bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical correlation between microvessel density and lymphoid infiltrate in radicular cysts
Authors: Zizzi A , Aspriello SD , Ferrante L , Stramazzotti D , Colella G , Balercia P , Lo Muzio L , Piemontese M , Goteri G , Rubini C
Published: June 2012

Oral Diseases (2012) 19, 92–99

Objective:  Radicular cysts occur as a result of the immunological response to continuous antigenic stimulation from root canals. We correlated the immunophenotypical composition of the lymphoid infiltrate to the microvessel density expressed by the count of CD34 reactive endothelial cells in radicular cysts.

Subjects and methods:  Thirty‐four cases of radicular cysts were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, using antibodies against B‐ and T‐cell antigens (CD20, CD3, CD4, CD8) and against the endothelial cell marker CD34. Statistical analysis was performed.

Results:  In the epithelium, we observed a low amount of lymphoid infiltrate in all 34 radicular cysts, and a strong significant negative correlation between T and B lymphocytes and between T‐helper and T‐cytotoxic/suppressor lymphocytes. In the cyst capsule, we observed a significant positive correlation between B and T lymphocytes, B and T‐cytotoxic/suppressor lymphocytes, T and T‐helper lymphocytes and between the number of CD34+ blood vessels and T and T‐helper lymphocytes, respectively. We observed a statistically significant correlation between percentage of CD34+ vessels and inflammatory infiltrate grade.

Conclusions:  Both humoral and cellular immune reactions and neovascularization are likely to occur in the complex events of tissue destruction. The inflammatory infiltrate has an important role in neoangiogenesis and consequently in radicular cysts development and growth.
‘I know it's wrong, but . . .’: a qualitative investigation of low‐income parents' feelings of guilt about their child‐feeding practices
Authors: Pescud Melanie , Pettigrew Simone
Published: June 2012

In the developed world, child overweight and obesity rates are highest among the disadvantaged. This has resulted in calls for more research with low socio‐economic families to better understand their experiences with disadvantage and how they might lead to poorer weight outcomes. The present study, conducted in Australia, adopted a qualitative approach to investigate the factors affecting low socio‐economic parents' child‐feeding practices. Methods used to collect data were introspections, interviews and focus groups. In total, 37 parents of overweight or obese children aged between 5 and 9 years took part in the 6‐month study. Guilt emerged as an emotion that parents regularly experienced when allowing their children to consume too much food or foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar. Parents attributed their guilt‐inducing child‐feeding practices to both external and internal factors. Time scarcity and cost were factors that were primarily characterized by an external locus of control. The factors characterized by an internal locus of control were fear of their children experiencing hunger, the perceived need to secure their children's affection through the provision of treat foods, perceptions of their ability to balance their children's diets across eating situations and perceived laziness. Recommendations are provided for addressing guilt‐inducing child‐feeding practices.
FLOW UNIT DISTRIBUTION AND RESERVOIR MODELLING IN CRETACEOUS CARBONATES OF THE SARVAK FORMATION, ABTEYMOUR OILFIELD, DEZFUL EMBAYMENT, SW IRAN
Authors: Rahimpour‐Bonab H. , Mehrabi H. , Navidtalab A. , Izadi‐Mazidi E.
Published: June 2012

Carbonate sediments within the Mid‐Cretaceous Sarvak Formation form an important reservoir at the Abteymour oilfield in the western Dezful Embayment, SW Iran. The poroperm characteristics of this reservoir were controlled by factors including deposition under tropical climatic conditions and early diagenesis, repeated phases of subaerial exposure due to local, regional and global‐scale tectonism, and diagenetic modification during burial. From microfacies analysis, the Sarvak Formation carbonates in the Abteymour field were interpreted in a previous study as having been deposited on a homoclinal ramp‐type platform. Three third‐order sequences were recognized in the middle Cenomanian to middle Turonian part of the formation. The reservoir quality of the carbonates was enhanced both by dissolution (comprising separate phases of eogenetic and telogenetic meteoric dissolution) and dolomitization (especially stylolite‐related dolomitization).

In this paper, a rock/pore type approach was used in order to integrate petrophysical data with facies and diagenetic models within a sequence stratigraphic framework. Two different rock‐typing methods for the determination of flow units were considered. Hydraulic flow units (HFUs) were identified firstly using flow zone indicators and secondly using a stratigraphic modified Lorenz plot. The flow units resulting from these two methods are compared, and their close correspondence within the sequence stratigraphic framework is discussed. In addition, the previously‐used large‐scale reservoir zonation scheme for the Abteymour field is correlated with the defined flow units, and four new Integrated Reservoir Zones are introduced. By integrating geological information with petrophysical parameters (including porosity, permeability and saturation) within a sequence stratigraphic framework, field‐scale variations and controls on reservoir quality are described.
BIOMARKER CHARACTERISTICS OF CRUDE OILS FROM THE MURZUQ BASIN, SW LIBYA
Authors: Hodairi T.A. , Philp R.P.
Published: June 2012

Twenty crude oil samples from the Murzuq Basin, SW Libya (A‐, R‐ and I‐Fields in Blocks NC115 and NC186) have been investigated by a variety of organic geochemical methods. Based on biomarker distributions (e.g. n‐alkanes, isoprenoids, terpanes and steranes), the source of the oils is interpreted to be composed of mixed marine/terrigenous organic matter. The values of the Pr/Ph ratio (1.36–2.1), C30‐diahopane / C29 Ts ratio and diasterane / sterane ratio, together with the low values of the C29/ C30‐hopane ratio and the cross‐plot of the dibenzothiophene/phenanthrene ratio (DBT/P) versus Pr/Ph ratio in most of oil samples, suggest that the oils were sourced from marine clay‐rich sediments deposited in mild anoxic depositional environments. Assessment of thermal maturity based on phenanthrenes, aromatic steroids (e.g. monoaromatic (MA) and triaromatic (TA) steroid hydrocarbons), together with terpanes, and diasterane/sterane ratios, indicates that crude oils from A‐Field are at high levels of thermal maturity, while oils from Rand I‐Fields are at intermediate levels of thermal maturity. Based on the distributions of n‐alkanes and the absence of 25‐norhopanes in all of the crude oils analysed, none of the oils appear to have been biodegraded. Correlation of the crude oils points to a single genetic family and this is supported by the stable carbon isotope values. The oils can be divided into two sub‐families based on the differences in maturities, as shown in a Pr/nC17 versus Ph/nC18 cross‐plot. Sub‐family‐A is represented by the highly mature oils from A‐Field. Sub‐family‐B comprises the less mature oils from R‐ and I‐Fields. The two sub‐families may represent different source kitchens of different thermal maturity or different migration pathways.

In summary, the geochemical characteristics of oil samples from A‐, R‐, and I‐Fields suggest that all the crude oils were generated from similar source rocks. Depositional environment conditions and advanced thermal maturities of these oils are consistent with previously published geochemical interpretations of the Rhuddanian “hot shale” in the Tanezzuft Formation, which is thought to be the main source rock in the Murzuq Basin.
Correlation between FamilyAPGARscores and health‐related quality of life of Filipino elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Lim Anne T. C. , Manching James , Penserga Ester G.
Published: June 2012

Objectives

This study aims to describe the clinical profile of Filipino patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and correlate their health‐related quality of life (HrQoL) with perceived family support.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional, analytical study of patients seen at the Philippine General Hospital Arthritis Clinic diagnosed with kneeOAusing the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. Questionnaires for the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) v.3.1 and FamilyAPGAR(Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection and Resolve) were self‐administered. Pearson's correlation, analysis of variance and Bonferroni tests were applied.

Results

Ninety patients with 3 : 1 female‐to‐male ratio, mean age of 70.14 years qualified for the study. Mean body mass index was 23.3. Mean duration of symptoms was 5.9 years. Fifty‐three considered their family to be highly functional, 28 moderately dysfunctional and nine severely dysfunctional. Analysis showed that FamilyAPGARis moderately and inversely correlated with pain (r = −0.3373;P = 0.0002), stiffness (r = −0.3642;P = 0.0004), function (r = −0.3646;P = 0.0004) and totalWOMACscores (r = −0.3880;P = 0.0002). Likewise, there were significant differences of totalWOMACscores in the pain, stiffness and function subscales (P = 0.0076,P = 0.0032,P = 0.0165 andP = 0.0159, respectively) between patients in highly functional and severely dysfunctional families, and between highly and moderately functional families. As FamilyAPGARscores increased, there was significant decrease in allWOMACsubscales.

Conclusion

We described the clinical profile of 90 elderly patients with kneeOAand the relationship of HrQoL to FamilyAPGARscores. This paper concludes that higher FamilyAPGARscores in this population correlated with better HrQoL.
The great industry gamble: market structure dynamics as a survival contest
Authors: Tóth Áron
Published: June 2012

Industry dynamics are studied as an endogenous tournament with infinite horizon and stochastic entry. In each period, firms’ investments determine their probability of surviving into the next period. This generates a survival contest, which fuels market structure dynamics, while the evolution of market structure constantly redefines the contest. More concentrated markets endogenously generate less profit, rivals that are more difficult to outlive, and more entry. The unique steady‐state distribution exhibits ongoing turbulence, correlated exit and entry rates, and shakeouts. The model’s predictions fit empirical findings in markets where firms trade off profits for smaller risk of failure (e.g., banking).
fines, leniency, and rewards in antitrust
Authors: Bigoni Maria , Fridolfsson Sven‐Olof , Le Coq Chloé , Spagnolo Giancarlo
Published: June 2012

This article reports results from an experiment studying how FINES, LENIENCY, and REWARDS for whistleblowers affect cartel formation and prices. Antitrust without LENIENCY reduces cartel formation but increases cartel prices: subjects use costly FINES as punishments. LENIENCY improves antitrust by strengthening deterrence but stabilizes surviving cartels: subjects appear to anticipate the lower postconviction prices after reports/LENIENCY. With REWARDS, prices fall at the competitive level. Overall, our results suggest a strong cartel deterrence potential for well‐run LENIENCY and REWARD schemes. These findings may also be relevant for similar white‐collar organized crimes, such as corruption and fraud.
Distribution and diversity of anaerobic ammonium‐oxidizing bacteria in the sediments of the Qiantang River
Authors: Hu Bao‐lan , Shen Li‐dong , Zheng Ping , Hu An‐hui , Chen Ting‐ting , Cai Chen , Liu Shuai , Lou Li‐ping
Published: June 2012

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is an important process in the marine nitrogen cycle. However, little is known about the distribution, diversity and abundance of anammox bacteria in inland river ecosystems. Here, we found the presence of diverse anammox bacteria in a freshwater river – the Qiantang River, Zhejiang Province (China). The phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes showed that Brocadia genus, Kuenenia genus, Scalindua genus and three new anammox bacterial clusters could be detected together in Qiantang River sediments, suggesting a higher anammox bacterial diversity in the Qiantang River ecosystem than in open ocean environments where only Scalindua genus was detected. Brocadia and Kuenenia appeared to be the most common anammox bacterial genera in the Qiantang River. Redundancy analysis showed that the sediment organic carbon (OrgC) content had significant influence on the distribution of anammox bacteria in Qiantang River sediments. Pearson correlation analyses showed that OrgC content significantly influenced the anammox bacterial diversity. The results of real‐time quantitative PCR showed spatial variations of anammox bacterial abundances which were highly correlated with the sediment total inorganic nitrogen content. These results demonstrated the distribution of diverse anammox bacteria and the influences of environmental factors on anammox bacterial communities in Qiantang River sediments.
Comparison of quantitative light‐induced fluorescence, digital photography and transverse microradiography for quantification of enamel remineralization
Authors: Cochrane NJ , Walker GD , Manton DJ , Reynolds EC
Published: June 2012

Background:  Quantitative light‐induced fluorescence (QLF) and digital photography (DP) have been proposed as clinical methods for measuring changes in enamel mineral content. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of QLF and DP with the in vitro gold standard transverse microradiography (TMR) to measure the remineralization of enamel subsurface lesions.

Methods:  Subsurface lesions were formed in enamel (n = 40) and exposed to remineralization solutions for 10 days. Changes were analysed by DP, QLF and TMR to determine percentage changes in luminescence (%L), fluorescence (%F) and mineral content (%R), respectively and correlation between these parameters determined.

Results:  The correlations between TMR and QLF (r = 0.63), TMR and DP (r = 0.59), and DP and QLF (r = 0.64) were all moderate but statistically significant (p < 0.001). The variability in %L and, to a lesser extent, %F values significantly impacted on the potential role of DP and QLF as methods by which mineral content changes produced by remineralization treatments could be accurately measured.

Conclusions:  Both QLF and DP provided data that correlated moderately with TMR data. QLF images were easier to analyse, free of glare and had less variability compared with those produced using DP.
ATP secretion in the male reproductive tract: essential role of CFTR
Authors: Ruan Ye Chun , Shum Winnie W. C. , Belleannée Clémence , Da Silva Nicolas , Breton Sylvie
Published: June 2012

Key points

CFTR is expressed in principal cells but not clear cells in mouse cauda epididymis.

Inhibition or knockdown of CFTR inhibits ATP release from mouse epididymal principal cells.

Inhibition of CFTR reduces ATP release into the lumen of cauda epididymis in mice in vivo.

These results show the involvement of CFTR in the regulation of ATP release from epithelial principal cells in the cauda epididymidis.

Defective ATP signalling in the epididymis might contribute to dysfunction of the male reproductive tract associated with CFTR mutations.

Abstract  Extracellular ATP is essential for the function of the epididymis and spermatozoa, but ATP release in the epididymis remains uncharacterized. We investigated here whether epithelial cells release ATP into the lumen of the epididymis, and we examined the role of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a Cl− and HCO3− conducting ion channel known to be associated with male fertility, in this process. Immunofluorescence labelling of mouse cauda epididymidis showed expression of CFTR in principal cells but not in other epithelial cells. CFTR mRNA was not detectable in clear cells isolated by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) from B1‐EGFP mice, which express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) exclusively in these cells in the epididymis. ATP release was detected from the mouse epididymal principal cell line (DC2) and increased by adrenaline and forskolin. Inhibition of CFTR with CFTRinh172 and transfection with CFTR‐specific siRNAs in DC2 cells reduced basal and forskolin‐activated ATP release. CFTR‐dependent ATP release was also observed in primary cultures of mouse epididymal epithelial cells. In addition, steady‐state ATP release was detected in vivo in mice, by measuring ATP concentration in a solution perfused through the lumen of the cauda epididymidis tubule and collected by cannulation of the vas deferens. Luminal CFTRinh172 reduced the ATP concentration detected in the perfusate. This study shows that CFTR is involved in the regulation of ATP release from principal cells in the cauda epididymidis. Given that mutations in CFTR are a leading cause of male infertility, we propose that defective ATP signalling in the epididymis might contribute to dysfunction of the male reproductive tract associated with these mutations.
Specific hunger‐ and satiety‐induced tuning of guinea pig enteric nerve activity
Authors: Roosen Lina , Boesmans Werend , Dondeyne Marjan , Depoortere Inge , Tack Jan , Vanden Berghe Pieter
Published: June 2012

Key points

Acute changes in glycaemia can have substantial effects on gastro‐intestinal motor function.

A feeding state‐related bistable memory system has been previously described in neurons of the hypothalamus.

We found that peristaltic bowel movements are more pronounced in intestinal segments from re‐fed compared to fasted animals and neuronal responses in the myenteric plexus are tuned to the feeding state, which illustrates that the feeding status remains imprinted ex vivo.

This feeding state‐related memory can be reproduced in vitro and humoral factors as well as glucose‐dependent pathways are involved.

Pharmacological manipulation of feeding state‐specific signalling in enteric neurons can be of therapeutic importance in the treatment of motility‐related feeding disorders.

Abstract  Although hunger and satiety are mainly centrally regulated, there is convincing evidence that also gastrointestinal motor activity and hormone fluctuations significantly contribute to appetite signalling. In this study, we investigated how motility and enteric nerve activity are set by fasting and feeding. By means of video‐imaging, we tested whether peristaltic activity differs in ex vivo preparations from fasted and re‐fed guinea pigs. Ca2+ imaging was used to investigate whether the feeding state directly alters neuronal activity, either occurring spontaneously or evoked by (an)orexigenic signalling molecules. We found that pressure‐induced (2 cmH2O) peristaltic activity occurs at a higher frequency in ileal segments from re‐fed animals (re‐fed versus fasted, 6.12 ± 0.22 vs. 4.84 ± 0.52 waves min−1, P= 0.028), even in vitro hours after death. Myenteric neuronal responses were tuned to the feeding status, since neurons in tissues from re‐fed animals remained hyper‐responsive to high K+‐evoked depolarization (P < 0.001) and anorexigenic molecules (P < 0.001), while being less responsive to orexigenic ghrelin (P= 0.013). This illustrates that the feeding status remains ‘imprinted’ex vivo. We were able to reproduce this feeding state‐related memory in vitro and found humoral feeding state‐related factors to be implicated. Although the molecular link with hyperactivity is not entirely elucidated yet, glucose‐dependent pathways are clearly involved in tuning neuronal excitability. We conclude that a bistable memory system that tunes neuronal responses to fasting and re‐feeding is present in the enteric nervous system, increasing responses to depolarization and anorexigenic molecules in the re‐fed state, while decreasing responses to orexigenic ghrelin. Unlike the hypothalamus, where specific cell populations sensitive to either orexigenic or anorexigenic molecules exist, the enteric feeding state‐related memory system is present at the functional level of receptor signalling rather than confined to specific neuron subtypes.
Engine Design Strategies to Maximize Ceramic Turbine Life and Reliability
Authors: Vick Michael J. , Jadaan Osama M. , Wereszczak Andrew A. , Choi Sung R. , Heyes Andrew L. , Pullen Keith R.
Published: June 2012

Ceramic turbines have long promised to enable higher fuel efficiencies by accommodating higher temperatures without cooling, yet no engines with ceramic rotors are in production today. Studies cite life, reliability, and cost obstacles, often concluding that further improvements in the materials are required. In this paper, we assume instead that the problems could be circumvented by adjusting the engine design. Detailed analyses are conducted for two key life-limiting processes, water vapor erosion and slow crack growth, seeking engine design strategies for mitigating their effects. We show that highly recuperated engines generate extremely low levels of water vapor erosion, enabling lives exceeding 10,000 hs, without environmental barrier coatings. Recuperated engines are highly efficient at low pressure ratios, making low blade speeds practical. Many ceramic demonstration engines have had design point mean blade speeds near 550 m/s. A CARES/Life analysis of an example rotor designed for about half this value indicates vast improvements in slow crack growth-limited life and reliability. Halving the blade speed also reduces foreign object damage particle kinetic energy by a factor of four. In applications requiring very high fuel efficiency that can accept a recuperator, or in short-life simple cycle engines, ceramic turbines are ready for application today.
TMC647055, a Potent Nonnucleoside Hepatitis C Virus NS5B Polymerase Inhibitor with Cross-Genotypic Coverage
Authors: Devogelaere Benoit , Berke Jan Martin , Vijgen Leen , Dehertogh Pascale , Fransen Els , Cleiren Erna , van der Helm Liesbet , Nyanguile Origène , Tahri Abdellah , Amssoms Katie , Lenz Oliver , Cummings Maxwell D. , Clayton Reginald F. , Vendeville Sandrine , Raboisson Pierre , Simmen Kenneth A. , Fanning Gregory C. , Lin Tse-I
Published: June 2012

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major global health burden and is associated with an increased risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There remains an unmet medical need for efficacious and safe direct antivirals with complementary modes of action for combination in treatment regimens to deliver a high cure rate with a short duration of treatment for HCV patients. Here we report the
in vitro
inhibitory activity, mode of action, binding kinetics, and resistance profile of TMC647055, a novel and potent nonnucleoside inhibitor of the HCV NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.
In vitro
combination studies with an HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor demonstrated potent suppression of HCV RNA replication, confirming the potential for combination of these two classes in the treatment of chronic HCV infection. TMC647055 is a potent nonnucleoside NS5B polymerase inhibitor of HCV replication with a promising
in vitro
biochemical, kinetic, and virological profile that is currently undergoing clinical evaluation.
Critical Roles of Notch and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathways in the Regulation of Hyperplasia and/or Colitis in Response to Bacterial Infection
Authors: Ahmed Ishfaq , Chandrakesan Parthasarathy , Tawfik Ossama , Xia Lijun , Anant Shrikant , Umar Shahid
Published: June 2012

Notch and Wnt/β-catenin signals play essential roles in intestinal development and homeostasis.
Citrobacter rodentium
induces transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia (TMCH) and various degrees of inflammation, depending upon the genetic background. We aimed at delineating the role of the Notch and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in the regulation of colonic crypt hyperplasia and/or colitis following
C. rodentium
infection. During TMCH, relative levels of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) increased significantly, along with increases in Jagged-1 and Hes-1 coinciding with the progression and regression phases of hyperplasia. Blocking of Notch signaling with dibenzazepine (DBZ) for 5 days before the onset of hyperplasia also blocked Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Targeting the Notch pathway for 5 days after the onset of hyperplasia failed to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin-regulated crypt hyperplasia. Chronic DBZ administration for 10 days blocked both Notch and Wnt signaling, disrupted the intestinal barrier, and induced colitis. Core-3
−/−
mice, which are defective in mucin secretion and are susceptible to experimental triggers of colitis, also exhibited significant colitis in response to
C. rodentium
plus DBZ. Chronic DBZ administration in these mice did not result in depletion of the putative stem cell marker doublecortin-like kinase-1 (DCLK1) in the crypts. Dietary bael (
Aegle marmelos
) extract (4%) and curcumin (4%) restored signaling via the Notch and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, thereby promoting crypt regeneration, and also replenished the mucus layer, leading to amelioration of
C. rodentium
- and DBZ-induced colitis in NIH:Swiss mice. Thus, the balancing act between cell proliferation and mucus production to restore barrier integrity seems to depend upon the interplay between the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways in the TMCH model.
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa PhoP-PhoQ Two-Component Regulatory System Is Induced upon Interaction with Epithelial Cells and Controls Cytotoxicity and Inflammation
Authors: Gellatly Shaan L. , Needham Brittany , Madera Laurence , Trent M. Stephen , Hancock Robert E. W.
Published: June 2012

The adaptation of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
to its environment, including the host, is tightly controlled by its network of regulatory systems. The two-component regulatory system PhoPQ has been shown to play a role in the virulence and polymyxin resistance of
P. aeruginosa
as well as several other Gram-negative species. Dysregulation of this system has been demonstrated in clinical isolates, yet how it affects virulence of
P. aeruginosa
is unknown. To investigate this, an assay was used whereby bacteria were cocultured with human bronchial epithelial cells. The interaction of wild-type (WT) bacteria that had adhered to epithelial cells led to a large upregulation of the expression of the
oprH-phoP-phoQ
operon and its target, the
arn
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modification operon, in a PhoQ-dependent manner, compared to cells in the supernatant that had failed to adhere. Relative to the wild type, a
phoQ
mutant cocultured on epithelial cells produced less secreted protease and lipase and, like the
phoQ
mutant,
piv
,
lipH
, and
lasB
mutants demonstrated reduced cytotoxicity toward epithelial cells. Mutation in
phoQ
also resulted in alterations to lipid A and to increased inflammatory LPS. These data indicate that mutation of
phoQ
results in a phenotype that is similar to the less virulent but more inflammatory phenotype of clinical strains isolated from chronic-stage cystic fibrosis lung infections.
A MODIFIED FRW METRIC TO EXPLAIN THE COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT
Authors: ZORBA S.
Published: June 2012

One of the most outstanding problems of the standard model of cosmology today is the problem of cosmological constant/dark energy. It corresponds to about 73% of the energy content of the universe gone missing. I hereby postulate a modified FRW metric for our universe, which animates a universe spinning very slowly with an angular frequency that is equal to the Hubble's constant. It is shown by a simple argument that in such a universe there will be an overlooked rotational energy whose average value is identically equal to the matter-energy content of this universe as observed by a coordinate observer. The corresponding Friedmann equation is derived, whereby the overlooked rotational energy naturally becomes the cosmological constant/dark energy term without artificially/mysteriously adding any such term, as is commonly done. The proposed model also produces Hubble's law naturally.
THE CAUSES AND DYNAMICS OF MINORITY ENTREPRENEURIAL ENTRY
Authors: LIU CATHY YANG
Published: June 2012

This study examines the causes and dynamics in the creation of business ventures by minority nascent entrepreneurs. Minority business enterprises are an important source of job creation and innovation in the US economy, as well as economic development engines in their respective communities. However, little is understood about the unique motivations, business strategies and plans in the early stage of their venture formation. This paper utilizes the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED) dataset in investigating black and Hispanic entrepreneurial entry as compared to white nascent entrepreneurs around three important dimensions: motivation, business strategy, and community resources. It is found that blacks are highly driven by a range of motivational factors while Hispanics value intergenerational inheritance and role models in business ownership. Both groups heavily focus on a niche market strategy by lowering prices, serving markets missed by others and locating close to customers. Contrary to expectation, their perceptions of community resources are not more favorable than whites. Public policy implications are discussed.
A METHOD FOR INTEGRATING MULTIMEDIA METADATA STANDARDS AND METADATA FORMATS WITH THE MULTIMEDIA METADATA ONTOLOGY
Authors: SCHERP ANSGAR , EIßING DANIEL , SAATHOFF CARSTEN
Published: June 2012

The M3O abstracts from the existing metadata standards and formats and provides generic modeling solutions for annotations, decompositions, and provenance of metadata. Being a generic modeling framework, the M3O aims at integrating the existing metadata standards and metadata formats rather than replacing them. This is in particular useful as today's multimedia applications often need to combine and use more than one existing metadata standard or metadata format at the same time. However, applying and specializing the abstract and powerful M3O modeling framework in concrete application domains and integrating it with existing metadata formats and metadata standards is not always straightforward. Thus, we have developed a step-by-step alignment method that describes how to integrate existing multimedia metadata standards and metadata formats with the M3O in order to use them in a concrete application. We demonstrate our alignment method by integrating seven different existing metadata standards and metadata formats with the M3O and describe the experiences made during the integration process.
ONTOTV: AN ONTOLOGY-BASED SYSTEM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION ABOUT TELEVISION CONTENTS
Authors: REDONDO-GARCÍA JOSÉ LUIS , LOZANO-TELLO ADOLFO
Published: June 2012

Nowadays, there are a huge number of digital television platforms and channels, so it is not easy for the viewer to decide what they want to watch. Some television providers offer information about the programs they broadcast, but this information is usually scarce and there is no possibility to perform advanced operations like recommendation ones. For this reason, viewers could benefit from a system that integrates all the available information about contents, and applies semantics methodologies in order to provide a better television watching experience.

The main objective of this research is the design of a television content management system, called OntoTV, which retrieves television content information from various existing sources and represents all these data in the best way possible by using knowledge engineering and ontologies. These semantic computing techniques make it possible to offer the viewers more useful operations on the stored data than traditional systems do, and with a high degree of personalization. Additionally, OntoTV accomplishes all of this regardless of the TV platform installed and the client device used. The viewers' satisfaction when using this system has been also studied to prove its functionality.
THE SIGNED STAR DOMINATION NUMBER OF CAYLEY GRAPHS
Authors: CHELVAM T. TAMIZH , KALAIMURUGAN G. , CHOU WELL Y.
Published: June 2012

Let G be a simple connected graph with vertex set V(G) and edge set E(G). A function f : E(G) → {-1, 1} is called a signed star dominating function (SSDF) on G if ∑e∈E(v) f(e) ≥ 1 for every v ∈ V(G), where E(v) is the set of all edges incident to v. The signed star domination number of G is defined as γ SS (G) = min {∑e∈E(G) f(e) | f is a SSDF on G}. In this paper, we obtain exact values for the signed star domination number for certain classes of Cayley digraphs and Cayley graphs.
A NOTE ON "MONOPHONIC DISTANCE IN GRAPHS"
Authors: SANTHAKUMARAN A. P. , TITUS P.
Published: June 2012

In the paper entitled, "Monophonic Distance in Graphs", which appeared in Discrete Mathematics, Algorithms and Applications3(2) (2011) 159–169, it was proved (Theorem 3.4) that every graph is the monophonic center of some connected graph. Although the statement of the theorem is true, the proof given works only for graphs with monophonic diameter at most 2. Hence, we give a new proof of the same theorem, which works for all graphs. We settle completely the second part of Theorem 2.10(b) in that paper for all values a, b, c with 1 ≤ a ≤ b ≤ c, which also solves the Problem 2.12 given in that paper.
SCHEDULING DETERIORATING JOBS ON A SINGLE MACHINE WITH RELEASE TIMES AND REJECTION
Authors: LIU MING , ZHENG FEIFENG , CHU CHENGBIN , XU YINFENG
Published: June 2012

This paper considers scheduling deteriorating jobs on a single machine with release times and rejection. Deteriorating job means that its actual processing time is a increasing function on its execution starting time. In this situation, jobs can be rejected by paying penalties. Each job is associated with a release time. The objective is to minimize the makespan plus the total penalty incurred by rejecting jobs. We present two dynamic programming algorithms and then design an FPTAS for the considered problem.
PREDICTION OF DIELECTRIC DISPERSION FOR LEAD BASED PEROVSKITES AND STUDY OF LOCAL DIELECTRIC RESPONSE IN 0.75Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.25PbTiO3
Authors: GRINBERG ILYA , TAKENAKA HIROYUKI , SHIN YOUNG-HAN , RAPPE ANDREW M.
Published: June 2012

Relaxors exhibit unique dielectric response properties such as diffuse phase transitions and strong dispersion of the dielectric constant. The origin of these properties is still not fully understood. Here, we review our work on using first-principles-based methods to elucidate the connections between composition, local structure and dynamics in Pb -based relaxors.
Digital Microfluidics
Authors: Choi Kihwan , Ng Alphonsus H.C. , Fobel Ryan , Wheeler Aaron R.
Published: June 2012

Digital microfluidics (DMF) is an emerging liquid-handling technology that enables individual control over droplets on an open array of electrodes. These picoliter- to microliter-sized droplets, each serving as an isolated vessel for chemical processes, can be made to move, merge, split, and dispense from reservoirs. Because of its unique advantages, including simple instrumentation, flexible device geometry, and easy coupling with other technologies, DMF is being applied to a wide range of fields. In this review, we summarize the state of the art of DMF technology from the perspective of analytical chemistry in sections describing the theory of droplet actuation, device fabrication and integration, and applications.
Rethinking the History of Artists' Pigments Through Chemical Analysis
Authors: Berrie Barbara H.
Published: June 2012

Following a brief overview of the history of analysis of artists' pigments, I discuss the illustrative example of lead-tin yellow. Recent advances in our knowledge of artists' use of red lakes, glassy pigments, and metallic pigments in works of cultural heritage, particularly European paintings, as determined from chemical analyses are described.
Biofuel Cells: Enhanced Enzymatic Bioelectrocatalysis
Authors: Meredith Matthew T. , Minteer Shelley D.
Published: June 2012

Enzymatic biofuel cells represent an emerging technology that can create electrical energy from biologically renewable catalysts and fuels. A wide variety of redox enzymes have been employed to create unique biofuel cells that can be used in applications such as implantable power sources, energy sources for small electronic devices, self-powered sensors, and bioelectrocatalytic logic gates. This review addresses the fundamental concepts necessary to understand the operating principles of biofuel cells, as well as recent advances in mediated electron transfer– and direct electron transfer–based biofuel cells, which have been developed to create bioelectrical devices that can produce significant power and remain stable for long periods.
Hydrodynamic Chromatography
Authors: Striegel André M. , Brewer Amandaa K.
Published: June 2012

Hydrodynamic chromatography (HDC) has experienced a resurgence in recent years for particle and polymer characterization, principally because of its coupling to a multiplicity of physical detection methods. When coupled to light scattering (both multiangle static and quasi-elastic), viscometric, and refractometric detectors, HDC can determine the molar mass, size, shape, and structure of colloidal analytes continuously and as a function of one another, all in a single analysis. In so doing, it exposes the analytes to less shear force (and, hence, less potential for flow-induced degradation) than in, for instance, size-exclusion chromatography. In this review, we discuss the fundamental chromatographic underpinnings of this technique in terms of retention, band broadening, and resolution, and we describe the power of multidetector HDC with examples from the recent literature.
Engineered Nanoparticles and Their Identification Among Natural Nanoparticles
Authors: Zänker H. , Schierz A.
Published: June 2012

The more nanotechnology develops, the more likely the release of engineered nanoparticles into the environment becomes. Due to a huge excess of natural nanoparticles, the identification and quantification of engineered nanoparticles pose a big challenge to analysts. Moreover, identification in a qualitative sense and quantification by mass concentration alone are not sufficient, because the potential environmental hazard arising from engineered nanoparticles is controlled by many other properties of the particles. We discuss the most important methods of fractionation and detection of both natural and engineered nanoparticles, with a focus on the chemical nature of the particles, particle concentration, and particle size. Analyses should not rely on only one method; instead, several complementary methods should, if possible, be used. Coupled techniques should be further developed and increasingly applied. Dedicated techniques that are tailored to the search for a particular sort of engineered nanoparticles are more promising than universal approaches that search for any engineered nanoparticles.
Assessing Nanoparticle Toxicity
Authors: Love Sara A. , Maurer-Jones Melissa A. , Thompson John W. , Lin Yu-Shen , Haynes Christy L.
Published: June 2012

Nanoparticle toxicology, an emergent field, works toward establishing the hazard of nanoparticles, and therefore their potential risk, in light of the increased use and likelihood of exposure. Analytical chemists can provide an essential tool kit for the advancement of this field by exploiting expertise in sample complexity and preparation as well as method and technology development. Herein, we discuss experimental considerations for performing in vitro nanoparticle toxicity studies, with a focus on nanoparticle characterization, relevant model cell systems, and toxicity assay choices. Additionally, we present three case studies (of silver, titanium dioxide, and carbon nanotube toxicity) to highlight the important toxicological considerations of these commonly used nanoparticles.
My Life with LIF: A Personal Account of Developing Laser-Induced Fluorescence
Authors: Zare Richard N.
Published: June 2012

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is a spectroscopic technique that involves the excitation of a molecular target by a beam of laser radiation followed by the detection of the subsequent emission of radiation from the target. LIF detection has several advantages over absorption spectroscopy. First, LIF has excellent detection sensitivity because a signal is observed against a dark background. Second, the emitted radiation can be collected at various angles with respect to the incoming laser beam, making it possible to obtain two- and three-dimensional images because the fluorescence is emitted in all directions. Third, by dispersing the fluorescence, it is also possible to learn about the transitions from the state excited to the various lower levels of the target species. Finally, because of the delay between the excitation and detection events, it is also possible to learn about what processes the excited target undergoes in the intervening time.
Raman Imaging
Authors: Stewart Shona , Priore Ryan J. , Nelson Matthew P. , Treado Patrick J.
Published: June 2012

The past decade has seen an enormous increase in the number and breadth of imaging techniques developed for analysis in many industries, including pharmaceuticals, food, and especially biomedicine. Rather than accept single-dimensional forms of information, users now demand multidimensional assessment of samples. High specificity and the need for little or no sample preparation make Raman imaging a highly attractive analytical technique and provide motivation for continuing advances in its supporting technology and utilization. This review discusses the current tools employed in Raman imaging, the recent advances, and the major applications in this ever-growing analytical field.
Danger Signals Activating the Immune Response after Trauma
Authors: Hirsiger Stefanie , Simmen Hans-Peter , Werner Clément M. L. , Wanner Guido A. , Rittirsch Daniel
Published: June 2012

Sterile injury can cause a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) that resembles the host response during sepsis. The inflammatory response following trauma comprises various systems of the human body which are cross-linked with each other within a highly complex network of inflammation. Endogenous danger signals (danger-associated molecular patterns; DAMPs; alarmins) as well as exogenous pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) play a crucial role in the initiation of the immune response. With popularization of the “danger theory,” numerous DAMPs and PAMPs and their corresponding pathogen-recognition receptors have been identified. In this paper, we highlight the role of the DAMPs high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1), interleukin-1α(IL-1α), and interleukin-33 (IL-33) as unique dual-function mediators as well as mitochondrial danger signals released upon cellular trauma and necrosis.
Metabolic Risk Factors, Leisure Time Physical Activity, and Nutrition in German Children and Adolescents
Authors: Haas Gerda-Maria , Liepold Evelyn , Schwandt Peter
Published: June 2012

Purpose. We assessed the five components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) as defined by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in 6040 (3158 males) youths aged 6–16 years who participated in the Präventions-Erziehungs-Programm (PEP Family Heart Study) in Nuernberg between 2000 and 2007. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine associations with lifestyle habits. Results and Discussion. The prevalence of MetS was low in children (1.6%) and adolescents (2.3%). High waist circumference (WC) and low HDL-C were slightly higher in females (9.5% and 7.5%, resp.) than in males (8.8% and 5.7%, resp.). Low leisure time physical activity (LTPA) was significantly associated with low HDL-C (odds ratio [OR] 2.4; 95% CI 1.2–5.0) and inversely associated with hypertension (), hypertriglyceridemia (), and central adiposity (). The risk for low HDL-C (≤1.3 mmol/L) was 1.7-fold (CI 1.0–2.6) higher in youth with high (≥33%) saturated fat consumption. A low polyunsaturated/saturated fat ratio (P/S ratio) was significantly associated with fasting hyperglycemia (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.0–1.2).
Enhancing Preservice Teachers’ Professionalism through Daily Teaching Reflections
Authors: Robichaux Rebecca R. , Guarino A. J.
Published: June 2012

This study assessed the hypothesis that preservice teachers who were required to assemble a portfolio assessment would report greater scores on professionalism as measured by The Student Teaching Reflection Survey (STRS) (Robichaux, 2001) than preservice teachers who were not required to assemble a portfolio assessment. Results from a sample of 510 preservice teachers (232 nonportfolios and 278 portfolios) supported the hypothesis. Assembling a professional portfolio appears to develop more reflective practitioners, which in turn leads to the development of a more effective educator capable of handling the complexities of the teaching profession.
Nonpivot and Implicit Projected Dynamical Systems on Hilbert Spaces
Authors: Cojocaru Monica Gabriela , Pia Stephane
Published: June 2012

This paper presents a generalization of the concept and uses of projected dynamical systems to the case of nonpivot Hilbert spaces. These are Hilbert spaces in which the topological dual space is not identified with the base space. The generalization consists of showing the existence of such systems and their relation to variational problems, such as variational inequalities. In the case of usual Hilbert spaces these systems have been extensively studied, and, as in previous works, this new generalization has been motivated by applications, as shown below.
Rituximab-Induced Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia
Authors: Ergin Ahmet B. , Fong Nancy , Daw Hamed A.
Published: June 2012

Rituximab-induced lung disease (R-ILD) is a rare entity that should be considered in patients treated with rituximab who present with dyspnea, fever, and cough, but no clear evidence of infection. A variety of pathologic findings have been described in this setting. Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is the most common clinicopathologic diagnosis, followed by interstitial pneumonitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with corticosteroids are essential as discussed by Wagner et al. (2007). Here we present a case of an 82-year-old man who was treated with rituximab for recurrent marginal zone lymphoma. After the first infusion of rituximab, he reported fever, chills, and dyspnea. On computed tomography imaging, he was found to have bilateral patchy infiltrates, consistent with BOOP on biopsy. In our patient, BOOP was caused by single-agent rituximab, in the first week after the first infusion of rituximab. We reviewed the relevant literature to clarify the different presentations and characteristics of R-ILD and raise awareness of this relatively overlooked entity.
Total Scanning Fluorescence Characteristics of Coals and Implication to Coal Rank Evaluation
Authors: Fan Junjia , Liu Keyu , Ju Yiwen , Liu Shaobo , Gui Lili
Published: June 2012

Total Scanning Fluorescence (TSF), as a kind of new fluorescence technique, has great significance and wide application in identifying hydrocarbon inclusions of reservoirs, hydrocarbon migration pathways and palaeo-current oil-water interfaces. Total scanning fluorescence (TSF) is characterized by high efficiency, requiring low sample amount and high accuracy. Vitrinite reflectance (Ro) is one of significant parameters for determining coal ranks, it cannot only reflect coalification features, but also provide a favorable indicator for coal ranks. In order to establish a relationship between vitrinite reflectance (Ro) and the characteristic parameters derived from total scanning fluorescence (TSF), fourteen coal samples (coal powder without separating macerals) collected from Qinshui basin and Huaibei coalfield are tested by TSF technique and vitrinite reflectance (oil immersion), respectively. It shows that TSF parameters are related to vitrinite reflectance value, although TSF parameters and fluorescence intensity of coals differ in Qinshui basin and Huaibei coalfield. Research indicates that more factors should be taken into consideration for coal sample TSF testing in the future so as to obtain an empirical formula relationship between Ro and TSF parameters.