bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information, efficiency, and welfare in agricultural markets
Authors: Jensen Robert T.
Published: November 2010

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) have spread rapidly in the developing world. There has been considerable interest in the potential role ICTs, particularly mobile phones, have begun to play in the marketing of agricultural outputs in these countries. In this article, we discuss the potential impacts ICTs may have on welfare, both in terms of potential efficiency gains (via improved arbitrage), and welfare transfers among agents in the supply chain (via reduced informational asymmetries and market power). We also review the recent empirical evidence for such effects.
Navigating the perfect storm: reflections on the food, energy, and financial crises
Authors: Headey Derek , Malaiyandi Sangeetha , Fan Shenggen
Published: November 2010

The closely interlinked food, energy, and financial crises pose a significant new challenge to the global effort to reduce poverty. In 2008, food prices rose sharply in many countries, and global poverty and hunger levels increased quite markedly. The good news is that the agricultural supply response in many countries was also strong. The impacts of the financial crisis on poor countries have yet to fully roll out, but it is clear that more people have fallen into poverty and more are suffering from hunger. Lastly, there are strong indications that the global food system is fundamentally changing in a number of dimensions. Biofuels are here to stay, and energy and food prices appear to have adjusted to a higher equilibrium and will in turn raise the prospects of renewed volatility in agricultural commodity markets. Trade protection has also resurfaced, but so have renewed investments in agriculture. These fundamental shifts bring with them opportunities and risks that require internationally coordinated responses with strong national buy‐in, as well as timely and relevant research.
Toddlers get slimmer while adolescents get fatter – BMI distribution in five birth cohorts from four decades in Finland
Authors: Vuorela Nina , Saha Marja‐Terttu , Salo Matti K
Published: November 2010

Aim:  To investigate the trends in the size of Finnish children in five birth cohorts from four decades.

Methods:  This is a retrospective longitudinal growth pattern study on children representing five birth cohorts: 1974, 1981, 1991, 1995 and 2001 from the city of Tampere and three rural municipalities. Growth data were collected from birth to 15 years of age, except in birth cohorts 1995 and 2001 until 12 and 5 years. Body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) was calculated. Pearson’s chi‐square test was used in analysis.

Results:  The 50th percentile of BMI at birth varied between the 1970′s and 2000′s (boys: p < 0.001, girls: p = 0.02), with increase seen in girls. The 50th BMI percentile remained unchanged in 6‐month‐aged boys, whereas in girls, it varied inconsistent (p = 0.04). At 1 and 2 years of age, the 15th, 50th, 85th and 95th BMI percentiles decreased (p = 0.26 to <0.001). The 50th BMI percentile remained fairly constant at 5 and 7 years of age. In 12‐ and 15‐year‐old boys, the 50th, 85th and 95th percentiles of BMI showed a marked increase (p = 0.01 to <0.001). In 12‐year‐old girls, only the 85th BMI percentile increased (p = 0.03).

Conclusions:  During the last three decades, Finnish toddlers have become markedly slimmer. Concurrently, an opposite change has taken place in adolescent boys.
Cytochrome P450 metabolizing fatty acids in plants: characterization and physiological roles
Authors: Pinot Franck , Beisson Fred
Published: November 2010

In plants, fatty acids (FA) are subjected to various types of oxygenation reactions. Products include hydroxyacids, as well as hydroperoxides, epoxides, aldehydes, ketones and α,ω‐diacids. Many of these reactions are catalysed by cytochrome P450s (P450s), which represent one of the largest superfamilies of proteins in plants. The existence of P450‐type metabolizing FA enzymes in plants was established approximately four decades ago in studies on the biosynthesis of lipid polyesters. Biochemical investigations have highlighted two major characteristics of P450s acting on FAs: (a) they can be inhibited by FA analogues carrying an acetylenic function, and (b) they can be enhanced by biotic and abiotic stress at the transcriptional level. Based on these properties, P450s capable of producing oxidized FA have been identified and characterized from various plant species. Until recently, the vast majority of characterized P450s acting on FAs belonged to the CYP86 and CYP94 families. In the past five years, rapid progress in the characterization of mutants in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has allowed the identification of such enzymes in many other P450 families (i.e. CYP703, CYP704, CYP709, CYP77, CYP74). The presence in a single species of distinct enzymes characterized by their own regulation and catalytic properties raised the question of their physiological meaning. Functional studies in A. thaliana have demonstrated the involvement of FA hydroxylases in the synthesis of the protective biopolymers cutin, suberin and sporopollenin. In addition, several lines of evidence discussed in this minireview are consistent with P450s metabolizing FAs in many aspects of plant biology, such as defence against pathogens and herbivores, development, catabolism or reproduction.
Recent advances in the biology and therapy of muscle wasting
Authors: Glass David , Roubenoff Ronenn
Published: November 2010

The recent advances in our understanding of the biology of muscle, and how anabolic and catabolic stimuli interact to control muscle mass and function, have led to new interest in pharmacological treatment of muscle wasting. Loss of muscle occurs as a consequence of many chronic diseases (cachexia), as well as normal aging (sarcopenia). Although anabolic effects of exercise on muscle have been know for many years, the development of pharmacological treatment for muscle loss is in its infancy. However, there is growing excitement among researchers in this field that developments may yield new treatments for muscle wasting in the future.
Bone loss in anorexia nervosa: leptin, serotonin, and the sympathetic nervous system
Authors: Kumar Kevin K , Tung Stephanie , Iqbal Jameel
Published: November 2010

Anorexia nervosa (AN), a disorder characterized by the refusal to sustain a healthy weight, has the highest mortality of any psychiatric disorder. This review presents a model of AN that ties together advances in our understanding of how leptin, serotonin, and hypogonadism are brought about in AN and how they influence bone mass. Serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine) is a key regulator of satiety and mood. The primary disturbance in AN results from alterations in serotonin signaling. AN patients suffer from serotonergic hyperactivity of Htr1a‐dependent pathways that causes dysphoric mood and promotes restrictive behavior. By limiting carbohydrate ingestion, anorexics decrease their serotonin levels. Reduced serotonergic signaling in turn suppresses appetite through Htr1a/2b, decreases dysphoric mood through Htr1a/2a, and activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) through Htr2c receptors in the ventromedial hypothalamus. Activation of the SNS decreases bone mass through β2‐adrenergic signaling in osteoblasts. Additional topics reviewed here include osteoblastic feedback of metabolism in anorexia, mechanisms whereby dietary changes exacerbate bone loss, the role of caloric restriction and Sirt1 in bone metabolism, hypothalamic hypogonadism's effects on bone mass, and potential treatments.
Molecular physiology of cardiac regeneration
Authors: Bolli Paola , Chaudhry Hina W.
Published: November 2010

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the industrialized world. This is partially attributed to the inability of cardiomyocytes to divide in a significant manner, and therefore the heart responds to injury through scar formation. One of the challenges of modern medicine is to develop novel therapeutic strategies to facilitate regeneration of cardiac muscle in the diseased heart. Numerous methods have been studied and a wide variety of cell types have been considered. To date, bone marrow stem cells, endogenous populations of cardiac stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells have been investigated for their ability to regenerate infarcted myocardium, although stem cell transplantation has produced ambiguous results in human clinical trials. Several studies support another approach that seems very appealing: enhancing the limited endogenous regenerative capacity of the heart. The recent advances in stem cell and regenerative biology are giving rise to the view that cardiac regeneration, although not quite ready for clinical treatment, may translate into therapeutic reality in the not too distant future.
Student Competence in Understanding the Matter Concept and Its Implications for Science Curriculum Standards
Authors: Liu Xiufeng
Published: November 2010

Using the US national sample from the 1995 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), this study examined students' competence levels in understanding the matter concept at grades 3, 4, 7, 8 and high school graduation, and compared them to the expectations in the US national science education standards. It was found that third‐grade students were developing understanding on mixtures, and fourth‐grade students were developing understanding on separating mixtures; seventh‐ and eighth‐grade students were only at the beginning level of differentiating chemical properties from physical properties; they were not ready for the particulate model of chemical change. High school physical science specialization students were still at the developing level of understanding kinetic and atomic models of chemical and physical changes; they may not be able to master those theories. The findings suggest that the Benchmarks for Science Literacy and Atlas for Science Literacy may have overestimated the competences of elementary, middle school, and high school students.
Effect of different periods of preconditioning with saliva on Candida albicans adhesion to a denture base resin by crystal violet staining and XTT assay
Authors: Zamperini Camila Andrade , Schiavinato Patrícia Cristiane dos Santos , Machado Ana Lucia , Giampaolo Eunice Teresinha , Pavarina Ana Claudia , Vergani Carlos Eduardo
Published: November 2010

Aim:  The role of saliva on Candida adhesion to biomaterials has not been clearly defined. The present study investigates whether different periods of preconditioning with saliva would influence the adhesion of Candida albicans to a denture base resin.

Methods:  Ninety samples of acrylic resin with smooth surfaces were made and then divided into five groups: one control without saliva, and four experimental groups conditioned in saliva for periods of 30 min, 1, 3, or 12 h. Candida adhesion was evaluated by crystal violet staining and 2,3‐bis(2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐5‐sulfophenyl)‐5‐([phenylamino] carbonyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium‐hydroxide assay.

Results:  The one‐way analysis of variance revealed that there were no significant differences among the mean number of adherent cells or among the mean absorbance for all groups. No significant correlation was found between the two methods used for assessing Candida albicans adhesion.

Conclusion:  The different periods of preconditioning with saliva had no significant influence on the adhesion of Candida albicans to the denture base acrylic resin.
Validity of the self‐reported number of natural teeth in Japanese adults
Authors: Ueno Masayuki , Zaitsu Takashi , Shinada Kayoko , Ohara Satoko , Kawaguchi Yoko
Published: November 2010

Aim:  The aims of this research were to assess the validity of self‐reporting of the number of teeth by comparing the number with that obtained through clinical dental examinations, and to investigate factors affecting the discordance between the two measures.

Methods:  Self‐administered questionnaires and dental examinations were conducted among 1152 dentate community residents in Japan. The validity of the patients’ reports of the number of teeth was assessed by comparing the self‐reported number with that determined at the clinical examination. Factors affecting the absolute value of the difference between the self‐reported number of teeth and the number at clinical examination were investigated using a multivariate analysis.

Results:  Overall, 47.5% of participants had perfect agreement in their self‐report with the clinical examination. There was a slight tendency toward underestimation of the number of natural teeth by self‐reporting. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was 0.80, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.78 for all patients. Decayed, filled, sound teeth, and fixed prosthetic pontics were significantly associated with the absolute value of the difference between self‐reports and clinical examinations.

Conclusions:  Patients’ reported number of remaining teeth, the data for which were collected via the questionnaire, provided reasonably valid data on the actual number of teeth within a population group.
Evaluation of occlusal splint therapy in temporomandibular joint disorder patients using real‐time ultrasonography
Authors: Telkar Swaroop , Khan Mubeen K. , Shukla Anil Kumar , Dodamani Arun , Yalsangi Shilpa , Telkar Deepti
Published: November 2010

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of occlusal splint therapy by determining the cross‐sectional dimension of masseter muscle using ultrasound in patients with temporomandibular joint disc displacement with reduction.

Methods:  Twenty‐seven patients aged between 20 and 40 years were included in the study. A detailed history was obtained, and a comprehensive clinical examination was carried out. Subjective assessment with structured pro forma was performed pre‐occlusal and post‐occlusal splint therapy. The objective measurement of the bilateral masseter muscle thickness was recorded using real‐time ultrasonography before and after splint therapy.

Results:  The mean ultrasound thickness of the masseter muscle in the pre‐clenching state before splint therapy was 9.45 mm (SD 1.39), and the post‐clenching state was 13.15 mm (SD 2.23). After splint therapy, the mean thickness in the pre‐clenching state was 9.14 mm (SD 1.31), and the post‐clenching state was 12.78 mm (SD 2.23; P < 0.001).

Conclusion:  Ultrasonographic measurements of the masseter muscle in patients with temporomandibular joint disc displacement with reduction can be a useful tool to assess the effectiveness of occlusal splint therapy. Such conservative measures can significantly reduce masticatory muscle tenderness, especially of the temporalis and masseter.
Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption as risk factors for site‐specific intraoral epithelial dysplasia
Authors: Jaber Mohamed Abdullah
Published: November 2010

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of tobacco and alcohol as possible risk factors for oral epithelial dysplasia in the various oral subsites.

Methods:  Data were gathered from 630 patients with oral epithelial dysplasia in the United Arab Emirates between 1997 and 2007. Odds ratios for oral epithelial dysplasia at various oral subsites were estimated using multiple logistic regression for each level of exposure of interest.

Results:  The results showed that in males, oral epithelial dysplasia of the labial mucosa and floor of the mouth were strongly associated with tobacco smoking. In females, oral epithelial dysplasia of the floor of the mouth and tongue were the sites associated with tobacco smoking. Alcohol was not a significant determinant of the sites of oral epithelial dysplasia in either sex.

Conclusion:  Tobacco smoking has a significant role in determining the oral epithelial dysplasia subsites, but alcohol consumption is not a risk factor for oral epithelial dysplasia sites.
Detection rates of presumptive periodontal pathogens in subgingival plaque samples of untreated periodontitis using either four or six pooled samples
Authors: Wohlfeil Martin , Tabakci Orhan , Arndt Rita , Eickholz Peter , Nickles Katrin
Published: November 2010

Aim:  A comparison of the detection frequency and number of periodontal pathogens in patients with aggressive or generalized, severe chronic periodontitis using a gene‐probe analysis.

Methods:  In 16 aggressive and 34 generalized, severe chronic periodontitis patients, plaque was sampled from the deepest pockets per quadrant (MT4) and per sextant (MT6). After sampling two paper points simultaneously, one paper point from each pocket was pooled with three paper points of the other pockets (MT4). The remaining four paper points were pooled with two paper points from the deepest pockets from the two remaining sextants (MT6). Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola were detected by 16S rRNA gene probes.

Results:  Log‐transformed counts for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were statistically significantly higher with MT6 (aggressive: 3.21 ± 2.94; generalized, severe chronic: 2.22 ± 2.70) than MT4 (aggressive: 2.04 ± 2.74; generalized, severe chronic: 1.50 ± 2.37) (P < 0.05). The detection frequency and mean counts were high for Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola (>95%/>6.0).

Conclusion:  Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was detected in higher numbers for MT6 than MT4. For both MT4 and MT6, Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola were detected in >95% of all patients and with mean log‐transformed numbers >6.0.
Free radical signalling underlies inhibition of CaV3.2 T‐type calcium channels by nitrous oxide in the pain pathway
Authors: Orestes Peihan , Bojadzic Damir , Lee JeongHan , Leach Emily , Salajegheh Reza , DiGruccio Michael R. , Nelson Michael T. , Todorovic Slobodan M.
Published: November 2010

Non‐technical summary

Nitrous oxide (N2O) has long been used as a pain reliever, but little is known of its targets in the body. We show that N2O indirectly inhibits T‐type calcium channels through free radical reactions. These reactions depend on a histidine residue on the channel that binds metal ions. If we prevent this histidine from binding metals, N2O cannot inhibit T‐currents. Mice that are treated with EUK‐134 to remove free radicals show little pain relief after N2O administration. This report provides new information on how N2O interacts with ion channels, helping our understanding of how this popular pain reliever works.
Temporally resolved cAMP monitoring in endothelial cells uncovers a thrombin‐induced [cAMP] elevation mediated via the Ca2+‐dependent production of prostacyclin
Authors: Werthmann R. C. , Lohse M. J. , Bünemann M.
Published: November 2010

Non‐technical summary

Endothelial cells form the innermost layer of blood vessels and build a barrier between blood and tissue. The permeability of this barrier is antagonistically controlled by the intracellular signalling molecules Ca2+and cAMP. A rise in Ca2+concentration increases permeability, whereas increased cAMP levels strengthen the endothelial cell barrier. In this study we investigated the impact of the coagulation factor thrombin that is known to increase Ca2+concentrations and endothelial permeability, on cAMP levels. Surprisingly we detected that thrombin also led to a delayed and slow increase of cAMP concentrations. We discovered that this increase is due to the production of prostacyclin and a subsequent stimulation of endothelial prostacyclin receptors that finally induce cAMP production. This thrombin‐mediated increase of cAMP levels might constitute a negative feedback control to protect endothelial barrier function despite a rise of Ca2+concentrations.
RANKLed About Breast Cancer
Authors: Adler Elizabeth M.
Published: November 2010

Progestins act through RANKL to promote mammary tumor formation.
Control of Breathing by “Nerve Glue”
Authors: Ballanyi Klaus , Panaitescu Bogdan , Ruangkittisakul Araya
Published: November 2010

Astrocytes sense the need to breathe.
Wnt5a Induces Simultaneous Cortical Axon Outgrowth and Repulsive Turning Through Distinct Signaling MechanismsA presentation from the 2008 meeting “Axon Guidance, Synaptogenesis & Neural Plasticity” at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 10 to 14 September 2008.
Authors: Li Li , Hutchins B. Ian , Kalil Katherine
Published: November 2010

Chemorepulsion and growth stimulation may cooperate to guide cortical axons.
Differential Regulation of Kidney and Spleen Cytokine Responses in Mice Challenged with Pathology-Standardized Doses of
Candida albicans
Mannosylation Mutants
Authors: Castillo Luis , MacCallum Donna M. , Brown Alistair J. P. , Gow Neil A. R. , Odds Frank C.
Published: November 2010

Cell surface polysaccharides are key determinants of host responses to fungal infection. We determined the effects of alterations in
Candida albicans
cell surface polysaccharide composition and gross changes in the host immune response in groups of mice challenged intravenously with five
C. albicans
strains at doses adjusted to give equal disease progression 3 days later. The five strains used were the parental strain NGY152, two mutants with defective cell wall mannosylation,
pmr1
Δ mutant and
mnt1/2
Δ mutant, and the same two strains with a copy of
PMR1
and
MNT1
reintegrated, respectively. Renal and spleen levels of chemokines and cytokines previously shown to be key components of early host response to
C. albicans
were determined at intervals up to 3 days after challenge. By 12 h after
C. albicans
challenge, the levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), interleukin 6 (IL-6), monocyte chemotactic peptide 1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α), MIP-1β, and MIP-2 were higher in the kidneys of mice challenged with the
pmr1
Δ mutant than in animals challenged with the other strains and were lower by day 3, suggesting an earlier host response to the
pmr1
Δ mutant. The production of these chemokines also diminished earlier than controls in mice infected with the
mnt1
/
2
Δ strain. Although these differences were statistically significant, their magnitude was seldom great, and no unambiguous evidence was obtained for individual responses specific to any cell surface glycosylation change. We conclude that complex, multifactorial local responses offset and obscure any differences resulting from differences in surface mannosylation of
C. albicans
strains when infection results from pathology-standardized challenges.
IMPROVED INTEGRATED MODEL OF ELECTROMAGNETIC SCATTERING FOR TWO DIMENSIONAL FRACTAL SEA SURFACE
Authors: FANG CHONGHUA , LIU QIAN , ZHAO XIAONAN
Published: November 2010

In this paper, an improved integrated model of electromagnetic scattering for two dimensional fractal sea surface is built. Both geometrical fractal characteristic and permittivity characteristic of sea water are strictly considered, especially for the effects of salinity and temperature on the electromagnetic field scattered by sea water are added on. Finally, the calculated results from the new model are in accord with experimental results in terms of backscattering coefficient of sea water with no more than 2 dB error, which present higher precision than those traditional models. Thus, by using this model, the whole electromagnetic scattering characteristics of sea surface are obtained.
DATA MINING FOR OCCUPATIONAL INJURY RISK: A CASE STUDY
Authors: BEVILACQUA MAURIZIO , CIARAPICA FILIPPO EMANUELE , GIACCHETTA GIANCARLO
Published: November 2010

The management of occupational injury is of strategic importance in a company from the organizational, engineering and economic point of view. This work is an attempt to apply data mining techniques to data regarding accidents in a medium-sized refinery. Several techniques were adopted in order to identify the important relationships between risk level and immediate/root causes and corrective actions. As a Data Mining technique were tested: Negative Binomial Regression (NBR), Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID); Exhaustive CHAID; Classification And Regression Trees (CART); Quick, Unbiased, Efficient Statistical Tree (QUEST), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Neuro-Fuzzy Systems (FIS). The comparison carried out in this study shows through a real application the flexibility and advantages of using the neuro-fuzzy network, a typical soft computing tool. Using these innovative techniques to analyse injury data this study aims to:

• obtain a classification of input data according to their importance and/or influence on the risk level in injuries;

• assess how a variation in one or more pieces of input data can effect occupational injury and subsequently carry out a sensitivity analysis concerning the probability, the consequences and risks of the injurie events;

The analyses carried out indicated important relationships between the variables, providing useful decision-making rules which can be followed when adopting measures for improvement.
EFFICIENT MATERIAL ALLOCATIONS IN HIGH-MIX LOW-VOLUME MANUFACTURING
Authors: ALI AHAD , SEIFODDINI HAMID , LEE JAY
Published: November 2010

Today's globalization market drives industries toward increased expectations on lean production and quick response to the customers. These expectations have put industries under pressure to become more agile under highly dynamic market and uncertain manufacturing environment. An efficient material allocation becomes critical due to dynamics and uncertainty in the manufacturing systems. This research addresses the optimization needs for effective material allocations in high-mix low-volume manufacturing. Multi-constraint based genetic algorithm and intelligent simulation are used for efficient material allocation. The proposed effective material allocation is validated through real-world application in electronics manufacturing.
Proxemics with multiple dynamic characters in an immersive virtual environment
Authors: Llobera Joan , Spanlang Bernhard , Ruffini Giulio , Slater Mel
Published: November 2010

An experiment was carried out to examine the impact on electrodermal activity of people when approached by groups of one or four virtual characters at varying distances. It was premised on the basis of proxemics theory that the closer the approach of the virtual characters to the participant, the greater the level of physiological arousal. Physiological arousal was measured by the number of skin conductance responses within a short time period after the approach, and the maximum change in skin conductance level 5 s after the approach. The virtual characters were each either female or a cylinder of human size, and one or four characters approached each subject a total of 12 times. Twelve male subjects were recruited for the experiment. The results suggest that the number of skin conductance responses after the approach and the change in skin conductance level increased the closer the virtual characters approached toward the participants. Moreover, these response variables were inversely correlated with the number of visits, showing a typical adaptation effect. There was some evidence to suggest that the number of characters who simultaneously approached (one or four) was positively associated with the responses. Surprisingly there was no evidence of a difference in response between the humanoid characters and cylinders on the basis of this physiological data. It is suggested that the similarity in this quantitative arousal response to virtual characters and virtual objects might mask a profound difference in qualitative response, an interpretation supported by questionnaire and interview results. Overall the experiment supported the premise that people exhibit heightened physiological arousal the closer they are approached by virtual characters.
An empirical pipeline to derive gaze prediction heuristics for 3D action games
Authors: Bernhard Matthias , Stavrakis Efstathios , Wimmer Michael
Published: November 2010

Gaze analysis and prediction in interactive virtual environments, such as games, is a challenging topic since the 3D perspective and variations of the viewpoint as well as the current task introduce many variables that affect the distribution of gaze. In this article, we present a novel pipeline to study eye-tracking data acquired from interactive 3D applications. The result of the pipeline is an importance map which scores the amount of gaze spent on each object. This importance map is then used as a heuristic to predict a user's visual attention according to the object properties present at runtime. The novelty of this approach is that the analysis is performed in object space and the importance map is defined in the feature space of high-level properties. High-level properties are used to encode task relevance and other attributes, such as eccentricity, which may have an impact on gaze behavior.

The pipeline has been tested with an exemplary study on a first-person shooter game. In particular, a protocol is presented describing the data acquisition procedure, the learning of different importance maps from the data, and finally an evaluation of the performance of the derived gaze predictors. A metric measuring the degree of correlation between attention predicted by the importance map and the actual gaze yielded clearly positive results. The correlation becomes particularly strong when the player is attentive to an in-game task.
Use of object oriented technologies in high reliability system
Authors: Rosen Jean-Pierre
Published: November 2010

This tutorial presents the new challenges brought by the advent of object oriented technologies (OOT) into the realm of high reliability systems.

For a long time, OOP was deemed too dynamic a model for highly reliable systems, especially levels A/B of the DO178B, although the standard in itself does not preclude the use of any technology. However, interest for introducing OO techniques is growing in the community; the FAA sponsored OOTiA (Object-Oriented Technology in Aviation), a handbook intended to identify and address these issues. Although not an official policy of the FAA, this handbook is a major input for the upcoming revision of DO178B (DO178C).

The tutorial provides an overview of software safety related standards (DO178B in airborne systems, EN5018 for railway systems). Based on the extensive work of the OOTiA, it explains the issues of object oriented technologies in high reliability systems, and how such technologies can be used while ensuring the high degree of control, review, and testing mandated by these systems. Finally, it shows how Ada's object oriented model differs from the traditional model, and brings better solutions for introducing OOP to high reliability systems.

The tutorial will help participants to understand what software safety standards are about, discover the issues of object oriented technologies in high reliability systems, get an up to date view of current trends with regard to OOT and the DO178B, and learn how Ada's model of object oriented programming is especially appropriate for secure systems
Designing real-time, concurrent, and embedded software systems using UML and Ada
Authors: Pettit Robert G.
Published: November 2010

The domain of real-time, concurrent, and embedded software is becoming increasing complex. To effectively develop these systems, greater care must be taken to construct adequate models of the software and to effectively analyze these designs prior to code development. In this tutorial, we will discuss modeling and analysis issues specific to real-time, concurrent, and embedded software systems. Specifically, this tutorial will present guidelines for modeling these systems using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) version 2. A case study will be introduced to solidify the concepts and participant interaction will be encouraged in the construction of the models. Analytical methods will also be discussed to verify that the UML-based designs will produce the desired behavior. Finally, we will discuss how to proceed from the UML models into an Ada (2005) implementation.
A methodology for avoiding known compiler problems using static analysis
Authors: Jemli Mamdouh , Rosen Jean-Pierre
Published: November 2010

EN-50128, the European standard for railway software safety, requires that software be demonstrated as free from using language features that would trigger known bugs in the compiler.

Given a list of problem reports provided by the compiler vendor, this paper presents a methodology to achieve this goal by identifying conditions that are
sufficient
to prove that the problem does not happen, and then using a static analysis tool to verify the sufficient conditions.

The methodology has been used and accepted for the certification of SIL4 software, the highest certification level for railway systems.
Experience report
Authors: Schmidt Richard B.
Published: November 2010

The Ada language has been architected to provide a strong foundation for building software at the heart of safety critical, real-time, and long-maintained programs. The benefits of Ada in such environments have led to its use in a wide range of systems where correctness and predictability are critical. The current trend in our industry is to loosely tie systems together to share data that previously required manual re-entry, simply was not available, or worse could have been inconsistent between systems. This trend is resulting in a need to connect previously closed systems over in-house and external networks to perform that loose linkage.

The FAA has embraced this technology and has been developing an architecture, code framework, and standards for sharing data across their entire spectrum of Air Traffic Control systems and consumers. The FAA's overall umbrella for this is termed SWIM (System Wide Information Management), and programs participating in the architecture are called "SWIM implementing programs". The ERAM (EnRoute Automation Modernization) program I work on and previously presented at SIG Ada 2009 is one of the first SWIM implementing programs. ERAM has recently entered the test phase of the first increment of SWIM functionality. ERAM SWIM faced many of the same hurdles as other legacy Ada systems around the globe. The new interfaces are built on standard web protocols and need to provide secure reliable information flow to both other internal FAA systems, and external customers such as the major commercial air carriers.

In an effort to use best industry practices Lockheed Martin and the FAA chose Java and other web-standard technologies to implement much of the new SWIM interface. Java has gained a strong foothold in the internet environment and the classrooms for a variety of reasons. The result is that Java enjoys a large amount of FOSS and commercial support that makes it a natural choice for such a web interface, even in a high stakes environment such as ATC. ERAM SWIM development has encountered several issues with bridging the gap between Ada and Java and the quickly evolving world of FOSS/COTS SW.

Performance issues and command and control issues have dominated our internal discussions and been the focus of much of our effort to achieve test readiness. Efficient data representation, baseline control (remember much of it is FOSS), and debugging have also received a lot of attention. We had a lot of prior experience with mixed languages having several hundred thousand lines of C and C++ and considered ourselves prepared. However, integrating with Java is completely unlike integrating with those others, and we have had to adapt across the board to this new challenge. My talk will focus on the challenges we have encountered, and the lessons we have learned about the strengths and weaknesses of the various languages and other technology elements we have used implementing ERAM SWIM.
"Unmanned systems and Ada"
Authors: Weatherly Richard
Published: November 2010

The MITRE Corporation large ground robotic vehicle program relies on GNAT Ada running on the RTEMS open source operating system for all real-time, vehicle steering and propulsion control. This arrangement has worked satisfactorily for two years and has been the subject of SIGAda conference tutorials. Ada was selected for this application to address important safety and reliability concerns. The robotic vehicles weigh more than 1000 kg, can make zero-radius turns, and travel at 8 m/s. Such a vehicle could be dangerous if not properly managed. These Ada controlled, robotic vehicles are on display in the conference center parking lot. Please take a moment to see firsthand this application of Ada.
Monitoring a virtual network infrastructure
Authors: Ciuffoletti Augusto
Published: November 2010

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) providers keep extending with new features the computing infrastructures they offer on a pay per use basis. In this paper we explore reasons and opportunities to include networking within such features, meeting the demand of users that need composite computing architectures similar to Grids. The introduction of networking capabilities within IaaSs would further increase the potential of this technology, and also foster an evolution of Grids towards a confluence, thus incorporating the experiences matured in this environment. Network monitoring emerges as a relevant feature of such virtual architectures, which must exhibit the distinguishing properties of the IaaS paradigm: scalability, dynamic configuration, accounting. Monitoring tools developed with the same purpose in Grids provide useful insights on problems and solutions.
OFDMA in the field
Authors: Maeder Andreas , Zein Nader
Published: November 2010

OFDMA will be the predominant technology for the air interface of broadband mobile wireless systems for the next decades. In recent years, OFDMA-based networks based on IEEE 802.16, and increasingly also on 3GPP LTE are rolled out for commercial use. This article gives an overview of the main challenges for the deployment and operation of state-of-the-art OFDMA networks, along with an outlook into future developments for 4G and beyond 4G networks.
Gene Expression Profiles of Estrogen Receptor–Positive and Estrogen Receptor–Negative Breast Cancers Are Detectable in Histologically Normal Breast Epithelium
Authors: Graham Kelly , Ge Xijin , de las Morenas Antonio , Tripathi Anusri , Rosenberg Carol L.
Published: November 2010

Purpose: Previously, we found that gene expression in histologically normal breast epithelium (NlEpi) from women at high breast cancer risk can resemble gene expression in NlEpi from cancer-containing breasts. Therefore, we hypothesized that gene expression characteristic of a cancer subtype might be seen in NlEpi of breasts containing that subtype.

Experimental Design: We examined gene expression in 46 cases of microdissected NlEpi from untreated women undergoing breast cancer surgery. From 30 age-matched cases [15 estrogen receptor (ER)+, 15 ER−] we used Affymetryix U133A arrays. From 16 independent cases (9 ER+, 7 ER−), we validated selected genes using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). We then compared gene expression between NlEpi and invasive breast cancer using four publicly available data sets.

Results: We identified 198 genes that are differentially expressed between NlEpi from breasts with ER+ (NlEpiER+) compared with ER− cancers (NlEpiER−). These include genes characteristic of ER+ and ER− cancers (e.g., ESR1, GATA3, and CX3CL1, FABP7). qPCR validated the microarray results in both the 30 original cases and the 16 independent cases. Gene expression in NlEpiER+ and NlEpiER− resembled gene expression in ER+ and ER− cancers, respectively: 25% to 53% of the genes or probes examined in four external data sets overlapped between NlEpi and the corresponding cancer subtype.

Conclusions: Gene expression differs in NlEpi of breasts containing ER+ compared with ER− breast cancers. These differences echo differences in ER+ and ER− invasive cancers. NlEpi gene expression may help elucidate subtype-specific risk signatures, identify early genomic events in cancer development, and locate targets for prevention and therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 17(2); 236–46. ©2010 AACR.
Severe Hemorrhage after Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin Treatment in a Preterm Neonate
Authors: van Elteren H.A. , te Pas A.B. , Kollen W.J. , Walther F.J. , Lopriore E.
Published: November 2010

Thromboembolic events in preterm neonates are increasingly being diagnosed due to the increasing use of umbilical catheters and central venous catheters. Whether thromboembolic events should be treated routinely with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is controversial and the optimal management is still not clear due to the lack of randomized controlled trials. Most importantly, knowledge about the safety of treatment with LMWH in neonates with thromboembolic events is very limited. We present a case of severe hemorrhage in a preterm neonate after LMWH treatment and summarize the scarce data reported in the literature.
Heparin-Binding Epidermal Growth Factor-Like Growth Factor Downregulates Expression of Activator Protein-1 Transcription Factor after Intestinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Luo Chih-Cheng , Ming Yung-Ching , Chao Hsun-Chin , Chu Shih-Ming , Pang See-Tong
Published: November 2010

The pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is unknown. Ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury have been considered to be major contributing factors. More recent reports have noted that apoptosis is a significant and perhaps the principal contributor to cell death after I/R injury. Recent studies have revealed that activator protein 1 (AP-1) family proteins including c-Fos and c-Jun potentially induce either the proliferation or apoptosis of the cells in the brain, heart, kidney, and liver. c-Fos and c-Jun expression has also been reported to be upregulated in postischemic intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a potent cytoprotective factor in various pathologic conditions and plays a pivotal role in mediating the earliest cellular responses to injury. This study aims to examine whether HB-EGF, a proven intestinal cytoprotective molecule, exerts its protective effects through modulation of AP-1 transcription factor after intestinal I/R injury. Thirty rats were randomly divided into the following 5 groups: (1) normal control group; (2) ischemia group; (3) I/R group; (4) ischemia group with HB-EGF (400 µg/kg), and (5) I/R group with HG-EGF (400 µg/kg). c-Fos and c-Jun messenger RNAs and protein levels were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western analyses, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA with Dunn’s test. The messenger RNA levels of the c-Fos and c-Jun increased after intestinal ischemia or the intestinal reperfusion phase. HB-EGF pretreatment significantly decreased c-Fos and c-Jun messenger RNAs. The expression of protein levels of c-Fos and c-Jun were correlation with the expression of messenger RNA level. HB-EGF intestinal cytoprotection is mediated, in part, by downregulation of the expression of AP-1 transcription factor after intestinal I/R injury.
L-Arginine, Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and Rhythm Outcome after Electrical Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Tveit Arnljot , Arnesen Harald , Smith Pal , Bratseth Vibeke , Seljeflot Ingebjørg
Published: November 2010

Objectives: It was our aim to study the levels of L-arginine, the substrate for nitric oxide and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, and their relation to the maintenance of sinus rhythm after electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation (AF), as well as the effects of angiotensin receptor blockade on these variables. Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients with persistent AF were randomised to receive candesartan 8 mg once daily or placebo for 3–6 weeks before and candesartan 16 mg once daily or placebo for 6 months after cardioversion. As part of this study, plasma levels of L-arginine and ADMA were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. Results: Baseline levels of L-arginine, ADMA and the L-arginine/ADMA ratio were not predictive of rhythm outcome, and their levels were not influenced by treatment with candesartan. However, the L-arginine/ADMA ratio increased in patients who remained in sinus rhythm (n = 37) for 6 months when compared with patients with AF recurrence (n = 61; p = 0.008). Conclusion: Neither L-arginine nor ADMA or their ratio were predictive of rhythm outcome after cardioversion, and they were not influenced by treatment with candesartan. However, the L-arginine/ADMA ratio increased in patients still in sinus rhythm 6 months after cardioversion.
Differential Effects of Ziprasidone and Haloperidol on Immobilization-Stress-Induced CRF mRNA Expression in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus of Rats
Authors: Park Sung Woo , Choi Sang Mi , Lee Jung Goo , Lee Chan Hong , Lee Sun Jung , Kim Na Ri , Kim Young Hoon
Published: November 2010

Objectives: Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a prominent role in mediating the effect of stressors on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In this study, we examined the effects of chronic administration of second-generation antipsychotic drug ziprasidone on CRF mRNA expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of rats with or without immobilization stress. Methods: The rats were subjected to immobilization stress 2 h/day for 3 weeks. The effect of ziprasidone (2.5 mg/kg, 21 days) on CRF mRNA expression was determined using in situ hybridization of tissue sections from the rat hypothalamic PVN. Haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg, 21 days) was used for comparison. Results: Haloperidol increased the expression of CRF mRNA in the PVN under basal conditions, whereas ziprasidone had no effect. Chronic immobilization stress increased CRF expression. The chronic administration of ziprasidone prevented the increase in CRF mRNA expression caused by immobilization stress. Conclusions: These results suggest that ziprasidone may have a regulatory effect on the stress-induced CRF mRNA expression and a role in the treatment of depressive mood symptom.