bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influences of drought and humans on the fire regimes of northern Pennsylvania, USA
Authors: Brose Patrick H. , Dey Daniel C. , Guyette Richard P. , Marschall Joseph M. , Stambaugh Michael C.
Published: June 2013

Understanding past fire regimes is necessary to justify and implement restoration of disturbance-associated forests via prescribed fire programs. In eastern North America, the characteristics of many presettlement fire regimes are unclear because of the passage of time. To help clarify this situation, we developed a 435-year fire history for the former conifer forests of northern Pennsylvania. Ninety-three cross sections of fire-scarred red pines (Pinus resinosa Aiton) collected from three sites were analyzed to determine common fire regime characteristics. Prior to European settlement, fires occurred every 35–50 years and were often large dormant-season burns that sometimes initiated red pine regeneration. American Indians probably ignited these fires. Fire occurrence had a weak association with multiyear droughts. After European settlement started around 1800, fires occurred every 5–7 years due to widespread logging. Fire size and seasonality expanded to include small growing-season fires. The weak drought–fire association ceased. In the early 1900s, logging ended and wildfire control began. Since then, fires have been nearly absent from the sites despite several multiyear droughts in the 20th century. The human influences of cultural burning, logging, and fire exclusion are more important than the influence of drought to the fire regimes of northern Pennsylvania.
There and back again: migration in freshwater fishes
Authors: Brönmark C. , Hulthén K. , Nilsson P.A. , Skov C. , Hansson L.-A. , Brodersen J. , Chapman B.B.
Published: June 2013

Animal migration is an amazing phenomenon that has fascinated humans for long. Many freshwater fishes also show remarkable migrations, whereof the spectacular mass migrations of salmonids from the spawning streams are the most well known and well studied. However, recent studies have shown that migration occurs in a range of freshwater fish taxa from many different habitats. In this review we focus on the causes and consequences of migration in freshwater fishes. We start with an introduction of concepts and categories of migration, and then address the evolutionary causes that drive individuals to make these migratory journeys. The basis for the decision of an individual fish to migrate or stay resident is an evaluation of the costs and benefits of different strategies to maximize its lifetime reproductive effort. We provide examples by discussing our own work on the causes behind seasonal migration in a cyprinid fish, roach (Rutilus rutilus (L., 1758)), within this framework. We then highlight different adaptations that allow fish to migrate over sometimes vast journeys across space, including capacity for orientation, osmoregulation, and efficient energy expenditure. Following this we consider the consequences of migration in freshwater fish from ecological, evolutionary, and conservation perspectives, and finally, we detail some of the recent developments in the methodologies used to collect data on fish migration and how these could be used in future research.
ASYMPTOTIC EXPANSIONS FOR HIGH-CONTRAST ELLIPTIC EQUATIONS
Authors: CALO VICTOR M. , EFENDIEV YALCHIN , GALVIS JUAN
Published: June 2013

In this paper, we present a high-order expansion for elliptic equations in high-contrast media. The background conductivity is taken to be one and we assume the medium contains high (or low) conductivity inclusions. We derive an asymptotic expansion with respect to the contrast and provide a procedure to compute the terms in the expansion. The computation of the expansion does not depend on the contrast which is important for simulations. The latter allows avoiding increased mesh resolution around high conductivity features. This work is partly motivated by our earlier work in [Domain decomposition preconditioners for multiscale flows in high-contrast media, Multiscale Model Simul.8 (2010) 1461–1483] where we design efficient numerical procedures for solving high-contrast problems. These multiscale approaches require local solutions and our proposed high-order expansion can be used to approximate these local solutions inexpensively. In the case of a large-number of inclusions, the proposed analysis can help to design localization techniques for computing the terms in the expansion. In the paper, we present a rigorous analysis of the proposed high-order expansion and estimate the remainder of it. We consider both high- and low-conductivity inclusions.
SOLITON DYNAMICS FOR THE SCHRÖDINGER–NEWTON SYSTEM
Authors: D'AVENIA PIETRO , SQUASSINA MARCO
Published: June 2013

We investigate the soliton dynamics for the Schrödinger–Newton system by proving suitable modulational stability estimates in the spirit of those obtained by Weinstein for local equations.
THE SCALING OF SEVERAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORKS IN CHINA
Authors: GUO LONG , ZHU YUEYING , LUO ZHONGJIE , LI WEI
Published: June 2013

Public transport networks (PTNs) are often researched without reference to their geographical embedding. The question arises if there is any underlying structure or principle characterizing the observed behavior of geographically embedded transport routes. Here, we focus on the scaling properties of PTNs in Space L through fractal analysis and consider the effect of the real bus routes, which reflects the human movement between stations indirectly. We find that the PTN in Space L is the better basal one to mimic the human migration in city. Furthermore, we also research the scaling property of the correlation between stations and the distribution of node's weight, which shows the heterogeneous property of human activity between different stations. Our present work provides some new perspective and tools to realize the human migration on spatial networks.
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACHES FOR IMPROVING REUSABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT REPROCESSING PROCESSES
Authors: BENNEYAN JAMES C. , BOND CLAIRE
Published: June 2013

Hospital reusable medical equipment (RME) includes any items that are intended to be reprocessed and reused indefinitely, including surgical instruments, dental equipment, endoscopes, and others. Such equipment represent a significant portion of a hospital's inventory costs and recently have generated significant patient cross-contamination concerns due to reprocessing cleaning failures. This paper discusses recent applications of industrial and systems engineering (ISyE) methods within healthcare organizations to help manage, understand, and improve RME processes, including quality control (QC), reliability, patient safety, facility layout, queuing networks, and inventory management models. Several examples demonstrate the value of these approaches for improved reprocessing management of RME technology.
Dense and Cellular Zirconia Produced by Gel Casting with Agar: Preparation and High Temperature Characterization
Authors: Tulliani Jean-Marc , Bemporad Edoardo , Sebastiani Marco , Pulci Giovanni , Tirillò Jacopo , Bartuli Cecilia
Published: June 2013

A modified gel‐casting process was developed to produce both dense and highly porous (40% volume) yttria tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y‐TZP) using agar, a natural polysaccharide, as gelling agent. A fugitive phase, made of commercial polyethylene spheres, was added to the ceramic suspension before gelling to produce cellular ceramic structures.
The characterization of the microstructural features of both dense and cellular ceramics was carried out by FEG SEM analysis of cross‐sections produced by focused ion beam. The mechanical properties of the components were characterized at room temperature by nanoindentation tests in continuous stiffness measurement mode, by investigating the direct effect of the presence of residual microporosity. The presence of a diffuse residual microporosity from incomplete gel deaeration resulted in a decay of the bending strength and of the elastic modulus.
The mechanical behavior of both dense and cellular zirconia (in terms of elastic modulus, flexural strength, and deformation at rupture) was investigated by performing four‐point bending tests at the temperature of 1500°C.
Theory of Mind Deficit versus Faulty Procedural Memory in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Romero-Munguía Miguel Ángel
Published: June 2013

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have impairments in social interaction, communicative capacity, and behavioral flexibility (core triad). Three major cognitive theories (theory of mind deficit, weak central coherence, and executive dysfunction) seem to explain many of these impairments. Currently, however, the empathizing-systemizing (a newer version of the theory of mind deficit account) and mnesic imbalance theories are the only ones that attempt to explain all these core triadic symptoms of ASD On the other hand, theory of mind deficit in empathizing-systemizing theory is the most influential account for ASD, but its counterpart in the mnesic imbalance theory, faulty procedural memory, seems to occur earlier in development; consequently, this might be a better solution to the problem of the etiology of ASD, if it truly meets the precedence criterion. Hence, in the present paper I review the reasoning in favor of the theory of mind deficit but with a new interpretation based on the mnesic imbalance theory, which posits that faulty procedural memory causes deficits in several cognitive skills, resulting in poor performance in theory of mind tasks.
Single Machine Problem with Multi-Rate-Modifying Activities under a Time-Dependent Deterioration
Authors: Huang M. , Wu Huaping , Cho Vincent , Ip W. H. , Wang Xingwei , Ng C. K.
Published: June 2013

The single machine scheduling problem with multi-rate-modifying activities under a time-dependent deterioration to minimize makespan is studied. After examining the characteristics of the problem, a number of properties and a lower bound are proposed. A branch and bound algorithm and a heuristic algorithm are used in the solution, and two special cases are also examined. The computational experiments show that, for the situation with a rate-modifying activity, the proposed branch and bound algorithm can solve situations with 50 jobs within a reasonable time, and the heuristic algorithm can obtain the near-optimal solution with an error percentage less than 0.053 in a very short time. In situations with multi-rate-modifying activities, the proposed branch and bound algorithm can solve the case with 15 jobs within a reasonable time, and the heuristic algorithm can obtain the near-optimal with an error percentage less than 0.070 in a very short time. The branch and bound algorithm and the heuristic algorithm are both shown to be efficient and effective.
Somatosensory and Pharyngolaryngeal Auras in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgeries
Authors: Weil Alexander G. , Surbeck Werner , Rahme Ralph , Bouthillier Alain , Harroud Adil , Nguyen Dang Khoa
Published: June 2013

Purpose. Somatosensory (SSA) and pharyngolaryngeal auras (PLA) may suggest an extratemporal onset (e.g., insula, second somatosensory area). We sought to determine the prognostic significance of SSA and PLA in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. Methods. Retrospective review of all patients operated for refractory TLE at our institution between January 1980 and July 2007 comparing outcome between patients with SSA/PLA to those without. Results. 158 patients underwent surgery for pharmacoresistant TLE in our institution. Eleven (7%) experienced SSA/PLA as part of their seizures. All but one had lesional (including hippocampal atrophy/sclerosis) TLE. Compared to patients without SSA or PLA, these patients were older (P=0.049), had a higher prevalence of early ictal motor symptoms (P=0.022) and prior CNS infection (P=0.022), and were less likely to have a localizing SPECT study (P=0.025). A favorable outcome was achieved in 81.8% of patients with SSA and/or PLA and 90.4% of those without SSA or PLA (P>0.05). Conclusion. Most patients with pharmacoresistant lesional TLE appear to have a favorable outcome following temporal lobectomy, even in the presence of SSA and PLA.
Compositional Mining of Multiple Object API Protocols through State Abstraction
Authors: Dai Ziying , Mao Xiaoguang , Lei Yan , Qi Yuhua , Wang Rui , Gu Bin
Published: June 2013

API protocols specify correct sequences of method invocations. Despite their usefulness, API protocols are often unavailable in practice because writing them is cumbersome and error prone. Multiple object API protocols are more expressive than single object API protocols. However, the huge number of objects of typical object‐oriented programs poses a major challenge to the automatic mining of multiple object API protocols: besides maintaining scalability, it is important to capture various object interactions. Current approaches utilize various heuristics to focus on small sets of methods. In this paper, we present a general, scalable, multiple object API protocols mining approach that can capture all object interactions. Our approach uses abstract field values to label object states during the mining process. We first mine single object typestates as finite state automata whose transitions are annotated with states of interacting objects before and after the execution of the corresponding method and then construct multiple object API protocols by composing these annotated single object typestates. We implement our approach for Java and evaluate it through a series of experiments.
Nonexistence of Totally Contact Umbilical Slant Lightlike Submanifolds of Indefinite Cosymplectic Manifolds
Authors: Sachdeva Rashmi , Kumar Rakesh , Bhatia Satvinder Singh
Published: June 2013

We study totally contact umbilical slant lightlike submanifolds of indefinite cosymplectic manifolds. We prove that there do not exist totally contact umbilical proper slant lightlike submanifolds in indefinite cosymplectic manifolds other than totally contact geodesic proper slant lightlike submanifolds. We also prove that there do not exist totally contact umbilical proper slant lightlike submanifolds of indefinite cosymplectic space forms. Finally we give characterization theorems on minimal slant lightlike submanifolds.
Nectarine Fruit Ripening and Quality Assessed Using the Index of Absorbance Difference (IAD)
Authors: Bonora E. , Stefanelli D. , Costa G.
Published: June 2013

Consistency of fruit quality is extremely important in horticulture. Fruit growth and quality in nectarine are affected by fruit position in the canopy, related to the tree shape. The “open shaped” training systems, such as Tatura Trellis, improve fruit growth and quality. The Index of Absorbance Difference (IAD) is a new marker that characterizes climacteric fruit during ripening. A study on fruit ripening was performed by using theIADon nectarine to monitor fruit maturity stages of two cultivars trained as Tatura Trellis in Victoria, Australia. Fruit of cv “Summer Flare 34” (“SF34”) grown in different positions on the tree showed high ripening homogeneity. Fruit harvested at a similar ripening stage showed fruit firmness and soluble solid content homogeneity. Fruits from hand-thinned variety “Summer Flare 26” (“SF26”) were larger in size, had advanced ripening, and showed greater homogeneity. For “SF26”, a weak correlation betweenIADand SSC was observed. The experiment showed that the Tatura Trellis training system is characterized by high homogeneity of nectarine fruit when coupled with a proper management of fruit density. It also confirmed that theIADcould be used as new nondestructive maturity index for nectarine fruit quality assessment in the field.
Robust Data Compression for Irregular Wireless Sensor Networks Using Logical Mapping
Authors: Dang Thanh , Bulusu Nirupama , Feng Wu-chi
Published: June 2013

We propose RIDA, a novel robust information-driven data compression architecture for distributed wireless sensor networks. The key idea is to determine the data correlation among a group of sensors based on the data values to significantly improve compression performance rather than relying solely on spatial data correlation. A logical mapping approach assigns virtual indices to nodes based on the data content, which enables simple implementation of data transformation on resource-constrained nodes without any other information. We evaluate RIDA with both discrete cosine transform (DCT) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) on publicly available real-world data sets. Our experiments show that 30% of energy and 80–95% of bandwidth can be saved for typical multihop data networks. Moreover, the original data can be retrieved after decompression with a low error of about 3%. In particular, for one state-of-the-art distributed data compression algorithm for sensor networks, we show that the compression ratio is doubled by using logical mapping while maintaining comparable mean square error. Furthermore, we also propose a mechanism to detect and classify missing or faulty nodes, showing accuracy and recall of 95% when half of the nodes in the network are missing or faulty.
Identification of Opportunistic Pathogenic Bacteria in Drinking Water Samples of Different Rural Health Centers and Their Clinical Impacts on Humans
Authors: Pindi Pavan Kumar , Raghuveer Yadav P. , Shiva Shanker A.
Published: June 2013

International drinking water quality monitoring programs have been established in order to prevent or to reduce the risk of contracting water-related infections. A survey was performed on groundwater-derived drinking water from 13 different hospitals in the Mahabubnagar District. A total of 55 bacterial strains were isolated which belonged to both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. All the taxa were identified based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis based on which they are phylogenetically close to 27 different taxa. Many of the strains are closely related to their phylogenetic neighbors and exhibit from 98.4 to 100% sequence similarity at the 16S rRNA gene sequence level. The most common group was similar toAcinetobacter junii(21.8%) andAcinetobacter calcoaceticus(10.9%) which were shared by 7 and 5 water samples, respectively. Out of 55 isolates, only 3 isolates belonged to coliform group which areCitrobacter freundiiandPantoea anthophila. More than half (52.7%, 29 strains) of the phylogenetic neighbors which belonged to 12 groups were reported to be pathogenic and isolated from clinical specimens. Out of 27 representative taxa are affiliated have eight representative genera in drinking water except for those affiliated with the generaExiguobacterium, Delftia, Kocuria,andLysinibacillus.
Exploiting Identifiability and Intergene Correlation for Improved Detection of Differential Expression
Authors: Deller J. R. , Radha Hayder , McCormick J. Justin
Published: June 2013

Accurate differential analysis of microarray data strongly depends on effective treatment of intergene correlation. Such dependence is ordinarily accounted for in terms of its effect on significance cutoffs. In this paper, it is shown that correlation can, in fact, be exploited to share information across tests and reorder expression differentials for increased statistical power, regardless of the threshold. Significantly improved differential analysis is the result of two simple measures: (i) adjusting test statistics to exploit information from identifiable genes (the large subset of genes represented on a microarray that can be classifieda priorias nondifferential with very high confidence], but (ii) doing so in a way that accounts for linear dependencies among identifiable and nonidentifiable genes. A method is developed that builds upon the widely used two-samplet-statistic approach and uses analysis in Hilbert space to decompose the nonidentified gene vector into two components that are correlated and uncorrelated with the identified set. In the application to data derived from a widely studied prostate cancer database, the proposed method outperforms some of the most highly regarded approaches published to date. Algorithms in MATLAB and in R are available for public download.
Stability of Betaine Capsules
Authors: Hossain Mirza Akram , Boily Stéphanie , Beauregard Natasha , Forest Jean-Marc , Leclair Grégoire
Published: June 2013

Betaine is used to treat homocystinuria and is not available in Canada as a formulated drug. In order to facilitate the administration of this compound to patients, a capsule formulation and an evaluation of its stability were required. Capsule formulations of betaine were developed (160 mg and 625 mg of betaine per capsule). As betaine has no chromophore, an HPLC-ELSD analytical method was also developed. The critical quality attributes of these formulations were evaluated (content assay, content uniformity, and dissolution) as well as their stability. Capsules with acceptable quality attributes were produced. These capsules remained stable for 1 year when stored in airtight containers at controlled room temperature. However, shelf life decreased dramatically in nonairtight containers at 30°C (3 months for the lactose-containing capsules of 160 mg and 6 months for the capsules of 625 mg).
A Data Forwarding Scheme Based on Delaunay Triangulation for Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Luo Junhai , Cai Yijun , Zhong Changping
Published: June 2013

Cyber-physical system (CPS) cooperates with physical processes, computing, communication, and control (3C) into multiple levels of information processing and operation management to streamline and fortify the operation of physical systems. Due to the unique characteristics, such as unpredictable node mobility, low node density, lack of global information and network intermittent connectivity, an algorithm for data forwarding in CPS is a considerably difficult and challenging problem, and there is no good solution to it in existing works. In this paper, we propose a fully-fledged data forwarding algorithm tailored to the CPS environment. The proposed protocol, called data forwarding based on Delaunay triangulation (DFDT), takes into account the computational geometry based on Delaunay triangulation to form a few triangle communities according to nodes’ connectivity. Data in a community are forwarded to other nodes once a node comes into this community to increase the data delivery ratio. DFDT achieves a good performance by data gathering and sending data to other nodes with higher probability of meeting the link. An extensive simulation has been performed to validate the analytical results and to show the effectiveness of our approach compared with the three existing popular data forwarding algorithms.
A Central Mass in a Stationary Vacuum without Spherical or Axial Symmetry
Authors: Davidson William
Published: June 2013

A vacuum spacetime with a central mass is derived as a stationary solution to Einstein's equations. The vacuum metric has a geodesic, shear-free, expanding, and twisting null congruence k and thus is algebraically special. The properties of the metric are calculated. In particular, it is shown that the spacetime has an event horizon inside which there is a black hole. The metric is neither spherically nor axially symmetric. It is therefore in interesting contrast with the majority of metrics featuring a central mass which have one or more of these symmetry properties. The metric reduces to the Schwarzschild case when a certain parameter is set to zero.
Using Multispectral Spaceborne Imagery to Assess Mean Tree Height in a Dryland Plantation
Authors: Sprintsin Michael , Berliner Pedro , Cohen Shabtai , Karnieli Arnon
Published: June 2013

This study presents an approach for low-cost mapping of tree heights at the landscape level. The proposed method integrates parameters related to landscape (slope, orientation, and topographic height), tree size (crown diameter), and competition (crown competition factor and age), and determines the mean stand tree height as a function of tree competitive capability. The model was calibrated and validated against a standard inventory dataset collected over a dryland planted forest in the eastern Mediterranean region. The validation of the model shows a high and significant level of correlation between measured and modeled datasets (; ), with almost negligible (less than 1 m) levels of absolute and relative errors. The validated model was implemented for mapping mean tree height on a per-pixel basis by using high-spatial-resolution satellite imagery. The resulting map was, in turn, validated against an independent dataset of ground measurements. The presented approach could help to reduce the need for fieldwork in compiling single-tree-based inventories and to apply surface-roughness properties to hydrometeorological studies and regional energy/water-balance evaluation.
Bleaching Process Investigation of Tunisian Dromedary Hair
Authors: Harizi T. , Dhouib S. , Msahli S. , Sakli F.
Published: June 2013

Successful bleaching of pigmented fibres was, generally, evaluated by a maximum whiteness, a minimum yellowness, and less damage to the bleached fibers. A review of the literature reveals that many studies on pigmented fibre bleaching are concerned with improving the whiteness and mechanical properties of bleached fibres. In this study, we investigate the effects of the hydrogen peroxide concentration, bleaching time, and clarification bath on the bleaching efficiency of Tunisian dromedary hair. It was showed that 30 min bleaching time gives better result in term of whiteness. However, an increased bleaching time gives an excessive damage to the bleached fibers. Further, the damage incurred by the dromedary hair was more important than that for wool, as is shown by the tenacity results. We found that oxalic acid, which is used for rinsing dromedary hair (after bleaching), provides improved results in term of whiteness obtained with bleaching. Certainly, oxalic acid made it possible to remove the maximum of iron remaining on fibre after bleaching. Bleaching methods demonstrate the excessive damage incurred by the fibre when using hydrogen peroxide particularly with raise concentration. This damage leads to adverse effects on the tenacity fibre.
A Case Report of Malignant Melanoma of the Sphenoid Sinus
Authors: Tsukahara Kiyoaki , Nakamura Kazuhiro , Motohashi Ray , Endo Minoru , Sato Hiroki
Published: June 2013

Malignant melanoma of the sphenoid sinus is a very rare disease, and only 6 cases have previously been reported. The present case involved a 74-year-old woman who was examined for visual disturbance of the left eye. Computed tomography revealed a soft tissue shadow, but only mucosal hypertrophy was found on opening the sphenoid sinus under general anesthesia. One month postoperatively, visual disturbance of the right eye and paresis of cranial nerve III appeared. Malignant melanoma was diagnosed from biopsy. Multiple bone metastases were identified, but the patient declined active treatment. As a result, palliative care was provided and she died 3 months later. When there is no improvement in postoperative visual acuity as in this case, in consideration of the possibility of neoplastic lesions, rigorous followup including monitoring for neurological symptoms is warranted.
Papilliferous Keratoameloblastoma: An Extremely Rare Case Report
Authors: Mohanty Neeta , Rastogi Varun , Misra Satya Ranjan , Mohanty Susant
Published: June 2013

Odontogenic tumors develop in the jaw bones from the odontogenic tissue-oral epithelium in tooth germ, enamel organ, dental papilla, reduced enamel epithelium, remnants of Hertwig’s root sheath or dental lamina, and so forth. Hence, a bewildering variety of tumors are encountered in the maxilla and mandible. Ameloblastoma is the second most common odontogenic neoplasm after odontomes, and it has numerous clinical and histologic variants. We report a very rare histologic variant: the papilliferous keratoameloblastoma which is the fifth reported case in the English literature.
Inhibition of Metastatic Potential in Breast CarcinomaIn VivoandIn Vitrothrough Targeting VEGFRs and FGFRs
Authors: Chien Ming-Hsien , Lee Liang-Ming , Hsiao Michael , Wei Lin-Hung , Chen Chih-Hau , Lai Tsung-Ching , Hua Kuo-Tai , Chen Min-Wei , Sun Chung-Ming , Kuo Min-Liang
Published: June 2013

Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are considered to play key roles in tumor metastasis. Targeting receptor tyrosine kinases essentially involved in the angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis would theoretically prevent cancer metastasis. However, the optimal multikinase inhibitor for metastasis suppression has yet to be developed. In this study, we evaluated the effect of NSTPBP 0100194-A (194-A), a multikinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs)/fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs), on lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis in a mammary fat pad xenograft model of the highly invasive breast cancer cell line 4T1-Luc+. We investigated the biologic effect of 194-A on various invasive breast cancer cell lines as well as endothelial and lymphatic endothelial cells. Intriguingly, we found that 194-A drastically reduced the formation of lung, liver, and lymph node metastasis of 4T1-Luc+and decreased primary tumor growth. This was associated with significant reductions in intratumoral lymphatic vessel length (LVL) and microvessel density (MVD). 194-A blocked VEGFRs mediated signaling on both endothelial and lymphatic endothelial cells. Moreover, 194-A significantly inhibited the invasive capacity induced by VEGF-C or FGF-2in vitroin both 4T1 and MDA-MB231 cells. In conclusion, these experimental results demonstrate that simultaneous inhibition of VEGFRs/FGFRs kinases may be a promising strategy to prevent breast cancer metastasis.
RelapsingCampylobacter jejuniSystemic Infections in a Child with X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia
Authors: Ariganello Paola , Angelino Giulia , Scarselli Alessia , Salfa Irene , Della Corte Martina , De Matteis Arianna , D'Argenio Patrizia , Livadiotti Susanna , Manno Emma C. , Russo Cristina , Finocchi Andrea , Cancrini Caterina
Published: June 2013

X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a primary immunodeficiency of the humoral compartment, due to a mutation in theBruton tyrosine kinase (BTK)gene, characterized by a severe defect of circulating B cells and serum immunoglobulins. Recurrent infections are the main clinical manifestations; although they are especially due to encapsulated bacteria, a specific association withCampylobacterspecies has been reported. Here, we report the case of a boy with XLA who presented with relapsingCampylobacter jejunisystemic infections. His clinical history supports the hypothesis of the persistence ofC. jejuniin his intestinal tract. Indeed, as previously reported, XLA patients may become chronic intestinal carriers ofCampylobacter, even in absence of symptoms, with an increased risk of relapsing bacteraemia. The humoral defect is considered to be crucial for this phenomenon, as well as the difficulties to eradicate the pathogen with an appropriate antibiotic therapy; drug resistance is raising inCampylobacterspecies, and the appropriate duration of treatment has not been established.C. jejunishould always be suspected in XLA patients with signs and symptoms of systemic infection, and treatment should be based on antibiogram to assure the eradication of the pathogen.
Molecular Biology of Breast Cancer in the Horn of Africa: Case Series—A Pilot Study of Breast Cancer from Eritrea
Authors: Tesfamariam Asmerom , Roy Indrojit
Published: June 2013

Background. Recently, gene expression profiling and its surrogate immunohistochemistry (IHC) markers classified breast cancer into four distinct molecular subtypes, which have different prognoses, targeted therapies, and/or clinical outcomes.Objective. To conduct a preliminary study, to correlate the clinical pathological profiles and taxonomy of molecular subtypes of breast cancer in Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa.Design. Review of pathology reports from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, 2009, provided 22 cases of microscopically confirmed invasive breast carcinoma that were evaluable for histology and IHC (ER, PR, HER2, and Cytokeratin 5/6).Result. Twenty patients were female and most of them (68%) were under 50 years at presentation. 90% were invasive invasive carcinoma of no special type and were histological grade 3. The molecular subtypes were luminal A (55%), luminal B (5%), HER2 (5%), basal-like (10%), and unclassified (25%). Triple negative carcinoma (basal-like and unclassified combined) was 35%, mostly (71%) in women under 50 years with grade 3 tumours.Conclusion. Breast carcinoma in Eritrean women presents at a younger age and with a high histologic grade. The two predominant molecular subtypes are luminal A and triple negative. Determining the molecular subtype using surrogate IHC markers has important treatment and prognostic implications for Eritrean women with breast cancer.
Electrochemical Therapy of Tumors
Authors: Jing-Hong Li , Yu Ling Xin
Published: June 2013

Application of electric current for the tumor destruction has a long time history. The theory of the direct galvanic current (galvanotherapy, GT) is worked out by B. Nordenstrom in the frame of biologically closed electric circuits (BCECs). Later, GT was extended by chemical considerations (EChT), and, starting with pioneering work of Professor Xin Yu Ling, a wide, intensive application had been developed in China. My objective is showing the principles and practice of the EChT treatment modality for multiple advanced lesions.
Mechanism of Body Weight Reducing Effect of Oral Boric Acid Intake
Authors: Aysan Erhan , Sahin Fikrettin , Telci Dilek , Erdem Merve , Muslumanoglu Mahmut , Yardımcı Erkan , Bektasoglu Huseyin
Published: June 2013

Objective. The effect of oral boric acid intake on reducing body weight has been previously demonstrated although the mechanism has been unclear. This research study reveals the mechanism.Subjects. Twelve mice were used, in groups of six each in the control and study groups. For five days, control group mice drank standard tap water while during the same time period the study group mice drank tap water which contains 0.28 mg/250 mL boric acid. After a 5-day period, gene expression levels for uncoupling proteins (UCPs) in the white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), and skeletal muscle tissue (SMT) and total body weight changes were analyzed.Results. Real time PCR analysis revealed no significant change in UCP3 expressions, but UCP2 in WAT (: 0.0317), BAT (: 0.014), and SMT (: 0.0159) and UCP1 in BAT (: 0.026) were overexpressed in the boric acid group. In addition, mice in the boric acid group lost body weight (mean 28.1%) while mice in the control group experienced no weight loss but a slight weight gain (mean 0.09%, ).Conclusion. Oral boric acid intake causes overexpression of thermogenic proteins in the adipose and skeletal muscle tissues. Increasing thermogenesis through UCP protein pathway results in the accelerated lipolysis and body weight loss.
Characterization of Histone H2A Derived Antimicrobial Peptides, Harriottins, from Sicklefin Chimaera Neoharriotta pinnata (Schnakenbeck, 1931) and Its Evolutionary Divergence with respect to CO1 and Histone H2A
Authors: Sathyan Naveen , Philip Rosamma , Chaithanya E. R. , Anil Kumar P. R. , Sanjeevan V. N. , Singh I. S. Bright
Published: June 2013

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are humoral innate immune components of fishes that provide protection against pathogenic infections. Histone derived antimicrobial peptides are reported to actively participate in the immune defenses of fishes. Present study deals with identification of putative antimicrobial sequences from the histone H2A of sicklefin chimaera, Neoharriotta pinnata. A 52 amino acid residue termed Harriottin-1, a 40 amino acid Harriottin-2, and a 21 mer Harriottin-3 were identified to possess antimicrobial sequence motif. Physicochemical properties and molecular structure of Harriottins are in agreement with the characteristic features of antimicrobial peptides, indicating its potential role in innate immunity of sicklefin chimaera. The histone H2A sequence of sicklefin chimera was found to differ from previously reported histone H2A sequences. Phylogenetic analysis based on histone H2A and cytochrome oxidase subunit-1 (CO1) gene revealed N. pinnata to occupy an intermediate position with respect to invertebrates and vertebrates.
Test Accessibility: Item Reviews and Lessons Learned from Four State Assessments
Authors: Beddow Peter A. , Elliott Stephen N. , Kettler Ryan J.
Published: June 2013

The push toward universally designed assessments has influenced several states to modify items from their general achievement tests to improve their accessibility for all test takers. The current study involved the review of 159 items used by one state across four content areas including science, coupled with the review of 261 science items in three other states. The item reviews were conducted using theAccessibility Rating Matrix(Beddow et al. 2009), a tool for systematically identifying access barriers in test items, and for facilitating the subsequent modification process. The design allowed for within-state comparisons across several variables for one state and for within-content area (i.e., science) comparisons across states. Findings indicated that few items were optimally accessible and ratings were consistent across content areas, states, grade bands, and item types. Suggestions for modifying items are discussed and recommendations are offered to guide the development of optimally accessible test items.
An Unusual Metastasis of a Transglottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma to the Forearm
Authors: Albeyatti Abdullah Dafir , Kwasnicki Richard Mark , Siau Derrick , de Carpentier John
Published: June 2013

Introduction. Each year around 2,200 people in the UK are diagnosed with laryngeal SCC (Office of National Statistics 2009). Compared to pharyngeal carcinoma, it is a highly curable disease with a survival rate of around 60% for all stages and all forms of treatment.Case Presentation. We present the case of a 60-year-old man with a previously treated T4 N2c transglottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), who developed an isolated swelling in the extensor compartment of his right forearm at 6 months after radical laryngectomy with bilateral neck dissection. Fine needle aspiration of the forearm lesion revealed SCC consistent with a metastasis from the laryngeal primary. MRI revealed that the lesion was confined to the muscle. Initial staging CT showed no distant metastases or signs of advanced disease, including no evidence of axillary nodal involvement.Conclusion. This case is therefore unusual, as one of only 2 cases reported in the scientific literature of isolated distant muscular metastasis from a laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. We conclude that any muscular swelling, in the setting of previous head and neck malignancy, should be treated with a high degree of suspicion for metastasis and investigated promptly.
A Transdiagnostic Internet-Based Maintenance Treatment Enhances the Stability of Outcome after Inpatient Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Ebert David , Tarnowski Torsten , Gollwitzer Mario , Sieland Bernhard , Berking Matthias
Published: June 2013

Background: High relapse rates following acute treatment for common mental health disorders support the importance of developing maintenance phase interventions. Internet-based interventions have been effective for a broad range of mental disorders, but less is known about their potential to enhance long-term outcomes of traditional face-to-face therapy. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to evaluate a transdiagnostic Internet-based maintenance treatment (TIMT) with the purpose of fostering long-term effects of inpatient psychotherapy. Method: In this pragmatic randomized controlled trial, a sample of 400 inpatients with affective, neurotic, and/or behavioral disorders was assigned to either 12 weeks of TIMT + treatment as usual (TAU) or to TAU-only following hospital discharge. TIMT consists of a self-management module, asynchronous patient-coach communication, online patient support group, and online-based monitoring of psychopathological symptoms. Self-ratings of psychopathological symptoms were conducted at the beginning of inpatient treatment (t1), at discharge from inpatient treatment/start of TIMT (t2), and at 3-month (t3) and 12-month follow-ups (t4). Results: The TIMT + TAU group was superior to the TAU-only group with regard to differences in change of general psychopathological symptom severity from discharge to 3- and 12-month follow-up. Moreover, participants of the TIMT + TAU group showed less frequent symptom deteriorations and were more often in remission/recovery than controls. Conclusion: TIMT effectively enhances long-term outcome of inpatient psychotherapy.
Dosimetric Parameters Predictive of Acute Gastrointestinal Toxicity in Patients with Anal Carcinoma Treated with Concurrent Chemotherapy and Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy
Authors: DeFoe S. Gillianne , Kabolizadeh Peyman , Heron Dwight E. , Beriwal Sushil
Published: June 2013

Objective: To determine the dosimetric parameters predictive of acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity in anal cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy. Methods: Fifty-eight anal cancer patients were treated with concurrent chemotherapy and IMRT. The bowel was delineated on the planning CT and included the intestinal cavity. Regression models with multiple independent predictors were used to test associations of clinical factors and dosimetric parameters with clinically significant GI toxicity (grade ≥3). Significant dosimetric factors were fitted to a normal tissue complication probability curve using a logit function and subsequently analyzed at multiple bowel volumes to determine the threshold for clinically significant GI toxicity. Results: Two patients (3.4%) experienced no acute GI toxicity, whereas 20 (34.5%) experienced grade 1 toxicity, 20 (34.5%) experienced grade 2, 16 (27.6%) experienced grade 3 and none experienced grade 4. Analysis showed that the volumes of bowel receiving 30 Gy (V30) and 40 Gy (V40) both correlated with clinically significant acute GI toxicity. In patients whose V30 was >310 cm3, the rate of clinically significant acute GI toxicity was 38.9%, compared to 9.1% if V30 was ≤310 cm3 (p = 0.016). If V40 was ≤70 cm3, the rate of acute grade ≥3 toxicity was 6.3%, versus 35.7% if V40 was >70 cm3 (p = 0.045). Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates that the bowel dosimetric parameters are associated with clinically significant acute GI toxicity when IMRT is used in the management of anal cancer patients.
Aliskiren, a Direct Renin Inhibitor, Improves Vascular Endothelial Function in Patients on Hemodialysis Independent of Antihypertensive Effect ∼ a Pilot Study∼
Authors: Moriya Hidekazu , Kobayashi Shuzo , Ohtake Takayasu , Tutumi Daimu , Mochida Yasuhiro , Ishioka Kunihiro , Oka Machiko , Maesato Kyoko , Hidaka Sumi , Nomura Shosaku
Published: June 2013

Aims: Aliskiren inhibits the first step in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and recently has been shown to modulate vascular diseases via RAS-dependent and independent pathways. This study aimed to determine the effect of aliskiren-associated direct renin inhibition on endothelial function in patients on hemodialysis via flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and platelet-derived microparticles (PDMP), as biomarkers of atherosclerosis. Methods: A 12-week prospective study was performed with 24 patients on hemodialysis who were administered 150 mg orally aliskiren once daily for 12 weeks. Results: No significant difference were observed between pre-dialysis, home, and weekly averaged blood pressure at baseline and at 12 weeks (151.5 ± 8.5/80.9 ± 12.9 mmHg vs 150.3 ± 15.3/78.9 ± 21.2 mmHg, 151.4 ± 9.7/82.3 ± 14.7 mmHg vs 151.2 ± 17.7/81.4 ± 10.6 mmHg, and 156.0 ± 18.3/81.9 ± 9.4 mmHg vs 152.5 ± 18.9/81.7 ± 12.3 mmHg, respectively). FMD significantly increased from 2.54% ± 1.45% at baseline to 3.11% ± 1.37% at 12 weeks (P = 0.0267), and PDMP significantly decreased from 13.9 ± 5.8 U/mL at baseline to 10.9 ± 4.5 U/mL at 12 weeks (P = 0.0002). Conclusion: Aliskiren improved vascular endothelial function and platelet-endothelium activation in patients on hemodialysis independent of antihypertensive effect.
Proteinuria as a Risk Factor for Decline in Residual Renal Function in Non-Diabetic Peritoneal Dialysis Patients
Authors: Kang Seok Hui , Cho Kyu Hyang , Park Jong Won , Yoon Kyung Woo , Do Jun Young
Published: June 2013

Background: Preservation of residual renal function (RRF) is a major issue for patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Whether proteinuria is associated with a decline in RRF in patients on PD remains unclear. Patients and Methods: We reviewed the medical records at the Yeungnam University Hospital in Korea and identified patients who started PD between June 1995 and August 2011. A total of 147 non-diabetic patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into 3 groups with respect to the tertile of initial proteinuria level: Low (n = 49; <320 mg/day), Middle (n = 49; 320-822 mg/day), and High groups (n = 49; >822 mg/day). Results: The mean patient age was 50.2 ± 15.0 years in the Low tertile, 50.2 ± 15.4 years in the Middle tertile, and 49.0 ± 15.1 years in the High tertile. Decline in RRF during follow-up period was greater in the High tertile than that in the other tertiles (P = 0.001). The proportion of patients with RRF >50% of baseline at 24 months after the initiation of PD was 83% in the Low tertile, 66% in the Middle tertile, and 40% in the High tertile (P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis after adjusting for initial RRF, age, gender, underlying disease of end-stage renal disease except diabetes mellitus, PD modality, use of icodextrin, PD-associated peritonitis, and tertile of the initial proteinuria level revealed that High tertile of the initial proteinuria level was associated with a decline in RRF (hazard ratios: 2.442 for the Middle tertile, P = 0.007 ; 3.713 for the Low tertile, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that proteinuria may be is associated with a rapid decline in RRF in non-diabetic patients on PD, although the potential role of additional factors should be further investigated in prospective studies.
Effects of Magnoline on P-Selectin's Expression in Diabetic Rats and its Reno-Protection
Authors: Zhou Yang , Wang Feng , Hao Lirong , Wang Niansong
Published: June 2013

Background and Objective: Magnoline is an active ingredient of magnolia fargesii with anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet effects. The objective is to explore the renoprotection of magnoline in diabetic rats and its effects on P-selectin. Methods: Thirty-six rats were randomized into 4 groups—normal control group (C), diabetic group (D), small-dose magnoline treatment group (M1) and large-dose magnoline treatment group (M2) (n=9 in each group). Streptozotocin was selected to construct diabetic rat model, and group M1 and group M2 were treated with magnoline 0.5mg/Kg.d and 2mg/Kg.d respectively. Urinary albumin excretion rate, renal function, levels of P-selectin and TGF-β1 were observed after 16 weeks. Results: Levels of albuminuria and serum creatinine of group M1 (1078.9 ± 77.3μg/24h, 29.7 ± 3.9μmol/L) and M2 (852.9 ± 80.1μg/24h, 30.9 ± 2.9μmol/L) were lower than group D (1572.8 ± 176.2μg/24h, 39.4 ± 4.1μmol/L) (P <0.05). Serum levels of P-selectin in group M1 and M2 were lower than group D (P <0.05). The renal expression of P-selectin and TGF-β1 in group M1 and M2 were significantly attenuated respectively. Conclusions: Magnoline has reno-protective effects on diabetic rats which may be related to the inhibition of P-selectin.