bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services
Authors: Twikirize Janestic M. , O'Brien Constance
Published: January 2011

Twikirize JM, O'Brien C. Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services

Uganda reintroduced free healthcare in 2001, but today, nine years later, less than 30 per cent of the population are using these services. This study investigated why rural households were under‐utilising the government's free health services and turning to community health insurance instead. A survey carried out on 260 randomly selected households was triangulated with qualitative data gained from 3 focus groups and 12 in‐depth interviews. The findings showed that 21 per cent of the households always accessed the government's free health services, while 79 per cent used private health services. The reasons given were poor quality services, including frequent drug stock‐outs, unmotivated and insufficiently trained health personnel, and overcrowding. Factors influencing enrolment in community health insurance included easier access to healthcare, financial protection against the cost of care, better quality care and benefits related to mutual assistance. This has both practical and policy implications, which are discussed in this article.
An analysis with Bion: an interview with James Gooch
Authors: Culbert‐Koehn JoAnn
Published: January 2011

Abstract:  In 1968 Wilfred Bion moved to Los Angeles, escaping the perils of fame in London. He lived in Los Angeles until a few months before his death in Oxford in 1979. He made a deep impact on psychoanalysis in Los Angeles through those he analysed and what he wrote. James Gooch, psychiatrist and founding president of the Psychoanalytic Center of California describes in detail the transformative experience of his analysis with Bion in an interview with JoAnn Culbert‐Koehn, Jungian analyst. Dr. Gooch describes important differences between his analysis with Bion and his classical Freudian analysis during his analytic training.
Risk of torsion and malignancy by adnexal mass size in pregnant women
Authors: KOO YU‐JIN , KIM TAE‐JIN , LEE JI‐EUN , KWON YONG‐SOON , KIM HYUN‐JA , LEE IN‐HO , LIM KYUNG‐TAEK , LEE KI‐HEON , SHIM JAE‐UK , MOK JUNG‐EUN
Published: January 2011

Objective. To investigate risks of torsion and malignancy by adnexal mass size during pregnancy. Design. Retrospective review of medical records. Setting. General university hospital and healthcare center. Population. Four hundred and seventy women who underwent surgery for adnexal masses during pregnancy between 2002 and 2009. Main Outcome Measures. Rate of torsion and malignancy according to mass size classified into four groups: <6, 6–10, 10–15 and ≥15 cm. Results. Torsion was encountered in 55 patients (11.7%) and malignancy was confirmed in 20 (4.3%). A mass size of 6–10 cm had a significantly higher risk of torsion than a mass <6 cm (odds ratio 2.68, 95% confidence interval 1.33–5.40, p=0.006). Masses ≥15 cm had an approximately 12‐fold higher risk of malignancy compared with masses <6 cm (odds ratio 12.36, 95% confidence interval 2.90–52.67, p=0.001). However, for masses of 10–15 cm, the risks of both torsion and malignancy were not higher than those of masses <6 cm. Conclusions. Risks of torsion and malignancy are not directly proportional to increasing mass size in pregnant women. Physicians should be aware of a high risk of malignancy in women with an adnexal mass of over 15 cm. However, if a mass is smaller, the size should not be considered as a single independent factor in a decision for surgery.
Second trimester fetal magnetic resonance imaging improves diagnosis of non‐central nervous system anomalies
Authors: AMINI HASHEM , WIKSTRÖM JOHAN , AHLSTRÖM HÅKAN , AXELSSON OVE
Published: January 2011

Objective. To evaluate the additional information of second trimester magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with ultrasound in fetuses with identified or suspected non‐CNS anomalies and to study the clinical impact of the MRI information on pregnancy management. Design. Prospective study during 2003–2007. The fetal MRI examination was planned to be performed within 3 days after the ultrasound. Setting. Uppsala University hospital. Sample. Sixty‐three women in whom the second trimester ultrasound identified or raised suspicion of fetal anomalies were included. Methods. Ultrasound was compared to MRI in relation to the final diagnosis, which was based on the assessment of all available data, including postpartum clinical follow‐up and autopsy results. Main Outcome Measures. Evaluation of the additional information gained from MRI and the consequences it had on pregnancy management. Results. The mean interval between ultrasound and MRI was 2.6 days (range 0–15 days). In 42 (67%) women MRI was performed within 3 days. All MRI examinations were assessable. In 43 (68%) fetuses MRI provided no additional information, in 17 (27%) MRI added information without changing the management and in three (5%) MRI provided additional information which changed the management. All these three cases had oligohydramnios. In all six cases of diaphragmatic hernia MRI provided additional information. Conclusions. Fetal MRI of non‐CNS anomalies in the second trimester seems to be a valuable adjunct to ultrasound diagnosis of non‐CNS anomalies, especially in cases of oligohydramnios and diaphragmatic hernia.
Modelling collagen fibre orientation in porcine skin based upon confocal laser scanning microscopy
Authors: Jor Jessica W. Y. , Nielsen Poul M. F. , Nash Martyn P. , Hunter Peter J.
Published: January 2011

Background: The mechanical properties of skin, and its ability to resist a wide range of deformations, are mainly determined by the collagen network within the dermis.

Aims: In order to quantify the structure–function relationship of skin, quantitative data on collagen orientation are acquired in this study.

Materials & Methods: Saggital cryosections from the abdominal region of young pigs were stained with picrosirus red for collagen detection and images were acquired by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Spatial distributions of collagen orientation were determined using a structure–tensor approach. Orientation data were fitted to a mixture of two von Mises distributions.

Results: It was observed that collagen is organised into large bundles in the reticular dermis that run obliquely between the epidermis to hypodermis along two predominant orientations.

Discussion: This distinct lattice structure was apparent in all sections, regardless of the sectioning orientation. Based on our observations from CLSM images,we propose a conceptual model expressed in terms of a density distribution function to describe collagen orientation.

Conclusion: We demonstrate that two parameters of this distribution (the mean and spread parameter) may be directly determined using CLSM image analysis. An important advantage of this approach is that model parameters can be estimated directly from observable microstructural features.
Hyposensitization Therapy with Autologous Semen in Two Dutch Caucasian Males: Beneficial Effects in Postorgasmic Illness Syndrome (POIS; Part 2)
Authors: Waldinger Marcel D. , Meinardi Marcus M.H.M. , Schweitzer Dave H.
Published: January 2011

Introduction

Postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is a post-ejaculatory complex of local and/or systemic symptoms that nearly always occurs within seconds, minutes, or hours post-masturbation, coitus, or spontaneous ejaculation. Recent data suggest an autoimmunogenic/allergic underlying mechanism.

Aim

To treat males with POIS by hyposensitization with their own semen (autologous semen).

Methods

Two males suffering from POIS, of which one male with coincidental lifelong premature ejaculation (PE) were investigated. Based on their local and systemic symptoms including a positive dermatologic reaction after skin-prick testing with autologous semen, auto-allergy to semen was likely an underlying mechanism. A hyposensitization program was initiated, including multiple subcutaneous (SC) injections with autologous semen, initially at 2 weeks intervals in the first year and gradually at 4 weeks intervals in the second and third year. From initial semen dilutions of 1 on 40,000 and 1 on 20,000, the titers were gradually increased to 1 on 20 and 1 to 280, respectively.

Main Outcome Measures

Evaluation with a dedicated questionnaire about severity of POIS symptoms and specialized interviews on self-perceived intravaginal ejaculation latency times (IELT) before and during the desensitization program.

Results

POIS was confirmed in both subjects, PE was confirmed in one male, and skin-prick tests with autologous semen in both subjects were positive. During the program, gradual reduction of complaints resulted in 60% and 90% amelioration of POIS complaints at 31 and 15 months, respectively, which coincided in one male with a delay of the IELT from 20 seconds at baseline to 10 minutes after 3 years of treatment. The cause of this association with IELT is unknown and remains to be elucidated.

Conclusions

Two males with POIS were successfully treated by hyposensitization with autologous semen, which supports an immunogenic/allergic etiology and underscores the clinical implication for immunological sexual medicine.
Ten questions for evolutionary studies of disease vulnerability
Authors: Nesse Randolph M.
Published: January 2011

Many evolutionary applications in medicine rely on well‐established methods, such as population genetics, phylogenetic analysis, and observing pathogen evolution. Approaches to evolutionary questions about traits that leave bodies vulnerable to disease are less well developed. Strategies for formulating questions and hypotheses remain unsettled, and methods for testing evolutionary hypotheses are unfamiliar to many in medicine. This article uses recent examples to illustrate successful strategies and some common challenges. Ten questions arise in the course of considering hypotheses about traits that leave bodies vulnerable to disease. Addressing them systematically can help minimize confusion and errors.
Knowledge, Ignorance and True Belief
Authors: LE MORVAN PIERRE
Published: January 2011

Suppose that knowledge and ignorance are complements in the sense of being mutually exclusive: for person S and fact p, either S knows that p or is ignorant that p. Understood in this way, ignorance amounts to a lack or absence of knowledge: S is ignorant that p if and only if it is not the case that S knows that p. Let us call the thesis that knowledge and ignorance are opposites the “Complement Thesis”. In this article, I discuss its deployment in an ingenious new argument advanced by Alvin Goldman and Erik Olsson (2009) which, if sound, establishes that there is a kind of knowledge that amounts to nothing more than true belief. I rebut their argument and in doing so delineate some important epistemological lessons brought to light by the contrast between ignorance and knowledge.
Stabilized dune ridges in northern Saskatchewan
Authors: David Peter P.
Published: January 2011

Stabilized dune ridges occurring in northern Saskatchewan have previously been identified as variedly as "ice-crack moraines" and longitudinal dunes. Investigations of their morphological, structural, and sedimentary attributes reveal that they are, indeed, of eolian origin, but they form a particular group within the parabolic dune association, namely, the "Cree Lake type dune ridges." The ridges occur in association with other types of parabolic dunes and other eolian features, such as loess and wind-abraded glacial blocks and bedrock outcrops. The dunes and the associated eolian features were all formed by southeasterly paleowinds of uniform direction. The dune ridges developed from primary parabolic dunes of simple and composite types through the process of dune elongation. At the same time, exposed rock surfaces were abraded by the wind and loess was deposited downwind from the developing dune fields. The southeasterly direction of the paleowinds, which is almost directly opposite to the direction of the present-day winds affecting dunes in the Lake Athabasca area, was due to adiabatic air masses coming off the ice sheet from the east and affected eolian activity in quite a large region in northern Saskatchewan and Alberta. The somewhat cool and sufficiently dry adiabatic winds checked the vegetation on the dunes and in the areas around them. The development of the dune ridges came to an end when a sudden climatic change evoked the rapid stabilization of the dunes by vegetation but not before most of the ridges became partly deformed by southwesterly crosswinds resulting from the same climatic change. The period of eolian activity is estimated from the age of the local ice frontal positions to have been between 10 000 and 8800 years BP. Only one other region is known from North America, namely, the St. Lawrence Lowland in the east, where analogous eolian environment prevailed in the zone peripheral to the continental ice sheet and produced comparable eolian features.
Permian fusulinacean zones and their biogeographic provinces in South China
Authors: Lin Rui
Published: January 2011

Permian fusulinaceans are diversified and widely distributed in South China. Three distinctive biogeographic provinces, representing distinctive ecological habitats, have been identified: the Yangzi, Southern China, and Taiwan fusulinacean provinces. The boundaries and faunal composition of each province changed progressively throughout the Permian Period; that is, from the beginning of the Chihsian Stage at the base of the Permian through the uppermost Changhsingian Stage. Fusulinaceans evolved rapidly during the Permian Period in South China and seven distinctive zones and two subzones have been identified. The oldest zone, the Misellina zone, occurs in the lower Chihsian Stage and the youngest zone, the Palaeofusulina zone, occurs in the Changhsingian. The Chihsian Stage is characterized by a remarkable proliferation of fusulinaceans, and the Misellina zone contains many new genera and species of Verbeekinidae, Neoschwagerinidae, Staffellidae, and Schwagerinidae. A mixed fusulinacean fauna, containing Carboniferous and Permian elements, occurs at the Carboniferous–Permian boundary, and this indicates a rather slow rate of evolutionary change in fusulinaceans across the boundary. The Palaeofusulina zone in the Changhsingian is probably the youngest fusulinacean zone in the world. The lower Changhsingian contains the Palaeofusulina minima-Gallowayinella subzone and the middle and upper Changhsingian contains the Palaeofusulina sinensis subzone.
Mammals from the Upper Cretaceous Oldman Formation, Alberta. V. Eodelphis Matthew, and the evolution of the Stagodontidae (Marsupialia)
Authors: Fox Richard C.
Published: January 2011

The Judithian (Late Cretaceous) stagodontid marsupial Eodelphis Matthew is known from two closely related species, E. cutleri and E. browni, which differ in size and proportions of P3 and robustness of the molars. P1 is shown to be two-rooted in both species and not only in E. cutleri, as previously believed. Known upper molars of Eodelphis lack a stylar cusp D, indicating that neither E. cutleri nor E. browni can be a part of the direct (species) ancestry of the later Cretaceous stagodontid Didelphodon. Evolution of the Stagodontidae probably included derivation of an E. cutleri-like radicle having robust premolars and molars from E. browni-like ancestors, present in North America by Aquilan time; development by the Edmontonian of specialized crushing premolars in primitive species of Didelphodon, descended from ancestors that were similar to E. cutleri in size but had a prominent stylar cusp D on the upper molars; and subsequent increase in size leading to Lancian D. vorax and D. padanicus. Contrary to recent speculation, the Stagodontidae have no special relationship to the Lower Cretaceous Pappotheriidae, which are Eutheria.
K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of granitoid rocks from southern Nova Scotia: Its bearing on the geological evolution of the Meguma Zone of the Appalachians
Authors: Reynolds P. H. , Zentilli M. , Muecke G. K.
Published: January 2011

K–Ar and (or) 40Ar/39Ar apparent ages are reported for 28 samples of biotite and muscovite from Nova Scotia's South Mountain batholith and associated northern satellite stocks. In addition, 14 mica samples from the southern satellite stocks were dated. Previous workers, using primarily K–Ar and Rb/Sr techniques, have reported a spread of apparent ages ranging from ~240–420 Ma for these intrusive rocks. The present data set is internally consistent and has been calibrated against accepted interlaboratory standards. A mean age of 367 Ma was obtained for the South Mountain batholith and the northern stocks, a value consistent with results recently obtained in an Rb/Sr study by Clarke and Halliday. No differences in apparent age among the various phases or clear geographic age distribution patterns were evident. Satellite stocks in the southern part of the province have, in general, younger apparent ages clustered in the range ~300–320 Ma. We suggest that in southern areas mica–argon systems record the effects of a Late Carboniferous intrusive and (or) thermotectonic event. This conclusion may have important metallogenic implications.
Graptolites as indicators of regional maturity in lower Paleozoic sediments, Selwyn Basin, Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada
Authors: Riediger C. , Goodarzi F. , Macqueen R. W.
Published: January 2011

Variations in reflectance and bireflectance of graptolites and bitumen are documented from lower Paleozoic rocks of Howard's Pass (XY) Zn–Pb deposit and adjacent portions of the Selwyn Basin. Two types of graptolite morphologies are recognized in these rocks: a nongranular type, comprising blocky and lath-shaped varieties, and a granular type. The nongranular graptolites generally display higher reflectance and bireflectance than granular graptolites. Bitumen (epi-impsonite to meso-impsonite) is common in these rocks and displays a wide range of reflectance and bireflectance values.At the Howard's Pass (XY) property, graptolite-reflectance values display a slight increase with depth, and anomalously high values (7.46–10.25% [Formula: see text]) are documented in the sulphide-rich, upper Active Member. In surrounding regions of the Selwyn Basin, remote from Howard's Pass, graptolite-reflectance values are lower (3.02–6.26% [Formula: see text]). Conodont colour-alteration-index values reported by others show no detectable variation in the same rocks, which indicates that graptolite-reflectance measurements are more sensitive to variations in thermal maturity, at least for overmature sediments, than conodont colour-alteration index.The anomalously high reflectance values of both the graptolites and the bitumen from the Howard's Pass (XY) property, particularly in samples from the upper Active Member, indicate that these rocks have experienced elevated temperatures compared with regional values. This study demonstrates that graptolite-reflectance measurements may be used to delineate thermal anomalies. The integration of graptolite-reflectance and biostratigraphic studies in lower Paleozoic sequences is potentially useful for determining episodes of high heat flow.
New radiocarbon dates for early deglaciation from the southeastern Coast Mountains of British Columbia
Authors: Souch Catherine
Published: January 2011

Basal dates obtained on organic material from postglacial lacustrine sediments from four lakes in the Kwoiek Creek watershed, southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia, provide minimum dates of deglaciation. The dates obtained (12 255 ± 770, 11 485 ± 185, 10 385 ± 595, and 9640 ± 380 BP), at elevations 835–1120 m, suggest that extensive areas of the mountains of southern British Columbia were ice free prior to 11 500 years ago. This has implications for models of the regional deglaciation of the southern portion of the province.
Oldest dated earthquake in Yukon Territory, Canada
Authors: Jackson Jr. Lionel E.
Published: January 2011

A strong earthquake was recorded by Hudson's Bay Company trader–explorer Robert Campbell on December 27, 1850 at Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory. A search of records from the region failed to find any other record of the earthquake. The duration of shaking and lack of aftershocks at Fort Selkirk suggest that the earthquake exceeded magnitude 6 and did not have a local source. The modified Mercalli intensity of VI or greater at Fort Selkirk is not compatible with lower intensities experienced there from large earthquakes along the plate margin and in the Mackenzie Mountains. The Denali fault system in southwestern Yukon and the southern Richardson Mountains are the most likely sources of the earthquake.
A new skeleton of Ianthasaurus hardestii, a primitive edaphosaur (Synapsida: Pelycosauria) from the Upper Pennsylvanian of Kansas
Authors: Modesto S. P. , Reisz R. R.
Published: January 2011

A new specimen from the Upper Pennsylvanian of Garnett, Kansas, is referable to the edaphosaur Ianthasaurus hardestii. It is the second articulated skeleton known of this species, and possesses previously undescribed midline elements of the skull roof. This specimen features a new autapomorphy, an elongate cross-barred dorsal process on the axial neural spine. The presence of ventral webbing and multiple tubercles on several basal lateral protuberances of the presacral neural spines in this skeleton may represent a sexual dimorphism of Ianthasaurus. Two synapomorphies of sphenacodonts and edaphosaurs, the presence of a lateral lappet on the frontal and exclusion of the reduced quadratojugal from the ventral margin of the temporal bar, are confirmed in this specimen. The presence of these traits in Ianthasaurus supports the hypothesis that edaphosaurs and sphenacodonts form a clade more derived than other pelycosaur groups. New information provided by this specimen indicates that edaphosaurs can be recognized only by the morphology of their distinctive presacral neural spines. Small, problematical edaphosaur species assigned to the genus Edaphosaurus may be reinterpreted as insectivores, closely related to the Garnett edaphosaur and distinguishable from the large, bulky herbivore Edaphosaurus.
Ice-marginal thrusting of drift and bedrock: thermal regime, subglacial aquifers, and glacial surges
Authors: Mooers H. D.
Published: January 2011

Glacial thrust systems composed of blocks of drift and bedrock, associated with hummocky stagnation moraine along the margin of the Rainy lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in Minnesota, are used in conjunction with paleoecological studies to constrain a numerical model of the ice-marginal thermal regime. Subglacial meltwater production in the thawed-bed zone was at least two orders of magnitude greater than the amount that could refreeze to the base of the glacier near the margin. The excess water recharged a thick subglacial aquifer, and thrust-system development was enhanced by the presence of a frozen toe and high pore-water pressures beneath the outer 2 km the glacier. The pore-water pressure required for thrusting is calculated from overburden pressures and basal shear stresses determined by numerical modeling. The heat generated by flow of water through the subglacial aquifer substantially affects the ice-marginal thermal regime, making a steady-state frozen toe 1.0–2.0 km in width unstable. Thrusting apparently occurred during multiple oscillations, or surges, when the ice was advancing over permafrost.
LOW-FIELD MOBILITY MODEL ON PARABOLIC BAND ENERGY OF GRAPHENE NANORIBBON
Authors: AMIN N. AZIZIAH , JOHARI ZAHARAH , AHMADI MOHAMMAD TAGHI , ISMAIL RAZALI
Published: January 2011

The carrier mobility in low-field specifically in parabolic energy region of one-dimensional graphene nanoribbon (GNR) band energy is presented in this work. Low-field mobility model describe the carrier transport and its dependency factors when dealing with degenerate and non-degenerate principals. The result shows that the low-field mobility strongly depends on the temperature in the non-degenerate regime in which it sharply decreases with increasing temperature in the range of 10–250 K but the mobility is less affected by the temperature above 250 K. The effect of varying the GNR width to the mobility is also demonstrated in this work. In addition, it is also shown that the mobility depends on the carrier concentration in degenerate domain in which it increases at higher carrier concentrations.
MAGNETO-ELECTRIC EFFECT IN MULTIFERROIC Ni0.93Co0.02Mn0.05Fe1.95O4-δ/PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 PARTICULATE COMPOSITES: DIELECTRIC, PIEZOELECTRIC PROPERTIES
Authors: RAMANA M. VENKATA , REDDY N. RAMAMANOHAR , SIVA KUMAR K. V. , MURTHY V. R. K. , MURTY B. S.
Published: January 2011

Magnetoelectric composites have been synthesized by sintering mixtures of highly piezoelectric component Pb ( Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48) O 3, PZT and highly magnetostrictive piezomagnetic component Ni 0.93 Co 0.02 Mn 0.05 Fe 1.95 O 4-δ, NCMF. These composites with generic formula (1 - x) PZT + x Ni 0.93 Co 0.02 Mn 0.05 Fe 1.95 O 4-δ, where x varies as 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mole fractions, were prepared from the powders of the pure components by the conventional ceramic route. The presence of two phases in multiferroic was confirmed by XRD technique. The variation of dielectric constant and dissipation factor, as a function of frequency from 100 Hz to 1 MHz and in the temperature range of 30–500°C were studied. The piezoelectric d33 coefficient of these composites was also studied in these composites. The magnetoelectric (ME) output voltage was measured in terms of the dE/dH as a function of magnetic bias field. A high value of ME output (1200 mV/Oe · cm) was obtained in the composite containing 70% ferroelectric phase ( PbZr 0.52 Ti 0.48 O 3) and 30% ferrite phase ( Ni 0.93 Co 0.02 Mn 0.05 Fe 1.95 O 4-δ). These multiferroic particulate composites are used as sensors and transducers.
PHASE SYNCHRONIZATION DETECTION OF FINANCIAL MARKET CRISES
Authors: YANG CHUN-XIA , WU HONG-FA , ZHANG YING-CHAO , XIA BING-YING , ITOH MASARU
Published: January 2011

Financial market is a complex system whose characteristic behaviors can be caught in corresponding time series. Analyzing such time series by appropriate methods will aid in making inferences and predictions. Here phase synchronization approach is used for visual pattern recognition of crises. Based on Empirical Mode Decomposition and the Hilbert transform, phase evolution of various rhythmic components exiting in the market is extracted. Then the concept of synchronization can be successfully applied to crises detection. Unlike other approaches, this detection distinguishes crises from normal state according to variations of interaction among rhythmic components. The empirical results mentioned here convince us of the fact that financial crises take place at the time when the adjustment processes of other quasi-periodic oscillations and the trend are out of synchronization. On the contrary, when other rhythmic oscillations can be synchronized with the trend, the market will develop healthily. The presence and duration of synchronization reflect dynamics of financial market. All these results will enlighten people to disclose its reasons and probe methods for controlling its pathological rhythms.
POAM: PARTIAL ALIGNMENT OF ONTOLOGIES IN DIALOG OF AGENTS BASED ON CONCEPT SIMILARITY
Authors: FREDDO ADEMIR ROBERTO , TACLA CESAR AUGUSTO
Published: January 2011

This paper describes a method to partially align ontologies in dialogs of agents which use different ontologies. The method aims at aligning in execution time only the concepts necessary to the agents fulfill the current dialog. Thus, reducing the number of concepts to be searched in the target ontology is a very important requirement for agents' mutual understanding. The proposed method (named POAM, acronym for Partial Ontology Alignment Method) uses syntactical and linguistic techniques to group concepts together. The underlying rationale of POAM is that a person perceives an object and immediately identifies some properties. Even never before seen objects can be interpreted independently of any class, because properties in the real world exist independently of any class. Hence, similarity between a pair of concepts is calculated based on the similarity of their properties. A set of measures including syntactical, structural and semantic ones are used to calculate similarity between the properties associated to the concepts. A property signature vector is created for each concept and the similarity between two concepts is given by the distance between the corresponding vectors in a high dimensional space. We demonstrate that POAM reduces the number of candidate mappings when aligning concepts in a dialog of agents by means of an evaluation using ontologies from the bibliographic domain of the Ontology Alignment Evaluation Initiative (OAEI). We also show that POAM performs satisfactorily well considering the quality of results measured with the precision and recall metrics.
SYNTHESIS OF RELATIONAL WEB SERVICES
Authors: WANG QI , SHEU PHILLIP C.-Y.
Published: January 2011

Although widely addressed, automatically composing a web service from existing services is still a difficult problem. This paper focuses on the service synthesis problem for relational services. It considers answering complex queries using a set of available relational services collectively with a two step solution. The method guarantees to find a solution if there is one, and its time complexity is polynomial.
THE RAMSEY NUMBER FOR A LINEAR FOREST VERSUS TWO IDENTICAL COPIES OF COMPLETE GRAPHS
Authors: SUDARSANA I. WAYAN , ASSIYATUN HILDA , ADIWIJAYA  , MUSDALIFAH SELVY
Published: January 2011

Let H be a graph with the chromatic number h and the chromatic surplus s. A connected graph G of order n is called H-good if R(G, H) = (n - 1)(h - 1) + s. In this paper, we show that Pn is 2Km-good for n ≥ 3. Furthermore, we obtain the Ramsey number R(L, 2Km), where L is a linear forest. Moreover, we also give the Ramsey number R(L, Hm) which is an extension for R(kPn, Hm) proposed by Ali et al. [1], where Hm is a cocktail party graph on 2m vertices.
CONTENTION RESOLUTION IN MULTIPLE-ACCESS CHANNELS: k-SELECTION IN RADIO NETWORKS
Authors: FERNÁNDEZ ANTA ANTONIO , MOSTEIRO MIGUEL A.
Published: January 2011

In this paper, contention resolution among k contenders on a multiple-access channel is explored. The problem studied has been modeled as a k-Selection in Radio Networks, in which every contender has to have exclusive access at least once to a shared communication channel. The randomized adaptive protocol presented shows that, for a probability of error 2ε, all the contenders get access to the channel in time (e+1+ξ)k + O( log 2(1/ε)), where ε ≤ 1/(n+1), ξ > 0 is any constant arbitrarily close to 0, and n is the total number of potential contenders. The above time complexity is asymptotically optimal for any significant ε. The protocol works even if the number of contenders k is unknown and collisions cannot be detected.
COMPUTING GRAPH SPANNERS IN SMALL MEMORY: FAULT-TOLERANCE AND STREAMING
Authors: AUSIELLO GIORGIO , RIBICHINI ANDREA , FRANCIOSA PAOLO G. , ITALIANO GIUSEPPE F.
Published: January 2011

Let G be an undirected graph with m edges and n vertices. A spanner of G is a subgraph which preserves approximate distances between all pairs of vertices. An f-vertex fault-tolerant spanner is a subgraph which preserves approximate distances, under the failure of any set of at most f vertices. The contribution of this paper is twofold: we present algorithms for computing fault-tolerant spanners, and propose streaming algorithms for computing spanners in very small internal memory. In particular, we give algorithms for computing f-vertex fault-tolerant (3,2)- and (2,1)-spanners of G with the following bounds: our (3,2)-spanner contains O(f4/3n4/3) edges and can be computed in time Õ(f2m), while our(2, 1)-spanner contains O(fn3/2) edges and can be computed in time [Formula: see text]. Both algorithms improve significantly on previously known bounds.

Assume that the graph G is presented as an input stream of edges, which may appear in any arbitrary order, and that we do not know in advance m and n. We show how to compute efficiently (3, 2)- and (2, 1)-spanners of G, using only very small internal memory and as low access external memory device. Our spanners have asymptotically optimal size and the I/O complexity of our algorithms for computing such spanners is optimal upto apolylogarithmic factor. Our f-vertex fault-tolerant (3, 2)- and (2, 1)-spanners can also be computed efficiently in the same computational model described above.
TRIANGLE-FREE 2-MATCHINGS REVISITED
Authors: BABENKO MAXIM , GUSAKOV ALEXEY , RAZENSHTEYN ILYA
Published: January 2011

A 2-matching in an undirected graph G = (VG, EG) is a function x: EG → {0, 1, 2} such that for each node v ∈ VG the sum of values x(e) for all edges e incident to v does not exceed 2. The size of x is the sum ∑e x(e). If {e ∈ EG|x(e) ≠ 0} contains no triangles then x is called triangle-free.

Cornuéjols and Pulleyblank devised a combinatorial O(mn)-algorithm that finds a maximum triangle free 2-matching of size (hereinafter n ≔ |VG|, m ≔ |EG|) and also established a min-max theorem.

We claim that this approach is, in fact, superfluous by demonstrating how these results may be obtained directly from the Edmonds–Gallai decomposition. Applying the algorithm of Micali and Vazirani we are able to find a maximum triangle-free 2-matching in [Formula: see text] time. Also we give a short self-contained algorithmic proof of the min-max theorem.

Next, we consider the case of regular graphs. It is well-known that every regular graph admits a perfect 2-matching. One can easily strengthen this result and prove that every d-regular graph (for d ≥ 3) contains a perfect triangle-free 2-matching. We give the following algorithms for finding a perfect triangle-free 2-matching in a d-regular graph: an O(n)-algorithm for d = 3, an O(m + n3/2)-algorithm for d = 2k(k ≥ 2), and an O(n2)-algorithm for d = 2k + 1(k ≥ 2).

We also prove that there exists a constant c > 1 such that every 3-regular graph contains at least cn perfect triangle-free 2-matchings.
On The Fixed-Point Property of Unital Uniformly Closed Subalgebras of "Equation missing"
Authors: Alimohammadi Davood , Moradi Sirous
Published: January 2011

Let "Equation missing" be a compact Hausdorff topological space and let "Equation missing" and "Equation missing" denote the complex and real Banach algebras of all continuous complex-valued and continuous real-valued functions on "Equation missing" under the uniform norm on "Equation missing", respectively. Recently, Fupinwong and Dhompongsa (2010) obtained a general condition for infinite dimensional unital commutative real and complex Banach algebras to fail the fixed-point property and showed that "Equation missing" and "Equation missing" are examples of such algebras. At the same time Dhompongsa et al. (2010) showed that a complex "Equation missing"-algebra "Equation missing" has the fixed-point property if and only if "Equation missing" is finite dimensional. In this paper we show that some complex and real unital uniformly closed subalgebras of "Equation missing" do not have the fixed-point property by using the results given by them and by applying the concept of peak points for those subalgebras.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1
Authors: Piecha Grzegorz , Chudek Jerzy , Więcek Andrzej
Published: January 2011

Primary hyperparathyroidism may occur as a part of an inherited syndrome in a combination with pancreatic endocrine tumours and/or pituitary adenoma, which is classified as Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1). This syndrome is caused by a germline mutation in MEN-1 gene encoding a tumour-suppressor protein, menin. Primary hyperparathyroidism is the most frequent clinical presentation of MEN-1, which usually appears in the second decade of life as an asymptomatic hypercalcemia and progresses through the next decades. The most frequent clinical presentation of MEN-1-associated primary hyperparathyroidism is bone demineralisation and recurrent kidney stones rarely followed by chronic kidney disease. The aim of this paper is to present the pathomechanism, screening procedures, diagnosis, and management of primary hyperparathyroidism in the MEN-1 syndrome. It also summarises the recent advances in the pharmacological therapy with a new group of drugs—calcimimetics.
In Situ Biodiesel Production from Fast‐Growing and High Oil Content Chlorella pyrenoidosa in Rice Straw Hydrolysate
Authors: Li Penglin , Miao Xiaoling , Li Rongxiu , Zhong Jianjiang
Published: January 2011

Rice straw hydrolysate was used as lignocellulose‐based carbon source for Chlorella pyrenoidosa cultivation and the feasibility of in situ biodiesel production was investigated. 13.7 g/L sugar was obtained by enzymatic hydrolyzation of rice straw. Chlorella pyrenoidosa showed a rapid growth in the rice straw hydrolysate medium, the maximum biomass concentration of 2.83 g/L was obtained in only 48 hours. The lipid content of the cells reached as high as 56.3%. In situ transesterification was performed for biodiesel production. The optimized condition was 1 g algal powder, 6 mL n‐hexane, and 4 mL methanol with 0.5 M sulfuric acid at the temperature of 90°C
in 2‐hour reaction time, under which over 99% methyl ester content and about 95% biodiesel yield were obtained. The results suggested that the method has great potential in the production of biofuels with lignocellulose as an alternative carbon source for microalgae cultivation.
Procalcitonin: A Key Marker in Children with Urinary Tract Infection
Authors: Leroy Sandrine , Gervaix Alain
Published: January 2011

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common source of bacterial infections among young febrile children. Accurate diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN) and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is important because of their association with renal scarring, leading in the cases to long-term complications. However, the gold standard examinations for both are either DMSA scan (for APN and scar) or cystography (for VUR) and present limitations (feasibility, pain, cost, etc.). Procalcitonin, a reliable marker of bacterial infections, was demonstrated to be a good predictor of both renal parenchymal involvement in the acute phase and late renal scars. Furthermore, it was also found to be associated with high-grade VUR and was the key tool of a clinical decision rule to predict high-grade VUR in children with a first UTI. Therefore, procalcitonin may certainly be found playing a role in the complex and still debated picture of which examination should be performed after UTI in children.
A Vitamin E-Coated Polysulfone Membrane Reduces Serum Levels of Inflammatory Markers and Resistance to Erythropoietin-Stimulating Agents in Hemodialysis Patients: Results of a Randomized Cross-Over Multicenter Trial
Authors: Panichi Vincenzo , Rosati Alberto , Paoletti Sabrina , Ferrandello Paolo , Migliori Massimiliano , Beati Sara , Bernabini Giada , Daini Roberto , Casani Aldo , Angelini Daniela , Parrini Manuela , Rossi Arturo , Petrone Isabella , Barsotti Giuliano , Donadio Carlo , Donati Giaclì , Grazi Giovanni , Manca Rizza Giovanni , Garosi Guido , Sansoni Enrico , Braccagni Beatrice , Sidoti Antonino , Boracelli Donella , Biagioli Marina , Moriconi Luigi , Finato Viviana , Mannarino Antonio , Grimaldi Cristina , Pansa Filomena , Imperiali Patrizio , Mura Carlo , Bianchi Stefano , Bigazzi Roberto
Published: January 2011

Background: Oxidative stress is prevalent in dialysis patients and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and anemia. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that plays a central role in reducing lipid peroxidation and inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen species. The aim of this cross-over randomized study was to compare the effects of a vitamin E-coated polysulfone (Vit E PS) membrane and a non-vitamin E-coated polysulfone (PS) membrane on inflammatory markers and resistance to erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs). Methods: After a 1-month run-in period of standard bicarbonate dialysis with a synthetic membrane, 62 patients of both genders, and older than 18 years, dialysis vintage 48 ± 27 months, BMI 22 ± 3 (from 13 different dialysis units) were randomized (A-B or B-A) in a cross-over design to Vit E PS (treatment A) and to PS (treatment B) both for 6 months. C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations were determined by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay at baseline and every 2 months; red blood cell count, ESA dose and ESA resistance index (ERI) were assessed monthly. Results: Hemoglobin (Hb) levels significantly increased in the Vit E PS group from 11.1 ± 0.6 g/dl at baseline to 11.5 ± 0.7 at 6 months (p < 0.001) and remained unchanged in the PS group. Although ESA dosage remained stable during the observation periods in both groups, ERI was significantly reduced in the Vit E PS group from 10.3 ± 2.2 IU-dl/kg/g Hb week at baseline to 9.2 ± 1.7 at 6 months (p < 0.001). No significant variation of ERI was observed in the PS group. A significant reduction in plasma CRP and IL-6 levels was observed in the Vit E PS group: CRP from 6.7 ± 4.8 to 4.8 ± 2.2 mg/l (p < 0.001) and IL-6 from 12.1 ± 1.4 to 7.5 ± 0.4 pg/ml (p < 0.05). In the PS group, CRP varied from 6.2 ± 4.0 to 6.4 ± 3.7, and IL-6 from 10.6 ± 2.1 to 9.6 ± 3.5 (p = n.s.). Conclusions: Treatment with Vit E PS membranes seems to lead to a reduction in ESA dosage in HD patients; in addition, a low chronic inflammatory response may contribute to a sparing effect on exogenous ESA requirements.
Overnutrition and the Cardiorenal Syndrome: Use of a Rodent Model to Examine Mechanisms
Authors: Whaley-Connell Adam , Pulakat Lakshmi , DeMarco Vincent G. , Hayden Melvin R. , Habibi Javad , Henriksen Erik J. , Sowers James R.
Published: January 2011

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions with far-reaching health care and economic implications. Overnutrition, characterized by excess intake of carbohydrates and fats, has been associated with end-organ damage in several tissues, including the heart and the kidney. Furthermore, overnutrition is one of the most important modifiable and preventable causes of morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia as well as associated mechanisms, including enhanced renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity, inflammation, and oxidative stress, have been implicated in obesity-related cardiorenal injury. In this review, the effect of overnutrition on heart and kidney disease is assessed in a rodent model of overnutrition and obesity, the Zucker obese rat.
Hypoglycemia: A Possible Link between Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Dyslipidemia, and Heart and Kidney Disease (the Cardiorenal Syndrome)
Authors: Ensling Myriam , Steinmann William , Whaley-Connell Adam
Published: January 2011

Resistance to insulin metabolic signaling in adipose tissue contributes to the lipid abnormalities in obese, hyperinsulinemic, insulin-resistant patients who develop the cardiorenal syndrome. These same metabolic dyslipidemic abnormalities can be found in conditions of caloric energy restriction with decreased adiposity or normal insulin levels, such as anorexia, starvation or non-diabetic kidney disease. In this review, we assess hypoglycemia as an alternative physiological explanation for the biochemical and lipid findings in conditions of insulin resistance (IR). Therefore, PubMed databases (1961–2010) were searched for articles on the effect of hypoglycemia and starvation on non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) elevation and abnormalities in insulin signaling in muscles as well as abnormal kidney metabolism. The search included articles on NEFA and their role in triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism, as well as kidney and heart disease. Available studies support that hypoglycemia increases NEFA generation from adipose tissue. Elevated levels of NEFA induce increased plasma levels of TG and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol, and may cause direct kidney and myocardial damage. IR of adipose and skeletal muscle tissue, and the elevation in insulin levels in obese, insulin-resistant patients could be explained by an adaptation to their carbohydrate intake. These molecular abnormalities in insulin metabolic signaling can also be found in hypoglycemia or starvation. In conclusion, IR of adipose tissue cannot fully explain the lipid abnormalities observed in the cardiorenal syndrome. Decreased blood glucose levels (e.g. hypoglycemia) occur frequently in patients at risk for this syndrome. Hypoglycemia-induced increases in NEFA levels can promote lipid abnormalities that contribute to IR and the cardiorenal syndrome.
Circuit Start during Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Vasopressor-Dependent Patients: The Impact of a Slow Blood Flow Protocol
Authors: Kim In Byung , Fealy Nigel , Baldwin Ian , Bellomo Rinaldo
Published: January 2011

Background and Aims: In vasopressor-dependent patients, we evaluated the impact of a slow blood flow protocol on hypotension when starting continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Methods: Retrospective observational study in tertiary ICU of a slow blood flow protocol at the start of CRRT circuits. Results: 205 circuits in 52 patients were studied. No significant changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and norepinephrine dose were found. Only 16 circuit starts in 13 patients were associated with a decrease in MAP >20%. In 23 filters and 11 patients, norepinephrine dose was >50 µg/min at baseline and also did not change significantly. There were no cardiac arrests or ventricular arrhythmias and CRRT was not discontinued because of hypotension. Conclusions: Implementation of a CRRT slow blood flow protocol in vasopressor-dependent patients enabled the initiation of CRRT circuits with limited hemodynamic consequences and no cardiac arrest or ventricular arrhythmia.
Chronic Kidney Disease in Cancer Patients: An Independent Predictor of Cancer-Specific Mortality
Authors: Na Sun Young , Sung Ji Yoon , Chang Jae Hyun , Kim Sejoong , Lee Hyun Hee , Park Yeon Ho , Chung Wookyung , Oh Kook-Hwan , Jung Ji Yong
Published: January 2011

Background/Aims: The effects of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on the risk of death for patients with malignant disease are uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the presence of CKD and mortality in cancer patients. Method: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 8,223 cancer patients with one or more serum creatinine measurements from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2004. The key outcome was cancer-specific mortality within the follow-up period. The cumulative incidence rate for death from cancer was estimated using methods of competing risks survival analysis. Cox proportional-hazards regression with the use of Fine and Gray’s proportional-hazards model were evaluated in multiple analyses. Results: CKD was associated with an increased risk of death in cancer patients. The adjusted hazard ratios were 1.12 for patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 30–59 ml/min/1.73 m2 (95% confidence interval 1.01–1.26, p = 0.04) and 1.75 for patients with an eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m2 (95% confidence interval 1.32–2.32, p < 0.001). Conclusions: CKD should be considered a risk factor for survival among patients with cancer.