bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistical Characteristics of Flow in the Wake Region of a Vertical Bluff Cylinder in Waves, Currents and Combined Wave-Current Flows
Authors: Ng Jimmy K. T. , Halkyard John E. , Soon Chan Eng
Published: January 2011

While the flow kinematics on a cylinder in the presence of combined waves and currents are well documented in literature, the unsteady free stream in the wake region of a bluff circular cylinder under wave and current conditions have yet to be fully understood. The complex kinematic phenomenon that occurs in the wake region can be a combination of vortex shedding, flow reversal and streaming. The kinematics in the wake region is important as many offshore installations today are made up of two or more bluff bodies arranged in various tandem configurations, and the spacing between these members may be such that the downstream member is directly in the unsteady free stream wake region. The forces on these downstream members can be very different to that of the upstream member due to the unsteady free stream, and calculations of the total loading on the structure may not be well estimated using the commonly used Morison’s equation. Examples can also be extended to floating structures where two structures may often be placed in close vicinity to each other, one being subjected to the wake loading of the other. There is therefore motivation to elucidate the characteristics of the unsteady kinematics in the wake of the first upstream cylinder in combined wave–current conditions. The objective of the presented study is to investigate experimentally, the characteristics of flow in the wake of an upright bluff cylinder in wave only conditions; currents only conditions; and in combined wave-current conditions. The focus is to elucidate the statistics and spectral content of measured locations of the wake to determine if the actual combined wave current kinematics in the wake region may be represented by the superposition of currents only and wave only kinematics. Different wave periods and a range of current speeds were tested to evaluate the superposition hypothesis for the relative effects of wave to current contributions. The measured kinematics were utilized to predict the motions of an elastically mounted cylinder in the near wake of another cylinder. These experiments were conducted in a 0.9m × 0.9m × 39m wave flume in the Hydraulics Laboratory of the National University of Singapore. An upright fixed cylinder was towed at constant velocity to study the effects of current on the cylinder, while a wave maker generated the oscillatory flow. The ranges of parameters investigated were; wake location to cylinder diameter ratio (L/D) of 0.75 to 2.50, Wave current parameter (H/UcT) of 0.08 to 0.70. The statistical characteristics and the spectral content at each measured location were derived from the velocity time series. The hypothesis of the statistical equivalence of combined wave-current wake kinematics using the superposition of currents only and wave only wake kinematics are discussed in this paper.
Impact of halo implant on the hot carrier reliability of germanium p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transitors
Authors: Franco J. , Eneman G. , Kaczer B. , Mitard J. , De Jaeger B. , Groeseneken G.
Published: January 2011

Hot carrier (HC) reliability of Si-passivated, Ge channel, p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transitors (pMOSFETs) with a physical gate length of 70 nm is investigated in this article. HCs are reported to affect the reliability of these devices more than negative bias temperature instability, which is normally considered as the most serious reliability concern for Si p-channel field effect transistors. The impact of different halo implant conditions on the HC reliability of Ge pMOSFETs is then studied. High energy and high dose halo implants, while being very effective for threshold voltage adjustment of short-channel devices, can remarkably reduce device lifetime under HC stress condition due to the enhanced electric field peak near the drain side of the channel. HC reliability, therefore, should be carefully taken into account when optimizing halo implant conditions for Ge p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor.
Space charge, emittance, trajectories, and the modeling of field emitter arrays
Authors: Jensen Kevin L.
Published: January 2011

An accurate methodology for the evaluation of space charge effects, tip and array emittance, and the distribution of electron position and velocity components (trajectories) near a conical field emission tip is made possible by a point charge model (PCM) describing a single conical emitter (the “unit cell”). The elements of the point charge model are intentionally constructed to make use of self-similarity, and thus provide good analytical and intuitive models of behavior in addition to being numerically tractable. Methods for calculation of potentials, fields, field enhancement factors, tip currents, and trajectories are given in a systematic fashion as well as scaling behavior deduced from their asymptotic forms. The connection between the unit cell (PCM realm) and macroscopic region (realm of particle-in-cell codes) is discussed.
Source motion detection, estimation, and compensation for underwater acoustics inversion by wideband ambiguity lag-Doppler filtering
Authors: Josso Nicolas F. , Ioana Cornel , Mars Jérôme I. , Gervaise Cédric
Published: January 2011

Acoustic channel properties in a shallow water environment with moving source and receiver are difficult to investigate. In fact, when the source-receiver relative position changes, the underwater environment causes multipath and Doppler scale changes on the transmitted signal over low-to-medium frequencies (300 Hz–20 kHz). This is the result of a combination of multiple paths propagation, source and receiver motions, as well as sea surface motion or water column fast changes. This paper investigates underwater acoustic channel properties in a shallow water (up to 150 m depth) and moving source-receiver conditions using extracted time-scale features of the propagation channel model for low-to-medium frequencies. An average impulse response of one transmission is estimated using the physical characteristics of propagation and the wideband ambiguity plane. Since a different Doppler scale should be considered for each propagating signal, a time-warping filtering method is proposed to estimate the channel time delay and Doppler scale attributes for each propagating path. The proposed method enables the estimation of motion-compensated impulse responses, where different Doppler scaling factors are considered for the different time delays. It was validated for channel profiles using real data from the BASE’07 experiment conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Undersea Research Center in the shallow water environment of the Malta Plateau, South Sicily. This paper provides a contribution to many field applications including passive ocean tomography with unknown natural sources position and movement. Another example is active ocean tomography where sources motion enables to rapidly cover one operational area for rapid environmental assessment and hydrophones may be drifting in order to avoid additional flow noise.
Acoustic analysis of the effects of sustained wakefulness on speech
Authors: Vogel Adam P. , Fletcher Janet , Maruff Paul
Published: January 2011

Exposing healthy adults to extended periods of wakefulness is known to induce changes in psychomotor functioning [Maruff et al. (2005). J. Sleep Res. 14, 21–27]. The effect of fatigue on speech is less well understood. To date, no studies have examined the pitch and timing of neurologically healthy individuals over 24 h of sustained wakefulness. Therefore, speech samples were systematically acquired (e.g., every 4 h) from 18 healthy adults over 24 h. Stimuli included automated and extemporaneous speech tasks, sustained vowel, and a read passage. Measures of timing, frequency and spectral energy were derived acoustically using PRAAT and significant changes were observed on all tasks. The effect of fatigue on speech was found to be strongest just before dawn (after 22 h). Specifically, total speech time, mean pause length, and total signal time all increased as a function of increasing levels of fatigue on the reading tasks; percentage pause and mean pause length decreased on the counting task; F4 variation decreased on the sustained vowel tasks /a:/; and alpha ratio increased on the extemporaneous speech tasks. These findings suggest that acoustic methodologies provide objective data on central nervous system functioning and that changes in speech production occur in healthy adults after just 24 h of sustained wakefulness.
On the acoustical relevance of supraglottal flow structures to low-frequency voice production
Authors: Zhang Zhaoyan , Neubauer Juergen
Published: January 2011

The supraglottal flow exhibits many complex phenomena such as recirculation, jet instabilities, jet attachment to one vocal fold wall, jet flapping, and transition to turbulence. The acoustical relevance of these flow structures to low-frequency voice production was evaluated by disturbing the supraglottal flow field using a cylinder and observing the consequence on the resulting sound pressure field. Despite a significantly altered supraglottal flow field due to the presence of the cylinder, only small changes in sound pressure amplitude and spectral shape were observed. The implications of the results on our understanding of phonation physics and modeling of phonation are discussed.
Tolerant Metabolism
Authors: Foley John F.
Published: January 2011

Oscillations in the activity of mTOR regulate the responsiveness of regulatory T cells.
Mind the Gap (Junction)
Authors: Stern Peter R.
Published: January 2011

Neuronal gap junction channels containing connexin 36 proteins participate in consolidation of fear memories.
In Vitro
Intracellular Activity and
In Vivo
Efficacy of Modithromycin, a Novel Bicyclolide, against
Legionella pneumophila
Authors: Sato Takafumi , Tateda Kazuhiro , Kimura Soichiro , Ishii Yoshikazu , Yamaguchi Keizo
Published: January 2011

The
in vitro
and
in vivo
activities of modithromycin, a novel bicyclolide, against
Legionella pneumophila
were compared with those of telithromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, and levofloxacin. All the test agents decreased the intracellular growth of viable
L. pneumophila
bacteria over 96 h of incubation in both types of cells used, A/J mouse-derived macrophages and A549 human alveolar epithelial cells, at extracellular concentrations of 4× and 16× MIC, respectively. However, when the agents were removed from the medium after exposure for 2 h, regrowth of intracellular bacteria occurred in both cell systems when they were exposed to telithromycin, clarithromycin, and levofloxacin but not when they were exposed to modithromycin and azithromycin. Once-daily administration of modithromycin at a dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight for 5 days led to a significant decrease of intrapulmonary viable
L. pneumophila
bacteria in immunosuppressed A/J mice. The efficacy of modithromycin was superior to the efficacies of telithromycin and clarithromycin and comparable to the efficacies of azithromycin and levofloxacin. In addition, modithromycin and azithromycin inhibited the intrapulmonary regrowth of bacteria even at 72 h after the last treatment, but telithromycin and levofloxacin did not. These results suggested that modithromycin has longer-lasting cellular pharmacokinetic features like azithromycin. In conclusion, modithromycin, as well as azithromycin, has excellent
in vitro
and
in vivo
bactericidal activities and persistent efficacy against intracellular
L. pneumophila
. Modithromycin should be a useful agent for treatment of pulmonary infections caused by this pathogen.
Do nuisance alarms decrease functionality of smoke alarms near the kitchen? Findings from a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Yang Jingzhen , Jones Michael P , Cheng Gang , Ramirez Marizen , Taylor Craig , Peek-Asa Corinne
Published: January 2011

Background

Many home fires begin in the kitchen. Kitchen smoke alarms are more likely to produce nuisance alarms, but few previous studies have examined the role of alarm sensor and battery types on the functionality of smoke alarms located nearest to the kitchen.

Methods

Data were analysed from a 2×2 factorial randomised controlled trial conducted in rural Iowa homes (n=628). Enrolled households were randomly assigned into one of four smoke alarm/battery combinations: ionisation/zinc, ionisation/lithium, photoelectric/zinc and photoelectric/lithium. Alarm functionality was determined using a smoke test. Alarm type and battery type were compared using an intent-to-treat analysis. Logistic regression was used to identify factors that might impact the functionality of smoke alarms located nearest to the kitchen 42 months after installation.

Results

Photoelectric alarms with lithium batteries had the highest rate of functionality (90.2%), whereas ionisation alarms with carbon/zinc batteries had the lowest (76.5%). Forty-two months following installation, 6.4% more of photoelectric alarms were functional than ionisation alarms, and 7.9% more of alarms with lithium batteries were functional than those with carbon/zinc batteries. Logistic regression revealed that when the indicator of nuisance alarms was included, the effect of alarm type became statistically insignificant and ionisation alarms were less likely to be functional at 42 months, partly due to increased nuisance alarms.

Conclusions

Alarm type is an important consideration for certain locations. Photoelectric alarms may be more appropriate for installation nearest to the kitchen despite their increased cost. These findings can help guide consumer choices to increase protection against home fire-related injuries and deaths.
Increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 correlates with VEGF and microvessel density in Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms
Authors: Boiocchi Leonardo , Vener Claudia , Savi Federica , Bonoldi Emanuela , Moro Alessia , Fracchiolla Nicola Stefano , Iurlo Alessandra , Deliliers Giorgio Lambertenghi , Coggi Guido , Bosari Silvano , Gianelli Umberto
Published: January 2011

Aims

The authors investigated vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR-1) protein expression in a series of Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (Ph- MPNs) and its correlations with microvessel density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Methods

83 bone marrow biopsies of Ph- MPNs patients, including 27 essential thrombocythaemia (ET), 21 polycythaemia vera (PV) and 35 primary myelofibrosis (PMF), and 10 normal controls (NCs) were investigated by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Patients with PV and PMF showed an increased MVD (PV: 20.1±10.6; PMF: 25.8±6.5) compared with those with ET or NCs (ET: 10.4±4.6; NCs: 7±3.4). VEGFR-1 expression was increased in Ph- MPNs, particularly in PV and PMF (NCs: 0.07±0.03; ET: 0.15±0.09; PV: 0.31±0.2; PMF: 0.31±0.04). VEGF expression parallelled VEGFR-1 and resulted increased in Ph- MPNs (NCs: 0.08±0.04; ET: 0.13±0.06; PV: 0.29±0.2; PMF: 0.31±0.15) and higher in post-polycythaemic myelofibrosis and in the fibrotic stage of PMF than in the non-fibrotic phases of both diseases. VEGFR-1 protein expression correlated with MVD and VEGF expression in Ph- MPNs. VEGFR-1 and VEGF were expressed by the same bone marrow populations: megakaryocytes, macrophages and immature myeloid precursors showed a moderate to strong immunostaining intensity in both Ph- MPNs and NCs. The erythroid precursors were not immunoreactive.

Conclusions

VEGFR-1 and VEGF were increased and co-localised in megakaryocytes, macrophages and myeloid precursors of Ph- MPNs. This finding supports the hypothesis of a VEGF/VEGFR-1 autocrine loop in the neoplastic cells of Ph- MPNs.
Thromboembolic events associated with endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms
Authors: Altay Tamer , Kang Hee I , Woo Henry H , Masaryk Thomas J , Rasmussen Peter A , Fiorella David J , Moskowitz Shaye I
Published: January 2011

Objective

To evaluate the rate of peri-procedural thromboembolic events after the endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms. The rate of diffusion-positive lesions was assessed in relation to selected procedural and technical factors.

Methods

184 patients treated with coil embolization (198 total procedures) between July 2004 and February 2007 were included. In 65, the procedure was coiling alone; in 55, coiling with balloon remodeling; in 48, coiling with Neuroform stenting; and in 30, coiling, Neuroform stenting and balloon remodeling. All patients underwent a routine diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) within the 72 h after the intervention for the detection of ischemic complications.

Results

Regardless of the technique used, thromboembolic complications were more common (p<0.0001) in patients with ruptured aneurysms (33/65, 51%) than in those with unruptured aneurysms (40/133, 30%). Balloon remodeling tended to be associated with a lower rate of DWI positivity than the other techniques. Younger patients (≤60) with unruptured aneurysms had the lowest rates of DWI lesions regardless of the technique used.

Conclusion

In this study, peri-procedural DWI-positive lesions occurred in approximately one-third of all cases. These were threefold more common in the setting of ruptured aneurysms. Adjunctive devices did not increase the rate of ischemic events. On the contrary, there was a trend toward fewer DWI abnormalities in the procedures in which balloon remodeling was employed. This may, in part, be related to the application of the conglomerate coil mass technique of balloon remodeling.
Occupational exposure to arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and nickel, and renal cell carcinoma: a case–control study from Central and Eastern Europe
Authors: Boffetta Paolo , Fontana Luc , Stewart Patricia , Zaridze David , Szeszenia-Dabrowska Neonilia , Janout Vladimir , Bencko Vladimir , Foretova Lenka , Jinga Viorel , Matveev Vsevolod , Kollarova Helena , Ferro Gilles , Chow Wong-Ho , Rothman Nathaniel , van Bemmel Dana , Karami Sara , Brennan Paul , Moore Lee E
Published: January 2011

Objectives

To investigate the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Central and Eastern Europe in relation to exposure to known and suspected carcinogenic metals.

Methods

During 1999–2003, the authors conducted a hospital-based study in Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Russia, including 1097 cases of RCC and 1476 controls. Occupational exposure to arsenic, cadmium, chromium(III), chromium(VI), lead and nickel was assessed by teams of local industrial hygiene experts, based on detailed occupational questionnaires.

Results

The ORs for RCC were 1.55 (95% CI 1.09 to 2.21) for exposure to lead and 1.40 (95% CI 0.69 to 2.85) for exposure to cadmium. No clear monotonic exposure–response relation was apparent for either duration of exposure or cumulative exposure to either metal, although the OR for the highest category of cumulative exposure to lead was 2.25 (95% CI 1.21 to 4.19). Exposure to other metals did not entail an increased risk of RCC.

Conclusions

For cadmium, the lack of statistical significance of most results, potential confounding and the absence of clear dose–response relations suggest that an association with RCC is unlikely to be causal. In the case of lead, however, the elevated risk in the category of highest cumulative exposure is noteworthy and justifies further investigation.
Estimates of historical exposures by phase contrast and transmission electron microscopy for pooled exposure–response analyses of North Carolina and South Carolina, USA asbestos textile cohorts
Authors: Dement John M , Loomis Dana , Richardson David , Wolf Susanne H , Kuempel Eileen D
Published: January 2011

Objectives

To develop pooled size-specific asbestos fiber exposure estimates for North Carolina and South Carolina asbestos textile plants.

Methods

Airborne sample data and prior exposure estimates by phase-contrast microscopy (PCM) for the two cohorts were reviewed and compared. Estimates by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for 160 membrane filter samples from all plant were pooled. Poisson regression models were developed to predict bivariate diameter/length airborne fiber size distributions based on independent categorical variables for fiber diameter, fiber length, plant, and exposure zone. The model predicted bivariate diameter/length distributions were expressed as the proportion of fibers in 28 size-specific cells and these data were used to calculate PCM to TEM adjustment factors in order to estimate fiber size-specific exposures for the pooled cohort.

Results

Exposure levels in the North Carolina plants were in excess of 50 f/cc for many operations through about 1955 owing to lack of dust control measures in early years whereas levels in the South Carolina plant were generally less than 10 f/cc by about 1950. The Poisson regression models found covariates for plant department to be a stronger predictor of bivariate size proportions than plant; however, a plant effect was observed. The final Poisson models demonstrated good fit to the observed data.

Conclusions

Consistent with early studies, fiber exposures in the North Carolina plants were much higher than in South Carolina plant. Use of the predicted size-specific TEM exposures by plant and department based on the Poisson model predictions should reduce exposure.
CHAOTIC BEHAVIOR AND DYNAMICS OF MAPS USED IN A METHOD OF SCRAMBLING SIGNALS
Authors: MAZROOEI-SEBDANI REZA , DEHGHAN MEHDI
Published: January 2011

The close relationship between chaos and cryptography makes chaotic encryption a natural candidate for secure communication and cryptography. In this manuscript, we prove that a class of maps that have been proposed as suitable for scrambling signals possess the property of sensitive dependence on initial conditions (s.d.i.c.) necessary for chaos and cryptography. Our result can also be used for generating other maps with s.d.i.c., through a suitable semiconjugacy between their input and output parts. Using the condition of semiconjugacy we also establish for this class of maps rigorous criteria for the existence and stability of their fixed points and limit cycles.
GRAVITY AND THE COMPLEXITY OF COORDINATES IN FISHER INFORMATION
Authors: YAHALOM ASHER
Published: January 2011

The principle of extreme physical information is a tool for deriving various equations of physics. Physical information is defined to be the difference between the Fisher information and the bound information specific to every physical system. Using the extreme physical information, equations are obtained for the probability of finding the location of a physical entity (a system of particles or a field) in space–time. Those equations turn out to be the relevant physical equations (Dirac's, Maxwell's equations etc.). A peculiarity of the method is that this only works if some of the coordinates that specify the whereabout of the physical entity in space–time are chosen to be imaginary. I will argue that this peculiarity is a direct effect of gravity.
Ferric His93Gly myoglobin cavity mutant and its complexes with thioether and selenolate as heme protein models
Authors: Du Jing , Sono Masanori , Dawson John H.
Published: January 2011

The composition of ferric exogenous ligand-free His93Gly sperm whale myoglobin (H93G Mb) at neutral pH has been determined by examination of the spectral properties of the protein over the pH range from 3.0 to 10.5. An apparent pKa value of ~6.6 has been observed for the conversion of a postulated six-coordinate bis-water-bound coordination structure at pH 5.0 to a five-coordinate hydroxide-bound form at pH 10.5. Starting from the exogenous ligand-free ferric H93G protein, ferric mono- and bis-thioether (tetrahydrothiophene, THT)-ligated adducts have been prepared and characterized by UV-visible (UV-vis) absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy. The mon-THT ferric H93G Mb species has hydroxide as the sixth ligand. The bis-THT derivative is a model for the low-spin ferric heme binding site of native bis-Met-ligated bacterioferritin or streptococcal heme-associated protein (Shp). A novel THT-bound ferryl H93G Mb moiety has been partially formed. The high-spin five-coordinate ferric H93G(selenolate) Mb complex has been prepared using benzeneselenol and characterized by UV-vis and MCD spectroscopy as a model for Se-Cys-ligated ferric cytochrome P450. The results described herein further demonstrate the versatility of the H93G cavity mutant for modeling the coordination structures of novel heme iron protein active sites.
Regulation of Cisplatin Cytotoxicity by Cu Influx Transporters
Authors: Abada Paolo , Howell Stephen B.
Published: January 2011

Platinum drugs are an important class of cancer chemotherapeutics. However, the use of these drugs is limited by the development of resistance during treatment with decreased accumulation being a common mechanism. Both Cu transporters CTR1 and CTR2 influence the uptake and cytotoxicity of cisplatin. Although it is structurally similar to CTR1, CTR2 functions in a manner opposite to that of CTR1 with respect to Pt drug uptake. Whereas knockout of CTR1 reduces Pt drug uptake, knockdown of CTR2 enhances cisplatin uptake and cytotoxicity. CTR2 is subject to transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation by both Cu and cisplatin; this regulation is partly dependent on the Cu chaperone ATOX1. Insight into the mechanisms by which CTR1 and CTR2 regulate sensitivity to the Pt-containing drugs has served as the basis for novel pharmacologic strategies for improving their efficacy.
Influence of Peak Wavelengths on Properties of Mixed-LED White-Light Sources
Authors: Soltic Snjezana , Chalmers Andrew N.
Published: January 2011

The purpose of this investigation is to quantify the influence of the peak wavelength shifts in commercially available LEDs on the characteristics of the mixed-LED white-light sources. For this purpose, a tetrachromatic spectrum was optimized and then subjected to deviations in the peak wavelengths. A total of 882 combinations of peak wavelength values were evaluated, and the results are reported in terms of correlated colour temperature, colour-rendering properties, and radiant luminous efficacy. The results show that there can be significant changes in the characteristics of the source under these conditions. Such changes are highly likely to present problems when dealing with applications where an effective and accurate white-light source is important.
A Short Surface Pathway of the Subsurface Indonesian Throughflow Water from the Java Coast Associated with Upwelling, Ekman Transport, and Subduction
Authors: Valsala Vinu , Maksyutov Shamil
Published: January 2011

A surface pathway of the subsurface Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) in the southeastern
Indian Ocean is proposed using a combined analysis of Lagrangian particles and
passive tracers derived from two independent tools: an Ocean General Circulation Model
(OGCM) and Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA.2.0.2) reanalysis data. This newly
suggested pathway follows the processes in succession as upwelling in the south Java coast, offshore Ekman drift
and subduction into the thermocline centered on 20∘S. The upwelling of subsurface ITF
along the south Java coast is found to occur from August to October. Upon surfacing,
the ITF advects southwestward being trapped in the surface Ekman layer for an approximate
period of 260 days and reaches the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean subduction
zone centered on 20∘S which is demarcated by the Zero Wind Stress Curl (ZWSC) and
subducts there. The particle trajectory revealed that during the subduction within the
ZWSC region, the surface eastward flow above 120 m depth carries the particle about 10∘
to the east and westward flow below this depth carries the particle to the western Indian
Ocean along the thermocline. These pathways are confirmed by a series of tracer experiments
using SODA reanalysis data. The effects of vertical mixing and entrainment on
the surfacing of the ITF at south Java coast were identified.
The Role of Syk/CARD9‐Coupled C‐Type Lectin Receptors in Immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infections
Authors: Marakalala Mohlopheni Jackson , Graham Lisa M. , Brown Gordon D.
Published: January 2011

There is increasing interest in understanding the mechanisms underlying the interactions that occur between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and host innate immune cells. These cells express pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) which recognise mycobacterial pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and which can influence the host immune response to the infection. Although many of the PRRs appear to be redundant in the control of M. tuberculosis infection in vivo, recent discoveries have revealed a key, nonredundant, role of the Syk/CARD9 signalling pathway in antimycobacterial immunity. Here we review these discoveries, as well as recent data investigating the role of the Syk/CARD9‐coupled PRRs that have been implicated in mycobacterial recognition, including Dectin‐1 and Mincle.
Formal Lagrangian Operad
Authors: Cattaneo Alberto S. , Dherin Benoit , Felder Giovanni
Published: January 2011

Given a symplectic manifold M, we may define an operad structure
on the the spaces Ok of the Lagrangian submanifolds of via
symplectic reduction. If M is also a symplectic groupoid, then its multiplication
space is an associative product in this operad. Following this idea, we provide
a deformation theory for symplectic groupoids analog to the deformation
theory of algebras. It turns out that the semiclassical part of Kontsevich′s
deformation of C∞(ℝd) is a deformation of the trivial symplectic groupoid
structure of T∗ℝd.
Adaptive Image Enhancement Algorithm CombiningKernel Regression and Local Homogeneity
Authors: Yang Yu-Qian , Zhang Jiang-She , Huang Xing-Fang
Published: January 2011

It is known that many image enhancement methods have a tradeoff between noise suppression and edge enhancement. In this paper, we propose a new technique for image enhancement filtering and explain it in human visual perception theory. It combines kernel regression and local homogeneity and evaluates the restoration performance of smoothing method. First, image is filtered in kernel regression. Then image local homogeneity computation is introduced which offers adaptive selection about further smoothing. The overall effect of this algorithm is effective about noise reduction and edge enhancement. Experiment results show that this algorithm has better performance in image edge enhancement, contrast enhancement, and noise suppression.
Role of Vitamin D in the Prevention of Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Bulathsinghala Pubudu , Syrigos Kostas N. , Saif Muhammad W.
Published: January 2011

Pancreatic cancer is a malignancy of poor prognosis which is mostly diagnosed at advanced stages. Current treatment modalities are very limited creating great interest for novel preventive and therapeutic options. Vitamin D seems to have a protective effect against pancreatic cancer by participating in numerous proapoptotic, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, prodifferentiating, and immunomodulating mechanisms. 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] serum concentrations are currently the best indicator of vitamin D status. There are three main sources of vitamin D: sun exposure, diet,and dietary supplements. Sun exposure has been associated with lower incidence of pancreatic cancer in ecological studies. Increased vitamin D levels seem to protect against pancreatic cancer, but caution is needed as excessive dietary intake may have opposite results. Future studies will verify the role of vitamin D in the prevention and therapy of pancreatic cancer and will lead to guidelines on adequate sun exposure and vitamin D dietary intake.
Reservoir of Bacterial Exotoxin Genes in the Environment
Authors: Casas Veronica , Magbanua Joseph , Sobrepeña Gerico , Kelley Scott T. , Maloy Stanley R.
Published: January 2011

Many bacteria produce secreted virulence factors called exotoxins. Exotoxins are often encoded by mobile genetic elements, including bacteriophage (phage). Phage can transfer genetic information to the bacteria they infect. When a phage transfers virulence genes to an avirulent bacterium, the bacterium can acquire the ability to cause disease. It is important to understand the role played by the phage that carry these genes in the evolution of pathogens. This is the first report of an environmental reservoir of a bacterial exotoxin gene in an atypical host. Screening bacterial isolates from the environment via PCR identified an isolate with a DNA sequence >95% identical to theStaphylococcus aureusenterotoxin A gene (sea). 16S DNA sequence comparisons and growth studies identified the environmental isolate as a psychrophilicPseudomonasspp. The results indicate that theseagene is present in an alternative bacterial host, providing the first evidence for an environmental pool of exotoxin genes in bacteria.
On Isosceles Sets in the 4‐Dimensional Euclidean Space
Authors: Kido Hiroaki
Published: January 2011

A subset X in the k‐dimensional Euclidean space ℝk that contains n points (elements) is
called an n‐point isosceles set if every triplet of points selected from them forms an isosceles
triangle. In this paper, we show that there exist exactly two 11‐point isosceles sets in ℝ4 up to
isomorphisms and that the maximum cardinality of isosceles sets in ℝ4 is 11.
Genetic Polymorphisms and Posttraumatic Complications
Authors: Gu Wei , Jiang Jianxin
Published: January 2011

Major trauma is the leading cause of death in young adults. Despite advances in prehospital system and treatment in hospital, mortality rates have not improved significantly over the past decades. Victims of severe injuries who survive the initial hours have great risk for additional life-threatening complicaitons, including uncontrollable infection (sepsis) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been shown to affect susceptibility to the course of numerous diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that genetic backgrounds also play important roles in posttraumatic complications. Genetic polymorphisms may become powerful biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of trauma-induced complications. Recent advances in studies on associations between genetic polymorphisms and sepsis or MODS have led to better understanding of posttraumatic complications. Here we summarise recent findings on genetic variations in molecules of the innate immune system and other systems as well as their connection with susceptibility to posttraumatic complications.
Measuring Soil Fertility underHagenia abyssinica(Bruce) J. F. Gmel by the Biotest Method
Authors: Assefa Biruktayet , Glatzel Gerhard
Published: January 2011

The experiment was conducted at the Forestry Research Center, Ethiopia in 2008. Soil was sampled under the canopy ofHagenia abyssinicaand from farmland area adjacent to the forest to measure fertility of soils by using the biotest with linseed (Linum usitatissimumL.), barley (Hordeum vulgareL.), and wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) as indicators. The experimental design was a completely randomized design comprising of 20 seedlings per study site. Seeds were seeded into polythene plastic bags. Seedling emergence, germination, and survival rate were recorded. Plant height and root collar diameter were measured. Final weight of fresh biomass was measured, and each component was oven-dried at 70°C. Dry weight was recorded at constant weight. Significant differences (P<.05) were observed between soil treatments. Plants grown onHagenia-influenced soils attained better performance, suggesting the beneficial role ofHagenia abyssinicain enhancing soil fertility status which in turn results in higher productivity.
Antioxidant and Protective Effect of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Podophyllum hexandrum Rhizome on Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Rat Liver Injury
Authors: Ganie Showkat Ahmad , Haq Ehtishamul , Masood Akbar , Hamid Abid , Zargar Mohmmad Afzal
Published: January 2011

The antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of ethyl acetate extract was carefully investigated by the methods of DPPH radical scavenging activity, Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, superoxide radical scavenging activity, hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging activity, and its reducing power ability. All these in vitro antioxidant activities were concentration dependent, which were compared with standard antioxidants such as BHT, α‐tocopherol. The hepatoprotective potential of Podophyllum hexandrum extract was also evaluated in male Wistar rats against carbon tetrachloride‐ (CCl4‐) induced liver damage. Pretreated rats were given ethyl acetate extract at 20, 30, and 50 mg/kg dose prior to CCl4 administration (1 mL/kg, 1:1 in olive oil). Rats pretreated with P. hexandrum extract remarkably prevented the elevation of serum AST, ALT, LDH, and liver lipid peroxides in CCl4‐treated rats. Hepatic glutathione levels were significantly increased by the treatment with the extract in all the experimental groups. The extract at the tested doses also restored the levels of liver homogenate enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione‐S‐transferase) significantly. This study suggests that ethyl acetate extract of P. hexandrum has a liver‐protective effect against
CCl4‐induced hepatotoxicity and possess in vitro antioxidant activities.
Surgical Reimplantation for the Correction of Vesicoureteral Reflux following Failed Endoscopic Injection
Authors: Chertin Boris , Prosolovich Ksenia , Aharon Sagiv , Nativ Ofer , Halachmi Sarel
Published: January 2011

Purpose. In recent years, endoscopic injection became the procedure of choice for the correction of vesicoureteral reflux in the majority of the centers. Unfortunately, endoscopic treatment is not always successful and sometimes requires more than one trial to achieve similar results to that of an open reimplantation surgery. Our aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and success rate of open ureteral reimplantation following failed endoscopic procedure.Patients and Methods. During 2004–2010, we evaluated 16 patients with persistent vesicoureteral reflux (grades II–IV) following failed endoscopic treatment. All patients underwent open ureteral reimplantation. All patients were followed with an ultrasound 6 weeks following surgery and every 6 months thereafter for an average of 22 months. Voiding cystography was performed at 3 months after surgery.Results. During unilateral open ureteral reimplantation, the implanted deposit from previous procedures was either excised, drained, or incorporated into the neotunnel with the ureter. Vesicoureteral reflux was resolved in all patients with 100% success rate. No new hydronephrosis or signs of obstruction developed in any of the patients. qDMSA renal scan was available in 8 patients showing improvement of function in 5 and stable function in 3, and no new scars were identified.Conclusions. Open ureteral reimplantation is an excellent choice for the correction of failed endoscopic treatment in children with vesicoureteral reflux.
Cytokine Networks in Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Roda Giulia , Marocchi Margherita , Sartini Alessandro , Roda Enrico
Published: January 2011

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a relapsing inflammatory bowel disease whose pathogenesis has yet to be defined completely. A genetic predisposition is needed to develop the colitis, but environmental factors are necessary to trigger an exaggerated and aberrant immune response, which stands at the basis of the mucosal healing. Cytokines, small cell-signaling protein molecules secreted by various types of cells including immune and glia cells, are the main mediators of the mucosal healing in IBD; ulcerative colitis is characterized by a Th2 atypical immune response, since, beside the classical proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, in the pathogenesis of UC, we find a complex network in which the Th2 cytokines, IL-10 and IL-13, play a key role, but little IL-4 was found. Our aim was to review the literature to point out the state of the art in terms of cytokines because the knowledge of cytokine network in UC could lead to the discovery of new therapeutical targets.
Method for the Calculation of DPA in the Reactor Pressure Vessel of Atucha II
Authors: Mascitti J. A. , Madariaga M.
Published: January 2011

One of the limiting factors of the life of a nuclear power plant (NPP) is the state of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). Embrittlement is the most important effect affecting RPV aging. The irradiation with neutrons, especially fast neutrons, is the primary cause of this embrittlement. NPP safe operation requires to ensure RPV integrity over its lifetime, threatened by the neutron radiation‐induced embrittlement. In this paper, we identify the areas where the RPV neutron radiation is maximum and perform calculations of the displacement‐per‐atom (DPA) rate in those areas using the MCNP5 code.
It was determined that the maximum DPA rate in the RPV wall with fresh fuel element (FE) is 3.76(3) × 10-12 s-1, it takes place in front of FEs BA42 and BL43, and it is symmetrical about the central channel, LG04, and LH03.
Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Basal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lien Mary H. , Sondak Vernon K.
Published: January 2011

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) remains the most common form of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in Caucasians, with perhaps as many as 2 million new cases expected to occur in the United States in 2010. Many treatment options, including surgical interventions and nonsurgical alternatives, have been utilized to treat BCC. In this paper, two non-surgical options, imiquimod therapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT), will be discussed. Both modalities have demonstrated acceptable disease control rates, cosmetically superior outcomes, and short-term cost-effectiveness. Further studies evaluating long-term cure rates and long-term cost effectiveness of imiquimod therapy and PDT are needed.
Interactions between Natural Health Products and Oral Anticoagulants: Spontaneous Reports in the Italian SurveillanceSystem of Natural Health Products
Authors: Paoletti Angelica , Gallo Eugenia , Benemei Silvia , Vietri Michele , Lapi Francesco , Volpi Roberta , Menniti-Ippolito Francesca , Gori Luigi , Mugelli Alessandro , Firenzuoli Fabio , Vannacci Alfredo
Published: January 2011

Introduction. The safety of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) use can be compromised by many popular herbal supplements taken by individuals. The literature reports that 30% of warfarin‐treated patients self‐medicates with herbs. Possible interactions represent an health risk. We aimed to identify all herbs‐oral anticoagulants interactions collected in the Italian database of suspected adverse reactions to “natural health” products. Methods. The Italian database of spontaneous reports of suspected adverse reactions to natural products was analyzed to address herb‐VKAs interactions. Results. From 2002 to 2009, we identified 12 reports with 7 cases of INR reduction in patients treated with warfarin (n = 3) and acenocoumarol (n = 4), and 5 cases of INR increase (all warfarin associated). It was reported 8 different herbal products as possibly interacting. Discussion. Our study confirms the risk of interactions, highlighting the difficulty to characterize them and their mechanisms and, finally, prevent their onset. The reported data underline the urgent need of healthcare providers being aware of the possible interaction between natural products and VKA, also because of the critical clinical conditions affecting patients. This is the first step to have the best approach to understand possible INR alterations linked to herb‐VKA interaction and to rightly educate patients in treatment with VKA.
Abstract A2: Circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETC) for molecular analysis, chemo sensitivity testing in vitro and therapy monitoring in vivo
Authors: Pachmann Katharina , Kroll Torsten , Carl Stephanie , Pachmann Ulrich
Published: January 2011

Most breast cancer patients do not die of their primary tumor but from metastases developing sometimes years after the primary tumor has been removed. The first spread of tumor cells detectable with conventional methods is in the lymph nodes and patients with lymph node positive disease have a poorer disease free survival than patients without affected lymph nodes. Cells from the tumor seem also to be disseminated continuously into blood during tumor growth and an increase in circulating epithelial tumor cell (CETC) numbers during adjuvant therapy is correlated with an 11- 16 fold increase in hazard of relapse. A reincrease in numbers indicates increasing resistance to the applied drugs. Therefore, it would be desirable to better characterize these cells, test them for alternative drugs and monitor the actual response to the therapy decided on.

For this purpose we have developed a method to isolate individual CETC from blood from breast cancer patients and to successfully perform molecular characterization. Cells from the same sample were subject to chemo sensitivity testing and the drugs with the highest effectivity defined. Patients were subsequently treated according to guide lines.

The molecular characteristics, sensitivity to the applied drugs and response of the CETC to these drugs were subsequently compared to clinical outcome.

The response of CETC to therapy correlated highly with the previously tested chemo sensitivity and with the reduction of an index metastasis in metastatic breast cancer patients and progression free survival. The molecular characteristics of these cells are under investigation.

Citation Information: Clin Cancer Res 2010;16(7 Suppl):A2
Abstract A30: NF1 is a tumor suppressor in neuroblastoma that determines retinoic acid response and disease outcome
Authors: Hölzel Michael , Huang Sidong , Koster Jan , Ora Ingrid , Lakeman Arjan , Caron H. N. , Callens Tom , Xie Jing , Nijkamp Wouter , Asgharzadeh Shahab , Seeger Robert C. , Messiaen Ludwine , Versteeg Rogier , Bernards Rene
Published: January 2011

Neuroblastoma is a malignancy of early childhood that derives from the developing neural crest and accounts for 15% of all paediatric oncology deaths. The vitamin A derivative retinoic acid (RA) controls neural development and promotes differentiation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of neuronal and neuroblastoma cells. These diverse effects of RA are exerted primarily through the ability to differentially regulate gene expression mediated by the retinoic acid receptors (RARs). RA is used in the clinic to treat high-risk neuroblastoma patients, however with variable success. This variability in clinical response to RA is enigmatic as no mutations in components of the RA signaling cascade have been found. By using large-scale RNAi-based genetic screens, we aimed to identify predictive biomarkers for RA sensitivity in neuroblastoma. We found an unexpected crosstalk between the tumor suppressor neurofibromin (NF1) and RA signaling. NF1 is a negative regulator of RAS signaling that promotes conversion of the active GTP bound form into the inactive GDP bound form of RAS. Activation of RAS-MEK signaling by loss of NF1 repressed ZNF423, a critical transcriptional co-activator of the retinoic acid receptors, and blocked RA induced differentiation and target gene activation. Restoration of ZNF423 levels resensitized NF1 knockdown cells to the inhibitory effect of RA. Moreover, ZNF423 and NF1 expression predicted sensitivity to RA in a large panel of neuroblastoma cell lines. Neuroblastomas with low levels of both NF1 and ZNF423 have extremely poor outcome. We found NF1 mutations in neuroblastoma cell lines and also in primary tumors. Inhibition of MEK signaling downstream of NF1 restored responsiveness to RA, suggesting a therapeutic strategy to overcome RA resistance in NF1 deficient neuroblastomas.

Citation Information: Clin Cancer Res 2010;16(7 Suppl):A30