bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interorganellar Membrane Microdomains: Dynamic Platforms in the Control of Calcium Signaling and Apoptosis
Authors: Annunziata Ida , D'Azzo Alessandra
Published: August 2013

The dynamic interplay among intracellular organelles occurs at specific membrane tethering sites, where two organellar membranes come in close apposition but do not fuse. Such membrane microdomains allow for rapid and efficient interorganelle communication that contributes to the maintenance of cell physiology. Pathological conditions that interfere with the proper composition, number, and physical vicinity of the apposing membranes initiate a cascade of events resulting in cell death. Membrane contact sites have now been identified that tether the extensive network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes with the mitochondria, the plasma membrane (PM), the Golgi and the endosomes/lysosomes. Thus far, the most extensively studied are the MAMs, or mitochondria associated ER membranes, and the ER-PM junctions that share functional properties and crosstalk to one another. Specific molecular components that define these microdomains have been shown to promote the interaction in trans between these intracellular compartments and the transfer or exchange of Ca2+ ions, lipids, and metabolic signaling molecules that determine the fate of the cell.
Fluorescein Derivatives in Intravital Fluorescence Imaging
Authors: Robertson Thomas , Bunel Florestan , Roberts Michael
Published: August 2013

Intravital fluorescence microscopy enables the direct imaging of fluorophores in vivo and advanced techniques such as fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) enable the simultaneous detection of multiple fluorophores. Consequently, it is now possible to record distribution and metabolism of a chemical in vivo and to optimise the delivery of fluorophores in vivo. Recent clinical applications with fluorescein and other intravital fluorescent stains have occurred in neurosurgery, dermatology [including photodynamic therapy (PDT)] and endomicroscopy. Potential uses have been identified in periodontal disease, skin graft and cancer surgery. Animal studies have demonstrated that diseased tissue can be specifically stained with fluorophore conjugates. This review focuses on the fluorescein derived fluorophores in common clinical use and provides examples of novel applications from studies in tissue samples.
Loss of European Dry Heaths in NW Spain: A Case Study
Authors: Ramil Rego Pablo , Rodríguez Guitián Manuel A. , López Castro Hugo , Ferreiro da Costa Javier , Muñoz Sobrino Castor
Published: August 2013

Natural habitats are continuing to deteriorate in Europe with an increasing number of wild species which are also seriously threatened. Consequently, a coherent European ecological network (Natura 2000) for conservation of natural habitats and the wild fauna and flora (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) was created. Even so, there is currently no standardized methodology for surveillance and assessment of habitats, a lack that it is particularly problematic for those habitats occupying large areas (heathlands, forests, dunes, wetlands) and which require a great deal of effort to be monitored. In this paper we evaluate the changes affecting the European dry heaths (Nat-2000 4030) from the SCI Os Ancares–O Courel (Galicia, NW Spain) during the past decade. High-resolution aerial imagery analyses and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used. Losses of more than 7,000 ha (20.3%) of European dry heaths were computed during the 2003–2011 period in the SCI Os Ancares–O Courel, and also an increase of the degree of fragmentation was demonstrated for this habitat. Paradoxically, major impacts (afforestations, pasturelands) were financed by agri-environmental funds from the EU. Rather than promote biodiversity, these activities have provoked serious damages in this habitat of community interest, which is in complete opposition to the objectives of protection involved in the declaration of the SCI Os Ancares–O Courel.
Distribution and Variation of Forests in China from 2001 to 2011: A Study Based on Remotely Sensed Data
Authors: Zhao Xiang , Xu Peipei , Zhou Tao , Li Qing , Wu Donghai
Published: August 2013

Forests are one of the most important components of the global biosphere and have critical influences on the Earth’s ecological balance. Regularly updated forest cover information is necessary for various forest management applications as well as climate modeling studies. However, map products are not widely updated at continental or national scales because the current land cover products have overly coarse spatial resolution or insufficiently large training data sets. This study presents the results of forests distribution and variation information over China using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series data with the first layer of MODIS Land Cover Type product (MODIS LC-1). The NDVI time series histogram characteristic curves for forestland were estimated from MODIS LC-1 and MODIS NDVI time series data. Based on the differences of histograms among different forests, we obtained the 2001–2011 forests distribution for China at a spatial resolution of 500-m × 500-m. The overall accuracy of validation was 80.4%, an increase of 12.8% relative to that obtained using MODIS LC-1 data. The 2001–2011 forestland pure and mixed pixels of China accounted for an average of 33.72% of all pixels. There is a gradual increase in China’s forestland coverage during 2001–2011; however, the relationship is not statistically significant.
Case-Control Study of Arsenic in Drinking Water and Lung Cancer in California and Nevada
Authors: Dauphiné David , Smith Allan , Yuan Yan , Balmes John , Bates Michael , Steinmaus Craig
Published: August 2013

Millions of people are exposed to arsenic in drinking water, which at high concentrations is known to cause lung cancer in humans. At lower concentrations, the risks are unknown. We enrolled 196 lung cancer cases and 359 controls matched on age and gender from western Nevada and Kings County, California in 2002–2005. After adjusting for age, sex, education, smoking and occupational exposures, odds ratios for arsenic concentrations ≥85 µg/L (median = 110 µg/L, mean = 173 µg/L, maximum = 1,460 µg/L) more than 40 years before enrollment were 1.39 (95% CI = 0.55–3.53) in all subjects and 1.61 (95% CI = 0.59–4.38) in smokers. Although odds ratios were greater than 1.0, these increases may have been due to chance given the small number of subjects exposed more than 40 years before enrollment. This study, designed before research in Chile suggested arsenic-related cancer latencies of 40 years or more, illustrates the enormous sample sizes needed to identify arsenic-related health effects in low-exposure countries with mobile populations like the U.S. Nonetheless, our findings suggest that concentrations near 100 µg/L are not associated with markedly high relative risks.
Properties of Cast Films Made from Different Ratios of Whey Protein Isolate, Hydrolysed Whey Protein Isolate and Glycerol
Authors: Schmid Markus
Published: August 2013

Whey protein isolate (WPI)-based cast films are very brittle, due to several chain interactions caused by a large amount of different functional groups. In order to overcome film brittleness, plasticizers, like glycerol, are commonly used. As a result of adding plasticizers, the free volume between the polymer chains increases, leading to higher permeability values. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of partially substituting glycerol by hydrolysed whey protein isolate (h-WPI) in WPI-based cast films on their mechanical, optical and barrier properties. As recently published by the author, it is proven that increasing the h-WPI content in WPI-based films at constant glycerol concentrations significantly increases film flexibility, while maintaining the barrier properties. The present study considered these facts in order to increase the barrier performance, while maintaining film flexibility. Therefore glycerol was partially replaced by h-WPI in WPI-based cast films. The results clearly indicate that partially replacing glycerol by h-WPI reduces the oxygen permeability and the water vapor transmission rate, while the mechanical properties did not change significantly. Thus, film flexibility was maintained, even though the plasticizer concentration was decreased.
Bactericidal Activity of Aqueous Acrylic Paint Dispersion for Wooden Substrates Based on TiO2 Nanoparticles Activated by Fluorescent Light
Authors: Zuccheri Tommaso , Colonna Martino , Stefanini Ilaria , Santini Cecilia , Gioia Diana
Published: August 2013

The photocatalytic effect of TiO2 has great potential for the disinfection of surfaces. Most studies reported in the literature use UV activation of TiO2, while visible light has been used only in a few applications. In these studies, high concentrations of TiO2, which can compromise surface properties, have been used. In this work, we have developed an acrylic-water paint dispersion containing low TiO2 content (2 vol %) for the inactivation of microorganisms involved in hospital-acquired infections. The nanoparticles and the coating have been characterized using spectroscopic techniques and transmission electron microscopy, showing their homogenous dispersion in the acrylic urethane coating. A common fluorescent light source was used to activate the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. The paint dispersion showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The coating containing the TiO2 nanoparticles maintained good UV stability, strong adhesion to the substrate and high hardness. Therefore, the approach used is feasible for paint formulation aimed at disinfection of healthcare surfaces.
Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Inonotus obliquus and Germinated Brown Rice Extracts
Authors: Debnath Trishna , Park Sa , Kim Da , Jo Jeong , Lim Beong
Published: August 2013

Inonotus obliquus (IO) is parasitic mushroom that grows on birch and other trees in Russia, Korea, Europe and United States. However, IO is not readily available for consumption due to its high cost and difficult growth. In this regard, IO was inoculated on germinated brown rice (GBR) in the present study and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the IO grown on germinated brown rice (IOGBR) extracts were evaluated extensively and compared with those for IO and GBR. IOGBR showed highest antioxidant activities with scavenging total intracellular ROS and MDA levels as well as increasing the antioxidant enzymes activity in the H2O2-stimulated mice liver. It also exhibited best inflammatory activities by suppressing the proinflammatory mediators such as NO, PGE2, iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in an LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cell line. This study provides a comparative approach to find out an excellent natural source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agent as a dietary supplement.
Out of Balance—Systemic Iron Homeostasis in Iron-Related Disorders
Authors: Steinbicker Andrea , Muckenthaler Martina
Published: August 2013

Iron is an essential element in our daily diet. Most iron is required for the de novo synthesis of red blood cells, where it plays a critical role in oxygen binding to hemoglobin. Thus, iron deficiency causes anemia, a major public health burden worldwide. On the other extreme, iron accumulation in critical organs such as liver, heart, and pancreas causes organ dysfunction due to the generation of oxidative stress. Therefore, systemic iron levels must be tightly balanced. Here we focus on the regulatory role of the hepcidin/ferroportin circuitry as the major regulator of systemic iron homeostasis. We discuss how regulatory cues (e.g., iron, inflammation, or hypoxia) affect the hepcidin response and how impairment of the hepcidin/ferroportin regulatory system causes disorders of iron metabolism.
Disentangling the Relationships between Net Primary Production and Precipitation in Southern Africa Savannas Using Satellite Observations from 1982 to 2010
Authors: Zhu Likai , Southworth Jane
Published: August 2013

To obtain a better understanding of the variability in net primary production (NPP) in savannas is important for the study of the global carbon cycle and the management of this particular ecosystem. Using satellite and precipitation data sets, we investigated the variations in NPP in southern African savannas from 1982 to 2010, and disentangled the relationships between NPP and precipitation by land cover classes and mean annual precipitation (MAP) gradients. Specifically, we evaluate the utility of the third generation Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling System (GIMMS3g) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) dataset, in comparison with Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived NPP products, and find strong relationships between the overlapping data periods (2000–2010), such that we can apply our model to derive NPP estimates to the full 29-year NDVI time-series. Generally, the northern portion of the study area is characterized by high NPP and low variability, whereas the southern portion is characteristic of low NPP and high variability. During the period 1982 through 2010, NPP has reduced at a rate of −2.13 g∙C∙m−2∙yr−1 (p < 0.1), corresponding to a decrease of 6.7% over 29 years, and about half of bush and grassland savanna has experienced a decrease in NPP. There is a significant positive relationship between mean annual NPP and MAP in bush and grassland savannas, but no significant relationship is observed in tree savannas. The relationship between mean annual NPP and MAP varies with increases in MAP, characterized as a linear relationship that breaks down when MAP exceeding around 850–900 mm.
Single-Chip Fully Integrated Direct-Modulation CMOS RF Transmitters for Short-Range Wireless Applications
Authors: El-Desouki Munir , Qasim Syed , BenSaleh Mohammed , Deen M.
Published: August 2013

Ultra-low power radio frequency (RF) transceivers used in short-range application such as wireless sensor networks (WSNs) require efficient, reliable and fully integrated transmitter architectures with minimal building blocks. This paper presents the design, implementation and performance evaluation of single-chip, fully integrated 2.4 GHz and 433 MHz RF transmitters using direct-modulation power voltage-controlled oscillators (PVCOs) in addition to a 2.0 GHz phase-locked loop (PLL) based transmitter. All three RF transmitters have been fabricated in a standard mixed-signal CMOS 0.18 µm technology. Measurement results of the 2.4 GHz transmitter show an improvement in drain efficiency from 27% to 36%. The 2.4 GHz and 433 MHz transmitters deliver an output power of 8 dBm with a phase noise of −122 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, while drawing 15.4 mA of current and an output power of 6.5 dBm with a phase noise of −120 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, while drawing 20.8 mA of current from 1.5 V power supplies, respectively. The PLL transmitter delivers an output power of 9 mW with a locking range of 128 MHz and consumes 26 mA from 1.8 V power supply. The experimental results demonstrate that the RF transmitters can be efficiently used in low power WSN applications.
Remotely Accessible Instrumented Monitoring of Global Development Programs: Technology Development and Validation
Authors: Thomas Evan , Zumr Zdenek , Graf Jodi , Wick Carson , McCellan James , Imam Zachary , Barstow Christina , Spiller Kelly , Fleming Michael
Published: August 2013

Many global development agencies self-report their project outcomes, often relying on subjective data that is collected sporadically and communicated months later. These reports often highlight successes and downplay challenges. Instrumented monitoring via distributed data collection platforms may provide crucial evidence to help inform the sector and public on the effectiveness of aid, and the on-going challenges. This paper presents the process of designing and validating an integrated sensor platform with cellular-to-internet reporting purposely targeted at global development programs. The integrated hardware platform has been applied to water, sanitation, energy and infrastructure interventions and validated through laboratory calibration and field observations. Presented here are two examples: a water pump and a household water filter, wherein field observations agreed with the data algorithm with a linear fit slope of between 0.91 and 1, and an r-squared of between 0.36 and 0.39, indicating a wide confidence interval but with low overall error (i.e., less than 0.5% in the case of structured field observations of water volume added to a household water filter) and few false negatives or false positives.
Clinical Marine Toxicology: A European Perspective for Clinical Toxicologists and Poison Centers
Authors: Schmitt Corinne , De Haro Luc
Published: August 2013

Clinical marine toxicology is a rapidly changing area. Many of the new discoveries reported every year in Europe involve ecological disturbances—including global warming—that have induced modifications in the chorology, behavior, and toxicity of many species of venomous or poisonous aquatic life including algae, ascidians, fish and shellfish. These changes have raised a number of public issues associated, e.g., poisoning after ingestion of contaminated seafood, envenomation by fish stings, and exposure to harmful microorganism blooms. The purpose of this review of medical and scientific literature in marine toxicology is to highlight the growing challenges induced by ecological disturbances that confront clinical toxicologists during the everyday job in the European Poison Centers.
Le dépôt de haches à talon de la fin du Bronze moyen découvert à Saint-Thois (Finistère)
Authors: Gabillot Maréva
Published: August 2013

L'ensemble de Saint-Thois renferme le plus grand nombre de haches à talon encore conservées aujourd'hui. Il appartient à la phase finale du Bronze moyen caractérisée, entre autres, par la pratique du dépôt de haches à talon entières en nombre plus ou moins important. Cet article présente les 155 objets du dépôt et en propose une étude typologique et technologique.
Une occupation du Néolithique final à Saint-Mars-d'Outillé "Les Feux" (Sarthe, Pays-de-la-Loire)
Authors: Marcigny Cyril , Doyen Dominique , Aubry Bruno , Ghesquière Emmanuel , Deloze Valérie , Gallouin Erik
Published: August 2013

Une fouille préventive conduite en 1996, sur le tracé de l'autoroute A 28 Tours - Le Mans - Alençon (sous la coordination de C. Thooris, INRAP), a permis la découverte de structures d'habitat du Néolithique final à Saint-Mars-d'Outillé (Sarthe). Le mobilier (céramique et lithique) lié à ces structures est relativement abondant et renouvelle le corpus disponible dans une région peu étudiée du nord des Pays-de-la-Loire.
Définition du Temps sur des surfaces. Diagnostic chronologique et fonctionnel de structures tumulaires dans le Bois d'Amenon (La Chapelle-aux-Choux, Sarthe)
Authors: Cassen Serge , Vaquero Lastres Jacobo
Published: August 2013

The nine mounds at Amenon are sited on a wooded spur dominating the valley of the river Loir. Symmetrical longforms, and others quadrangular close to the square, are all limited by hollows marking a defining ditch. In 2001, work consisted, on the one hand, of a complete topographic survey ofevery mound noticed and, on the other, ofhand-dug test-trenches within the most representative structure. The recovery of sigillata as well as other wheel-turned sherds belonging provide evidences for a Gallo-Roman date.
Note sur un graffito gallo-romain découvert au Mans (Sarthe)
Authors: Carpentier Vincent
Published: August 2013

Ce graffito, réalisé sur un tesson d'amphore Dressel 2/4 du Ier siècle de notre ère, a été découvert au Mans, dans le cadre de l'inventaire des graffites sur céramiques antiques du département de la Sarthe. Il représente un navire sous voile qui, au vu de ses caractéristiques, peut être identifié comme un voilier de commerce du Ier siècle ap. J.-C. Il pourrait s'agir d'un simple dessin à caractère profane, ou bien d'un ex-voto. Sa localisation, au Mans - Vindinum, pourrait refléter les échanges maritimes qui unissaient le Val de Loire au monde romain.
Trois lots de mobilier du XVIe siècle provenant du château du Guildo (Côtes-d'Armor)
Authors: Beuchet Laurent , Labaune Françoise , Picault Christèle , Pilet-Lemière Jacqueline
Published: August 2013

Le Guildo castle is situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the upper estuary of the River Arguenon. Since 1995, excavations hâve been carriedout in association with the présentation of the site to the public. The médiéval castle suffered numerous transformations, due mainly to installation of artillery during the 16th century. The consolidation of the remparts (the earthfill ofthe lower rooms) contained a homogeneous but varied series of artefacts. Three archaeological contexts were selected for artefact analysis, the choice being based on the quality, homogeneity and chronological precision (due to the présence of coins). The non-ceramic artefacts (glass and metals) confirm the chronology by comparison with other excavated contexts in northern France. The study of ceramics is based on a technical and typological approach. From thisfirst catalogue of artefacts in use during this period in Brittany, a discussion is engaged concerning the commercial links and the supply of this coastal site.
Trying to Optimise the German Version of the OPTION Scale Regarding the Dyadic Aspect of Shared Decision Making
Authors: Keller H. , Müller-Engelmann M. , Heinzel-Gutenbrunner M. , Krones T. , Donner-Banzhoff N. , Hirsch O.
Published: August 2013

Objectives: The OPTION scale (“observing patient involvement in decision making”) assesses the extent to which clinicians involve patients in decisions across a range of situations in clinical practice. It so far just covers physician behavior. We intended to modify the scoring of the OPTION scale to incorpo -rate active patient behavior in consultations.

Methods: Modification was done on scoring level, attempting a dyadic, relationship-centred approach in that high ratings can be evoked also by the behaviour of active patients. The German version of the OPTION scale was compared with a modified version by analysing video recordings of primary care consultations dealing with cardiovascular prevention. Fifteen general practitioners provided 40 videotaped consultations. Videos were analysed by two rater pairs and two experts in shared decision making (SDM).

Results: Reliability measures of the modified version were lower than those of the original scale. Significant associations of the dichotomised scale with the expert SDM rating as well as with physicians’ expertise in SDM were only found for the modified OPTION scale. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses confirmed a valid differentiation between the presence of SDM (yes/no) on total score level, even though the cut-off point was quite low. Standard deviations of the single items in the modified version were higher compared to the original OPTION scale, while the means of total scores were similar.

Conclusions: The original OPTION scale is physician-centered and neglects the activity and a possible self-involvement of the patient. Our modified instruction was able to capture the dyadic element partially. The development of a separate dyadic instrument might be more promising.
Persistent Sterile Peritoneal Inflammation after Catheter Removal for Refractory Bacterial Peritonitis Predicts Full-Blown Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis
Authors: Wong Yuk-Yi , Wong Ping-Nam , Mak Siu-Ka , Chan Shuk-Fan , Cheuk Yuen-Yi , Ho Lo-Yi , Lo Kin-Yee , Lo Man-Wai , Lo Kwok-Chi , Tong Gensy Mei-Wah , Wong Andrew Kui-Man
Published: August 2013

Background

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is the most serious complication of peritoneal dialysis, having high morbidity and mortality. To improve outcomes, early diagnosis is needed to direct treatment during the early inflammatory phase. However, in the early inflammatory phase, clinical features are nonspecific, and no reliable diagnostic criteria have been established. Because bacterial peritonitis and termination of dialysis are two important risk factors triggering the progression of EPS, patients with refractory bacterial peritonitis necessitating dialysis catheter removal are at particularly high risk of developing EPS. Many of these patients might indeed experience non-resolving sterile peritonitis (probably the inflammatory phase of EPS) before progression to full-blown disease (that is, the presence of intestinal obstruction). We undertook a retrospective study to compare, in this particular situation, the clinical characteristics of patients with or without sterile peritoneal inflammation, assessing their clinical outcomes in terms of short-term mortality and the chance of developing full-blown EPS.

Methods

Our retrospective review included 62 patients whose dialysis catheter was removed because of refractory peritonitis between January 2005 and December 2010.

Results

Of the 62 patients identified, 39 (63%) had persistent sterile peritoneal inflammation (“high-risk” group, n = 39), and 23 (37%) had resolution of inflammation without significant intra-abdominal collection after catheter withdrawal (“control” group, n = 23). Compared with the control group, the high-risk group had a significantly longer PD duration (71.6 ± 43.3 months vs 42.3 ± 29.9 months, p = 0.003), a higher dialysate-to-plasma ratio (D/P) of creatinine (0.768 ± 0.141 vs 0.616 ± 0.091, p = 0.004), and a higher computed tomography score for EPS (7.69 ± 2.98 vs 1.00 ± 1.00, p < 0.001). During the 6-month study period, the high-risk group had a higher chance of developing full-blown EPS (31% vs 0%, p = 0.002) and a higher 6-month all-cause mortality (36% vs 4.3%, p = 0.004)

Conclusions

Persistent sterile peritoneal inflammation was common after dialysis catheter removal for refractory bacterial peritonitis, and the patients with such inflammation were at high risk of progression to full-blown EPS.
Externalities of Transportation Fuels: Assessing Trade-offs Between Petroleum and Alternatives
Authors: Birur Dileep , Beach Robert , Loomis Ross , Chipley S , Gallaher Michael , Dayton David
Published: August 2013

This research report examines the economic and environmental externalities associated with the US transportation sector. The United States currently accounts for about 25 percent of world oil consumption, about 50 percent of which is imported. Achieving energy security by reducing dependence on imported oil has been the foremost challenge of several major energy-importing countries, including the United States. In this study, we explored the costs associated with energy security/cost of dependence on oil and estimated the environmental externalities associated with different types of transportation fuels based on a set of economic, environmental, and life-cycle analysis models. Our assessment of estimations on oil dependence costs indicates that several elements constitute the true cost of oil and not many studies have attempted to include all of these costs for various reasons. For analyzing the environmental externalities, we used a life-cycle analysis model; the FASOM-GHG model of agriculture and forestry; APEEP—an integrated assessment model to calculate the marginal damage of emissions; GTAP-BIO—a computable general equilibrium model to estimate land use changes; and the OSIRIS model to estimate the species extinctions based on deforestation. This study on assessing the externalities could provide a quantitative basis for policy initiatives pertaining to America’s future transportation infrastructure. This study suggests that there is a need to consider economic, environmental, and other societal costs within a holistic framework to assess relative costs and benefits and suitability of alternative transportation fuels that could play a role in meeting our future energy needs.
Prologue: 2012 Annual Meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA)
Authors: Mease Philip J. , Boehncke Wolf-Henning , Gladman Dafna D.
Published: August 2013

The 2012 Annual Meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) was held in June 2012 in Stockholm, Sweden, and attended by rheumatologists, dermatologists, and representatives of biopharmaceutical companies and patient groups from around the world. In this Prologue we introduce discussions that were held among meeting attendees. Prior to the 2012 meeting, 2 GRAPPA members organized a Fellows Symposium adjacent to the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology meeting in Verona, where they discussed comorbidities and treatments of patients with psoriasis. The 2012 GRAPPA meeting began with a trainee symposium, where 30 rheumatology fellows and dermatology residents presented their research work. Other presentations and discussions included a review of arthritis mutilans; dermatology issues including screening tools for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and the instruments to measure psoriasis severity; cardiovascular and other comorbidities of psoriasis and PsA; development of criteria to define inflammatory arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis, and spondylitis; distinctions between peripheral spondyloarthritis and PsA; the status of an ultrasound outcome measure for dactylitis; and updates on several GRAPPA projects, including a study of biomarkers to predict structural damage in PsA, the ongoing video project, and several education initiatives.
Mobilisations en réseaux, activisme numérique : les nouvelles attentes participatives
Authors: Urbinati Nadia , Béja Alice
Published: August 2013

Hongrie, Islande, Italie : dans chacun de ces trois pays, la démocratie a subi de profondes transformations ces derniers temps, dans des sens différents (vers l’autoritarisme ou la participation). Ces expérimentations démocratiques, souvent associées à l’utilisation des nouvelles technologies, font émerger une forme de « démocratie représentative en direct » qui se construit contre les partis, et peut être aussi bien séduisante qu’inquiétante.
Revendications en hausse, représentation en baisse
Authors: Miquet-Marty François , Sommier Isabelle , Béja Alice , Padis Marc-Olivier
Published: August 2013

Les partis peuvent-ils se « ressourcer » grâce aux mouvements sociaux ? Engagement partisan et engagement non partisan ne sont pas forcément incompatibles, mais on constate aujourd’hui que les partis politiques, refermés sur eux-mêmes, ne semblent pas en mesure de capter les revendications exprimées par les citoyens dans d’autres lieux et d’autres structures.
Carnet de route en Géorgie
Authors: Maurice Antoine
Published: August 2013

Nostalgie du soviétisme, résistance à la pression russe, développement de l’économie de marché et du tourisme : la Géorgie est encore en transition, une transition qui, bien qu’elle favorise des réformes économiques et infrastructurelles, n’influe guère sur les représentations historiques.
La « chair souffrante de l’humanité »
Authors: Carasso Françoise
Published: August 2013

Germaine Tillion et Charlotte Delbo, toutes deux résistantes, furent toutes deux déportées à Ravensbrück. Elles ont chacune voulu rendre compte de ce qu’elles avaient vécu, refusant un certain discours qui voulait que l’expérience des camps fût « indicible ». Chacune à sa manière, Tillion plus historienne, Delbo plus poétique, elles ont trouvé une écriture, pour faire savoir, pour rechercher, autant que possible, la vérité.
Catálogo de los ejemplares tipo de Iberodorcadion Breuning, 1943 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) de la colección del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid
Authors: Del Saz Fucho A. , Izquierdo Moya I. , Simón Sorli A. , Zapata de la Vega J. L. , Gil Lara R.
Published: August 2013

Se ofrece una relación de los ejemplares tipo de Iberodorcadion conservados en la Colección de Entomología del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN) de Madrid. El presente catálogo recoge los datos de las series tipo de 125 táxones de este género, constituidas por un total de 734 ejemplares. Se designa el lectotipo de D. almarzense Escalera, 1902, y se da consideración de lectotipos a los ejemplares designados anteriormente como Holotipos de las especies D. granulipenne Escalera, 1908; D. grisescens Escalera, 1900; y D. neilense Escalera, 1902 (artículo 74.6 del Código Internacional de nomenclatura Zoológica).
Listado taxonómico comentado de los Capitélidos (Annelida, Polychaeta) de la península Iberica, islas Chafarinas, Baleares y Canarias
Authors: El Haddad M. , Capaccioni Azzati R. , García-Carrascosa A. M.
Published: August 2013

Se ha elaborado un listado taxonómico comentado de los capitélidos de la Península Ibérica, Islas Chafarinas, Baleares y Canarias a partir de la revisión de materiales (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid y colección de referencia del Laboratorio de Biología Marina de la Universidad de Valencia) y de la bibliografía publicada referente a este grupo. Se reconocen como taxones válidos 24 especies y subespecies pertenecientes a 13 géneros. En esta lista se incluyen para cada especie algunos detalles taxonómicos e información sobre su distribución geográfica tanto a nivel mundial como regional. Asimismo, se aporta la fórmula setal y el diagrama gráfico para los taxones contemplados en este estudio.
Vipera latasti vs. V. latastei: a poisoned affair
Authors: Alonso-Zarazaga M. A.
Published: August 2013

No disponible
GIS for E-Planning in India
Authors: Mukherjee Falguni , Ghose Rina
Published: August 2013

With increasing globalization and the integration of various economies, public finance and fiscal policy have acquired a new dimension in countries around the world, including India. This new era has witnessed a massive proliferation of various information and communication technologies (ICTs) the world over opening novel prospects for information storage, retrieval and analysis. Such novel prospects are not only being used for decision making by private sector industries but also more interest has been demonstrated in investing in technologies for public administration purposes. In the Indian context, the driving force behind an increasing use of ICTs for public administration include such objectives as improving and simplifying governance, instilling transparency and eliminating corruption and bureaucracy. The massive proliferation of ICTs in India has led to a transformation from traditional governance to e-governance. Several planning projects have been launched under the rubric of e-governance and have witnessed novel use of various information technologies, GIS being one of them. This study focuses on the Nirmala Nagara project (NNP), a programme launched by the Government of Karnataka to address issues of urban development using GIS with municipal e-governance being one of its key agendas. This is one of the most ambitious Municipal e-Governance projects in the country encompassing 213 urban local bodies. This article is an initial effort towards a larger project that will focus on the process of GIS spatial knowledge production situated in contemporary India.
Challenges and Prospects for E-Planning in Lusophone African Countries
Authors: Silva Carlos Nunes
Published: August 2013

The level of E-Planning development in African cities is in general far behind cities in developed countries. This is also, to a large extent, what happens in the five Lusophone African countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe). Besides sharing a common colonial history, administrative tradition and language these five African countries have in common similar urban planning cultures. In the recently published report “E-Government Survey 2012: E-Government for the People” the United Nations confirms a growth tendency in the implementation of e-government throughout the world, a trend that will make possible the development of E-Planning in countries where this new urban planning paradigm is still missing or has been insufficiently implemented, as is the case of the five Lusophone African countries. This review of the UN 2012 E-Government Survey aims to summarize and discuss the key challenges for e-government development identified in the survey and, based on these findings, to explore the challenges and prospects for e-Planning adoption in the five Lusophone African countries.
Reliable Face Recognition Using Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Shaimaa A. El-said
Published: August 2013

Facial detection and recognition are among the most heavily researched fields of computer vision and image processing. Most of the current face recognition techniques suffer when the noises affect the global features or the local intensity pixels of the images under consideration. In the proposed Reliable Face Recognition System (RFRS) system, for the first time, a combination of Gabor Filter (GF), Principal component analysis (PCA) for efficient feature extraction, and ANN for classification is employed. This demonstrates how to detect faces in noisy images by training the network several times on various input; ideal and noisy images of faces. Applying GF before PCA reduces PCA sensitivity to noise, provides a greater level of invariance, and trains the ANN on different sets of noisy images. The output of the ANN is a vector whose length equal to the distinct subjects in Olivetti Research Laboratory (ORL). The ANN is trained to output a 1 in the correct position of the output vector and to fill the rest of the output vector with 0’s. Experimentation is carried out on RFRS by using ORL datasets. The experimental results show that training the network on noisy input images of face greatly reduce its errors when it had to classify or recognize noisy images. For noisy face images, the network did not make any errors for faces with noise of mean 0.00 or 0.05, while the average recognition rate varies from 96.8% to 98%. When noise of mean 0.10 is added to the images the network begins to make errors. For noiseless face images, the proposed system achieves correct classification. Performance comparison between RFRS and other face recognition techniques shows that for most of the cases, RFRS performs better than other conventional techniques under different types of noises and it shows the high robustness of the proposed algorithm.
Exploring the Factors Affecting the Intention to Use C2C Auction Websites in Egypt
Authors: Abdelghaffar Hany , Moustafa Hussien
Published: August 2013

Online shopping has become the third most popular Internet activity after using e-mails and entertainment. An important type of online shopping is online consumer to consumer auction (C2C) where consumers are able to sell and buy directly online. Although C2C online auctions could be an opportunity to enhance e-commerce in developing countries, many internet users are not willing to use it. This research explores the factors that could lead to more users’ intention to use C2C auction websites in Egypt as an example of the developing countries. A conceptual model is introduced based on the technology acceptance model which was tested via a survey. Findings indicate that the perceived usefulness of using C2C auction websites have a significant impact on users’ intention to use C2C website. This should be supported with appropriate security measures that could lead to more trustable C2C auction websites.
Determinates of Consumer Adoption Attitudes
Authors: Shih Tsui-Yii
Published: August 2013

Smart home services (SHS) have been developed by related firms and have had a strong impact on consumers’ lives. This research integrates involvement antecedents, innovation diffusion factors and a technology acceptance model to develop a conceptual framework for discussing consumer attitudes and adoption behaviors toward smart home service applications. A sample of 580 respondents from different smart home buildings in Taiwan was asked to complete a survey. This paper proposes and validates a structured methodology for assessing and improving smart home service development. The research results verify that involvement antecedents (interest), innovation diffusion factors (observability, compatibility, relative advantage), and technology acceptance model (perceived usefulness) positively affect consumer attitudes toward the adoption of smart home services and that positive adoption attitudes lead to higher levels of adoption behavior. Perceived ease of use has no influence on consumer adoption attitudes toward smart home services unless through the mediating effects of perceived usefulness. Demographic variables, including gender, age and personal income, play important segmentation roles in the promotion strategies for smart home services.
Information and Technology Implementation Issues in AAL Solutions
Authors: Vardasca Ricardo , Costa Angelo , Mendes Paulo M. , Novais Paulo , Simoes Ricardo
Published: August 2013

With the population ageing effect, the technological developments, and pressure to reduce the cost with healthcare, are reunited the conditions for the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions. This work is a revision of the current state of the art. Its aim is the characterization of the AAL solutions, within the AAL4ALL scope. Therefore, it is presented features, scenarios and projects, referring the limitations and the opportunities for the future developments of prototypes using high level information and technology in AAL environments. Moreover, it is presented guidelines of operation, exposing the conceptual approach, and the discussion and conclusion, which present recommendations and current AAL4ALL project positions in terms of concepts and technologies.
A Generic Reference Architecture for Collaboratory Scientific Virtual Laboratory
Authors: Absalom Ezugwu E. , Seyed Buhari M. , Afolayan Obiniyi A. , Sahalu Junaidu B.
Published: August 2013

The paper presents a generic reference architecture framework for collaboratory experiment virtual laboratory. The model presented is open source driven, flexible and based on modern tools and technologies. This in effect will allow geographically remote scientists with limited internal laboratory resources, access to wealth of experimental datasets, computing facilities, and distributed hard-to-duplicate laboratory devices. The key issues discussed are architectural design and choice of technology used for creating virtual laboratory. This architecture offers great levels of flexibility, simplicity, and interoperability that are needed to allow integration between heterogeneous distributed grid resources and its clients and executors. The framework, besides theoretical modelling, will provide a road map for future research and open questions.
Parallel Rendering Mechanism for Graphics Programming on Multicore Processors
Authors: Chickerur Satyadhyan , Dalal Shobhit , Sharma Supreeth
Published: August 2013

The present day technological advancement has resulted in multiple core processors coming into desktops, handhelds, servers and workstations. This is because the present day applications and users demand huge computing power and interactivity. Both of these reasons have resulted in a total design shift in the way the processors are designed and developed. However the change in the hardware has not been accompanied with the change in the way the software has to be written for these multicore processors. In this paper, we intend to provide the integration of OpenGL programs on a platform which supports multicore processors. The paper would result in clear understanding how graphics pipelines can be implemented on multi-core processors to achieve higher computational speeds up with highest thread granularity. The impacts of using too much parallelism are also discussed. An OpenMP API for the thread scheduling of parallel task is discussed in this paper. The tool Intel VTune Performance Analyzer is used to find the hotspots and for software optimization. Comparing both the serial and parallel execution of graphics code shows encouraging results and it has been found that the increase in frame rate has resulted due to parallel programming techniques.
Cost Evaluation on Building and Operating Cloud Platform
Authors: Chang Yue-Shan , Lee Yi-Kang , Juang Tong-Ying , Yen Jing-Shyang
Published: August 2013

Cost issue always is one of most important issue for enterprise in building their IT platform. With the advance of various cloud environments, enterprise’s IT executive may have different consideration in constructing their IT platform. For example, constructing an own cloud environment or renting a computing platform from cloud providers. This paper the authors, based on the Net Present Value in Finance field, propose a cost model for evaluating the tradeoff between building a self-own computing platform and renting one from public provider. The cost evaluation formulas are derived based on some cost factor, such as human salary, platform purchasing cost, energy consuming, maintenance fee, and cooling cost, for evaluating required cost on building and operating of both public and private clouds. Based on the cost model, the authors applied a well-known public cloud instance, e.g. Chunghwa Telecom’s HiCloud platform in Taiwan, to compute renting cost, and make a comparison with the derived cost of private cloud for a variety of enterprises’ settings. According to the experiments, different size of enterprises could have different options in building private cloud or renting from public cloud to make optimum cost saving.
Key Dimensions on B2C E-Business
Authors: Ramayah T. , Popa Simona , Suki Norazah M.
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this paper is to test and compare two models, which have been popularly used for explaining how users come to accept and use a technology and their behavioral intention. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) is used to analyze customer intention to buy online. By sampling 102 online potential customers in Malaysia, findings indicate that the TRA and TAM are valid models in the prediction of the intention to buy online. Attitude, subjective norm, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were found to be positively related to purchase intention, with attitude being the more influential predictor. TRA was found to be a better predictor in comparison to the TAM. The main conclusions of this research can be valuable to organizations that sell their products on the Internet.
Medical Robotics
Authors: Mirbagheri Alireza , Baniasad Mina Arab , Farahmand Farzam , Behzadipour Saeed , Ahmadian Alireza
Published: August 2013

Many research and development projects are being performed worldwide to develop new products and applications for computer-assisted and medical robotic systems. In this paper, an overview of selected state-of-the-art applications of robotic technology in medicine is presented. Four key areas of image-guided surgery, virtual reality in medicine, surgical robots, and robotic rehabilitation systems, are studied. As well, current challenges in research and development are discussed.
A Content-Based Approach to Medical Images Retrieval
Authors: Tarjoman Mana , Fatemizadeh Emad , Badie Kambiz
Published: August 2013

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) makes use of image features, such as color, texture or shape, to index images with minimal human intervention. Content-based image retrieval can be used to locate medical images in large databases. In this paper, the fundamentals of the key components of content-based image retrieval systems are introduced first to give an overview of this area. Then, a case study which describes the methodology of a CBIR system for retrieving human brain magnetic resonance images, is presented. The proposed method is based on Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) learning and could classify an image as normal and tumoral. This research uses the knowledge of CBIR approach to the application of medical decision support and discrimination between the normal and abnormal medical images based on features. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is reliable and has high image retrieval efficiency.