bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL NANOSTRUCTURED LANTHANUM COBALT FERRITE MIXED METAL OXIDES BY SOL–GEL
Authors: TERESITA V. MARY , JESEENTHARANI V. , JOSEPHINE B. AVILA , ANTONY S. ARUL
Published: March 2013

Properties of nanoscale materials are very interesting and these are either comparable to or superior to those of bulk. These materials are interesting due to their exciting size dependent optical, electronic, magnetic, thermal, mechanical and chemical properties. Different mole ratios of nanostructured mixed metal oxides of LaCo x Fe 1-x O 3-δ (x = 0 to 1) were prepared by the sol–gel method by varying the mole ratios of iron and cobalt substrates. The compounds were sintered for 700°C in the tubular furnace for 8 h. The purity of the compounds was analyzed by TG-DTA. The compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies were employed to study the structural phases, vibrational frequencies, surface morphology of the highest humidity sensing compounds.
STATE-EXTENDED UNCERTAINTY RELATIONS AND TOMOGRAPHIC INEQUALITIES AS QUANTUM SYSTEM STATE CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: CHERNEGA V. N. , MAN'KO V. I.
Published: March 2013

Some inequalities for probability vector are discussed. The probability representation of quantum mechanics where the states are mapped onto probability vectors (either finite or infinite dimensional) called the state tomograms is used. Examples of inequalities for qudit tomograms and a state-extended uncertainty relation are considered. Tomographic cumulant related to photon state tomographic probability distributions is introduced and it is used as parameter of the state non-Gaussianity.
A VARIATIONAL MULTIPHASE LEVEL SET ALGORITHM FOR IMAGE SEGMENTATION BASED ON ACTIVE CONTOUR MODEL
Authors: LIU HAIYING , CHENG YU , MENG MAX Q.-H.
Published: March 2013

A novel variational multiphase level set mathematical model is derived for image segmentation with two contributions. By virtue of eliminating the time-consuming re-initialization procedure and neglecting the property of the level set function during the evolution process, we in this paper present two strategies that may be taken as our contributions to solving these problems. Two scenarios are considered, namely, first, the distance regularization term which is defined by double-well potential function with two minimum points is introduced to our mathematical model for avoiding the re-initialization process. Second, by combining a Tikhonov-like regularization term which can guarantee the smoothness for the evolution curve over the previous method. Numerical simulation studies are presented to verify our new model via evaluating and comparing with existing algorithms.
ON RELATION BETWEEN GEOMETRIC MOMENTUM AND ANNIHILATION OPERATORS ON A TWO-DIMENSIONAL SPHERE
Authors: LIU Q. H. , SHEN Y. , XUN D. M. , WANG X.
Published: March 2013

With a recently introduced geometric momentum that depends on the extrinsic curvature and offers a proper description of momentum on two-dimensional sphere, we show that the annihilation operators whose eigenstates are coherent states on the sphere take the expected form αx + iβp, where α and β are two operators that depend on the angular momentum and x and p are the position and the geometric momentum, respectively. Since the geometric momentum is manifestly a consequence of embedding the two-dimensional sphere in the three-dimensional flat space, the coherent states reflects some aspects beyond the intrinsic geometry of the surfaces.
EQUATIONS OF MOTION FOR SPACE-TIME-MATTER THEORY
Authors: BEJANCU AUREL
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this paper is to present, in a covariant form and in their full generality, the equations of motion for space-time-matter (STM) theory. The whole study is based on the new approach of STM theory developed in our first paper [1] of this series. We show that the theory of geodesics in a general Kaluza–Klein space is best presented and explained by splitting the set of all geodesics into horizontal and non-horizontal geodesics. It is noteworthy that the horizontal geodesics (respectively, non-horizontal geodesics) project on the base manifold on motions which generalize the motions from general relativity theory (respectively, motions from Lorentz force equations).
NONZERO VALUES OF DIRICHLET L-FUNCTIONS IN VERTICAL ARITHMETIC PROGRESSIONS
Authors: MARTIN GREG , NG NATHAN
Published: March 2013

Let L(s, χ) be a fixed Dirichlet L-function. Given a vertical arithmetic progression of T points on the line ℜs = ½, we show that at least cT/ log T of them are not zeros of L(s, χ) (for some positive constant c). This result provides some theoretical evidence towards the conjecture that all nonnegative ordinates of zeros of Dirichlet L-functions are linearly independent over the rationals. We also establish an upper bound (depending upon the progression) for the first member of the arithmetic progression that is not a zero of L(s, χ).
ON SOME MULTIPLE ZETA-STAR VALUES OF ONE-TWO-THREE INDICES
Authors: TASAKA KOJI , YAMAMOTO SHUJI
Published: March 2013

In this paper, we present some identities for multiple zeta-star values with indices obtained by inserting 3 or 1 into the string 2, …, 2. Our identities give analogues of Zagier's evaluation of ζ(2, …, 2, 3, 2, …, 2) and examples of a kind of duality of multiple zeta-star values. Moreover, their generalizations give partial solutions of conjectures proposed by Imatomi, Tanaka, Wakabayashi and the first author.
ON GENERALIZATIONS OF WEIGHTED SUM FORMULAS OF MULTIPLE ZETA VALUES
Authors: ONG YAO LIN , EIE MINKING , LIAW WEN-CHIN
Published: March 2013

In this paper, we compute shuffle relations from multiple zeta values of the form ζ({1}m-1, n+1) or sums of multiple zeta values of fixed weight and depth. Some interesting weighted sum formulas are obtained, such as [Formula: see text] where m and k are positive integers with m ≥ 2k. For k = 1, this gives Ohno–Zudilin's weighted sum formula.
ON μ-INVARIANTS OF SELMER GROUPS OF SOME CM ELLIPTIC CURVES
Authors: ARIBAM CHANDRAKANT S.
Published: March 2013

We show that the Selmer groups defined over the cyclotomic ℤ3-extension of the field of 3-torsion points of the CM elliptic curves 256a1, 256a2, 256d1, 256d2, 121b1, 121b2 have μ-invariant equal to zero, verifying a conjecture in non-commutative Iwasawa theory.
RADICALLY WEAKENING THE LEHMER AND CARMICHAEL CONDITIONS
Authors: MCNEW NATHAN
Published: March 2013

Lehmer's totient problem asks if there exist composite integers n satisfying the condition φ(n)|(n - 1) (where φ is the Euler-phi function), while Carmichael numbers satisfy the weaker condition λ(n)|(n - 1) (where λ is the Carmichael universal exponent function). We weaken the condition further, looking at those composite n where each prime divisor of φ(n) also divides n - 1. ( So rad (φ(n))|(n - 1).) While these numbers appear to be far more numerous than the Carmichael numbers, we show that their distribution has the same rough upper bound as that of the Carmichael numbers, a bound which is heuristically tight.
ON THE FACTORIZATION OF f(n) FOR f(x) IN ℤ[x]
Authors: GROSS SAMUEL S. , VINCENT ANDREW F.
Published: March 2013

Let S be a finite set of rational primes. For a non-zero integer n, define [Formula: see text], where |n|p is the usual p-adic norm of n. In 1984, Stewart applied Baker's theorem to prove non-trivial, computationally effective upper bounds for [n(n+1)⋯(n+k)]S for any integer k > 0. Effective upper bounds have also been given by Bennett, Filaseta, and Trifonov for [n(n + 1)]S and [n2 + 7]S, where S = {2, 3} and S = {2}, respectively. We extend Stewart's theorem to prove effective upper bounds for [f(n)]S for an arbitrary f(x) in ℤ[x] having at least two distinct roots.
THE PROBABILITY THAT RANDOM POSITIVE INTEGERS ARE k-WISE RELATIVELY PRIME
Authors: HU JERRY
Published: March 2013

The positive integers a1, a2, …, as are k-wise relatively prime if any k of them are relatively prime. For a (k-1)-tuple of positive integers u = (u1, …, uk-1), let [Formula: see text] denote the number of s-tuples of positive integers (a1, a2, …, as) with 1 ≤ a1, a2, …, as ≤ n such that a1, a2, …, as are k-wise relatively prime and are i-wise relatively prime to ui for i = 1, 2, …, k-1 when s ≥ k ≥ 2, and a1, a2, …, as are i-wise relatively prime to ui for i = 1, 2, …, s when k > s ≥ 1. Asymptotic estimates are obtained for these functions. As a corollary, exact formula is also obtained for the probability that s positive integers are k-wise relatively prime.
ANOTHER LOOK AT IWASAWA λ-INVARIANTS OF p-ADIC MEASURES ON $\mathbb {Z}_{p}^n$ AND Γ-TRANSFORMS
Authors: BARMAN RUPAM
Published: March 2013

In [Iwasawa λ-invariants of p-adic measures on [Formula: see text] and their Γ-transforms, J. Number Theory132(10) (2012) 2258–2266; Iwasawa λ-invariants and Γ-transforms of p-adic measure on [Formula: see text], Int. J. Number Theory6(8) (2010) 1819–1829], the author and Saikia defined Iwasawa λ-invariants for multi-variable power series and proved a relation between the Iwasawa λ-invariant of a p-adic measure on [Formula: see text] and its Γ-transform. In this paper, we give two new definitions of λ-invariants for multi-variable power series which generalize the λ-invariant of single variable power series and prove that the new λ-invariants also satisfy the same relation. We also give algebraic interpretations of the new λ-invariants and discuss an application of our main results.
TWO GENERALIZATIONS OF THE BUSCHE–RAMANUJAN IDENTITIES
Authors: TÓTH LÁSZLÓ
Published: March 2013

We derive two new generalizations of the Busche–Ramanujan identities involving the multiple Dirichlet convolution of arithmetic functions of several variables. The proofs use formal multiple Dirichlet series and properties of symmetric polynomials of several variables.
EULER PRODUCTS IN RAMANUJAN'S LOST NOTEBOOK
Authors: BERNDT BRUCE C. , KIM BYUNGCHAN , WILLIAMS KENNETH S.
Published: March 2013

In his famous paper, "On certain arithmetical functions", Ramanujan offers for the first time the Euler product of the Dirichlet series in which the coefficients are given by Ramanujan's tau-function. In his lost notebook, Ramanujan records further Euler products for L-series attached to modular forms, and, typically, does not record proofs for these claims. In this semi-expository article, for the Euler products appearing in his lost notebook, we provide or sketch proofs using elementary methods, binary quadratic forms, and modular forms.
Combined Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Fibrolamellar Carcinoma Presenting as Two Adjacent Separate Lesions in a Young Boy: First Case Report from Asia
Authors: Singh Pradyumn , Ramakrishna Banumathi
Published: March 2013

We report a rare case of combined hepatocellular carcinoma and fibrolamellar carcinoma arising in a noncirrhotic liver, in a 14-year-old boy who underwent right hepatectomy. We discuss the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features and the clinical outcome in this unusual tumor.
Helicobacter pylori Infection and Risk of Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Mounika Pulikonda
Published: March 2013

Background. Recent evidence showed that Helicobacter pylori seropositivity is a risk factor for gastric and several other cancers. However, evidence on H. pylori infection and risk of lung cancer has been controversial, with a limited number of underpowered studies. We therefore examined the association between H. pylori infection and risk of lung cancer. Methods. A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE (until October 2012) for studies investigating an association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and risk of lung cancer. Pooled odds ratio (OR) was calculated using random-effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis were also done. Results. A total of seven studies (6 case-control and 1 cohort study) were included for the analysis. There was a significant heterogeneity among the studies, but no publication bias was observed. We found that H. pylori infection was associated with significantly increased risk of lung cancer (pooled OR, 2.29 (95% CI, 1.34–3.91) P=0.01). Conclusions. Our meta-analysis suggests a significant increased risk of lung cancer in patients with H. pylori infection. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to identify the underlying biological mechanisms.
Inverse Analysis of Crack in Fixed-Fixed Structure by Neural Network with the Aid of Modal Analysis
Authors: Thatoi Dhirendranath , Jena Prabir Kumar
Published: March 2013

In this research, dynamic response of a cracked shaft having transverse crack is analyzed using theoretical neural network and experimental analysis. Structural damage detection using frequency response functions (FRFs) as input data to the back-propagation neural network (BPNN) has been explored. For deriving the effect of crack depths and crack locations on FRF, theoretical expressions have been developed using strain energy release rate at the crack section of the shaft for the calculation of the local stiffnesses. Based on the flexibility, a new stiffness matrix is deduced that is subsequently used to calculate the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the cracked beam using the neural network method. The results of the numerical analysis and the neural network method are being validated with the result from the experimental method. The analysis results on a shaft show that the neural network can assess damage conditions with very good accuracy.
Dual Phases of Respiration Chain Defect-Augmented mROS-Mediated mCa2+Stress during Oxidative Insult in Normal andρ0RBA1 Astrocytes
Authors: Peng Tsung-I , Lin Muh-Shi , Jou Mei-Jie
Published: March 2013

Mitochondrial respiratory chain (RC) deficits, resulting in augmented mitochondrial ROS (mROS) generation, underlie pathogenesis of astrocytes. However, mtDNA-depleted cells (ρ0) lacking RC have been reported to be either sensitive or resistant to apoptosis. In this study, we sought to determine the effects of RC-enhanced mitochondrial stress following oxidative insult. Using noninvasive fluorescence probe-coupled laser scanning imaging microscopy, the ability to resist oxidative stress and levels of mROS formation and mitochondrial calcium (mCa2+) were compared between two different astrocyte cell lines, control andρ0astrocytes, over time upon oxidative stress. Our results showed that the cytoplasmic membrane becomes permeated with YO-PRO-1 dye at 150 and 130 minutes in RBA-1 andρ0astrocytes, respectively. In contrast to RBA-1, 30 minutes after 20 mM H2O2exposure,ρ0astrocytes formed marked plasma membrane blebs, lost the ability to retain Mito-R, and showed condensation of nuclei. Importantly, H2O2-induced ROS and accompanied mCa2+elevation in control showed higher levels thanρ0at early time point but vice versa at late time point. Our findings underscore dual phase of RC-defective cells harboring less mitochondrial stress due to low RC activity during short-term oxidative stress but augmented mROS-mediated mCa2+stress during severe oxidative insult.
Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of a Histone-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide Teleostin from the Marine Teleost Fishes, Tachysurus jella and Cynoglossus semifasciatus
Authors: Chaithanya E. R. , Philip Rosamma , Sathyan Naveen , Anil Kumar P. R.
Published: March 2013

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are host defense peptides that are well conserved throughout the course of evolution. Histones are classical DNA-binding proteins, rich in cationic amino acids, and recently appreciated as precursors for various histone-derived AMPs. The present study deals with identification of the potential antimicrobial peptide sequence of teleostin from the histone H2A of marine teleost fishes, Cynoglossus semifasciatus and Tachysurus jella. A 245 bp amplicon coding for 81 amino acids was obtained from the cDNA transcripts of these fishes. The first 52 amino acids from the N terminal of the peptide were identical to previously characterized histone-derived antimicrobial peptides. Molecular and physicochemical characterizations of the sequence were found to be in agreement with previously reported histone H2A-derived AMPs, suggesting the possible role of histone H2A in innate defense mechanism in fishes.
Reduction of Maximum and Residual Drifts on Posttensioned Steel Frames with Semirigid Connections
Authors: López-Barraza Arturo , Bojórquez Edén , Ruiz Sonia E. , Reyes-Salazar Alfredo
Published: March 2013

The aim of this paper is to study the seismic performance of self-centering moment-resisting steel frames with posttensioned connections taking into account nonlinear material behavior, for better understanding of the advantages of this type of structural system. Further, the seismic performance of traditional structures with rigid connections is compared with the corresponding equivalent posttensioned structures with semirigid connections. Nonlinear time history analyses are developed for both types of structural systems to obtain the maximum and the residual interstory drifts. Thirty long-duration narrow-banded earthquake ground motions recorded on soft soil sites of Mexico City are used for the analyses. It is concluded that the structural response of steel buildings with posttensioned connections subjected to intense earthquake ground motions is reduced compared with the seismic response of traditional buildings with welded connections. Moreover, residual interstory drift demands are considerably reduced for the system with posttensioned connections, which is important to avoid the demolition of the buildings after an earthquake.
Comparison of Wide Conjunctival Flap and Conjunctival Autografting Techniques in Pterygium Surgery
Authors: Aslan Lokman , Aslankurt Murat , Aksoy Adnan , Özdemir Murat , Yüksel Erdem
Published: March 2013

Pterygium is an abnormal fibrovascular tissue extending on the cornea which is a degenerative and hyperplastic disorder. A stromal overgrowth of fibroblast and blood vessels is accompanied by an inflammatory cell infiltrate and abnormal extracellular matrix accumulation. The surgical excision is the main treatment method of pterygium, but recurrence is the most common postoperative complication. In the present study, we aimed to compare the wide conjunctival flap and the conjunctival autografting techniques in pterygium surgery according to time of operation, safety, and effectiveness. Results showed that the effect of wide conjunctival flap techniques on primary pterygium surgery was found close to the conjunctival autograft techniques. In addition, the flap technique has a shorter surgical time, the surgery does not require extreme experience, feeding of the flap is provided with own vessels since the vascular structure is protected on the upper temporal conjunctival area, reverse placement of the flap is not seen, it needs fewer sutures, so that suture disturbances may reduce, and it is less traumatic than autograft technique during conjunctival transport. Therefore, this technique may be preferred in suitable cases.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Disease: Lessons from Animal Studies
Authors: Dumitrascu Rio , Heitmann Joerg , Seeger Werner , Weissmann Norbert , Schulz Richard
Published: March 2013

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) diseases such as arterial hypertension, heart failure, and stroke. Based on human research, sympathetic activation, inflammation, and oxidative stress are thought to play major roles in the pathophysiology of OSA-related CV diseases. Animal models of OSA have shown that endothelial dysfunction, vascular remodelling, and systemic and pulmonary arterial hypertension as well as heart failure can develop in response to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). The available animal data are clearly in favour of oxidative stress playing a key role in the development of all of these CV manifestations of OSA. Presumably, the oxidative stress is due to an activation of NADPH oxidase and other free oxygen radicals producing enzymes within the CV system as evidenced by data from knockout mice and pharmacological interventions. It is hoped that animal models of OSA-related CV disease will continue to contribute to a deeper understanding of their underlying pathophysiology and will foster the way for the development of cardioprotective treatment options other than conventional CPAP therapy.
Detection of Immunoglobulin G against E7 of Human Papillomavirus in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Storey Raul , Joh Joongho , Kwon Amy , Jenson A. Bennett , Ghim Shin-je , Kloecker Goetz H.
Published: March 2013

Background. A significant number of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC) have human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA integrated in their genome. This study sought to further establish HPV’s possible etiologic link to NSCLC by evaluating an immune response to HPV’s oncogene, E7, in patients with NSCLC.Patients and Methods. Antibodies (IgG) in serum against E7 for HPV 16 and 18 in 100 patients with NSCLC were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results. Sixteen NSCLC patients were found to have a high titration of IgG for HPV oncogenic E7 protein. 23.5% of adenocarcinomas (AC,) and 15.4% of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) were positive for IgG against HPV E7. HPV-18 (11%) had a slightly higher frequency than HPV-16 (6%). Of the six positive cases for HPV-16, 3 were AC, 2 SCC, and 1 NOS (not otherwise specified). For the 11 HPV-18 positives, 7 were AC, and 4 SCC. The one case with IgG against HPV 16 and 18 was AC. One case had high cross-reactive levels against E7 of HPV 16 and 18. Two (28%) of 7 patients who reported never smoking were positive for HPV, and 12 (13.6%) of 88 smokers were HPV positive.Conclusions. The study detected high levels of IgG against E7 in 16% of NSCLC patients. This adds evidence to a potential role of HPV in the pathogenesis of NSCLC.
The Impact of the Subsidy Policy on Total Factor Productivity: An Empirical Analysis of China's Cotton Production
Authors: Tan Yanwen , Guan Jianbo , Karimi Hamid Reza
Published: March 2013

This paper develops one model to explore the relationship between the subsidy policy and the agricultural total factor productivity (TFP). It indicates that the agricultural TFP will be lower after the subsidy policy is implemented and there exists a negative relation between the subsidy and TFP, if subsidies are associated with the acreage. Using Malmquist index, this paper measures the changes of TFP in China's cotton production before and after the subsidy policy is implemented. The results verify that the subsidy policy could not increase but decrease the TFP of China's cotton production, not only in the whole country but also in major provinces of China. Based on the positive study, some policy implications are provided in the end of this paper.
Tonsillitis Caused by Vomiting in a Patient with Bulimia Nervosa: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Bannister Miles
Published: March 2013

A 32-year-old lady presented to our ENT service with worsening tonsillitis. This was one of multiple attacks; all of which had all followed periods of self-induced vomiting due to the patient suffering with bulimia nervosa. Here we present the first ever case report of such a case of tonsillitis and a review of the literature of otolaryngology manifestations and complications of bulimia nervosa.
Reduction of Airway Hyperresponsiveness by KWLL inDermatophagoides-pteronyssinus-Challenged Mice
Authors: Lin Chih-Che , Wang Shulhn-Der , Lin Li-Jen , Hong Hong-Jye , Wu Chin-Jen , Chiang Chung-Jen , Chao Yun-Peng , Kao Shung-Te
Published: March 2013

Urine therapy has been commonly practiced in ancient civilizations including those of India, China, and Greece. The traditional Chinese medicine KWLL, the precipitation of human urine, has been used in China to alleviate the symptoms of asthma for thousands of years. However, the mechanism of action by which KWLL exerts its immunotherapy is unclear. This study attempted to elucidate the pharmacology of KWLL in mice that had been challenged recurrently byDermatophagoides pteronyssinus(Der p). BALB/c mice were orally administered KWLL (1 g/kg) before an intratracheal (i.t.) challenge of Der p. Allergic airway inflammation and remodeling were provoked by repetitive Der p (50 μg/mice) challenges six times at 1 wk intervals. Airway hypersensitivity, histological lung characteristics, and the expression profiles of cytokines and various genes were assessed. KWLL reduced Der p-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and inhibited eosinophil infiltration by downregulating the protein expression of IL-5 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). It also inhibited neutrophil recruitment by downregulating IL-17A in BALF. KWLL effectively diminished inflammatory cells, goblet cell hyperplasia, and mRNA expression of IL-6 and IL-17A in the lung. The reduction by KWLL of airway inflammatory and hyperresponsiveness in allergic asthmatic mice was mediated via immunomodulation of IL-5, IL-6, and IL-17A.
Minimum System Sensitivity Study of Linear Discrete Time Systems for Fault Detection
Authors: Li Xiaobo , Liu Hugh H. T.
Published: March 2013

Fault detection is a critical step in the fault diagnosis of modern complex systems. An important notion in fault detection is the smallest gain of system sensitivity, denoted asℋ−index, which measures the worst fault sensitivity. This paper is concerned with characterizingℋ−index for linear discrete time systems. First, a necessary and sufficient condition on the lower bound ofℋ−index in finite time horizon for linear discrete time-varying systems is developed. It is characterized in terms of the existence of solution to a backward difference Riccati equation with an inequality constraint. The result is further extended to systems with unknown initial condition based on a modifiedℋ−index. In addition, for linear time-invariant systems in infinite time horizon, based on the definition of theℋ−index in frequency domain, a condition in terms of algebraic Riccati equation is developed. In comparison with the well-known bounded real lemma, it is found thatℋ−index is not completely dual toℋ∞norm. Finally, several numerical examples are given to illustrate the main results.
Cancer Stem Cell Markers in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Major Aidan G. , Pitty Luke P. , Farah Camile S.
Published: March 2013

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the world’s top ten most common cancers. Current survival rates are poor with only 50% of patients expected to survive five years after diagnosis. The poor survival rate of HNSCC is partly attributable to the tendency for diagnosis at the late stage of the disease. One of the reasons for treatment failure is thought to be related to the presence of a subpopulation of cells within the tumour called cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs display stem cell-like characteristics that impart resistance to conventional treatment modalities and promote tumour initiation, progression, and metastasis. Specific markers for this population have been investigated in the hope of developing a deeper understanding of their role in the pathogenesis of HNSCC and elucidating novel therapeutic strategies.
Ordered Variational Inequalities and Ordered Complementarity Problems in Banach Lattices
Authors: Li Jinlu , Wen Ching-Feng
Published: March 2013

We introduce the concepts of ordered variational inequalities and ordered complementarity problems with both domain and range in Banach lattices. Then we apply the Fan-KKM theorem and KKM mappings to study the solvability of these problems.
A Rare Localization of Actinomycosis Mimicking Ulcerative Malignancy
Authors: Volpi Luca , Ferreli Fabio , Bignami Maurizio , Pistochini Andrea , Meloni Francesco , Karligkiotis Apostolos , Castelnuovo Paolo
Published: March 2013

Actinomycosis is a chronic, suppurative, and granulomatous process caused by Actinomycetes, saprophytic bacteria normally residing in the oral cavity. It can involve any organ, but the cervicofacial disease is the most frequent. Pharyngolayngeal involvement is rare and usually occurs secondary to the oral or cervical disease. There are few cases of primary pharyngolaringeal actinomycosis described in the literature. A rare case of pharyngeal actinomycosis mimicking an ulcerative malignancy in a 63-year-old man is reported. The patient was treated successfully with long-term antibiotic therapy. The clinical and pathological features and the aspects of diagnosis and treatment of cervicofacial actinomycosis are discussed.
West Nile Virus Infection in Pregnancy
Authors: Stewart Robert D. , Bryant Stefanie N. , Sheffield Jeanne S.
Published: March 2013

A recent outbreak of West Nile virus has allowed for observations as to the clinical course of this emerging pathogen during pregnancy. We present three cases of West Nile virus infection during pregnancy. Case 1 presented at term with focal subjective weakness and fever. With supportive care, her symptoms were resolved within 7 days, and she subsequently delivered an unaffected term infant. Case 2 presented in the first trimester with fever and headache. Her symptoms were resolved in 8 days with supportive care. Case 3 was diagnosed during the first trimester during workup of nonspecific respiratory symptoms, with resolution of all symptoms in 24 days. Obstetricians need to be aware of the varied clinical presentation of West Nile virus during pregnancy.
Simulation Strategy for the Evaluation of Neutronic Properties of a Canadian SCWR Fuel Channel
Authors: Harrisson G. , Marleau G.
Published: March 2013

The Canadian Supercritical-Water-Cooled Reactor (SCWR) is a vertical pressure tube reactor cooled with supercritical light water and moderated with heavy water. For normal operation, the local conditions of the coolant (density and temperature) and fuel (temperature) vary substantially along the channel. This means that to simulate adequately the behavior of the core under operating conditions or for anticipated accident scenario, expensive 3D transport calculations for a complete fuel channel are required. Here, we propose a simulation strategy that takes into account axial variations of the local conditions and avoids 3D transport calculations. This strategy consists in replacing the 3D simulation by a series of isolated 2D calculations followed by a single 1D simulation. It is shown that this strategy is efficient because the axial coupling along the fuel channel is relatively weak. In addition, the neutronic properties of a channel with axial reflector can be modeled using a simplified 3D transport calculation.
Bilothorax: A Bitter Complication of Liver Surgery
Authors: Hamers L. A. C. , Bosscha K. , van Leuken M. H. , Moviat M. A. M. , de Jager C. P. C.
Published: March 2013

Bilothorax is a rare condition, mostly associated with surgery involving the biliary system or trauma. In this article a case of bilothorax secondary to liver surgery is reported, which recovered by pleural and abdominal drainage. Bilothorax should be considered as a cause of respiratory detoriation in patients with recent biliary or hepatic surgery.
Seasonality and Dynamic Spatial Contagion of Air Pollution in 42 Chinese Cities
Authors: He Zhanqiong , Sriboonchita Songsak , He Min
Published: March 2013

To monitor and improve the urban air quality, the Chinese government has begun to make many efforts, and the interregional cooperation to cut and improve air quality has been required. In this paper, we focus on the seasonality of the first and second moments of the daily air pollution indexes (APIs) of 42 Chinese sample cities over 10 years, from June 5, 2000 to March 4, 2010, and investigate the dynamic correlation of air pollution indexes (APIs) between 42 Chinese cities and their corresponding regional and national levels; comparison with the model without seasonal consideration is made. By adopting a DCC‐GARCH model that accounts for the seasonality, we found that (i) the transformed DCC‐GARCH model including seasonality dummies improves the estimation result in this study; (ii) the seasonality feature of the second moment follows that of the first moment, with the condition mean and variance of the second and autumn significantly lower than spring, whereas that of winter is higher than spring; (iii) the correlation between local APIs and their corresponding regional and national levels is dynamic; (iv) comparing with the DCC‐GARCH model estimation, the transformed model does not change the feature of the dynamic correlations very much.
Iron (III) Ion Sensor Based on the Seedless Grown ZnO Nanorods in 3 Dimensions Using Nickel Foam Substrate
Authors: Abbasi Mazhar Ali , Ibupoto Zafar Hussain , Khan Yaqoob , Khan Azam , Nur Omer , Willander Magnus
Published: March 2013

In the present work, the seedless, highly aligned and vertical ZnO nanorods in 3 dimensions (3D) were grown on the nickel foam substrate. The seedless grown ZnO nanorods were characterised by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The characterised seedless ZnO nanorods in 3D on nickel foam were highly dense, perpendicular to substrate, grown along the (002) crystal plane, and also composed of single crystal. In addition to this, these seedless ZnO nanorods were functionalized with trans-dinitro-dibenzo-18-6 crown ether, a selective iron (III) ion ionophore, along with other components of membrane composition such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), 2-nitopentylphenyl ether as plasticizer (NPPE), and tetrabutyl ammonium tetraphenylborate (TBATPB) as conductivity increaser. The sensor electrode has shown high linearity with a wide range of detection of iron (III) ion concentrations from 0.005 mM to 100 mM. The low limit of detection of the proposed ion selective electrode was found to be 0.001 mM. The proposed sensor also described high storage stability, selectivity, reproducibility, and repeatability and a quick response time of less than 10 s.
MAC-Aware and Power-Aware Image Aggregation Scheme in Wireless Visual Sensor Networks
Authors: Chen Yui-Liang , Yen Hong-Hsu
Published: March 2013

Traditional wireless sensor networks (WSNs) transmit the scalar data (e.g., temperature and irradiation) to the sink node. A new wireless visual sensor network (WVSN) that can transmit images data is a more promising solution than the WSN on sensing, detecting, and monitoring the environment to enhance awareness of the cyber, physical, and social contexts of our daily activities. However, the size of image data is much bigger than the scalar data that makes image transmission a challenging issue in battery-limited WVSN. In this paper, we study the energy efficient image aggregation scheme in WVSN. Image aggregation is a possible way to eliminate the redundant portions of the image captured by different data source nodes. Hence, transmission power could be reduced via the image aggregation scheme. However, image aggregation requires image processing that incurs node processing power. Besides the additional energy consumption from node processing, there is another MAC-aware retransmission energy loss from image aggregation. In this paper, we first propose the mathematical model to capture these three factors (image transmission, image processing, and MAC retransmission) in WVSN. Numerical results based on the mathematical model and real WVSN sensor node (i.e., Meerkats node) are performed to optimize the energy consumption tradeoff between image transmission, image processing, and MAC retransmission.
Analytical Modelling of a Spray Column Three-Phase Direct Contact Heat Exchanger
Authors: Mahood Hameed B. , Sharif Adel O. , Hosseini Seyed Ali , Thorpe Rex B.
Published: March 2013

An analytical model for the temperature distribution of a spray column, three-phase direct contact heat exchanger is developed. So far there were only numerical models available for this process; however to understand the dynamic behaviour of these systems, characteristic models are required. In this work, using cell model configuration and irrotational potential flow approximation characteristic models has been developed for the relative velocity and the drag coefficient of the evaporation swarm of drops in an immiscible liquid, using a convective heat transfer coefficient of those drops included the drop interaction effect, which derived by authors already. Moreover, one-dimensional energy equation was formulated involving the direct contact heat transfer coefficient, the holdup ratio, the drop radius, the relative velocity, and the physical phases properties. In addition, time-dependent drops sizes were taken into account as a function of vaporization ratio inside the drops, while a constant holdup ratio along the column was assumed. Furthermore, the model correlated well against experimental data.
Prospects for Neutrino Oscillation Physics
Authors: Pascoli Silvia , Schwetz Thomas
Published: March 2013

Recently the last unknown lepton mixing angleθ13has been determined to be relatively large, not too far from its previous upper bound. This opens exciting possibilities for upcoming neutrino oscillation experiments towards addressing fundamental questions, among them the type of the neutrino mass hierarchy and the search for CP violation in the lepton sector. In this paper we review the phenomenology of neutrino oscillations, focusing on subleading effects, which will be the key towards these goals. Starting from a discussion of the present determination of three-flavour oscillation parameters, we give an outlook on the potential of near-term oscillation physics as well as on the long-term program towards possible future precision oscillation facilities. We discuss accelerator-driven long-baseline experiments as well as nonaccelerator possibilities from atmospheric and reactor neutrinos.
Repeated Game-Inspired Spectrum Sharing for Clustering Cognitive Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Li Cuiran , Xie Jianli
Published: March 2013

The paper studies the cooperative spectrum sharing among multiple secondary users (SUs) in a clustering cognitive ad hoc network. The problem is formulated as a repeated game with the aim of maximizing the total transmission rate of SUs. Firstly, a clustering formation procedure is proposed to reduce the overhead and delay of game process in cognitive radio network (CRN). Then the repeated game-inspired model for SUs is introduced. With the model, the convergence condition of the proposed spectrum-sharing algorithm is conducted, and the convergence performance is investigated by considering the effects of three key factors: transmission power, discount factor, and convergence coefficient. Furthermore, the fairness of spectrum sharing is analyzed, and numerical results show a significant performance improvement of the proposed strategy when compared to other similar spectrum-sharing algorithms.
An Opial-Type Inequality on Time Scales
Authors: Li Qiao-Luan , Cheung Wing-Sum
Published: March 2013

We establish some new Opial-type inequalities involving higher order delta derivatives on time scales. These extend some known results in the continuous case in the literature and provide new estimates in the setting of time scales.
A Rare Coexistence of Retroperitoneal Pararenal Castleman's Disease with Focal Nodular Hyperplasia
Authors: Theodosopoulos Theodosios , Karakatsanis Andreas , Yiallourou Anneza I. , Nikolakopoulos Fotios , Psychogiou Vassiliki , Karvouni Eleni , Voros Dionysios
Published: March 2013

Castleman's disease is a distinct form of lymph node hyperplasia divided into a solitary and a multicentric type. The solitary type occurs most commonly in the mediastinum and is usually asymptomatic. We present a patient with Castleman's disease of the hyaline-vascular solitary type located in the retroperitoneum. The patient was a 38-year-old male, who presented to our hospital with fever. The imaging workup revealed a retroperitoneal mass, measuring 4 × 6 cm, located lateral to the aorta, inferior to the left renal artery and vein, and posterior to the left testicular vein. At workup, a solid hepatic lesion, 3 cm in diameter, located in the left lobe of the liver, segment IV, was also identified. Both lesions were surgically excised. The retroperitoneal tumor had the features of angiofollicular hyperplasia (Castleman's disease), hyaline-vascular type, whereas a diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia was made for the hepatic lesion. The patient is well at fourty months followup postoperatively. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice for unifocal Castleman's disease.
Electrical Characterization of Nanopolyaniline/Porous Silicon Heterojunction at High Temperatures
Authors: El-Zohary Salah E. , Shenashen M. A. , Allam Nageh K. , Okamoto T. , Haraguchi M.
Published: March 2013

Nanopolyaniline/p‐type porous silicon (NPANI/PSi) heterojunction films were chemically fabricated via in situ polymerization. The composition and morphology of the nanopolymer were confirmed using Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, UV‐visible, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The results indicated that the polymerization took place throughout the porous layer. The I-V measurements, performed at different temperatures, enabled the calculation of ideality factor, barrier height, and series resistance of those films. The obtained ideality factor showed a nonideal diode behavior. The series resistance was found to decrease with increasing temperature.
On the Support of Solutions to a Two-Dimensional Nonlinear Wave Equation
Authors: Zhang Wenbin , Zhou Jiangbo , Tian Lixin , Kumar Sunil
Published: March 2013

It is shown that ifuis a sufficiently smooth solution to a two-dimensional nonlinear wave equation such that there existsL>0with suppu(i)⊆[−L,L]×[−L,L], fori=0,1, thenu≡0.
Algebraic Properties of Toeplitz Operators on the Pluriharmonic Bergman Space
Authors: Yang Jingyu , Liu Liu , Lu Yufeng
Published: March 2013

We study some algebraic properties of Toeplitz operators with radial or quasihomogeneous symbols on the pluriharmonic Bergman space. We first give the necessary and sufficient conditions for the product of two Toeplitz operators with radial symbols to be a Toeplitz operator and discuss the zero-product problem for several Toeplitz operators with radial symbols. Next, we study the finite-rank product problem of several Toeplitz operators with quasihomogeneous symbols. Finally, we also investigate finite rank commutators and semicommutators of two Toeplitz operators with quasihomogeneous symbols.
Spontaneous Reattachment of a Posteriorly Dislocated Endothelial Graft: A Case Report
Authors: Kam Ka Wai , Young Alvin L.
Published: March 2013

A thirty-year-old Chinese man with a history of severe trauma to his right eye, with secondary sectoral aniridia and multiple operations including intraocular lens insertion more than fifteen years ago, underwent an uneventful Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) for his pseudophakic bullous keratopathy in a tertiary hospital in Hong Kong. The nature of his previous operations was unknown to the surgeon at the time of transplant. On postoperative day one, the graft was not present in the anterior chamber. Fundal view was limited because of corneal oedema. B-scan ultrasonography could not detect any definite presence of a donor button in the posterior segment as gas was present in the vitreous cavity. The patient was instructed to lie prone full time, and on postoperative day three, the graft was found to be reattached to the stroma with spontaneous resolution of corneal oedema, indicating restoration of pump function of endothelium graft. This is the first case of spontaneous reattachment of a posteriorly dislocated endothelial graft without surgical intervention or abandonment of the grafted endothelial button.
Effects of Taxon Sampling in Reconstructions of Intron Evolution
Authors: Nikitin Mikhail A. , Aleoshin Vladimir V.
Published: March 2013

Introns comprise a considerable portion of eukaryotic genomes; however, their evolution is understudied. Numerous works of the last years largely disagree on many aspects of intron evolution. Interpretation of these differences is hindered because different algorithms and taxon sampling strategies were used. Here, we present the first attempt of a systematic evaluation of the effects of taxon sampling on popular intron evolution estimation algorithms. Using the “taxon jackknife” method, we compared the effect of taxon sampling on the behavior of intron evolution inferring algorithms. We show that taxon sampling can dramatically affect the inferences and identify conditions where algorithms are prone to systematic errors. Presence or absence of some key species is often more important than the taxon sampling size alone. Criteria of representativeness of the taxonomic sampling for reliable reconstructions are outlined. Presence of the deep-branching species with relatively high intron density is more important than sheer number of species. According to these criteria, currently available genomic databases are representative enough to provide reliable inferences of the intron evolution in animals, land plants, and fungi, but they underrepresent many groups of unicellular eukaryotes, including the well-studied Alveolata.
Delayed Neurologic Deficit due to Foraminal Stenosis following Osteoporotic Late Collapse of a Lumbar Spine Vertebral Body
Authors: Sasaki Yu , Aoki Yasuchika , Nakajima Arata , Shibata Yoshifumi , Sonobe Masato , Takahashi Kazuhisa , Ohtori Seiji , Nakagawa Koichi
Published: March 2013

We report an 85-year-old woman with an L3 vertebral body fracture who presented with back pain, bilateral leg pain, and weakness after four months of conservative treatment. Because of unstable pseudoarthrosis, the L3 vertebral body collapsed in the standing position and the L3 nerve root was compressed. The indicated surgery decompressed the L3-L4 foramen and fused the unstable segment. The back pain and neurologic symptoms improved significantly following surgery. We propose that delayed neurologic deficit following an osteoporotic fracture of the lumbar body may be caused not only by retropulsion of vertebral body fragments with significant canal compromise, but also by foraminal stenosis with the late collapse of the vertebral fracture. This new pathomechanism for delayed neurologic deficit has not been previously described. If a collapse takes place in the caudal part of the vertebral body below the base of the pedicle, spine surgeons should be aware of the possibility of foraminal stenosis.
Peripartum Isolated Cortical Vein Thrombosis in a Mother with Postdural Puncture Headache Treated with an Epidural Blood Patch
Authors: Laverse Etienne , Cader Sarah , de Silva Rajith , Chawda Sanjiv , Kapoor Satish , Thompson Olaleye
Published: March 2013

A 32-year-old woman presented with low pressure headache 3 days after delivery of her baby. An assessment of postdural puncture headache was made. This was initially treated with analgesia, caffeine, and fluids for the presumed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. The woman was readmitted two days after her hospital discharge with generalised seizures. A brain scan showed features of intracranial hypotension, and she was treated for CSF leak using an epidural blood patch. Her symptoms worsened and three days later, she developed a left homonymous quadrantanopia. An MRI scan confirmed a right parietal haematoma with evidence of isolated cortical vein thrombosis (ICVT).