bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CHARACTERIZATION OF DROP CASTED CuTsPc FILMS ON ITO SUBSTRATES
Authors: MAHAJAN AMAN , KUMAR ANSHUL , SINGH MANDEEP , PATHAK DINESH , BEDI R. K.
Published: November 2012

This study evaluated the possibility of utilizing a drop-cast process for CuTsPc -based organic solar cells. CuTsPc thin films were deposited by drop-cast method on ITO substrate. The absorption spectra of these films show two well-defined absorption bands of phthalocyanine molecule, namely, the soret (B) and Q-band. The band gaps calculated from the absorption spectra is found to lie in the range of 1.55–4.04 eV. X-ray diffractogram of the films indicate their polycrystalline nature. Atomic force microscope (AFM) investigations of the films show granular grain like morphology. The data for mobility, dielectric constant, extinction coefficient and refractive index are also presented in this communication.
Real-time information processing of environmental sensor network data using bayesian gaussian processes
Authors: Osborne Michael A. , Roberts Stephen J. , Rogers Alex , Jennings Nicholas R.
Published: November 2012

In this article, we consider the problem faced by a sensor network operator who must infer, in real time, the value of some environmental parameter that is being monitored at discrete points in space and time by a sensor network. We describe a powerful and generic approach built upon an efficient multi-output Gaussian process that facilitates this information acquisition and processing. Our algorithm allows effective inference even with minimal domain knowledge, and we further introduce a formulation of Bayesian Monte Carlo to permit the principled management of the hyperparameters introduced by our flexible models. We demonstrate how our methods can be applied in cases where the data is delayed, intermittently missing, censored, and/or correlated. We validate our approach using data collected from three networks of weather sensors and show that it yields better inference performance than both conventional independent Gaussian processes and the Kalman filter. Finally, we show that our formalism efficiently reuses previous computations by following an online update procedure as new data sequentially arrives, and that this results in a four-fold increase in computational speed in the largest cases considered.
A longitudinal study of vibration-based water flow sensing
Authors: Kim Younghun , Park Heemin , Srivastava Mani B.
Published: November 2012

We present a long-term and cross-sectional study of a vibration-based water flow rate monitoring system in practical environments and scenarios. In our earlier research, we proved that a water flow monitoring system with vibration sensors is feasible by deploying and evaluating it in a small-scale laboratory setting. To validate the proposed system, the system was deployed in existing environments—two houses and a public restroom—and in two different laboratory test settings. With the collected data, we first demonstrate various aspects of the system's performance, including sensing stability, sensor node lifetime, the stability of autonomous sensor calibration, time to adaptation, and deployment complexity. We then discuss the practical challenges and lessons from the full-scale deployments. The evaluation results show that our water monitoring solution is a practical, quick-to-deploy system with a less than 5% average flow estimation error.
IT innovation for the bottom of the pyramid
Authors: Heeks Richard
Published: November 2012

New ways to develop technologies for the emerging growth markets.
The essence of software engineering
Authors: Jacobson Ivar , Ng Pan-Wei , McMahon Paul E. , Spence Ian , Lidman Svante
Published: November 2012

A thinking framework in the form of an actionable kernel.
Sender-side buffers and the case for multimedia adaptation
Authors: Erbad Aiman , Krasic Charles "Buck"
Published: November 2012

A proposal to improve the performance and availability of streaming video and other time-sensitive media.
SPDYing up the web
Authors: Thomas Bryce , Jurdak Raja , Atkinson Ian
Published: November 2012

Improved performance and a proven deployment strategy make SPDY a potential successor to HTTP.
Theory of algorithmic self-assembly
Authors: Doty David
Published: November 2012

The challenge of programming molecules to manipulate themselves.
An Online Learning Framework for Refining Recency Search Results with User Click Feedback
Authors: Moon Taesup , Chu Wei , Li Lihong , Zheng Zhaohui , Chang Yi
Published: November 2012

Traditional machine-learned ranking systems for Web search are often trained to capture stationary relevance of documents to queries, which have limited ability to track nonstationary user intention in a timely manner. In recency search, for instance, the relevance of documents to a query on breaking news often changes significantly over time, requiring effective adaptation to user intention. In this article, we focus on recency search and study a number of algorithms to improve ranking results by leveraging user click feedback. Our contributions are threefold. First, we use commercial search engine sessions collected in a random exploration bucket for reliable offline evaluation of these algorithms, which provides an unbiased comparison across algorithms without online bucket tests. Second, we propose an online learning approach that reranks and improves the search results for recency queries near real-time based on user clicks. This approach is very general and can be combined with sophisticated click models. Third, our empirical comparison of a dozen algorithms on real-world search data suggests importance of a few algorithmic choices in these applications, including generalization across different query-document pairs, specialization to popular queries, and near real-time adaptation of user clicks for reranking.
Detecting Fake Medical Web Sites Using Recursive Trust Labeling
Authors: Abbasi Ahmed , Zahedi Fatemeh “Mariam” , Kaza Siddharth
Published: November 2012

Fake medical Web sites have become increasingly prevalent. Consequently, much of the health-related information and advice available online is inaccurate and/or misleading. Scores of medical institution Web sites are for organizations that do not exist and more than 90% of online pharmacy Web sites are fraudulent. In addition to monetary losses exacted on unsuspecting users, these fake medical Web sites have severe public safety ramifications. According to a World Health Organization report, approximately half the drugs sold on the Web are counterfeit, resulting in thousands of deaths. In this study, we propose an adaptive learning algorithm called recursive trust labeling (RTL). RTL uses underlying content and graph-based classifiers, coupled with a recursive labeling mechanism, for enhanced detection of fake medical Web sites. The proposed method was evaluated on a test bed encompassing nearly 100 million links between 930,000 Web sites, including 1,000 known legitimate and fake medical sites. The experimental results revealed that RTL was able to significantly improve fake medical Web site detection performance over 19 comparison content and graph-based methods, various meta-learning techniques, and existing adaptive learning approaches, with an overall accuracy of over 94%. Moreover, RTL was able to attain high performance levels even when the training dataset composed of as little as 30 Web sites. With the increased popularity of eHealth and Health 2.0, the results have important implications for online trust, security, and public safety.
Stability of Recommendation Algorithms
Authors: Adomavicius Gediminas , Zhang Jingjing
Published: November 2012

The article explores stability as a new measure of recommender systems performance. Stability is defined to measure the extent to which a recommendation algorithm provides predictions that are consistent with each other. Specifically, for a stable algorithm, adding some of the algorithm’s own predictions to the algorithm’s training data (for example, if these predictions were confirmed as accurate by users) would not invalidate or change the other predictions. While stability is an interesting theoretical property that can provide additional understanding about recommendation algorithms, we believe stability to be a desired practical property for recommender systems designers as well, because unstable recommendations can potentially decrease users’ trust in recommender systems and, as a result, reduce users’ acceptance of recommendations. In this article, we also provide an extensive empirical evaluation of stability for six popular recommendation algorithms on four real-world datasets. Our results suggest that stability performance of individual recommendation algorithms is consistent across a variety of datasets and settings. In particular, we find that model-based recommendation algorithms consistently demonstrate higher stability than neighborhood-based collaborative filtering techniques. In addition, we perform a comprehensive empirical analysis of many important factors (e.g., the sparsity of original rating data, normalization of input data, the number of new incoming ratings, the distribution of incoming ratings, the distribution of evaluation data, etc.) and report the impact they have on recommendation stability.
Sentimental Spidering
Authors: Fu Tianjun , Abbasi Ahmed , Zeng Daniel , Chen Hsinchun
Published: November 2012

Despite the increased prevalence of sentiment-related information on the Web, there has been limited work on focused crawlers capable of effectively collecting not only topic-relevant but also sentiment-relevant content. In this article, we propose a novel focused crawler that incorporates topic and sentiment information as well as a graph-based tunneling mechanism for enhanced collection of opinion-rich Web content regarding a particular topic. The graph-based sentiment (GBS) crawler uses a text classifier that employs both topic and sentiment categorization modules to assess the relevance of candidate pages. This information is also used to label nodes in web graphs that are employed by the tunneling mechanism to improve collection recall. Experimental results on two test beds revealed that GBS was able to provide better precision and recall than seven comparison crawlers. Moreover, GBS was able to collect a large proportion of the relevant content after traversing far fewer pages than comparison methods. GBS outperformed comparison methods on various categories of Web pages in the test beds, including collection of blogs, Web forums, and social networking Web site content. Further analysis revealed that both the sentiment classification module and graph-based tunneling mechanism played an integral role in the overall effectiveness of the GBS crawler.
Java source-code clustering: Unifying syntactic and semantic features
Authors: Misra Janardan , KM Annervaz , Kaulgud Vikrant , Sengupta Shubhashis , Titus Gary
Published: November 2012

This is a report from an international workshop on "Social and Algorithmic Issues in Business Support" (SAIBS), which was organized in conjunction with the 16th ADBIS Conference in Poznan, Poland, on September 17, 2012. The main focus of this workshop was to provide a venue for the discussion whether social stands in opposition to
algorithmic or systematic
. We analyzed social contribution to business processes taking into account possible benefits and risk factors. Questions raised in collected research and discussion related to how far business could relay on social input and what were the limits or what were the areas where introducing crowdsourced components might increase overall risk value to unacceptable level? Algorithmic approach to observe and collect social behaviour was discussed in the context of internet auctions participants and car drivers equipped in mobile application for instant route planning and collecting feedback cartracking data. Having in mind Andrew Keen's critique of social contribution in Web 2.0-related phenomena we looked for the
Wisdom of Crowds
[1]. Collected conclusions and further dissemination of research results should lead to an improvement in utilizing social impact on software development and business processes.
Balanced partition scheme for distributed caching systems to solve load imbalance problems
Authors: Wang Wenyuan , Zhang Zheng
Published: November 2012

Distributed caching system is usually used to alleviate database load in constructing an enterprise web application system. It helps to speed up dynamic web applications. In order to improve the utilization of caching cluster, an appropriate data partitioning and placement scheme is usually applied. This paper proposes a Balanced Partition Scheme (BPS) to solve load imbalance problems and highly skewed data requests in web application.

In the BPS, which is based on consistent hash algorithm, the partition and placement schemes are designed respectively to guarantee a system's load balance even when the requests of this system are highly skewed. The range of hash function is divided into several groups equally and those groups will be relocated when caching nodes are overloaded. The implementation and evaluation of the BPS is also presented in this paper. The effectiveness of the BPS has been verified in the simulation experiment and the BPS can successfully solve load imbalance problems when faced with a large number of get/set requests.
Report from 2nd international workshop on developing tools as plug-ins (TOPI 2012)
Authors: Garbervetsky Diego , Kim Sunghun
Published: November 2012

The International Workshop on Developing Tools as Plug-Ins (TOPI) is a venue for researchers and practitioners interested in plug-in development. The main interest is understanding the opportunities and challenges of developing tools as plug-ins, and thus, we seek for discussions regarding the characteristics of good plug-ins, interoperability requirements to making tools available across platforms, recent successful tools as plug-ins as well as foreseen medium and long term challenges of tools as plug-ins. The second edition of this workshop, TOPI 2012 was co-located with the International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2012). TOPI 2012 received a total of 32 submissions. Among them, 14 were accepted as full papers and 4 as short papers. The audience during the whole workshop ranged from 25 to 30 participants. The final program comprised position papers including new proposals for plug-in architectures as well as their interaction with development environments and run-times, and papers discussing the implementation of di??erent kind of tools as plug-ins. This report describes the main results of TOPI 2012.
First turkish software product line engineering workshop summary
Authors: Tekinerdogan Bedir
Published: November 2012

Software reuse has been a goal of the software community since the early days of software engineering. In this context software product line engineering (SPLE) has gained a broad interest in both academic institutions and industry. This trend can also be observed in Turkey. In the recent years an increasing number of software companies in Turkey have adopted a SPLE approach while others are planning to make the transition. This paper summarizes the results of the First Turkish Software Product Line Engineering Workshop that has been organized in Ankara in June 2012. The primary goal of the workshop was to reflect on the state of practice in SPLE in Turkey. For this five leading SPLE companies in Turkey have shared their experiences in adopting SPLE, and using interactive discussions a research agenda for SPLE in Turkey has been defined. We report both on the experiences from the workshop and the resulting research topics.
Prioritization of software security intangible attributes
Authors: Colombo Regina Thienne , Pessôa Marcelo Schneck , Guerra Ana Cervigni , Filho Amandio Balcão , Gomes Célio Caruso
Published: November 2012

Intangible elements, such as value ranges of software security properties (e.g., confidentiality, integrity and availability), can be seen as resources to enforce software security. There are no standard units regarding these properties, turning their measurement into a difficult process. On the other hand, we can measure or estimate priorities for intangible elements from tangible ones, since their priorities are proportional. The priorities of tangible resources can be used to assign values to the priorities of intangible resources through the experience of the involved analysts. In this paper, we present a theoretical process based on mathematical constructs to score the priority and to estimate measures of software security attributes. This process causes the complex systems decomposition into simpler and smaller systems, thus allowing the estimation of properties that will help the understanding and measurement of software security properties. Our results provide a model for access security; the priority score of security attributes is calculated using the AHP methodology. We illustrate the application of our approach in a Web management system for governmental research institutions, presenting results that may support managers in the prioritization, evaluation and management of security requirements related to Web applications.
Symbolic quantitative information flow
Authors: Phan Quoc-Sang , Malacaria Pasquale , Tkachuk Oksana , Păsăreanu Corina S.
Published: November 2012

Quantitative Information Flow (QIF) is a powerful approach to quantify leaks of confidential information in a software system. Here we present a novel method that precisely quanties information leaks. In order to mitigate the state-space explosion problem, we propose a symbolic representation of data, and a general SMT-based framework to explore systematically the state space. Symbolic Execution fits well with our framework, so we implement a method of QIF analysis employing Symbolic Execution. We develop our method as a prototype tool that can perform QIF analysis for a software system developed in Java. The tool is built on top of Java Pathfinder, an open source model checking platform, and it is the first tool in the field to support information-theoretic QIF analysis.
An extension of Java PathFinder for hybrid systems
Authors: Panizo Laura , del Mar Gallardo María
Published: November 2012

Hybrid systems are characterized by combining discrete and continuous behaviors. Verification of hybrid systems is, in general, a diffcult task due to the potential complexity of the continuous dynamics. Currently, there are different formalisms and tools which are able to analyze specific types of hybrid systems, model checking being one of the most used approaches. In this paper, we describe an extension of Java PathFinder in order to analyze hybrid systems. We apply a general methodology which has been successfully used to extend Spin. This methodology is non-intrusive, and uses external libraries, such as the Parma Polyhedra Library, to abstract the continuous behavior of the hybrid system.
Test generation via symbolic simulation
Authors: Rimlinger Frank
Published: November 2012

The Mango extension project of JPF is an Eclipse Workbench plugin which creates a functional specification of Java source code. The specification is presented as a series of navigable pages within Eclipse views. Representative code examples containing faults are processed by Mango. The output specification views are then navigated for the purpose of discovering robust fault recognition rules for automated testing. This paper describes how the analyst and tool work together to generate a test for a selected vulnerability described in an Oracle publication, the exposition of confidential data by the exception handler mechanism.
Tools to generate and check consistency of model classes for Java PathFinder
Authors: Ceccarello Matteo , Shafiei Nastaran
Published: November 2012

Java PathFinder (JPF) is a model checker for Java applications. Like any other model checker, JPF has to combat the notorious state space explosion problem. Since JPF is a JVM, it can only model check Java bytecode and needs to handle native calls differently. JPF tackles the state space explosion problem and handles native calls by means of so-called model classes and native peers. In this paper we focus on model classes. For a class that either causes a state space explosion or that contains native calls, one can introduce a model class that either abstracts away particular details or implements the native call in Java. Rather than model checking the original class, JPF model checks the model class instead. Writing such model classes is time consuming and error prone. In this paper we propose two tools to assist with the development of model classes. The one tool generates a skeleton of a model class. The other tool checks whether a model class is consistent with the original class.
Control of soluble fms-like tyrosine-1 (sFlt-1) production response to placental ischemia/hypoxia: role of tumor necrosis factor-α
Authors: Murphy Sydney R. , LaMarca B. Babbette D. , Parrish Marc , Cockrell Kathy , Granger Joey P.
Published: November 2012

Although abnormal soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) production is thought to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE), the mechanisms that regulate the production of sFlt-1 during PE are unclear. While our laboratory has shown tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and sFlt-1 to be elevated in pregnant rats in response to placental ischemia, the importance of TNF-α in the regulation of sFlt-1 production is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the role of TNF-α in mediating the increase in sFlt-1 in response to placental ischemia or hypoxia. Reductions in uterine perfusion pressure in pregnant rats significantly increased plasma levels of sFlt-1 and tended to increase TNF-α, an effect markedly attenuated by pretreatment with a TNF-α inhibitor etanercept (0.4 mg/kg). To further assess chronic interactions between TNF-α and sFlt-1, we examined a chronic effect of TNF-α infusion (50 ng/day) into normal pregnant rats to increase plasma sFlt-1 levels, as well as the effects of acute hypoxia on placental sFlt-1 production in the absence and presence of TNF-α blockade. Placental explants exposed to hypoxic conditions had enhanced TNF-α levels versus normoxic conditions, as well as increased sFlt-1 production. Pretreatment of placental explants with etanercept (15 μM) significantly reduced TNF-α levels in response to hypoxia but did not attenuate sFlt-1 production. These data suggest that while TNF-α may not play an important role in stimulating sFlt-1 production in response to acute hypoxia, a more chronic hypoxia, or placental ischemia may be an important stimulus for enhanced sFlt-l production.
Solving Bilevel Multiobjective Programming Problem by Elite Quantum Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Zhang Tao , Hu Tiesong , Chen Jia-wei , Wan Zhongping , Guo Xuning
Published: November 2012

An elite quantum behaved particle swarm optimization (EQPSO) algorithm is proposed, in which an elite strategy is exerted for the global best particle to prevent premature convergence of the swarm. The EQPSO algorithm is employed for solving bilevel multiobjective programming problem (BLMPP) in this study, which has never been reported in other literatures. Finally, we use eight different test problems to measure and evaluate the proposed algorithm, including low dimension and high dimension BLMPPs, as well as attempt to solve the BLMPPs whose theoretical Pareto optimal front is not known. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is a feasible and efficient method for solving BLMPPs.
Investigation into the Impact of n-Decane, Decalin, and Isoparaffinic Solvent on Elastomeric Sealing Materials
Authors: Liu Yue , Wilson Christopher W.
Published: November 2012

One of the crucial aspects in the adoption of alternative fuels (e.g., GtL fuel) in aviation industry is to investigate their compatibility with elastomeric materials used in current gas turbine engines. This study employed stress relaxation technique to investigate the effects of three solvents, namely, decalin (cycloparaffin), n-decane (normal paraffin), and ShellSol T solvent (isoparaffins) on O-rings made from different materials. Results indicated that both fluorosilicone and fluorocarbon O-rings showed excellent compatibility with all 25 blends tested. The stress relaxation characteristic of nitrile O-ring was highly dependent on the composition of the solvents; the more decalin (n-decane) is in the blend, the better (worse) its sealing performance becomes. Effects of the three solvents presented in the tests indicated aromatics are not the only compounds that can swell nitrile O-ring. It is also important to notice that although decalin presents good O-ring swelling ability, it does not mean all cycloparaffins have the same property. n-decane also showed certain O-ring swelling ability but its main effect during the polymer-fuel interaction process is to extract materials out of nitrile O-ring. Isoparaffins do not participate in the O-ring swelling process. They only extract polymer materials; however, its extraction ability is relatively weaker than n-decane.
Survival Exponents for Some Gaussian Processes
Authors: Molchan G.
Published: November 2012

The problem is a power-law asymptotics of the probability that a self-similar process does not exceed a fixed level during long time. The exponent in such asymptotics is estimated for some Gaussian processes, including the fractional Brownian motion (FBM) in , and the integrated FBM in , .
Inconsistent Growth Response to Fertilization and Thinning of Lodgepole Pine in the Rocky Mountain Foothills Is Linked to Site Index
Authors: Pinno Bradley D. , Lieffers Victor J. , Landhäusser Simon M.
Published: November 2012

Fertilization of conifers often results in highly variable growth responses across sites which are difficult to predict. The goal of this study was to predict the growth response of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) crop trees to thinning and fertilization using basic site and foliar characteristics. Fifteen harvest-origin stands along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta were subjected to six treatments including two levels of thinning (thinning to 2500 stems per hectare and a control) and three types of fertilization (nitrogen-only fertilization, complete fertilization including nitrogen with added P, K, S, Mg, and B, and no fertilization). After three growing seasons, the growth response and foliar status of the crop trees were examined and this response was related to site and foliar characteristics. There was a small and highly variable additive response to fertilization and thinning; diameter growth of crop trees increased relative to the controls an average of 0.3 cm with thinning, 0.3 cm with either N-only or complete fertilization and 0.6 cm when thinned and fertilized. The increase in diameter growth with thinning and nitrogen-only fertilization was positively related to site index but not to any other site factors or pretreatment foliar variables such as nutrient concentrations, ratios, or thresholds.
Is Almond Consumption More Effective Than Reduced Dietary Saturated Fat at Decreasing Plasma Total Cholesterol and LDL-c Levels? A Theoretical Approach
Authors: Ortiz Rudy M. , Garcia Steven , Kim Arnold D.
Published: November 2012

Hypercholesterolemia can be a consequence of excessive dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA), while almond-supplemented diets can improve lipid profiles. However, the differential and independent impacts of dietary SFA and almondsupplemented diets on plasma total cholesterol (pTC) and low-density lipoprotein (pLDL-c) concentrations have not been directly compared and are not well described. We reviewed the available data to construct multiple regression analyses to theoretically assess the impact of relative almond intake (RAI) and dietary SFA on reducing pTC and pLDL-c concentrations. Strong, negative correlations between RAI and percent change in mean pTC(R=0.776;P=0.005)and RAI and percent change in mean pLDL-c(R=0.818;P=0.002)were detected. The relationships between percent change in mean dietary SFA, and percent change in mean pTC and mean pLDL-c were weaker and only significant for pLDL-c. The multiple regression analyses demonstrated modest improvements in the strength of the correlations for both pTC(R=0.804;P=0.016)and pLDL-c(R=0.855;P=0.005). The models suggest that the increase in RAI contributes to the reduction in pTC and pLDL-c to a greater extent than a reduction in dietary SFA, but a simultaneous decrease in dietary SFA should further improve lipid profiles.
Velamentous Cord Insertion in a Singleton Pregnancy: An Obscure Cause of Emergency Cesarean—A Case Report
Authors: Rocha Juliana , Carvalho Joana , Costa Fernanda , Meireles Isabel , do Carmo Olímpia
Published: November 2012

Approximately 2% of low-risk pregnant women still require an emergency Cesarean section after the onset of labor. Because it is likely that half of these cases are associated with placental and umbilical cord abnormalities, it is thought that prenatal detection of such abnormalities would reduce the number of emergency cesarean sections in low-risk women. Velamentous cord insertion is an abnormal cord insertion in which the umbilical vessels diverge as they traverse between the amnion and chorion before reaching the placenta. With a reported incidence of 1% in singleton pregnancies, it has been associated with several obstetric complications. This condition has been diagnosed by ultrasonography with a sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 100% in the second trimester. The present case highlights the importance of the systematic assessment of the placental cord insertion site at routine obstetric ultrasound and the potential of identifying pregnancies with velamentous insertion and, therefore, those at risk for obstetric complications.
Pulmonary Balloon Valvuloplasty during Pregnancy
Authors: Oylumlu Mustafa , Aykent Kazim , Soydinc Hatice Ender , Oylumlu Muhammed , Ertas Faruk , Ozer Hasan Orhan , Sari Ibrahim
Published: November 2012

Women with valvular heart disease have an increased risk of adverse outcomes in pregnancy; however, with appropriate evaluation and treatment, most women can successfully bear healthy children. During pregnancy, pulmonary stenosis is generally well tolerated in the absence of other haemodynamically significant lesions. We present a case of a multiparous woman,who is pregnant with her sixth child, with a severe pulmonary stenosis. She presented with exertional chest pain and dyspnea. She was managed successfully with balloon valvuloplasty.
Fractal Derivative Model for Air Permeability in Hierarchic Porous Media
Authors: Fan Jie , He Jihuan
Published: November 2012

Air permeability in hierarchic porous media does not obey Fick′s equation or its modification because fractal objects have well‐defined geometric properties, which are discrete and discontinuous. We propose a theoretical model dealing with, for the first time, a seemingly complex air permeability process using fractal derivative method. The fractal derivative model has been successfully applied to explain the novel air permeability phenomenon of cocoon. The theoretical analysis was in agreement with experimental results.
Synergistic Modulation of Cellular Contractility by Mixed Extracellular Matrices
Authors: Kapoor Aastha , Sen Shamik
Published: November 2012

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is known to provide various physicochemical cues in directing cell behavior including composition, topography, and dimensionality. Physical remodeling of the ECM has been documented in a variety of cancers. In breast cancer, the increased deposition of matrix proteins, their crosslinking, and alignment create a stiffer microenvironment that activates cell contractility and promotes cancer invasion. In this paper, we sought to study the collective influence of ECM composition and density on the contractile mechanics of human MDA-MB-231 cells making use of the recently established trypsin deadhesion assay. Using collagen and fibronectin-coated surfaces of varying density, we show that cell contractility is tuned in a density-dependent manner, with faster deadhesion on fibronectin-coated surfaces compared to collagen-coated surfaces under identical coating densities. The deadhesion responses are significantly delayed when cells are treated with the myosin inhibitor blebbistatin. By combining collagen and fibronectin at two different densities, we show that mixed ligand surfaces synergistically modulate cell contractility. Finally, we show that on fibroblast-derived 3D matrices that closely mimicin vivomatrices, cells are strongly polarized and exhibit faster deadhesion compared to the mixed ligand surfaces. Together, our results demonstrate that ECM composition, density, and 3D organization collectively regulate cell contractility.
Primary Myeloid Sarcoma Masquerading as an Obstructing Duodenal Carcinoma
Authors: Narayan Preeti , Murthy Vijayashree , Su Mu , Woel Rosemonde , Grossman I. Robert , Chamberlain Ronald S.
Published: November 2012

Myeloid Sarcoma (MS), a rare extra hematopoietic carcinoma composed of blast cells, is located primarily in extramedullary sites such as skin, soft tissue, lymph nodes, and bone. MS usually presents in the setting of coexisting acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myeloproliferative disorders. Gastrointestinal involvement (GI) is extremely rare from nonspecific abdominal symptoms to obstruction. Eight cases of myeloid sarcoma involving the duodenum including the current case have been reported, overall mean age being 40 years (range 17–71) and M : F ratio 7 : 1. The prognosis of patients withde novoMS cases has been reported to be better than those who have a coexisting leukemia. MS is a rare extramedullary tumor, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a soft tissue mass involving the duodenum, especially if there is a coexisting hematological disorder.De novocases often progress to AML, and current therapy involves Daunorubicin- and Cytarabine-based chemotherapy. The wide cytogenetic and molecular heterogeneity of MS implies a potential role for more targeted MS therapies, which may offer a curative strategy.
Sensing and Demodulation of Special Long-Period Fiber Gratings Induced by ScanningCO2Laser Pulses
Authors: Zhu Tao , Shi Leilei , Liu Min , Huang Wei
Published: November 2012

A review of long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs) with special structures induced by scanning CO2laser pulses in single mode fiber (SMF) is presented in this paper. In the first part, the special structures and fabrication methods of LPFGs are demonstrated in detail. Next, the special LPFG-based sensors are demonstrated, such as refractive index sensor, strain sensor with temperature compensation, and torsion sensor without temperature crosstalking. Finally, several investigation methods including intensity, wavelength shift, and fiber ring laser demodulation are discussed.
Rokumi-jio-gan-Containing Prescriptions Attenuate Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in the Remnant Kidney
Authors: Park Chan Hum , Lee Sul Lim , Okamoto Takuya , Tanaka Takashi , Yokozawa Takako
Published: November 2012

Two Rokumi-jio-gan-containing prescriptions (Hachimi-jio-gan and Bakumi-jio-gan) were selected to examine their actions in nephrectomized rats. Each prescription was given orally to rats for 10 weeks after the excision of five-sixths of their kidney volumes, and its effect was compared with non-nephrectomized and normal rats. Rats given Hachimi-jio-gan and Bakumi-jio-gan showed an improvement of renal functional parameters such as serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, creatinine clearance, and urinary protein. The nephrectomized rats exhibited the up-regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase subunits, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphor-JNK, c-Jun, transforming growth factor-β1, nuclear factor-kappa B, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, Bax, cytochromec, and caspase-3, and down-regulation of NF-E2-related factor 2, heme oxygenase-1, and survivin; however, Bakumi-jio-gan administration acts as a regulator in inflammatory reactions caused by oxidative stress in renal failure. Moreover, the JNK pathway and apoptosis-related protein expressions, Bax, caspase-3, and survivin, were ameliorated to the normal levels by Hachimi-jio-gan administration. The development of renal lesions, glomerular sclerosis, tubulointerstitial damage, and arteriolar sclerotic lesions, estimated by histopathological evaluation and scoring, was strong in the groups administered Hachimi-jio-gan rather than Bakumi-jio-gan. This study suggests that Rokumi-jio-gan-containing prescriptions play a protective role in the progression of renal failure.
Transient Monoclonal Gammopathy Induced by DisseminatedStaphylococcus aureusInfection
Authors: Stoimenis Dimitrios , Spyridonidou Christina , Papaioannou Nikos
Published: November 2012

Monoclonal gammopathy reflects a serological disorder suggesting a plasma cell dyscrasia or a B-cell abnormality. However, it may occasionally be encountered as a transient manifestation in the course of several diseases including infections. This is the first reported case of a transient monoclonal gammopathy IgG lambda light chain associated with aStaphylococcus aureusinfection that was complicated with renal abscess and vertebral spondylodiscitis in a previously healthy 68-year-old male. We observed a complete resolution of the gammopathy within three months of medical treatment before the entire restoration of all clinical and laboratory findings. Many invasive and cost-intensive diagnostic procedures had preceded the exclusion of a malignancy. The clinical significance and the exact pathogenesis of transient monoclonality are poorly understood and remain a matter of speculation.
Strong Convergence of an Implicit S‐Iterative Process for Lipschitzian Hemicontractive Mappings
Authors: Kang Shin Min , Rafiq Arif , Lee Sunhong
Published: November 2012

We establish the strong convergence for the implicit S‐iterative process associated with Lipschitzian hemicontractive mappings in Hilbert spaces.
Properties of Natural Rubber-Based Composites Containing Fullerene
Authors: Al-Hartomy Omar A. , Al-Ghamdi Ahmed A. , Al-Salamy Falleh , Dishovsky Nikolay , Slavcheva Desislava , El-Tantawy Farid
Published: November 2012

In this study the influence of fullerenes in concentrations from 0.5 to 1.5 phr on both the vulcanization characteristics of the compounds and physicomechanical, dynamic, and dielectric properties and thermal aging resistance of nanocomposites on the basis of natural rubber has been investigated. The effect of the filler dispersion in the elastomeric matrix has been also investigated. Neat fullerene and the composites comprising it have been studied and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Malignant Clinical Presentation of a Benign Granular Cell Tumor of Breast in a Patient with Previously Treated Contralateral Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
Authors: Tural Deniz , Akar Emre , Öztürk Tülin , Turna Hande , Serdengeçti Süheyla
Published: November 2012

GCT is a rare neoplasm and usually shows the benign character. GCT can occur in any body site and may be multifocal. The most common involved site is tongue which accounts for nearly 30% of all cases but skin and subcutaneous tissue are also affected frequently. Breast is an unusually involved site and accounts for 6% of all GCTs. The histiogenesis of GCT is still controversial but further investigations and immunohistochemical examinations were exposed to neural origin and the tumor is thought to be derived from Schwann cells of peripheral nerves. Generally used technique to diagnose GCT is the positivity of S-100 immunohistochemical staining. Despite its benign nature, GCT may mimic breast carsinoma clinically and radiologically and easily be misdiagnosed for breast cancer. We herein report a case of granular cell tumor that arose in a 56 year-old female patient who previously had been treated from an invasive ductal carcinoma in contralateral breast.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Photochemical Properties of a New Square Mn(I)-Ru(II) Complex Using Pyrazine as Bridge Ligand
Authors: de Aguiar Inara , Inglez Simone D. , Tedesco Antonio Claudio , Carlos Rose Maria
Published: November 2012

The photochemical properties of the complexescis,fac-(I),cis-[Ru(phen)2(pz)2]2+(II), andfac-Mn(CO)3(pz)2Br (III) where phen is phenanthroline and pz is pyrazine in acetonitrile solution are reported. The three complexes were characterized using1H NMR, UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy and electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemical) techniques. The complexes show intense absorption in the visible region assigned to the population of MLCT excited states. The absorption spectrum ofIis the sum of the spectra of the mononuclear speciesIIandIII, and the two oxidation potentials at +1.10 and +1.56 V versus Ag/AGCl observed inIare ascribed to the different coordination environments of metal centers. The photolysis in the acetonitrile solution resulted in the pz dissociation to give the monoacetonitrile complexes forI,II, andIII, respectively.
Hypothalamic Hamartomas: Neuropathological Features with and without Prior Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
Authors: Kerrigan John F. , Parsons Angela , Rice Stephen G. , Simeone Kristina , Shetter Andrew G. , Abla Adib A. , Prenger Erin , Coons Stephen W.
Published: November 2012

Background: The neuropathological consequences of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GK) on hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) are unknown. Objective: In a cohort of patients undergoing surgery for treatment-resistant epilepsy, we compared surgically resected HH tissue from patients without (group I; n = 19) and with (group II; n = 10) a history of GK (median dose 16 Gy to the 50% isodose margin). Methods: Techniques included thick-section stereology for total nucleated and total neuron cell counts, and thin-section immunohistochemistry. Normal human hypothalamus derived from age-matched autopsy material was used as control tissue for CD68 immunohistochemistry. Qualitative scoring of tissue sections was performed by a neuropathologist who was blind to the GK treatment history. Results: GK is associated with decreased total cell density (p < 0.02). A dose-dependent association of GK with decreased total neuron density approached significance (p = 0.06). Group II HH tissue had significantly more (1) reactive gliosis, (2) thickened capillary endothelium and (3) microglial activation. Degenerative features, including karyorrhexis and pyknotic nuclei, were infrequent in group II and absent in group I HH tissue. Conclusions: Nonnecrotizing doses of GK radiosurgery decrease cell density in human HH tissue. Cell loss resulting from GK may contribute to decreased excitation in the neuronal networks responsible for seizure onset in HH tissue.
Hyperintensity of Distal Vessels on FLAIR Is Associated with Slow Progression of the Infarction in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Pérez de la Ossa N. , Hernández-Pérez M. , Domènech S. , Cuadras P. , Massuet A. , Millán M. , Gomis M. , López-Cancio E. , Dorado L. , Dávalos A.
Published: November 2012

Background: Hyperintensity of distal vessels on FLAIR-MRI has been associated with a higher grade of arterial collaterals and a smaller infarct volume in acute stroke patients. No studies analyze the influence of the hyperintense vessel (HV) sign on the speed of the ischemia progression during the first hours. Our aim was to study the association of the HV sign with progression of infarction in acute stroke patients. Methods: From a prospectively derived stroke database, we retrospectively selected acute stroke patients with a large artery occlusion of the anterior circulation admitted to our comprehensive stroke center with available baseline CT scan and a multimodal MRI carried out thereafter to make a decision about endovascular treatment. Progression of the ischemic area was calculated as the difference in the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Scan (ASPECTS) score between CT scan and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Slow progression was considered as no change or 1 point decrease on the ASPECTS score between both exams. The presence of HV on FLAIR sequence was graded as absent, subtle or prominent by two readers. Results: A total of 70 patients were included in the study. Mean time between baseline CT and MRI was 124 ± 82 min. ASPECTS score on baseline CT was 10 in 34% of patients, 9 in 49% and 8 or less in 17%. ASPECTS score was 2 (1–3) points lower in the DWI and this decrease did not correlate with the time elapsed between the two exams. Distal HV sign was observed in 57/70 (81%) patients (subtle in 33 and prominent in 24). HV was more frequently observed in patients with proximal artery occlusion. There were no differences regarding stroke severity, stroke subtype and ASPECTS score on baseline CT between groups. Patients with prominent HV showed a lower progression of the ischemic area [median ASPECTS score decrease, 1 (1–0)] compared with patients with subtle HV [median ASPECTS score decrease, 2 (2–1)] and patients with absence of HV [median ASPECTS score decrease, 3 (4–3)] (p < 0.001). Prominent HV was independently associated with slow progression of ischemia in a multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted by systolic blood pressure on admission, site of occlusion and time elapsed between both neuroimaging exams compared to the absence of HV (OR, 16.2; 95% CI, 2.1–123.1) and to subtle HV sign (OR, 6.1; 95% CI, 1.5–23.9). Conclusion: HV sign on FLAIR, especially if prominent, is associated with a slow progression of the ischemic area in acute stroke patients with cerebral artery occlusion of the anterior circulation. This radiological sign may predict the speed of the ischemia progression, opening an opportunity for reperfusion therapies in longer time windows.