bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
David Blackstock and nonlinear acoustics at UT Austin
Authors: Hamilton Mark F.
Published: October 2013

Except for a period of 15 years, from when he left Austin (with B.S. and M.S. degrees in physics) for active duty in the USAF until he returned for a ‘‘year’s visit’’ to UT in 1969, Austin has been home to David Blackstock. In the interim he developed hearing protectors for the Air Force, earned a Ph.D. in applied physics from Harvard, conducted research in nonlinear acoustics for industry, and joined the Electrical Engineering faculty at University of Rochester. Following his return, Austin rapidly became known as a home for nonlinear acoustics. This presentation will review the development of nonlinear acoustics at UT, placed in context of the underwater acoustics activities at ARL and the academic programs under David both at ARL and on campus.
New formulation of the elastic energy density for soft tissue
Authors: Hamilton Mark F. , Ilinskii Yurii A. , Zabolotskaya Evgenia A.
Published: October 2013

Measurements of the elastic constants in Landau’s expansion of the strain energy density reported by Catheline et al. for a soft tissue phantom reveal that they differ by five orders of magnitude [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 112, 2404 (2002)]. A more appropriate expansion would possess constants of the same order. Landau’s third-order expansion of the elastic energy density is extended to fourth order. The corresponding elastic constants are related to those for liquids. The principal contribution is an alternative formulation of the energy density that permits separation of effects due to compressibility and shear deformation. To fourth order its expansion is E≂E0(ρ)+μI2+1/3AI3+DI22, where ρ is density, I2 and I3 are the second- and third-order Lagrangian strain invariants used by Landau, μ is the shear modulus, A is one of Landau’s third-order elastic constants, and D is a new fourth-order elastic constant. For processes involving mainly compressibility E≂E0(ρ), and for processes involving mainly shear deformation E≂μI2+1/3AI3+DI22. Comparison with the parameters in Mooney’s potential function for incompressible elastic media shows the three constants to be of the same order. [Work supported by the IR&D Program at ARL:UT.]
Voice conversion using the radial basis function network and the frequency–domain pitch modification technique
Authors: Watanabe Tomomi , Murakami Takahiro , Ishida Yoshihisa
Published: October 2013

This paper presents a novel algorithm for developing a voice conversion system that modifies the speech uttered by a speaker to sound as if produced by another target speaker. And an improved technique for a frequency–domain pitch modification is proposed. The approach is based on modifying spectral envelopes and the pitch of voiced sounds separately. The conversion rules for the spectral envelopes are constructed by the radial basis function (RBF) network, which is one of the well-known artificial neural networks. An excitation signal containing prosodic information is modified to match the average pitch using the proposed technique which proves that the speech quality deteriorates when the pitch is modulated by the Frequency–Domain Pitch-Synchronous Overlap and Add (FD-PSOLA) algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed method achieves nearly optimal spectral conversion performance. Moreover, average cepstrum distance to the target speech is reduced by 87%, and the listening tests prove the proposed pitch modification technique maintains higher speech quality than the original FD-PSOLA.
Role of ultrasound contrast agent models in applications and design
Authors: Allen John S. , Yoshizawa Shin , Kaneko Yukio , Matsumoto Yoichiro
Published: October 2013

The earliest ultrasound contrast agents were constructed with an air core surrounded by a protein shell. However, contrast agents are currently being produced and developed with a variety of internal gases and shell materials. The agent’s shell has been constructed with lipid and polymer materials. These developments have been driven more by empirical experimental fittings rather than a rigorous study of material properties and a construction process that involves both theory and experiment. Furthermore, for diagnostic applications the optimization of the resonance behavior as a function of shell material and thickness is desired. Also the role of the shell in destruction remains an outstanding issue. Recently developed contrast agent models based on hyperelastic materials are further developed to investigate both more extensive strain energy functions and different types of damping from the shell materials. The role of viscous and viscoelastic damping is highlighted. From these radial equations, corresponding versions can be derived in the membrane limit. These models may be used with previously developed bubble dynamics codes, which have a comprehensive formulation for the internal phenomena, and for the analysis of recent experimental results involving therapeutic applications.
Effect of aberration on the acoustic field in tissue harmonic imaging (THI)
Authors: Jing Yuan , Cleveland Robin
Published: October 2013

A numerical simulation was used to study the impact of an aberrating layer on the generation of the fundamental and second-harmonic (SH) field in a tissue harmonic imaging scenario. The simulation used a three-dimensional time-domain code for solving the KZK equation and accounted for arbitrary spatial variations in all acoustic properties. The aberration effect was modeled by assuming that the tissue consisted of two layers where the interface has a spatial variation C that acted like an effective phase screen. Initial experiments were carried out with sinusoidal-shaped interfaces. The sinusoidal interface produced grating lobes which were at least 6 dB larger for the fundamental signal than the SH. The energy outside of the main lobe was found to increase linearly as the amplitude of the interface variation increased. The location of the grating lobes was affected by the spatial period on the interface variation. The inhomogeneous nature of tissue was modeled with an interface with a random spatial variation. With the random interface the average sidelobe level for the fundamental was −30 dB whereas the SH had an average sidelobe level of −36 dB. [Work supported by the NSF through the Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems.]
First Report of
bla
IMP-8
in Raoultella planticola
Authors: Tseng Sung-Pin , Wang Jann-Tay , Liang Chih-Yuan , Lee Pei-Shan , Chen Yee-Chun , Lu Po-Liang
Published: October 2013

Two carbapenem-resistant
Raoultella planticola
clinical isolates were isolated from patients with pneumonia and Port-A catheter-related bacteremia, respectively, in Taiwan. These isolates remained susceptible to fluoroquinolone, aminoglycoside, and colistin. Though the two isolates had the same antibiogram, plasmidic carbapenemase
bla
IMP-8
, class 1 integron cassette (
dfrA12
-orfF-
aadA2
), and
qnrB2
, they had different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns, plasmid sizes, and outer membrane protein loss profiles. To our knowledge, this is the first report of
bla
IMP-8
found in
R. planticola
. Interestingly,
bla
IMP-8
is the most common carbapenemase found in
Klebsiella pneumoniae
in Taiwan. In the literature, carbapenemase genes in
R. planticola
in each country were also found in carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
in the same country.
Pharmacokinetics of Ganciclovir during Continuous Venovenous Hemodiafiltration in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Horvatits Thomas , Kitzberger Reinhard , Drolz Andreas , Zauner Christian , Jäger Walter , Böhmdorfer Michaela , Kraff Stefanie , Fritsch Achim , Thalhammer Florian , Fuhrmann Valentin , Schenk Peter
Published: October 2013

Ganciclovir is an antiviral agent that is frequently used in critically ill patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. Continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) is a common extracorporeal renal replacement therapy in intensive care unit patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of ganciclovir in anuric patients undergoing CVVHDF. Population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed for nine critically ill patients with proven or suspected CMV infection who were undergoing CVVHDF. All patients received a single dose of ganciclovir at 5 mg/kg of body weight intravenously. Serum and ultradiafiltrate concentrations were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and these data were used for pharmacokinetic analysis. Mean peak and trough prefilter ganciclovir concentrations were 11.8 ± 3.5 mg/liter and 2.4 ± 0.7 mg/liter, respectively. The pharmacokinetic parameters elimination half-life (24.2 ± 7.6 h), volume of distribution (81.2 ± 38.3 liters), sieving coefficient (0.76 ± 0.1), total clearance (2.7 ± 1.2 liters/h), and clearance of CVVHDF (1.5 ± 0.2 liters/h) were determined. Based on population pharmacokinetic simulations with respect to a target area under the curve (AUC) of 50 mg · h/liter and a trough level of 2 mg/liter, a ganciclovir dose of 2.5 mg/kg once daily seems to be adequate for anuric critically ill patients during CVVHDF.
Monotherapy with Fluoroquinolone or Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole for Treatment of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Infections
Authors: Wang Yu Lin , Scipione Marco R. , Dubrovskaya Yanina , Papadopoulos John
Published: October 2013

The treatment of choice forStenotrophomonas maltophiliais trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT). Fluoroquinolones (FQs) havein vitroactivity againstS. maltophilia; however, there is limited published information on their effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of FQs and SXT for the treatment ofS. maltophilia. A retrospective review of 98 patients withS. maltophiliainfections who received SXT or FQ monotherapy was conducted. Patients ≥18 years old with a positive culture forS. maltophiliaand clinical signs of infection who received treatment for ≥48 h were included. Microbiological cure and clinical response were evaluated at the end of therapy (EOT). In-hospital mortality and isolation of nonsusceptible isolates were also evaluated. Thirty-five patients received SXT, and 63 patients received FQ; 48 patients received levofloxacin, and 15 patients received ciprofloxacin. The most common infection was pulmonary. The overall microbiological cure rate at EOT was 63%. Thirteen of 20 patients (65%) who received SXT and 23 of 37 patients (62%) who received FQ had microbiological cure at EOT (P= 0.832). The overall clinical success rate was 55%, 52% for those who received FQ and 61% for those who received SXT (P= 0.451). In-hospital mortality was 24%, with similar rates in the two groups (25% for FQ versus 22% for SXT;P= 0.546). Development of resistance on repeat culture was 30% for FQ and 20% for SXT (P= 0.426). Fluoroquinolone and SXT monotherapies may be equally effective for the treatment ofS. maltophiliainfections. Resistance was documented in subsequent isolates ofS. maltophiliain both groups.
Distribution of Hydroxychloroquine in Lymphoid Tissue in a Rabbit Model for HIV Infection
Authors: González-Hernández Iliana , Aguirre-Cruz Lucinda , Sotelo Julio , López-Arellano Raquel , Morales-Hipólito Adriana , Jung-Cook Helgi
Published: October 2013

Hydroxychloroquine has been proposed for HIV treatment; however, little is known about its disposition in the lymphatic system, where replication takes place. Therefore, its distribution in lymphoid tissues (Peyer's patches and popliteal, submandibular, femoral, splenic, and prescapular lymph nodes) was evaluated and compared with that in blood. Results showed a high affinity of hydroxychloroquine for all of these tissues, with higher affinity for the splenic and submandibular lymph nodes, suggesting its potential use as a coadjuvant in HIV therapy.
Novel Antifungal Drug Discovery Based on Targeting Pathways Regulating the Fungus-Conserved Upc2 Transcription Factor
Authors: Gallo-Ebert Christina , Donigan Melissa , Stroke Ilana L. , Swanson Robert N. , Manners Melissa T. , Francisco Jamie , Toner Geoffrey , Gallagher Denise , Huang Chia-Yu , Gygax Scott E. , Webb Maria , Nickels Joseph T.
Published: October 2013

Infections by
Candida albicans
and related fungal pathogens pose a serious health problem for immunocompromised patients. Azole drugs, the most common agents used to combat infections, target the sterol biosynthetic pathway. Adaptation to azole therapy develops as drug-stressed cells compensate by upregulating several genes in the pathway, a process mediated in part by the Upc2 transcription factor. We have implemented a cell-based high-throughput screen to identify small-molecule inhibitors of Upc2-dependent induction of sterol gene expression in response to azole drug treatment. The assay is designed to identify not only Upc2 DNA binding inhibitors but also compounds impeding the activation of gene expression by Upc2. An AlphaScreen assay was developed to determine whether the compounds identified interact directly with Upc2 and inhibit DNA binding. Three compounds identified by the cell-based assay inhibited Upc2 protein level and
UPC2-LacZ
gene expression in response to a block in sterol biosynthesis. The compounds were growth inhibitory and attenuated antifungal-induced sterol gene expression
in vivo
. They did so by reducing the level of Upc2 protein and Upc2 DNA binding in the presence of drug. The mechanism by which the compounds restrict Upc2 DNA binding is not through a direct interaction, as demonstrated by a lack of DNA binding inhibitory activity using the AlphaScreen assay. Rather, they likely inhibit a novel pathway activating Upc2 in response to a block in sterol biosynthesis. We suggest that the compounds identified represent potential precursors for the synthesis of novel antifungal drugs.
Pharmacometric Characterization of Efavirenz Developmental Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenetics in HIV-Infected Children
Authors: Salem Ahmed Hamed , Fletcher Courtney V. , Brundage Richard C.
Published: October 2013

The aim of this analysis was to create a pharmacometric model of efavirenz developmental pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics in HIV-infected children. The data consisted of 3,172 plasma concentrations from 96 HIV-1-infected children who participated in the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group 382 (PACTG382) study. Analyses were performed using NONMEM, and the impacts of body weight, age, race, sex, formulation, liver function, and cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6)-G516T and multidrug-resistance transporter gene (MDR1)-C3435T polymorphisms were assessed. A one-compartment model using weight-based allometry on oral clearance and apparent volume of distribution adequately described the data. A sigmoid maximum-effect (Emax) maturation model demonstrated an increase in oral clearance with age to reach 90% of its mature level by the age of 9 months. The liquid formulation bioavailability relative to the capsule was found to increase with age to reach 90% of its mature value by the age of 8 years. The CYP2B6-G516T polymorphism decreased oral clearance, while the MDR1-C3435T polymorphism demonstrated no effect.
Introduction
Authors: Lucas S.B. , St-Onge M.R. , Percival J.A.
Published: October 2013

The Canadian Shield contains a remarkable and extensive record of the Earth's Precambrian geology and tectonic history (Hoffman, 1989). It spans from the oldest known rocks on Earth (Acasta gneiss complex, Slave Province, Fig. 1.1, see colour section; King, 1985; Bowring et al., 1989; Stern and Bleeker, 1998) to the world's largest Archean craton, the Superior Province (Fig. 1.1; Card and Poulsen, Chapter 2, this volume). One of the hallmarks of the Canadian Shield is the network of Paleoproterozoic orogenic belts (Fig. 1.1; Map 1860A, in pocket) that stitched together Laurentia at 2.0-1.8 Ga, and which were systematically described by Hoffman (1988) in a landmark paper entitled “United plates of America, the birth of a craton: Early Proterozoic assembly and growth of Laurentia” (see also Lewry and Collerson, 1990; Ross et al., 1991, 1995; St-Onge et al., 1992, 1997, in press; Lucas et al., 1993, 1996a; Lewry et al., 1994; White et al., 1994, in press; Hall et al., 1995; Van Kranendonk and Wardle, 1996; Wardle and Van Kranendonk, 1996; Scott, 1998). It was in the study of the Paleoproterozoic orogens that the plate tectonic paradigm was first applied to Precambrian rocks (Hoffman, 1973; Dewey and Burke, 1973). These belts were subsequently shown to contain ophiolites (Scott et al., 1991, 1992), preserved intraoceanic accretionary collages (Lucas et al., 1996a), and mantle reflectors that outline paleosubduction zones (Cook et al., 1997). The Grenville Orogen (Fig. 1.1; Davidson, Chapter 3, this volume) and Mesoproterozoic basins (Map 1860A, in pocket) contain
An Overview of Grenville Province Geology, Canadian Shield
Authors: Davidson A.
Published: October 2013

The last major event that shaped the Canadian Shield, orogeny during the mid- to late Mesoproterozoic, left its imprint as a broad swath of highly deformed and metamorphosed rocks extending 2000 km from the Atlantic coast of southern Labrador to Lake Huron. The northwest margin of the resulting Grenville Province, referred to as the Grenville Front, is a zone of southeasterly dipping thrust faulting and mylonitization that truncates the various structural trends characterizing the adjacent, older shield provinces. Some 400–500 km farther southeast, the exhumed Grenville Province is overlain by lower Paleozoic platformal sedimentary rocks, but crystalline rocks bearing the imprint of Grenvillian orogenic events appear again in tectonic windows within the Appalachian Orogen of Maritime Canada and the eastern United States. Beyond its exposure in the Canadian Shield, the Grenville Orogen extends southwestward to Texas and Mexico; it is also recognized in inliers in the Caledonides of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Norway, southeast of which it is represented by the Sveconorwegian Province of southern Norway and Sweden (Fig. 3.1). Recent reconstructions of supercontinent assembly in the early Neoproterozoic (e.g. Dalziel, 1991; Moores, 1991; Hoffman, 1991; Borg and DePaolo, 1994) show a further continuation of this belt from central America through Antarctica and eastern India to Australia.

The widely used term “Grenvillian Orogeny” embraces a range of tectonic events beginning with an early accretionary stage between ca. 1.3 and 1.2 Ga, and ending with uplift and exhumation shortly after 1.0 Ga. Arguing that the construction of orogens involves more than
RMF+BCS approach for drip-line isotopes of Si
Authors: Saxena G. , Singh D. , Kaushik M. , Singh S. Somorendro
Published: October 2013

We have employed the relativistic mean field (RMF)+BCS approach, to study ground state properties of drip line isotopes of Si. In this approach the single particle continuum corresponding to the RMF is replaced by a set of discrete positive energy states for the calculations of pairing energy. Detailed analysis of separation energy, single particle spectrum, pairing energies, and densities of the nuclei predict weakly bound structure in neutron-rich Si isotopes, which is seen to be due to the large spatial extension of the wave functions for the weakly bound single particle states with low orbital angular momentum having very small centrifugal barriers.
RESISTIVE SWITCHING PHENOMENA IN COMPLEX OXIDE HETEROSTRUCTURES
Authors: JIN YU-LING , JIN KUI-JUAN , GE CHEN , LU HUI-BIN , YANG GUO-ZHEN
Published: October 2013

Resistive memories based on the resistive switching effect have promising application in the ultimate nonvolatile data memory field. This brief review focuses on the resistive switching phenomena in the perovskite oxide heterostructures, which originate from the modulation of the interface properties due to the movement of the oxygen vacancies and the ferroelectric polarization. Many recent experiments have been carried out to demonstrate the role of the oxygen vacancies by controlling the content of the oxygen vacancies in the oxide heterostructures with plenty of oxygen vacancies. The important role of the ferroelectric polarization was also carefully confirmed by analyzing the relationship between the current–voltage and polarization–voltage loops in the ferroelectric oxide heterostructures. The physical mechanisms have been revealed based on the developed numerical model.
A Computer-Assisted Translation and Writing System
Authors: Huang Chung-Chi , Chen Mei-Hua , Yang Ping-Che , Chang Jason S.
Published: October 2013

We introduce a method for learning to predict text and grammatical construction in a computer-assisted translation and writing framework. In our approach, predictions are offered on the fly to help the user make appropriate lexical and grammar choices during the translation of a source text, thus improving translation quality and productivity. The method involves automatically generating general-to-specific word usage summaries (i.e., writing suggestion module), and automatically learning high-confidence word- or phrase-level translation equivalents (i.e., translation suggestion module). At runtime, the source text and its translation prefix entered by the user are broken down into n-grams to generate grammar and translation predictions, which are further combined and ranked via translation and language models. These ranked prediction candidates are iteratively and interactively displayed to the user in a pop-up menu as translation or writing hints. We present a prototype writing assistant,
TransAhead
, that applies the method to a human-computer collaborative environment. Automatic and human evaluations show that novice translators or language learners substantially benefit from our system in terms of translation performance (i.e., translation accuracy and productivity) and language learning (i.e., collocation usage and grammar). In general, our methodology of inline grammar and text predictions or suggestions has great potential in the field of computer-assisted translation, writing, or even language learning.
PAIRSE
Authors: Benslimane Djamal , Barhamgi Mahmoud , Cuppens Frederic , Morvan Franck , Defude Bruno , Nageba Ebrahim , Mrissa Michael , Paulus Francois , Morucci Stephane , Cuppens Nora , Ghedira Chirine , Mokadem Riad , Oulmakhzoune Said , Fayn Jocelyne
Published: October 2013

Privacy is among the key challenges to data integration in many sectors, including healthcare, e-government, etc. The PAIRSE project aims at providing a flexible, looselycoupled and privacy-preserving data integration system in P2P environments. The project exploits recent Web standards and technologies such asWeb services and ontologies to export data from autonomous data providers as reusable services, and proposes the use of service composition as a viable solution to answer data integration needs on the fly. The project proposed new composition algorithms and service/composition execution models that preserve privacy of data manipulated by services and compositions. The proposed integration system was demonstrated at EDBT 2013 and VLDB 2011.
Using fuzzy policies to improve context interpretation in adaptive systems
Authors: Provensi Lucas , Eliassen Frank , Vitenberg Roman , Rouvoy Romain
Published: October 2013

Adaptation is an increasingly important requirement for software systems executing in large-scale, heterogeneous, and dynamic environments. A central aspect of the adaptation methodology is management of contextual information needed to support the adaptation process. A major design challenge of managing contextual data lies in the fact that the information is partial, uncertain, and inherently suitable for diverging interpretations. While existing adaptation solutions focus on techniques, methods, and tools, the challenge of managing and interpreting ambiguous contextual information remains largely unresolved. In this paper, we present a new approach to knowledge management in adaptation feedback control loops that aims to overcome these issues by applying fuzzy set theory and approximate reasoning. Our new knowledge management scheme interprets imprecise information and effectively integrates this information into the adaptation feedback control loop. To test and evaluate our solution, we implemented it in an adaptation engine to perform rate control for media streaming applications. The evaluation results show the benefits of our approach in terms of flexibility and performance when compared to more traditional methods, such as TCP-friendly rate control.
Some Almost Generalized(ψ,ϕ)-Contractions inG-Metric Spaces
Authors: Aydi Hassen , Hadj Amor Sana , Karapinar Erdal
Published: October 2013

In this paper, we introduce some almost generalized(ψ,ϕ)-contractions in the setting ofG-metric spaces. We prove some fixed points results for such contractions. The presented theorems improve and extend some known results in the literature. An example is also presented.
An Autonomous Navigation Algorithm for High Orbit Satellite Using Star Sensor and Ultraviolet Earth Sensor
Authors: Baohua Li , Wenjie Lai , Yun Chen , Zongming Liu
Published: October 2013

An autonomous navigation algorithm using the sensor that integrated the star sensor (FOV1) and ultraviolet earth sensor (FOV2) is presented. The star images are sampled by FOV1, and the ultraviolet earth images are sampled by the FOV2. The star identification algorithm and star tracking algorithm are executed at FOV1. Then, the optical axis direction of FOV1 at J2000.0 coordinate system is calculated. The ultraviolet image of earth is sampled by FOV2. The center vector of earth at FOV2 coordinate system is calculated with the coordinates of ultraviolet earth. The autonomous navigation data of satellite are calculated by integrated sensor with the optical axis direction of FOV1 and the center vector of earth from FOV2. The position accuracy of the autonomous navigation for satellite is improved from 1000 meters to 300 meters. And the velocity accuracy of the autonomous navigation for satellite is improved from 100 m/s to 20 m/s. At the same time, the period sine errors of the autonomous navigation for satellite are eliminated. The autonomous navigation for satellite with a sensor that integrated ultraviolet earth sensor and star sensor is well robust.
Gastroenterology Cases of Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis
Authors: Karatoprak Cumali , Arabaci Elif , Yildiz Kemal , Cakirca Mustafa , Cikrikcioglu Mehmet Ali , Ergun Fatih , Danalioglu Ahmet , Kocaman Orhan , Senturk Hakan
Published: October 2013

Rarely, leukocytoclastic vasculitis can result from ischemic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cryoglobulinemia. There is no established standard for the treatment of leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with gastroenterologic diseases. This paper presents three cases of leukoytoclastic vasculitis, each of which is associated with a different gastroenterologic condition: ischemic colitis, Crohn’s disease, and chronic hepatitis C. Each condition went into remission by treatment of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, regardless of the underlying disease.
Morphological, Physiological, and Structural Responses of Two Species of Artemisia to NaCl Stress
Authors: Guan Zhi-Yong , Su Yi-Ji , Teng Nian-Jun , Chen Su-Mei , Sun Hai-Nan , Li Chu-Ling , Chen Fa-Di
Published: October 2013

Effects of salt stress on Artemisia scoparia and A. vulgaris “Variegate” were examined. A. scoparia leaves became withered under NaCl treatment, whereas A. vulgaris “Variegate” leaves were not remarkably affected. Chlorophyll content decreased in both species, with a higher reduction in A. scoparia. Contents of proline, MDA, soluble carbohydrate, and Na+ increased in both species under salt stress, but A. vulgaris “Variegate” had higher level of proline and soluble carbohydrate and lower level of MDA and Na+. The ratios of K+/Na+, Ca2+/Na+, and Mg2+/Na+ in A. vulgaris “Variegate” under NaCl stress were higher. Moreover, A. vulgaris “Variegate” had higher transport selectivity of K+/Na+ from root to stem, stem to middle mature leaves, and upper newly developed leaves than A. scoparia under NaCl stress. A. vulgaris “Variegate” chloroplast maintained its morphological integrity under NaCl stress, whereas A. scoparia chloroplast lost integrity. The results indicated that A. scoparia is more sensitive to salt stress than A. vulgaris “Variegate.” Salt tolerance is mainly related to the ability of regulating osmotic pressure through the accumulation of soluble carbohydrates and proline, and the gradient distribution of K+ between roots and leaves was also contributed to osmotic pressure adjustment and improvement of plant salt tolerance.
Cement Removal from the Femur Using the ROBODOC System in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Yamamura Mitsuyoshi , Nakamura Nobuo , Miki Hidenobu , Nishii Takashi , Sugano Nobuhiko
Published: October 2013

Introduction. The perforation and fracture of the femur during the removal of bone cement in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) are serious complications. The ROBODOC system has been designed to selectively remove bone cement from the femoral canal, but results have not been reported yet. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of revision THA using the ROBODOC system for cement removal.Materials and Methods. The subjects comprised 19 patients who underwent revision THA using the ROBODOC system. The minimum duration of follow-up was 76 months (median, 109 months; range, 76–150 months). The extent of remaining bone cement on postoperative radiography, timing of weight bearing, and the complications were evaluated.Results. The mean Merle d’Aubigne and Postel score increased from 10 points preoperatively to 14 points by final follow-up. Bone cement was completely removed in all cases. Full weight bearing was possible within 1 week after surgery in 9 of the 19 cases and within 2 months in all remaining cases. No instances of perforation or fracture of the femur were encountered.Conclusions. Bone cement could be safely removed using the ROBODOC system, and no serious complications occurred. Full weight bearing was achieved early in the postoperative course because of circumferential preservation of the femoral cortex.
Biosynthesis of Osmoregulated Periplasmic Glucans inEscherichia coli: The Phosphoethanolamine Transferase Is Encoded byopgE
Authors: Bontemps-Gallo Sébastien , Cogez Virginie , Robbe-Masselot Catherine , Quintard Kevin , Dondeyne Jacqueline , Madec Edwige , Lacroix Jean-Marie
Published: October 2013

Osmoregulated periplasmic glucans (OPGs) are oligosaccharides found in the periplasm of many Gram-negative bacteria. Glucose is the sole constitutive sugar and this backbone may be substituted by various kinds of molecules depending on the species. InE. coli, OPG are substituted by phosphoglycerol and phosphoethanolamine derived from membrane phospholipids and by succinyl residues. In this study, we describe the isolation of theopgEgene encoding the phosphoethanolamine transferase by a screen previously used for the isolation of theopgBgene encoding the phosphoglycerol transferase. Both genes show structural and functional similarities without sequence similarity.
Role of the Microbiota and Antibiotics in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
Authors: Tabibian James H. , Talwalkar Jayant A. , Lindor Keith D.
Published: October 2013

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an idiopathic, progressive, cholestatic liver disease with considerable morbidity and mortality and no established pharmacotherapy. In addition to the long-recognized association between PSC and inflammatory bowel disease, several lines of preclinical and clinical evidence implicate the microbiota in the etiopathogenesis of PSC. Here we provide a concise review of these data which, taken together, support further investigation of the role of the microbiota and antibiotics in PSC as potential avenues toward elucidating safe and effective pharmacotherapy for patients afflicted by this illness.
Family Composition and Expressions of Family-Focused Care Needs at an Academic Memory Disorders Clinic
Authors: Riedel Brandalyn C. , Ducharme Jamie K. , Geldmacher David S.
Published: October 2013

Objective. To understand who dementia patients identify as their family and how dementia affects family life.Background. Dementia care is often delivered in family settings, so understanding the constituency and needs of the family unit involved in care is important for determining contributors to family quality of life.Design/Methods. Seventy-seven families receiving care at an academic dementia clinic completed questionnaires regarding the affected person and the family. Responses were categorized as focused on an individual’s needs or the family’s needs.Results. Respondents identified a mean of 3.77 family members involved in care. Spouse (80.5%), daughter (58.4%), son (46.8%), and stepchild or child-in-law (37.7%) were the most frequently listed family members. Questions regarding the effect of dementia-related changes in cognition and mood were most likely to elicit a family-focused response. Questionnaire items that inquired about specific medical questions and strategies to improve family function were least likely to elicit a family-focused response.Conclusions. Both caregivers and persons with dementia frequently provided family-focused responses, supporting the construct of dementia as an illness that affects life in the family unit. This finding reinforces the potential utility of family-centered quality of life measures in assessing treatment success for people with dementia.
Optimal Decisions of a Supply Chain with Two Risk-Averse and Competing Retailers under Random Demand
Authors: Liu Yu-Shuang
Published: October 2013

This paper investigates the optimal decisions in a decentralized supply chain consisting of one manufacturer and two competing retailers who face price-sensitive and stochastic demand. The retailers are risk averse with conditional value at risk (CVaR) as their risk measure, and the manufacturer is a risk-neutral agent. We construct manufacturer-Stackelberg games with retailers, who engage in horizontal price competition. For the multiplicative demand model and expected demand as an exponential function of both prices, we show that there exists the optimal pricing-ordering joint decision uniquely. We then explore the influence of the price sensitivity, risk aversion, and retail competition on optimal decisions and channel efficiency. The results show that retail competition contributes to manufacturer and improves channel efficiency of the decentralized supply chain. When the retailers are more risk averse, the channel efficiency becomes much lower. However, the level of retailers’ risk aversion has no significant impact on the manufacturer’s optimal wholesale price and retailer’s optimal selling price.
Efficient Radio Map Construction Based on Low-Rank Approximation for Indoor Positioning
Authors: Hu Yongli , Zhou Wei , Wen Zheng , Sun Yanfeng , Yin Baocai
Published: October 2013

Fingerprint-based positioning in a wireless local area network (WLAN) environment has received much attention recently. One key issue for the positioning method is the radio map construction, which generally requires significant effort to collect enough measurements of received signal strength (RSS). Based on the observation that RSSs have high spatial correlation, we propose an efficient radio map construction method based on low-rank approximation. Different from the conventional interpolation methods, the proposed method represents the distribution of RSSs as a low-rank matrix and constructs the dense radio map from relative sparse measurements by a revised low-rank matrix completion method. To evaluate the proposed method, both simulation tests and field experiments have been conducted. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method can reduce the RSS measurements evidently. Moreover, using the constructed radio maps for positioning, the positioning accuracy is also improved.
A Simple and Green Procedure for the Synthesis of 5‐Arylidenerhodanines Catalyzed by Diammonium Hydrogen Phosphate in Water
Authors: Han Liangliang , Wu Tao , Zhou Zhongqiang
Published: October 2013

A simple and efficient procedure for the synthesis of 5‐arylidenerhodanines by condensation of aromatic aldehydes with rhodanine in water using diammonium hydrogen phosphate as catalyst is described. The procedure offers several advantages including environmentally friendly, mild reaction conditions, short reaction times, high yields, and simple experimental and work‐up procedures.
Preparation of Cellulosic Fibers from Sugarcane for Textile Use
Authors: Michel Davina , Bachelier Bruno , Drean Jean-Yves , Harzallah Omar
Published: October 2013

The production of natural fibers is not sufficient to accommodate the textile needs of the growing world population. Therefore, textile research is exploring alternative natural resources to produce fibers. Though typically known for its nutritional use, the sugarcane can also be used for textile production because of its high fiber content. The aim of our study was to extract fibers from sugarcane and to analyze their mechanical behavior. Cane particles were treated with an alkaline solution in order to get cellulosic fibers. Physical and mechanical characterizations were carried out on these fibers: linear density, fineness, tensile properties, and bending rigidity. Their microstructure was analyzed to better understand their behavior. The results showed a strong influence of extraction parameters on the characteristics of fibers. Depending on these parameters, fibers fineness ranged from 8 to 80 tex, length ranged from 19 to 62 mm, and tenacity ranged from 7 and 25 cN/tex.
How Can Clients Improve the Quality of Transport Infrastructure Projects? The Role of Knowledge Management and Incentives
Authors: Warsame Abukar , Borg Lena , Lind Hans
Published: October 2013

The aim of this paper is to argue for a number of statements about what is important for a client to do in order to improve quality in new infrastructure projects, with a focus on procurement and organizational issues. The paper synthesizes theoretical and empirical results concerning organizational performance, especially the role of the client for the quality of a project. The theoretical framework used is contract theory and transaction cost theory, where assumptions about rationality and self‐interest are made and where incentive problems, asymmetric information, and moral hazard are central concepts. It is argued that choice of procurement type will not be a crucial factor. There is no procurement method that guarantees a better quality than another. We argue that given the right conditions all procurement methods can give good results, and given the wrong conditions, all of them can lead to low quality. What is crucial is how the client organization manages knowledge and the incentives for the members of the organization. This can be summarized as “organizational culture.” One way to improve knowledge and create incentives is to use independent second opinions in a systematic way.
Automatic Vasculature Identification in Coronary Angiograms by Adaptive Geometrical Tracking
Authors: Xiao Ruoxiu , Yang Jian , Goyal Mahima , Liu Yue , Wang Yongtian
Published: October 2013

As the uneven distribution of contrast agents and the perspective projection principle of X-ray, the vasculatures in angiographic image are with low contrast and are generally superposed with other organic tissues; therefore, it is very difficult to identify the vasculature and quantitatively estimate the blood flow directly from angiographic images. In this paper, we propose a fully automatic algorithm named adaptive geometrical vessel tracking (AGVT) for coronary artery identification in X-ray angiograms. Initially, the ridge enhancement (RE) image is obtained utilizing multiscale Hessian information. Then, automatic initialization procedures including seed points detection, and initial directions determination are performed on the RE image. The extracted ridge points can be adjusted to the geometrical centerline points adaptively through diameter estimation. Bifurcations are identified by discriminating connecting relationship of the tracked ridge points. Finally, all the tracked centerlines are merged and smoothed by classifying the connecting components on the vascular structures. Synthetic angiographic images and clinical angiograms are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. The proposed algorithm is compared with other two vascular tracking techniques in terms of the efficiency and accuracy, which demonstrate successful applications of the proposed segmentation and extraction scheme in vasculature identification.
Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia in an Underserved Population in the USA: Prevalence, Epidemiologic and Clinical Features
Authors: Almouradi Tarek , Hiatt Tadd , Attar Bashar
Published: October 2013

Gastric intestinal metaplasia is an important stage in the development of gastric cancer. Limited data is available regarding the prevalence of gastric intestinal metaplasia in the United States. We conducted a retrospective review of esophagogastroduodenoscopies performed in our endoscopy unit between the months of April and October 2010 to evaluate the prevalence and the epidemiologic and endoscopic features of gastric intestinal metaplasia in an underserved population in the United States.
Spectrochemical Analysis of Soil around Leather Tanning Industry Using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Authors: Khan Shakeel Ahmad , Ibrahim Muhammad , Jamil Yasir , Islam Md. Saiful , Abbas Farhat
Published: October 2013

We report the use of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to determine the chromium contamination of soil due to effluents from leather tanning industry in Kasur District of Punjab (+31∘6′23.21″, +74∘27′16.29″) in Pakistan. Calibration curves were constructed by indigenously prepared standard sample and fitting of curves by linear regression. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 23.71 mg kg−1. It has been found that the concentration of chromium in the soil is up to 839 mg kg−1 in vicinity of effluent drain and 1829 mg kg−1 in the area of old stagnant pool, which is much higher than the safe limits. Qualitative detection of other elements like Na, Cl, Fe, P, and Si was done from LIBS spectra. The leaching of soil contaminants due to seepage of industrial effluents from deteriorating brick lined drains in horizontal direction has also been observed.
Design and Analysis of a Linear Hybrid Excitation Flux-Switching Generator for Direct Drive Wave Energy Converters
Authors: Huang Lei , Hu Minqiang , Liu Jing , Liu Chunyuan , Zhong Weibo
Published: October 2013

Linear generators have the advantage of a simple structure of the secondary, which is suitable for the application of wave energy conversion. Based on the vernier hybrid machines (VHMs), widely used for direct drive wave energy converters, this paper proposes a novel hybrid excitation flux-switching generator (LHEFSG), which can effectively improve the performance of this kind of generators. DC hybrid excitation windings and multitooth structure were used in the proposed generator to increase the magnetic energy and overcome the disadvantages of easily irreversible demagnetization of VHMs. Firstly, the operation principle and structure of the proposed generator are introduced. Secondly, by using the finite element method, the no-load performance of the proposed generator is analyzed and composed with ones of conventional VHM. In addition, the on-load performance of the proposed generator is obtained by finite element analysis (FEA). A dislocation of pole alignments method is implemented to reduce the cogging force. Lastly, a prototype of the linear flux-switching generator is used to verify the correctness of FEA results. All the results validate that the proposed generator has better performance than its counterparts.
Silencing of the miR-17∼92 Cluster Family Inhibits Medulloblastoma Progression
Authors: Murphy Brian L. , Obad Susanna , Bihannic Laure , Ayrault Olivier , Zindy Frederique , Kauppinen Sakari , Roussel Martine F.
Published: October 2013

Medulloblastoma, originating in the cerebellum, is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Medulloblastoma consists of four major groups where constitutive activation of the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway is a hallmark of one group. Mouse and human SHH medulloblastomas exhibit increased expression of microRNAs encoded by the miR-17∼92 and miR-106b∼25 clusters compared with granule progenitors and postmitotic granule neurons. Here, we assessed the therapeutic potential of 8-mer seed-targeting locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified anti-miR oligonucleotides, termed tiny LNAs, that inhibit microRNA seed families expressed by miR-17∼92 and miR-106b∼25 in two mouse models of SHH medulloblastomas. We found that tumor cells (medulloblastoma cells) passively took up 8-mer LNA-anti-miRs and specifically inhibited targeted microRNA seed-sharing family members. Inhibition of miR-17 and miR-19a seed families by anti-miR-17 and anti-miR-19, respectively, resulted in diminished tumor cell proliferation in vitro. Treatment of mice with systemic delivery of anti-miR-17 and anti-miR-19 reduced tumor growth in flank and brain allografts in vivo and prolonged the survival of mice with intracranial transplants, suggesting that inhibition of the miR-17∼92 cluster family by 8-mer LNA-anti-miRs might be considered for the treatment of SHH medulloblastomas. Cancer Res; 73(23); 7068–78. ©2013 AACR.
BCCIP Suppresses Tumor Initiation but Is Required for Tumor Progression
Authors: Huang Yi-Yuan , Dai Li , Gaines Dakim , Droz-Rosario Roberto , Lu Huimei , Liu Jingmei , Shen Zhiyuan
Published: October 2013

Dysfunctions of genome caretaker genes contribute to genomic instability and tumor initiation. Because many of the caretaker genes are also essential for cell viability, permanent loss of function of these genes would prohibit further tumor progression. How essential caretaker genes contribute to tumorigenesis is not fully understood. Here, we report a “hit-and-run” mode of action for an essential caretaker gene in tumorigenesis. Using a BRCA2-interacting protein BCCIP as the platform, we found that a conditional BCCIP knockdown and concomitant p53 deletion caused rapid development of medulloblastomas, which bear a wide spectrum of alterations involving the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) pathway, consistent with a caretaker responsibility of BCCIP on genomic integrity. Surprisingly, the progressed tumors have spontaneously lost the transgenic BCCIP knockdown cassette and restored BCCIP expression. Thus, a transient downregulation of BCCIP, but not necessarily a permanent mutation, is sufficient to initiate tumorigenesis. After the malignant transformation has been accomplished and autonomous cancer growth has been established, BCCIP reverses its role from a tumor-initiation suppressor to become a requisite for progression. This exemplifies a new type of tumor suppressor, which is distinct from the classical tumor suppressors that are often permanently abrogated during tumorigenesis. It has major implications on how a nonmutagenic or transient regulation of essential caretaker gene contributes to tumorigenesis. We further suggest that BCCIP represents a paradoxical class of modulators for tumorigenesis as a suppressor for initiation but a requisite for progression (SIRP). Cancer Res; 73(23); 7122–33. ©2013 AACR.