bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning Product Design Through Globally Distributed Teams: A Way to Enhance Innovation Capabilities in Mechatronics
Authors: Nilsson Daniel A. S. , Hanson Mats , Oddsson Lars I. E.
Published: August 2010

Creating product innovations involves the need to understand the social context in which the innovation is created and ultimately the context in which it is to be used. The use of globally distributed teams (GDTs) in engineering education to understand and enhance the social and technological interaction could catalyze the process of creating innovation. This paper proposes a framework for the analysis and support of the GDT setting. The proposed framework builds on the standardized open system interconnection model for network communication consisting of seven interconnected layers. As it has been suggested in prior studies, a successful collaboration in a GDT relies on several critical factors that build on each other. Organizing and supporting these factors in an interconnected layered scheme could better clarify the interaction between social and technological aspects. A case study of a student medical device project is analyzed using the proposed framework. The project involved students from University of Minnesota, MN and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
Design of a Mechanical Stimulator for In Vivo Tissue Engineering of a Diarthrosislike Structure
Authors: Human Jet , May Eelko , Herder Just , Kuiper Jan Herman , Urban Jill , Richardson James , Sivananthan Sureshan , Warnke Patrick
Published: August 2010

This paper proposes the conceptual design of a mechanical stimulator that uses a tissue engineering strategy to develop a diarthrosislike structure in vivo. The adopted design approach is based on a function analysis. The approach has resulted in the design of a stimulator consisting of four components: cages, a compliant four-bar mechanism, a transmission mechanism, and a fixation component. The implanted stimulator is driven by internal body power, particularly by the longitudinal deformation of a skeletal muscle. The compliant mechanism is designed to impose controlled shear and compressive strain to the growing joint construct in order to initiate cartilage formation. The paper emphasizes the conceptual design and its rationale. Evaluation using finite element analysis was performed, which showed that the design meets the technical demands. Titanium prototypes were fabricated for stiffness and endurance testing.
Patient Powered Device for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Christenson Katya , Jacquemin Joseph , Fannon Steven , Widjaja Davina , Sienko Kathleen H. , Chervin Ronald
Published: August 2010

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder in which throat muscles relax during sleep, causing the upper airway to close. As a result, breathing ceases until a brief awakening restores the muscle tone and reopens the airway. Untreated sleep apnea contributes to cognitive, cardiovascular, and metabolic morbidity and has substantial negative impact on an individual’s quality of life. Treatment most commonly consists of nightly use of a nasal mask connected to a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. The CPAP machine splints the upper airway open by supplying positive air pressure. However, the machine is expensive, requires electricity, and has suboptimal portability, noise, and aesthetics. The aim of this work was to develop a low-cost, lightweight, quiet, and mechanical CPAP machine that would function without an external energy source in resource-limited settings.
Handheld Force Controlled Ultrasound Probe
Authors: Gilbertson Matthew , Anthony Brian , Sun Shih-Yu
Published: August 2010

An actuated handheld force-feedback controlled ultrasound probe has been developed. The controller maintains a prescribed contact force between the probe and a patient’s body. The device will enhance the diagnostic capability of free-hand elastography, swept-force compound imaging and make it easier for a technician to acquire repeatable (i.e., directly comparable) images over time. The mechanical system consists of an ultrasound probe, a ball-screw-driven linear actuator, and a force/torque sensor. The feedback controller commands the motor to rotate the ball screw to translate the ultrasound probe in order to maintain a desired contact force. In preliminary user studies, it was found that the control system maintained a constant contact force with 1.7 times less variation than human subjects provided with a visual force display. Users without a visual force display were only able to maintain a constant force with 20 times worse variation than the automatic controller. The system was also used to determine the viscoelastic properties of soft tissues.
The Present Role of Actuator Technology in Surgical Robotic Devices
Authors: Secord Thomas , Asada H. Harry
Published: August 2010

Surgical robots have greatly facilitated numerous challenging medical procedures such as totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting. Despite the initial success of some classical robotic mechanisms (e.g., the da Vinci robot from Intuitive Surgical), limitations in the fundamental hardware impose constraints on the system capabilities and ease of use. While sensing, control, and computation hardware for robotically assisted surgery continue to improve, actuator technology remains relatively unchanged. This paper reviews the state of the art in actuators for surgical robotic devices and therefore elucidates the need for further actuator technology development. A physics-based actuator taxonomy is presented followed by a classification of the prominent research areas in surgical robotics. Using this taxonomic framework, we review the present role of actuator technology in surgical robotic devices.
Seizure Prediction With Spectral Power of EEG Using Cost-Sensitive Support Vector Machines
Authors: Park Yun , Netoff Theoden , Parhi Keshab
Published: August 2010

A patient-specific seizure prediction algorithm is proposed using a classifier to differentiate pre-ictal from inter-ictal EEG signals. The spectral power of EEG processed in four different fashions is used as features: raw, time-differential, space-differential, and time/space-differential EEG. The features are classified using cost-sensitive support vector machines by the double cross-validation methodology. The proposed algorithm has been applied to EEG recordings of 18 patients in the Freiburg EEG database, totaling 80 seizures and 437 h long inter-ictal recordings. Classification with the feature obtained from time/space-differential ECoG demonstrates the performance of 86.25% sensitivity and 0.1281 false positives per hour in out-of-sample testing.
Experimental Investigation and Neural Network Modeling for Force System of Retraction T-Spring for Orthodontic Treatment
Authors: Kazem Bahaa I. , Ghaib Nidahal Hussain , Grama Noor M. Hasan
Published: August 2010

In this work three different cross section groups of stainless steel T-Spring, for tooth retraction, have been tested; each spring is activated for 1 mm, 2 mm, and 3 mm, and the resultant force system is evaluated by using a testing apparatus. The results showed that when the cross section and activation distances are increased, the horizontal force and moment increased, while for the moment-to-force ratio, the lowest mean value was at the first activation distance of the first group, and the highest mean values were at the third activation distance of the third group. All three groups at all activation distance are insufficient to produce bodily tooth movement. T-springs of the (0.016×0.022 in.) cross section and with frequent activation provide the best in force system production. An artificial neural network model was trained for simulation of the correlation between input parameters: spring cross section and activation distance, and the outputs spring force system. The network model has prediction ability with low mean error of force prediction (5.707%), and for the moment is (4.048%), and it can successfully reflect the results that were obtained experimentally with less costs and efforts.
Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgical Assistive Instrument for Accurate Remnant Stomach Volume
Authors: Elhajj Imad H. , Dib Nancy , Antoun Sally , Al-Hajj Georges
Published: August 2010

Sleeve gastrectomy, which is based on reducing the size of the stomach, is one of the most successful bariatric surgeries and is yet to be standardized. One of the reasons is the lack of a method to obtain an accurate remnant stomach volume. The weight loss obtained postsurgery is highly correlated with the remnant stomach volume. Therefore, it is important to get consistently an accurate remnant stomach volume to be able to compare sleeve gastrectomy with other surgeries and in order to predict the weight loss. In addition, the measurement of the pyloric pressure is important for understanding the mechanism of weight loss and predicting complication postsurgery. A surgical assistive device for sleeve gastrectomy surgery is presented in this paper. The purpose of this instrument is to assist surgeons in obtaining an accurate remnant stomach volume and in measuring the pyloric pressure. The device consists of several inflatable compartments controllable by the surgeon. Prototype laboratory test results gave an accuracy of 96.7% and a repeatability of 97.6% for different desired volumes using air for compartment inflation, and an accuracy of 96.3% and a repeatability of 98.4% for different desired volumes using water for compartment inflation. The pressure measurement accuracies obtained are 96.8% using air and 99.7% using water. It is worth noting that these accuracies are expected to differ when the device is tested in vivo.
Two-Dimensional Optimization of a Stent for an Aneurysm
Authors: Srinivas K. , Townsend S. , Lee C. J. , Nakayama T. , Ohta M. , Obayashi S. , Yamaguchi T.
Published: August 2010

This work attempts to optimize stents that are implanted at the neck of coronary or cerebral aneurysms to effect a flow diversion. A two-dimensional version of the stent, which is a series of struts and gaps placed at the neck, is considered as the first step. Optimization is carried out based on the principles of exploration of design space using reductions in velocity and vorticity in the aneurysm dome as the objective functions. Latin hypercube sampling first develops 30–60 samples of a strut-gap arrangement. Flow past an aneurysm with each of these samples is computed using the commercial software FLUENT and the objective functions evaluated. This is followed by a Kriging procedure that identifies the nondominated solutions to the system, which are the optimized candidates. Three different cases of stents with rectangular or circular struts are considered. It is found that placing struts in the proximal region of the neck gives the best flow diversion.
Genomic Insights into Bifidobacteria
Authors: Lee Ju-Hoon , O'Sullivan Daniel J.
Published: August 2010

Since the discovery in 1899 of bifidobacteria as numerically dominant microbes in the feces of breast-fed infants, there have been numerous studies addressing their role in modulating gut microflora as well as their other potential health benefits. Because of this, they are frequently incorporated into foods as probiotic cultures. An understanding of their full interactions with intestinal microbes and the host is needed to scientifically validate any health benefits they may afford. Recently, the genome sequences of nine strains representing four species ofBifidobacteriumbecame available. A comparative genome analysis of these genomes reveals a likely efficient capacity to adapt to their habitats, withB. longumsubsp.infantisexhibiting more genomic potential to utilize human milk oligosaccharides, consistent with its habitat in the infant gut. Conversely,B. longumsubsp.longumexhibits a higher genomic potential for utilization of plant-derived complex carbohydrates and polyols, consistent with its habitat in an adult gut. An intriguing observation is the loss of much of this genome potential when strains are adapted to pure culture environments, as highlighted by the genomes ofB. animalissubsp.lactisstrains, which exhibit the least potential for a gut habitat and are believed to have evolved from theB. animalisspecies during adaptation to dairy fermentation environments.
Microbe Hunting
Authors: Lipkin W. Ian
Published: August 2010

Platforms for pathogen discovery have improved since the days of Koch and Pasteur; nonetheless, the challenges of proving causation are at least as daunting as they were in the late 1800s. Although we will almost certainly continue to accumulate low-hanging fruit, where simple relationships will be found between the presence of a cultivatable agent and a disease, these successes will be increasingly infrequent. The future of the field rests instead in our ability to follow footprints of infectious agents that cannot be characterized using classical microbiological techniques and to develop the laboratory and computational infrastructure required to dissect complex host-microbe interactions. I have tried to refine the criteria used by Koch and successors to prove linkage to disease. These refinements are working constructs that will continue to evolve in light of new technologies, new models, and new insights. What will endure is the excitement of the chase. Happy hunting!
Mobility of Plasmids
Authors: Smillie Chris , Garcillán-Barcia M. Pilar , Francia M. Victoria , Rocha Eduardo P. C. , de la Cruz Fernando
Published: August 2010

Plasmids are key vectors of horizontal gene transfer and essential genetic engineering tools. They code for genes involved in many aspects of microbial biology, including detoxication, virulence, ecological interactions, and antibiotic resistance. While many studies have decorticated the mechanisms of mobility in model plasmids, the identification and characterization of plasmid mobility from genome data are unexplored. By reviewing the available data and literature, we established a computational protocol to identify and classify conjugation and mobilization genetic modules in 1,730 plasmids. This allowed the accurate classification of proteobacterial conjugative or mobilizable systems in a combination of four mating pair formation and six relaxase families. The available evidence suggests that half of the plasmids are nonmobilizable and that half of the remaining plasmids are conjugative. Some conjugative systems are much more abundant than others and preferably associated with some clades or plasmid sizes. Most very large plasmids are nonmobilizable, with evidence of ongoing domestication into secondary chromosomes. The evolution of conjugation elements shows ancient divergence between mobility systems, with relaxases and type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) often following separate paths from type IV secretion systems. Phylogenetic patterns of mobility proteins are consistent with the phylogeny of the host prokaryotes, suggesting that plasmid mobility is in general circumscribed within large clades. Our survey suggests the existence of unsuspected new relaxases in archaea and new conjugation systems in cyanobacteria and actinobacteria. Few genes, e.g., T4CPs, relaxases, and VirB4, are at the core of plasmid conjugation, and together with accessory genes, they have evolved into specific systems adapted to specific physiological and ecological contexts.
KLEIN–GORDON EQUATION FOR THE COULOMB POTENTIAL IN NONCOMMUTATIVE SPACE
Authors: MOTAVALLI HOSSEIN , AKBARIEH AMIN REZAEI
Published: August 2010

In this paper the stationary Klein–Gordon equation is considered for the Coulomb potential in noncommutative space. The energy shift due to noncommutativity is obtained via the perturbation theory. Furthermore, we show that the degeneracy of the initial spectral line is broken in transition from commutative space to noncommutative space.
CAUSALITY FOR ELKOs
Authors: FABBRI LUCA
Published: August 2010

The importance for cosmology of the recently introduced ELKOs requires our deepest understanding of them and of all of their fundamental properties. Among these fundamental properties, a special one is causality: in the present paper, we show that causality is always preserved for ELKOs.
BRST INVARIANCE AND DE RHAM TYPE COHOMOLOGY OF 't HOOFT–POLYAKOV MONOPOLE
Authors: HONG SOON-TAE
Published: August 2010

We exploit the 't Hooft–Polyakov monopole to construct closed algebra of the quantum field operators and the BRST charge Q BRST . In the first-class configuration of the Dirac quantization, by including the Q BRST -exact gauge-fixing term and the Faddeev–Popov ghost term, we find the BRST invariant Hamiltonian to investigate the de Rham type cohomology group structure for the monopole system. The Bogomol'nyi bound is also discussed in terms of the first-class topological charge defined on the extended internal two-sphere.
FAST AND ACCURATE PRICING AND HEDGING OF LONG-DATED CMS SPREAD OPTIONS
Authors: JOSHI MARK , YANG CHAO
Published: August 2010

We present a fast method to price and hedge CMS spread options in the displaced-diffusion co-initial swap market model. Numerical tests demonstrate that we are able to obtain sufficiently accurate prices and Greeks with computational times measured in milliseconds. Further, we find that CMS spread options are weakly dependent on the at-the-money Black implied volatility skews.
ON THE IMPACT OF HIDDEN TRENDS FOR A COMPOUND POISSON MODEL WITH PARETO-TYPE CLAIMS
Authors: GRANDITS PETER , KAINHOFER REINHOLD , TEMNOV GRIGORY
Published: August 2010

We consider a compound-Poisson model with Pareto-type claims. In contrast to the classical case, where the claims are assumed to be iid., we assume that scaling and location parameters of the Pareto distribution follow a certain trend. We investigate the impact of this trend on parameter estimation and on the VaR (Value-at-Risk), if one mis-specifies (or even neglects) this trend. In the first part we show a consistency result for the mis-specified model, in the second part the deviations of the true parameters from the ones obtained by applying an iid. procedure is measured. Finally we study the impact of the mis-specification on a typical risk measure like the VaR.
NOTES ON EXACT AND SEMI-EXACT LÉVY MODELS FOR THE VALUATION OF CDOs
Authors: EICHLER A. , LEOBACHER G. , ZELLINGER H.
Published: August 2010

We investigate the effects of certain simplifying assumptions that are often made when valuating tranches of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) using a firm's value approach. Those assumptions are the homogeneity and largeness of the portfolio and the so-called European approximation. The error made in this way is measured by comparing the result to a model with less simplification which is evaluated by the use of Monte Carlo simulation.
Mini-Margin Nephron Sparing Surgery for Renal Cell Carcinoma 4 cm or Less
Authors: Li Quanlin , Guan Hongwei , Qin Jie , Jiang Tao
Published: August 2010

Objectives. To explore the safety and efficacy of mini-margin nephron sparing surgery (NSS) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) 4 cm or less.Methods. Total of 389 cases of RCC 4 cm or less with normal contralateral kidneys were included in the study, including 135 cases treated by mini-margin NSS, 98 by 1 cm-NSS and 156 by radical nephrectomy (RN). The clinical results were followed-up and comparatively analyzed.Results. The mean and median margin width for mm-NSS was 2.2 and 2.0 mm (range 0 to 5). Of them, 112 (83.0%) cases had margins of 3 mm or less, and 26 had margins of 0 mm (19.3%). The mean width of margin for 1 cm-NSS was 11.6 mm (median 12, range 10~15). None of the NSS patients had positive surgical margins. The mean follow-up for mm-NSS, 1 cm-NSS and RN patients was 69, 82 and 82 months, respectively. Three mm-NSS patients, two 1 cm- NSS and four RN patients died of non-cancer related causes. Two mm-NSS patient (1.6%) experienced local recurrence. No distant metastasis was detected in all the patients. The over all 5-year survivals for NSS and RN patients were 100%, 100% and 98.7%, respectively (P=.950).Conclusions. Mini-margin NSS is as safe and effective as 1 cm-NSS and RN in treating early localized RCC 4 cm or less.
Positive Solutions for Second‐Order Three‐Point Eigenvalue Problems
Authors: Bai Chuanzhi
Published: August 2010

With the help of the fixed point index theorem in cones, we get an existence theorem concerning the existence of positive solution for a second‐order three‐point eigenvalue problem x′′(t) + λf(t, x(t)) = 0,  0 ≤ t ≤ 1, x(0) = 0, x(1) = x(η), where λ
is a parameter. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the obtained result.
Spuriously Elevated Serum IGF-1 in Adult Individuals with Delayed Puberty: A Diagnostic Pitfall
Authors: Imran Syed Ali , Pelkey Michael , Clarke David B. , Clayton Dale , Trainer Peter , Ezzat Shereen
Published: August 2010

Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a sensitive marker of growth hormone (GH) activity. The levels of IGF-1 vary widely, peaking during puberty and declining with advancing age. During adolescence, serum IGF-1 levels tend to correlate better with pubertal stage rather than chronological age. Here we discuss two cases of delayed puberty, both in their 20s, who presented with high serum IGF-1 but no clinical or biochemical evidence of hypersomatotropism as confirmed by appropriate GH response to an oral glucose challenge. Both individuals achieved full pubertal status with testosterone replacement therapy and their serum IGF-1 levels settled into normal age-specific range. We suggest that in chronologically adult individuals with delayed puberty, serum IGF-1 should not be interpreted on the basis of age-specific normal values but rather on their pubertal status. Furthermore, in the absence of another cause of elevated IGF-1, the expectation is that IGF-1 levels will decline towards age-normative ranges following androgen replacement therapy.
A Novel Fairness-Aware Resource Allocation Scheme in Multiuser SISO-OFDMA Downlink
Authors: Papoutsis Vasileios D. , Fraimis Ioannis G. , Kotsopoulos Stavros A.
Published: August 2010

The problem of resource allocation for the downlink of wireless systems operating over a frequency-selective channel is investigated. It is assumed that both the Base Station (BS) and each user are equipped with a single antenna (Single Input Single Output-SISO case), and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) is used as a multiple access scheme. The aim is to maximize the sum of the users' data rates subject to constraints on total available power and proportional fairness among users' data rates. Achieving the optimal solution has a high computational cost thereby the use of suboptimal techniques is necessary. A suboptimal, but efficient, scheme is devised, and it is shown, via simulation, that not only the proposed resource allocation scheme achieve higher sum of the users' data rates than other existing schemes but also the sum data rate is distributed fairly and flexibly among users. In addition, the proposed scheme is complexity effective and can be applied to latest-generation wireless systems that provide Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantees.
UAE Neem Extract as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Carbon Steel in HCl Solution
Authors: Nahlé Ayssar , Abu-Abdoun Ideisan , Abdel-Rahman Ibrahim , Al-Khayat Maysoon
Published: August 2010

The effect of aqueous extract of UAE Neem (Azadirachta Indica) on the corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in 1.0 M HCl solution was investigated electrochemically, and by weight-loss experiments at temperatures ranging from 303 to 343 K. The percentage inhibition increased with the increase of the concentration of the inhibitor. At a concentration of 2.0 g/L, the percentage inhibition reached about 87% at room temperature and 80% at 303 K. The percentage inhibition decreased with the increase of temperature. The thermodynamic parameters for the adsorption of this inhibitor on the metal surface were calculated using the Temkin adsorption isotherm. The aqueous Neem leaves extract was found to be an excellent potential corrosion inhibitor because of the high content of tannin content as well as the presence of a series of complex triterpene glycosides.
Static Output Feedback Control Design for Descriptor Systems
Authors: Yagoubi Mohamed
Published: August 2010

The static output feedback (SOF) synthesis problem for descriptor systems is considered in this paper. LMI-based algorithms are proposed to find potentially structured SOF gains ensuring admissibility and evenH∞performance of the closed-loop system. These algorithms are then used to propose a (descriptor) observer-basedH∞controller design method. An alternative technique for determining such separated estimation/control structure, after the design step, is also proposed. Several numerical examples, throughout the paper, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Occupational Protein Contact Dermatitis: Two Case Reports
Authors: Rocha Joana , Pereira Teresa , Sousa-Basto Artur , Brito Celeste
Published: August 2010

Protein contact dermatitis (PCD) is a contact dermatitis caused by high-molecular-weight proteins. This entity has been reported with increasing frequency, most commonly as occupational hand dermatitis in food handlers. Clinically, it is characterized by a chronic and recurrent dermatitis with erythema, scaling, and fissures with acute exacerbations occurring a few minutes after contact with offending allergen. We report two cases in confectioners who presented with chronic hand dermatitis.
Phosphorus Management and Water Quality Problems in Grazingland Ecosystems
Authors: Silveira Maria L. , Vendramini Joao M. B. , Sollenberger Lynn E.
Published: August 2010

Phosphorus management in grazingland ecosystems represents a major challenge of agronomic and environmental importance. Because of the extensive acreage occupied by grazinglands, decisions concerning pasture fertilization and nutrient management in forage-based livestock systems are crucial to both farmers and regulatory agencies. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature relevant to pasture P fertilization and the potential impacts on water quality. There continue to be uncertainties regarding interrelationships between pasture management and water quality issues. Despite the extensive body of literature on nutrient transport from grazinglands, limited information is available on the relationships between land use, transport potential, water management, and climatic conditions affecting nutrient losses at a watershed scale. As agriculture continues to modernize and intensify, public concerns about the impacts of plant nutrients on environmental quality will likely increase. Managing water quality protection and profitable agriculture will be a major challenge for the next generations.
Spatial Scan Statistics Adjusted for Multiple Clusters
Authors: Zhang Zhenkui , Assunção Renato , Kulldorff Martin
Published: August 2010

The spatial scan statistic is one of the main epidemiological tools to test for the presence of disease clusters in a geographical region. While the statistical significance of the most likely cluster is correctly assessed using the model assumptions, secondary clusters tend to have conservatively high P‐values. In this paper, we propose a sequential version of the spatial scan statistic to adjust for the presence of other clusters in the study region. The procedure removes the effect due to the more likely clusters on less significant clusters by sequential deletion of the previously detected clusters. Using the Northeastern United States geography and population in a simulation study, we calculated the type I error probability and the power of this sequential test under different alternative models concerning the locations and sizes of the true clusters. The results show that the type I error probability of our method is close to the nominal α level and that for secondary clusters its power is higher than the standard unadjusted scan statistic.
A Comparison of the Dynamics of S100B, S100A1, and S100A6 mRNA Expression in Hippocampal CA1 Area of Rats during Long-Term Potentiation and after Low-Frequency Stimulation
Authors: Lisachev Pavel D. , Shtark Mark B. , Sokolova Olga O. , Pustylnyak Vladimir O. , Salakhutdinova Mary Yu. , Epstein Oleg I.
Published: August 2010

The interest in tissue- and cell-specific S100 proteins physiological roles in the brain remains high. However, necessary experimental data for the assessment of their dynamics in one of the most important brain activities, its plasticity, is not sufficient. We studied the expression of S100B, S100A1, and S100A6 mRNA in the subfield CA1 of rat hippocampal slices after tetanic and low-frequency stimulation by real-time PCR. Within 30 min after tetanization, a 2–4 fold increase of the S100B mRNA level was observed as compared to the control (intact slices) or to low-frequency stimulation. Subsequently, the S100B mRNA content gradually returned to baseline. The amount of S100A1 mRNA gradually increased during first hour and maintained at the achieved level in the course of second hour after tetanization. The level of S100A6 mRNA did not change following tetanization or low-frequency stimulation.
Cutaneous Horn-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma: A Case Report
Authors: Onak Kandemir Nilufer , Gun Banu Dogan , Barut Figen , Solak Tekin Nilgun , Ozdamar Sukru Oguz
Published: August 2010

Cutaneous horn is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal keratinized material and may occur in association with a variety of benign, premalignant, and malignant cutaneous lesions. Cutaneous horn occurs very rarely in association with soft-tissue neoplasias. A cutaneous horn located on the toe was completely removed by excision in a 78-year-old male patient. Macroscopic examination revealed a hemorrhagic nodular lesion, 0.5 cm in diameter, located on the dermis underlying the cutaneous horn with a height of 1 cm. Histopathological examination revealed a neoplastic lesion consisting of fusiform cells and extravasated erythrocytes underlying the compact keratin mass. The immunohistochemical analysis showed immunoexpression of endothelial markers and HHV8 in fusiform cells. The case was evaluated as “cutaneous horn developed in a nodular stage Kaposi's sarcoma.” Our case is the second case of cutaneous horn related to Kaposi's sarcoma reported in the English literature and is presented in this case report with its clinical and histopathological features.
Lost in the Mist: Acute Adrenal Crisis Following Intranasal Fluticasone Propionate Overuse
Authors: Loaiza-Bonilla Arturo , Sullivan Tollin , Harris Ryan Kendall
Published: August 2010

Introduction. Acute adrenal crisis in relation to nasal steroid overuse has been reported very scantly in English medical literature and remains an underdiagnosed condition.Case presentation. A 55 year-old male presented with altered mental status, retrograde amnesia, fluid refractory hypotension, abdominal pain, fever, and chest pain. Physical examination revealed amnesia, bradypsychia, tachycardia, decreased muscle tone and hyporeflexia. Overuse of nasal steroid was suspected by history. Random early morning cortisol level was < 0.2 mcg/dL. The patient was started on hydrocortisone and within 24 hours he had a full recovery.Conclusion. This one-of-a-kind case describes acute adrenal crisis secondary to withdrawal from inhaled nasal corticosteroids overuse in a patient with particular risk factors. Prevention and early recognition of this disorder can significantly reduce its morbidity and mortality.
Rising Burden of Obesity in Asia
Authors: Ramachandran Ambady , Snehalatha Chamukuttan
Published: August 2010

Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in many Asian countries. These countries also face a grave burden of obesity-related disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, which develop at a younger age than in Western populations. These disorders are also manifested in childhood. The major causative factors are related to the lifestyle changes occurring due to rapid socioeconomic transition. Asian populations show several differences in genetic factors when compared with the white population, and they also have lower cut points for environmental risk factors. National programmes targeting public awareness, education and improved structural facilities to facilitate healthy lifestyle are the keys to alleviate the economic and health care burden of the obesity-related disorders.
Adult Intra-Thoracic Kidney: A Case Report of Bochdalek Hernia
Authors: Fiaschetti Valeria , Velari Luca , Gaspari Eleonora , Mastrangeli Roberta , Simonetti Giovanni
Published: August 2010

Introduction. Bochdalek hernia is a congenital posterior lateral diaphragmatic defect that allows abdominal viscera to herniate into the thorax. Intrathoracic kidney is a very rare finding representing less than 5% of all renal ectopias with the least frequency of all renal ectopias.Case Presentation. We report a case of a 62-year-old man who had a left thoracic kidney associated with left Bochdalek hernia. Abdominal X-ray and chest X-ray revealed dilated loops of the colon above left hemidiaphragm. Abdominal ultrasound (US) showed the right kidney with many fluid and esophytic cysts; left kidney was unfeasible to study because of the impossibility to find it. Computed Tomography (CT) basal scan demonstrated a left-sided Bochdalek hernia with dilatated colon loops and the left kidney within the pleural space. Magnetic Resonance (MR) confirmed a defect in left hemidiaphragm with herniation of left kidney, omento, spleen and colon flexure, and intrarotation with posterior hilum on sagittal plane.Conclusion. The association of a Bochdalek hernia and an intrathoracic renal ectopia is very rare, that pose many diagnostic and management dilemmas for clinicians. Our patient has been visualized by CT and MR imaging. A high index of suspicion can result in early diagnosis and prompt intervention with reduced morbidity and mortality.
The Basic Cardiovascular Responses to Postural Changes, Exercise, and Cold Pressor Test: Do They Vary in Accordance with the Dual Constitutional Types of Ayurveda?
Authors: Tripathi Piyush Kumar , Patwardhan Kishor , Singh Girish
Published: August 2010

According to Ayurveda, the native Indian system of healthcare, three Doshas, namely, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, are the basic mutually reciprocal mechanisms that are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis in human beings. Ayurveda classifies entire human population into seven constitutional types (Prakriti), based on the dominance of any single or a combination of two or three Doshas. Considering the fact that, in the recent past there have been several studies that have proposed some important genetic, biochemical and haematological bases for Prakriti, we conducted the present study in 90 randomly selected clinically healthy volunteers belonging to dual constitutional types (Dvandvaja Prakriti) to evaluate the variability of heart rate and arterial blood pressure in response to specific postural changes, exercise, and cold pressor test. The results of this study, in general, suggest that these basic cardiovascular responses do not vary significantly as per the dual constitutional types. However, we noted a significant fall in the diastolic blood pressure immediately after performing the isotonic exercise for five minutes, in Vata-Kapha individuals in comparison to the other two groups, namely, Pitta-Kapha and Vata-Pitta.
Ocimum gratissimum Aqueous Extract Protects H9c2 Myocardiac Cells from H2O2‐Induced Cell Apoptosis through Akt Signalling
Authors: Lee Mu-Jang , Chen Han-Min , Tzang Bor-Show , Lin Chiu-Wen , Wang Chau-Jong , Liu Jer-Yuh , Kao Shao-Hsuan
Published: August 2010

Increased cell death of cardiomyocyte by oxidative stress is known to cause dysfunction of the heart. O. gratissimum is one of the more well‐known medicinal plants among the Ocimum species and widely used in treatment of inflammatory diseases. In this study, we hypothesized that aqueous extract of O. gratissimum leaf (OGE) may protect myocardiac cell H9c2 from oxidative injury by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Our results revealed that OGE pretreatment dose‐dependently protects H9c2 cells from cell death when exposed to H2O2. Additionally, DNA condensation induced by H2O2 was also reduced by OGE pretreatment, suggesting that Ocimum gratissimum extract may attenuate H2O2‐induced chromosome damage. Further investigation showed that OGE pretreatment inhibited H2O2‐induced activation of caspase‐3 and caspase‐9, as well as H2O2‐induced upregulation of proapoptotic Apaf‐1 and the release of cytosolic cytochrome c, but has little effect on the activation of caspase‐8. Additionally, OGE pretreatment significantly upregulated Bcl‐2 expression and Akt phosphorylation, and slightly affected the phosphorylation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases including p38 MAPK and JNK. Taken together, our findings revealed that Ocimum gratissimum extract effectively inhibited the mitochondrial pathway and upregulated Bcl‐2 expression, which may be important in protecting H9c2 cells from H2O2‐induced cell death.
Comparing Classification Methods for Longitudinal fMRI Studies
Authors: Schmah Tanya , Yourganov Grigori , Zemel Richard S. , Hinton Geoffrey E. , Small Steven L. , Strother Stephen C.
Published: August 2010

We compare 10 methods of classifying fMRI volumes by applying them to data from a longitudinal study of stroke recovery: adaptive Fisher's linear and quadratic discriminant; gaussian naive Bayes; support vector machines with linear, quadratic, and radial basis function (RBF) kernels; logistic regression; two novel methods based on pairs of restricted Boltzmann machines (RBM); and K-nearest neighbors. All methods were tested on three binary classification tasks, and their out-of-sample classification accuracies are compared. The relative performance of the methods varies considerably across subjects and classification tasks. The best overall performers were adaptive quadratic discriminant, support vector machines with RBF kernels, and generatively trained pairs of RBMs.
How Are Lateral Chromatic Interactions Computed from Cone Signals?
Authors: Wehrhahn Christian , Teufel Harald J.
Published: August 2010

A small gray test field superimposed on a large colored background appears tinted in a color complementary to that of the surround. We tested the hypothesis whether photoreceptor sensitivity in the test field is altered in the presence of a colored surround. We investigated this effect using dichoptic viewing conditions. With the left eye, subjects viewed a small gray target superimposed on a large colored background. The right eye saw a gray target superimposed on a large gray background. When the two images were fused, observers perceived one homogeneous background and two targets. Observers matched the color of the target seen by the right eye to that seen by the left eye. A modified two-stage model for chromatic induction assuming that both receptor and postreceptor mechanisms contribute to the shift in color was fitted to the matched settings. We find that the dichoptic viewing effects presented here are well explained by an approximately equal contribution of receptor and postreceptor processes to the perceived shift in color.
A Fast ℒp Spike Alignment Metric
Authors: Dubbs Alexander J. , Seiler Brad A. , Magnasco Marcelo O.
Published: August 2010

The metrization of the space of neural responses is an ongoing research program seeking to find natural ways to describe, in geometrical terms, the sets of possible activities in the brain. One component of this program is spike metrics—notions of distance between two spike trains recorded from a neuron. Alignment spike metrics work by identifying “equivalent” spikes in both trains. We present an alignment spike metric having [Formula: see text] underlying geometrical structure; the [Formula: see text] version is Euclidean and is suitable for further embedding in Euclidean spaces by multidimensional scaling methods or related procedures. We show how to implement a fast algorithm for the computation of this metric based on bipartite graph matching theory.
A Novel Recurrent Neural Network with Finite-Time Convergence for Linear Programming
Authors: Liu Qingshan , Cao Jinde , Chen Guanrong
Published: August 2010

In this letter, a novel recurrent neural network based on the gradient method is proposed for solving linear programming problems. Finite-time convergence of the proposed neural network is proved by using the Lyapunov method. Compared with the existing neural networks for linear programming, the proposed neural network is globally convergent to exact optimal solutions in finite time, which is remarkable and rare in the literature of neural networks for optimization. Some numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness and excellent performance of the new recurrent neural network.
Window-Based Example Selection in Learning Vector Quantization
Authors: Witoelar A. W. , Ghosh A. , de Vries J. J. G. , Hammer B. , Biehl M.
Published: August 2010

A variety of modifications have been employed to learning vector quantization (LVQ) algorithms using either crisp or soft windows for selection of data. Although these schemes have been shown in practice to improve performance, a theoretical study on the influence of windows has so far been limited. Here we rigorously analyze the influence of windows in a controlled environment of gaussian mixtures in high dimensions. Concepts from statistical physics and the theory of online learning allow an exact description of the training dynamics, yielding typical learning curves, convergence properties, and achievable generalization abilities. We compare the performance and demonstrate the advantages of various algorithms, including LVQ 2.1, generalized LVQ (GLVQ), Learning from Mistakes (LFM) and Robust Soft LVQ (RSLVQ). We find that the selection of the window parameter highly influences the learning curves but not, surprisingly, the asymptotic performances of LVQ 2.1 and RSLVQ. Although the prototypes of LVQ 2.1 exhibit divergent behavior, the resulting decision boundary coincides with the optimal decision boundary, thus yielding optimal generalization ability.
Transport and Dynamics of the Panay Sill Overflow in the Philippine Seas*
Authors: Tessler Zachary D. , Gordon Arnold L. , Pratt Larry J. , Sprintall Janet
Published: August 2010

Observations of stratification and currents between June 2007 and March 2009 reveal a strong overflow between 400- and 570-m depth from the Panay Strait into the Sulu Sea. The overflow water is derived from approximately 400 m deep in the South China Sea. Temporal mean velocity is greater than 0.75 m s−1 at 50 m above the 570-m Panay Sill. Empirical orthogonal function analysis of a mooring time series shows that the flow is dominated by the bottom overflow current with little seasonal variance. The overflow does not descend below 1250 m in the Sulu Sea but rather settles above high-salinity deep water derived from the Sulawesi Sea. The mean observed overflow transport at the sill is 0.32 × 106 m3 s−1. The observed transport was used to calculate a bulk diapycnal diffusivity of 4.4 × 10−4 m2 s−1 within the Sulu Sea slab (∼575–1250 m) ventilated from Panay Strait. Analysis of Froude number variation across the sill shows that the flow is hydraulically controlled. A suitable hydraulic control model shows overflow transport equivalent to the observed overflow. Thorpe-scale estimates show turbulent dissipation rates up to 5 × 10−7 W kg−1 just downstream of the supercritical to subcritical flow transition, suggesting a hydraulic jump downstream of the sill.
Sustained, Full-Water-Column Observations of Internal Waves and Mixing near Mendocino Escarpment
Authors: Alford Matthew H.
Published: August 2010

The relative strength and spatiotemporal structure of near-inertial waves (NIW) and internal tides (IT) are examined in the context of recent moored observations made 19 km south of Mendocino Escarpment, an abrupt ridge/step feature in the eastern Pacific. In addition to strong internal tide generation, steps and ridges give rise to the possibility of “shadowing,” wherein near-inertial energy is prevented from reaching depths beneath a characteristic intersecting the ridge top. A combination of two moored profilers and a long-range acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) yielded velocity and shear measurements from 100 to 3640 m (60 m above bottom) and isopycnal depth, strain, and overturn-inferred turbulence dissipation rate from 1000 to 3640 m. Sampling intervals (20 min in the upper 1000 m and 1.5 h below that) were fast enough to minimize aliasing of higher-frequency internal-wave motions. The 67-day-long record is easily sufficient to isolate NIW and IT via bandpass filtering and to capture low-frequency variability in all quantities.

No near-inertial shadowing was observed. Instead, energetic near-inertial waves were observed at all depths, radiating both upward and downward. A strong upward internal tide beam, showing a pronounced spring–neap cycle, was also seen near the expected depth. Case studies of each of these are presented in depth and isopycnal-following coordinates. Except for immediately above the bottom and in the “beam,” where IT kinetic energy shows marked peaks, kinetic energy in the two bands is within a factor of 2 of each other. However, because of the redder NIW vertical wavenumber spectrum, NIW shear exceeded IT shear at all depths by a factor of 2–4. Dissipation rate was strongly enhanced in the bottom 1000 m and in the depth range of the internal tide beam. However, except for very near the bottom and possibly in one NIW event, no clear phase relationship was observed between dissipation rate and wave shear or strain, suggesting that turbulence occurs through a cascade process rather than by direct breaking at most locations.
Tensile and Shear Loading Stability of All-Inside Meniscal Repairs
Authors: Brucker Peter U. , Favre Philippe , Puskas Gabor J. , von Campe Arndt , Meyer Dominik C. , Koch Peter P.
Published: August 2010

Background: Most biomechanical studies for evaluation of the structural properties of meniscal repairs have been performed in tensile loading scenarios perpendicular to the circumferential meniscal fibers. However, meniscal repair constructs are also exposed to shear forces parallel to the circumferential meniscal fibers during healing, particularly in the midportion of the meniscus.

Hypothesis: Material properties of meniscal repair devices cannot be extrapolated from tensile to shear load scenarios.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: In 84 harvested and isolated bovine lateral menisci following removal of adjacent soft tissue, a standardized vertical lesion was set followed by repair using all-inside flexible (FasT-Fix, FasT-Fix AB, RapidLoc) and rigid (Meniscus Screw, Meniscus Arrow) meniscal repair devices. Vertical and horizontal 2.0 Ethibond sutures were used as controls. The repaired meniscal construct was tested in a tensile (parallel to the axis of the tested repair device) and shear load scenario (perpendicular to the axis of the tested repair device) at 5 mm/min and 37°C environmental temperature. Maximum load to failure, stiffness, and failure mode were recorded.

Results: The absolute load to failure values of each repair device in the shear scenario were only marginally different from the tensile load scenario. However, the stiffness of several tested devices was markedly reduced in the shear scenario. In both scenarios, large differences of the load to failure and the stiffness between the implant types up to 5-fold were found ( P < .05). The failure mode of several all-inside flexible repair devices was different in the shear versus tensile load scenario, while the failure mode of the rigid systems was similar in both scenarios.

Conclusion: All-inside meniscal repair devices exposed to shear load scenarios have comparable maximum loads to failures as tensile load scenarios. However, the stiffness of the majority of the flexible meniscal repair implants in a shear load scenario is markedly reduced. The applied scenario also affects the failure mode in several flexible meniscal repair devices.

Clinical Relevance: Meniscal repair devices with sufficient stiffness and stability against shear loads may be favored for meniscal repair, especially within the midportion of the meniscus where shear loads occur during healing.