bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Workflow Scheduling with Fault Tolerance
Authors: Zhao Laiping , Sakurai Kouichi
Published: May 2012

This chapter describes a study on workflow scheduling with fault tolerance. It starts with an understanding on workflow scheduling and fault tolerance technologies independently. Next, the chapter surveys the related works on the combination field of workflow scheduling and fault tolerance technologies. Generally, these works are classified into six categories corresponding to the six fault tolerance technologies: workflow scheduling with primary/backup, primary/backup with multiple backups, checkpoint, rescheduling, active replication, and active replication with dynamic replicas. An in-depth study on these six topics illustrates the challenge issues explored so far, e.g. overloading conditions, tradeoffs among scheduling criteria, et cetera, and some future research directions are also identified. As applications are increasingly complex, and failures become a severe problem in the large scale systems, the authors expect to provide a comprehensive review on the problem of workflow scheduling with fault tolerance through this work.
Privacy in Participatory Sensing Systems
Authors: Sabrina Tishna , Murshed Manzur
Published: May 2012

Participatory sensing is a revolutionary new paradigm where ordinary citizens voluntarily sense their environment using readily available sensor devices such as mobile phones and systematically study, and then reflect on and share this information using existing wireless networks. It provides data collection, processing, and dissemination opportunities for socially-responsible applications spanning environmental monitoring, intelligent transportation, and public health, which are often not cost-viable using dedicated sensing infrastructure. The uniqueness of the participatory sensing system lies in its data communication infrastructure which is constituted by the deliberate participation of community people. However, the potential lack of privacy of the participants in such system makes it harder to ensure their voluntary contribution. Thus preserving privacy of the individuals contributing data has introduced a key challenge in this area. On the other hand, data integrity is desired imperatively to make the service trustworthy and user-friendly. Different interesting approaches have been proposed so far to protect privacy that will encourage participation of the owners of data sources in turn.
Energy Efficient Data Query, Processing and Routing Techniques for Green Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Behzadan Afshin , Anpalagan Alagan
Published: May 2012

While wireless sensor networking plays a critical role in many important applications, it also contributes to the energy footprint - which continues to increase with the proliferation of wireless devices and networks worldwide. Energy-efficiency becomes a major concern in the development of next generation sensor systems and networks. This chapter discusses data management techniques from energy efficiency point of view for green wireless sensor networks.
SCAMSTOP
Authors: Rebahi Yacine , Ruppelt Reinhard , Nassar Mohamed , Festor Olivier
Published: May 2012

In traditional telecommunication networks, fraud accounts for significant annual losses at an average up of 5% of the operators’ revenue and still increasing. The current shift towards Voice-over-IP (VoIP) networks increases to exposure to fraud due to the lack of strong built-in security mechanisms and the full usage of the open Internet. In this book chapter, the authors discuss an anti-fraud framework they are currently developing within the SCAMSTOP project. Although a short description of the framework is provided, the focus of this chapter is mainly on the methods used to detect fraudulent activity. In particular the authors focus on unsupervised methods including signature and clustering based techniques. Preliminary testing results are also discussed.
Cutting Edge: IL-2 Signals Determine the Degree of TCR Signaling Necessary To Support Regulatory T Cell Proliferation In Vivo
Authors: Zou Tao , Satake Atsushi , Corbo-Rodgers Evann , Schmidt Amanda M. , Farrar Michael A. , Maltzman Jonathan S. , Kambayashi Taku
Published: May 2012

To ensure immune tolerance, regulatory T cell (Treg) numbers must be maintained by cell division. This process has been thought to be strictly dependent on the Treg TCR interacting with MHC class II. In this study, we report that Treg division does not absolutely require cell-autonomous TCR signaling in vivo, depending on the degree of IL-2–mediated stimulation provided. At steady state IL-2 levels, Tregs require cell-autonomous TCR signaling to divide. However, when given exogenous IL-2 or when STAT5 is selectively activated in Tregs, Treg division can occur independently of MHC class II and TCR signaling. Thus, depending on the amount of IL-2R stimulation, a wide range of TCR signals supports Treg division, which may contribute to preservation of a diverse repertoire of Treg TCR specificities. These findings also have therapeutic implications, as TCR signaling by Tregs may not be required when using IL-2 to increase Treg numbers for treatment of inflammatory disorders.
Proinflammatory Mediators Disrupt Glucose Homeostasis in Airway Surface Liquid
Authors: Garnett James P. , Nguyen Trang T. , Moffatt James D. , Pelham Elizabeth R. , Kalsi Kameljit K. , Baker Emma H. , Baines Deborah L.
Published: May 2012

The glucose concentration of the airway surface liquid (ASL) is much lower than that in blood and is tightly regulated by the airway epithelium. ASL glucose is elevated in patients with viral colds, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. Elevated ASL glucose is also associated with increased incidence of respiratory infection. However, the mechanism by which ASL glucose increases under inflammatory conditions is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of proinflammatory mediators (PIMs) on the mechanisms governing airway glucose homeostasis in polarized monolayers of human airway (H441) and primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Monolayers were treated with TNF-α, IFN-γ, and LPS during 72 h. PIM treatment led to increase in ASL glucose concentration and significantly reduced H441 and HBE transepithelial resistance. This decline in transepithelial resistance was associated with an increase in paracellular permeability of glucose. Similar enhanced rates of paracellular glucose flux were also observed across excised trachea from LPS-treated mice. Interestingly, PIMs enhanced glucose uptake across the apical, but not the basolateral, membrane of H441 and HBE monolayers. This increase was predominantly via phloretin-sensitive glucose transporter (GLUT)-mediated uptake, which coincided with an increase in GLUT-2 and GLUT-10 abundance. In conclusion, exposure of airway epithelial monolayers to PIMs results in increased paracellular glucose flux, as well as apical GLUT-mediated glucose uptake. However, uptake was insufficient to limit glucose accumulation in ASL. To our knowledge, these data provide for the first time a mechanism to support clinical findings that ASL glucose concentration is increased in patients with airway inflammation.
The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) – phase 2 successfully completed
Authors: Dippenaar-Schoeman Ansie S. , Haddad Charles R.
Published: May 2012

The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) was initiated in 1997, with the main aim of documenting the arachnid fauna of South Africa at a national level.
Ozone leads to the reduction in the photosynthetic capacity of two maize cultivars
Authors: Warren J.F. , Berner J.M.
Published: May 2012

The goal of this study was to determine what the effect of ozone was on the photosynthetic capability of two crop cultivars, PQ 121 and PQ 321 B.
Early active mobilisation versus immobilisation after extrinsic extensor tendon repair: A prospective randomised trial
Authors: K. Patil R. , R. Koul A.
Published: May 2012

Background: Whether to splint the extensor tendon repairs or to mobilise them early is debatable. Recently, mobilisation has shown favourable results in a few studies. This study was aimed to compare the two favoured protocols (immobilisation vs. early active motion) in Indian population. Patients and Methods: Between June 2005 and June 2007, patients with extensor tendon injuries in zones V-VIII were randomly distributed in two groups: Group A, early active motion; and group B, immobilisation. Their results at 8 and 12 weeks and 6 months were compared. Results: Patients in early active motion group were found to have better total active motion and early return to work. This difference was statistically significant up to 12 weeks, but not at 6 months. Conclusion: Early active motion following extensor tendon repair hastens patients′ recovery and helps patients to gain complete range of motion at earlier postoperative period. With improved grip strength, the early return to work is facilitated, though these advantages are not sustained statistically significantly over long term.
The outcome of Jarcho-Levin syndrome treated with a functional latissimus dorsi flap - A series of three cases
Authors: Gangurde Bipin A. , Raut Binita , Mehta Rujuta , Thatte Mukund R.
Published: May 2012

Introduction: Jarcho-Levin syndrome is manifested by vertebral body and rib malformations. Large rib defects with paradoxical chest motion lead to early deathdue to progressive respiratory insufficiency, hence it is a lethal syndrome. The only means of improving survival is early stabilisation of the chest wall defect by containing the thoracic herniation. Nitcher et al. and Thatte et al. showed that reconstruction of the chest wall was life saving. Thatte et al. had postulated that early coverage of the lungs and thoracic contents with functional latissimus dorsi may prevent the visceral overgrowth and secondary pleural changes. Materials and Methods: Our three cases which had medium- and long-term follow-up help to support this postulation. Three patients were assessed retrospectively. Their ages at surgery were 6 months, 8 months and 1 year, respectively. All had laboured breathing and paradoxical respiration. All of them were operated with ipsilateral latissimus dorsi flap. Results: The results were evaluated clinically. The patients had reduced or no respiratory infections. The lung compliance improved and they had no tachypnoea on walking, running or playing. Conclusion: Hence, this can be used as a life-saving procedure for Jarcho-Levin syndrome on a long-term basis.
Skin paddle vascularity of free fibula flap - A study of 386 cases and a classification based on contribution from axial vessels of the leg
Authors: Yadav Prabha S. , Ahmad Quazi G. , Shankhdhar Vinay K. , Nambi G.I.
Published: May 2012

Objective: The skin paddle of the free fibula flap receives its vascular supply from septocutaneous perforators, musculocutaneous perforators or from both, and these perforators might originate from the peroneal or posterior tibial vessels or from both. The objective of this study was to classify the skin paddles based on the dominance of vascular contribution by these axial vessels through their different perforator systems. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 5-year data of 386 free fibula flaps used in oro-mandibular reconstruction was done and the skin paddle vascularity was studied. While majority of the skin paddles received their blood supply from the peroneal septocutaneous perforators, a few had their dominant supply from the soleus musculocutaneous perforators in addition to peroneal septocutaneous perforators. In few cases, the soleus musculocutaneous perforators were the sole source of blood supply to the skin paddle. The limitation in this study was the inability to augment the clinical observation with cadaveric study. Results: The skin paddle of the free fibula flap was classified into four different types (a-d) based on the dominance of vascular contribution by axial vessels of the leg. Conclusion: The skin paddle of the free fibula flap has reliable blood supply, but a thorough knowledge of the variations in vascular pattern of the skin paddle is required especially to salvage the larger paddles used in the reconstruction complex oro-mandibular defects.
Determining anatomical position of the umbilicus in Iranian girls, and providing quantitative indices and formula to determine neo-umbilicus during abdominoplasty
Authors: Parnia Rafi , Ghorbani Ladan , Sepehrvand Nariman , Hatami Sanaz , Bazargan-Hejazi Shahrzad
Published: May 2012

Background and Aim: The umbilicus plays an important role in the aesthetic appearance of the abdomen. So, its restoration during reconstructive surgeries, such as an abdominoplasty, is a challenge. The aim of this study was to evaluate quantitative indices based on constant skeletal points in the anterior wall of abdomen in order to provide an appropriate site of a neo-umbilicus during an abdominoplasty. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, we enrolled 65 young adult girls (20-25 years old) who were nulliparous, nulligravid, and without any history of surgery. Weight, height, distance from xiphoid to umbilicus (Xu), distance from the pubic symphysis to xiphosternum (Xp), and anterior superior iliac spine (interASIS) distance of the subjects were measured. Data were analysed by SPSS ver. 16 using descriptive statistics and multiple regression tests in order to present a formula (equation). Results: Mean age was 22.74 ± 1.51 years, mean weight 54.98 ± 6.51 kg, mean height 160.91 ± 4.11 cm and body mass index (BMI) was calculated to be 21.25 ± 2.61 kg/m 2 . Mean Xp distance was 32.26 ± 2.23 cm and mean Xu distance was 17.11 ± 1.64 cm. Xu/Xp ratio (ratio of umbilicoxiphoid distance to puboxiphoid distance) was 53.06 ± 3.9%. Data were analysed using multiple regression test and likelihood ratio. The formula used in determining the appropriate site of neo-umbilicus during abdominoplasty was suggested: Xu=−0.98 + 0.91Xp − 0.07H. Conclusion: By applying these quantitative methods, the natural site of neo-umbilicus could be determined. This may reduce practice errors and increase patient satisfaction. In addition, these findings provide plausible evidence to defend against possible legal complaints.
Firecracker injuries during Diwali festival: The epidemiology and impact of legislation in Delhi
Authors: Tandon R. , Agrawal K. , Narayan R.P. , Tiwari V.K. , Prakash V. , Kumar S. , Sharma S.
Published: May 2012

Setting and Design: A hospital-based retrospective study of firecracker-related injuries was carried out at a government sponsored hospital in Delhi. Materials and Methods: 1373 patients attended the emergency burn care out-patients clinic during 2002-2010 pre-Diwali, Diwali and post-Diwali days. Every year, a disaster management protocol is revoked during these 3 days under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Results: There was an increase in the number of patients of firecracker-related injuries in Delhi national capital region from the year 2002 to 2010, based on the hospital statistics. During the study period, the hospital received approximately one patient with firecracker-related injury per 100,000 population of the city. 73.02% of the victims were 5-30 years old. Majority (90.87%) of them sustained <5% total body surface area burn. Conclusions: In spite of legislations and court orders, the number of patients is on the rise. The implementation agencies have to analyse the situation to find a way to control this preventable manmade accident. Websites, emails, SMS, social sites, etc. should be used for public education, apart from conventional methods of public awareness.
Supplementation of bone marrow aspirate-derived platelet-rich plasma for treating radiation-induced ulcer after cardiac fluoroscopic procedures: A preliminary report
Authors: Nishimoto Soh , Fukuda Kenji , Kawai Kenichiro , Fujiwara Toshihiro , Tsumano Tomoko , Fujita Kazutoshi , Kakibuchi Masao
Published: May 2012

Background: The frequency of encountering radiodermatitis caused by X-ray fluoroscopic procedures for ischaemic heart disease is increasing. In severe cases, devastating ulcers with pain, for which conservative therapy is ineffective, emerge. Radiation-induced ulcers are notorious for being difficult to treat. Simple skin grafting often fails because of the poor state of the wound bed. A vascularized flap is a very good option. However, the non-adherence of the well-vascularized flap with the irradiated wound bed is frequently experienced. Aim: To ameliorate the irradiated wound bed, bone marrow-derived platelet-rich plasma (bm-PRP) was delivered during the surgery. Materials and Methods: Four patients with severe cutaneous radiation injury accompanied by unbearable pain after multiple fluoroscopic procedures for ischaemic heart disease were treated. Wide excision of the lesion and coverage with a skin flap supplemented with bm-PRP injection was performed. Results: All patients obtained wound closure and were relieved from pain. No complication concerning the bone marrow aspiration and delivery of bm-PRP was observed. Conclusions: Supplementation of bm-PRP can be an option without major complications, time, and cost to improve the surgical outcome for irradiated wounds.
Pulmonary tuberculosis as differential diagnosis of lung cancer
Authors: Bhatt MLB , Kant Surya , Bhaskar Ravi
Published: May 2012

Patients with lung cancer are often misdiagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis leading to delay in the correct diagnosis as well as exposure to inappropriate medication. Several factors are responsible for this situation in developing countries, including lack of awareness, inadequate infrastructure and socio-economic factors. This article outlines the differences between the two diseases as well as features that would make a clinician suspect the right diagnosis early.
The Treatment of Risk and Uncertainty in the US Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis
Authors: Dietz Simon
Published: May 2012

This note considers the treatment of risk and uncertainty in the recently established ‘social cost of carbon’ (SCC) for analysis of federal regulations in the United States. It argues that the analysis of the US Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon did not go far enough into the tail of low-probability, high-impact scenarios, and, via its approach to discounting, it mis-estimated climate risk, possibly hugely. Given the uncertainty about estimating the SCC, the note concludes by arguing that there is in fact much to commend an approach whereby a quantitative, long-term emissions target is chosen, and the price of carbon for regulatory impact analysis is then based on estimates of the marginal cost of abatement to achieve that very target.
Estimating aerosol emissions by assimilating observed aerosol optical depth in a global aerosol model
Authors: Huneeus N. , Chevallier F. , Boucher O.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. This study estimates the emission fluxes of a range of aerosol species and one aerosol precursor at the global scale. These fluxes are estimated by assimilating daily total and fine mode aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) into a global aerosol model of intermediate complexity. Monthly emissions are fitted homogenously for each species over a set of predefined regions. The performance of the assimilation is evaluated by comparing the AOD after assimilation against the MODIS observations and against independent observations. The system is effective in forcing the model towards the observations, for both total and fine mode AOD. Significant improvements for the root mean square error and correlation coefficient against both the assimilated and independent datasets are observed as well as a significant decrease in the mean bias against the assimilated observations. These improvements are larger over land than over ocean. The impact of the assimilation of fine mode AOD over ocean demonstrates potential for further improvement by including fine mode AOD observations over continents. The Angström exponent is also improved in African, European and dusty stations. The estimated emission flux for black carbon is 15 Tg yr−1, 119 Tg yr−1 for particulate organic matter, 17 Pg yr−1 for sea salt, 83 TgS yr−1 for SO2 and 1383 Tg yr−1 for desert dust. They represent a difference of +45 %, +40 %, +26 %, +13 % and −39 % respectively, with respect to the a priori values. The initial errors attributed to the emission fluxes are reduced for all estimated species.
Investigating the performance of neural network backpropagation algorithms for TEC estimations using South African GPS data
Authors: Habarulema J. B. , McKinnell L.-A.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. In this work, results obtained by investigating the application of different neural network backpropagation training algorithms are presented. This was done to assess the performance accuracy of each training algorithm in total electron content (TEC) estimations using identical datasets in models development and verification processes. Investigated training algorithms are standard backpropagation (SBP), backpropagation with weight delay (BPWD), backpropagation with momentum (BPM) term, backpropagation with chunkwise weight update (BPC) and backpropagation for batch (BPB) training. These five algorithms are inbuilt functions within the Stuttgart Neural Network Simulator (SNNS) and the main objective was to find out the training algorithm that generates the minimum error between the TEC derived from Global Positioning System (GPS) observations and the modelled TEC data. Another investigated algorithm is the MatLab based Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation (L-MBP), which achieves convergence after the least number of iterations during training. In this paper, neural network (NN) models were developed using hourly TEC data (for 8 years: 2000–2007) derived from GPS observations over a receiver station located at Sutherland (SUTH) (32.38° S, 20.81° E), South Africa. Verification of the NN models for all algorithms considered was performed on both "seen" and "unseen" data. Hourly TEC values over SUTH for 2003 formed the "seen" dataset. The "unseen" dataset consisted of hourly TEC data for 2002 and 2008 over Cape Town (CPTN) (33.95° S, 18.47° E) and SUTH, respectively. The models' verification showed that all algorithms investigated provide comparable results statistically, but differ significantly in terms of time required to achieve convergence during input-output data training/learning. This paper therefore provides a guide to neural network users for choosing appropriate algorithms based on the availability of computation capabilities used for research.
Methane emissions associated with the conversion of marshland to cropland and climate change on the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China from 1950 to 2100
Authors: Li T. , Huang Y. , Zhang W. , Yu Y. Q.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. Wetland loss and climate change are known to alter regional and global methane (CH4) budgets. Over the last six decades, an extensive area of marshland has been converted to cropland on the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China, and a significant increase in air temperature has also been observed there, while the impacts on regional CH4 budgets remain uncertain. Through model simulation, we estimated the changes in CH4 emissions associated with the conversion of marshland to cropland and climate change in this area. Model simulations indicated a significant reduction of 1.1 Tg yr−1 from the 1950s to the 2000s in regional CH4 emissions. The cumulative reduction of CH4 from 1960 to 2009 was estimated to be ~36 Tg relative to the 1950s, and marshland conversion and the climate contributed 86 % and 14 % of this change, respectively. Interannual variation in precipitation (linear trend with P > 0.2) contributed to yearly fluctuations in CH4 emissions, but the relatively lower amount of precipitation over the period 1960–2009 (47 mm yr−1 lower on average than in the 1950s) contributed ~91 % of the reduction in the area-weighted CH4 flux. Global warming at a rate of 0.3 °C per decade (P < 0.001) has increased CH4 emissions significantly since the 1990s. Relative to the mean of the 1950s, the warming-induced increase in the CH4 flux has averaged 19 kg ha−1 yr−1 over the last two decades. For the RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5 scenarios of the fifth IPCC assessment report (AR5), the CH4 flux is predicted to increase by 36 %, 52 %, 78 % and 95 %, respectively, by the 2080s compared to 1961–1990 in response to climate warming and wetting.
Potential climate change impacts on the water balance of regional unconfined aquifer systems in South-Western Australia
Authors: Ali R. , McFarlane D. , Varma S. , Dawes W. , Emelyanova I. , Hodgson G.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. This study assessed climate change impacts on water balance components of the regional unconfined aquifer systems in South-Western Australia, an area that has experienced a marked decline in rainfall since the mid 1970s and is expected to experience further decline due to global warming. Compared with the historical period of 1975 to 2007, reductions in the mean annual rainfall of between 15 and 18% are expected under a dry variant of the 2030 climate which will reduce recharge rates by between 33 and 49% relative to that under the historical period climate. Relative to the historical climate, reductions of up to 50% in groundwater discharge to the ocean and drainage systems are also expected. Sea-water intrusion is likely in the Peel-Harvey area under the dry future climate and net leakage to confined systems is projected to decrease by up to 35% which will cause reduction in pressures in confined systems under current abstraction. The percentage of net annual recharge consumed by groundwater storage, and ocean and drainage discharges is expected to decrease and percentage of net annual recharge consumed by pumping and net leakage to confined systems to increase under median and dry future climates.
Concise Review: Cell Therapies: The Route to Widespread Adoption
Authors: Foley Lucy , Whitaker Michael
Published: May 2012

We identify three dimensions with which to classify heuristically the routes to widespread adoption of cellular therapies. The first dimension is based on the relative involvement of clinicians and companies in a particular cellular therapy. The second dimension is based on cell type and consequent scale of manufacture. The third dimension classifies the therapeutic intervention as a procedure or product and has perhaps received less attention. We suggest that for those cellular therapies that require therapeutic procedures, close collaboration between companies and clinicians will reduce the time to widespread adoption. For selected cellular therapies we make predictions of the likely time to widespread adoption.
Cell Therapy with Human Renal Cell Cultures Containing Erythropoietin-Positive Cells Improves Chronic Kidney Injury
Authors: Yamaleyeva Liliya M. , Guimaraes-Souza Nadia K. , Krane Louis S. , Agcaoili Sigrid , Gyabaah Kenneth , Atala Anthony , Aboushwareb Tamer , Yoo James J.
Published: May 2012

New therapeutic strategies for chronic kidney disease (CKD) are necessary to offset the rising incidence of CKD and donor shortage. Erythropoietin (EPO), a cytokine produced by fibroblast-like cells in the kidney, has recently emerged as a renoprotective factor with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties. This study (a) determined whether human renal cultures (human primary kidney cells [hPKC]) can be enriched in EPO-positive cells (hPKC(F+)) by using magnetic-bead sorting; (b) characterized hPKC(F+) following cell separation; and (c) established that intrarenal delivery of enriched hPKC(F+) cells would be more beneficial in treatment of renal injury, inflammation, and oxidative stress than unsorted hPKC cultures in a chronic kidney injury model. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis revealed higher expression of EPO (36%) and CD73 (27%) in hPKC(F+) as compared with hPKC. After induction of renal injury, intrarenal delivery of hPKC(F+) or hPKC significantly reduced serum creatinine, interstitial fibrosis in the medulla, and abundance of CD68-positive cells in the cortex and medulla (p < .05). However, only hPKC(F+) attenuated interstitial fibrosis in the renal cortex and decreased urinary albumin (3.5-fold) and urinary tubular injury marker kidney injury molecule 1 (16-fold). hPKC(F+) also significantly reduced levels of renal cortical monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (1.8-fold) and oxidative DNA marker 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) (2.4-fold). After 12 weeks, we detected few injected cells, which were localized mostly to the cortical interstitium. Although cell therapy with either hPKC(F+) or hPKC improved renal function, the hPKC(F+) subpopulation provides greater renoprotection, perhaps through attenuation of inflammation and oxidative stress. We conclude that hPKC(F+) may be used as components of cell-based therapies for degenerative kidney diseases.
Optimized Processing of Growth Factor Mobilized Peripheral Blood CD34+ Products by Counterflow Centrifugal Elutriation
Authors: Tran Chy-Anh , Torres-Coronado Monica , Gardner Agnes , Gu Angel , Vu Hieu , Rao Anitha , Cao Lan-Feng , Ahmed Amira , DiGiusto David
Published: May 2012

Cell separation by counterflow centrifugal elutriation has been described for the preparation of monocytes for vaccine applications, but its use in other current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) operations has been limited. In this study, growth factor-mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cell products were collected from healthy donors and processed by elutriation using a commercial cell washing device. Fractions were collected for each product as per the manufacturer's instructions or using a modified protocol developed in our laboratory. Each fraction was analyzed for cell count, viability, and blood cell differential. Our data demonstrate that, using standard elutriation procedures, >99% of red blood cells and platelets were removed from apheresis products with high recoveries of total white blood cells and enrichment of CD34+ cells in two of five fractions. With modification of the basic protocol, we were able to collect all of the CD34+ cells in a single fraction. The CD34-enriched fractions were formulated, labeled with a ferromagnetic antibody to CD34, washed using the Elutra device, and transferred directly to a magnetic bead selection device for further purification. CD34+ cell purities from the column were extremely high (98.7 ± 0.9%), and yields were typical for the device (55.7 ± 12.3%). The processes were highly automated and closed from receipt of the apheresis product through formulation of target-enriched cell fractions. Thus, elutriation is a feasible method for the initial manipulations associated with primary blood cell therapy products and supports cGMP and current good tissue practice-compliant cell processing.
High Plasticity of Pediatric Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells: Too Much for Selective Skeletogenic Differentiation?
Authors: Guasti Leonardo , Prasongchean Weerapong , Kleftouris Georgios , Mukherjee Sayandip , Thrasher Adrian J. , Bulstrode Neil W. , Ferretti Patrizia
Published: May 2012

Stem cells derived from adipose tissue are a potentially important source for autologous cell therapy and disease modeling, given fat tissue accessibility and abundance. Critical to developing standard protocols for therapeutic use is a thorough understanding of their potential, and whether this is consistent among individuals, hence, could be generally inferred. Such information is still lacking, particularly in children. To address these issues, we have used different methods to establish stem cells from adipose tissue (adipose-derived stem cells [ADSCs], adipose explant dedifferentiated stem cells [AEDSCs]) from several pediatric patients and investigated their phenotype and differentiation potential using monolayer and micromass cultures. We have also addressed the overlooked issue of selective induction of cartilage differentiation. ADSCs/AEDSCs from different patients showed a remarkably similar behavior. Pluripotency markers were detected in these cells, consistent with ease of reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem cells. Significantly, most ADSCs expressed markers of tissue-specific commitment/differentiation, including skeletogenic and neural markers, while maintaining a proliferative, undifferentiated morphology. Exposure to chondrogenic, osteogenic, adipogenic, or neurogenic conditions resulted in morphological differentiation and tissue-specific marker upregulation. These findings suggest that the ADSC “lineage-mixed” phenotype underlies their significant plasticity, which is much higher than that of chondroblasts we studied in parallel. Finally, whereas selective ADSC osteogenic differentiation was observed, chondrogenic induction always resulted in both cartilage and bone formation when a commercial chondrogenic medium was used; however, chondrogenic induction with a transforming growth factor β1-containing medium selectively resulted in cartilage formation. This clearly indicates that careful simultaneous assessment of bone and cartilage differentiation is essential when bioengineering stem cell-derived cartilage for clinical intervention.
Linking Porosity to Rolling Reduction and Fatigue Lifetime of Hot Rolled AA7xxx Alloys by 3D X‐Ray Computed Tomography
Authors: Wu Xiaomin , Schlangen Erik , van der Zwaag Sybrand
Published: May 2012

A set of hot rolled 7xxx aluminum alloys with different casting conditions and modification of processing conditions were analyzed on their fatigue life time as well as the internal microstructure using 3D computed X‐ray tomography with a lab scale scanner and optical microscopy. It is shown that large retained casting pores exist in samples with low reduction rate. The modification on the hot rolling process is now proved to be much more effective on removing large casting pores in the alloy. It is also found that with the improved casting conditions and the additional deformation imposed by increased rolling reduction, this advantage is getting retarded. The combination of porosity analysis with low cycle fatigue test at peak stress of 300 MPa indicates that reduction of the size of large pores in the sample down to 10 µm will lead to greatly improved fatigue life times.
Controllable Synthesis of a Monophase Nickel Phosphide/Carbon (Ni5P4/C) Composite Electrode via Wet‐Chemistry and a Solid‐State Reaction for the Anode in Lithium Secondary Batteries
Authors: Lu Yi , Tu Jiang‐Ping , Xiong Qin‐Qin , Xiang Jia‐Yuan , Mai Yong‐Jin , Zhang Jun , Qiao Yan‐Qiang , Wang Xiu‐Li , Gu Chang‐Dong , Mao Scott X.
Published: May 2012

A monophase nickel phosphide/carbon (Ni5P4/C) composite with a thin carbon shell is controllably synthesized via the two‐step strategy of a wet‐chemistry reaction and a solid‐state reaction. In this fabrication, the further diffusion of phosphorus atoms in the carbon shell during the solid‐state reaction can be responsible for a chemical transformation from a binary phase of Ni5P4‐Ni2P to monophase Ni5P4. Galvanostatic charge‐discharge measurements indicate that the Ni5P4/C composite exhibits a superior, high rate capacibility and good cycling stability. About 76.6% of the second capacity (644.1 mA h g−1) can be retained after 50 cycles at a 0.1 C rate. At a high rate of 3 C, the specific capacity of Ni5P4/C is still as high as 357.1 mA h g−1. Importantly, the amorphous carbon shell can enhance the conductivity of the composite and suppress the aggregation of the active particles, leading to their structure stability and reversibility during cycling. As is confirmed from X‐ray‐diffraction analysis, no evident microstructural changes occur upon cycling. These results reveal that highly crystalline Ni5P4/C is one of the most promising anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries.
Cumulative trauma disorders among California veterinarians
Authors: Berry Steven L. , Susitaival Päivikki , Ahmadi Abbas , Schenker Marc B.
Published: May 2012

Background

The prevalence of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) in veterinarians has not been adequately studied.

Methods

A questionnaire was sent to 2,000 California veterinarians in 1997; the return rate was 73% (n = 1,415).

Results

Ninety‐six percent (1,353) of the respondents were professionally active and were included in the analyses. Sixty‐four percent were male and 90% were working full‐time. One‐fourth of the respondents reported a CTD during their career that required treatment or restricted usual activities. Two‐thirds of those reporting CTDs reported chronic or residual problems. In a multivariate regression analysis female sex, working full‐time, rectal palpations, and large animal practice were significant risk factors for CTDs.

Conclusions

Being in large animal practice increased the CTD risk for both women and men whether they worked full or part‐time. CTD risk was highest in women working full‐time and doing 80% rectal palpations. Preventive methods to attenuate the risk of CTDs especially in large animal practice should be investigated. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:855–861, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Three new patients with FATCO: Fibular agenesis with ectrodactyly
Authors: Bieganski Tadeusz , Jamsheer Aleksander , Sowinska Anna , Baranska Dobromila , Niedzielski Kryspin , Kozlowski Kazimierz , Czarny‐Ratajczak Malwina
Published: May 2012

We document three new patients with fibular agenesis, tibial campomelia, and oligosyndactyly (FATCO). Two of these individuals had tetramelic manifestations while the third had bilateral abnormalities of the lower limbs. These patients and others reported as FATCO seem to belong to the phenotype “fibular aplasia with ectrodactyly.” Genetic screening for CNVs and mutations in the TP63 and WNT10B genes did not show any genetic abnormalities. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hearing loss in skeletal dysplasia patients
Authors: Tunkel David , Alade Yewande , Kerbavaz Richard , Smith Beth , Rose‐Hardison Danielle , Hoover‐Fong Julie
Published: May 2012

A hearing screening program was performed to determine the prevalence of hearing loss and abnormal tympanometry in individuals with short‐stature skeletal dysplasias attending a national meeting. Behavioral audiometry, otoacoustic emission testing, and tympanometry were used to assess hearing. Failed hearing screen was defined as hearing ≥35 dB at one or more frequencies or by “fail” on otoacoustic emissions. One hundred ten of 112 subjects completed the screening. 58 (51.8%) were children. Seventy‐three (65.2%) had achondroplasia, 34 (30.4%) had one of 11 other diagnoses, and 5(4.4%) were undiagnosed. 25.8% of children failed hearing screening in one or both ears, while 46.3% of adults failed in one or both ears. 55.1% of adults and 25.0% of children with achondroplasia failed screening. Abnormal hearing was also found in the some patients with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenital (SEDC; 75%), diastrophic dysplasia (66%), and Morquio (66%). Hearing was normal in those with hypochondroplasia, pseudoachondroplasia, and microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism. Tympanometry was abnormal in at least one ear in 53.3% of children and 38.5% of adults. Abnormal tympanometry in the absence of functioning tympanostomy tubes was associated with 9.5 greater odds of hearing loss in children and 2.8 greater odds of hearing loss in the total cohort. Only 3 (2.7%) respondents reported the use of hearing aids. Hearing loss and middle ear disease are common in both children and adults with skeletal dysplasia. Adults were more likely to fail hearing screening than children. Abnormal tympanometry is associated with hearing loss. Hearing screening with appropriate intervention is recommended for these patients. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome and Gorham–Stout phenomenon
Authors: Hopman Saskia M.J. , Van Rijn Rick R. , Eng Charis , Bras Johannes , Alders Marielle , van der Horst Chantal M. , Hennekam Raoul C.M. , Merks Johannes H.M.
Published: May 2012

PTEN

hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) is a group of syndromes caused by mutations in PTEN. Gorham–Stout phenomenon (GSP) is a rare condition characterized by proliferation of vascular structures in bones, resulting in progressive osteolysis. Here we present a 1‐year‐old boy with PHTS and GSP. The lesion that later proved to be GSP was evident from the age of 4 months, and became symptomatic at the age of 1 year. Eventually, he developed a fatal chylothorax. Mutation analysis revealed a germline heterozygous mutation c.517 C>T (p.Arg173Cys) in exon 6 of PTEN. Analysis of the lymphatic malformation (LM) tissue revealed no loss of heterozygosity (LOH) nor a second, somatic PTEN mutation of the remaining wild type allele. The germline p.Arg173Cys mutation was also present in the mother and the propositus' younger sister and brother. Further molecular work‐up showed a heterozygous variant c.2180C>T (p.Ala727Val) FLT4 in the LM tissue, which was also present in the germline of mother and two siblings. GSP has not been reported before in a patient with a PTEN mutation. Up to this date, this mutation is the only genetic defect possibly involved in the etiology of GSP which is plausible given the known function of PTEN in angiogenic signaling. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Facial phenotype at different ages and cardiovascular malformations in children with Williams–Beuren syndrome: A study from India
Authors: Patil Siddaramappa J. , Madhusudhan B.G. , Shah Sejal , Suresh P.V.
Published: May 2012

Williams–Beuren syndrome (WBS) is one of the microdeletion syndromes associated with distinct facial features, characteristic behavior phenotype (overfriendly behavior), congenital heart disease, and other malformations. Clinical features in WBS are age dependent. It is important to be aware of variable age dependent phenotype, especially facial phenotype due to its crucial role in diagnosis. Here we describe the facial phenotype of WBS at different ages (3 months to 15.1 years) and congenital heart malformations in 27 patients FISH positive for 7q11.23 microdeletion. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genome‐wide association study of neurocognitive impairment and dementia in HIV‐infected adults
Authors: Levine Andrew J. , Service Susan , Miller Eric N. , Reynolds Sandra M. , Singer Elyse J. , Shapshak Paul , Martin Eileen M. , Sacktor Ned , Becker James T. , Jacobson Lisa P. , Thompson Paul , Freimer Nelson
Published: May 2012

The neuropathogenesis of HIV‐associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) is unclear. Candidate gene studies have implicated genetic susceptibility loci within immune‐related genes; however, these have not been reliably validated. Here, we employed genome‐wide association (GWA) methods to discover novel genetic susceptibility loci associated with HAND, and validate susceptibility loci implicated in prior candidate gene studies. Data from 1,287 participants enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study between 1985 and 2010 were used. Genotyping was conducted with Illumina 1M, 1MDuo, or 550K platform. Linear mixed models determined subject‐specific slopes for change over time in processing speed and executive functioning, considering all visits including baseline and the most recent study visit. Covariates modeled as fixed effects included: time since the first visit, depression severity, nadir CD4+ T‐cell count, hepatitis C co‐infection, substance use, and antiretroviral medication regimen. Prevalence of HIV‐associated dementia (HAD) and neurocognitive impairment (NCI) was also examined as neurocognitive phenotypes in a case–control analysis. No genetic susceptibility loci were associated with decline in processing speed or executive functioning among almost 2.5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) directly genotyped or imputed. No association between the SNPs and HAD or NCI were found. Previously reported associations between specific genetic susceptibility loci, HIV‐associated NCI, and HAD were not validated. In this first GWAS of HAND, no novel or previously identified genetic susceptibility loci were associated with any of the phenotypes examined. Due to the relatively small sample size, future collaborative efforts that incorporate this dataset may still yield important findings. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Brief Communication: Molar development and crown areas in earlyAustralopithecus
Authors: Lacruz Rodrigo S. , Ramirez Rozzi Fernando V. , Wood Bernard A. , Bromage Timothy G.
Published: May 2012

Recent studies suggest that the hypodigms representing the two earliest Australopithecus (Au. anamensis and Au. afarensis) form an ancestor‐descendant lineage. Understanding the details of this possible transition is important comparative evidence for assessing the likelihood of other examples of ancestor‐descendant lineages within the hominin clade. To this end we have analyzed crown and cusp base areas of high resolution replicas of the mandibular molars of Au. anamensis (Allia Bay and Kanapoi sites) and those of Au. afarensis (Hadar, Laetoli, and Maka). We found no statistically significant differences in crown areas between these hypodigms although the mean of M1 crowns was smaller in Au. anamensis, being the smallest of any Australopithecus species sampled to date. Intraspecies comparison of the areas of mesial cusps for each molar type using Wilcoxon signed rank test showed no differences for Au. anamensis. Significant differences were found between the protoconid and metaconid of Au. afarensis M2s and M3s. Furthermore, the area formed by the posterior cusps as a whole relative to the anterior cusps showed significant differences in Au. afarensis M1s and in Au. anamensis M2s but no differences were noted for M3s of either taxon. Developmental information derived from microstructural details in enamel shows that M1 crown formation in Au. anamensis is similar to Pan and shorter than in H. sapiens. Taken together, these data suggests that the overall trend in the Au. anamensis‐Au. afarensis transition may have involved a moderate increase in M1 crown areas with relative expansion of distal cusps. Am J Phys Anthropol , 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of surface modification of self‐healing poly(melamine‐urea‐formaldehyde) microcapsules on the properties of unsaturated polyester composites
Authors: Tong Xiao‐Mei , Zhang Min , Wang Ming‐Sheng , Fu Yun
Published: May 2012

Poly(melamine‐urea‐formaldehyde) (MUF) microcapsules used as self‐healing component of composites were prepared by in situ polymerization. The surface of MUF microcapsules was modified by 3‐aminopropyltriethoxy silane‐coupling agent (KH550). The interfacial interactions between MUF microcapsules and KH550 were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). FTIR results show that the silane‐coupling agent molecule binds strongly to the MUF microcapsules surface. A chemical bond (SiOC) is formed by the reaction between the SiOH and the hydroxyl group of MUF microcapsule. This modification improves the thermal properties of microcapsules. Optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) show that a thin layer is formed on the surface of MUF microcapsules. The interfacial adhesion effect between MUF microcapsules and unsaturated polyester matrix was investigated. MUF microcapsules disperse evenly in the composites. When crack propagated, the microcapsules were broken and the repair agent flowed from the microcapsules to react with the curing agent. Then the crosslinking structure was formed and the composite was repaired. The tensile properties, impact properties, and dynamic mechanical properties of composites have been evaluated. The results indicate that the silane‐coupling agent plays an important role in improving the interfacial performance between the microcapsules and the matrix, as well as the mechanical properties of the composites. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013