bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resolving ELT Challenges Through Critical Thinking Strategies
Authors: Kandel Rajan Kumar
Published: July 2015

Overviewing the existing ELT challenges in Nepalese education, this article attempts to explore the challenges resulted from the age long conventional teacher-led, drilling, lecturing, note providing, and translation based teaching, and suggests to opt critical thinking (CT) strategies to solve the problems based on experiences and observations of the researcher for more than a decade. It tries to reflect how CT strategies help students in learning English inclusively in a co-operative and democratic class. A model lesson plan (along with pictures downloaded from the Internet) has also been appended to show how a teacher can introduce CT in ELT class in Nepal to overcome the challenges and lead the students to active and stress-free English learning. It also depicts positive consequences of the intervention (CT strategies) of the study resulted from action learning during the decade long practice and exploration of a teacher in his local context. Journal of NELTA Surkhet Vol.4 2014: 1-12
Classroom Management in Schools
Authors: Rijal Chanakya P
Published: July 2015

Among the various concepts emerged more recently in the field of formal education, especially in school education, classroom management has been considered as one of the integrated functions of institutional and functional intervention areas in teaching-learning. In this discourse, different professionals and institutions happen to proclaim different strategies and functional inputs so as to transform classroom as one of the most essential areas of school transformation. The scope of functional coverage of classroom management has expanded significantly these days from the concept of traditional physical structural shape to induction of newer approaches of student participation, learner focused teaching learning, collaborative and cooperative approaches to teaching-learning materials development and implementation, making classroom discourses more socio-ethically sound, and creating appealing classroom infrastructure and rules for teachers, students and also for the parents. In fact, there is no readymade capsule to swallow as the final solution for this issue and there is also no final destiny as the overall concept of classroom and its arrangement has been consistently overhauled globally. Journal of NELTA Surkhet Vol.4 2014: 48-56
Critico-creative Thinking Pedagogy in ELT
Authors: Khadka Bishnu Kumar
Published: July 2015

Teaching and learning English is an energizing, purposeful, and vital experience for developing learners’ competence, confidence, and creativity. It is only possible when we let our learners think critically and creatively in our ELT classroom. This article deals with the theoretical concept of critico-creative thinking as a pedagogy reflecting the practical experiences in general and in ELT in particular. It aims to suggest both teachers and learners to adopt the critico-creative pedagogical strategies while teaching and learning English. Journal of NELTA Surkhet Vol.4 2014: 70-75
Analysis and Use of Figures of Speech
Authors: Regmi Lok Raj
Published: July 2015

Poetry, a form of literature, displays varieties of language use through figures of speech, the rhetorical devices. There are two views for and against the use of such rhetorical devices in language teaching. One of the views shows its strong resentment in using such figures of speech and does not find the space of them in language teaching whereas the next speaks in favour of using them in language teaching if the texts are wisely selected. It is the judicious or creative use of figures of speech. A language teacher tries to look at them from language teaching point of view. This writing primarily analyzes the representative figures of speech, states some examples with their language features and ultimately justifies how figures of speech support language teaching and learning. Journal of NELTA Surkhet Vol.4 2014: 76-80
Teachers’ Engrossment in Professional Development in Surkhet Valley
Authors: Giri Mukunda Kumar
Published: July 2015

Since 2010, National Center for Educational Development (NCED) has extended teachers’ professional development program for in-service teachers to Resource Centre (RC) level while the service of the then 10 month teacher training was limited to Education Training Center (ETC) (NCED, 2011). All the secondary level teachers have got at least one opportunity to attend Teachers’ Professional Development (TPD) training in these last three years in Surkhet district. In institutional schools, teachers are deprived of such opportunities; however, they are seen equally potent and equally professional. On the other hand, if we compare teachers’ individual professionalism, we find much variation although there is same kind of opportunities given to them. With an assumption that the teachers are the main resources to be used in the school system, this article summarizes the survey carried out amidst teachers, to explain TPD and to reflect the situation of teachers’ engrossment in professional development initiatives (PDI) in Surkhet valley. This study has attempted to assess the situation of teachers’ engrossment in Teachers’ Professional Development Initiatives in Surkhet valley. Journal of NELTA Surkhet Vol.4 2014: 81-90
The Case for Long Books
Authors: Cortada James W.
Published: July 2015

The author presents the case for and against the writing, publication, and reading of large books. He concludes that long volumes have their rightful place in the book market and for use by readers. Whether to publish long books is an old debate, which he also updates for the emerging world of ebooks.
Intrathecal preservative-free normal saline challenge magnetic resonance myelography for the identification of cerebrospinal fluid leaks in spontaneous intracranial hypotension
Authors: Griauzde Julius , Gemmete Joseph J. , Pandey Aditya S. , Chaudhary Neeraj
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

A CSF leak can be difficult to locate in patients who present with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). The purpose of this case series was to describe the authors’ experience with intrathecal preservative-free normal saline challenge coupled with contrast-enhanced MR myelography (CEMRM), which was used to provoke and detect a CSF leakage site in patients with SIH.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective review of the records of patients who underwent preservative-free normal saline challenge followed by intrathecal gadolinium (Gd) contrast infusion and MR myelography from 2010 to 2012.

RESULTS

The records survey identified 5 patients who underwent 6 procedures. Intrathecal preservative-free normal saline challenge followed by CEMRM identified a CSF leak during 5 of the 6 procedures. Previous CT myelograms were available from 4 patients, which did not reveal a leakage site. A CT myelogram of 1 patient showed a single leak, but the authors’ saline challenge-CEMRM technique identified multiple additional leakage sites. Three patients exhibited transient postprocedural symptoms related to the saline infusion, but no long-term or permanent adverse effects related to the procedure were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Instillation of preservative-free normal saline into the thecal sac followed by intrathecal Gd infusion is a safe technique that may increase the detection of a CSF leak on MR myelography images in patients with SIH.
Quantitative fluorescence using 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX biomarker as a surgical adjunct in low-grade glioma surgery
Authors: Valdés Pablo A. , Jacobs Valerie , Harris Brent T. , Wilson Brian C. , Leblond Frederic , Paulsen Keith D. , Roberts David W.
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

Previous studies in high-grade gliomas (HGGs) have indicated that protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) accumulates in higher concentrations in tumor tissue, and, when used to guide surgery, it has enabled improved resection leading to increased progression-free survival. Despite the benefits of complete resection and the advances in fluorescence-guided surgery, few studies have investigated the use of PpIX in low-grade gliomas (LGGs). Here, the authors describe their initial experience with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced PpIX fluorescence in a series of patients with LGG.

METHODS

Twelve patients with presumed LGGs underwent resection of their tumors after receiving 20 mg/kg of ALA approximately 3 hours prior to surgery under an institutional review board-approved protocol. Intraoperative assessments of the resulting PpIX emissions using both qualitative, visible fluorescence and quantitative measurements of PpIX concentration were obtained from tissue locations that were subsequently biopsied and evaluated histopathologically. Mixed models for random effects and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for diagnostic performance were performed on the fluorescence data relative to the gold-standard histopathology.

RESULTS

Five of the 12 LGGs (1 ganglioglioma, 1 oligoastrocytoma, 1 pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, 1 oligodendroglioma, and 1 ependymoma) demonstrated at least 1 instance of visible fluorescence during surgery. Visible fluorescence evaluated on a specimen-by-specimen basis yielded a diagnostic accuracy of 38.0% (cutoff threshold: visible fluorescence score ≥ 1, area under the curve = 0.514). Quantitative fluorescence yielded a diagnostic accuracy of 67% (for a cutoff threshold of the concentration of PpIX [CPpIX] > 0.0056 μg/ml, area under the curve = 0.66). The authors found that 45% (9/20) of nonvisibly fluorescent tumor specimens, which would have otherwise gone undetected, accumulated diagnostically significant levels of CPpIX that were detected quantitatively.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors’ initial experience with ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence in LGGs concurs with other literature reports that the resulting visual fluorescence has poor diagnostic accuracy. However, the authors also found that diagnostically significant levels of CPpIX do accumulate in LGGs, and the resulting fluorescence emissions are very often below the detection threshold of current visual fluorescence imaging methods. Indeed, at least in the authors’ initial experience reported here, if quantitative detection methods are deployed, the diagnostic performance of ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence in LGGs approaches the accuracy associated with visual fluorescence in HGGs.
Factors affecting survival in 43 consecutive patients after surgery for spinal metastases from thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Sellin Jonathan N. , Suki Dima , Harsh Viraat , Elder Benjamin D. , Fahim Daniel K. , McCutcheon Ian E. , Rao Ganesh , Rhines Laurence D. , Tatsui Claudio E.
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

Spinal metastases account for the majority of bone metastases from thyroid cancer. The objective of the current study was to analyze a series of consecutive patients undergoing spinal surgery for thyroid cancer metastases in order to identify factors that influence overall survival.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients who underwent surgery for spinal metastases from thyroid cancer between 1993 and 2010 at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

RESULTS

Forty-three patients met the study criteria. Median overall survival was 15.4 months (95% CI 2.8–27.9 months) based on the Kaplan-Meier method. The median follow-up duration for the 4 patients who were alive at the end of the study was 39.4 months (range 1.7–62.6 months). On the multivariate Cox analysis, progressive systemic disease at spine surgery and postoperative complications were associated with worse overall survival (HR 8.98 [95% CI 3.46–23.30], p < 0.001; and HR 2.86 [95% CI 1.30–6.31], p = 0.009, respectively). Additionally, preoperative neurological deficit was significantly associated with worse overall survival on the multivariate analysis (HR 3.01 [95% CI 1.34–6.79], p = 0.008). Conversely, preoperative embolization was significantly associated with improved overall survival on the multivariate analysis (HR 0.43 [95% CI 0.20–0.94], p = 0.04). Preoperative embolization and longer posterior construct length were significantly associated with fewer and greater complications, respectively, on the univariate analysis (OR 0.24 [95% CI 0.06–0.93] p = 0.04; and OR 1.24 [95% CI 1.02–1.52], p = 0.03), but not the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Progressive systemic disease, postoperative complications, and preoperative neurological deficits were significantly associated with worse overall survival, while preoperative spinal embolization was associated with improved overall survival. These factors should be taken into consideration when considering such patients for surgery. Preoperative embolization and posterior construct length significantly influenced the incidence of postoperative complications only on the univariate analysis.
Myelopathy-mimicking symptoms of epidural venous engorgement and syringomyelia due to inferior vena cava stenosis at the thoracolumbar junction in a patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome
Authors: Lee Jung-Hee , Song Wook-Jae , Kang Kyung-Chung
Published: July 2015

Epidural venous engorgement can result from various lesions, such as arteriovenous malformation, thrombosis or occlusion of the inferior vena cava (IVC), or an abdominal masslike lesion. Most patients with these problems complain of low-back pain, radicular pain, or neurogenic claudication, which are symptoms suggestive of disc herniation or spinal stenosis. However, these patients rarely exhibit neurological deficits or cauda equina syndrome. The authors encountered a case of a 60-year-old man presenting with lower-extremity weakness and voiding difficulty for a period of 1 year. To investigate the patient’s myelopathy-mimicking symptoms, a lumbar spine MRI scan was performed. The MR images exhibited tortuous and dilated spinal vessels compressing the spinal cord and thecal sac at the T11-L3 level, which were concurrent with syringomyelia evidenced by a 22 × 2.5-mm cyst at the T11–12 level. 3D CT scanning of the whole aorta revealed total occlusion and regression of the IVC in the intrahepatic region 3 cm inferior to the right atrium and dilation of multiple collateral veins. The patient was diagnosed with chronic Budd-Chiari syndrome Type I. The authors performed venography, followed by intrahepatic IVC recanalization via stent placement under fluoroscopic and ultra sonographic guidance and without surgical exploration. After this treatment, there was a marked decrease in epidural venous engorgement and the patient’s symptoms resolved almost completely. This case indicates that epidural venous engorgement at thoracolumbar levels may cause symptoms suggestive of myelopathy and can be successfully treated by minimally invasive procedures to eliminate the underlying causes.
Preoperative opioid strength may not affect outcomes of anterior cervical procedures: a post hoc analysis of 2 prospective, randomized trials
Authors: Kelly Michael P. , Anderson Paul A. , Sasso Rick C. , Riew K. Daniel
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between preoperative opioid strength and outcomes of anterior cervical decompressive surgery.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of 1004 patients enrolled in 1 of 2 investigational device exemption studies comparing cervical total disc arthroplasty (TDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for single-level cervical disease causing radiculopathy or myelopathy was selected. At a preoperative visit, opioid use data, Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores, 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores, and numeric rating scale scores for neck and arm pain were collected. Patients were divided into strong (oxycodone/morphine/meperidine), weak (codeine/propoxyphene/hydrocodone), and opioid-naïve groups. Preoperative and postoperative (24 months) outcomes scores were compared within and between groups using the paired t-test and ANCOVA, respectively.

RESULTS

Patients were categorized as follows: 226 strong, 762 weak, and 16 opioid naïve. The strong and weak groups were similar with respect to age, sex, race, marital status, education level, Worker’s Compensation status, litigation status, and alcohol use. At 24-month follow-up, no differences in change in arm or neck pain scores (arm: strong −52.3, weak −50.6, naïve −54.0, p = 0.244; neck: strong −52.7, weak −50.8, naïve −44.6, p = 0.355); NDI scores (strong −36.0, weak −33.3, naïve −32.3, p = 0.181); or SF-36 Physical Component Summary scores (strong: 14.1, weak 13.3, naïve 21.7, p = 0.317) were present. Using a 15-point improvement in NDI to determine success, the authors found no between-groups difference in success rates (strong 80.6%, weak 82.7%, naïve 73.3%, p = 0.134). No difference existed between treatment arms (TDA vs ACDF) for any outcome at any time point.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative opioid strength did not adversely affect outcomes in this analysis. Careful patient selection can yield good results in this patient population.
Utilization of laser interstitial thermotherapy guided by real-time thermal MRI as an alternative to separation surgery in the management of spinal metastasis
Authors: Tatsui Claudio E. , Stafford R. Jason , Li Jing , Sellin Jonathan N. , Amini Behrang , Rao Ganesh , Suki Dima , Ghia Amol J. , Brown Paul , Lee Sun-Ho , Cowles Charles E. , Weinberg Jeffrey S. , Rhines Laurence D.
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

High-grade malignant spinal cord compression is commonly managed with a combination of surgery aimed at removing the epidural tumor, followed by spinal stereotactic radiosurgery (SSRS) aimed at local tumor control. The authors here introduce the use of spinal laser interstitial thermotherapy (SLITT) as an alternative to surgery prior to SSRS.

METHODS

Patients with a high degree of epidural malignant compression due to radioresistant tumors were selected for study. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain and quality of life were obtained before and within 30 and 60 days after treatment. A laser probe was percutaneously placed in the epidural space. Real-time thermal MRI was used to monitor tissue damage in the region of interest. All patients received postoperative SSRS. The maximum thickness of the epidural tumor was measured, and the degree of epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC) was scored in pre- and postprocedure MRI.

RESULTS

In the 11 patients eligible for study, the mean VAS score for pain decreased from 6.18 in the preoperative period to 4.27 within 30 days and 2.8 within 60 days after the procedure. A similar VAS interrogating the percentage of quality of life demonstrated improvement from 60% preoperatively to 70% within both 30 and 60 days after treatment. Imaging follow-up 2 months after the procedure demonstrated a significant reduction in the mean thickness of the epidural tumor from 8.82 mm (95% CI 7.38–10.25) before treatment to 6.36 mm (95% CI 4.65–8.07) after SLITT and SSRS (p = 0.0001). The median preoperative ESCC Grade 2 was scored as 4, which was significantly higher than the score of 2 for Grade 1b (p = 0.04) on imaging follow-up 2 months after the procedure.

CONCLUTIONS

The authors present the first report on an innovative minimally invasive alternative to surgery in the management of spinal metastasis. In their early experience, SLITT has provided local control with low morbidity and improvement in both pain and the quality of life of patients.
Impact of epilepsy surgery on development of preschool children: identification of a cohort likely to benefit from early intervention
Authors: Shurtleff Hillary A. , Barry Dwight , Firman Timothy , Warner Molly H. , Aguilar-Estrada Rafael L. , Saneto Russell P. , Kuratani John D. , Ellenbogen Richard G. , Novotny Edward J. , Ojemann Jeffrey G.
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

Outcomes of focal resection in young children with early-onset epilepsy are varied in the literature due to study differences. In this paper, the authors sought to define the effect of focal resection in a small homogeneous sample of children who were otherwise cognitively intact, but who required early surgical treatment. Preservation of and age-appropriate development of intelligence following focal resection was hypothesized.

METHODS

Cognitive outcome after focal resection was retrospectively reviewed for 15 cognitively intact children who were operated on at the ages of 2–6 years for lesion-related, early-onset epilepsy. Intelligence was tested prior to and after surgery. Effect sizes and confidence intervals for means and standard deviations were used to infer changes and differences in intelligence between 1) groups (pre vs post), 2) left versus right hemisphere resections, and 3) short versus long duration of seizures prior to resection.

RESULTS

No group changes from baseline occurred in Full Scale, verbal, or nonverbal IQ. No change from baseline intelligence occurred in children who underwent left or right hemisphere surgery, including no group effect on verbal scores following surgery in the dominant hemisphere. Patients with seizure durations of less than 6 months prior to resection showed improvement from their presurgical baseline in contrast to those with seizure duration of greater than 6 months prior to surgery, particularly in Wechsler Full Scale IQ and nonverbal intelligence.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that surgical treatment of focal seizures in cognitively intact preschool children is likely to result in seizure remediation, antiepileptic drug discontinuation, and no significant decrement in intelligence. The latter finding is particularly significant in light of the longstanding concern associated with performing resections in the language-dominant hemisphere. Importantly, shorter seizure duration prior to resection can result in improved cognitive outcome, suggesting that surgery for this population should occur sooner to help improve intelligence outcomes.
Endoscopic diagnosis of an MRI-occult, low-grade glioma with ependymal dissemination
Authors: Margetis Konstantinos , Rajappa Prajwal , Cope William , Pisapia David , Souweidane Mark M.
Published: July 2015

A 21-year-old man presented with triventricular hydrocephalus due to a tectal mass. He underwent an endoscopic third ventriculostomy, and multiple nodules were identified at the floor of the third ventricle intraoperatively. Surgical pathology of one of these lesions demonstrated that the tissue represented a low-grade astrocytoma. The case highlights the existing potential of neuroendoscopy to reveal neuroimaging-occult lesions, in spite of the significant advances of MRI. Furthermore, the combination of the age of the patient, the nonenhancing MRI appearance, and the multifocality of the lesions constitutes a rare and interesting neoplastic presentation within the brain. The constellation of findings likely represents dissemination of a low-grade tectal glioma via the CSF compartment.
Noninvasive screening for intracranial hypertension in children with acute, severe traumatic brain injury
Authors: O’Brien Nicole F. , Maa Tensing , Reuter-Rice Karin
Published: July 2015

OBJECT

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between transcranial Doppler (TCD) derived pulsatility index (PI), end diastolic flow velocity (Vd), and intracranial pressure (ICP). The subjects in this study were 36 children admitted after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) (postresuscitation Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 8) undergoing invasive ICP monitoring.

METHODS

Subjects underwent a total of 148 TCD studies. TCD measurements of systolic flow velocity (Vs), Vd, and mean flow velocity (Vm) were performed on the middle cerebral artery (MCA) ipsilateral to the ICP monitor. The PI was calculated by the TCD software (Vs-Vd/Vm). ICP registrations were made in parallel with TCD measurements.

RESULTS

Using a PI threshold of 1.3, postinjury Day 0–1 PI had 100% sensitivity and 82% specificity at predicting an ICP ≥ 20 mm Hg (n = 8). During this time frame, a moderately strong relationship was observed between the MCA PI and actual ICP (r = 0.611, p = 0.01). When using a threshold of < 25 cm/sec, postinjury Day 0-1 Vd had a 56% sensitivity to predict an ICP ≥ 20 mm Hg. Beyond the initial 24 hours from injury, the sensitivity of an MCA PI of 1.3 to detect an ICP ≥20 mm Hg was 47%, and a weak relationship between actual ICP values and MCA PI (r = 0.376, p = 0.01) and MCA Vd (r = -0.284, p = 0.01) was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Postinjury Day 0-1 MCA PI > 1.3 has good sensitivity and specificity at predicting an ICP ≥ 20 mm Hg. In those children with TBI who initially do not meet clear criteria for invasive ICP monitoring but who are at risk for development of intracranial hypertension, TCD may be used as a noninvasive tool to screen for the development of elevated ICP in the first 24 hours following injury.
Rapidly enlarging low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma with intracranial extension in a 5-year-old girl: case report
Authors: White Ian K. , Scherer Andrea G. , Baumanis Maraya M. , Abdulkader Marwah , Fulkerson Daniel H.
Published: July 2015

Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS) is a rare mesenchymal tumor that is characterized by a benign histology but potentially aggressive clinical behavior, with a high rate of recurrence and metastasis. It primarily occurs in young adults in the extremities, inguinal area, neck, or chest wall. There are rare reports of intracranial LGFMS in adults. In this report, the authors present the case of a 5-year-old girl who presented with a rapidly enlarging frontal scalp mass. Pathological examination of the resected mass demonstrated LGFMS. To the authors' knowledge, this is the only reported case of intracranial LGFMS in a child.
PCPOR: Public and constant-cost proofs of retrievability in cloud
Authors: Yuan Jiawei , Yu Shucheng
Published: July 2015

Abstract

For data storage outsourcing services, it is important to allow users to efficiently and securely verify that cloud storage servers store their data correctly. To address this issue, a number of Proof of Retrievability (POR) and Proof of Data Possession (PDP) schemes have been proposed wherein servers must prove to a verifier that data are stored correctly. While existing POR and PDP schemes offer decent solutions addressing various practical issues, they either have non-trivial (linear or quadratic) communication and computational complexity, or only consider private verification. In this paper, we propose the first POR scheme with public verifiability, constant communication and computational costs on users. In our scheme, messages exchanged between cloud servers and users are composed of a constant number of group elements and random numbers; computational tasks required on users are also constant; batch auditing of multiple tasks is also efficiently supported. We achieved these by a unique design based on our novel polynomial-based authenticators. Extensive experiments on Amazon EC2 cloud and different client devices (contemporary and mobile devices) show that our design allows a user to audit the integrity of a file of any size with a constant computational cost of 150 ms on PC (2.11 s on mobile device) and a communication cost of 2.34 kB for 99% error detection probability when employing an erasure coding with 1% fault tolerance rate. We prove the security of our scheme based on the Computational Diffie–Hellman problem, the t-Strong Diffie–Hellman problem and the Static Diffie–Hellman problem.
Resveratrol overcomes TRAIL resistance in human colon cancer cells
Authors: Li Xiao-Bing , Deng Yun-Gang , Hu Jia-Ping , Wang Zhi , Xie Rong-Zhen , Luo Hong , Hu Xiao-Yun
Published: July 2015

Abstract

 Resveratrol is a stilbenoid compound, and a promising potent chemopreventive bioactive agent. Here, we showed for the first time that the combined treatment with resveratrol and TRAIL drastically induced apoptosis in human colon cancer cells when compared to single treatments. Further, resveratrol markedly up-regulated TRAIL receptors, DR5 and DR4 and the results revealed that DR5 siRNA efficiently blocked apoptosis induced by the co-treatment with resveratrol and TRAIL, indicating that DR5 up-regulation by resveratrol helps to enhance TRAIL actions. In addition, the combined effect were tested on normal human cells. All the obtained results suggested that resveratrol is very useful for TRAIL-based treatments for cancer.
Transporting Television in Space and Time: The Export ofDoctor Whoto the United States in the 1970s and 1980s
Authors: Sullivan John L.
Published: July 2015

The revival of the BBC series Doctor Who in 2005 heralded the successful rebirth of a defunct science fiction series that had been cancelled in 1989. While the 2005 incarnation was designed as a slick, high-budget media product with cross-national appeal, the initial series, which was broadcast regularly from 1963 to 1989, was quite different – quirky, low-budget and distinctly British. In fact, the roll-out of Doctor Who on American television screens in the late 1970s was marred by missteps thanks in part to structural differences between the US and British broadcasting systems. This essay explores the initial expansion of Doctor Who into the United States beginning in the late 1960s, first via syndication to commercial stations with Time Life Television and later to Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations nationwide through the BBC's US distribution arm, Lionheart Television. The attempt to internationalise the Doctor Who audience in its first two decades is examined through the larger lens of shared British and American broadcasting history and policy before and during the Thatcher era. Ironically, while the BBC scrapped Doctor Who in the 1980s due to market pressures and personal rivalries, it attracted an engaged and loyal fan base in the United States, ultimately boosting the fortunes of American public television.
ReadingThe Stuart Hall Project
Authors: Dudrah Rajinder
Published: July 2015

How might we be able to read and appreciate John Akomfrah's documentary The Stuart Hall Project? This article explores the film from a combined film and cultural studies approach, inspired by the intellectual work of Professor Stuart Hall himself. It situates the documentary about the life and work of Hall in terms of a development of Akomfrah's earlier work and in particular provides a close reading of the film as it deals with issues of biography and autobiography, identity and travel, and how it leaves us with an intriguing possibility of a conjunctural ending. It is argued that these topics have been represented through a reflexive audio-visual aesthetic as they are in an intimate dialogue with Hall's own cultural theory on such matters.
Continuous Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol over Pt/SiO2 and Pt/H-MFI-90
Authors: Hellinger Melanie , Baier Sina , Mortensen Peter , Kleist Wolfgang , Jensen Anker , Grunwaldt Jan-Dierk
Published: July 2015

Hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol in the presence of 1-octanol was studied in a fixed-bed reactor under mild conditions (50–250 °C) over platinum particles supported on silica (Pt/SiO2) and a zeolite with framework type MFI at a Si/Al-ratio of 45 (Pt/H-MFI-90). The deoxygenation selectivity strongly depended on the support and the temperature. Both guaiacol and octanol were rapidly deoxygenated in the presence of hydrogen over Pt/H-MFI-90 at 250 °C to cyclohexane and octane, respectively. In contrast, Pt/SiO2 mostly showed hydrogenation, but hardly any deoxygenation activity. The acidic sites of the MFI-90 support lead to improved deoxygenation performance at the mild temperature conditions of this study. Significant conversions under reaction conditions applied already occurred at temperatures of 200 °C. However, during long-term stability tests, the Pt/H-MFI-90 catalyst deactivated after more than 30 h, probably due to carbon deposition, whereas Pt/SiO2 was more stable. The catalytic activity of the zeolite catalyst could only partly be regained by calcination in air, as some of the acidic sites were lost.
Hydrological Modeling in Northern Tunisia with Regional Climate Model Outputs: Performance Evaluation and Bias-Correction in Present Climate Conditions
Authors: Foughali Asma , Tramblay Yves , Bargaoui Zoubeida , Carreau Julie , Ruelland Denis
Published: July 2015

This work aims to evaluate the performance of a hydrological balance model in a watershed located in northern Tunisia (wadi Sejnane, 378 km2) in present climate conditions using input variables provided by four regional climate models. A modified version (MBBH) of the lumped and single layer surface model BBH (Bucket with Bottom Hole model, in which pedo-transfer parameters estimated using watershed physiographic characteristics are introduced) is adopted to simulate the water balance components. Only two parameters representing respectively the water retention capacity of the soil and the vegetation resistance to evapotranspiration are calibrated using rainfall-runoff data. The evaluation criterions for the MBBH model calibration are: relative bias, mean square error and the ratio of mean actual evapotranspiration to mean potential evapotranspiration. Daily air temperature, rainfall and runoff observations are available from 1960 to 1984. The period 1960–1971 is selected for calibration while the period 1972–1984 is chosen for validation. Air temperature and precipitation series are provided by four regional climate models (DMI, ARP, SMH and ICT) from the European program ENSEMBLES, forced by two global climate models (GCM): ECHAM and ARPEGE. The regional climate model outputs (precipitation and air temperature) are compared to the observations in terms of statistical distribution. The analysis was performed at the seasonal scale for precipitation. We found out that RCM precipitation must be corrected before being introduced as MBBH inputs. Thus, a non-parametric quantile-quantile bias correction method together with a dry day correction is employed. Finally, simulated runoff generated using corrected precipitation from the regional climate model SMH is found the most acceptable by comparison with runoff simulated using observed precipitation data, to reproduce the temporal variability of mean monthly runoff. The SMH model is the most accurate to reproduce the occurrence of dry days but still underestimates them. From the statistical distribution point of view, corrected SMH precipitation data introduced into the MBBH model were not able to reproduce extreme runoff values generated by observed precipitation data during validation (larger than 80 mm/month). This may be due to the SMH weakness in reproducing moderate and high rainfall levels even after bias correction. This approach may be considered as a way to use regional climate models (RCM) model outputs for studying hydrological impacts.
Quantifying Redundant Information in Predicting a Target Random Variable
Authors: Griffith Virgil , Ho Tracey
Published: July 2015

We consider the problem of defining a measure of redundant information that quantifies how much common information two or more random variables specify about a target random variable. We discussed desired properties of such a measure, and propose new measures with some desirable properties.
A New Feature Extraction Method Based on the Information Fusion of Entropy Matrix and Covariance Matrix and Its Application in Face Recognition
Authors: Wang Shunfang , Liu Ping
Published: July 2015

The classic principal components analysis (PCA), kernel PCA (KPCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) feature extraction methods evaluate the importance of components according to their covariance contribution, not considering the entropy contribution, which is important supplementary information for the covariance. To further improve the covariance-based methods such as PCA (or KPCA), this paper firstly proposed an entropy matrix to load the uncertainty information of random variables similar to the covariance matrix loading the variation information in PCA. Then an entropy-difference matrix was used as a weighting matrix for transforming the original training images. This entropy-difference weighting (EW) matrix not only made good use of the local information of the training samples, contrast to the global method of PCA, but also considered the category information similar to LDA idea. Then the EW method was integrated with PCA (or KPCA), to form new feature extracting method. The new method was used for face recognition with the nearest neighbor classifier. The experimental results based on the ORL and Yale databases showed that the proposed method with proper threshold parameters reached higher recognition rates than the usual PCA (or KPCA) methods.
The Loser’s Bliss in Auctions with Price Externality
Authors: Haruvy Ernan , Popkowski Leszczyc Peter
Published: July 2015

We consider auctions with price externality where all bidders derive utility from the winning price, such as charity auctions. In addition to the benefit to the winning bidder, all bidders obtain a benefit that is increasing in the winning price. Theory makes two predictions in such settings: First, individual bids will be increasing in the multiplier on the winning price. Second, individual bids will not depend on the number of other bidders. Empirically, we find no evidence that increasing the multiplier increases individual bids in a systematic way, but we find that increasing the number of bidders does. An analysis of individual bidding functions reveals that bidders underweight the incentives to win and overweight the incentives to lose.
Diarylbibenzofuranone-Based Dynamic Covalent Polymer Gels Prepared via Radical Polymerization and Subsequent Polymer Reaction
Authors: Imato Keiichi , Nishihara Masamichi , Irie Atsushi , Takahara Atsushi , Otsuka Hideyuki
Published: July 2015

Diarylbibenzofuranone (DABBF) is a dynamic covalent bonding unit, which is in equilibrium with the corresponding radicals at room temperature, and polymers with DABBF linkages show notable properties such as self-healing. The preparation routes have been strictly limited, however, and no polymer with the linkages has been synthesized via radical polymerization because of the strong antioxidant activity of DABBF. Here we present a new method to prepare DABBF-containing polymers via radical polymerization of the precursor, arylbenzofuranone (ABF), and subsequent polymer reaction, dimerization of ABF units in the linear polymers. Polymer gels cross-linked by DABBF linkages were obtained against the relatively strong antioxidant activity of ABF and showed dynamic network reorganization at room temperature.
8-p-Hdroxybenzoyl Tovarol Induces Paraptosis Like Cell Death and Protective Autophagy in Human Cervical Cancer HeLa Cells
Authors: Zhang Cui , Jiang Yingnan , Zhang Jin , Huang Jian , Wang Jinhui
Published: July 2015

8-p-Hdroxybenzoyl tovarol (TAW) is a germacrane-type sesquiterpenoid that can be isolated from the roots of Ferula dissecta (Ledeb.) Ledeb. In this study, the growth inhibitory effects induced by TAW were screened on some types of tumor cells, and the mechanism was investigated on TAW-induced growth inhibition, including paraptosis and autophagy in human cervical cancer HeLa cells. TAW-induced paraptosis involved extensive cytoplasmic vacuolization in the absence of caspase activation. Additionally, TAW evoked cell paraptotic death mediated by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR). Autophagy induced by TAW was found to antagonize paraptosis in HeLa cells. This effect was enhanced by rapamycin and suppressed by the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3MA). Loss of beclin 1 (an autophagic regulator) function led to promote ER stress. Taken together, these results suggest that TAW induces paraptosis like cell death and protective autophagy in HeLa cells, which would provide a new clue for exploiting TAW as a promising agent for the treatment of cervical cancer.
Expression of Human DNAJ (Heat Shock Protein-40) B3 in Humanized UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1 Mice
Authors: Mitsugi Ryo , Itoh Tomoo , Fujiwara Ryoichi
Published: July 2015

The human DNAJB3 gene encodes a DNAJ (Heat shock protein 40; Hsp40) homolog, subfamily B, member 3 chaperone protein (DNAJB3), which can be down-regulated in disease conditions, as observed in decreased expression of DNAJB3 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of obese patients. Recently, humanized UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1 mice (hUGT1 mice) were developed, in which the introduced human UGT1 gene contained a gene encoding human DNAJB3. In the present study, we analyzed the expression of human DNAJB3 mRNA in hUGT1 mice. Among the examined tissues, the testis had the highest expression of human DNAJB3 mRNA, while the lowest expression was observed in the liver. We found that the pattern of tissue-specific expression of mouse Dnajb3 in hUGT1 mice was very similar to that of human DNAJB3. We further demonstrated that the expression of human DNAJB3 in the liver was significantly reduced in high-fat-diet-fed hUGT1 mice compared to the expression level in the control mice, indicating that the expression of human DNAJB3 in hUGT1 mice could be similarly regulated in disease conditions such as obesity. Humanized UGT1 mice might therefore be useful to investigate the physiological role of human DNAJB3 in vivo.
Identification and Characterization of 40 Isolated Rehmannia glutinosa MYB Family Genes and Their Expression Profiles in Response to Shading and Continuous Cropping
Authors: Wang Fengqing , Suo Yanfei , Wei He , Li Mingjie , Xie Caixia , Wang Lina , Chen Xinjian , Zhang Zhongyi
Published: July 2015

The v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) superfamily constitutes one of the most abundant groups of transcription factors (TFs) described in plants. To date, little is known about the MYB genes in Rehmannia glutinosa. Forty unique MYB genes with full-length cDNA sequences were isolated. These 40 genes were grouped into five categories, one R1R2R3-MYB, four TRFL MYBs, four SMH MYBs, 25 R2R3-MYBs, and six MYB-related members. The MYB DNA-binding domain (DBD) sequence composition was conserved among proteins of the same subgroup. As expected, most of the closely related members in the phylogenetic tree exhibited common motifs. Additionally, the gene structure and motifs of the R. glutinosa MYB genes were analyzed. MYB gene expression was analyzed in the leaf and the tuberous root under two abiotic stress conditions. Expression profiles showed that most R. glutinosa MYB genes were expressed in the leaf and the tuberous root, suggesting that MYB genes are involved in various physiological and developmental processes in R. glutinosa. Seven MYB genes were up-regulated in response to shading in at least one tissue. Two MYB genes showed increased expression and 13 MYB genes showed decreased expression in the tuberous root under continuous cropping. This investigation is the first comprehensive study of the MYB gene family in R. glutinosa.
BubR1 Acts as a Promoter in Cellular Motility of Human Oral Squamous Cancer Cells through Regulating MMP-2 and MMP-9
Authors: Chou Chou-Kit , Wu Chang-Yi , Chen Jeff , Ng Ming-Chong , Wang Hui-Min , Chen Jen-Hao , Yuan Shyng-Shiou , Tsai Eing-Mei , Chang Jan-Gowth , Chiu Chien-Chih
Published: July 2015

BubR1 is a critical component of spindle assembly checkpoint, ensuring proper chromatin segregation during mitosis. Recent studies showed that BubR1 was overexpressed in many cancer cells, including oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). However, the effect of BubR1 on metastasis of OSCC remains unclear. This study aimed to unravel the role of BubR1 in the progression of OSCC and confirm the expression of BubR1 in a panel of malignant OSCC cell lines with different invasive abilities. The results of quantitative real-time PCR showed that the mRNA level of BubR1 was markedly increased in four OSCC cell lines, Ca9-22, HSC3, SCC9 and Cal-27 cells, compared to two normal cells, normal human oral keratinocytes (HOK) and human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). Moreover, the expression of BubR1 in these four OSCC cell lines was positively correlated with their motility. Immunofluorescence revealed that BubR1 was mostly localized in the cytosol of human gingival carcinoma Ca9-22 cells. BubR1 knockdown significantly decreased cellular invasion but slightly affect cellular proliferation on both Ca9-22 and Cal-27 cells. Consistently, the activities of metastasis-associated metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 were attenuated in BubR1 knockdown Ca9-22 cells, suggesting the role of BubR1 in promotion of OSCC migration. Our present study defines an alternative pathway in promoting metastasis of OSCC cells, and the expression of BubR1 could be a prognostic index in OSCC patients.
3D-Printed ABS and PLA Scaffolds for Cartilage and Nucleus Pulposus Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Rosenzweig Derek , Carelli Eric , Steffen Thomas , Jarzem Peter , Haglund Lisbet
Published: July 2015

Painful degeneration of soft tissues accounts for high socioeconomic costs. Tissue engineering aims to provide biomimetics recapitulating native tissues. Biocompatible thermoplastics for 3D printing can generate high-resolution structures resembling tissue extracellular matrix. Large-pore 3D-printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds were compared for cell ingrowth, viability, and tissue generation. Primary articular chondrocytes and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were cultured on ABS and PLA scaffolds for three weeks. Both cell types proliferated well, showed high viability, and produced ample amounts of proteoglycan and collagen type II on both scaffolds. NP generated more matrix than chondrocytes; however, no difference was observed between scaffold types. Mechanical testing revealed sustained scaffold stability. This study demonstrates that chondrocytes and NP cells can proliferate on both ABS and PLA scaffolds printed with a simplistic, inexpensive desktop 3D printer. Moreover, NP cells produced more proteoglycan than chondrocytes, irrespective of thermoplastic type, indicating that cells maintain individual phenotype over the three-week culture period. Future scaffold designs covering larger pore sizes and better mimicking native tissue structure combined with more flexible or resorbable materials may provide implantable constructs with the proper structure, function, and cellularity necessary for potential cartilage and disc tissue repair in vivo.
Behavioral Deficits Are Accompanied by Immunological and Neurochemical Changes in a Mouse Model for Neuropsychiatric Lupus (NP-SLE)
Authors: Li Yan , Eskelund Amanda , Zhou Hua , Budac David , Sánchez Connie , Gulinello Maria
Published: July 2015

Neuropsychiatric symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (NP-SLE) have been understudied compared to end-organ failure and peripheral pathology. Neuropsychiatric symptoms, particularly affective and cognitive indications, may be among the earliest manifestations of SLE. Among the potential pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for NP-SLE are increased peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokines, subsequent induction of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and activation of the kynurenine pathway. In the MRL/MpJ-Faslpr (MRL/lpr) murine model of lupus, depression-like behavior and cognitive dysfunction is evident before significant levels of autoantibody titers and nephritis are present. We examined the behavioral profile of MRL/lpr mice and their congenic controls, a comprehensive plasma cytokine and chemokine profile, and brain levels of serotonin and kynurenine pathway metabolites. Consistent with previous studies, MRL/lpr mice had increased depression-like behavior and visuospatial memory impairment. Plasma levels of different inflammatory molecules (Haptoglobin, interleukin 10 (IL-10), interferon γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10/CXCL10), lymphotactin, macrophage inhibitory protein 3β (MIP-3β/CCL19), monocyte chemotactic protein 1, 3 and 5 (MCP-1/CCL2, MCP-3/CCL7, MCP-5/CCL12), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), lymphotactin and interferon γ (IFN-γ)) were increased in MRL/lpr mice. In cortex and hippocampus, MRL/lpr mice had increased levels of kynurenine pathway metabolites (kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3-hydroxynthranilic acid and quinolinic acid). Therefore, our study suggests that increased cytokine expression may be critical in the regulation subtle aspects of brain function in NP-SLE via induction of IDO and tryptophan/kynurenine metabolism.