed Quebec French. As a result, their students seldom have exposure to the variation of French spoken in La Belle Province, which is deplorable in view of the missed opportunities to learners of French interested in studying abroad. This article aims to review the arguments against stereotypes of Quebec French, to present a defense of Québécois as an acceptable and teachable form of the French language, and to attract the attention of teachers of French to the pedagogical opportunities of that dialect. Salient aspects of the article include the discussion of joual, québécois, and international French, and ideas about how to include Quebec French in a French curriculum.
MLJ Reviews
Authors: BIRCKBICHLER DIANE W.
Published: October 2011

Book reviewed in this article:

THEORY AND PRACTICE: BYRD, DAVID M., & D. JOHN MCINTYRE. (Eds.). Research on the Education of Our Nation's Teachers

THEORY AND PRACTICE: COOK, GUY, & BARBARA SEIDLHOFER. (Eds.). Principle & Practice in Applied Linguistics: Studies in Honour of H. G. Widdowson.

THEORY AND PRACTICE: DAVIES, FLORENCE. Introducing Reading.

THEORY AND PRACTICE: DICKSON, PETER, & ALISTER CUMMING. (Eds.). Profiles of Language Education in 25 Countries.

THEORY AND PRACTICE: FREED, BARBARA F. (Ed.). Second Language Acquisition in a Study Abroad Context. (Studies in Bilingualism, Volume 9).

THEORY AND PRACTICE: HARRIS, ROY. Signs of Writing.

THEORY AND PRACTICE: HASHEMIPOUR, PEGGY, RICARDO MALDONADO, & MARGARET VAN NAERSSEN. (Eds.). Studies in Language Learning and Spanish Linguistics in Honor of Tracy D. Terrell.

THEORY AND PRACTICE: KRAMSCH, CLAIRE. (Ed.). Redefining the Boundaries of Language Study.

CHINESE: BAI, JIANHUA, JUYU SUNG, & JANET ZHIQUN XING. Beyond the Basics: Communicative Chinese for Intermediate and Advanced Learners.

CHINESE: CHOU, CHIH‐P'ING, XUEDONG WANG, & JOANNE CHIANG. China's Peril and Promise: An Advanced Reader.

ESL: KADDEN, JUDI. Traveling through Idioms: An Exercise Guide to the World of American Idioms.

ESL: PYNE, SANDRA, & ALLENE TUCK. Oxford Dictionary of Computing for Learners of English.

ESL: WATCYN‐JONES, PETER. Test Your Vocabulary.

FRENCH: AYRES‐BENNETT, WENDY. A History of the French Language through Texts.

FRENCH: NORTHCUTT, WAYNE. The Regions of France: A Reference Guide to History and Culture.

FRENCH: STEELE, ROSS, & ANDREW SUOZZO. Teaching French Culture: Theory and Practice.

FRENCH: WEINREB, RUTH PLAUT. Façons de voir: French in Review.

GERMAN: TAYLOR, HEIMY, & WERNER HAAS. German: A Self‐Teaching Guide.

LANGUAGE POLICY: DICKER, SUSAN J. Languages in America: A Pluralist View.

PERSIAN: SAAD, JOYA BLONDEL. The Image of Arabs in Modern Persian Literature.

PORTUGUESE: FREELAND, ALAN. Discovering Portuguese.

PORTUGUESE: HUTCHINSON, AMELIA P., & JANET LLOYD. Portuguese: An Essential Grammar.

RUSSIAN: ADLER, IRMA, LJUDMILA BOLGOVA, JULIE DOST, & NELLI ZENTER. Express Track to Russian: A Teach‐Yourself Program. Translated from the German and adapted for speakers of English by Thomas R. Beyer, Jr. Hauppauge

RUSSIAN: LUSIN, NATALIA. Master the Basics: Russian.

SPANISH: ALONSO‐LYRINTZIS, DEANA, BRANDON ZASLOW, & HILDEBRANDO VILLAREAL. Entre mundos: An Integrated Approach for the Native Speaker.

SPANISH: MARQUES, SARAH. La Lengua que Heredamos. Spanish for Bilinguals.

SPANISH: SYRACUSE LANGUAGE SYSTEMS. TriplePlay‐Plus! Spanish.

TESTING: BACHMAN, LYLE F., & ADRIAN S. PALMER. Language Testing in Practice.

TESTING: GENESEE, FRED, & JOHN A. UPSHUR. Classroom‐Based Evaluation in Second Language Education.
Low‐dosage metronomic chemotherapy and angiogenesis: topoisomerase inhibitors irinotecan and mitoxantrone stimulate VEGF‐A‐mediated angiogenesis
Authors: ALBERTSSON PER , LENNERNäS BO , NORRBY KLAS
Published: October 2011

Albertsson P, Lennernäs B, Norrby K. Low‐dosage metronomic chemotherapy and angiogenesis: topoisomerase inhibitors irinotecan and mitoxantrone stimulate VEGF‐A‐mediated angiogenesis. APMIS 2011.

Metronomic chemotherapy with cytotoxic agents has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and, consequently, tumor growth by targeting vascular endothelial cells (ECs). In these regimens, anti‐tumor activities additional to anti‐angiogenesis may operate. Moreover, chemotherapy typically generates reactive oxygen species in targeted ECs, which can affect angiogenesis. The aim of the present study was to assess the systemic effect of low‐dosage metronomic treatment with either irinotecan or mitoxantrone on angiogenesis induced by VEGF‐A. Angiogenesis was induced in normal adult rat mesentery by intraperitoneal injection of a low dosage of VEGF‐A. Thereafter, irinotecan and mitoxantrone were infused separately continuously at minimally toxic dosages for 14 consecutive days via a subcutaneous osmotic minipump. Angiogenesis was assessed in terms of objective and quantitative variables using morphologic and computerized image analyses. Irinotecan or mitoxantrone significantly stimulated angiogenesis, with ironotecan increasing angiogenesis by 104%, when compared with the vehicle‐treated animals. Low‐dosage metronomic chemotherapy with irinotecan or mitoxantrone stimulates angiogenesis in the normal mesentery of rats, probably by inducing low‐level oxidative stress in the targeted ECs. Whether or not this pertains to tumor angiogenesis may be difficult to confirm, as several anti‐tumor modes may operate during low‐dosage metronomic chemotherapy.
Variation in arterial supply to the floor of the mouth and assessment of relative hemorrhage risk in implant surgery
Authors: Katsumi Yuji , Tanaka Ray , Hayashi Takafumi , Koga Taketo , Takagi Ritsuo , Ohshima Hayato
Published: October 2011

Objectives

Bleeding in the floor of the mouth during implant surgery is attributed to arterial injuries in the sublingual space: clinicians may injure the submental and sublingual arteries, which originate from the facial and lingual arteries, respectively. This study aimed to clarify the three‐dimensional courses of submental and sublingual arteries and their topographic relation to the mandible.

Materials and methods

During the gross anatomy course at the Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School, Niigata University (2009–2011), we investigated the relationship between the courses of submental and sublingual arteries and their dividing patterns of the mylohyoid muscle, sublingual gland, and mandible using 27 human cadavers.

Results

The courses of submental and sublingual arteries were divided into four patterns: (1) the sublingual space was supplied by the sublingual artery (type I: 63%), (2) it was supplied by both the sublingual and submental arteries (type II: 5.6%), (3) it was supplied by the submental artery without the sublingual artery (type III: 29.6%), and (4) type III without the deep lingual artery originated from the lingual artery (type IV: 1.8%). In type II, III, and IV, the submental artery perforates the mylohyoid muscle or takes a roundabout route to travel near the surface of the mandible. The percentage occurrence of arteries traveling between the sublingual gland and mandible in type II, III, and IV (55%) is higher than that in type I (8.8%).

Conclusion

Susceptibility of the submental artery in type II, III, and IV to injury during implant surgery is suggested.
Postpartum Group AStreptococcusSepsis and Maternal Immunology
Authors: Mason Katie L. , Aronoff David M.
Published: October 2011

CitationMason KL, Aronoff DM. Postpartum group AStreptococcussepsis and maternal immunology. Am J Reprod Immunol 2012; 67: 91–100

Group AStreptococcus(GAS) is an historically important agent of puerperal infections and sepsis. The inception of hand‐washing and improved hospital hygiene drastically reduced the incidence of puerperal sepsis, but recently the incidence and severity of postpartum GAS infections has been rising for uncertain reasons. Several epidemiological, host, and microbial factors contribute to the risk for GAS infection and mortality in postpartum women. These include the mode of delivery (vaginal versus cesarean section), the location where labor and delivery occurred, exposure to GAS carriers, the altered immune status associated with pregnancy, the genetic background of the host, the virulence of the infecting GAS strain, and highly specialized immune responses associated with female reproductive tract tissues and organs. This review will discuss the complicated factors that contribute to the increased susceptibility to GAS after delivery and potential reasons for the recent increase observed in morbidity and mortality.
Extended Dividend, Cash Flow, and Residual Income Valuation Models: Accounting for Deviations from Ideal Conditions*
Authors: Heinrichs Nicolas , Hess Dieter , Homburg Carsten , Lorenz Michael , Sievers Soenke
Published: October 2011

Previous empirical studies derive the standard equity valuation models (i.e., DDM, RIM, and DCF model) while assuming that ideal conditions, such as infinite payoffs and clean surplus accounting, exist. Because these conditions are rarely met, we extend the standard models by following the fundamental principle of financial statement articulation. We then empirically test the extended models by employing two sets of forecasts: (1) the analyst forecasts provided by Value Line, and (2) the forecasts generated by cross‐sectional regression models. The main result is that our extended models yield considerably smaller valuation errors. Moreover, by constructing these models, we obtain identical value estimates across the extended models. By reestablishing empirical equivalence under nonideal conditions, our approach provides a benchmark that enables us to quantify the errors caused by individual deviations from ideal conditions and thus to analyze the robustness of the standard models. Finally, by providing a level playing field for the different valuation models, our findings have implications for other empirical approaches, for example, estimating the implied cost of capital.
Electron beam lithography writing strategies for low loss, high confinement silicon optical waveguides
Authors: Bojko Richard J. , Li Jing , He Li , Baehr-Jones Tom , Hochberg Michael , Aida Yukinori
Published: October 2011

The authors present a robust process for fabricating passive silicon photonic components by direct-write electron beam lithography (EBL). Using waveguide transmission loss as a metric, we study the impact of EBL writing parameters on waveguide performance and writing time. As expected, write strategies that reduce sidewall roughness improve waveguide loss and yield. In particular, averaging techniques such as overlap or field shift writing reduce loss, however, the biggest improvement comes from writing using the smaller field-size option of our EBL system. The authors quantify the improvement for each variation and option, along with the tradeoff in writing time.
Drug-Screening Program Looking for a Home
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: October 2011

A $70-million-a-year program launched 7 years ago at the National Institutes of Health to help academic researchers move into industry-style drug discovery may soon be forced to scale back sharply.
In Northern Aral Sea, Rebound Comes With a Big Catch
Authors: Pala Christopher
Published: October 2011

Since the 2005 construction of a $65 million dike, the biomass, or weight of all the fish in the Northern Aral Sea, has soared from an estimated 3500 tons in 2005 to 18,000 tons today.
Proteomic and Functional Genomic Landscape of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase and Ras to Extracellular Signal–Regulated Kinase Signaling
Authors: Friedman Adam A. , Tucker George , Singh Rohit , Yan Dong , Vinayagam Arunachalam , Hu Yanhui , Binari Richard , Hong Pengyu , Sun Xiaoyun , Porto Maura , Pacifico Svetlana , Murali Thilakam , Finley Russell L. , Asara John M. , Berger Bonnie , Perrimon Norbert
Published: October 2011

Interactome mapping and functional genomics in
Drosophila
reveal common and specific components of a mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
Antimicrobial Properties of a Chitosan Dextran-Based Hydrogel for Surgical Use
Authors: Aziz Manal A. , Cabral Jaydee D. , Brooks Heather J. L. , Moratti Stephen C. , Hanton Lyall R.
Published: October 2011

A chitosan dextran-based (CD) hydrogel, developed for use in endoscopic sinus surgery, was tested for antimicrobial activity
in vitro
against a range of pathogenic microorganisms. The microdilution technique was used to determine minimum inhibitory, minimum bactericidal, and minimum fungicidal concentrations. In addition, the time-kill efficacy of CD hydrogel was determined for two bacterial species. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were carried out to elucidate the antimicrobial mechanism of this compound. CD hydrogel was found to be effective against
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Streptococcus pyogenes
,
Escherichia coli
, and
Clostridium perfringens
at its surgical concentration of 50,000 mg/liter. Minimum bactericidal concentrations ranged from 2,000 to 50,000 mg/liter. Dextran aldehyde (DA) was found to be the antimicrobial component of the CD hydrogel with MBC ranging from 2,000 to 32,000 mg/liter.
S. aureus
appeared to be killed at a slightly faster rate than
E. coli. Candida albicans
and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
were more resistant to CD hydrogel and DA. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of
E. coli
and
S. aureus
incubated with CD hydrogel and DA alone revealed morphological damage, disrupted cell walls, and loss of cytosolic contents, compatible with the proposed mode of action involving binding to cell wall proteins and disruption of peptide bonds. Motility and chemotaxis tests showed
E. coli
to be inhibited when incubated with DA. The antibacterial activity of CD hydrogel may make it a useful postsurgical aid at other body sites, especially where there is a risk of Gram-positive infections.
Emergency clinicians' attitudes and decisions in patient scenarios involving advance directives
Authors: Wong Rebecca E , Weiland Tracey J , Jelinek George A
Published: October 2011

Introduction

To identify the decisions and attitudes of emergency clinicians in hypothetical scenarios involving advance directives (ADs).

Methods

An online survey distributed to members of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine elicited decisions on commencing full treatment (CFT), limiting treatment or palliation in hypothetical clinical scenarios. Quantitative data were summarised using number and percentage.

Results

388 surveys yielded a 13.0% response rate, including 190 fellows (51.9%) and 176 trainees (48.1%). For a 75-year-old patient with major trauma and unknown comorbidities requiring laparotomy, most participants (355/365, 97.3%) chose CFT. When an AD limiting treatment was made available, CFT decreased substantially (63/364, 17.3%), and the modal response was palliation (175/364, 48.1%). The most frequently reported influential factor in this decision was ethical obligation (82/383, 21.4%). For an elderly nursing-home resident with dementia, metastatic cancer and possible septic shock, 10.7% (39/366) chose CFT, changing little (21/365, 5.8%) with a directive requesting full treatment. The patient's presentation and history (189/375, 50.4%) overrode legal obligations (14/375, 3.7%) in influencing the decision. For a 55-year-old man with prostate cancer, hypoxia and acute respiratory distress (potentially requiring ventilatory support) saying, ‘I just want to end it all,’ most (233/366, 63.7%) chose CFT. A directive requesting limitation resulted in fewer decisions on CFT (43/368, 11.7%). Clear documentation was most important (100/362, 27.6%) in influencing this decision.

Conclusion

Hypothetical treatment decisions involving ADs made by emergency clinicians appear to be more influenced by ethical and clinical factors than by legal obligations.
ON ITERATED TRANSLATED POINTS FOR CONTACTOMORPHISMS OF ℝ2n+1 AND ℝ2n × S1
Authors: SANDON SHEILA
Published: October 2011

A point q in a contact manifold is called a translated point for a contactomorphism ϕ with respect to some fixed contact form if ϕ(q) and q belong to the same Reeb orbit and the contact form is preserved at q. The problem of existence of translated points has an interpretation in terms of Reeb chords between Legendrian submanifolds, and can be seen as a special case of the problem of leafwise coisotropic intersections. For a compactly supported contactomorphism ϕ of ℝ2n+1 or ℝ2n × S1 contact isotopic to the identity, existence of translated points follows immediately from Chekanov's theorem on critical points of quasi-functions and Bhupal's graph construction. In this article we prove that if ϕ is positive then there are infinitely many nontrivial geometrically distinct iterated translated points, i.e. translated points of some iteration ϕk. This result can be seen as a (partial) contact analog of the result of Viterbo on existence of infinitely many iterated fixed points for compactly supported Hamiltonian symplectomorphisms of ℝ2n, and is obtained with generating functions techniques.
INTERACTION OF SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES WITH AMINE
Authors: MAEDA YUTAKA , YAMADA MICHIO , HASEGAWA TADASHI , AKASAKA TAKESHI , LU JING , NAGASE SHIGERU
Published: October 2011

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have excellent mechanical and electrical properties that have led to the proposal of many potential applications. However, SWNTs are typically grown as bundles of metallic and semiconducting tubes. This prevents their widespread application. Therefore, it is technologically critical to disperse and purify SWNTs and separate metallic and semiconducting SWNTs effectively. Recent progress and advances have been made on dispersion, separation, assemble, and control of electronic property of SWNTs by the interaction of organic molecules. This paper presents a brief review of the interaction of SWNTs with amine.
A probabilistic analysis of coverage methods
Authors: Fournier Laurent , Ziv Avi , Kutsy Ekaterina , Strichman Ofer
Published: October 2011

Coverage is an important measure for the quality and completeness of the functional verification of hardware logic designs. Verification teams spend a significant amount of time looking for bugs in the design and in providing high-quality coverage. This process is performed through the use of various sampling strategies for selecting test inputs. The selection of sampling strategies to achieve the verification goals is typically carried out in an intuitive manner.

We studied several commonly used sampling strategies and provide a probabilistic framework for assessing and comparing their relative values. For this analysis, we derived results for two measures of interest: first, the probability of finding a bug within a given number of samplings; and second, the expected number of samplings until a bug is detected. These results are given for both recurring sampling schemes, in which the same inputs might be selected repeatedly, and for nonrecurring sampling schemes, in which already sampled inputs are never selected again.

By considering results from the theory of search, and more specifically, from the well-known multiarmed bandit problem, we demonstrate the optimality of a greedy sampling strategy within our defined framework.
Timing variation-aware scheduling and resource binding in high-level synthesis
Authors: Mittal Kartikey , Joshi Arpit , Mutyam Madhu
Published: October 2011

Due to technological scaling, process variations have increased significantly, resulting in large variations in the delay of the functional units. Hence, the worst-case approach is becoming increasingly pessimistic in meeting a certain performance yield. The problem therefore is to increase the performance as much as possible while maintaining the desired yield.

In this work, we introduce an integer linear programming (ILP) formulation for scheduling and resource binding in high-level synthesis (HLS) which tries to mitigate the effect of timing variations. In the presence of delay variations of resources, as chained resources can give a better latency and performance yield trade-off, instead of considering them independently, we consider
external chaining
of resources, that is, two or more resources are connected by external wiring, and exploit operation chaining. Without violating the yield constraints, the proposed ILP formulation chains two consecutive operations and binds these chained operations to chained resources for minimizing the overall latency of the schedule. Our ILP formulation also makes sure that two consecutive operations can be chained over multiple clock cycles so that it becomes possible to access the data in the middle of the chained operations at the start of the clock steps over which the operations are chained. By solving our ILP formulation using ILOG CPLEX, we show that our mechanism achieves lesser latency in most cases, compared to the
no-chaining
case. Significant performance improvement is achieved even for the 100% yield case, which has never been demonstrated in any published work, to the best of our knowledge.
Integrated microarchitectural floorplanning and run-time controller for inductive noise mitigation
Authors: Healy Michael B. , Mohamood Fayez , Lee Hsien-Hsin S. , Lim Sung Kyu
Published: October 2011

In this article, we propose a design methodology using two complementary techniques to address high-frequency inductive noise in the early design phase of a microprocessor. First, we propose a noise-aware floorplanning technique that uses microarchitectural profile information to create noise-aware floorplans. Second, we present the design of a dynamic inductive-noise controlling mechanism at the microarchitectural level, which limits the on-die current demand within predefined bounds, regardless of the native power and current characteristics of running applications. By dynamically monitoring the access patterns of microarchitectural modules, our mechanism can effectively limit simultaneous switching activity of close-by modules, thereby leveling voltage ringing at local power-pins. Compared to prior art, our di/dt alleviation technique is the first that takes the processor's floorplan, as well as its power-pin distribution, into account to provide a finer-grained control with minimal performance degradation. Based on the evaluation results using 2D floorplans, we show that our techniques can significantly improve inductive noise induced by current demand variation and reduce the average current variability by up to 7 times, with an average performance overhead of 4.0%. In addition, our floorplan reduces the noise margin violations using our noise-aware floorplan by an average of 56.3% while reducing the decap budget by 28%.
Managing IS adoption in ambivalent groups
Authors: Seo DongBack , Boonstra Albert , Offenbeek Marjolein
Published: October 2011

Insightful implementers refocus user ambivalence and resistance toward trust and acceptance of new systems.
A Practical Architecture for an Anycast CDN
Authors: Alzoubi Hussein A. , Lee Seungjoon , Rabinovich Michael , Spatscheck Oliver , Van Der Merwe Jacobus
Published: October 2011

IP Anycast has many attractive features for any service that involve the replication of multiple instances across the Internet. IP Anycast allows multiple instances of the same service to be “naturally” discovered, and requests for this service to be delivered to the closest instance. However, while briefly considered as an enabler for content delivery networks (CDNs) when they first emerged, IP Anycast was deemed infeasible in that environment. The main reasons for this decision were the lack of load awareness of IP Anycast and unwanted side effects of Internet routing changes on the IP Anycast mechanism.

In this article we re-evaluate IP Anycast for CDNs by proposing a load-aware IP Anycast CDN architecture. Our architecture is prompted by recent developments in route control technology, as well as better understanding of the behavior of IP Anycast in operational settings. Our architecture makes use of route control mechanisms to take server and network load into account to realize load-aware Anycast. We show that the resulting redirection requirements can be formulated as a Generalized Assignment Problem and present practical algorithms that address these requirements while at the same time limiting connection disruptions that plague regular IP Anycast. We evaluate our algorithms through trace based simulation using traces obtained from a production CDN network.
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: A Case of Dilated Cardiomyopathy Presenting with Nonspecific Digestive Symptoms: Insights into Nonocclusive Mesenteric Ischemia
Authors: Kossaify Antoine
Published: October 2011

We report on a 32-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency room for abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting. The patient experienced these symptoms for the last 3 months and was taken in charge on an outpatient basis. Assessment in the emergency room showed hemodynamic collapse, there were no signs of acute surgical abdomen. Emergent cardiac echogram showed severely dilated hypokinetic cardiomyopathy. The diagnosis of acute heart failure associated with nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia was retained. A review of the pertinent literature is presented.
A New Laparoscopic Surgical Procedure to Achieve Sufficient Mesorectal Excision in Upper Rectal Cancer
Authors: Ohigashi Seiji , Taketa Takashi , Sudo Kazuki , Shiozaki Hironori , Onodera Hisashi
Published: October 2011

Objective. Mesorectal excision corresponding to the location of a tumor, termed tumor-specific mesorectal excision (TSME), is commonly performed for resection of upper rectal cancer. We devised a new laparoscopic procedure for sufficient TSME with rectal transection followed by mesorectal excision.Operative Technique. After mobilization of the sigmoid colon and ligation of inferior mesenteric vessels, we dissected the mesorectum along the layer of the planned total mesorectal excision. The rectal wall was carefully separated from the mesorectum at the appropriate anal side from the tumor. After the rectum was isolated and transected using an endoscopic linear stapler, the rectal stump drew immediately toward the anal side, enabling the mesorectum to be identified clearly. In this way, sufficient TSME can be performed easily and accurately. This technique has been successfully conducted on 19 patients.Conclusion. This laparoscopic technique is a feasible and reliable procedure for achieving sufficient TSME.
Comparison between One Injection and Three Monthly Injections of Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization
Authors: Niwa Yuichi , Sawada Osamu , Miyake Taichiro , Kakinoki Masasi , Sawada Tomoko , Kawamura Hajime , Ohji Masahito
Published: October 2011

Aim: To compare the effects of one intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection with three monthly injections for myopic choroidal neovascularization. Methods: Group A included 13 patients treated with one IVB injection; group B included 19 patients treated with three monthly 1.25-mg IVB injections. All patients were followed monthly for 12 months with additional injections performed as needed. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the central foveal thickness (CFT) on optical coherence tomography were evaluated before and after treatment. Results: The mean logMAR BCVA improved from 0.59 to 0.49 at 12 months in group A (p = 0.21) and from 0.65 to 0.29 in group B (p < 0.001); the improved logMAR BCVA differed significantly between the groups (p < 0.05). The mean CFT decreased from 231 µm at baseline to 150 µm at 12 months in group A (p < 0.05) and from 279 to 156 µm in group B (p < 0.001). During the follow-up, 6 of 13 eyes in group A and 5 of 19 eyes in group B received additional injections. Conclusions: Treatment starting with three monthly IVB injections may achieve better functional outcomes with fewer retreatments compared with treatment starting with one IVB injection.