bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medical emergency team calls in the radiology department: patient characteristics and outcomes
Authors: Ott Lora K , Pinsky Michael R , Hoffman Leslie A , Clarke Sean P , Clark Sunday , Ren Dianxu , Hravnak Marilyn
Published: March 2012

Objective

We sought to identify the characteristics of patients who experience medical emergency team calls in the radiology department (MET-RD) and the relationship between these characteristics and patient outcomes.

Design/participants

Retrospective review of 111 inpatient MET-RD calls (May 2008–April 2010).

Setting

Academic medical centre with a well established MET system.

Measurements

The characteristics of patients before, during and after transport to radiology were extracted from medical records and administrative databases. These characteristics were compared between patients with good and poor outcomes.

Main results

The majority of patients who experience MET-RD calls had a Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥4 and were from non-intensive care units (60%). Almost half (43%) of MET-RD calls occurred during patients' first day in hospital. Patients commonly arrived with nasal cannula oxygen (38%), recent tachypnoea (28%) and tachycardia (34%). A minority (16%) fulfilled MET call criteria in the 12 h before the MET-RD. MET-RD etiologies were cardiac (41%), respiratory (29%) or neurological (25%), and occurred most frequently during CT (44%) and MRI (22%) testing. Post MET-RD, the majority of patients (70%) required a higher level of care. Death before discharge (25%) was associated with need for cardiovascular support prior to RD transport (p=0.02), need for RD monitoring (p=0.02) and need for heightened RD surveillance (p=0.04).

Conclusions

The majority of patients who experienced MET-RD calls came from non-intensive care units, with comorbidities and vital sign alterations prior to arrival at the RD. Risk appeared to be increased for those requiring CT and MRI. These findings suggest that prior identification of a subset of patients at risk of instability in the RD may be possible.
Invasive interventional management of post-hemorrhagic cerebral vasospasm in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Abruzzo Todd , Moran Christopher , Blackham Kristine A , Eskey Clifford J , Lev Raisa , Meyers Philip , Narayanan Sandra , Prestigiacomo Charles Joseph
Published: February 2012

Current clinical practice standards are addressed for the invasive interventional management of post-hemorrhagic cerebral vasospasm (PHCV) in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. The conclusions, based on an assessment by the Standards Committee of the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery, included a critical review of the literature using guidelines for evidence based medicine proposed by the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association and the University of Oxford, Centre for Evidence Based Medicine. Specifically examined were the safety and efficacy of established invasive interventional therapies, including transluminal balloon angioplasty (TBA) and intra-arterial vasodilator infusion therapy (IAVT). The assessment shows that these invasive interventional therapies may be beneficial and may be considered for PHCV—that is, symptomatic with cerebral ischemia and refractory to maximal medical management. As outlined in this document, IAVT may be beneficial for the management of PHCV involving the proximal and/or distal intradural cerebral circulation. TBA may be beneficial for the management of PHCV that involves the proximal intradural cerebral circulation. The assessment shows that for the indications described above, TBA and IAVT are classified as Class IIb, Level B interventions according to the American Heart Association guidelines, and Level 4, Grade C interventions according to the University of Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine guidelines.
PHOTON-NUMBER DISTRIBUTION AND WIGNER FUNCTION OF GENERALIZED PHOTON-MODULATED COHERENT STATE
Authors: ZHOU JUN , WANG SHUAI , SONG JUN , FAN HONG-YI
Published: February 2012

In this paper, we present the generalized photon-modulated coherent state (GPMCS) generated by repeatedly operating the combination of Bosonic creation and annihilation operators on the coherent state. It is found that the GPMCS is a Hermite-excited coherent state and its normalization factor is related to single-variable Hermite polynomials. Furthermore, some significant quantum statistical properties of the GPMCS are investigated, such as photon-number distribution (PND) and the Wigner function (WF). We find that the WF of the GPMCS has negative values when the generalized photon-modulation exists, which implies the nonclassical properties of the GPMCS.
SEARCH FOR DAEMONS WITH NEMESIS
Authors: BERNABEI R. , BELLI P. , CAPPELLA F. , CERULLI R. , D'ANGELO A. , EMILIANI F. , INCICCHITTI A.
Published: February 2012

The DAEMONs (DArk Electric Matter Objects) have been suggested as a possible exotic component in cosmic rays able to contribute to the Dark Matter; they belong to the wide class of the Elementary Black Holes (EBH) deeply discussed in literature. A preliminary possible DAEMONs direct detection, at ≃3σ C.L., was originally suggested by the sea-level St. Petersburg experiment (SPb); a DAEMONs flux: (1.0±0.3) DAEMONs/(days m2 sr) can be derived. Here the results obtained by the sea-level NEMESIS experiment, which has exploited the same detection approach, are presented; they restrict the DAEMONs flux to be less than 0.32 DAEMONs/(days m2 sr) at 90% C.L.
A NOTE ON THE INDEPENDENCE OF REIDEMEISTER MOVES
Authors: CHENG ZHIYUN , GAO HONGZHU
Published: March 2012

In this paper, from the viewpoint of quandle construction we prove that for any link type L and any diagram of it, there exists another diagram of L such that these two diagrams are Ω1-dependent, Ω2-dependent and Ω3-dependent.
DECAY PROPERTIES AND STABILITY OF HEAVIEST ELEMENTS
Authors: KARPOV A. V. , ZAGREBAEV V. I. , MARTINEZ PALENZUELA Y. , FELIPE RUIZ L. , GREINER WALTER
Published: February 2012

Decay properties and stability of heaviest nuclei with Z≤132 are studied within the macro-microscopical approach for nuclear ground state masses and phenomenological relations for the half-lives with respect to α-decay, β-decay and spontaneous fission. We found that at existing experimental facilities the synthesis and detection of nuclei with Z>120 produced in fusion reactions may be difficult due to their short half-lives (shorter than 1 μs). The nearest (more neutron-rich) isotopes of superheavy elements with 111≤Z≤115 to those synthesized recently in Dubna in 48 Ca -induced fusion reactions are found to be β+-decaying. This fact may significantly complicate their experimental identification. However it gives a chance to synthesize in fusion reactions the most stable superheavy nuclei located at the center of the island of stability. Our calculations yield that the β-stable isotopes 291 Cn and 293 Cn with a half-life of about 100 years are the longest-living superheavy nuclei located at the island of stability.
MESON PRODUCTION IN PROTON–PROTON COLLISIONS IN THE NAIVE NONABELIANIZATION APPROXIMATION AND THE ROLE OF INFRARED RENORMALONS
Authors: AHMADOV A. I. , NAGIYEV SH. M. , DADASHOV E. A.
Published: February 2012

We calculate the "naive nonabelianization" (NNA) contributions of the higher-twist Feynman diagrams to the large-pT inclusive pion production cross-section in proton–proton collisions in the case of the running coupling and frozen coupling approaches. We compare the resummed "naive nonabelianization" higher-twist cross-sections with the ones obtained in the framework of the frozen coupling approach and leading-twist cross-section. The structure of infrared renormalon singularities of the higher-twist subprocess cross-section and it's resummed expression are found. We discuss the phenomenological consequences of possible higher-twist contributions to the pion production in proton–proton collisions in within NNA.
WHEN CF RINGS ARE ARTINIAN
Authors: LI WENXI , CHEN JIANLONG
Published: March 2012

Let R be a ring, R is called a right ACS ring if the right annihilator of each element is essential in a direct summand of R. We prove that right CF ring is right artinian under right ACS condition. In particular, FGF conjecture is true under right ACS condition. We also give some conditions under which right noetherian left P-injective and left ACS ring is QF.
ON THE VANISHING IDEAL OF AN ALGEBRAIC TORIC SET AND ITS PARAMETRIZED LINEAR CODES
Authors: SARMIENTO ELISEO , PINTO MARIA VAZ , VILLARREAL RAFAEL H.
Published: March 2012

Let K be a finite field and let X be a subset of a projective space, over the field K, which is parametrized by monomials arising from the edges of a clutter. We show some estimates for the degree-complexity, with respect to the revlex order, of the vanishing ideal I(X) of X. If the clutter is uniform, we classify the complete intersection property of I(X) using linear algebra. We show an upper bound for the minimum distance of certain parametrized linear codes along with certain estimates for the algebraic invariants of I(X).
CYCLIC CODES THROUGH B[X], $B[X;\frac{1}{kp}Z_{0}]$ AND $B[X;\frac{1}{p^{k}}Z_{0}]$: A COMPARISON
Authors: SHAH TARIQ , DE ANDRADE ANTONIO APARECIDO
Published: March 2012

It is very well known that algebraic structures have valuable applications in the theory of error-correcting codes. Blake [Codes over certain rings, Inform. and Control 20 (1972) 396–404] has constructed cyclic codes over ℤm and in [Codes over integer residue rings, Inform. and Control 29 (1975), 295–300] derived parity check-matrices for these codes. In [Linear codes over finite rings, Tend. Math. Appl. Comput. 6(2) (2005) 207–217]. Andrade and Palazzo present a construction technique of cyclic, BCH, alternant, Goppa and Srivastava codes over a local finite ring B. However, in [Encoding through generalized polynomial codes, Comput. Appl. Math.  30(2) (2011) 1–18] and [Constructions of codes through semigroup ring [Formula: see text] and encoding, Comput. Math. Appl. 62 (2011) 1645–1654], Shah et al. extend this technique of constructing linear codes over a finite local ring B via monoid rings [Formula: see text], where p = 2 and k = 1, 2, respectively, instead of the polynomial ring B[X]. In this paper, we construct these codes through the monoid ring [Formula: see text], where p = 2 and k = 1, 2, 3. Moreover, we also strengthen and generalize the results of [Encoding through generalized polynomial codes, Comput. Appl. Math.30(2) (2011) 1–18] and [Constructions of codes through semigroup ring [Formula: see text]] and [Encoding, Comput. Math. Appl.62 (2011) 1645–1654] to the case of k = 3.
NEW CLASS OF QUANTUM CODES CONSTRUCTED FROM CYCLIC DIFFERENCE SET
Authors: ZHAO SHENG-MEI , XIAO YU , ZHU YAN , ZHU XIU-LI , HSIEH MIN-HSIU
Published: March 2012

We introduce joint difference sets as a generalization of cyclic difference sets, and we construct a new class of quantum error-correcting codes (QECCs) from these joint difference sets. The main benefits of our method are as follows. First, we can construct quantum codes that are both high rate and with large block length, while maintaining good performance. Second, the density of constructed quantum parity check matrix can approach zero when the code length is very large. This allows us to use a simple iterative decoding algorithm. Interestingly, our method yields the well-known [5,1,3] QECC.
ROLE OF DISEASE PROPAGATION IN MIGRATORY BIRD POPULATION
Authors: GAO SHUJING , DING YUMIN , XIE JIANPING
Published: March 2012

Chatterjee considered a predator–prey model with avian migration in the migration prey population [S. Chatterjee, Alternative prey source coupled with prey recovery enhance stability between migratory prey and their predator in the presence of disease, Nonlinear Anal. Real World Appl. 11 (2010) 4415–4430]. In this paper, we modify and analyze the model by taking time dependent parameters and the general functional response into consideration. The conditions for the persistence of the system and the extinction of the disease are obtained. The global attractivity of the system is also studied. By numerical simulations, we find that the qualitative behavior of the system independent on the choice of the functional response. Moreover, it is observed that the infection rate, recruitment rate and the predation rate play a vital role in predicting the behavior of the dynamics.
A NONLINEAR DELAY MODEL DESCRIBING THE GROWTH OF TUMOR CELLS UNDER IMMUNE SURVEILLANCE AGAINST CANCER AND ITS STABILITY ANALYSIS
Authors: CHEN LING , MA WANBIAO
Published: March 2012

In this paper, based on some biological meanings and a model which was proposed by Lefever and Garay (1978), a nonlinear delay model describing the growth of tumor cells under immune surveillance against cancer is given. Then, boundedness of the solutions, local stability of the equilibria and Hopf bifurcation of the model are discussed in details. The existence of periodic solutions explains the restrictive interactions between immune surveillance and the growth of the tumor cells.
Facies controlled porosity evolution of the Neoproterozoic Upper Bhander Sandstone of Western India
Authors: Majid Aabiroo , Ahmad A. H. M. , Bhat G. M.
Published: February 2012

The Upper Bhander Sandstone is dominantly composed of quartzarenites. The basal and top portions are sandstones, with the middle section comprising thinly bedded shales with interlayer silt and sandstone units. The sandstone units are composed of several varieties of quartz, feldspar, micas, rock fragments and heavy minerals. The Upper Bhander Sandstone was deposited in a transgressive phase and later modified by tidal processes and wave- and storm-dominated processes in a tide-influenced Barrier Beach Complex of the shallow marine environment. This study reveals that, during mechanical compaction, a rearrangement of grains took place and point and long contacts were formed. The early silica cementation and shallow burial resulted in high primary porosity. This phase was followed by chemical compaction and the replacement of silica cement by iron cement (Fe-cement) under the deep burial phase of these sandstones. Dissolution of Fe-cement and feldspars resulted in secondary porosity development. Quartz overgrowths are better developed on coarse- to medium-sized grains than on fine-sized grains. These observations suggest a progressive compaction, which initiated at the sediment–water interface and continued till deep burial diagenesis in a rapidly subsiding basin. The existing optical porosity of the Upper Bhander Sandstone is 4% and the minus cement porosity is 18%.
Late Neoproterozoic to Early Palaeozoic evolution and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the NW Tarim Basin, China
Authors: Turner Sebastian A.
Published: February 2012

Recent contraction in the NW Tarim Basin, China, has exhumed a thick (2–3 km) sequence of Upper Neoproterozoic to Lower Palaeozoic sediments that provide a unique insight into the early evolution of the basin. The sedimentary sequence was examined in outcrop and consists of a lower, 500-m-thick fluvial–lacustrine clastic and volcanic succession, conformably overlain by a 2000-m-thick shallow marine carbonate succession which records a major rifting event that initiated in the Late Neoproterozoic. This rifting event probably corresponds to the break-up of East Gondwana and the separation of the Tarim Block from a conjugate margin equivalent in NW Australia. The generation and infilling of rift basins creates a number of potential hydrocarbon plays, although analysis of individual play elements indicates a relatively high risk, despite the prevalence of hydrocarbons derived from the same rift sequence elsewhere in the basin.
Serotonergic effects on feeding, but not hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal secretion, are altered in ovine pregnancy
Authors: Lingis Melissa , Richards Elaine , Perrone Dana , Keller-Wood Maureen
Published: February 2012

In ovine pregnancy, as in human pregnancy, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal activity is chronically increased. These studies were designed to test the hypotheses that expression of serotonergic genes and responsiveness to serotonin are increased in pregnancy. We tested the stimulatory effect of an acute, intracerebroventricular injection of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine on plasma ACTH and cortisol in ewes during late pregnancy or postpartum. We also tested the effect of lower-dose, longer-term stimulation by intracerebroventricular infusion of fluoxetine in pregnant and nonpregnant ewes over 6 days. Overall, we found that the stimulatory effect of fluoxetine on ACTH and cortisol was not significantly different between late-gestation and nonpregnant ewes, although the effect of acute fluoxetine administration was inversely related to plasma progesterone concentrations. Also, there were no differences in hypothalamic expression of the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors, corticotropin-releasing hormone, AVP, the serotonin reuptake transporter, or the serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] receptors 5-HT1Aand 5-HT2Awith pregnancy or fluoxetine treatment. However, chronic fluoxetine infusion reduced food intake in the nonpregnant, but not pregnant, ewes. Expression of proopiomelanocortin mRNA in the hypothalamus was reduced in pregnant compared with nonpregnant ewes. Our results indicate that pregnancy does not increase responsiveness of ACTH and cortisol to serotonergic stimulation but, rather, that progesterone reduces the ACTH response. In addition, we found a reduced ability of serotonin to inhibit feeding in the pregnant ewes, consistent with a reduction in anorexic mechanisms in the pregnant state.
Cerebrovascular responses of the rat brain to noxious stimuli as examined by functional near-infrared whole brain imaging
Authors: He Ji-Wei , Tian Fenghua , Liu Hanli , Peng Yuan Bo
Published: February 2012

While near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been increasingly used to detect stimulated brain activities with an advantage of dissociating regional oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations simultaneously, it has not been utilized much in pain research. Here, we investigated and demonstrated the feasibility of using this technique to obtain whole brain hemodynamics in rats and speculated on the functional relevance of the NIR-based hemodynamic signals during pain processing. NIR signals were emitted and collected using a 26-optodes array on rat's dorsal skull surface after the removal of skin. Following the subcutaneous injection of formalin (50 μl, 3%) into a hindpaw, several isolable brain regions showed hemodynamic changes, including the anterior cingulate cortex, primary/secondary somatosensory cortexes, thalamus, and periaqueductal gray ( n = 6). Time courses of hemodynamic changes in respective regions matched with the well-documented biphasic excitatory response. Surprisingly, an atypical pattern (i.e., a decrease in oxyhemoglobin concentration with a concomitant increase in deoxyhemoglobin concentration) was seen in phase II. In a separate group of rats with innocuous brush and noxious pinch of the same area ( n = 11), results confirmed that the atypical pattern occurred more likely in the presence of nociception than nonpainful stimulation, suggesting it as a physiological substrate when the brain processes pain. In conclusion, the NIR whole brain imaging provides a useful alternative to study pain in vivo using small-animal models. Our results support the notion that neurovascular response patterns depend on stimuli, bringing attention to the interpretation of vascular-based neuroimaging data in studies of pain.
Quantitative unit classification of ventral tegmental area neurons in vivo
Authors: Li Wei , Doyon William M. , Dani John A.
Published: February 2012

Neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) synthesize several major neurotransmitters, including dopamine (DA), GABA, and glutamate. To classify VTA single-unit neural activity from freely moving rats, we used hierarchical agglomerative clustering and probability distributions as quantitative methods. After many parameters were examined, a firing rate of 10 Hz emerged as a transition frequency between clusters of low-firing and high-firing neurons. To form a subgroup identified as high-firing neurons with GABAergic characteristics, the high-firing classification was sorted by spike duration. To form a subgroup identified as putative DA neurons, the low-firing classification was sorted by DA D2-type receptor pharmacological responses to quinpirole and eticlopride. Putative DA neurons were inhibited by the D2-type receptor agonist quinpirole and returned to near-baseline firing rates or higher following the D2-type receptor antagonist eticlopride. Other unit types showed different responses to these D2-type receptor drugs. A multidimensional comparison of neural properties indicated that these subgroups often clustered independently of each other with minimal overlap. Firing pattern variability reliably distinguished putative DA neurons from other unit types. A combination of phasic burst properties and a low skew in the interspike interval distribution produced a neural population that was comparable to the one sorted by D2 pharmacology. These findings provide a quantitative statistical approach for the classification of VTA neurons in unanesthetized animals.
Subthreshold somatic voltage in neocortical pyramidal cells can control whether spikes propagate from the axonal plexus to axon terminals: a model study
Authors: Munro Erin , Kopell Nancy
Published: February 2012

There is suggestive evidence that pyramidal cell axons in neocortex may be coupled by gap junctions into an “axonal plexus” capable of generating very fast oscillations (VFOs) with frequencies exceeding 80 Hz. It is not obvious, however, how a pyramidal cell in such a network could control its output when action potentials are free to propagate from the axons of other pyramidal cells into its own axon. We address this problem by means of simulations based on three-dimensional reconstructions of pyramidal cells from rat somatosensory cortex. We show that somatic depolarization enables propagation via gap junctions into the initial segment and main axon, while somatic hyperpolarization disables it. We show further that somatic voltage cannot effectively control action potential propagation through gap junctions on minor collaterals; action potentials may therefore propagate freely from such collaterals regardless of somatic voltage. In previous work, VFOs are all but abolished during the hyperpolarization phase of slow oscillations induced by anesthesia in vivo. This finding constrains the density of gap junctions on collaterals in our model and suggests that axonal sprouting due to cortical lesions may result in abnormally high gap junction density on collaterals, leading in turn to excessive VFO activity and hence to epilepsy via kindling.
Treatment of Liver Metastases in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors of Gastroesophageal and Pancreatic Origin
Authors: Gu Ping , Wu Jennifer , Newman Elliot , Muggia Franco
Published: February 2012

Well-to-moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of gastroesophageal and pancreatic origin (GEP-NETs) with liver metastasis are a heterogeneous group of malignancies for which a range of therapeutic options have been employed. Surgical resection of hepatic metastases or hepatic artery embolization may be beneficial in patients with hepatic-predominant metastatic disease. Patients with “carcinoid” syndrome and syndromes associated with functional pancreatic NET (PNET) can be effectively treated with somatostatin analogs. On the other hand, the efficacy of systemic chemotherapy for these patients is limited. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective, and randomized study showed that octreotide LAR improves progression-free survival in patients with advanced midgut functional “carcinoids.” In patients with advanced pancreatic NET, randomized, placebo-controlled studies have recently demonstrated that treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib or with mTOR inhibitor everolimus is associated with improved progression-free survival. Based on these studies, octreotide LAR, sunitinib, or everolimus are now considered as first-line therapeutic options in patients with advanced NET. Future studies will likely further define the role of these agents in patients with carcinoid liver metastasis and pancreatic NET liver metastasis.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Urban Stream Sediments
Authors: Bathi Jejal Reddy , Pitt Robert E. , Clark Shirley E.
Published: February 2012

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants of high environmental concern with known carcinogenic activity. Although literature documents PAH fate in urban runoff, little is known about their distribution on sediment sizes, which is essential for determining their treatability and fate in receiving waters. This paper has quantified the concentrations of selected PAHs in urban creek sediments and examined possible relationships between sediment PAH content and sediment characteristics, such as particle size, volatile organic content (VOC), and sediment chemical oxygen demand (SCOD). SCOD, VOC, and PAH concentrations of sediments showed a bimodal distribution by particle size. The large diameter sediments had the highest VOC and also had the highest PAH concentrations. The spatial variation of PAH content by sediment sizes also was statistically significant; however, the mass of the PAH material was significantly affected by the relative abundance of the different particle size classes in the sediment mixtures.
Efficacy and Tolerability of Malartin and Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine Combination against Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria in Dibanda, Southwest Cameroon
Authors: Kimbi Helen Kuokuo , Ntoko Mesame , Ntonifor Nelson N. , Lum Emmaculate , Njunda Anna L. , Fon Peter Nde
Published: February 2012

Artemisinin derivatives are now the most potent and rapidly acting antimalarials. The aim of this study was to assess thein vivoefficacy and tolerability of a combination of Malartin (an artesunate) and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Dibanda, Cameroon. A total of 197 subjects were recruited into the study and administered Malartin for 3 days and SP as a single dose on day 0. Only 174 of the subjects were successfully followed up on days 3, 7, and 14. The overall success rate of the drug combination was 92.53%. Parasite density decreased during the follow-up period in different age groups, sexes, and social classes. The prevalence of anaemia decreased from 22.99% at enrolment to 9.77% on day 14, and the difference was significant (P<0.05) on all days of followup. The drug combination did not give rise to any serious side effects.
The Valuable Role of Endoscopy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Hamilton Matthew J.
Published: February 2012

Endoscopy is a valuable clinical tool for the clinician who takes care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The role of endoscopy in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of IBD is discussed in this review. The central role that colonoscopy plays in screening for colon cancer in patients with longstanding IBD is also addressed.
Effects of Controlling the AZO Thin Film's Optical Band Gap on AZO/MEH-PPV Devices with Buffer Layer
Authors: Park Jaehyoung , Jung Ki-Chang , Lee Ari , Bae Hyojung , Mun Daehwa , Ha Jun-Seok , Mun Young-Bu , Han E. M. , Ko Hang-Ju
Published: March 2012

Organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells were fabricated incorporating aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films of varying optical band gap in AZO/poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene) structures. The band gaps were controlled by varying the flow rates of Ar andO2used to deposit the AZO. Devices with CdS buffer layer were also fabricated for improved efficiency. The effects of AZO optical band gap were assessed by testing theI–Vcharacteristics of devices with structures of glass/ITO/AZO/MEH-PPV/Ag under AM1.5 illumination (100 mW/cm2). Efficiency was improved about 30 times by decreasing the AZO optical band gap, except in devices deposited without oxygen. A power conversion efficiency of 0.102% was obtained with the incorporation of a CdS buffer layer.
Hardware Middleware for Person Tracking on Embedded Distributed Smart Cameras
Authors: Zarezadeh Ali Akbar , Bobda Christophe
Published: March 2012

Tracking individuals is a prominent application in such domains like surveillance or smart environments. This paper provides a development of a multiple camera setup with jointed view that observes moving persons in a site. It focuses on a geometry-based approach to establish correspondence among different views. The expensive computational parts of the tracker are hardware accelerated via a novel system-on-chip (SoC) design. In conjunction with this vision application, a hardware object request broker (ORB) middleware is presented as the underlying communication system. The hardware ORB provides a hardware/software architecture to achieve real-time intercommunication among multiple smart cameras. Via a probing mechanism, a performance analysis is performed to measure network latencies, that is, time traversing the TCP/IP stack, in both software and hardware ORB approaches on the same smart camera platform. The empirical results show that using the proposed hardware ORB as client and server in separate smart camera nodes will considerably reduce the network latency up to 100 times compared to the software ORB.
Relationship between Incidence of Cephalosporium Stripe and Yield Loss in Winter Wheat
Authors: Quincke M. C. , Peterson C. J. , Mundt C. C.
Published: March 2012

Cephalosporium stripe (caused byCephalosporium gramineum) can be a serious disease of winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Effects of Cephalosporium stripe on yield, test weight, protein, and kernel characteristics were examined using 12 winter wheat varieties in field plots inoculated and not inoculated with the pathogen. Averaged over varieties, inoculation decreased yield, test weight, kernel weight, and kernel diameter; grain protein and the standard deviations of kernel weight and kernel diameter were increased by inoculation. Grain yield of the susceptible check was reduced by as much as 41% with addition of inoculum. The most resistant and the most susceptible varieties performed similarly for yield in the two environments, while varieties with intermediate levels of resistance were sometimes inconsistent. There was a linear relationship between yield and % whiteheads (sterile heads caused by disease) in one environment and a curvilinear relation in the other.
Growth Abnormalities in Children with Chronic Hepatitis B or C
Authors: Gerner P. , Hörning Andre , Kathemann S. , Willuweit K. , Wirth S.
Published: March 2012

Background. It has been suggested that chronic hepatitis B infection leads to growth impairment, but data are inconsistent and underlying factors are not defined.Methods. Children and adolescents with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) were retrospectively evaluated for growth, weight, antiviral treatment, biochemical signs of liver inflammation, route of infection, and HBV DNA, respectively.Results. In all, 135 children (mean age 6.1 years, 81 male, 54 female) with HBV (n=78) or HCV (n=57) were studied. Route of infection was vertical in 50%, parenteral in 11%, and unknown in 39%. ALT levels were above 1.5 times above normal in 30% while 70% had normal/near normal transaminases. 80% were Caucasian, 14% Asian, 1% black, and 4% unknown. Mean baseline height measured in SDS was significantly lower in the study population than in noninfected children (boys −1.2, girls −0.4,P<0.01). 28 children were below 2 standard deviations of the norm while 5 were above 2 standard deviations. SDS measures in relation to individual factors were as follows: elevated ALT: boys −1.4, females −0.5 (P<0.01), ALT normal/near normal: boys +0.4, females +0.6; parenteral transmission: boys −3.3, girls −0.9 (P<0.01), vertical transmission: boys −0.2, females −0.2. Antiviral treatment itself or HBV-DNA load did not reach statistically significant differences.Conclusions. Chronic HBV or HCV may lead to compromised growth which is mostly influenced by liver inflammation. Our data may argue for early antiviral treatment in children with significant ALT elevation.
G-Filtering Nonstationary Time Series
Authors: Xu Mengyuan , Cohlmia Krista B. , Woodward Wayne A. , Gray Henry L.
Published: March 2012

The classical linear filter can successfully filter the components from a time series for which the frequency content does not change with time, and those nonstationary time series with time-varying frequency (TVF) components that do not overlap. However, for many types of nonstationary time series, the TVF components often overlap in time. In such a situation, the classical linear filtering method fails to extract components from the original process. In this paper, we introduce and theoretically develop the G-filter based on a time-deformation technique. Simulation examples and a real bat echolocation example illustrate that the G-filter can successfully filter a G-stationary process whose TVF components overlap with time.
Effect of Variation in Voltage on the Synthesis of Ag Nanopowder by Pulsed Wire Evaporation
Authors: Song Joon-Woo , Lee Dong-Jin , Yilmaz Fikret , Hong Soon-Jik
Published: February 2012

Nanosized Ag particles were obtained in liquid medium, which is composed of deionized water and sodium hexametaphosphate, using pulsed wire evaporation within hundreds of microseconds from pure initial Ag wire (99.98%), with varying voltage. Changes in powder morphology and microstructure due to change in supply voltage was observed by FE‐SEM and HR‐TEM, and phase structure of powders was analyzed by XRD. The results revealed that average particle size slightly increased with increasing supply voltage without any impurity and oxide phase, which was explained in terms of addition of stabilizer into the coolant liquid. The experimental results also suggest that addition of sodium hexametaphosphate into the coolant liquid is good for enhancing the dispersibility property of silver nanopowders.
Pathobiochemical Changes in Diabetic Skeletal Muscle as Revealed by Mass-Spectrometry-Based Proteomics
Authors: Ohlendieck Kay
Published: February 2012

Insulin resistance in skeletal muscle tissues and diabetes-related muscle weakness are serious pathophysiological problems of increasing medical importance. In order to determine global changes in the protein complement of contractile tissues due to diabetes mellitus, mass-spectrometry-based proteomics has been applied to the investigation of diabetic muscle. This review summarizes the findings from recent proteomic surveys of muscle preparations from patients and established animal models of type 2 diabetes. The potential impact of novel biomarkers of diabetes, such as metabolic enzymes and molecular chaperones, is critically examined. Disease-specific signature molecules may be useful for increasing our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of insulin resistance and possibly identify new therapeutic options that counteract diabetic abnormalities in peripheral organ systems. Importantly, the biomedical establishment of biomarkers promises to accelerate the development of improved diagnostic procedures for characterizing individual stages of diabetic disease progression, including the early detection of prediabetic complications.
Selecting Negative Samples for PPI Prediction Using Hierarchical Clustering Methodology
Authors: Urquiza J. M. , Rojas I. , Pomares H. , Herrera J. , Florido J. P. , Valenzuela O.
Published: March 2012

Protein‐protein interactions (PPIs) play a crucial role in cellular processes. In the present work, a new approach is proposed to construct a PPI predictor training a support vector machine model through a mutual information filter‐wrapper parallel feature selection algorithm and an iterative and hierarchical clustering to select a relevance negative training set. By means of a selected
suboptimum set of features, the constructed support vector machine model is able to classify PPIs with high accuracy in any positive and negative datasets.
Iterative Methods for Obtaining Energy-Minimizing Parametric Snakes with Applications to Medical Imaging
Authors: Mitrea Alexandru Ioan , Badea Radu , Mitrea Delia , Nedevschi Sergiu , Mitrea Paulina , Ivan Dumitru Mircea , Gurzău Octavian Mircia
Published: March 2012

After a brief survey on the parametric deformable models, we develop an iterative method based on the finite difference schemes in order to obtain energy-minimizing snakes. We estimate the approximation error, the residue, and the truncature error related to the corresponding algorithm, then we discuss its convergence, consistency, and stability. Some aspects regarding the prosthetic sugical methods that implement the above numerical methods are also pointed out.
RELAP5 Analysis of OECD/NEA ROSA Project Experiment Simulating a PWR Loss-of-Feedwater Transient with High-Power Natural Circulation
Authors: Takeda Takeshi , Asaka Hideaki , Nakamura Hideo
Published: March 2012

A ROSA/LSTF experiment was conducted for OECD/NEA ROSA Project simulating a PWR loss-of-feedwater (LOFW) transient with specific assumptions of failure of scram that may cause natural circulation with high core power and total failure of high pressure injection system. Auxiliary feedwater (AFW) was provided to well observe the long-term high-power natural circulation. The core power curve was obtained from a RELAP5 code analysis of PWR LOFW transient without scram. The primary and steam generator (SG) secondary-side pressures were maintained, respectively, at around 16 and 8 MPa by cycle opening of pressurizer (PZR) power-operated relief valve and SG relief valves for a long time. Large-amplitude level oscillation occurred in SG U-tubes for a long time in a form of slow fill and dump while the two-phase natural circulation flow rate gradually decreased with some oscillation. RELAP5 post-test analyses were performed to well understand the observed phenomena by employing a fine-mesh multiple parallel flow channel representation of SG U-tubes with a Wallis counter-current flow limiting correlation at the inlet of U-tubes. The code, however, has remaining problems in proper predictions of the oscillative primary loop flow rate and SG U-tube liquid level as well as PZR liquid level.
Preparation, Properties, and Self‐Assembly Behavior of PTFE‐Based Core‐Shell Nanospheres
Authors: Sparnacci Katia , Antonioli Diego , Deregibus Simone , Laus Michele , Zuccheri Giampaolo , Boarino Luca , De Leo Natascia , Comoretto Davide
Published: February 2012

Nanosized PTFE‐based core‐shell particles can be prepared by emulsifier‐free seed emulsion polymerization technique starting from spherical or rod‐like PTFE seeds of different size. The shell can be constituted by the relatively high Tg polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate as well as by low Tg polyacrylic copolymers. Peculiar thermal behavior of the PTFE component is observed due to the high degree of PTFE compartmentalization. A very precise control over the particle size can be exerted by properly adjusting the ratio between the monomers and the PTFE seed. In addition, the particle size distribution self‐sharpens as the ratio monomer/PTFE increases. Samples with uniformity ratios suited to build 2D and 3D colloidal crystals are easily prepared. In particular, 2D colloidal crystal of spheres leads to very small 2D nanostructuration, useful for the preparation of masks with a combination of nanosphere lithography and reactive ion etching. 3D colloidal crystals were also obtained featuring excellent opal quality, which is a direct consequence of the monodispersity of colloids used for their growth.
On the Application of the Fourier Series Solution to the Hydromagnetic Buoyant Two‐Dimensional Laminar Vertical Jet
Authors: Rosales-Vera Marco , Niño Yarko , Valencia Alvaro
Published: February 2012

The problem of a hydromagnetic hot two‐dimensional laminar jet issuing vertically into an otherwise quiescent fluid of a lower temperature is studied. We propose solutions to the boundary layer equations using the classical Fourier series. The method is essentiall to transform the boundary layer equations to a coupled set of nonlinear first‐order ordinary differential equations through the Fourier series. The accuracy of the results has been tested by the comparison of the velocity distributions obtained by the Fourier series with those calculated by finite difference method. The results show that the present method, based on the Fourier series, is an efficient method, suitable to solve boundary layer equations applied to plane jet flows with high accuracy.
Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Create a Permissive Microenvironment for Myeloma Development: A New Stromal Role for Wnt Inhibitor Dkk1
Authors: Fowler Jessica A. , Mundy Gregory R. , Lwin Seint T. , Edwards Claire M.
Published: February 2012

The rapid progression of multiple myeloma is dependent upon cellular interactions within the bone marrow microenvironment. In vitro studies suggest that bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) can promote myeloma growth and survival and osteolytic bone disease. However, it is not possible to recreate all cellular aspects of the bone marrow microenvironment in an in vitro system, and the contributions of BMSCs to myeloma pathogenesis in an intact, immune competent, in vivo system are unknown. To investigate this, we used a murine myeloma model that replicates many features of the human disease. Coinoculation of myeloma cells and a BMSC line, isolated from myeloma-permissive mice, into otherwise nonpermissive mice resulted in myeloma development, associated with tumor growth within bone marrow and osteolytic bone disease. In contrast, inoculation of myeloma cells alone did not result in myeloma. BMSCs inoculated alone induced osteoblast suppression, associated with an increase in serum concentrations of the Wnt signaling inhibitor, Dkk1. Dkk1 was highly expressed in BMSCs and in myeloma-permissive bone marrow. Knockdown of Dkk1 expression in BMSCs decreased their ability to promote myeloma and the associated bone disease in mice. Collectively, our results show novel roles of BMSCs and BMSC-derived Dkk1 in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma in vivo. Cancer Res; 72(9); 2183–9. ©2012 AACR.
Genetic Deficiency in Plasma Protein HRG Enhances Tumor Growth and Metastasis by Exacerbating Immune Escape and Vessel Abnormalization
Authors: Tugues Sònia , Honjo Satoshi , König Christian , Noguer Oriol , Hedlund Marie , Botling Johan , Deschoemaeker Sofie , Wenes Mathias , Rolny Charlotte , Jahnen-Dechent Wilhelm , Mazzone Massimiliano , Claesson-Welsh Lena
Published: February 2012

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is a 75-kDa heparin-binding plasma protein implicated in the regulation of tumor growth and vascularization. In this study, we show that hrg−/− mice challenged with fibrosarcoma or pancreatic carcinoma grow larger tumors with increased metastatic properties. Compared with wild-type mice, fibrosarcomas in hrg−/− mice were more hypoxic, necrotic, and less perfused, indicating enhanced vessel abnormalization. HRG deficiency was associated with a suppressed antitumor immune response, with both increased infiltration of M2 marker–expressing macrophages and decreased infiltration of dendritic cells and cytotoxic T cells. Analysis of transcript expression in tumor-associated as well as peritoneal macrophages from hrg−/− mice revealed an increased expression of genes associated with a proangiogenic and immunoinhibitory phenotype. In accordance, expression arrays conducted on HRG-treated peritoneal macrophages showed induction of genes involved in extracellular matrix biology and immune responsiveness. In conclusion, our findings show that macrophages are a direct target of HRG. HRG loss influences macrophage gene regulation, leading to excessive stimulation of tumor angiogenesis, suppression of tumor immune response, and increased tumor growth and metastatic spread. Cancer Res; 72(8); 1953–63. ©2012 AACR.
HER2 As Therapeutic Target for Overcoming ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter–Mediated Chemoresistance in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Minami Toshiyuki , Kijima Takashi , Otani Yasushi , Kohmo Satoshi , Takahashi Ryo , Nagatomo Izumi , Hirata Haruhiko , Suzuki Mayumi , Inoue Koji , Takeda Yoshito , Kida Hiroshi , Tachibana Isao , Kumanogoh Atsushi
Published: March 2012

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) easily acquires multidrug resistance after successful initial therapy. Overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters is important for the multidrug resistance. Among them, ABCB1 and ABCG2 are known to be upregulated in chemoresistant SCLC cells. We found that human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expressions are also upregulated in chemoresistant SBC-3/ETP, SBC-3/SN-38, and SBC-3/CDDP cells, compared with chemosensitive SBC-3 cells. Lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of HER2, could not suppress proliferation of these HER2-positive SCLC cells alone but successfully restored chemosensitivity to etoposide and SN-38 with a clinically applicable concentration. The reversal effect of lapatinib was thought to be caused by inhibition of drug efflux pump functions of ABC transporters, although lapatinib itself has been reported to be a substrate for them. Moreover, knocking down of HER2 by an short interfering RNA weakened the effect of lapatinib on ABCB1, indicating the involvement of HER2 in the inhibitory mechanisms. Notably, we showed that caveolin-1 and Src play key roles in modulating ABCB1 function via HER2 inactivation. In SBC-3/ETP cells, dephosphorylation of HER2 by lapatinib activates Src and successively leads to increased caveolin-1 phosphorylation. Through this process, caveolin-1 dissociates from HER2 and strengthens association with ABCB1, and finally impairs the pump functions. Furthermore, we showed that treatment by lapatinib in combination with etoposide or irinotecan significantly suppresses the growth of subcutaneous SBC-3/ETP and SBC-3/SN-38 tumors in mice, respectively. Collectively, these results indicate that combination therapy with lapatinib and cytotoxic agents could conquer ABC transporter–mediated chemoresistance especially in HER2-positive SCLC. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(4); 830–41. ©2012 AACR.
Successful Treatment of Severe Fetal Chylothorax Resistant to Repeated Pleuroamniotic Shunting by OK-432 Pleurodesis
Authors: Lo T.K. , Lau W.L. , Lam Y.Y. , Tang M.H.Y. , Leung T.Y. , Leung W.C.
Published: February 2012

We report the first case of successful fetal pleurodesis with OK-432 for recurrent severe fetal primary chylothorax after failing repeated pleuroamniotic shunting. Shunting and pleurodesis could be complementary to each other in the treatment of fetal chylothorax.