bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A child with unresectable biliary rhabdomyosarcoma: 48‐month disease‐free survival after liver transplantation
Authors: Paganelli M. , Beaunoyer M. , Samson Y. , Dal Soglio D. , Dubois J. , Lallier M. , Alvarez F.
Published: May 2014

We describe here a two‐yr‐old boy with biliary RMS successfully treated by chemotherapy and LT. The child presented with obstructive jaundice at 20 months of age. A mildly vascularized, non‐calcified, partially cystic lesion was visualized in the left hepatic lobe. Solid infiltration of the common bile duct and of both left and right hepatic ducts was suspected. Liver biopsy suggested a botryoid‐type embryonal RMS originating from the biliary tract. After extrahepatic spread of the tumor was excluded, a biliary drain was applied and neoadjuvant chemotherapy was started. After the treatment, although reduced in volume, the mass was still unresectable without aggressive surgery and gross residual disease. LT with a reduced segment II/III graft was performed four months after diagnosis. The patient received six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, and he is alive and recurrence‐free 48 months post‐transplantation. A posteriori, the transplant might have possibly been avoided with an aggressive resection with biliary reconstruction. Nevertheless, although the risk of the transplant has to be balanced against the chemoresponsiveness of the tumor, the four‐yr disease‐free survival of this patient suggests that, when coupled with effective chemotherapy, transplantation might be considered a potential treatment for unresectable biliary RMS.
Leaf architectural, vascular and photosynthetic acclimation to temperature in two biennials
Authors: Muller Onno , Stewart Jared J. , Cohu Christopher M. , Polutchko Stephanie K. , Demmig‐Adams Barbara , Adams William W.
Published: May 2014

Acclimation of leaf features to growth temperature was investigated in two biennials (whose life cycle spans summer and winter seasons) using different mechanisms of sugar loading into exporting conduits, Verbascum phoeniceum (employs sugar‐synthesizing enzymes driving symplastic loading through plasmodesmatal wall pores of phloem cells) and Malva neglecta (likely apoplastic loader transporting sugar via membrane transport proteins of phloem cells). In both species, acclimation to lower temperature involved greater maximal photosynthesis rates and vein density per leaf area in close correlation with modification of minor vein cellular features. While the symplastically loading biennial exhibited adjustments in the size of minor leaf vein cells (consistent with adjustment of the level of sugar‐synthesizing enzymes), the putative apoplastic biennial exhibited adjustments in the number of cells (consistent with adjustment of cell membrane area for transporter placement). This upregulation of morphological and anatomical features at lower growth temperature likely contributes to the success of both the species during the winter. Furthermore, while acclimation to low temperature involved greater leaf mass per area in both species, this resulted from greater leaf thickness in V. phoeniceum vs a greater number of mesophyll cells per leaf area in M. neglecta. Both types of adjustments presumably accommodate more chloroplasts per leaf area contributing to photosynthesis. Both biennials exhibited high foliar vein densities (particularly the solar‐tracking M. neglecta), which should aid both sugar export from and delivery of water to the leaves.
The depositional architecture and facies variability of shelf deltas in the Eocene Battfjellet Formation, Nathorst Land, Spitsbergen
Authors: Grundvåg Sten‐Andreas , Helland‐Hansen William , Johannessen Erik P. , Olsen Andreas H. , Stene Stig A. K.
Published: May 2014

Deltas are commonly classified according to their plan‐view morphology as either river‐dominated, tide‐dominated or wave‐dominated. However, most deltas form under the mixed influence of these processes, commonly with laterally varying process regimes. It has also become clear that there is a mismatch between the plan‐view morphology and internal facies composition in some deltas. Combined outcrop and subsurface data from the Eocene Battfjellet Formation, Spitsbergen, provide an example of ancient shelf deltas that formed under mixed influence. Internally, these shelf deltas are characterized by wave‐dominated facies that are normally associated with strike‐extensive, nearly linear shoreline sandstones. However, the formation comprises partially overlapping sandstone bodies of limited lateral extent (<20 km in any direction). This stacking pattern is attributed to frequent autogenic lobe switching that caused localized and rapid transgressions. Such processes typify fluvial‐dominated deltas and occur less commonly in wave‐dominated ones. Thus, there is an apparent mismatch between inferred plan‐view morphology and internal facies composition. It is argued that the Battfjellet deltas were flood‐dominated and prograded mainly during periods of high fluvial discharge. However, reworking of the fluvial‐flood facies by fair‐weather and storm waves, as well as longshore currents, resulted in a wave‐dominated facies character. Delta lobes undergoing auto‐retreat were particularly prone to reworking by basinal processes, including tidal currents. It is suggested that repeated delta progradation from inner shelf settings towards the outer shelf and shelf edge was aided by high sediment supply rather than relative falls in sea‐level as previously suggested. This interpretation is supported by: (i) the lack of major facies dislocations and extensive sub‐aerial unconformities; and (ii) an overall relative rise in sea‐level as evidenced by an overall low‐angle (0·8 to 1·2°) ascending shoreline trajectory. The latter results from the combined effect of basin subsidence, eustatic highstand and sediment compaction.
Attachment‐related expectations and mother‐referent memory bias in middle childhood
Authors: Dujardin Adinda , Bosmans Guy , Braet Caroline , Goossens Lien
Published: May 2014

Understanding the cognitive processing of attachment‐relevant information has become a major focus of attachment research. Previous research demonstrated links between attachment and memory for attachment‐related information, but results were contradictory and did not control for mood‐effects. The current study aimed to provide a conceptual framework to capture inconsistencies. A straightforward memory bias hypothesis was derived and tested. Fifty children (aged 10–12) completed questionnaires assessing confidence in maternal support and depressive symptoms, and a memory task in which they recalled positive and negative words that referred to previous interactions with mother. Less confidence in maternal support and more depressive symptoms were linked to a more negative mother‐related memory bias. The effect of confidence in maternal support remained marginally significant when controlling for depressive symptoms, explaining the initial effect of depressive symptoms. These findings support attachment theory's hypothesis that attachment‐relevant information is processed in an attachment expectation‐congruent way.
Lifelong exercise and locally produced insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) have a modest influence on reducing age‐related muscle wasting in mice
Authors: McMahon C. D. , Chai R. , Radley‐Crabb H. G. , Watson T. , Matthews K. G. , Sheard P. W. , Soffe Z. , Grounds M. D. , Shavlakadze T.
Published: May 2014

The age‐related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function is termed sarcopenia and has been attributed to a decline in concentrations of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1). We hypothesized that constitutively expressed IGF‐1 within skeletal muscles with or without exercise would prevent sarcopenia. Male transgenic mice that overexpress IGF‐1 Ea in skeletal muscles were compared with wild‐type littermates. Four‐month‐old mice were assigned to be sedentary, or had access to free‐running wheels, until 18 or 28 months of age. In wild‐type mice, the mass of the quadriceps muscles was reduced at 28 months and exercise prevented such loss, without affecting the diameter of myofibers. Conversely, increased IGF‐1 alone was ineffective, whereas the combination of exercise and IGF‐1 was additive in maintaining the diameter of myofibers in the quadriceps muscles. For other muscles, the combination of IGF‐1 and exercise was variable and either increased or decreased the mass at 18 months of age, but was ineffective thereafter. Despite an increase in the diameter of myofibers, grip strength was not improved. In conclusion, our data show that exercise and IGF‐1 have a modest effect on reducing aged‐related wasting of skeletal muscle, but that there is no improvement in muscle function when assessed by grip strength.
Strengthening German Programs through Community Engagement and Partnerships with Saturday Morning Schools
Authors: Hellebrandt Josef
Published: May 2014

German university programs can increase enrollments and diversify their curricula through academic community partnerships with surrounding schools. This article informs about two community‐supported initiatives between the German Studies Program at Santa Clara University and the South Bay Deutscher Schulverein, a Saturday Morning School in Northern California. It describes the service‐learning components of a German Honors Program and a media class and shows how their community engagement components led to an increase in the number of program majors and how both initiatives benefited both the university and the Saturday School.
The elliptic Weyl character formula
Authors: Ganter Nora
Published: May 2014

We calculate equivariant elliptic cohomology of the partial flag variety$\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}G/H$, where$H\subseteq G$are compact connected Lie groups of equal rank. We identify the${\rm RO}(G)$-graded coefficients${\mathcal{E}} ll_G^*$as powers of Looijenga’s line bundle and prove that transfer along the map$$\begin{equation*} \pi \,{:}\,G/H\longrightarrow {\rm pt} \end{equation*}$$is calculated by the Weyl–Kac character formula. Treating ordinary cohomology,$K$-theory and elliptic cohomology in parallel, this paper organizes the theoretical framework for the elliptic Schubert calculus of [N. Ganter and A. Ram,Elliptic Schubert calculus, in preparation].
Minimal genus and fibering of canonical surfaces via disk decomposition
Authors: Stoimenow A.
Published: May 2014

This paper contains some applications of the description of knot diagrams by genus, and Gabai’s methods of disk decomposition. We show that there exists no genus one knot of canonical genus 2, and that canonical genus 2 fiber surfaces realize almost every Alexander polynomial only finitely many times (partially confirming a conjecture of Neuwirth).
Civic Paternalism in Political Policymaking: The Justification for No-Vote Stadium Subsidies
Authors: Kellison Timothy B. , Mondello Michael J.
Published: May 2014

Direct democracy practices such as initiatives and referenda are increasingly ignored or circumvented by political leaders who allocate subsidies toward new professional sport stadium developments. In a democracy, such a means of governing may be problematic if the outcome is unreflective of the public will. The existing literature makes several theoretical connections for this line of political decision-making, including urban growth machines and trustee–delegate representation. In this paper, these concepts are integrated with empirical evidence to support the conceptualization of civic paternalism, a term that provides partial description of the political decision-making process. Civic paternalists justify their decisions by arguing that a city’s continued vibrancy and growth optimize community benefit while remaining acutely aware of their decisions’ political consequences. We illustrate the concept of civic paternalism by drawing from interviews with political leaders associated with one of the most recent cases of the no-vote subsidy.
Coverage of the Gay Games From 1980–2012 in U.S. Newspapers: An Analysis of Newspaper Article Framing
Authors: Lee Soonhwan , Kim Seungmo , Love Adam
Published: May 2014

Many members of the LGBT community have viewed the Gay Games as an opportunity to challenge dominant ideologies concerning sexuality and sport participation. Members of the mass media, however, play a potentially important role in how the event is perceived by the general public. Therefore, the primary purpose of the current study was to examine how the Gay Games have been framed in newspaper coverage. A total of 646 articles published in the United States covering the eight Gay Games events held during the 32-year period of 1980–2012 were analyzed in terms of three aspects of framing: (a) the types of issues highlighted, (b) the sources of information cited, and (c) the manner in which either episodic or thematic narratives were employed. The results of the current study revealed that issues of identity and optimism were most commonly highlighted, LGBT participants were most frequently cited as sources of information, and thematic framing was most commonly employed in newspaper coverage of the Gay Games.
The Freedom to Choose: Elite Female Athletes’ Preferred Representations Within Endorsement Opportunities
Authors: Fink Janet S. , Kane Mary Jo , LaVoi Nicole M.
Published: May 2014

“I want to be respected for what I do instead of what I look like”

—Janie, a swimmer

“They can see the moves I make, the action I make [on the court]. But I also want them to see this is who I am off the court. I’m not just this basketball player. I can be somebody else”

—Melanie, a basketball player

Despite unprecedented gains in women’s sports 40 years after Title IX, female athletes are rarely used in endorsement campaigns and, when used, are presented in sexually provocative poses versus highlighting their athletic competence. This pattern of representation continues, though empirical evidence demonstrates consumers prefer portrayals focusing on sportswomen’s skill versus their sex appeal. Research also indicates females are keenly aware of gendered expectations which create tensions between being athletic and “appropriately feminine.” The current study addresses what we don’t know: how elite female athletes wish to be portrayed if promised the same amount of financial reward and commercial exposure. Thirty-six team and individual scholarship athletes were asked to choose between portrayals of femininity and athletic competence. Findings revealed that competence was the dominant overall choice though close to 30% picked both types of portrayals. Metheny’s gendered sport typology was used to analyze how sportswomen’s preferences challenge, or conform to, traditional ideologies and practices surrounding women’s sports. Implications for sport management scholars and practitioners are discussed.
Framing Event Legacy in a Prospective Host City: Managing Vancouver’s Olympic Bid
Authors: Sant Stacy-Lynn , Mason Daniel S.
Published: May 2014

In preparation for Olympic bids, city officials and event managers often cite event “legacies” and argue that such benefits may be realized for decades. Meanwhile, public support is extremely important when moving forward with a bid; legacy has therefore become a prominent feature in bid committee rhetoric and in the management of event bidding, and how the notion of legacy is managed in the media by bid proponents will be key to a successful bid. This paper explores how legacy was framed in the newspaper media during the Olympic bid in Vancouver, where city officials, local politicians, and members of the bid committee focused their pro-bid arguments around infrastructure, economic, and social legacies. Results show how these legacies entered the bid discourse at various points in the domestic and international bid competitions, as supporters moved away from discussions of new infrastructure development and economic impacts toward intangible event benefits.
Effects of Assessment on Collegiate Recreation Programs
Authors: Young Dallin George , Dean Laura A. , Franklin Douglas , Tschepikow William Kyle
Published: May 2014

Collegiate recreation professionals were surveyed to determine whether, how regularly, and by what means they were conducting assessment. This descriptive study explored current assessment practices; surveyed resources used in assessment, including specific attention to CAS materials; and reported outcomes of assessment activities. Results indicated that more than 90% of respondents were engaged in assessment, regardless of institution type. Professional literature, professional development activities, and assessment teams were the most frequently used resources; approximately 40% reported using CAS materials. Most frequently reported outcomes of assessment were generally related to student staffing. Respondents also indicated that mission statements and professional staffing changed less frequently as a result of assessment efforts. Implications for the practice of assessment in collegiate recreation programs are discussed.
Microbial bioproducts from cheese whey through fermentation with wastewater sludge Clostridium isolates
Authors: Ellis Joshua T. , Sims Ronald C. , Miller Charles D.
Published: May 2014

We demonstrated the production of hydrogen, ethanol, and a variety of acids by several Clostridium species using cheese whey as substrate. These species were isolated from the anaerobic sediments of a municipal wastewater stabilization pond. Eight isolates were obtained and all were classified taxonomically as Clostridium spp. based on 16S rRNA sequencing. Sludge isolates showed maximum bioproduct production yields and productivities after approximately 24 h of batch cultivation with 6% (m/v) cheese whey. Fermentation byproducts measured included hydrogen, ethanol, acetic acid, butyric acid, and lactic acid. The maximum yields of bioproducts were 0.59 mol H2/mol lactose, 0.071 g ethanol/g, 0.204 g acetic acid/g, 0.218 g butyric acid/g, and 0.144 g lactic acid/g. The production of these high value biofuels and biofuel intermediates from cheese whey could have significant implications for conversion of waste to high value bioproducts to enhance domestic energy economies.
Multiconfigurational Dirac–Fock energy levels and radiative rates for Ni XXI
Authors: Aggarwal Sunny , Verma Nupur , Singh A.K. , Singh Narendra , Sharma Rinku , Mohan Man
Published: May 2014

We present accurate atomic structure calculations for the lowest 200 fine structural energy levels for oxygen-like nickel, which may be a useful ion for both astrophysical and fusion plasmas. For the calculations of energy levels and radiative rates, we have used the multiconfigurational Dirac–Fock method. Our results are compared with those obtained using other numerical methods and experiments so that their accuracy can be assessed. The transition wavelengths, oscillator strengths, and radiative rates are reported for electric dipole (E1) transitions from the ground state. We have also presented the transition probabilities and transition wavelength of some forbidden transitions. Finally, we predict new energy levels, oscillator strengths, and transition probability data, where no other theoretical or experimental results are available, which may be useful for future experimental work.
Echinococcus granulosusPrevalence in Dogs in Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Adediran Oyeduntan Adejoju , Kolapo Temitope Ubaidat , Uwalaka Emmanuel Chibuike
Published: May 2014

Echinococcosis is a public health parasitic disease that is cosmopolitan (Echinococcus granulosus) in its distribution. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have been recognised as the definitive host of the parasite. The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of canine echinococcosis in Southwest Nigeria using direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect sera antigen. Two hundred and seventy-three (273) canine sera were tested for the presence ofEchinococcusantigen. Purpose of keeping (hunting or companion), age (young or adult), and sex of each dog were considered during sampling. Total prevalence recorded was 12.45% (34/273). There was significant difference (P<0.05) between hunting (15.94%) and companion dogs (1.52%) but there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between young and adult dogs. There was no association between sex and prevalence of canine echinococcosis. The result of this study established the presence of canine echinococcosis in Southwest Nigeria; thus there is the possibility of occurrence of zoonotic form of the disease (human cystic hydatid diseases) in the region.
Engineered Nanomaterials: Knowledge Gaps in Fate, Exposure, Toxicity, and Future Directions
Authors: Kumar Arun , Kumar Prashant , Anandan Ananthitha , Fernandes Teresa F. , Ayoko Godwin A. , Biskos George
Published: May 2014

The aim of this study is to identify current knowledge gaps in fate, exposure, and toxicity of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), highlight research gaps, and suggest future research directions. Humans and other living organisms are exposed to ENMs during production or use of products containing them. To assess the hazards of ENMs, it is important to assess their physiochemical properties and try to relate them to any observed hazard. However, the full determination of these relationships is currently limited by the lack of empirical data. Moreover, most toxicity studies do not use realistic environmental exposure conditions for determining dose‐response parameters, affecting the accurate estimation of health risks associated with the exposure to ENMs. Regulatory aspects of nanotechnology are still developing and are currently the subject of much debate. Synthesis of available studies suggests a number of open questions. These include (i) developing a combination of different analytical methods for determining ENM concentration, size, shape, surface properties, and morphology in different environmental media, (ii) conducting toxicity studies using environmentally relevant exposure conditions and obtaining data relevant to developing quantitative nanostructure‐toxicity relationships (QNTR), and (iii) developing guidelines for regulating exposure of ENMs in the environment.
Dead Reckoning Using Play Patterns in a Simple 2D Multiplayer Online Game
Authors: Shi Wei , Corriveau Jean-Pierre , Agar Jacob
Published: May 2014

In today’s gaming world, a player expects the same play experience whether playing on a local network or online with many geographically distant players on congested networks. Because of delay and loss, there may be discrepancies in the simulated environment from player to player, likely resulting in incorrect perception of events. It is desirable to develop methods that minimize this problem. Dead reckoning is one such method. Traditional dead reckoning schemes typically predict a player’s position linearly by assuming players move with constant force or velocity. In this paper, we consider team-based 2D online action games. In such games, player movement is rarely linear. Consequently, we implemented such a game to act as a test harness we used to collect a large amount of data from playing sessions involving a large number of experienced players. From analyzing this data, we identified play patterns, which we used to create three dead reckoning algorithms. We then used an extensive set of simulations to compare our algorithms with the IEEE standard dead reckoning algorithm and with the recent “Interest Scheme” algorithm. Our results are promising especially with respect to the average export error and the number of hits.
Identification of Contamination Control Strategy for Fluid Power System Using an Inexact Chance-Constrained Integer Program
Authors: Huang Y. Q. , Nie S. L. , Ji H.
Published: May 2014

An inexact chance-constrained integer programming (ICIP) method is developed for planning contamination control of fluid power system (FPS). The ICIP is derived by incorporating chance-constrained programming (CCP) within an interval mixed integer linear programming (IMILP) framework, such that uncertainties presented in terms of probability distributions and discrete intervals can be handled. It can also help examine the reliability of satisfying (or risk of violating) system constraints under uncertainty. The developed method is applied to a case of contamination control planning for one typical FPS. Interval solutions associated with risk levels of constraint violation are obtained. They can be used for generating decision alternatives and thus help designers identify desired strategies under various environmental, economic, and system reliability constraints. Generally, willingness to take a higher risk of constraint violation will guarantee a lower system cost; a strong desire to acquire a lower risk will run into a higher system cost. Thus, the method provides not only decision variable solutions presented as stable intervals but also the associated risk levels in violating the system constraints. It can therefore support an in-depth analysis of the tradeoff between system cost and system-failure risk.
PLLA/Fibrin Tubular Scaffold: A New Way for Reliable Endothelial Cell Seeding
Authors: Rigogliuso Salvatrice , Carfì Pavia Francesco , La Carrubba Vincenzo , Brucato Valerio , Ghersi Giulio
Published: May 2014

In the present work a simple and quick technique for cell seeding into tubular-shaped scaffolds, which allows a homogeneous cell distribution, was tested. The poly-L-lactide (PLLA) scaffolds, prepared via diffusion induced phase separation (DIPS), were filled with fibrin gel in order to obtain a hybrid scaffold for Vascular Tissue Engineering applications. The formation of immobilized fibrin networks on the inner surface of the tubular scaffolds was observed using confocal microscopy and SEM. Morphological analysis of the so-obtained scaffold revealed that the fibrin gel is uniformly distributed on the internal surface of the scaffold, leading to an organized structure. Moreover a penetration of the gel into the porous wall of the scaffold was observed. The in vitro endothelial cell cultures carried out in the scaffolds highlighted a faster cell proliferation inside the hybrid scaffold with respect to simple PLLA scaffold. Results show that the fibrin/PLLA hybrid scaffold may be favourably used for Vascular Tissue Engineering applications.
Mitochondrial Dysfunctions in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Relevance to Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Hroudová Jana , Singh Namrata , Fišar Zdeněk
Published: May 2014

Mitochondrial dysfunctions are supposed to be responsible for many neurodegenerative diseases dominating in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). A growing body of evidence suggests that defects in mitochondrial metabolism and particularly of electron transport chain may play a role in pathogenesis of AD. Structurally and functionally damaged mitochondria do not produce sufficient ATP and are more prominent in producing proapoptotic factors and reactive oxygen species (ROS), and this can be an early stage of several mitochondrial disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunctions may be caused by both mutations in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA that code mitochondrial components and by environmental causes. In the following review, common aspects of mitochondrial impairment concerned about neurodegenerative diseases are summarized including ROS production, impaired mitochondrial dynamics, and apoptosis. Also, damaged function of electron transport chain complexes and interactions between pathological proteins and mitochondria are described for AD particularly and marginally for PD and HD.
New Distributional Data of Butterflies in the Middle of the Mediterranean Basin: An Area Very Sensitive to Expected Climate Change
Authors: Scalercio Stefano
Published: May 2014

Butterflies are known to be very sensitive to environmental changes. Species distribution is modified by climate warming with latitudinal and altitudinal range shifts, but also environmental perturbations modify abundance and species composition of communities. Changes can be detected and described when large datasets are available, but unfortunately only for few Mediterranean countries they were created. The butterfly fauna of the Mediterranean Basin is very sensitive to climate warming and there is an urgent need of large datasets to investigate and mitigate risks such as local extinctions or new pest outbreaks. The fauna of Calabria, the southernmost region of peninsular Italy, is composed also of European species having here their southern range. The aim of this dataset paper is to increase and update the knowledge of butterfly distribution in a region very sensitive to climate warming that can become an early‐warning area.
Impact of Dose and Sensitivity Heterogeneity on TCP
Authors: Wiklund Kristin , Toma-Dasu Iuliana , Lind Bengt K.
Published: May 2014

This present paper presents an analytical description and numerical simulations of the influence of macroscopic intercell dose variations and intercell sensitivity variations on the probability of controlling the tumour. Computer simulations of tumour control probability accounting for heterogeneity in dose and radiation sensitivity were performed. An analytical expression for tumor control probability accounting for heterogeneity in sensitivity was also proposed and validated against simulations. The results show good agreement between numerical simulations and the calculated TCP using the proposed analytical expression for the case of a heterogeneous dose and sensitivity distributions. When the intratumour variations of dose and sensitivity are taken into account, the total dose required for achieving the same level of control as for the case of homogeneous distribution is only slightly higher, the influence of the variations in the two factors taken into account being additive. The results of this study show that the interplay between cell or tumour variation in the sensitivity to radiation and the inherent heterogeneity in dose distribution is highly complex and therefore should be taken into account when predicting the outcome of a given treatment in terms of tumor control probability.
Dynamics of Posttranslational Modifications of p53
Authors: Fan Qing-Duan , Wu Guang , Liu Zeng-Rong
Published: May 2014

The latest experimental evidence indicates that acetylation of p53 at K164 (lysine 164) and K120 may induce directly cell apoptosis under severe DNA damage. However, previous cell apoptosis models only studied the effects of active and/or inactive p53, that is, phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of p53. In the present paper, based partly on Geva-Zatorsky et al. (2006) and Batchelor et al. (2008), we propose a new cell apoptosis network, in which p53 has three statuses, that is, unphosphorylated p53, phosphorylated p53, and acetylated p53. The time delay differential equations (DDEs) are formulated based on our network to investigate the dynamical insights of p53-induced cell apoptosis. In agreement with experiments (Loewer et al. (2010)), our simulations indicate that acetylated p53 accumulates gradually and then induces the proapoptotic protein Bax under enough DNA damage. Moreover, phosphorylated p53 oscillates and initiates cell repair during DNA damage.
A Proposed Quantitative Index for Assessing the Potential Contribution of Reprogramming to Cancer Stem Cell Kinetics
Authors: Gao Xuefeng , McDonald J. Tyson , Naidu Mamta , Hahnfeldt Philip , Hlatky Lynn
Published: May 2014

Enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is thought to be responsible for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) recurrence after radiation therapy. Simulation results from our agent-based cellular automata model reveal that the enrichment of CSCs may result either from an increased symmetric self-renewal division rate of CSCs or a reprogramming of non-stem cancer cells (CCs) to a stem cell state. Based onplateau-to-peakratio of the CSC fraction in the tumor following radiation, a downward trend from peak to subsequent plateau (i.e., aplateau-to-peakratio exceeding 1.0) was found to be inconsistent with increased symmetric division alone and favors instead a strong reprogramming component. The two contributions together are seen to be the product of a dynamic equilibrium between CSCs and CCs that is highly regulated by the kinetics of single cells, including the potential for CCs to reacquire a stem cell state and confer phenotypic plasticity to the population as a whole. We conclude that tumor malignancy can be gauged by a degree of cancer cell plasticity.
Electroadsorption Desalination with Carbon Nanotube/PAN-Based Carbon Fiber Felt Composites as Electrodes
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhou Junbo
Published: May 2014

The chemical vapor deposition method is used to prepare CNT (carbon nanotube)/PCF (PAN-based carbon fiber felt) composite electrodes in this paper, with the surface morphology of CNT/PCF composites and electroadsorption desalination performance being studied. Results show such electrode materials with three-dimensional network nanostructures having a larger specific surface area and narrower micropore distribution, with a huge number of reactive groups covering the surface. Compared with PCF electrodes, CNT/PCF can allow for a higher adsorption and desorption rate but lower energy consumption; meanwhile, under the condition of the same voltage change, the CNT/PCF electrodes are provided with a better desalination effect. The study also found that the higher the original concentration of the solution, the greater the adsorption capacity and the lower the adsorption rate. At the same time, the higher the solution’s pH, the better the desalting; the smaller the ions’ radius, the greater the amount of adsorption.
Gastric Antiulcerogenic and Hypokinetic Activities ofTerminalia fagifoliaMart. & Zucc. (Combretaceae)
Authors: Nunes Paulo Humberto M. , Martins Maria do Carmo C. , Oliveira Rita de Cássia M. , Chaves Mariana H. , Sousa Elcilene A. , Leite José Roberto S. A. , Véras Leiz Maria , Almeida Fernanda Regina C.
Published: May 2014

The acute toxicity, the antioxidant activity, and the pharmacological activity on the gastrointestinal tract of rodents of the ethanolic extract (TFEE) from the bark ofTerminalia fagifoliaMart. & Zucc. (Combretaceae) and of its aqueous (TFAqF), hydroalcoholic (TFHAF), and hexanic (TFHEXF) partition fractions have been evaluated. TFEE presented low acute toxicity, antioxidant, and antiulcerogenic activity against ethanol-induced ulcers, which was partially blocked by pretreatment with L-NAME and indomethacin. It reduced the total acidity and raised the pH of gastric secretion. Additionally, TFEE delayed gastric emptying and slightly inhibited the small intestinal transit and also presented a weakly antidiarrheal activity. The antiulcerogenic and antioxidant activity were also detected in TFAqF and TFHAF but not in TFHEXF. The antisecretory and gastroprotective activity of TFEE partially involve the nitric oxide and prostaglandin participation. Nevertheless, TFEE, TFAqF, and TFHAF drastically reduced the mucus layer adhered to the gastric wall of rats treated with ethanol or indomethacin. Complementary studies are required in order to clarify the paradox of the presence of a gastroprotector activity in this plant that, at the same time, reduces the mucus layer adhered to the gastric wall.
Tobacco Use among University Students of Jazan Region: Gender Differences and Associated Factors
Authors: Mahfouz Mohamed Salih , Alsanosy Rashad Mohammed , Gaffar Abdelrahim Mutwakel , Makeen Anwar
Published: May 2014

Objectives. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use and behavioral patterns among undergraduate students at higher education institutions in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia during the 2011-2012 academic year and to investigate factors that contribute to tobacco use by gender.Methods. A cross-sectional study of 4100 undergraduate students was conducted. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on the extent and pattern of tobacco consumption and factors associated with tobacco use.Results. Current smokers accounted for 16.8% (95% CI: 15.6–18.1) of the population sampled; 25.6% (95% CI: 23.8–27.5) of males were current smokers, whereas only 4.6% (95% CI: 3.6–5.8) of females were current smokers (P=0.000). Multivariate analysis revealed that the most important variables explaining tobacco use among study participants were the use of khat (OR=14.05;P=0.000), smoking status of friends (OR=2.25;P=0.000), and substance use by friends (OR=1.81;P=0.001).Conclusions. The results demonstrated that khat use was the main predictor for smoking in Jazan for both males and females. Interventions should be designed to reduce the use of tobacco among university students.
The Prevalence of Sacroiliitis and Spondyloarthritis in Patients with Sarcoidosis
Authors: Kobak Senol , Sever Fidan , Ince Ozlem , Orman Mehmet
Published: May 2014

Introduction.Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disease, which can involve different organs and systems. Coexistence of sarcoidosis and spondyloarthritis has been reported in numerous case reports.Purpose.To determine the prevalence of sacroiliitis and spondyloarthritis in patients previously diagnosed with sarcoidosis and to investigate any possible relation with clinical findings.Materials and Methods.Forty-two patients with sarcoidosis were enrolled in the study. Any signs and symptoms in regard to spondyloarthritis (i.e., existence of inflammatory back pain, gluteal pain, uveitis, enthesitis, dactylitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis) were questioned in detail and biochemical tests were evaluated. Sacroiliac joint imaging and lateral heel imaging were performed in all patients.Results.Sacroiliitis was found in 6 of the 42 (14.3%) sarcoidosis patients and all of these patients were female. Common features of the disease in these six patients were inflammatory back pain as the major clinical complaint, stage 2 sacroiliitis as revealed by radiological staging, and the negativity of HLA B-27 test. These six patients with sacroiliitis were diagnosed with spondyloarthritis according to the criteria of ASAS and of ESSG.Conclusion.We found spondyloarthritis in patients with sarcoidosis at a higher percentage rate than in the general population (1–1.9%). Controlled trials involving large series of patients are required for the confirmation of the data.
Paratesticular Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor in a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Harel Miriam , Makari John H.
Published: May 2014

Although rare, paratesticular inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) represents the second most common paratesticular mass after adenomatoid tumor and comprises roughly 6% of such lesions. Only approximately four cases have been reported in patients younger than 18 years of age. We report an incidentally discovered paratesticular IMT in a 17-year-old male successfully treated with wide excision and testis sparing. To our knowledge, no recurrence has been reported after complete excision of paratesticular IMT; however, continued follow-up is recommended.
Study on the Neutrino Oscillation with a Next Generation Medium-Baseline Reactor Experiment
Authors: Shin Chang Dong , Joo Kyung Kwang
Published: May 2014

For over fifty years, reactor experiments have played an important role in neutrino physics, in both discoveries and precision measurements. One of the methods to verify the existence of neutrino is the observation of neutrino oscillation phenomena. Electron antineutrinos emitted from a reactor provide the measurement of the small mixing angleθ13, providing rich programs of neutrino properties, detector development, nuclear monitoring, and application. Using reactor neutrinos, future reactor neutrino experiments, more precise measurements ofθ12,  Δm122, and mass hierarchy will be explored. The precise measurement ofθ13would be crucial for measuring the CP violation parameters at accelerators. Therefore, reactor neutrino physics will assist in the complete understanding of the fundamental nature and implications of neutrino masses and mixing. In this paper, we investigated several characteristics of RENO-50, which is a future medium-baseline reactor neutrino oscillation experiment, by using the GloBES simulation package.
Low-Area Wallace Multiplier
Authors: Asif Shahzad , Kong Yinan
Published: May 2014

Multiplication is one of the most commonly used operations in the arithmetic. Multipliers based on Wallace reduction tree provide an area-efficient strategy for high speed multiplication. A number of modifications are proposed in the literature to optimize the area of the Wallace multiplier. This paper proposed a reduced-area Wallace multiplier without compromising on the speed of the original Wallace multiplier. Designs are synthesized using Synopsys Design Compiler in 90 nm process technology. Synthesis results show that the proposed multiplier has the lowest area as compared to other tree-based multipliers. The speed of the proposed and reference multipliers is almost the same.
Viscosity Approximation Methods for a Family of Nonexpansive Mappings in CAT(0) Spaces
Authors: Tang Jinfang
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this paper is using the viscosity approximation method to study the strong convergence problem for a family of nonexpansive mappings in CAT(0) spaces. Under suitable conditions, some strong convergence theorems for the proposed implicit and explicit iterative schemes to converge to a common fixed point of the family of nonexpansive mappings are proved which is also a unique solution of some kind of variational inequalities. The results presented in this paper extend and improve the corresponding results of some others.
Pattern Formation in a Predator-Prey Model with Both Cross Diffusion and Time Delay
Authors: Xie Boli , Wang Zhijun , Xue Yakui
Published: May 2014

A predator-prey model with both cross diffusion and time delay is considered. We give the conditions for emerging Turing instability in detail. Furthermore, we illustrate the spatial patterns via numerical simulations, which show that the model dynamics exhibits a delay and diffusion controlled formation growth not only of spots and stripe-like patterns, but also of the two coexist. The obtained results show that this system has rich dynamics; these patterns show that it is useful for the diffusive predation model with a delay effect to reveal the spatial dynamics in the real model.
Multipliers of Modules of Continuous Vector-Valued Functions
Authors: Khan Liaqat Ali , Alsulami Saud M.
Published: May 2014

In 1961, Wang showed that ifAis the commutativeC*-algebraC0(X)withXa locally compact Hausdorff space, thenM(C0(X))≅Cb(X). Later, this type of characterization of multipliers of spaces of continuous scalar-valued functions has also been generalized to algebras and modules of continuous vector-valued functions by several authors. In this paper, we obtain further extension of these results by showing thatHomC0(X,A)(C0(X,E),C0(X,F))≃Cs,b(X,HomA(E,F)),whereEandFarep-normed spaces which are also essential isometric leftA-modules withAbeing a certain commutativeF-algebra, not necessarily locally convex. Our results unify and extend several known results in the literature.
Prevalence of Clinical Periodontitis and Putative Periodontal Pathogens among South Indian Pregnant Women
Authors: Tellapragada Chaitanya , Eshwara Vandana Kalwaje , Acharya Shashidhar , Bhat Parvati , Kamath Asha , Vishwanath Shashidhar , Mukhopadhyay Chiranjay
Published: May 2014

In view of recent understanding of the association of periodontal infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the present investigation was undertaken to study the periodontal infections among 390 asymptomatic pregnant women and to find an association of bacterial etiologies with the disease. Prevalence of gingivitis was 38% and clinical periodontitis was 10% among the study population. Subgingival plaque specimens were subjected to multiplex PCR targeting ten putative periodontopathogenic bacteria. Among the periodontitis group, high detection rates ofPorphyromonas gingivalis(56%),Prevotella nigrescens(44%),Treponema denticola(32%), andPrevotella intermedius(24%) were noted along with significant association with the disease (P<0.05).
Ultrasensitive Detection of Ferulic Acid Using Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) Functionalized Graphene-Based Electrochemical Sensor
Authors: Liu Lin-jie , Gao Xia , Zhang Pei , Feng Shi-lan , Hu Fang-di , Li Ying-dong , Wang Chun-ming
Published: May 2014

The electrochemical redox of ferulic acid (FA) was investigated systematically by cyclic voltammetry (CV) with a poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) functionalized graphene-modified glassy carbon electrode (PDDA-G/GCE) as a working electrode. A simple and sensitive differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique was proposed for the direct quantitative determination of FA inAngelica sinensisand spiked human urine samples for the first time. The dependence of the intensities of currents and potentials on nature of the supporting electrolyte, pH, scan rate, and concentration was investigated. Under optimal conditions, the proposed sensor exhibited excellent electrochemical sensitivity to FA, and the oxidation peak current was proportional to FA concentration in the range of8.95×10-8 M~5.29×10-5 M, with a relatively low detection limit of4.42×10-8 M. This fabricated sensor also displayed acceptable reproducibility, long-term stability, and high selectivity with negligible interferences from common interfering species. Besides, it was applied to detect FA inAngelica sinensisand biological samples with satisfactory results, making it a potential alternative tool for the quantitative detection of FA in pharmaceutical analysis.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Prostatic Diseases
Authors: Ishiguro Hitoshi , Kawahara Takashi
Published: May 2014

Prostatic diseases are characterized by increased activity of cytokines, growth factors, and cyclooxygenases- (COX-) 1 and 2. Activation of COX-1 and COX-2 results in increased levels of prostaglandins and the induction of angiogenic, antiapoptotic and inflammatory processes. Inhibition of COX enzymes by members of the widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) class of drugs decreases prostaglandin production, and exerts a variety of anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and antinociceptive effects. While numerousin vitro,in vivo, and clinical studies have shown that NSAIDs inhibit the risk and progression of prostatic diseases, the relationship between NSAIDs and such diseases remains controversial. Here we review the literature in this area, critically analyzing the benefits and caveats associated with the use of NSAIDs in the treatment of prostatic diseases.
Uncertainty Principles for Wigner-Ville Distribution Associated with the Linear Canonical Transforms
Authors: Li Yong-Gang , Li Bing-Zhao , Sun Hua-Fei
Published: May 2014

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle of harmonic analysis plays an important role in modern applied mathematical applications, signal processing and physics community. The generalizations and extensions of the classical uncertainty principle to the novel transforms are becoming one of the most hottest research topics recently. In this paper, we firstly obtain the uncertainty principle for Wigner-Ville distribution and ambiguity function associate with the linear canonical transform, and then then-dimensional cases are investigated in detail based on the proposed Heisenberg uncertainty principle of then-dimensional linear canonical transform.