bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delayed Diagnosis of Nasal Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Villwock Jennifer A. , Jones Kristin , Back Jason , Goyal Parul
Published: December 2013

Midline destructive lesions of the face have multiple possible etiologies. The majority of these cases are found to be due to an extranodal lymphoma of natural killer/T-cell-type non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NKTL). Unfortunately, diagnosis is often delayed. With variable presenting complaints, including nonspecific issues like chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal congestion, initial treatments are aimed at these presumed diagnoses. Only as the lesion progresses do overt signs of destruction occur. As with our patient, who was initially treated for presumed infection and abscess, final diagnosis often does not occur until several months, and several antibiotic courses, from initial presentation. As such, it is important for this rare entity to remain in the clinician’s differential diagnosis for nasal lesion.
Online Soft Sensor of Humidity in PEM Fuel Cell Based on Dynamic Partial Least Squares
Authors: Long Rong , Chen Qihong , Zhang Liyan , Ma Longhua , Quan Shuhai
Published: December 2013

Online monitoring humidity in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is an important issue in maintaining proper membrane humidity. The cost and size of existing sensors for monitoring humidity are prohibitive for online measurements. Online prediction of humidity using readily available measured data would be beneficial to water management. In this paper, a novel soft sensor method based on dynamic partial least squares (DPLS) regression is proposed and applied to humidity prediction in PEM fuel cell. In order to obtain data of humidity and test the feasibility of the proposed DPLS‐based soft sensor a hardware‐in‐the‐loop (HIL) test system is constructed. The time lag of the DPLS‐based soft sensor is selected as 30 by comparing the root‐mean‐square error in different time lag. The performance of the proposed DPLS‐based soft sensor is demonstrated by experimental results.
Synchronization of Switched Interval Networks and Applications to Chaotic Neural Networks
Authors: Cao Jinde , Alofi Abdulaziz , Al-Mazrooei Abdullah , Elaiw Ahmed
Published: December 2013

This paper investigates synchronization problem of switched delay networks with interval parameters uncertainty, based on the theories of the switched systems and drive-response technique, a mathematical model of the switched interval drive-response error system is established. Without constructing Lyapunov-Krasovskii functions, introducing matrix measure method for the first time to switched time-varying delay networks, combining Halanay inequality technique, synchronization criteria are derived for switched interval networks under the arbitrary switching rule, which are easy to verify in practice. Moreover, as an application, the proposed scheme is then applied to chaotic neural networks. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Remote Sensing Applications in Tobacco Yield Estimation and the Recommended Research in Zimbabwe
Authors: Svotwa Ezekia , Masuka Anxious J. , Maasdorp Barbara , Murwira Amon , Shamudzarira Munyaradzi
Published: December 2013

Tobacco crop area and yield forecasts are important in stabilizing tobacco prices at the auction floors. Tobacco yield estimation in Zimbabwe is currently based on statistical surveys and ground-based field reports. These methods are costly, time consuming, and are prone to large errors. Remote sensing can provide timely information on crop spectral characteristics which can be used to estimate crop yields. Remote sensing application on agriculture in Zimbabwe is still very limited. Research should focus on identifying suitable reflectance indices that are related to tobacco growth and yield. Varietal yield response to fertiliser and planting dates as well as suitable temporal windows for spectral data collection should be identified. The challenges of the different tobacco land sizes have to be overcome by identifying suitable satellite platform, with sufficient spectral resolution to separate the tobacco crop from the adjacent competing crops and noncrop vegetative surfaces. The identified suitable index should be strongly correlated with tobacco in season dry mass and yield. The suitable vegetative indices can be employed in establishing tobacco cropped area and then apply the long-term area yield relationship from government and nongovernmental statistical departments to estimate yield from remote sensing derived cropped area.
Crack Detection in Single-Crystalline Silicon Wafer Using Laser Generated Lamb Wave
Authors: Song Min-Kyoo , Jhang Kyung-Young
Published: December 2013

In the semiconductor industry, with increasing requirements for high performance, high capacity, high reliability, and compact components, the crack has been one of the most critical issues in accordance with the growing requirement of the wafer-thinning in recent years. Previous researchers presented the crack detection on the silicon wafers with the air-coupled ultrasonic method successfully. However, the high impedance mismatching will be the problem in the industrial field. In this paper, in order to detect the crack, we propose a laser generated Lamb wave method which is not only noncontact, but also reliable for the measurement. The laser-ultrasonic generator and the laser-interferometer are used as a transmitter and a receiver, respectively. We firstly verified the identification of S0 and A0 lamb wave modes and then conducted the crack detection under the thermoelastic regime. The experimental results showed that S0 and A0 modes of lamb wave were clearly generated and detected, and in the case of the crack detection, the estimated crack size by 6 dB drop method was almost equal to the actual crack size. So, the proposed method is expected to make it possible to detect the crack in the silicon wafer in the industrial fields.
Ubiquitous Transgenic Overexpression of C-C Chemokine Ligand 2: A Model to Assess the Combined Effect of High Energy Intake and Continuous Low-Grade Inflammation
Authors: Rodríguez-Gallego Esther , Riera-Borrull Marta , Hernández-Aguilera Anna , Mariné-Casadó Roger , Rull Anna , Beltrán-Debón Raúl , Luciano-Mateo Fedra , Menendez Javier A. , Vazquez-Martin Alejandro , Sirvent Juan J. , Martín-Paredero Vicente , Corbí Angel L. , Sierra-Filardi Elena , Aragonès Gerard , García-Heredia Anabel , Camps Jordi , Alonso-Villaverde Carlos , Joven Jorge
Published: December 2013

Excessive energy management leads to low-grade, chronic inflammation, which is a significant factor predicting noncommunicable diseases. In turn, inflammation, oxidation, and metabolism are associated with the course of these diseases; mitochondrial dysfunction seems to be at the crossroads of mutual relationships. The migration of immune cells during inflammation is governed by the interaction between chemokines and chemokine receptors. Chemokines, especially C-C-chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), have a variety of additional functions that are involved in the maintenance of normal metabolism. It is our hypothesis that a ubiquitous and continuous secretion of CCL2 may represent an animal model of low-grade chronic inflammation that, in the presence of an energy surplus, could help to ascertain the afore-mentioned relationships and/or to search for specific therapeutic approaches. Here, we present preliminary data on a mouse model created by using targeted gene knock-in technology to integrate an additional copy of the CCl2 gene in the Gt(ROSA)26Sor locus of the mouse genome via homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. Short-term dietary manipulations were assessed and the findings include metabolic disturbances, premature death, and the manipulation of macrophage plasticity and autophagy. These results raise a number of mechanistic questions for future study.
Grievous Temporal and Occipital Injury Caused by a Bear Attack
Authors: Prasad Sampath Chandra , Thada Nikhil Dinaker , Rao Pallavi , Thada Smitha Rani , Prasad Kishore Chandra
Published: December 2013

Bear attacks are reported from nearly every part of the world. The chance of a human encountering a bear increases as the remote bear territory diminishes. The sloth bear is one of the three species of bears found in India, which inhabits the forests of India and its neighboring countries. Here we describe a teenager who came to us with a critical injury involving the face, temporal and occipital bones inflicted by a sloth bear attack. He underwent a temporal exploration, facial nerve decompression, pinna reconstruction, and occipital bone repair to save him from fatality.
Dynamic Optimization Technique for Distribution of Goods with Stochastic Shortages
Authors: Nkeki Charles I.
Published: December 2013

This work considers the distribution of goods with stochastic shortages from factories to stores. It is assumed that in the process of shipping the goods to various stores, some proportion of the goods will be damaged (which will lead to shortage of goods in transit). The cost of the damaged goods is added to the cost of the shipment. A proportion of the total expected cost of the shortage goods is assumed to be recovered and should be deducted from the total cost of the shipment. In order to determine the minimum transportation costs for the operation, we adopt dynamic optimization principles. The optimal transportation cost and optimal control policies of shipping the goods from factories to stores were obtained. We find that the optimal costs of the goods recovered could be determined. It was further found that the optimum costs of distributing the goods with minimum and maximum error bounds coincide only at infinity.
The Need for Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in T1/T2 Breast Cancer Surgery—Counterpoint
Authors: Sabel Michael S.
Published: December 2013

For breast cancer patients, the role of the axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in the management of clinically node negative breast cancer patient has shifted from routine, to selective, to increasingly rare. With the publication of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z0011 trial results, some are ready to announce the time of death of this procedure. However, many questions remain regarding the design and statistical interpretation of the study, the treatments the patients actually received, and its applicability in clinical practice in light of other studies concerning regional management. Thus, the reports of the ALND's death may be greatly exaggerated. Careful acknowledgement of the study's strengths and shortcomings, and more recent trial data, suggest that although ALND may be safely avoided in a subset of sentinel lymph node positive, Z0011-eligible patients, others may require multidisciplinary review and consensus, and a careful conversation with the patient, before deciding it is not necessary. Cancer Res; 73(24); 7156–60. ©2013 AACR.
PD-1 and Tim-3 Regulate the Expansion of Tumor Antigen–Specific CD8+ T Cells Induced by Melanoma Vaccines
Authors: Fourcade Julien , Sun Zhaojun , Pagliano Ornella , Chauvin Joe-Marc , Sander Cindy , Janjic Bratislav , Tarhini Ahmad A. , Tawbi Hussein A. , Kirkwood John M. , Moschos Stergios , Wang Hong , Guillaume Philippe , Luescher Immanuel F. , Krieg Arthur , Anderson Ana C. , Kuchroo Vijay K. , Zarour Hassane M.
Published: December 2013

Although melanoma vaccines stimulate tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T cells, objective clinical responses are rarely observed. To investigate this discrepancy, we evaluated the character of vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells with regard to the inhibitory T-cell coreceptors PD-1 and Tim-3 in patients with metastatic melanoma who were administered tumor vaccines. The vaccines included incomplete Freund's adjuvant, CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG), and the HLA-A2–restricted analog peptide NY-ESO-1 157-165V, either by itself or in combination with the pan-DR epitope NY-ESO-1 119-143. Both vaccines stimulated rapid tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T-cell responses detected ex vivo, however, tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T cells produced more IFN-γ and exhibited higher lytic function upon immunization with MHC class I and class II epitopes. Notably, the vast majority of vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells upregulated PD-1 and a minority also upregulated Tim-3. Levels of PD-1 and Tim-3 expression by vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells at the time of vaccine administration correlated inversely with their expansion in vivo. Dual blockade of PD-1 and Tim-3 enhanced the expansion and cytokine production of vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells in vitro. Collectively, our findings support the use of PD-1 and Tim-3 blockades with cancer vaccines to stimulate potent antitumor T-cell responses and increase the likelihood of clinical responses in patients with advanced melanoma. Cancer Res; 74(4); 1045–55. ©2013 AACR.
BRAF Fusions Define a Distinct Molecular Subset of Melanomas with Potential Sensitivity to MEK Inhibition
Authors: Hutchinson Katherine E. , Lipson Doron , Stephens Philip J. , Otto Geoff , Lehmann Brian D. , Lyle Pamela L. , Vnencak-Jones Cindy L. , Ross Jeffrey S. , Pietenpol Jennifer A. , Sosman Jeffrey A. , Puzanov Igor , Miller Vincent A. , Pao William
Published: December 2013

Purpose: Recurrent “driver” mutations at specific loci in BRAF, NRAS, KIT, GNAQ, and GNA11 define clinically relevant molecular subsets of melanoma, but more than 30% are “pan-negative” for these recurrent mutations. We sought to identify additional potential drivers in “pan-negative” melanoma.

Experimental Design: Using a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay (FoundationOne™) and targeted RNA sequencing, we identified a novel PAPSS1-BRAF fusion in a “pan-negative” melanoma. We then analyzed NGS data from 51 additional melanomas genotyped by FoundationOne™, as well as melanoma RNA, whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), to determine the potential frequency of BRAF fusions in melanoma. We characterized the signaling properties of confirmed molecular alterations by ectopic expression of engineered cDNAs in 293H cells.

Results: Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in cells by ectopic expression of PAPSS1-BRAF was abrogated by mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibition but not by BRAF inhibition. NGS data analysis of 51 additional melanomas revealed a second BRAF fusion (TRIM24-BRAF) in a “pan-negative” sample; MAPK signaling induced by TRIM24-BRAF was also MEK inhibitor sensitive. Through mining TCGA skin cutaneous melanoma dataset, we further identified two potential BRAF fusions in another 49 “pan-negative” cases.

Conclusions: BRAF fusions define a new molecular subset of melanoma, potentially comprising 4% to 8% of “pan-negative” cases. Their presence may explain an unexpected clinical response to MEK inhibitor therapy or assist in selecting patients for MEK-directed therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 19(24); 6696–702. ©2013 AACR.
The Role of Hormones in the Aging of Plants - A Mini-Review
Authors: Khan Mamoona , Rozhon Wilfried , Poppenberger Brigitte
Published: December 2013

Background: In plants, the final stage of organ development is termed senescence. This is a deterioration process that leads to the decay of tissues and organs, and that, in the case of annual, biennial and/or monocarpic plants, leads to the death of the plant itself. The main function of leaf senescence is nutrient recycle and, since this confers an adaptive advantage, it can be considered an evolutionary selected process. Multiple developmental and environmental signals control senescence, and among them plant hormones are understood to play important roles. In particular, the function of cytokinins and ethylene in senescence has been studied for decades, but it is only since Arabidopsis thaliana was established as a model organism for molecular genetic studies that the underlying molecular and biochemical events have begun to be elucidated. Methods: In this review, we summarize the present understanding of the role of hormones in the developmental control of leaf senescence in plants and in particular highlight recent studies which address its molecular control. Results: Important findings which connect hormone action to developmental senescence were made in the past few years. For example, it was shown that ethylene activity in natural, age-dependent leaf senescence is conferred by the regulatory function of EIN2, an ethylene-signaling component, in the control of the transcription factor oresara 1 (ORE1), which regulates a large set of senescence-associated genes in their expression. ORE1 mRNA abundance is regulated by the microRNA miR164, which in aging plants is degraded in an EIN2-dependent manner, and it is interesting that another microRNA also governs the hormonal control of senescence. miR319 regulates mRNA abundance of a class of transcription factors which control the expression of LOX2 (lipoxygenase 2), a key enzyme in the JA biosynthetic pathway, and thereby regulates JA homeostasis in senescing leaves. Conclusion: Reverse and forward genetics have facilitated the elucidation of molecular mechanisms involved in the control of leaf senescence by phytohormones. Studies initiated on the interactions between the different hormonal pathways that control leaf senescence should improve our knowledge in the future.
Impact of Obturation of Palatal Fistulae on Speech Quality and Aerodynamic Parameters in Patients with Cleft Palates
Authors: Woisard Virginie , Noirrit-Esclassan Emmanuelle , Vandrebeck Vanessa , Al Hawat Anthony , Galinier Philippe , Lauwers Frédéric
Published: December 2013

Objectives: The aim of this prospective study was to measure nasal and oral airflow during speech, before and after obturation. Patients and Methods: Included were children aged 3-18 years with nonsyndromic clefts and palatal fistulae. The corpus used was: syllable /pi/; a sentence containing stop consonants and a nasal phoneme; and the description of a picture of a scene. Analysis criteria were: percentage of nasality; value of average flow for the explosion; perceived nasality and intelligibility; and tolerance of the proposed device. Results: Only 5 children were included due to the observation of an increase in the percentage of nasality after obturation. The value of average flow for the explosion increased in all patients. A decrease in perceived nasality was noted in all but 1 patient. An improvement in intelligibility was observed in 3 out of the 5 children. The tolerance of the device was good. Conclusion: While the small number of patients studied does not permit firm conclusions concerning the efficiency of the obturation, the method described, as well as the introduction of ‘speed of explosion' of stop consonants, offer new perspectives to prospectively study obturator effects on speech.
Migrating Granulomatous Chronic Reaction from Hyaluronic Acid Skin Filler (Restylane): Review and Histopathological Study with Histochemical Stainings
Authors: Cecchi Rossana , Spota Andrea , Frati Paola , Muciaccia Barbara
Published: December 2013

Background: A unique case is presented in whom an allergic reaction to Restylane filler, associated with migrating granulomas, persisted despite medical interventions. A histopathological study was requested for evidence at court. Methods: Hematoxylin-eosin, alcian blue and colloidal iron staining were applied to skin sample biopsies obtained 5 months and 3 years after the hyaluronic acid (HA) injection. Results: The histological staining highlighted the presence of the filler inside the foreign body granuloma and in the derma of a biopsy obtained after 5 months; a small amount of filler was discovered within a granulomatous reaction 3 years after the injection. Conclusions: Smaller fragments of HA display inflammatory, angiogenic and immune-stimulatory activities. Intradermal skin testing before the start of HA filler therapy, and before each subsequent injection, may prevent legal implications for the plastic surgeon. Informed consent to skin tests should be obtained.
Dermoscopic Rosettes as a Clue for Pigmented Incipient Melanoma
Authors: González-Álvarez Tatiana , Armengot-Carbó Miquel , Barreiro Alicia , Alarcón Ivette , Carrera Cristina , García Adriana , Malvehy Josep , Puig Susana
Published: December 2013

The rosette structure is a dermoscopic sign visible under polarized light, characterized by 4 white points arranged as a 4-leaf clover. It has been mainly described in facial sun-damaged skin and actinic keratosis, although it has also been found in squamous and basal cell carcinomas, and in 2 cases of hypomelanotic melanomas. We describe 2 different cases of pigmented incipient melanomas with the presence of multiple rosettes and shiny white structures on dermoscopy. In the reflectance confocal microscope they exhibit a disarranged epidermal architecture with atypical and dendritic cells. Histological examination showed focal hyperkeratosis and a normal corneal layer presented alternatively. To our knowledge this is the first description of rosette structures in pigmented melanomas. Based on a proper dermoscopic- confocal-histopathological correlation, we hypothesize that rosettes could correspond to optic phenomena due to changes in the superficial epidermal reaction and in the acrosyringia.
Embryo Reduction in Dichorionic Triplets to Dichorionic Twins by Intrafetal Laser
Authors: Chaveeva Petya , Kosinski Przemek , Birdir Cahit , Orosz Laszlo , Nicolaides Kypros H.
Published: December 2013

Objective: To describe a new technique for embryo reduction (ER) in dichorionic triplet (DCT) pregnancies. Methods: In 22 DCT pregnancies, ER to dichorionic twins was carried out at 11.3-13.9 weeks' gestation by ultrasound-guided laser ablation of the pelvic vessels of one of the monochorionic twins. Results: Intrafetal laser was successfully carried out in all cases, but ultrasound examination within 2 weeks of the procedure demonstrated that the co-twin had died in 11 cases and was alive in the other 11. In the dichorionic group there was one miscarriage at 23 weeks due to cervical incompetence and in the other 10 cases there were two live births at a median gestational age of 35.0 (range 32.2-37.1) weeks. In the 11 cases where both monochorionic fetuses died the separate triplet was live born at a median gestation of 38.0 (range 32.2-40.5) weeks. Conclusions: In the management of DCT pregnancies, ER to dichorionic twins by intrafetal laser is an additional option to the traditional ones of expectant management, ER by intrafetal injection of potassium chloride (KCl) to monochorionic twins or ER by KCl to singleton.
Circulating Angiotensin II Gains Access to the Hypothalamus and Brain Stem During Hypertension via Breakdown of the Blood–Brain Barrier
Authors: Biancardi Vinicia Campana , Son Sook Jin , Ahmadi Sahra , Filosa Jessica A. , Stern Javier E.
Published: December 2013

Angiotensin II–mediated vascular brain inflammation emerged as a novel pathophysiological mechanism in neurogenic hypertension. However, the precise underlying mechanisms and functional consequences in relation to blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity and central angiotensin II actions mediating neurohumoral activation in hypertension are poorly understood. Here, we aimed to determine whether BBB permeability within critical hypothalamic and brain stem regions involved in neurohumoral regulation was altered during hypertension. Using digital imaging quantification after intravascularly injected fluorescent dyes and immunohistochemistry, we found increased BBB permeability, along with altered key BBB protein constituents, in spontaneously hypertensive rats within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the rostral ventrolateral medulla, all critical brain regions known to contribute to neurohumoral activation during hypertension. BBB disruption, including increased permeability and downregulation of constituent proteins, was prevented in spontaneously hypertensive rats treated with the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan, but not with hydralazine, a direct vasodilator. Importantly, we found circulating angiotensin II to extravasate into these brain regions, colocalizing with neurons and microglial cells. Taken together, our studies reveal a novel angiotensin II–mediated feed-forward mechanism during hypertension, by which circulating angiotensin II evokes increased BBB permeability, facilitating in turn its access to critical brain regions known to participate in blood pressure regulation.
Interpersonal Competence in Young Adulthood and Right Laterality in White Matter
Authors: De Pisapia Nicola , Serra Mauro , Rigo Paola , Jager Justin , Papinutto Nico , Esposito Gianluca , Venuti Paola , Bornstein Marc H.
Published: December 2013

The right hemisphere of the human brain is known to be involved in processes underlying emotion and social cognition. Clinical neuropsychology investigations and brain lesion studies have linked a number of personality and social disorders to abnormal white matter (WM) integrity in the right hemisphere. Here, we tested the hypothesis that interpersonal competencies are associated with integrity of WM tracts in the right hemisphere of healthy young adults. Thirty-one participants underwent diffusion tensor imaging scanning. Fractional anisotropy was used to quantify water diffusion. After the scanning session, participants completed the Adolescent Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire. Fractional anisotropy was subsequently correlated with Adolescent Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire scores using tract-based spatial statistics. Higher interpersonal competencies are related to higher WM integrity in several major tracts of the right hemisphere, in specific the uncinate fasciculus, the cingulum, the forceps minor, the infero-fronto occipital fasciculus, the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and the superior longitudinal fasciculus. These results provide the first direct analysis of the neuroanatomical basis of interpersonal competencies and young adult self-reported skills in social contexts.
Dissociating Motivation from Reward in Human Striatal Activity
Authors: Miller Eric M. , Shankar Maya U. , Knutson Brian , McClure Samuel M.
Published: December 2013

Neural activity in the striatum has consistently been shown to scale with the value of anticipated rewards. As a result, it is common across a number of neuroscientific subdiscliplines to associate activation in the striatum with anticipation of a rewarding outcome or a positive emotional state. However, most studies have failed to dissociate expected value from the motivation associated with seeking a reward. Although motivation generally scales positively with increases in potential reward, there are circumstances in which this linkage does not apply. The current study dissociates value-related activation from that induced by motivation alone by employing a task in which motivation increased as anticipated reward decreased. This design reverses the typical relationship between motivation and reward, allowing us to differentially investigate fMRI BOLD responses that scale with each. We report that activity scaled differently with value and motivation across the striatum. Specifically, responses in the caudate and putamen increased with motivation, whereas nucleus accumbens activity increased with expected reward. Consistent with this, self-report ratings indicated a positive association between caudate and putamen activity and arousal, whereas activity in the nucleus accumbens was more associated with liking. We conclude that there exist regional limits on inferring reward expectation from striatal activation.
White Noise Improves Learning by Modulating Activity in Dopaminergic Midbrain Regions and Right Superior Temporal Sulcus
Authors: Rausch Vanessa H. , Bauch Eva M. , Bunzeck Nico
Published: December 2013

In neural systems, information processing can be facilitated by adding an optimal level of white noise. Although this phenomenon, the so-called stochastic resonance, has traditionally been linked with perception, recent evidence indicates that white noise may also exert positive effects on cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. The underlying neural mechanisms, however, remain unclear. Here, on the basis of recent theories, we tested the hypothesis that auditory white noise, when presented during the encoding of scene images, enhances subsequent recognition memory performance and modulates activity within the dopaminergic midbrain (i.e., substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area, SN/VTA). Indeed, in a behavioral experiment, we can show in healthy humans that auditory white noise—but not control sounds, such as a sinus tone—slightly improves recognition memory. In an fMRI experiment, white noise selectively enhances stimulus-driven phasic activity in the SN/VTA and auditory cortex. Moreover, it induces stronger connectivity between SN/VTA and right STS, which, in addition, exhibited a positive correlation with subsequent memory improvement by white noise. Our results suggest that the beneficial effects of auditory white noise on learning depend on dopaminergic neuromodulation and enhanced connectivity between midbrain regions and the STS—a key player in attention modulation. Moreover, they indicate that white noise could be particularly useful to facilitate learning in conditions where changes of the mesolimbic system are causally related to memory deficits including healthy and pathological aging.
Reorganization of Retinotopic Maps after Occipital Lobe Infarction
Authors: Vaina Lucia M. , Soloviev Sergei , Calabro Finnegan J. , Buonanno Ferdinando , Passingham Richard , Cowey Alan
Published: December 2013

We studied patient JS, who had a right occipital infarct that encroached on visual areas V1, V2v, and VP. When tested psychophysically, he was very impaired at detecting the direction of motion in random dot displays where a variable proportion of dots moving in one direction (signal) were embedded in masking motion noise (noise dots). The impairment on this motion coherence task was especially marked when the display was presented to the upper left (affected) visual quadrant, contralateral to his lesion. However, with extensive training, by 11 months his threshold fell to the level of healthy participants. Training on the motion coherence task generalized to another motion task, the motion discontinuity task, on which he had to detect the presence of an edge that was defined by the difference in the direction of the coherently moving dots (signal) within the display. He was much better at this task at 8 than 3 months, and this improvement was associated with an increase in the activation of the human MT complex (hMT+) and in the kinetic occipital region as shown by repeated fMRI scans. We also used fMRI to perform retinotopic mapping at 3, 8, and 11 months after the infarct. We quantified the retinotopy and areal shifts by measuring the distances between the center of mass of functionally defined areas, computed in spherical surface-based coordinates. The functionally defined retinotopic areas V1, V2v, V2d, and VP were initially smaller in the lesioned right hemisphere, but they increased in size between 3 and 11 months. This change was not found in the normal, left hemisphere of the patient or in either hemispheres of the healthy control participants. We were interested in whether practice on the motion coherence task promoted the changes in the retinotopic maps. We compared the results for patient JS with those from another patient (PF) who had a comparable lesion but had not been given such practice. We found similar changes in the maps in the lesioned hemisphere of PF. However, PF was only scanned at 3 and 7 months, and the biggest shifts in patient JS were found between 8 and 11 months. Thus, it is important to carry out a prospective study with a trained and untrained group so as to determine whether the patterns of reorganization that we have observed can be further promoted by training.
The diatom genus Gomphoneis Cleve (Bacillariophyceae) from Lake Baikal, Russia
Authors: KOCIOLEK JOHN P. , KULIKOVSKIY MAXIM S. , SOLAK CÜNEYT N.
Published: December 2013

We describe 22 new species of Gomphoneis, and report several previously described taxa, from historical and recently made collections from Lake Baikal, Russia. We use light microscopy to document all taxa, and scanning electron microscopy to illustrate several of the species from the lake. All of the species present in Lake Baikal are part of the Elegans subgroup of the genus. Despite previous reports, we could find no representatives of the Herculeana subgroup in Baikal. We provide comparisons between the taxa, and document variability in the features found in the species. Two groups within the Elegans subgroup are present; most have 4 (or more) stigmoids, while a minority of the species lack stigmoids. We suggest that the species in Lake Baikal have two origins; one from the West, where an arc of related species spans Mongolia, NW China to Macedonia, and the second from western North America. Radiation of the two groups has resulted in species flocks. The number of Gomphoneis species in Lake Baikal is the largest number of species of the genus anywhere in the world.
Seasonal Climate Variability and Change in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
Authors: Abatzoglou John T. , Rupp David E. , Mote Philip W.
Published: December 2013

Observed changes in climate of the U.S. Pacific Northwest since the early twentieth century were examined using four different datasets. Annual mean temperature increased by approximately 0.6°–0.8°C from 1901 to 2012, with corroborating indicators including a lengthened freeze-free season, increased temperature of the coldest night of the year, and increased growing-season potential evapotranspiration. Seasonal temperature trends over shorter time scales (<50 yr) were variable. Despite increased warming rates in most seasons over the last half century, nonsignificant cooling was observed during spring from 1980 to 2012. Observations show a long-term increase in spring precipitation; however, decreased summer and autumn precipitation and increased potential evapotranspiration have resulted in larger climatic water deficits over the past four decades. A bootstrapped multiple linear regression model was used to better resolve the temporal heterogeneity of seasonal temperature and precipitation trends and to apportion trends to internal climate variability, solar variability, volcanic aerosols, and anthropogenic forcing. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation and the Pacific–North American pattern were the primary modulators of seasonal temperature trends on multidecadal time scales: solar and volcanic forcing were nonsignificant predictors and contributed weakly to observed trends. Anthropogenic forcing was a significant predictor of, and the leading contributor to, long-term warming; natural factors alone fail to explain the observed warming. Conversely, poor model skill for seasonal precipitation suggests that other factors need to be considered to understand the sources of seasonal precipitation trends.
Experiencing the City
Authors: Henthorn Thomas C.
Published: December 2013

Both history internships and urban history courses that offer place-based learning experiences provide students with an introduction to the role that historical scholarship can play in the everyday life of a community. Basic research about the built environment can have real-world applications that benefit individuals and organizations. Helping students connect intellectual pursuits with practical needs is one of the central goals of a liberal arts education. At the same time, place-based learning gives students a unique opportunity to experience the “messiness” of problem solving and to begin to understand the benefits of uncertainty as part of the process of both learning and social change.
Mentoring effects in the successful adaptation of information systems
Authors: Hsieh Su-Tzu , Hsu Ping-Yu
Published: December 2013

Enterprise information systems (IS) are systems that integrate and streamline business processes that involve volumes of data. They also assist managers in making better decisions across organizations. In these ISs an upstream action has a bullwhip effect on downstream activities. The knowledge required to conduct operations with IS includes system interface navigation and tacit business processes. Although short-term training has been an essential part of implementing IS, it has been difficult to convey the cross-functional process knowledge required to operate an IS when errors occur. On the other hand, mentoring has long been employed by organizations to transfer and propagate tacit knowledge. Notwithstanding that no research has been done on the impact of mentoring on IS successful adaptation, the present study examines the mentoring theory used in successful organization and IS success models in a second-order modelling to argue, and verify, that mentoring plays an important role in IS adaptation through users’ perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and continuous intention.
Profiling e-health projects in Africa: trends and funding patterns
Authors: Jahangirian Mohsen , Taylor Simon J.E.
Published: December 2013

There is a severe shortage of healthcare provision in Africa. e-Health, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to support healthcare, may help to ease this problem. e-Health projects support a wide range of applications ranging from telemedicine to global research collaborations made possible via e-Infrastructures, worldwide systems of integrated advanced high performance networking and computing ICT. To try to understand the state of e-Health in Africa, this paper aims to create a picture and to present an analytical review of some of these initiatives in Africa. A review framework composed of multiple search methods is developed and applied to yield a broad coverage of e-Health projects over the African continent. Seven quantitative analyses on the projects are presented. Major observations include that there is a tendency for e-Health projects to grow in number in some African countries over time; that African countries with larger Gross National Incomes tend to attract more e-Health projects; that e-Health projects in Africa focus on telemedicine, health education and health-related research; that there is a wide range of funding bodies, some of which have a geographical focus, and that the number of m-Health projects has been rising sharply.
Investigating the role of task-technology fit along with attractiveness of alternative technology to utilize RFID system in the organization
Authors: Kim Suk Kyoung , Park Min Jae , Ahn Eun Ji , Rho Jae Jeung
Published: December 2013

In spite of exponential growth projections of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) market value, many companies are reluctant to adopt RFID and RFID vendors are complaining that the business is not growing as fast as expected. The existing challenges and deep skepticism that RFID is facing remains around the return on investment, the incompleteness of RFID technology, and the lack of trust in the result of performance improvement. To fill these voids identified in previous research, from the perspective of business productivity and efficiency, this paper investigates what factors affect RFID-driven task performance, based on the extended Task-Technology Fit (TTF) model. To empirically evaluate the proposed model, a total of 63 usable responses were collected from companies in Korea, and the data is analyzed by Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results obtained pointed out the importance of the fit between the technology and users’ tasks in achieving individual performance impact. Moreover, negative perceptions toward RFID have no direct effect on continuing RFID utilization. Knowing these factors, potential technology users are able to evaluate if it is reasonable to adopt RFID under certain conditions and at a certain point in time. Furthermore, they can attempt to actively influence these variables in order to reduce the failure probability of RFID deployments.
Biomarkers of Fish Oil Omega‐3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Intake in Humans
Authors: Silva Veronica , Barazzoni Rocco , Singer Pierre
Published: December 2013

A biomarker is a measured characteristic that may be used as an indicator of some biological state or condition. In health and disease, biomarkers have been used not only for clinical diagnosis purposes but also as tools to assess effectiveness of a nutrition or drug intervention. When considering nutrition studies, evaluating the appropriate biomarker is a useful tool to assess compliance and incidence of a particular dietary component in the biochemistry of the organism. Fish oil is rich in ω‐3 fatty acids that have well‐known beneficial effects on human health mainly through its anti‐inflammatory properties. It has been widely use to improve health and as a nutrition supplement in different pathological conditions such as cardiovascular, neurological, and critically ill related diseases. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid levels present in different biological moieties (plasma, cellular membranes, adipose tissue, etc) are the best biomarkers of fish oil intake. Each biological source of fatty acids has its own advantages and disadvantages, thus which biomarker to choose and where to measure it requires a comprehension of the objectives of the investigation. In this article we will review key facts about fish oil intake biomarkers to evaluate how components of a specific diet could be monitored and identified in biological samples. Having an accurate assessment of nutrition patterns could provide effective targets for intervention aimed at modifying eating habits and lifestyle towards the improvement of health.
Clinical Biomarkers in Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Barazzoni Rocco , Silva Veronica , Singer Pierre
Published: December 2013

A biomarker can be defined as a measurable variable that may be used as an indicator of a given biological state or condition. Biomarkers have been used in health and disease for diagnostic purposes, as tools to assess effectiveness of nutritional or drug intervention, or as risk markers to predict the development of certain diseases. In nutrition studies, selecting appropriate biomarkers is important to assess compliance, or incidence of a particular dietary component in the biochemistry of the organism, and in the diagnosis and prognosis of nutrition‐related diseases. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors that occur simultaneously in the same individual, and it is associated with systemic alterations that may involve several organs and tissues. Given its close association with obesity and the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide, identifying obese individuals at risk for metabolic syndrome is a major clinical priority. Biomarkers for metabolic syndrome are therefore potential important tools to maximize the effectiveness of treatment in subjects who would likely benefit the most. Choice of biomarkers may be challenging due to the complexity of the syndrome, and this article will mainly focus on nutrition biomarkers related to the diagnosis and prognosis of the metabolic syndrome.
Concordance Between Prostate Needle Biopsy and Surgical Histopathology in a Primarily African-American Population
Authors: Agarwal Manuj , Schwartz David , Weiss Jeffrey , Chen Shan-Chin , Chhabra Arpit , Rotman Marvin , Schreiber David
Published: December 2013

Introduction. Prior studies have revealed that the concordance between biopsy and surgical specimens has been improving over time. However, to date, this has not been analyzed in an African American population, for whom data have often shown more aggressive prostate cancer than for other races. Methods. We analyzed 250 patients who were operated on at the NY Harbor Department of Veterans Affairs for localized prostate cancer between 2003 and 2010. The clinical biopsy scores were compared with the pathological biopsy scores. We compared the concordance using the κ coefficient. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify predictors for poor concordance. Results. This population consisted of 59.6% African Americans, 32% Caucasians, and 8.4% Hispanics. Overall, there was a 50% exact concordance between the biopsy and surgical specimens. The κ was 0.33, indicating fair agreement. Patients with a Gleason score of 6 were found to have an exact concordance 66% of the time, and those with a score of Gleason 7 (3 + 4) had an exact concordance 50% of the time. On univariate and multivariate analyses, only an increasing prostate-specific antigen was associated with reduced concordance. Race was not a significant predictor. Conclusions. These data are in line with prior studies of concordance. Despite being a population with more aggressive prostate cancer, there does not appear to be an increase in the risk of discordance in African American men.
Elite identity and status anxiety: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of management consultants
Authors: Gill Michael J.
Published: December 2013

Critical management scholars have emphasized that organizations’ attempts to regulate employees’ identities can prompt the reproduction or transformation of self-identity. The emotional consequences of identity regulation, however, remain largely unexamined. This article explores the experiences of eight management consultants in the British office of a global consulting firm over several months. Interviews and observations were analysed according to the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis. The results of the study highlight consultants’ identification with an organizationally inspired elite discourse alongside high levels of commitment and the presence of a counter-intuitive yet significant status anxiety. Drawing on psychological and sociological theories that connect identity and anxiety, this article suggests that the continual promotion of an elite identity within the consulting firm leaves many of the consultants feeling acutely anxious about their status.
A Comparison of the Types of Screening Tool Administration Methods Used for the Detection of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Hussain Nasir , Sprague Sheila , Madden Kim , Hussain Farrah Naz , Pindiprolu Bharadwaj , Bhandari Mohit
Published: December 2013

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with significant health consequences for victims, including acute/chronic pain, depression, trauma, suicide, death, as well as physical, emotional, and mental harms for families and children. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the rate of IPV disclosure in adult women (>18 years of age) with the use of three different screening tool administration methods: computer-assisted self-administered screen, self-administered written screen, and face-to-face interview screen. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, and the Cochrane library databases. We identified 746 potentially relevant articles; however, only 6 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and included for analysis. No significant differences were observed when women were screened in face-to-face interviews or with a self-administered written screen (Odds of disclosing: 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.77, 1.35]); however, a computer-assisted self-administered screen was found to increase the odds of IPV disclosure by 37% in comparison to a face-to-face interview screen (odds ratio: 0.63, 95% CI: [0.31, 1.30]). Disclosure of IPV was also 23% higher for computer-assisted self-administered screen in comparison to self-administered written screen (Odds of disclosure: 1.23, 95% CI: [0.0.92, 1.64]). The results of this review suggest that computer-assisted self-administered screens leads to higher rates of IPV disclosure in comparison to both face-to-face interview and self-administered written screens.