bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eine Stadt aus Licht und Laser/Wissenschaft im Kaufhaus ‐eine gelungene Premiere/„Stein der Weisen”︁ — Physik trifft Kunst
Authors: Lahr‐Nilles Elisabeth , Wandelt Klaus
Published: February 2013

Die vierte zentrale Veranstaltung zum Jahr der Physik findet vom 15. bis zum 21. September im Bonner Bundeshaus statt. Im Mittelpunkt steht diesmal die Physik der kondensierten Materie; besonderes Augenmerk gilt den Grundlagen der Informationstechnologie und dem „Stein der Weisen”︁ der Neuzeit — dem Element Silizium. Die Physiker und Physikerinnen wagen dabei ein bislang einmaliges Experiment, das für eine Woche zwei völlig unterschiedliche Spezies zusammenbringt: Naturwissenschaftler und Künstler. Das Programm umfasst 21 öffentliche Vorträge und eine Ausstellung im Foyer des ehemaligen Bundestags, die vom Forschungszentrum Jülich und der Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln konzipiert wurde.
Leuchtstoffe für aktive Displays: Neue Konzepte für flache Bildschirme erfordern speziell entwickelte Leuchtstoffe
Authors: Jüstel Thomas , Feldmann Claus , Ronda Cornelis R.
Published: February 2013

Seit mehr als 50 Jahren werden Leuchtstoffe in Kathodenstrahlröhren zur Erzeugung von sichtbarem Licht eingesetzt. In den letzten Jahrzehnten sind die verwendeten Materialien ständig verbessert worden, um die gestiegenen Ansprüche an Auflösung, Helligkeit und Kontrast von Monitoren und Fernsehern zu erfüllen. Gegenwärtig werden verschiedene neue Konzepte verfolgt, um flache Bildschirme mit geringer Bautiefe zu realisieren. Einige dieser Technologien, zum Beispiel die Plasmabildschirme, benötigen ebenfalls Leuchtstoffe. Da sich die Anregungsbedingungen von denen einer klassischen Kathodenstrahlröhre deutlich unterscheiden, müssen jedoch neue Leuchtstoffe entwickelt werden, die an die speziellen Anforderungen optimal angepasst sind.
Displays — Schlüsselkomponenten der Informationsgesellschaft: Flüssigkristall‐Displays dringen in den Mark der Kathodenstrahlröhren ein
Authors: Theis Dietmar
Published: February 2013

Die atemberaubenden Fortschritte bei den integrierten Schaltkreisen, in der Software und in den Netzen der Telekommunikation brachten in den letzten Jahren auch immer größere Ansprüche an die Schnittstelle zum Auge, die Displays, mit sich. In diesem Beitrag soll vor allem von der wirtschaftlichen Bedeutung und den künftigen Entwicklungstrends von Displays die Rede sein, wobei die Flachbildschirme und in dieser Gruppe die Flüssigkristall‐Displays (LCDs) wegen ihrer Marktbeherrschung und ihrer dynamischen Entwicklung im Vordergrund stehen.
Die Quellen des schnellen Sonnenwindes: Aus dunklen Löchern in der Korona unseres Zentralgestirns weht ein Plasmawind
Authors: Wilhelm Klaus , Curdt Werner , Dammasch Ingolf E. , Marsch Eckart
Published: February 2013

Aus der Atmosphäre der Sonne bläst der Sonnenwind in den interplanetaren Raum und transportiert pro Sekunde etwa eine Million Tonnen Materie von der Sonne weg. Der Wind muss gegen die enorme Schwerkraft der Sonne beschleunigt werden. Dafür scheint als Ursache nur eine sehr heiße äußere Atmosphäre infrage zu kommen. Mit neuen Weltraumteleskopen wurde nun zum ersten Mal das genaue Entstehungsgebiet des schnellen Sonnenwindes auf der Sonne entdeckt. Auch seine Geschwindigkeit sowie die Plasmatemperaturen und ‐dichten in verschiedenen Höhen über dem Sonnenrand konnten vermessen werden. Aus diesen neuen Erkenntnissen ergibt sich, dass eine Wechselwirkung der Ionen des Sonnen‐Plasmas mit elektromagnetischen Wellen (Alfvén‐Wellen) sowohl die Heizung der Korona als auch die Beschleunigung des Sonnenwindes bewirken kann.
Wie fängt man ein Atom mit einem Photon?: Ein Atom zwischen Spiegeln eröffnet neue Möglichkeiten in der Quanteninformatik
Authors: Pinkse Pepijn , Rempe Gerhard
Published: February 2013

Wer stand nicht schon einmal zwischen zwei parallelen Spiegeln, um sich verwundert die unendliche Reihe eigener Spiegelbilder anzuschauen? Dieser Aufbau erlaubt auch in der modernen Physik viele faszinierende Experimente, zum Beispiel das Detektieren einzelner Atome, die zwischen zwei hochreflektierenden Spiegeln hindurchfliegen. Das Licht übt auch eine Kraft auf das Atom aus. Damit ist es kürzlich gelungen, einzelne Atome zwischen zwei Spiegeln zu fangen [1, 2], wobei sich im Mittel nur etwa ein Photon zwischen den Spiegeln befand.
Nordamerikanische Impulse der Physikgeschichte
Authors: Hentschel Klaus
Published: February 2013

Auch wenn man mit einigem Recht sagen kann, dass die Wiege der Wissenschaftsgeschichte als eines intellektuell eigenständigen Feldes in Europa liegt [1], so hat die amerikanische Wissenschaftsgeschichte doch bis heute eine Vorreiterrolle inne. In diesem Überblicksartikel soll deshalb ein Rückblick auf einige der wichtigsten Impulse und Anregungen erfolgen, die wir speziell unseren nordamerikanischen Fachkollegen verdanken.
Gentner‐Kastler‐Preis: Verletzung der Symmetrie zwischen Materie und Antimaterie: In einer kleinen Asymmetrie der Naturkräfte sehen wir den Schlüssel zu unserer Existenz
Authors: Kleinknecht Konrad
Published: February 2013

Vor 15 Milliarden Jahren entstand während des Urknalls Materie und Antimaterie bei sehr hohen Temperaturen in gleichen Mengen. Warum ist dann heute die Antimaterie verschwunden und das Universum von einem kleinen Teil der ursprünglich vorhandenen Materie erfüllt? In der auf Andrej Sacharov zurückgehenden Antwort spielt eine Kraft, die die Symmetrie zwischen Materie und Antimaterie zerstört, eine zentrale Rolle.
Marian‐Smoluchowski‐Emil‐Warburg‐Preis: TESLA at DESY: In memory of Bjoern Wiik
Authors: Zakrzewski Janusz A.
Published: February 2013

The Project to construct at DESY a linear electron‐positron accelerator TESLA (Tera Electron Volt Energy Superconducting Linear Collider) with integrated synchrotron radiation sources will be briefly described. Such a source — Free Electron Laser (FEL) — will be based on the Self‐Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) from electron beams passing through magnetic devices (undulators). TESLA will thus be a new and important tool for research within the domain of natural sciences ranging from high energy and nuclear physics through the application of laser‐like synchrotron radiation in solid state physics, material sciences, chemistry, biology to medical sciences. Progress in the programme of research and development carried out at the TTF (Tesla Test Facility) on the superconducting cavities will be noted. The first successful operation at the TTF of FEL at the wavelength around 100 nm will be stressed. The international character of the TESLA Project will be indicated.
Revisiting evolutionary algorithms in feature selection and nonfuzzy/fuzzy rule based classification
Authors: Dehuri Satchidananda , Ghosh Ashish
Published: February 2013

This paper discusses the relevance and possible applications of evolutionary algorithms, particularly genetic algorithms, in the domain of knowledge discovery in databases. Knowledge discovery in databases is a process of discovering knowledge along with its validity, novelty, and potentiality. Various genetic‐based feature selection algorithms with their pros and cons are discussed in this article. Rule (a kind of high‐level representation of knowledge) discovery from databases, posed as single and multiobjective problems is a difficult optimization problem. Here, we present a review of some of the genetic‐based classification rule discovery methods based on fidelity criterion. The intractable nature of fuzzy rule mining using single and multiobjective genetic algorithms reported in the literatures is reviewed. An extensive list of relevant and useful references are given for further research. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Fundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Key Design Issues in Data Mining

Technologies > Computational Intelligence
Transport of pesticides and artificial tracers in vertical‐flow lab‐scale wetlands
Authors: Durst Romy , Imfeld Gwenaël , Lange Jens
Published: February 2013

Key Points

The transport of pesticides and tracers was evaluated in lab‐scale wetlands

Uranine may serve as a proxy of subsurface transport of isoproturon

Transport of metalaxyl, isoproturon and sulphorhodamide B largely differ
A new technique for obtaining high‐resolution pore pressure records in thick claystone aquitards and its use to determine in situ compressibility
Authors: Smith Laura A. , van der Kamp Garth , Jim Hendry M.
Published: February 2013

Key Points

Lab tests overestimate alpha and Ss by as much as 2 orders of magnitude

A new technique presented to determine alpha and Ss using pressure transducers

In all cases the lab tests overestimated alpha and Ss compared to in situ values
Is Automatic Imitation Based on Goal Coding or Movement Coding?
Authors: Chiavarino Claudia , Bugiani Stefano , Grandi Elisa , Colle Livia
Published: February 2013

A key issue for research on automatic imitation is whether it occurs primarily at the level of movements, that is, by automatically activating a representation of the movement/effector involved in the execution of the observed action, or at the level of goals, that is, by triggering a representation of the action goal, irrespective of how the motor act is physically instantiated. The present study presents two experiments aimed at investigating the contribution of movement coding and goal coding to automatic imitation, by assessing participants’ performance in a spatial compatibility task where the observed stimuli were goal-directed and goal-less actions, which have been demonstrated to elicit, respectively, goal and movement coding. We found a significant automatic imitation effect both when the stimuli were goal-less actions and when they were actions directed toward a goal. However, the effect was stronger for the goal-less actions, even after controlling for saliency effects. These results suggest that goal coding contributes to automatic imitation, but to a lesser degree compared to movement coding. The implications of these results for theory and research on automatic imitation are discussed.
Subitizing Is Sensitive to the Arrangement of Objects
Authors: Krajcsi Attila , Szabó Eszter , Mórocz István Ákos
Published: February 2013

Subitizing is a fast and accurate enumeration process of small sets of usually less than four objects. Several models were proposed in the literature. Critically, only pattern recognition theory suggests that subitizing performance is sensitive to the arrangement of the array. In our study, arrays of dots in random or canonical arrangements were enumerated. The subitizing range was larger and the reaction time slope was less steep in the canonical arrangements. When noise was added to the canonical pattern, the reaction time slope was proportional to the amount of noise. Moreover, arrangement has a stronger effect on sets with more than four objects. These results support the pattern recognition model of subitizing.
Investigation of direct and indirect phonon-mediated bond excitation in α-RDX
Authors: Kraczek B. , Chung P. W.
Published: February 2013

We evaluate whether lattice or internal phonons dominate the thermal excitation of the N–N bonds in α-cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (α-RDX) by computing the fractional contributions of phonon modes to the excitation of all atomic interactions. We derive a method to compute these contributions, which we call mode energy fractions, from the phonon eigenvectors and a splitting of the dynamical matrix. This enables identification of phonon modes that most strongly excite the N–N bonds that play a key role in molecular decomposition of α-RDX. Correlating these fractions with the mode populations and contributions to the specific heat and thermal conductivity, we analyze how thermal energy is distributed by phonons following a passing shock. Contrary to the common explanation that thermal energy is transferred to the N–N bonds indirectly, by internal phonons, we find that lattice phonons dominate this thermal energy transfer, implying that energy flow follows a direct route. We also comment on implications of these results for non-shock decomposition of α-RDX.
Kinetic pathways of sphere-to-cylinder transition in diblock copolymer melt under electric field
Authors: Ly D. Q. , Pinna M. , Honda T. , Kawakatsu T. , Zvelindovsky A. V. M.
Published: February 2013

Phase transition from body-centered-cubic spheres to cylinders in a diblock copolymer melt under an external electric field is investigated by means of real-space dynamical self-consistent field theory. Different phase transition kinetic pathways and different cylindrical domains arrangements of the final phase are observed depending on the strength and direction of the applied electric field. Various transient states have been identified depending on the electric field being applied along [111], [100], and [110] directions. The electric field should be above a certain threshold value in order the transition to occur. A “dynamic critical exponent” of the transition is found to be about 3/2, consistent with other order-order transitions in diblock copolymers under electric field.
Conductivity and frequency dependent specific absorption rate
Authors: Liu Xiaoming , Chen Hui-Jiuan , Alfadhl Yasir , Chen Xiaodong , Parini Clive , Wen Dongsheng
Published: February 2013

Recently, a number of contradicting results have been reported regarding the electromagnetic (EM) energy absorption by highly conductive materials in a liquid phase. The argument rises from the fact that higher conductive media absorb more electromagnetic energy; this however would be constrained by the localized field values that are dictated by the dielectric variations, which may reduce the absorption rate. Using salted water as an example, a systematic investigation of the mechanisms of EM absorption in the presence of highly conductive materials is conducted in this work. A theoretical model is developed, which is supported by both numerical and experimental studies. The influence of salt concentration, dielectric properties, boundary conditions, and EM frequency on the specific absorption rate (SAR) is carefully examined. The results show that the presence of salt in water modifies the dielectric properties significantly in the RF range, while the effect is less prominent in the microwave range. The SAR is highly dependent on the conductivity and frequency, as well as the employed instrument that dictates the surrounding boundary conditions. To suit different applications, the SAR can be optimized by proper consideration of the concentration of high conductivity material, operating frequency, and instruments.
Electrical measurements of dielectric nonlinearities in ferroelectric bilayer thin films
Authors: Salev Pavel , Meisami-Azad Mandana , Grigoriev Alexei
Published: February 2013

Frequency dependence of the dielectric response is studied for ferroelectric bilayer thin-film capacitors under a cyclic bias voltage. The approach used in this work enables probing strong dielectric nonlinearities at millisecond and microsecond time scales during polarization switching in thin films. The frequency-dependent changes that are observed in the relative dielectric permittivity of PbZr0.8Ti0.2O3/PbZr0.6Ti0.4O3 and PbZr0.6Ti0.4O3/PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 epitaxial bilayers without applying the cyclic bias are small in the kHz-to-MHz frequency range. When the bias is applied, a strong frequency dependence of the relative dielectric permittivity is observed during polarization switching. For instance, the permittivity of the PbZr0.6Ti0.4O3/PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 bilayer changes from εr≈300 at 100 kHz to εr≈1600 at 2 kHz. The observed frequency dependence of the permittivity can be described by [1+TT+Tcln(1ωt0)]2 that has been proposed for dynamic response in systems involving pinning at two-dimensional domain walls.
Micromagnetic modeling of experimental hysteresis loops for heterogeneous electrodeposited cobalt films
Authors: Seymour Matthew P. , Wilding Ian , Xu Ben , Mercer Jason I. , Plumer Martin L. , Poduska Kristin M. , Yethiraj Anand , van Lierop Johan
Published: February 2013

Micromagnetic modeling provides a realistic description of the magnetic switching behavior in electrodeposited Co thin films that are either uniform (untemplated) or templated with an array of sub-micron spheres. Quantitative agreement between experimental results and simulations based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equations is achieved for both in-plane and perpendicular MH loops at two temperatures. By accounting for the sweep-rate dependence in coercivity values from simulated loops (with sweep rates 104–10−1 Oe/ns) and then extrapolating to the experimental regime (measurement times of 10–100 s), a self-consistent set of microscopic parameters is established to accommodate the complexity of the electrodeposited films.
Reversible infertility in a liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1)-knockdown mouse model
Authors: Gerrits Han , Paradé Marc C. B. C. , Koonen-Reemst Annemie M. C. B. , Bakker Nicole E. C. , Timmer-Hellings Lenita , Sollewijn Gelpke Maarten D. , Gossen Jan A.
Published: February 2013

Liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) is an orphan nuclear receptor that has been implicated in steroid hormone biosynthesis and fertility. Herein we describe a transgenic inducible short hairpin (sh) RNA mouse model that was used to study the effect of transient LRH-1 knockdown in vivo. Induction of expression of the shRNA directed against LRH-1 for 2–6 weeks resulted in 80% knockdown of LRH-1 protein in the ovary and complete infertility. Gonadotropin hyperstimulation could not rescue the observed defects in ovulation and corpus luteum formation in LRH-1-knockdown mice. The infertility phenotype was fully reversible because LRH-1-knockdown females became pregnant and delivered normal size litters and healthy pups after cessation of LRH-1 shRNA expression. Timed ovarian microarray analysis showed that, in line with the observed decrease in plasma progesterone levels, key steroid biosynthesis genes, namely Star, Cyp11a1, Hsd3b and Scarb1, were downregulated in LRH-1-knockdown ovaries. In contrast with what has been described previously, no clear effect was observed on oestrogenic activity in LRH-1-knockdown mice. Only Sult1e1 and, surprisingly, Hsd17b7 expression was modulated with potentially opposite effects on oestradiol bioavailability. In conclusion, the fully reversible infertility phenotype of LRH-1-knockdown mice shows the feasibility of an LRH-1 antagonist as new contraceptive therapy with a mechanism of action that most prominently affects cholesterol availability and progesterone production.
Isolation, via 454 sequencing, and characterisation of microsatellites for Phalacrocorax fuscescens, the black-faced cormorant (Aves : Phalacrocoracidae)
Authors: Riordan Julie , Gardner Michael G. , Fitch Alison J. , Johnston Gregory R.
Published: February 2013

The black-faced cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscescens, is a brood-reducing seabird endemic to the southern waters of Australia. Microsatellite loci were isolated from genomic DNA using 454 shotgun sequencing. Thirty-one loci were tested and, of these, 16 were found to be polymorphic. Further characterisation was conducted on seven loci that were genotyped in 42 adult individuals from a single breeding colony in South Australia. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to eight (s.d. ± 2.16), and the mean observed and expected heterozygosity was 0.66 (s.d. ± 0.249) and 0.62 (s.d. ± 0.178) respectively. We confirm that four loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectations. Four other Phalacrocorax species were trialled for amplification of these four polymorphic loci. Amplification success varied between loci and species. These loci will be useful in determining genetic family structure and exploring nestling relatedness to further understand how relatedness influences competitive behaviours in brood-reducing species.
Revealing the competition between peeled ssDNA, melting bubbles, and S-DNA during DNA overstretching by single-molecule calorimetry
Authors: Zhang Xinghua , Chen Hu , Le Shimin , Rouzina Ioulia , Doyle Patrick S. , Yan Jie
Published: February 2013

Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) unconstrained by torsion undergoes an overstretching transition at about 65 pN, elongating the DNA to about 1.7-fold. Three possible structural transitions have been debated for the nature of DNA overstretching: (
i
) “peeling” apart of dsDNA to produce a peeled ssDNA strand under tension while the other strand coils, (
ii
) “inside-strand separation” of dsDNA to two parallel ssDNA strands that share tension (melting bubbles), and (
iii
) “B-to-S” transition to a novel dsDNA, termed S-DNA. Here we overstretched an end-opened DNA (with one open end to allow peeling) and an end-closed (i.e., both ends of the linear DNA are covalently closed to prohibit peeling) and torsion-unconstrained DNA. We report that all three structural transitions exist depending on experimental conditions. For the end-opened DNA, the peeling transition and the B-to-S transition were observed; for the end-closed DNA, the inside-strand separation and the B-to-S transition were observed. The peeling transition and the inside-strand separation are hysteretic and have an entropy change of approximately 17 cal/(K⋅mol), whereas the B-to-S transition is nonhysteretic and has an entropy change of approximately −2 cal/(K⋅mol). The force-extension curves of peeled ssDNA, melting bubbles, and S-DNA were characterized by experiments. Our results provide experimental evidence for the formation of DNA melting bubbles driven by high tension and prove the existence of nonmelted S-DNA. Our findings afford a full understanding of three possible force-driven structural transitions of torsion-unconstrained DNA and the resulting three overstretched DNA structures.
Crystal structure of microsomal prostaglandin E2synthase provides insight into diversity in the MAPEG superfamily
Authors: Sjögren Tove , Nord Johan , Ek Margareta , Johansson Patrik , Liu Gang , Geschwindner Stefan
Published: February 2013

Prostaglandin E2(PGE2) is a key mediator in inflammatory response. The main source of inducible PGE2, microsomal PGE2synthase-1 (mPGES-1), has emerged as an interesting drug target for treatment of pain. To support inhibitor design, we have determined the crystal structure of human mPGES-1 to 1.2 Å resolution. The structure reveals three well-defined active site cavities within the membrane-spanning region in each monomer interface of the trimeric structure. An important determinant of the active site cavity is a small cytosolic domain inserted between transmembrane helices I and II. This extra domain is not observed in other structures of proteins within the MAPEG (Membrane-Associated Proteins involved in Eicosanoid and Glutathione metabolism) superfamily but is likely to be present also in microsomal GST-1 based on sequence similarity. An unexpected feature of the structure is a 16-Å-deep cone-shaped cavity extending from the cytosolic side into the membrane-spanning region. We suggest a potential role for this cavity in substrate access. Based on the structure of the active site, we propose a catalytic mechanism in which serine 127 plays a key role. We have also determined the structure of mPGES-1 in complex with a glutathione-based analog, providing insight into mPGES-1 flexibility and potential for structure-based drug design.
Relation between ordering and shear thinning in colloidal suspensions
Authors: Xu Xinliang , Rice Stuart A. , Dinner Aaron R.
Published: February 2013

Colloidal suspensions exhibit shear thinning and shear thickening. The most common interpretation of these phenomena identifies layering of the fluid perpendicular to the shear gradient as the driver for the observed behavior. However, studies of the particle configurations associated with shear thinning and thickening cast doubt on that conclusion and leave unsettled whether these nonequilibrium phenomena are caused primarily by correlated particle motions or by changes in particle packing structure. We report the results of Stokesian dynamics simulations of suspensions of hard spheres that illuminate the relation among the suspension viscosity, shear rate, and particle configuration. Using a recently introduced sampling technique for nonequilibrium systems, we show that shear thinning can be decoupled from layering, thereby eliminating layering as the driver for shear thinning. In contrast, we find that there is a strong correlation between shear thinning and a two-particle measure of the shear stress. Our results are consistent with a recent experimental study.
IRootLab: a free and open-source MATLAB toolbox for vibrational biospectroscopy data analysis
Authors: Trevisan Júlio , Angelov Plamen P. , Scott Andrew D. , Carmichael Paul L. , Martin Francis L.
Published: February 2013

Summary: IRootLab is a free and open-source MATLAB toolbox for vibrational biospectroscopy (VBS) data analysis. It offers an object-oriented programming class library, graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and automatic MATLAB code generation. The class library contains a large number of methods, concepts and visualizations for VBS data analysis, some of which are introduced in the toolbox. The GUIs provide an interface to the class library, including a module to merge several spectral files into a dataset. Automatic code allows developers to quickly write VBS data analysis scripts and is a unique resource among tools for VBS. Documentation includes a manual, tutorials, Doxygen-generated reference and a demonstration showcase. IRootLab can handle some of the most popular file formats used in VBS.

License: GNU-LGPL.

Availability: Official website: http://irootlab.googlecode.com/.

Contact:  juliotrevisan@gmail.com

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Repeat Percutaneous Vertebroplasty for Recurrent Pain Arising From Previously Treated Vertebrae in Patients With Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures
Authors: Li Li , Lu Yang , Li Min , Liu Xunwei , Jin Peng , Wang Lijun , Sun Gang
Published: February 2013

Study Design:

A retrospective study.

Summary of Background Data:

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) changes mechanical stress of vertebral column and can cause recurrent pain at the treated level. However, there were a few reports on the therapeutic effects of the repeat PV for patients with recurrent pain at the treated level.

Objective:

To evaluate the therapeutic effects of repeat PV at previously treated vertebral level for patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) having recurrent pain after initial PV.

Methods:

Institutional review board approval was obtained for this retrospective study. Patients with OVCFs who underwent repeat PV for recurrent pain at previously treated vertebral levels were identified and included in this study. Correlative parameters were analyzed that included pain score before and after repeat PV, amount of bone cement injected, and presence of cleft sign in the vertebral body on pre-PV and post-PV medical imaging tests.

Results:

Nine of consecutive 827 patients met the selection criteria. Cleft sign was identified in 5 patients before or during initial PV, whereas it was present in all 9 patients on prerepeat PV images. A reduction of 4.3±0.5 points of pain scale and 2.1±0.6 points of mobility rate at 1 week after the repeat PV was reported in all 9 patients. The mean pain scale and mobility rate score were 2.8±0.45 points and 0.3±0.5 at the 3-month follow-up, respectively. The mean volume of injected cement (6.8±1.92 mL) in repeat PV was larger than that in initial PV (4.2±0.84 mL). There was statistically significant difference (P=0.033).

Conclusions:

Repeat PV is an effective option for patients having OVCFs with recurrent pain at the previously treated level. There was a correlation between therapeutic benefits of repeat PV and the cleft sign disappearance in patients at the previously treated vertebral level.
Upper thoracic epidural anaesthesia: effects of age on neural blockade and cardiovascular parameters
Authors: WINK J. , WOLTERBEEK R. , AARTS L. P. H. J. , KOSTER S. C. E. , VERSTEEGH M. I. M. , VEERING B. T. H.
Published: February 2013

Background

Segmental dose reduction with increasing age after thoracic epidural anaesthesia (TEA) has been documented. We hypothesised that after a fixed loading dose of ropivacaine at the T3–T4 level, increasing age would result in more extended analgesic spread. In addition, other aspects of neural blockade and haemodynamic changes were studied.

Methods

Thirty‐five lung surgery patients were included in three age groups. Thirty‐one patients received an epidural catheter at the T3–T4 interspace followed by an injection of 8‐ml ropivacaine 0.75%. Analgesia was assessed with pinprick and temperature discrimination. Motor block was tested using the Bromage and epidural scoring scale for arm movements score. An arterial line was inserted for invasive measurement of blood pressure, cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume (SV).

Results

There was no influence of age on quality of TEA except for the caudal border of analgesia being somewhat lower in the middle and older age group compared with the young age group. Heart rate (6.0 ± 5.9, P < 0.001), mean arterial pressure (16.1 ± 15.6, P < 0.001), CI (0.55 ± 0.49, P < 0.001) and SV (9.6 ± 14.6, P = 0.001) decreased after TEA for the total group. Maximal reduction in heart rate after TEA was more extensive in the young age group compared with the other age groups. There was no effect of age on other cardiovascular parameters.

Conclusion

We were unable to demonstrate an effect of age on the maximal number of spinal segments blocked after TEA; however, the caudad spread of analgesia increased with advancing age. In addition, reduction of heart rate was greater in the youngest group.
Evaluation of commercial skin prick test solutions for selected occupational allergens
Authors: van Kampen V. , de Blay F. , Folletti I. , Kobierski P. , Moscato G. , Olivieri M. , Quirce S. , Sastre J. , Walusiak‐Skorupa J. , Kotschy‐Lang N. , Müsken H. , Mahler V. , Schliemann S. , Ochmann U. , Sültz J. , Worm M. , Sander I. , Zahradnik E. , Brüning T. , Merget R. , Raulf‐Heimsoth M.
Published: February 2013

Background

Skin prick testing (SPT) is an important step in the diagnosis of IgE‐mediated occupational allergic diseases. The outcome of SPT is related to the quality of allergen extracts. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess different commercially available SPT solutions for selected occupational allergens.

Methods

SPT was performed in 116 bakers, 47 farmers and 33 subjects exposed to natural rubber latex (NRL), all with work‐related allergic symptoms. The SPT solutions from different manufacturers (n = 3–5) for wheat flour, rye flour, soy, cow hair/dander, storage mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) and NRL were analysed with respect to their protein and antigen contents. SPT was carried out in 16 allergy centres in six European countries using standardized procedures. Specific IgE values were used as the gold standard to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of SPT solutions. The optimal cut‐point for each SPT solution was determined by Youden Index.

Results

Protein and antigen contents and patterns of the SPT solutions varied remarkably depending on the manufacturer. While SPT solutions for wheat flour and soy reached overall low sensitivities, sensitivities of other tested SPT solutions depended on the manufacturer. As a rule, solutions with higher protein and antigen content showed higher sensitivities and test efficiencies.

Conclusions

There is a wide variability of SPT solutions for occupational allergens, and the sensitivity of several solutions is low. Thus, improvement and standardization of SPT solutions for occupational allergens is essential.
Urodynamic evaluation: can it prevent the need for surgical intervention in women with apparent pure stress urinary incontinence?
Authors: Serati Maurizio , Cattoni Elena , Siesto Gabriele , Braga Andrea , Sorice Paola , Cantaluppi Simona , Cromi Antonella , Ghezzi Fabio , Vitobello Domenico , Bolis Pierfrancesco , Salvatore Stefano
Published: February 2013

Objectives

To identify how many patients with symptoms of pure stress urinary incontinence (SUI) do not require any surgical treatment on the basis of urodynamics (UDS) and how many patients still do not require surgery 1 year after UDS.

To assess the outcomes of these patients at 12‐month follow‐up.

Patients and methods

Women with pure SUI received UDS and were prospectively divided into four groups, comprising women with: urodynamic stress incontinence (USI); detrusor overactivity (DO); USI + DO; and inconclusive UDS.

Women with USI underwent a Tension Free Vaginal Tape (Obturator) (TVT‐O) procedure (Gynecare; Ethicon Inc., Somerville, NJ, USA), whereas women with DO ±/− USI were recommended 24‐week antimuscarinic therapy.

Follow‐up was scheduled at 3 and 12 months. To define subjective outcomes, all patients completed the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – short form, the Patient Global Impression – Improvement and the Urinary Distress Inventory.

Patients were considered cured if they presented a negative stress test, a score reduction of at least 80% on the Urinary Distress Inventory and a response of ‘much better’ or ‘very much better’ on the Patient Global Impression – Improvement.

Results

Of the 263 women with pure SUI, 74.5% had a urodynamic diagnosis of USI, 10.6% had DO, 8% had USI + DO and 6.8% had inconclusive UDS.

At 12‐month follow‐up, 165/181 (91.6%) women in group 1 were considered cured post‐TVT‐O; in the other groups, 33/67 (49.2%) patients were considered cured simply as a result of taking antimuscarinics; 13 of these 67 patients required TVT‐O.

Conclusions

UDS is able to show that several patients with symptoms of pure SUI present an underlying DO and do not require surgery, even 1 year after UDS.

In these patients, antimuscarinic treatment appears to ensure a good rate of cure; thus, UDS could lead to the avoidance of several surgical procedures.
Resolution, sensitivity, and in vivo application of high‐resolution computed tomography for titanium‐coated polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) dental implants
Authors: Cuijpers Vincent M. J. I. , Jaroszewicz Jacub , Anil Sukumaran , Al Farraj Aldosari Abdullah , Walboomers X. Frank , Jansen John A.
Published: February 2013

Objectives

The aims of this study were (i) to determine the spatial resolution and sensitivity of micro‐ versus nano‐computed tomography (CT) techniques and (ii) to validate micro‐ versus nano‐CT in a dog dental implant model, comparative to histological analysis.

Material and methods

To determine spatial resolution and sensitivity, standardized reference samples containing standardized nano‐ and microspheres were prepared in polymer and ceramic matrices. Thereafter, 10 titanium‐coated polymer dental implants (3.2 mm in Ø by 4 mm in length) were placed in the mandible of Beagle dogs. Both micro‐ and nano‐CT, as well as histological analyses, were performed.

Results

The reference samples confirmed the high resolution of the nano‐CT system, which was capable of revealing sub‐micron structures embedded in radiodense matrices. The dog implantation study and subsequent statistical analysis showed equal values for bone area and bone–implant contact measurements between micro‐CT and histology. However, because of the limited sample size and field of view, nano‐CT was not rendering reliable data representative of the entire bone–implant specimen.

Conclusions

Micro‐CT analysis is an efficient tool to quantitate bone healing parameters at the bone–implant interface, especially when using titanium‐coated PMMA implants. Nano‐CT is not suitable for such quantification, but reveals complementary morphological information rivaling histology, yet with the advantage of a 3D visualization.
Laughing Headache With Giant Pacchionian Granulations
Authors: Giraud Pierric , Segal Olivier , Chauvet Sylvie
Published: February 2013

Laughing is recognized as a provoking factor for headache, certainly underestimated among the general population and few cases have been published to date. We report a single case of severe headache, provoked almost exclusively by outbursts of laughing, where venous magnetic resonance imaging revealed the presence of giant Pacchioni granulations in both right and transverse sinuses. Reviewing published cases of laughing headache, we discuss possible mechanisms of pain and the role of giant Pacchionian granulations.
Relationship between postprandial metabolomics and colon motility in children with constipation
Authors: Rodriguez L. , Roberts L. D. , LaRosa J. , Heinz N. , Gerszten R. , Nurko S. , Goldstein A. M.
Published: February 2013

Background

The metabolic pathways associated with colonic motility are unknown. To identify potential metabolic targets for treatment of constipation, we examined the metabolic profile before and after a meal challenge in a cohort of children with constipation and determined its relationship with postprandial colon motility patterns.

Methods

In this prospective study, 187 metabolites were measured by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry at multiple time points before and after a standardized meal in constipated children undergoing a colon manometry. Postprandial metabolite levels were compared with baseline and also correlated with multiple manometric measurements, including the number, frequency, and amplitude of pressure peaks as well as the motility index (MI).

Key Results

A total of 20 subjects were included (mean age 13.1 ± 3.4 years). No significant metabolite changes were observed at 10 min after the meal, whereas 16 amino acid and 22 lipid metabolites had significant (P < 0.005) postprandial changes, including decreases in methylhistamine, histamine, and GABA, by 60 min. Correlations were observed between normal and abnormal postprandial motility patterns and changes in specific metabolites, including glycerol, carnosine, alanine, asparagine, cytosine, choline, phosphocholine, thyroxine, and triiodothyronine. Interestingly, subjects without the normal postprandial increase in area under the curve (AUC), had markedly increased levels of kynurenic acid and adenosyl‐homocysteine.

Conclusions & Inferences

This is the first study to examine postprandial metabolic changes in children and also to correlate changes in specific metabolites with colonic motility. The results suggest possible metabolic pathways associated with motility and identify potential targets for the treatment of constipation.
Corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma with intraocular invasion in two cats
Authors: Scurrell Emma J. , Lewin Gary , Solomons Melanie , Rozmanec Michael , Belford Chris J.
Published: February 2013

Unilateral corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma associated with intraocular invasion is described in two unrelated cats. The diagnosis was made on histopathological examination of the enucleated globes in both cases. Findings revealed squamous cell carcinoma infiltrating the limbus, adjacent cornea, and sclera with associated intraocular invasion at the level of the limbus.
Overcoming Allelic Specificity by Immunization with Five Allelic Forms of Plasmodium falciparum Apical Membrane Antigen 1
Authors: Miura Kazutoyo , Herrera Raul , Diouf Ababacar , Zhou Hong , Mu Jianbing , Hu Zonghui , MacDonald Nicholas J. , Reiter Karine , Nguyen Vu , Shimp Richard L. , Singh Kavita , Narum David L. , Long Carole A. , Miller Louis H.
Published: February 2013

Apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) is a leading vaccine candidate, but the allelic polymorphism is a stumbling block for vaccine development. We previously showed that a global set of AMA1 haplotypes could be grouped into six genetic populations. Using this information, six recombinant AMA1 proteins representing each population were produced. Rabbits were immunized with either a single recombinant AMA1 protein or mixtures of recombinant AMA1 proteins (mixtures of 4, 5, or 6 AMA1 proteins). Antibody levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and purified IgG from each rabbit was used for growth inhibition assay (GIA) with 12 different clones of parasites (a total of 108 immunogen-parasite combinations). Levels of antibodies to all six AMA1 proteins were similar when the antibodies were tested against homologous antigens. When the percent inhibitions in GIA were plotted against the number of ELISA units measured with homologous AMA1, all data points followed a sigmoid curve, regardless of the immunogen. In homologous combinations, there were no differences in the percent inhibition between the single-allele and allele mixture groups. However, all allele mixture groups showed significantly higher percent inhibition than the single-allele groups in heterologous combinations. The 5-allele-mixture group showed significantly higher inhibition to heterologous parasites than the 4-allele-mixture group. On the other hand, there was no difference between the 5- and 6-allele-mixture groups. These data indicate that mixtures with a limited number of alleles may cover a majority of the parasite population. In addition, using the data from 72 immunogen-parasite combinations, we mathematically identified 13 amino acid polymorphic sites which significantly impact GIA activities. These results could be a foundation for the rational design of a future AMA1 vaccine.
POWER-EFFICIENT CONFIGURATION CACHE STRUCTURE FOR COARSE-GRAINED RECONFIGURABLE ARCHITECTURE
Authors: KIM YOONJIN
Published: February 2013

Coarse-grained reconfigurable architectures (CGRA) require many processing elements (PEs) and a configuration memory unit (configuration cache) for reconfiguration of its PE array. Although this structure is meant for high performance and flexibility, it consumes significant power. Specially, power consumption by configuration cache is explicit overhead compared to other types of IP cores. Reducing power in configuration cache is very crucial for CGRA to be more competitive and reliable processing core in embedded systems. In this paper, I propose a power-efficient configuration cache structure based on two design schemes — one is a reusable context pipelining (RCP) architecture to reduce power-overhead caused by reconfiguration and another is a dynamic context management strategy for power saving in configuration cache. This power-efficient approach works without degrading the performance and flexibility of CGRA. Experimental results show that the proposed approach saves 56.50%/86.84% of the average power in write/read-operation of configuration cache compared to the previous design.
SELF-TUNING BIQUAD BAND-PASS FILTER
Authors: JOVANOVIĆ GORAN , MITIĆ DARKO , STOJČEV MILE , ANTIĆ DRAGAN
Published: February 2013

One approach to design self-tuning gm-C biquad band-pass filter is considered in this paper. The phase control loop is introduced to force filter central frequency to be equal to input signal frequency what is achieved by adjusting the amplifier transconductance gm. Thanks to that, the filter is robust to parameter perturbations and it can be used as a selective amplifier. In the full tuning range, it has a constant maximum gain at central frequency as well as a constant bandwidth. The 0.25 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology was used during design and verification of the band-pass filter. The filter has 26 dB gain, quality factor Q = 20 and central frequency up to 150 MHz. Simulation results indicate that the total in-band noise is 59 μV rms , the output third intercept point OIP3 = 4.36 dB and the dynamic range is 35 dB. Maximal power consumption at 3 V power supply is 1.115 mW.
REDUCED RELATIVE TUTTE, KAUFFMAN BRACKET AND JONES POLYNOMIALS OF VIRTUAL LINK FAMILIES
Authors: KAUFFMAN LOUIS H. , JABLAN SLAVIK , RADOVIĆ LJILJANA , SAZDANOVIĆ RADMILA
Published: February 2013

This paper contains general formulae for the reduced relative Tutte, Kauffman bracket and Jones polynomials of families of virtual knots and links given in Conway notation and discussion of a counterexample to the Z-move conjecture of Fenn, Kauffman and Manturov.
Incidental Lipid Poor Adrenal Mass in a Patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Authors: Kannan Subramanian , Satra Ankita , Hamrahian Amir
Published: February 2013

Adrenal incidentalomas are commonly encountered in this era of ubiquitous imaging. The attenuation of the incidentaloma measured in Hounsfield units (HU) is an important step in the work up. Attenuation less than 10 HU indicates a benign lesion in more than 98% of cases, whereas attenuation greater than 30 HU is highly suspicious for adrenocortical cancer (ACC). Adrenal hematoma is rarely suspected clinically and exhibits no specific clinical symptoms or laboratory findings. There are multiple radiological features of adrenal hemorrhage and can mimic ACC. We present a case of an adrenal mass in a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome and discuss radiological clues to differentiate adrenal hematomas from ACC and thus avoid unnecessary surgical intervention.
Gastric Adenocarcinoma after Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Ribeiro Maxwel Capsy Boga , Lopes Luiz Roberto , Coelho Neto João de Souza , Tercioti Valdir , Andreollo Nelson Adami
Published: February 2013

Gastric adenocarcinoma after gastric bypass for morbid obesity is rare but has been described. The diet restriction, weight loss, and difficult assessment of the bypassed stomach, after this procedure, hinder and delay its diagnosis. We present a 52-year-old man who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass 2 years ago and whose previous upper digestive endoscopy was considered normal. He presented with weight loss, attributed to the procedure, and progressive dysphagia. Upper digestive endoscopy revealed stenosing tumor in gastric pouch whose biopsy showed diffuse-type gastric adenocarcinoma. He underwent total gastrectomy, left lobectomy, distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, segmental colectomy, and bowel resection with esophagojejunal anastomosis. The histopathological analysis confirmed the presence of gastric cancer. The pathogenesis of gastric pouch adenocarcinoma is discussed with a literature review.
Renal Tissue Oxygenation in Essential Hypertension and Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Pruijm Menno , Hofmann Lucie , Vogt Bruno , Muller Marie-Eve , Piskunowicz Maciej , Stuber Matthias , Burnier Michel
Published: February 2013

Animal studies suggest that renal tissue hypoxia plays an important role in the development of renal damage in hypertension and renal diseases, yet human data were scarce due to the lack of noninvasive methods. Over the last decade, blood oxygenation level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI), detecting deoxyhemoglobin in hypoxic renal tissue, has become a powerful tool to assess kidney oxygenation noninvasively in humans. This paper provides an overview of BOLD-MRI studies performed in patients suffering from essential hypertension or chronic kidney disease (CKD). In line with animal studies, acute changes in cortical and medullary oxygenation have been observed after the administration of medication (furosemide, blockers of the renin-angiotensin system) or alterations in sodium intake in these patient groups, underlining the important role of renal sodium handling in kidney oxygenation. In contrast, no BOLD-MRI studies have convincingly demonstrated that renal oxygenation is chronically reduced in essential hypertension or in CKD or chronically altered after long-term medication intake. More studies are required to clarify this discrepancy and to further unravel the role of renal oxygenation in the development and progression of essential hypertension and CKD in humans.