bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A general density-preserving remodeling law for isotropic materials
Authors: Nadler Ben
Published: November 2012

The theory of material evolution is specialized to accommodate density-preserving remodeling of isotropic materials. It is assumed that in the pure mechanical case, the rate of evolution depends on the stress, deformation and the evolution. The dissipation inequality and the conservation of density indicate that the driving force for the evolution is the symmetric deviatoric part of the Mandel stress. The isotropic tensor-valued function representation theorem is used to show that there are 18 different admissible evolution modes. Assuming that the dissipation inequality takes a quadratic form, each evolution mode is driven by an associated configurational force. In the proposed evolution model each mode is governed by a single material constant corresponding to viscosity. Moreover, consistent evolution criteria are developed such that evolution arises only if a certain threshold is reached.
Stress intensity factor for a semi-elliptical crack subjected to an arbitrary mode I loading
Authors: Atroshchenko E , Potapenko S , Glinka G
Published: November 2012

In this paper, we use the weight function for an elliptical crack embedded in an infinite elastic media in conjunction with the alternating method to derive the exact analytical solution for the stress intensity factor for a semi-elliptical surface crack subjected to an arbitrary mode I loading.
Disinhibition Mediates the Relationship Between ADHD and Problematic Alcohol Use in College Students
Authors: Rooney Mary , Chronis-Tuscano Andrea M. , Huggins Suzanne
Published: November 2012

Objective: High-risk alcohol use among college students has received substantial attention in recent years, and intervention and prevention efforts have increased dramatically. The current study examined ADHD as a risk factor for problematic drinking among college students. Trait disinhibition and difficulty stopping a drinking session were examined as potential mechanisms through which ADHD is associated with alcohol-related problems. Method: Participants included 100 full-time undergraduate students with ( n = 48) and without ( n = 52) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) ADHD. Results: Students with ADHD had higher rates of alcohol-related problems and alcohol-use disorders across multiple measures. Both disinhibition and difficulty stopping a drinking session independently mediated the relationship between ADHD and negative consequences of alcohol use. Conclusion: These findings indicate that college students with ADHD are at increased risk for alcohol-related problems. Trait disinhibition and difficulty stopping a drinking session represent mechanisms of high-risk alcohol use among college students with ADHD.
Substituting Information for Interaction
Authors: Glushko Robert J. , Nomorosa Karen Joy
Published: November 2012

We compare person-to-person service encounters with those in which the service provider is an information system to identify the capabilities needed to personalize a service encounter. We suggest “substituting information for interaction” as a principle that unifies these different types of encounters whenever the information needed to create value in a service system accumulates incrementally through human or automated customer interactions. We review research and practice in computer science, artificial intelligence, data mining, machine learning, and information systems design to bring an interdisciplinary robustness to our conceptual proposal. Human service providers and automated service systems both need (1) a service model manager that stores information about how a customer requests a service; (2) a customer model manager that stores information about customers and preferences; (3) a recommendation system manager that uses service models, customer models, and contextual information to adapt the service at delivery time; (4) a learning system that analyzes previous service encounters to refine service and customer models, and a (5) service monitoring system that monitors the status of service delivery. The substitution concepts and mechanisms we propose highlight the range of design choices and help managers evaluate whether a human interaction or information exchange creates or undermines value in a service system.
Time to secondary progression in patients with multiple sclerosis who were treated with first generation immunomodulating drugs
Authors: Tedeholm H , Lycke J , Skoog B , Lisovskaja V , Hillert J , Dahle C , Fagius J , Fredrikson S , Landtblom A-M , Malmeström C , Martin C , Piehl F , Runmarker B , Stawiarz L , Vrethem M , Nerman O , Andersen O
Published: November 2012

Background:

It is currently unknown whether early immunomodulatory treatment in relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) can delay the transition to secondary progression (SP).

Objective:

To compare the time interval from onset to SP in patients with RRMS between a contemporary cohort, treated with first generation disease modifying drugs (DMDs), and a historical control cohort.

Methods:

We included a cohort of contemporary RRMS patients treated with DMDs, obtained from the Swedish National MS Registry (disease onset between 1995–2004, n = 730) and a historical population-based incidence cohort (onset 1950–64, n = 186). We retrospectively analyzed the difference in time to SP, termed the “period effect” within a 12-year survival analysis, using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis.

Results:

We found that the “period” affected the entire severity spectrum. After adjusting for onset features, which were weaker in the contemporary material, as well as the therapy initiation time, the DMD-treated patients still exhibited a longer time to SP than the controls (hazard ratios: men, 0.32; women, 0.53).

Conclusion:

Our results showed there was a longer time to SP in the contemporary subjects given DMD. Our analyses suggested that this effect was not solely driven by the inclusion of benign cases, and it was at least partly due to the long-term immunomodulating therapy given.
Mesenchymal stem cells as treatment for MS – progress to date
Authors: Uccelli Antonio , Laroni Alice , Freedman Mark S
Published: November 2012

The unmet need for therapies capable of repairing the central nervous system (CNS) damage occurring in many diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS) has sparked the interest of the neurological community for stem cell-based therapies. An exhaustive amount of preclinical data has shown that the intravenous administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), a subset of progenitor cells isolated from many mesodermal tissues, effectively ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of MS, through the release of anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective molecules. Based on these results, several small pilot clinical trials in subjects with advanced MS have demonstrated that MSC administration is safe and provided an early signal of clinical effectiveness. The current aim of clinicians and scientists interested in the development of MSC-based strategies for the treatment of MS is to have the ultimate demonstration in large clinical trials that MSC can inhibit CNS inflammation and foster tissue repair as realized clinically, with functional recovery, or visualized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Banning Islamic veils
Authors: Howard Erica
Published: November 2012

In political and popular debates, bans on the wearing of Islamic head scarves and veils are often said to be necessary for the promotion of gender equality. In this article, I argue that this is based on a stereotypical view of Islam and of Muslim women which ignores the many different reasons why women wear headscarves and veils. I also argue that bans are unnecessary and even counterproductive to achieving gender equality. For those women who wear these garments because they freely choose to do so, bans are not necessary to promote their equality. For those women who are pressured into wearing headscarves or veils, bans could well work against promoting their equality, because they could prevent them from getting an education and a job and could lead to their isolation from society.
Heteronormativity hurts everyone: Experiences of young men and clinicians with sexually transmitted infection/HIV testing in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Knight Rod , Shoveller Jean A , Oliffe John L , Gilbert Mark , Goldenberg Shira
Published: November 2012

Heteronormative assumptions can negatively influence the lives of young gay and bisexual men, and recent sociological analyses have identified the negative impacts of heteronormativity on heterosexual men (e.g. ‘fag discourse’ targeted at heterosexual adolescents). However, insights into how heteronormative discourses may be (re)produced in clinical settings and how they contribute to health outcomes for gay, bisexual and heterosexual men are poorly understood. This analysis draws on in-depth interviews with 45 men (15–25 years old) and 25 clinicians in British Columbia, Canada, to examine how heteronormative discourses affect sexually transmitted infection testing. The sexually transmitted infection/HIV testing experience emerged as a unique situation, whereby men’s (hetero)sexuality was explicitly ‘interrogated’. Risk assessments discursively linked sexual identity to risk in ways that reinforced gay men as the risky ‘other’ and heterosexual men as the (hetero)normal and, therefore, relatively low-risk patient. This, in turn, alleviated concern for sexually transmitted infection/HIV exposure in heterosexual men by virtue of their sexual identity (rather than their sexual practices), which muted discussions around their sexual health. The clinicians also positioned sexual identities and practices as important ‘clues’ for determining their patients’ social contexts and supports while concurrently informing particular tailored clinical communication strategies. These findings highlight how men’s experiences with sexually transmitted infection/HIV testing can (re)produce heteronormative assumptions and expectations or create opportunities for more equitable gendered relations and discourses.
Hospitalized children’s representations of their relationship with nurses and doctors
Authors: Corsano Paola , Majorano Marinella , Vignola Valentina , Cardinale Elisa , Izzi Giancarlo , Nuzzo Maria Josè
Published: November 2012

This article reports an explorative study which aims to investigate hospitalized children’s views of their relationships with nurses and doctors. Twenty-seven school-aged children and adolescents from 6 to 15 years old in the paediatric haematology and oncology ward of an Italian hospital participated in the study. Each participant was asked to draw him or herself with a doctor or nurse from the ward while they were doing something. The drawings were analysed using Pictorial Assessment of Interpersonal Relationships (PAIR) and a qualitative analysis. The results showed that the participants viewed their relationships with health professionals positively, in particular with the nurses. This relationship was perceived as close, intimate, cohesive and without conflict. In some cases it became an emotional bond. Finally, this relationship helped the patients to cope with painful and uncomfortable medical procedures, which gradually became familiar and accepted. The clinical implications of this study are discussed.
High consumption of smokeless tobacco (“snus”) predicts increased risk of type 2 diabetes in a 10-year prospective study of middle-aged Swedish men
Authors: Östenson Claes-Göran , Hilding Agneta , Grill Valdemar , Efendic Suad
Published: November 2012

Aims: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In Sweden and the US, people shift from smoking cigarettes to smokeless tobacco, i.e. oral moist snuff, “snus”, to attain harm-reduction. There are limited and conflicting data as to whether snus increases the risk of T2D. The present study investigated if snus use predicts the risk of T2D incidence. Methods: This is a prospective population-based study where middle-aged Swedish men ( n=2,383), without previously diagnosed T2D, were investigated with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at baseline in 1992–94 and at follow-up 10 years later. Odds ratios (ORs) for newly diagnosed T2D at follow-up were assessed among those using snus, or cigarettes, at both baseline and follow-up, adjusted for major confounders. Results: The OR for T2D was not significantly increased in the whole group of snus users. However, the risk of diabetes increased with increasing weekly snus consumption; ORs (CIs) for >four boxes of snus/week were 2.1 (CI 0.9–4.9), and for >five boxes/week 3.3 (CI 1.4–8.1). For comparison, men smoking at baseline and still smoking at follow-up had an increased risk of diabetes compared with never smokers, OR 1.5 (CI 0.8–3.0), most evident for those smoking >15 cigarettes per day, OR 2.4 (CI 1.0–5.8). Tobacco use was associated with estimations of low insulin response (OGTT), but not low insulin sensitivity (HOMA). Conclusions: High consumption of snus, like smoking, predicts risk of developing T2D. This should be considered when seeking harm-reduction by changing from use of cigarettes to snus. T2D risk from tobacco use may be mediated by effects on beta-cell function.
Builders, bodies and bifurcations: How London construction workers ‘learn to labour’
Authors: Thiel Darren
Published: November 2012

This article examines how the ideas about working-class culture presented in Paul Willis’s classic monograph (1977) Learning to Labour apply or do not apply to the data generated by an ethnographic analysis of a London construction site that I conducted in 2003/4. While Learning to Labour had significant relevance to understanding the class-bound masculine cultures of the construction workers, because building work has a pre-industrial history and a post-industrial contemporary, the claim that working-class masculinity is driven predominately by the features of industrial work life is found wanting. Rather than being bound exclusively to industrial work, the exigencies of working-class-bound masculinity could be found in the builders’ problematic and attenuated relationships with the modern state and its legal and moral injunctions. Such relationships to the modern state illuminate why fundamental features of working-class masculine culture are reproduced in a post-industrial global London by both migrant and more indigenous workers, and thus also illustrate part of the reason why class and ethnic inequality persist in the contemporary UK.
Rough water performance of lightweight high-speed craft
Authors: Garme Karl , Rosén Anders , Stenius Ivan , Kuttenkeuler Jakob
Published: November 2012

Previous studies have shown how the use of composite materials and application of sophisticated design methods can give significantly lighter high-speed craft structures than what is normally achieved for traditional aluminium designs. A reduction in structural mass and a corresponding reduction in displacement improve the craft calm water performance but can be unfavourable regarding the rough water performance. Here, the rough water performance of two versions of a fast patrol vessel, one in aluminium and the other in carbon fibre sandwich, is studied with simplified semi-empirical methods and more advanced non-linear time domain simulations. In speeds up to 30 knots, the rough water performance of the two craft versions is found to be practically equal. At higher speeds, the lighter composite craft experiences higher vertical accelerations than the heavier aluminium craft, which implies less operational availability. Using trim ballast tanks, the rough water performance of the lighter craft is improved, and it is shown that the acceleration levels can be reduced and even lowered relative to the heavier aluminium craft. This means that the calm water advantages of a lighter composite vessel can be utilized with the same ride comfort and operational availability as for a heavier aluminium vessel.
(Re)Imagining the West
Authors: Dickinson Greg , Ott Brian L. , Aoki Eric
Published: November 2012

In 2009, the Whitney Gallery of Western Art (WGWA), located within the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (BBHC) in Cody, Wyoming, was redesigned—its art rehung and its vision of the West reimagined. The newly designed gallery replaced the structuring principles of history, artist, and genre that had governed the previous layout and design of the gallery with a thematic structure that elicits a series of affective dissonances. In this essay, we argue that the redesigned Whitney Gallery of Western Art performs a sacred hymn that—in repositioning Buffalo Bill Cody as its orchestrating figure—resolves discordant images and narratives of the West, harmonizes diverse themes into a single vision, and reconstitutes national identity in terms of the Western sublime.
The importance of velocity, or why speed may matter more than distance
Authors: Johnson Russell E. , Howe Michael , Chang Chu-Hsiang (Daisy)
Published: November 2012

Theory and research on self-regulation emphasizes the importance of goals for guiding human behavior. Critical phenomena within the self-regulation literature are discrepancies between actual states and goal states. When such discrepancies are detected, they capture attention and effort is mobilized to move actual states closer to goal states (or in some cases align the latter with the former). While discrepancy feedback, or the distance between actual and goal states, is important, so too is velocity feedback, or the rate at which actual–goal discrepancies are decreasing. Unfortunately, research has mostly ignored the role played by velocity in the self-regulation process. To redress this limitation, we review the concept of velocity, the empirical studies that have examined this concept, and how velocity is commonly measured. We then discuss the role of velocity as it pertains to three self-regulatory functions at work: achieving performance goals, satisfying belonging needs, and satisfying esteem needs.
Delayed development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the absence of macrophage migration inhibitory factor
Authors: Reinart Nina , Nguyen Phuong-Hien , Boucas Jorge , Rosen Natascha , Kvasnicka Hans-Michael , Heukamp Lukas , Rudolph Cornelia , Ristovska Vangica , Velmans Tanja , Mueller Carolin , Reiners Katrin S. , von Strandmann Elke Pogge , Krause Günter , Montesinos-Rongen Manuel , Schlegelberger Brigitte , Herling Marco , Hallek Michael , Fingerle-Rowson Günter
Published: November 2012

Key Points

Targeted deletion of the gene for macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) delays development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and prolongs survival in mice. MIF recruits leukemia-associated macrophages to spleen or liver.
The triumph of good over evil: protection by the sickle gene against malaria
Authors: Bunn H. Franklin
Published: November 2012

The mechanisms underlying Plasmodium falciparum resistance in persons with sickle trait have been under active investigation for more than a half century. This Perspective reviews progress in solving this challenging problem, including recent studies that have exploited the genomics and proteomics of the parasite. The formation of Hb S polymer in the parasitized AS RBC leads to impaired parasite growth and development along with enhanced clearance from the circulation and reduced deposition in deep postcapillary vascular beds. Enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species in sickled AS RBCs is a pathogenetic feature shared by parasitized thalassemic and G6PD-deficient RBCs, triggering abnormal topology of the RBC plasma membrane with decreased and disordered display of PfEMP-1, a P falciparum adhesion protein critical for endothelial adherence. A mouse model of Hb S confers host tolerance to P berghei, through inhibition of pathogenic CD8+ T cells and induction of heme oxygenase-1. An additional and apparently independent mode of protection is provided by the selective expression in AS RBCs of 2 species of microRNA that integrate into P falciparum mRNAs and inhibit translation and parasite growth.
Deep sequencing and expression of microRNAs from early honeybee (Apis mellifera) embryos reveals a role in regulating early embryonic patterning
Authors: Zondag Lisa , Dearden Peter K , Wilson Megan J
Published: November 2012

Background

Recent evidence supports the proposal that the observed diversity of animal body plans has been produced through alterations to the complexity of the regulatory genome rather than increases in the protein-coding content of a genome. One significant form of gene regulation is the contribution made by the non-coding content of the genome. Non-coding RNAs play roles in embryonic development of animals and these functions might be expected to evolve rapidly. Using next-generation sequencing and in situ hybridization, we have examined the miRNA content of early honeybee embryos.

Results

Through small RNA sequencing we found that 28% of known miRNAs are expressed in the early embryo. We also identified developmentally expressed microRNAs that are unique to the Apoidea clade. Examination of expression patterns implied these miRNAs have roles in patterning the anterior-posterior and dorso-ventral axes as well as the extraembryonic membranes. Knockdown of Dicer, a key component of miRNA processing, confirmed that miRNAs are likely to have a role in patterning these tissues.

Conclusions

Examination of the expression patterns of novel miRNAs, some unique to the Apis group, indicated that they are likely to play a role in early honeybee development. Known miRNAs that are deeply conserved in animal phyla display differences in expression pattern between honeybee and Drosophila, particularly at early stages of development. This may indicate miRNAs play a rapidly evolving role in regulating developmental pathways, most likely through changes to the way their expression is regulated.
Mutualism with sea anemones triggered the adaptive radiation of clownfishes
Authors: Litsios Glenn , Sims Carrie A , Wüest Rafael O , Pearman Peter B , Zimmermann Niklaus E , Salamin Nicolas
Published: November 2012

Background

Adaptive radiation is the process by which a single ancestral species diversifies into many descendants adapted to exploit a wide range of habitats. The appearance of ecological opportunities, or the colonisation or adaptation to novel ecological resources, has been documented to promote adaptive radiation in many classic examples. Mutualistic interactions allow species to access resources untapped by competitors, but evidence shows that the effect of mutualism on species diversification can greatly vary among mutualistic systems. Here, we test whether the development of obligate mutualism with sea anemones allowed the clownfishes to radiate adaptively across the Indian and western Pacific oceans reef habitats.

Results

We show that clownfishes morphological characters are linked with ecological niches associated with the sea anemones. This pattern is consistent with the ecological speciation hypothesis. Furthermore, the clownfishes show an increase in the rate of species diversification as well as rate of morphological evolution compared to their closest relatives without anemone mutualistic associations.

Conclusions

The effect of mutualism on species diversification has only been studied in a limited number of groups. We present a case of adaptive radiation where mutualistic interaction is the likely key innovation, providing new insights into the mechanisms involved in the buildup of biodiversity. Due to a lack of barriers to dispersal, ecological speciation is rare in marine environments. Particular life-history characteristics of clownfishes likely reinforced reproductive isolation between populations, allowing rapid species diversification.
DNA methylation profile of Aire-deficient mouse medullary thymic epithelial cells
Authors: Wu Guoying , Hirabayashi Keiji , Sato Shinya , Akiyama Nobuko , Akiyama Taishin , Shiota Kunio , Yagi Shintaro
Published: November 2012

Background

Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are characterized by ectopic expression of self-antigens during the establishment of central tolerance. The autoimmune regulator (Aire), which is specifically expressed in mTECs, is responsible for the expression of a large repertoire of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) and plays a role in the development of mTECs. However, Aire-deficient mTECs still express TRAs. Moreover, a subset of mTECs, which are considered to be at a stage of terminal differentiation, exists in the Aire-deficient thymus. The phenotype of a specific cell type in a multicellular organism is governed by the epigenetic regulation system. DNA methylation modification is an important component of this system. Every cell or tissue type displays a DNA methylation profile, consisting of tissue-dependent and differentially methylated regions (T-DMRs), and this profile is involved in cell-type-specific genome usage. The aim of this study was to examine the DNA methylation profile of mTECs by using Aire-deficient mTECs as a model.

Results

We identified the T-DMRs of mTECs (mTEC-T-DMRs) via genome-wide DNA methylation analysis ofAire−/−mTECs by comparison with the liver, brain, thymus, and embryonic stem cells. The hypomethylated mTEC-T-DMRs inAire−/−mTECs were associated with mTEC-specific genes, includingAire,CD80, andTrp63, as well as other genes involved in the RANK signaling pathway. While these mTEC-T-DMRs were also hypomethylated inAire+/+mTECs, they were hypermethylated in control thymic stromal cells. We compared the pattern of DNA methylation levels at a total of 55 mTEC-T-DMRs and adjacent regions and found that the DNA methylation status was similar forAire+/+andAire−/−mTECs but distinct from that of athymic cells and tissues.

Conclusions

These results indicate a unique DNA methylation profile that is independent of Aire in mTECs. This profile is distinct from other cell types in the thymic microenvironment and is indicated to be involved in the differentiation of the mTEC lineage.
Storage conditions for stability of offline measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide after collection for epidemiologic research
Authors: Yoda Yoshiko , Otani Naruhito , Hasunuma Hideki , Kanegae Hiroshi , Shima Masayuki
Published: November 2012

Background

The measurement of fractional concentration of nitric oxide in exhaled air (FeNO) is valuable for the assessment of airway inflammation. Offline measurement of FeNO has been used in some epidemiologic studies. However, the time course of the changes in FeNO after collection has not been fully clarified. In this study, the effects of storage conditions on the stability of FeNO measurement in exhaled air after collection for epidemiologic research were examined.

Methods

Exhaled air samples were collected from 48 healthy adults (mean age 43.4 ± 12.1 years) in Mylar bags. FeNO levels in the bags were measured immediately after collection. The bags were then stored at 4°C or room temperature to measure FeNO levels repeatedly for up to 168 hours.

Results

In the bags stored at room temperature after collection, FeNO levels were stable for 9 hours, but increased starting at 24 hours. FeNO levels remained stable for a long time at 4°C, and they were 99.7% ± 7.7% and 101.3% ± 15.0% relative to the baseline values at 24 and 96 hours, respectively. When the samples were stored at 4°C, FeNO levels gradually decreased with time among the subjects with FeNO ≥ 51 ppb immediately after collection, although there were almost no changes among the other subjects. FeNO levels among current smokers increased even at 4°C, although the values among ex-smokers decreased gradually, and those among nonsmokers remained stable. The rate of increase was significantly higher among current smokers than among nonsmokers and ex-smokers from 9 hours after collection onwards.

Conclusions

Storage at 4°C could prolong the stability of FeNO levels after collection. This result suggests that valid measurements can be performed within several days if the samples are stored at 4°C. However, the time course of the changes in FeNO levels differed in relation to initial FeNO values and cigarette smoking.
Fuzzy method for pre-diagnosis of breast cancer from the Fine Needle Aspirate analysis
Authors: Sizilio Gláucia RMA , Leite Cicília RM , Guerreiro Ana MG , Neto Adrião D Dória
Published: November 2012

Background

Across the globe, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women and, currently, Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) with visual interpretation is the easiest and fastest biopsy technique for the diagnosis of this deadly disease. Unfortunately, the ability of this method to diagnose cancer correctly when the disease is present varies greatly, from 65% to 98%. This article introduces a method to assist in the diagnosis and second opinion of breast cancer from the analysis of descriptors extracted from smears of breast mass obtained by FNA, with the use of computational intelligence resources - in this case, fuzzy logic.

Methods

For data acquisition of FNA, the Wisconsin Diagnostic Breast Cancer Data (WDBC), from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) Machine Learning Repository, available on the internet through the UCI domain was used. The knowledge acquisition process was carried out by the extraction and analysis of numerical data of the WDBC and by interviews and discussions with medical experts. The PDM-FNA-Fuzzy was developed in four steps: 1) Fuzzification Stage; 2) Rules Base; 3) Inference Stage; and 4) Defuzzification Stage. Performance cross-validation was used in the tests, with three databases with gold pattern clinical cases randomly extracted from the WDBC. The final validation was held by medical specialists in pathology, mastology and general practice, and with gold pattern clinical cases, i.e. with known and clinically confirmed diagnosis.

Results

The Fuzzy Method developed provides breast cancer pre-diagnosis with 98.59% sensitivity (correct pre-diagnosis of malignancies); and 85.43% specificity (correct pre-diagnosis of benign cases). Due to the high sensitivity presented, these results are considered satisfactory, both by the opinion of medical specialists in the aforementioned areas and by comparison with other studies involving breast cancer diagnosis using FNA.

Conclusions

This paper presents an intelligent method to assist in the diagnosis and second opinion of breast cancer, using a fuzzy method capable of processing and sorting data extracted from smears of breast mass obtained by FNA, with satisfactory levels of sensitivity and specificity. The main contribution of the proposed method is the reduction of the variation hit of malignant cases when compared to visual interpretation currently applied in the diagnosis by FNA. While the MPD-FNA-Fuzzy features stable sensitivity at 98.59%, visual interpretation diagnosis provides a sensitivity variation from 65% to 98% (this track showing sensitivity levels below those considered satisfactory by medical specialists). Note that this method will be used in an Intelligent Virtual Environment to assist the decision-making (IVEMI), which amplifies its contribution.
Downlink packet scheduling and resource allocation in EPON WiMAX hybrid access networks
Authors: Teng Hung-Yi , Kuo Chung-Chih , Hwang Ren-Hung
Published: November 2012

Multimedia applications over the Internet, such as IPTV and video-on-demand, have become fast growing applications in recent years. Such applications have stringent quality of services (QoS) constraints in terms of bandwidth, delay, and packet loss. As a consequence, broadband access networks play an important role for multimedia applications. There are two emerging technologies offering both high bandwidth and QoS support, namely Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). By integrating these two technologies, EPON-WiMAX integrated network can: (1) provide broadband access, (2) support mobile users, and (3) decrease network planning cost and operating cost. Thus, EPON-WiMAX integrated network is an ideal choice for multimedia applications with ubiquitous access. Although EPON-WiMAX integrated network has received growing attentions, however, most of previous works focus on the scheduling and bandwidth allocation in the upstream direction. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the downlink scheduling and bandwidth allocation problem in EPON-WiMAX integrated networks. The objective of the study is to maximize the system throughput and guarantee the (QoS) so that the requirements of multimedia applications can be fulfilled. We proposed a two-stage downlink packet scheduling and resource allocation mechanism collaborating with application layer forward error correction (AL-FEC). We demonstrated the performance of our approach via simulations. Our simulation results indicated that the proposed mechanism increased the system throughput significantly, especially when AL-FEC is adopted.
Joint optimization of detection threshold and resource allocation in infrastructure-based multi-band cognitive radio networks
Authors: Shi Cong , Wang Ying , Wang Tan , Zhang Ping , Martinez-Bauset Jorge , Li Frank Y
Published: November 2012

Consider an infrastructure-based multi-band cognitive radio network (CRN) where secondary users (SUs) opportunistically access a set of sub-carriers when sensed as idle. The carrier sensing threshold which affects the access opportunities of SUs is conventionally regarded as static and treated independently from the resource allocation in the model. In this article, we study jointly the optimization of detection threshold and resource allocation with the goal of maximizing the total downlink capacity of SUs in such CRNs. The optimization problem is formulated considering three sets of variables, i.e., detection threshold, sub-carrier assignment and power allocation, with constraints on the PUs’ rate loss and the power budget of the CR base station. Two schemes, referred to as offline and online algorithms respectively, are proposed to solve the optimization problem. While the offline algorithm finds the global optimal solution with high complexity, the online algorithm provides a close-to-optimal solution with much lower complexity and realtime capability. The performance of the proposed schemes is evaluated by extensive simulations and compared with the conventional static threshold selection algorithm specified in the IEEE 802.22 standard.
Intracultural variation of knowledge about wild plant uses in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria)
Authors: Schunko Christoph , Grasser Susanne , Vogl Christian R
Published: November 2012

Background

Leading scholars in ethnobiology and ethnomedicine continuously stress the need for moving beyond the bare description of local knowledge and to additionally analyse and theorise about the characteristics and dynamics of human interactions with plants and related local knowledge. Analyses of the variation of local knowledge are thereby perceived as minimal standard. In this study we investigate the distribution and variation of wild plant knowledge in five domains: food, drinks, human medicine, veterinary medicine and customs. We assess relations between the wild plant knowledge of informants and their socio-demographic as well as geographic background.

Method

Research was conducted in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal, Austria. Structured questionnaires were used to inquire wild plant knowledge from 433 informants with varying socio-demographic and geographic background. Children assisted in the data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear models.

Results and discussion

A majority of respondents is familiar with wild plant uses, however to varying degrees. Knowledge variations depend on the socio-demographic and geographic background of the informants as well as on the domains of knowledge under investigation: women, older informants and homegardeners report more human medicinal applications and applications in drinks than men, younger informants and non-homegardeners; farmers know a greater variety of veterinary medicinal applications than non-farmers; the place of residence relates significantly to food and veterinary uses. Customs are difficult to investigate in standardized matrices. The household-related distribution of work and the general socio-cultural context are especially helpful in order to explain intracultural variation of knowledge in the Grosses Walsertal.

Conclusions

Research on the intracultural variation of local knowledge exposes cultural characteristics and highlights the cultural embeddedness of local knowledge. The impact of socio-cultural developments on local knowledge may be anticipated from understanding the intracultural variation of knowledge.
Lung Cancer Signature Biomarkers: tissue specific semantic similarity based clustering of Digital Differential Display (DDD) data
Authors: Srivastava Mousami , Khurana Pankaj , Sugadev Ragumani
Published: November 2012

Background

The tissue-specific Unigene Sets derived from more than one million expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in the NCBI, GenBank database offers a platform for identifying significantly and differentially expressed tissue-specific genes by in-silico methods. Digital differential display (DDD) rapidly creates transcription profiles based on EST comparisons and numerically calculates, as a fraction of the pool of ESTs, the relative sequence abundance of known and novel genes. However, the process of identifying the most likely tissue for a specific disease in which to search for candidate genes from the pool of differentially expressed genes remains difficult. Therefore, we have used ‘Gene Ontology semantic similarity score’ to measure the GO similarity between gene products of lung tissue-specific candidate genes from control (normal) and disease (cancer) sets. This semantic similarity score matrix based on hierarchical clustering represents in the form of a dendrogram. The dendrogram cluster stability was assessed by multiple bootstrapping. Multiple bootstrapping also computes a p-value for each cluster and corrects the bias of the bootstrap probability.

Results

Subsequent hierarchical clustering by the multiple bootstrapping method (α = 0.95) identified seven clusters. The comparative, as well as subtractive, approach revealed a set of 38 biomarkers comprising four distinct lung cancer signature biomarker clusters (panel 1–4). Further gene enrichment analysis of the four panels revealed that each panel represents a set of lung cancer linked metastasis diagnostic biomarkers (panel 1), chemotherapy/drug resistance biomarkers (panel 2), hypoxia regulated biomarkers (panel 3) and lung extra cellular matrix biomarkers (panel 4).

Conclusions

Expression analysis reveals that hypoxia induced lung cancer related biomarkers (panel 3), HIF and its modulating proteins (TGM2, CSNK1A1, CTNNA1, NAMPT/Visfatin, TNFRSF1A, ETS1, SRC-1, FN1, APLP2, DMBT1/SAG, AIB1 and AZIN1) are significantly down regulated. All down regulated genes in this panel were highly up regulated in most other types of cancers. These panels of proteins may represent signature biomarkers for lung cancer and will aid in lung cancer diagnosis and disease monitoring as well as in the prediction of responses to therapeutics.
The Androgen Metabolite, 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol, Decreases Cytokine-Induced Cyclooxygenase-2, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 Expression, and P-Glycoprotein Expression in Male Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells
Authors: Zuloaga Kristen L. , Swift Sibyl N. , Gonzales Rayna J. , Wu T. John , Handa Robert J.
Published: November 2012

P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a multiple drug resistance transporter expressed by vascular endothelial cells, is a key component of the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to increase after inflammation. The nonaromatizable androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), decreases inflammatory markers in vascular smooth muscle cells, independent of androgen receptor (AR) stimulation. The principal metabolite of DHT, 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol (3β-diol), activates estrogen receptor (ER)β and similarly decreases inflammatory markers in vascular cells. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that either DHT or 3β-diol decrease cytokine-induced proinflammatory mediators, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), to regulate Pgp expression in male primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Using RT-qPCR, the mRNAs for AR, ERα, and ERβ and steroid metabolizing enzymes necessary for DHT conversion to 3β-diol were detected in male HBMECs demonstrating that the enzymes and receptors for production of and responsiveness to 3β-diol are present. Western analysis showed that 3β-diol reduced COX-2 and Pgp expression; the effect on Pgp was inhibited by the ER antagonist, ICI-182,780. IL-1β-caused an increase in COX-2 and VCAM-1 that was reduced by either DHT or 3β-diol. 3β-diol also decreased cytokine-induced Pgp expression. ICI-182,780 blocked the effect of 3β-diol on COX-2 and VCAM-1, but not Pgp expression. Therefore, in cytokine-stimulated male HBMECs, the effect of 3β-diol on proinflammatory mediator expression is ER dependent, whereas its effect on Pgp expression is ER independent. These studies suggest a novel role of 3β-diol in regulating blood-brain barrier function and support the concept that 3β-diol can be protective against proinflammatory mediator stimulation.
Information content of visual scenes influences systematic search of desert ants
Authors: Schultheiss Patrick , Wystrach Antoine , Legge Eric L. G. , Cheng Ken
Published: November 2012

Many animals - including insects - navigate visually through their environment. Solitary foraging desert ants are known to acquire visual information from the surrounding panorama and use it to navigate along habitual routes or to pinpoint a goal like the nest. Returning foragers that fail to find the nest entrance engage in searching behaviour, during which they continue to use vision. The characteristics of searching behaviour have typically been investigated in unfamiliar environments. Here we investigated in detail the nest searching behaviour of Melophorus bagoti foragers within the familiar visual environment of their nest. First, by relating search behaviour to the information content of panoramic (360°) images, we found that searches were more accurate in visually cluttered environments. Second, as observed in unfamiliar visual surrounds, searches were dynamic and gradually expanded with time, showing that nest-pinpointing is not rigidly controlled by vision. Third, contrary to searches displayed in unfamiliar environments, searches observed here could be modelled as a single exponential search strategy, which is similar to a Brownian walk, and there was no evidence of a Lévy walk. Overall, our results revealed that searching behaviour is remarkably flexible and varies according to the relevance of information provided by the surrounding visual scenery.
Differential strain patterns of the human Achilles tendon determined in vivo with freehand three-dimensional ultrasound imaging
Authors: Farris Dominic J. , Trewartha Grant , McGuigan M. Polly , Lichtwark Glen A.
Published: November 2012

Often the human Achilles tendon (AT) has been considered to act as a single elastic structure in series with the muscles of the triceps-surae. As such it has been commonly modelled as a hookean spring of uniform stiffness. However, the free AT and the proximal AT have distinctly different structures which lend themselves to different elastic properties. This study aimed to use three-dimensional freehand ultrasound imaging to determine if the proximal AT and free AT exhibit different elastic behaviour during sub-maximal, fixed-end contractions of the triceps-surae. Six male and five female participants (mean ± sd age = 27 ± 5 years) performed fixed position contractions of the plantar-flexors on an isokinetic dynamometer at 50% of their maximum voluntary contraction in this position. Freehand 3D ultrasound imaging was used to reconstruct the free-tendon and proximal AT at rest and during contraction. The free-tendon exhibited significantly (P = 0.03) greater longitudinal strain (5.2 ± 1.7%) than the proximal AT (2.6 ± 2.0%). The lesser longitudinal strain of the proximal AT was linked to the fact that it exhibited considerable transverse (orthogonal to the longitudinal direction) strains (5.0% ± 4). The transverse strain of the proximal AT is likely due to the triceps-surae muscles bulging upon contraction and thus, the level of bulging may influence the elastic behaviour of the proximal AT. This might have implications for the understanding of triceps-surae muscle-tendon interaction during locomotion, tendon injury mechanics and previous measurements of AT elastic properties.
Physiological and agonistic behavioural response of Procambarus clarkii to an acoustic stimulus
Authors: Celi Monica , Filiciotto Francesco , Parrinello Daniela , Buscaino Giuseppa , Damiano Alessandra , Cuttitta Angela , D'Angelo Stefania , Mazzola Salvatore , Vazzana Mirella
Published: November 2012

This study examined the effects of an acoustic stimulus on the haemolymph and agonistic behaviour of the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii. The experiment was conducted in a tank equipped with a video recording system using 6 groups (3 control and 3 test groups) of five adult crayfish (30 specimens in total). After one hour of habituation, the behaviour of the crayfish was monitored for two hours. During the second hour, the animals in the test groups were exposed to a linear sweep (frequency range 0.1-25 kHz; peak amplitude 148 dBrms re 1 µPa at 12 kHz) acoustic stimulus for 30 minutes. Exposure to the noise produced significant variations in haemato-immunological parameters as well as a reduction in agonistic behaviour.
More than a feeling: incidental learning of array geometry by blind-folded adult humans revealed through touch
Authors: Sturz Bradley R. , Green Marshall L. , Gaskin Katherine A. , Evans Alicia C. , Graves April A. , Roberts Jonathan E.
Published: November 2012

View-based matching theories of orientation suggest that mobile organisms encode a visual memory consisting of a visual panorama from a target location and maneuver to reduce discrepancy between current visual perception and this stored visual memory to return to a location. Recent success of such theories to explain the orientation behavior of insects and birds raises questions regarding the extent to which such an explanation generalizes to other species. In the present study, we attempted to determine the extent to which such view-based matching theories may explain the orientation behavior of a mammalian species (in this case adult humans). We modified a traditional enclosure orientation task so that it involved only the use of the haptic sense. The use of a haptic orientation task to investigate the extent to which view-based matching theories may explain the orientation behavior of adult humans appeared ideal because it provided an opportunity for us to explicitly prohibit the use of vision. Specifically, we trained disoriented and blind-folded human participants to search by touch for a target object hidden in one of four locations marked by distinctive textural cues located atop four discrete landmarks arranged in a rectangular array. Following training, we removed the distinctive textural cues and probed the extent to which participants learned the geometry of the landmark array. In the absence of vision and the trained textural cues, participants showed evidence that they learned the geometry of the landmark array. Such evidence cannot be explained by an appeal to view-based matching strategies and is consistent with explanations of spatial orientation related to the incidental learning of environmental geometry.