bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting a healthy lifestyle by re-using personal online data
Authors: Meyer Jochen , Çakır-Turgut Elif , Helmer Axel
Published: October 2012

Using technology to support users in healthy living undoubtedly has a high potential. With the availability of low-cost consumer medical devices, these technologies now more and more become part of a digital lifestyle. We present a system which integrates multiple such sensors into a joint system to enable a unified view on a user's health. The acquired data will be deployed in two applications: a persuasive system to help the user maintain a healthy lifestyle, and a personal health record for long-term storage and future medical use.
Statistical analysis of PET images
Authors: Vizza Patrizia , Veltri Pierangelo , Cascini Giuseppe L.
Published: October 2012

In recent decades, neuroimaging techniques have become relevant and essential supports to the diagnosis and therapy of neurological diseases. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a method of functional investigation that measures brain metabolism and identifies the changes that occur at cellular and molecular level, supporting physicians for studying neurological diseases, and for the definition of the diagnosis. To support image studies, there exist automatic PET images analysis algorithms; e.g., voxel-byvoxel analysis technique allows to obtain statistical measurements that can be associated to functional neurological anomalies. Research groups, both physicians as well as computer scientists, have performed statistical analysis on images dataset to identify regions of variation of the glucose in the brain [1-2]. Although these studies demonstrate that a particular group of Regions Of Interest (ROIs) identifies specific pathologies, today systems for the automatic diseases classification are still not available.
An open source decision support system implementation
Authors: Medlin Richard , Moore Carlton , Mostafa Javed
Published: October 2012

Ashraf Farrag
Everest
Authors: Fyfe Justin , Bender Duane , Edwards H. Keith
Published: October 2012

Producing applications that conform to the requirements of the Health Level 7 (HL7) framework is beneficial for the accurate recordation, transmittal and sharing of medical information across organizations. Conformance to these requirements ultimately help to improve the quality of health services delivered to consumers. This paper describes Everest, a free and open source framework that allows developers to create and test HL7v3 applications.
Medicaid fraud detection using data broker services
Authors: Agrawal Rajeev , El-Bathy Naser , Seay Cameron
Published: October 2012

In this paper, we propose an integrated architecture to detect Medicaid fraud at the time of application approval process. This architecture takes the advantages of several public databases available through different government or private organizations. These databases are used to verify applicant's information and discover any undeclared assets. We also propose a customizable weighting scheme to determine eligibility for Medicaid services.
Towards dynamic ontologies repository building
Authors: Diallo Gayo , Simonet Michel
Published: October 2012

Biomedical researchers and healthcare professionals use ontologies to annotate data for facilitating data sharing and integration. And the wide availability of ontologies in the medical domain offers the possibility of supporting multiple knowledge based applications. In their daily activities researchers and clinical investigator may need manipulating many and hence heterogeneous ontologies. We have designed and implemented ServO (Ontology Server). ServO is a tool for a fast building of ontologies repository described in the RDF and OWL standards languages. It is available as Java API and is based on IR techniques. It supports indexing multiple heterogeneous ontologies and retrieving similar entities between them. A web client prototype is implemented to showcase some functionalities of the tool.
Getting What You Measure
Authors: Bouwers Eric , Visser Joost , Van Deursen Arie
Published: October 2012

Software metrics - helpful tools or a waste of time? For every developer who treasures these mathematical abstractions of software systems there is a developer who thinks software metrics are invented just to keep project managers busy. Software metrics can be very powerful tools that help achieve your goals but it is important to use them correctly, as they also have the power to demotivate project teams and steer development in the wrong direction.
Ecdysone Receptors: From the Ashburner Model to Structural Biology
Authors: Hill Ronald J. , Billas Isabelle M.L. , Bonneton François , Graham Lloyd D. , Lawrence Michael C.
Published: October 2012

In 1974, Ashburner and colleagues postulated a model to explain the control of the puffing sequence on Drosophila polytene chromosomes initiated by the molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. This model inspired a generation of molecular biologists to clone and characterize elements of the model, thereby providing insights into the control of gene networks by steroids, diatomic gases, and other small molecules. It led to the first cloning of the EcR subunit of the heterodimeric EcR-USP ecdysone receptor. X-ray diffraction studies of the ligand-binding domain of the receptor are elucidating the specificity of receptor-ecdysteroid interactions, the selectivity of some environmentally friendly insecticides, the evolution of the EcR-USP heterodimer, and indeed Ashburner's classical biochemical evidence for the central role of the ecdysone receptor in his model.
One Hundred Years of Drug Regulation: Where Do We Go from Here?
Authors: Woosley Raymond L.
Published: October 2012

The first 100 years of drug regulation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been sculpted by a series of tragedies and the consequent broadening of the FDA's authority by Congress. The distinguishing feature of the FDA's execution of its mission is that it has routinely turned to science as the primary basis for decision making, and for this reason, it is one of the world's most respected regulatory agencies. Regulatory science, currently defined by the FDA as the science that underpins its decisions, has been the foundation for the FDA's success since its inception. This review focuses on the role of science as the basis for FDA decision making. It examines how regulatory science has made the FDA's past successes possible and concludes with an overview of how the FDA might augment its science-based regulation in the future and what new policy alternatives might be necessary.
Autophagy in Toxicology: Cause or Consequence?
Authors: Orrenius Sten , Kaminskyy Vitaliy O. , Zhivotovsky Boris
Published: October 2012

Research on autophagy and its effects on cell metabolism and physiology has increased dramatically during recent years. Multiple forms of autophagy have been characterized, and many of the genes involved in the regulation of this process have been identified. The importance of autophagy for embryonic development and maintenance of tissue homeostasis in the adult organism has been demonstrated convincingly, and several human diseases have been linked to deficiencies in autophagy. Most often, autophagy serves as a protective mechanism, but persistent activation of autophagy can result in cell death. This is true for many toxic agents. In fact, there are ample examples of cross talk between autophagy and other modes of cell death after exposure to toxicants. However, the relative contribution of autophagy to the overall toxicity of these compounds is not always clear, and further research is needed to clarify the toxicological significance of this process.
Insights from Genome-Wide Association Studies of Drug Response
Authors: Zhou Kaixin , Pearson Ewan R.
Published: October 2012

Early genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using relatively small samples have identified both rare and common genetic variants with large impact on severe adverse drug reactions, dosing, and efficacy. Here we outline the challenges and recent successes of the GWAS approach in disease genetics and the ways in which these can be applied to pharmacogenomics for biological discovery, determination of heritability, and personalized treatment. We highlight that the genetic architecture of drug efficacy reflects a complex trait yet that of adverse drug reactions more closely mirrors the architecture of Mendelian diseases and how this difference affects future study design. Given that multiple layers of biological data are increasingly available on large samples from biorepositories linked to electronic medical records, GWAS will remain a key component of the systems biology approach to uncovering small to moderate genetic determinants of drug response; these discoveries should move us closer to a personalized approach to health care.
Claudin Heterogeneity and Control of Lung Tight Junctions
Authors: Koval Michael
Published: October 2012

Lung epithelial cells interconnected by tight junctions provide a barrier to the free diffusion of solutes into airspaces. Transmembrane tight junction proteins known as claudins are essential for epithelial barrier function. Claudins are regulated through interactions with each other that are coordinated with other transmembrane tight junction proteins and cytosolic scaffold proteins. Of the 14 claudins expressed by the alveolar epithelium, claudin-3, claudin-4, and claudin-18 are the most prominent; each confers unique properties to alveolar barrier function. In particular, a protective role for claudin-4 in preventing lung injury has emerged. By contrast, lung diseases that affect claudin expression and impair barrier function, including alcoholic lung syndrome and sepsis, prime the lung for pulmonary edema. Thus, approaches to restore and/or augment lung claudin expression provide potential targets for promoting healthy barrier function.
(Invited) Pure Dopant Deposition of B and Ga for Ultrashallow Junctions in Si-based Devices
Authors: Nanver L. K. , Sammak A. , Mohammadi V. , Mok K. R. C. , Qi L. , Šakić A. , Golshani N. , Derakhshandeh J. , Scholtes T. M. L. , de Boer W. B.
Published: October 2012

Envisioning wide future relevance, work is reviewed here on the pure dopant deposition of boron (PureB), gallium (PureGa) and the combination of the two (PureGaB), as used in the fabrication of nanometer shallow p+n Si and/or Ge diodes. Focus is placed on the special properties that have put these diodes in a class apart: their ideal electrical behavior together with their electrical, optical and chemical robustness have lead to cutting-edge application as photodiodes for detecting low-penetration-depth beams, as for example in EUV lithography and low-energy electron SEM imaging. Of key importance is the effectively high Gummel number of the p+-region that provides low saturation currents despite the shallowness of the junctions. Based on experimental evidence it is proposed here that this is related to the formation of a practically complete surface coverage of acceptor states as an interface property of PureB on Si and PureGa on both Si and Ge.
Analysis of the Self-Heating Effect in UTBOX Devices
Authors: Rodrigues M. , Cruz E. O. , Galeti M. , Martino J. A.
Published: October 2012

This work presents a study of the self-heating effect (SHE) on –n type UTBOX devices. Thinner buried oxide indicated a reduction on degradation caused by the SH phenomenon as shown by drain current and transient time. Addressed to that, a smaller output conductance variation with the frequency was also related where a higher frequency is required for the SHE emergence. The ground plane region was also considered on the UTBOX devices indicating to be favorable in suppress the SHE.
Intrinsic Gate Capacitances of n-type Junctionless Nanowire Transistors Using a Three-Dimensional Device Simulation and Experimental Measurements
Authors: Mariniello G. , Doria R. T. , Trevisoli R. D. , de Souza M. , Pavanello M. A.
Published: October 2012

Junctionless Nanowire transistors have been recently proposed as an alternative to overcome the short channel effect caused by the reduction of the transistors dimensions. These devices behave like a gated resistor due to the lack of the p-n junctions in the channel/ source and channel/drain regions. The influence of doping concentration, silicon width, silicon height and gate oxide thickness on the intrinsic gate capacitances are presented in this paper by using three-dimensional numerical simulations and experimental results of fabricated devices. Also the influence of the applied drain bias in the components of the intrinsic gate capacitances is addressed.
Dip Pen Nanolithography Using a Polyacrylonitrile Based Ink
Authors: Manzano O. V. , Medina G. J. P. , Furlan R. , da Silva A.N. R. , Rosa L. G.
Published: October 2012

Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is an outstanding nanofabrication technique with a combination of resolution and versatility. In this work we explored the use of a novel ink composed of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and N, N dimethylformamide (DMF), as solvent, to obtain nanostructures. PAN is a largely used polymer that has been explored as a precursor to obtain carbon nanofibers. Our results show the feasibility of defining PAN lines on gold substrates using DPN. Humidity and contamination issues, like PAN oxidation play a major role in this nanolithography process.
Analysis of SWCNT Interconnects for GSI and TSI Integrated Circuits
Authors: Nogueira C.P.S. M. , Guimarães J. G.
Published: October 2012

Carbon nanotubes are an extremely attractive option as interconnects for giga (GSI) and tera (TSI) scaled integrated circuits. They are promising candidates to replace copper interconnects. This paper presents a study of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as interconnects. The circuit model is presented and a comparison between SWCNT and SWCNT bundle at different lengths is studied, analyzing their frequency, attenuation, delay time and settling time. For this purpose, the interconnects were simulated using the LTSpice software.
Electric Field Based Simulations of Local Oxidation Nanolithography Using Atomic Force Microscopy in a Level Set Environment
Authors: Filipovic Lado , Selberherr Siegfried
Published: October 2012

During the last decades it has been shown that non-contact AFM can be used as an efficient lithographic technique capable of manufacturing nanometer sized devices on the surface of a silicon wafer. The AFM nanooxidation approach is based on generating a potential difference between a cantilever needle tip and a silicon wafer. A water meniscus builds up between the tip and the wafer, resulting in a medium for oxyions to move due to the high electric field in the region. A simulator for nanooxidation with non-contact AFM tools, implemented in a Level Set environment, was developed. The presented model uses empirical equations for the height and half-width of an AFM nanodot or nanowire with a physics based shape model. The shape model uses a particle distribution directly derived from the surface charge density, generated on the silicon surface due to the strong electric field.
Fabrication Methodology of Microlenses for Stereoscopic Imagers Using Standard CMOS Process
Authors: Rocha R. P. , Carmo J. P. , Correia J. H.
Published: October 2012

This paper presents the fabrication technology of microlenses maintaining a high reproducibility of their characteristics with low cost. The objective of microlenses is to be integrated into imagers in CMOS technology to allow stereoscopic vision. The fabricated microlenses form cylindrical arrays to be placed above the optical filters and photodetectors, in order to potentiate stereoscopic vision and at the same time maximizing the color fidelity. An array of optical filters centered at the primary colors will enable a multicolor usage. The AZ4562 material was the photoresist selected for fabricating the microlenses. The cylindrical shape is obtained by reflowing the photoresist using the hot-plate technique.
High Quality SiO2 Obtained From Diluted SOG for Low Temperature TFT Fabrication Process
Authors: Dominguez J. Miguel A. , Jacome Alfonso Torres , Quintero Pedro Rosales , Reyes Betanzo Claudia
Published: October 2012

Currently, the flexible electronics research field is of high interest because of the development of low cost products, such as solar cells and LCDs. Low temperature deposition processes are required in order to use flexible substrates. Nevertheless, the performance of the electronic devices built at temperatures below 350°C is not as good as in CMOS technology. Thus, physical and electrical properties of semiconductor and insulator materials deposited at these low temperatures must be improved. In this work, characterization of SiO2 annealed at 200°C obtained from diluted Spin On Glass (SOG) is presented. The optical and electrical characterization showed that the refractive index (n) and dielectric constant (k) values are similar to those of thermally grown SiO2. TFTs based on a-SiGe:H were fabricated to demonstrate the quality of the dielectric here obtained
Inhibition of malonyl-CoA decarboxylase reduces the inflammatory response associated with insulin resistance
Authors: Samokhvalov Victor , Ussher John R. , Fillmore Natasha , Armstrong Ian K. G. , Keung Wendy , Moroz Daniel , Lopaschuk David G. , Seubert John , Lopaschuk Gary D.
Published: October 2012

We previously showed that genetic inactivation of malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MCD), which regulates fatty acid oxidation, protects mice against high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance. Development of insulin resistance has been associated with activation of the inflammatory response. Therefore, we hypothesized that the protective effect of MCD inhibition might be caused by a favorable effect on the inflammatory response. We examined if pharmacological inhibition of MCD protects neonatal cardiomyocytes and peritoneal macrophages against inflammatory-induced metabolic perturbations. Cardiomyocytes and macrophages were treated with LPS to induce an inflammatory response, in the presence or absence of an MCD inhibitor (CBM-301106, 10 μM). Inhibition of MCD attenuated the LPS-induced inflammatory response in cardiomyocytes and macrophages. MCD inhibition also prevented LPS impairment of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in cardiomyocytes and increased phosphorylation of Akt. Additionally, inhibition of MCD strongly diminished LPS-induced activation of palmitate oxidation. We also found that treatment with an MCD inhibitor prevented LPS-induced collapse of total cellular antioxidant capacity. Interestingly, treatment with LPS or an MCD inhibitor did not alter intracellular triacylglycerol content. Furthermore, inhibition of MCD prevented LPS-induced increases in the level of ceramide in cardiomyocytes and macrophages while also ameliorating LPS-initiated decreases in PPAR binding. This suggests that the anti-inflammatory effect of MCD inhibition is mediated via accumulation of long-chain acyl-CoA, which in turn stimulates PPAR binding. Our results also demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of MCD is a novel and promising approach to treat insulin resistance and its associated metabolic complications.
Molecular Physiology of SPAK and OSR1: Two Ste20-Related Protein Kinases Regulating Ion Transport
Authors: Gagnon Kenneth B. , Delpire Eric
Published: October 2012

SPAK (Ste20-related proline alanine rich kinase) and OSR1 (oxidative stress responsive kinase) are members of the germinal center kinase VI subfamily of the mammalian Ste20 (Sterile20)-related protein kinase family. Although there are 30 enzymes in this protein kinase family, their conservation across the fungi, plant, and animal kingdom confirms their evolutionary importance. Already, a large volume of work has accumulated on the tissue distribution, binding partners, signaling cascades, and physiological roles of mammalian SPAK and OSR1 in multiple organ systems. After reviewing this basic information, we will examine newer studies that demonstrate the pathophysiological consequences to SPAK and/or OSR1 disruption, discuss the development and analysis of genetically engineered mouse models, and address the possible role these serine/threonine kinases might have in cancer proliferation and migration.
Sensory and Signaling Mechanisms of Bradykinin, Eicosanoids, Platelet-Activating Factor, and Nitric Oxide in Peripheral Nociceptors
Authors: Pethő Gábor , Reeh Peter W.
Published: October 2012

Peripheral mediators can contribute to the development and maintenance of inflammatory and neuropathic pain and its concomitants (hyperalgesia and allodynia) via two mechanisms. Activation or excitation by these substances of nociceptive nerve endings or fibers implicates generation of action potentials which then travel to the central nervous system and may induce pain sensation. Sensitization of nociceptors refers to their increased responsiveness to either thermal, mechanical, or chemical stimuli that may be translated to corresponding hyperalgesias. This review aims to give an account of the excitatory and sensitizing actions of inflammatory mediators including bradykinin, prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, platelet-activating factor, and nitric oxide on nociceptive primary afferent neurons. Manifestations, receptor molecules, and intracellular signaling mechanisms of the effects of these mediators are discussed in detail. With regard to signaling, most data reported have been obtained from transfected nonneuronal cells and somata of cultured sensory neurons as these structures are more accessible to direct study of sensory and signal transduction. The peripheral processes of sensory neurons, where painful stimuli actually affect the nociceptors in vivo, show marked differences with respect to biophysics, ultrastructure, and equipment with receptors and ion channels compared with cellular models. Therefore, an effort was made to highlight signaling mechanisms for which supporting data from molecular, cellular, and behavioral models are consistent with findings that reflect properties of peripheral nociceptive nerve endings. Identified molecular elements of these signaling pathways may serve as validated targets for development of novel types of analgesic drugs.
Hybrid Clinical and Histopathological Pattern in Annular Lesions: An Overlap between Annular Elastolytic Giant Cell Granuloma and Granuloma Annulare?
Authors: de Oliveira Felipe Ladeira , de Barros Silveira Luisa Kelmer Côrtes , Machado Alice de Miranda , Nery José Augusto da Costa
Published: October 2012

Annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma (AEGCG) is a rare granulomatous skin disease of unclear pathogenesis which belongs to the group of disorders in the skin and elastic fibers with similar clinical features of granuloma annulare (GA). This case report is intended to describe a rare hybrid pattern in histopathology demonstrating coexistence of AEGCG and GA. An endocrine disease, such as diabetes mellitus (DM), could contribute to the coexistence of both lesions, and this possibility must be included in the medical investigation.
Weighted Estimates for Maximal Commutators of Multilinear Singular Integrals
Authors: Chen Dongxiang , Mao Suzhen
Published: October 2012

This paper is concerned with the pointwise estimates for the sharp function of the maximal multilinear commutatorsTΣb*and maximal iterated commutatorTΠb*, generalized bym-linear operatorTand a weighted Lipschitz functionb. The(Lp1(μ)×⋯×Lpm(μ),Lr(μ1-r))boundedness and the(Lp1(μ)×⋯×Lpm(μ),Lr(μ1-mr))boundedness are obtained for maximal multilinear commutatorTΣb*and maximal iterated commutatorTΠb*, respectively.
Combined Application of UV Photolysis and Ozonation with Biological Aerating Filter in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Jing Zhaoqian , Cao Shiwei
Published: October 2012

To enhance the biodegradability of residual organic pollutants in secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plants, UV photolysis and ozonation were used in combination as pretreatment before a biological aerating filter (BAF). The results indicated that UV photolysis could not remove much COD (chemical oxygen demand), and the performance of ozonation was better than the former. With UV photolysis combined with ozonation (UV/O3), COD removal was much higher than the sum of that with UV photolysis and ozonation alone, which indicated that UV photolysis could efficiently promote COD removal during ozonation. This pretreatment also improved molecular weight distribution (MWD) and biodegradability greatly. Proportion of organic compounds with molecular weight (MW) <3 kDalton was increased from 51.9% to 85.9%. COD removal rates with BAF and O3/BAF were only about 25% and 38%, respectively. When UV/O3oxidation was combined with BAF, the average COD removal rate reached above 61%, which was about 2.5 times of that with BAF alone. With influent COD ranging from 65 to 84 mg/L, the effluent COD was stably in the scope of 23–31 mg/L. The combination of UV/O3oxidation with BAF was quite efficient in organic pollutants removal for tertiary wastewater treatment.
Hair-Thread Tourniquet Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Sivathasan Niroshan , Vijayarajan Lavnya
Published: October 2012

Though widely reported, Hair-thread Tourniquet Syndrome (HTTS) is poorly recognized. It refers to external, mechanical, circumferential constriction of an appendage, typically with an end-artery such as a digit, resulting in a “compartment syndrome-like” situation. HTTS is illustrated using the case of an infant. Children presenting with irritability should have their digits examined for signs of strangulation, with the awareness that numerous strands may be involved, with some buried in the skin. Early surgical-release must be performed if unwinding or simple cutting is unsuccessful.
In Vitro Osteogenic Properties of Two Dental Implant Surfaces
Authors: Monjo Marta , Petzold Christiane , Ramis Joana Maria , Lyngstadaas Staale Petter , Ellingsen Jan Eirik
Published: October 2012

Current dental implant research aims at understanding the biological basis for successful implant therapy. The aim of the study was to perform a full characterization of the effect of two commercial titanium (Ti) surfaces, OsseoSpeed and TiOblast, on the behaviour of mouse preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. The effect of these Ti surfaces was compared with tissue culture plastic (TCP). In vitro experiments were performed to evaluate cytotoxicity, cell morphology and proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, gene expression, and release of a wide array of osteoblast markers. No differences were observed on cell viability and cell proliferation. However, changes were observed in cell shape after 2 days, with a more branched morphology on OsseoSpeed compared to TiOblast. Moreover, OsseoSpeed surface increased BMP-2 secretion after 2 days, and this was followed by increased IGF-I, BSP, and osterix gene expression and mineralization compared to TiOblast after 14 days. As compared to the gold standard TCP, both Ti surfaces induced higher osteocalcin and OPG release than TCP and differential temporal gene expression of osteogenic markers. The results demonstrate that the gain of using OsseoSpeed surface is an improved osteoblast differentiation and mineralization, without additional effects on cell viability or proliferation.
Research on Intersection Signal Switching Model under Emergency Situation
Authors: Zongping Li , Wei Bai , Mi Gan
Published: October 2012

The frequent occurrence of the city emergency leads to rapid development of emergency traffic management which is an important part in the Emergency Rescue System. In the intersection with heavy traffic, the emergency rescue vehicles often with increased delay, reduced safety, and sometimes even with a collision, which restrict the efficiency of the rescue. This paper established the intersection signal control optimization model based on detail analysis of emergency rescue vehicles traffic characteristics and traffic signal control. The models, on one hand, were able to guarantee the emergency vehicles through the intersection quickly and without delay; on the other hand, could ensure the minimum impact to other vehicles in the process of the emergency vehicles through the intersection. Finally, the model’s practicality was verified by real cases.
Fekete‐Szegö Problems for Quasi‐Subordination Classes
Authors: Haji Mohd Maisarah , Darus Maslina
Published: October 2012

An analytic function f is quasi‐subordinate to an analytic function g, in the open unit disk if there exist analytic functions φ and w, with |φ(z)| ≤ 1, w(0) = 0 and |w(z)| < 1 such that f(z) = φ(z)g(w(z)). Certain subclasses of analytic univalent functions associated with quasi‐subordination are defined and the bounds for the Fekete‐Szegö coefficient functional for functions belonging to these subclasses are derived.
Synchronous Penile Metastasis from a High-Grade Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate
Authors: Dijkstra S. , van der Heijden A. G. , Schaafsma H. E. , Mulders P. F. A.
Published: October 2012

Metastasis to the glans penis is a rare phenomenon and usually occurs in a late stage of disease. A 68-year-old man was referred to our clinic because of two indurated lesions of the glans penis and minor lower urinary tract symptoms. Digital rectal examination revealed a hard nodular prostate, and serum prostate-specific antigen (sPSA) level was 13.3 ng/mL. Biopsies of the penile lesions and transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies were taken. Immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue exposed a synchronous penile metastasis from a high-grade adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Except a pathologically enlarged lymph node detected with MRI there was no suspicion on other metastases. Currently this patient is being treated with a Gonadoreline (GnRH) antagonist. Nevertheless, the prognosis will be poor.
Conformal Array Pattern Synthesis Using a Hybrid WARP/2LB-MOPSO Algorithm
Authors: Karimzadeh Baee Roghieh , Forooraghi Keyvan , Chamaani Somayyeh
Published: October 2012

This paper addresses conformal array synthesis as a constrained multiobjective optimization problem. Simultaneous reduction of side lobe level (SLL) and cross-polarization (XPL) level is aimed with a constraint on main beam direction. A hybrid of weighted alternating reverse projection (WARP) and two local best multiobjective particle swarm optimization (2LB-MOPSO) is proposed to optimize the pattern. First, the WARP method finds a moderate and feasible solution. Second, 2LB-MOPSO begins with an initial population including the solution of WARP and penalty functions for constraint handling. Involving WARP result in the initial population of 2LB-MOPSO leads to higher convergence rate, avoiding local extermum traps and less sensitivity to penalty functions. Compared to WARP method which stagnates rapidly, the proposed hybrid method gives better SLL and XPL after adequate iterations. In addition, as 2LB-MOPSO offers a set of optimum solutions (Pareto front) instead of a single solution, this method provides more degrees of freedom in selection of proper practical arrays. Finally, to examine the mutual coupling consideration in array design, the same procedure was applied ignoring the mutual coupling between elements. The results show that the SLL and XPL strongly depend on mutual coupling.
Ectonucleotidases in Solid Organ and Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Chernogorova Petya , Zeiser Robert
Published: October 2012

Extracellular nucleotides are ubiquitous signalling molecules which modulate distinct physiological and pathological processes. Nucleotide concentrations in the extracellular space are strictly regulated by cell surface enzymes, called ectonucleotidases, which hydrolyze nucleotides to the respective nucleosides. Recent studies suggest that ectonucleotidases play a significant role in inflammation by adjusting the balance between ATP, a widely distributed proinflammatory danger signal, and the anti-inflammatory mediator adenosine. There is increasing evidence for a central role of adenosine in alloantigen-mediated diseases such as solid organ graft rejection and acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Solid organ and hematopoietic cell transplantation are established treatment modalities for a broad spectrum of benign and malignant diseases. Immunological complications based on the recognition of nonself-antigens between donor and recipient like transplant rejection and GvHD are still major challenges which limit the long-term success of transplantation. Studies in the past two decades indicate that purinergic signalling influences the severity of alloimmune responses. This paper focuses on the impact of ectonucleotidases, in particular, NTPDase1/CD39 and ecto-5′-nucleotidase/CD73, on allograft rejection, acute GvHD, and graft-versus-leukemia effect, and on possible clinical implications for the modulation of purinergic signalling after transplantation.
Fuzzy Linguistic Induced Ordered Weighted Averaging Operator and Its Application
Authors: Xian Sidong
Published: October 2012

With respect to multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems, in which the attribute weights take the form of real numbers, and the attribute values take the form of fuzzy linguistic scale variables, a decision analysis approach is proposed. In this paper, we develop a new fuzzy linguistic induce OWA (FLIOWA) operator and analyze the properties of it by utilizing some operational laws of fuzzy linguistic scale variables. A method based on the FLIOWA operators for multiple attribute group decision making is presented. Finally, a numerical example is used to illustrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Developing Effective Health Interventions for Women Who Inject Drugs: Key Areas and Recommendations for Program Development and Policy
Authors: Pinkham Sophie , Stoicescu Claudia , Myers Bronwyn
Published: October 2012

Women who inject drugs face multiple gender-specific health risks and barriers to healthcare access. These gendered factors may contribute to elevated rates of HIV for this population. Though few countries systematically collect gender-disaggregated data related to injecting drug use, evidence indicates that there are large populations of women who inject drugs and who are in need of improved health services, including HIV prevention. Research on the effectiveness of interventions specifically tailored for women who inject drugs, along with the experience of programs working with this subpopulation, suggests that HIV risk practices need to be addressed within the larger context of women's lives. Multifaceted interventions that address relationship dynamics, housing, employment, and the needs of children may have more success in reducing risky practices than interventions that focus exclusively on injecting practices and condom use. Improved sexual and reproductive healthcare for women who use drugs is an area in need of development and should be better integrated into basic harm reduction programs.
Predictors of Academic and Social Success and Psychological Well-Being in College Students
Authors: Norvilitis Jill M. , Reid Howard M.
Published: October 2012

The present study utilized 217 student participants to examine academic, circumstantial, and personal predictors of four categories of college success. Although study skills were most important in predicting grade point average, other factors, including parental encouragement of intellectual curiosity during childhood, ADHD symptomatology, appreciation of the liberal arts, and varying motives to attend college, were also predictive of success, as indicated by measures of academic adjustment, social adjustment, and satisfaction with life. The results replicate previous research indicating that study skills, ADHD symptomatology, and motives to attend college are predictors of various measures of college success and extend prior work by establishing a relationship between college success and two additional variables, parental encouragement of intellectual curiosity and the correspondence between student and institutional values.
Polycations XX: New Monodentate Cationic Ligands and Their Coordination with Ruthenium for the Construction of Complexes Expressing Enhanced Interaction with DNA
Authors: Babukutty Leslie , Moskovic Ethan , Wadler Davina , Strekas Thomas , Engel Robert
Published: October 2012

Prior investigations from this laboratory concerned with the preparation of new types of organic cations for a variety of biological and nonbiological applications have been extended to the preparation of cation-bearing ligands with nitrogen coordinating sites for use in complexation reactions with ruthenium cores. The syntheses of new cationic ligands as well as ruthenium complexes bearing them are reported here. The introduction of these new types of ligands is intended to provide to the complexes an enhanced ability to interact with DNA, and thereby to have the potential to be enhanced antitumor agents. Preliminary observations of their interactions with DNA are presented.
A Secure Cluster Formation Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Wang Gicheol , Kim Dongkyun , Cho Gihwan
Published: October 2012

In wireless sensor networks, clustering expedites many desirable functions such as load balancing, energy savings, and distributed key management. For secure clustering, it is very important to find compromised nodes and remove them during the initial cluster formation process. If some nodes are compromised and survive the censorship process, they can make some nodes have a different cluster view and can split a cluster into multiple clusters to deteriorate cluster quality as a whole. To resolve these problems, we propose a robust scheme against such attacks in this paper. First, our scheme generates large-sized clusters where any two nodes are at most two hops away from each other to raise the quality of clusters. Second, our scheme employs the verification of two-hop distant nodes to preserve the quality of the large-sized clusters and refrains from splitting the clusters. Last, our scheme prefers broadcast transmissions to save the energy of nodes. Security analysis proves that our scheme can identify compromised nodes and preserves the cluster membership agreement against the compromised nodes. In addition, simulation results prove that our scheme generates fewer clusters and is more secure and energy efficient than the scheme producing only small-sized clusters.
The Study of Ultrasonic Degradation of Superabsorbent Hydrogels
Authors: Ebrahimi Rajabali , Tarhande Giti , Rafiei Saeed
Published: October 2012

Viscometry is a valid and practical approach for monitoring the degradation of polymers in solution. In this work, at constant power and pulse, the effects of different operating parameters such as time of irradiation, temperature, solution concentration, volume, solvent, and immersion depth of horn on the rate of degradation have been investigated in aqueous solution using laboratory scale operation. A method of viscometry was used to study the degradation behavior of aqueous dispersions of microgels. The experimental results show that the viscosity of polymer solution decreased with an increase in the ultrasonic irradiation time and approached a limiting value. The present work has enabled us to understand the role of the different operating parameters in deciding the extent of viscosity reduction in aqueous dispersions of microgels and also the controlling effects of them.
Fast Optical Beamforming Architectures for Satellite-Based Applications
Authors: Vidal B. , Mengual T. , Martí J.
Published: October 2012

Photonic technology offers an alternative implementation for the control of phased array antennas providing large time bandwidth products and low weight, flexible feeding networks. Measurements of an optical beamforming network for phased array antennas with fast beam steering operation for space scenarios are presented. Experimental results demonstrate fast beam steering between 4 and 8 GHz without beam squint.
Urinothorax—An Underdiagnosed Cause of Acute Dyspnea: Report of a Bilateral and of an Ipsilateral Urinothorax Case
Authors: Laskaridis Leonidas , Kampantais Spyridon , Toutziaris Chrysovalantis , Chachopoulos Basileios , Perdikis Ioannis , Tahmatzopoulos Anastasios , Dimitriadis Georgios
Published: October 2012

Urinothorax (UT) is a rare and often undiagnosed condition, defined as the presence of urine in the pleural cavity due to the retroperitoneal leakage of urine accumulation, known as urinoma, into the pleural space. UT usually is a transudative pleural effusion that presents in patients with obstructive uropathy and it may occur following surgical procedures in the ureter or kidney such as ESWL, PCNL, and URS. Its diagnosis requires a high degree of clinical suspicion since the respiratory symptoms tend to be absent or mild and the urological signs tend to dominate. However, UT may rarely present with severe and acute dyspnea as well. The objectives of this study are to describe two new cases of this rare entity, a bilateral case and an ipsilateral case focusing on the side that occurs according to the affected renal insult, and to alert the physicians to include UT in their differential diagnosis of pleural effusions especially in patients with recent urinary tract disorders.
A Rare Case of Petrified Ear
Authors: Buikema Kathryn E. , Adams Erin G.
Published: October 2012

Calcification or ossification of the auricle, also referred to as petrified ear, is a rare diagnosis in dermatology. In medical literature, it has most often been attributed to trauma, hypothermia and frostbite, or hypercalcemia secondary to a metabolic or endocrine disorder, such as Addison's disease. Here, we report the clinical and radiologic findings of a 79-year-old African American male whose unilateral petrified auricle was an incidental finding. He had a preceding history of hyperparathyroidism and subsequent hypercalcemia treated with a subtotal parathyroidectomy three years prior to presentation. In addition to laboratory analysis, a history and physical examination was performed which revealed no other signs of hypercalcemia. Radiologic studies demonstrated partial ossification of the external auricular cartilage on the left side. The patient was diagnosed with the rare occurrence of a petrified ear. In light of this case, we provide a discussion concerning the possible etiologies of this diagnosis including appropriate patient evaluation and possible treatment recommendations.
Presurgical Weight Is Associated with Pain, Functional Impairment, and Anxiety among Gastric Bypass Surgery Patients
Authors: Wedin Sharlene , Byrne Karl , Morgan Katherine , LePage Marie , Goldman Rachel , Crowley Nina , Galloway Sarah , Borckardt Jeffrey J.
Published: October 2012

Chronic pain and obesity are significant public health concerns in the United States associated with significant levels of health-care expenses and lost productivity. Previous research suggests that obesity is a risk factor for chronic pain, mainly due to excessive weight placed on the joints. However, the obesity-pain relationship appears to be complex and reciprocal. Little work to date has focused on the relationship between weight and pain among patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery for weight loss. Patients scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery for weight loss at a large southeastern academic medical center () completed the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), the Center for Epidemiological Studies 10-item Depression scale (CESD-10), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Higher presurgical weight was associated with higher pain-on-average ratings, higher functional impairment due to pain across the domains of physical activity, mood, walking ability, relationships, and enjoyment of life. Higher presurgical weight was associated with higher BAI scores, but weight was not related to depression. Findings suggest that bariatric surgery candidates report a moderate amount of pain prior to surgery and that presurgical weight is associated with higher pain, increased functional impairment due to pain, and increased anxiety. Anxiety was found to mediate the relationship between increased weight and pain.
Recognition of Earthquake-Prone Areas in the Himalaya: Validity of the Results
Authors: Gorshkov A. , Parvez I. A. , Novikova O.
Published: October 2012

In 1992 seismogenic nodes prone for earthquakes6.5+have been recognized for the Himalayan arc using the pattern recognition approach. Since then four earthquakes of the target magnitudes occurred in the region. The paper discusses the correlation of the events occurred in the region after 1992 with nodes previously defined as having potential for the occurrence of earthquakesM6.5+. The analysis performed has shown that three out of four earthquakesM6.5+occurred at recognized seismogenic nodes capable ofM6.5+.
Generalized Fractional Master Equation for Self-Similar Stochastic Processes Modelling Anomalous Diffusion
Authors: Pagnini Gianni , Mura Antonio , Mainardi Francesco
Published: October 2012

The Master Equation approach to model anomalous diffusion is considered. Anomalous diffusion in complex media can be described as the result of a superposition mechanism reflecting
inhomogeneity and nonstationarity properties of the medium. For instance, when this superposition is applied to the time-fractional diffusion process, the resulting Master Equation emerges to be the governing equation of the Erdélyi-Kober fractional diffusion, that describes the evolution of the marginal distribution of the so-called generalized grey Brownian motion. This motion is a parametric class of stochastic processes that provides models for both fast and slow anomalous diffusion: it is made up of self-similar processes with stationary increments and depends on two real parameters. The class includes the fractional Brownian motion, the time-fractional diffusion stochastic processes, and the standard Brownian motion. In this framework, the M-Wright function (known also as Mainardi function) emerges as a natural generalization of the Gaussian distribution, recovering the same key role of the Gaussian density for the standard and the fractional Brownian motion.
Metformin Stimulates FGF21 Expression in Primary Hepatocytes
Authors: Nygaard Eva B. , Vienberg Sara G. , Ørskov Cathrine , Hansen Harald S. , Andersen Birgitte
Published: October 2012

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a novel metabolic regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism; however, the exact mechanism of action and regulation of FGF21 is not fully understood. Metabolic status plays an important role in the regulation of FGF21, and we therefore examined whether metformin, an indirect AMPK-activator, regulates FGF21 expression in hepatocytes. FGF21 mRNA and protein expression were determined after incubation of primary cultured rat and human hepatocytes with metformin for 24 hours. To study the role of AMPK in the putative regulation of FGF21, hepatocytes were incubated with Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) in the presence of metformin. A strong dose-dependent increase in FGF21 expression was observed in both rat and human hepatocytes treated with metformin. This effect was blocked by addition of the AMPK-inhibitor Compound C. The study shows that metformin is a potent inducer of hepatic FGF21 expression and that the effect of metformin seems to be mediated through AMPK activation. As FGF21 therapy normalizes blood glucose in animal models of type 2 diabetes, the induction of hepatic FGF21 by metformin might play an important role in metformin’s antidiabetic effect.