bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seismo-acoustic ray model benchmarking against experimental tank data
Authors: Camargo Rodríguez Orlando , Collis Jon M. , Simpson Harry J. , Ey Emanuel , Schneiderwind Joseph , Felisberto Paulo
Published: August 2012

Acoustic predictions of the recently developed traceo ray model, which accounts for bottom shear properties, are benchmarked against tank experimental data from the EPEE-1 and EPEE-2 (Elastic Parabolic Equation Experiment) experiments. Both experiments are representative of signal propagation in a Pekeris-like shallow-water waveguide over a non-flat isotropic elastic bottom, where significant interaction of the signal with the bottom can be expected. The benchmarks show, in particular, that the ray model can be as accurate as a parabolic approximation model benchmarked in similar conditions. The results of benchmarking are important, on one side, as a preliminary experimental validation of the model and, on the other side, demonstrates the reliability of the ray approach for seismo-acoustic applications.
A Combination of Buprenorphine and Naltrexone Blocks Compulsive Cocaine Intake in Rodents Without Producing Dependence
Authors: Wee Sunmee , Vendruscolo Leandro F. , Misra Kaushik K. , Schlosburg Joel E. , Koob George F.
Published: August 2012

An opioid agonist and antagonist, given together, decrease cocaine abuse in rodents without causing dependence and provide a potential treatment for cocaine addiction.
Antisense Transcription Is Pervasive but Rarely Conserved in Enteric Bacteria
Authors: Raghavan Rahul , Sloan Daniel B. , Ochman Howard
Published: August 2012

Noncoding RNAs, including antisense RNAs (asRNAs) that originate from the complementary strand of protein-coding genes, are involved in the regulation of gene expression in all domains of life. Recent application of deep-sequencing technologies has revealed that the transcription of asRNAs occurs genome-wide in bacteria. Although the role of the vast majority of asRNAs remains unknown, it is often assumed that their presence implies important regulatory functions, similar to those of other noncoding RNAs. Alternatively, many antisense transcripts may be produced by chance transcription events from promoter-like sequences that result from the degenerate nature of bacterial transcription factor binding sites. To investigate the biological relevance of antisense transcripts, we compared genome-wide patterns of asRNA expression in closely related enteric bacteria,
Escherichia coli
and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium, by performing strand-specific transcriptome sequencing. Although antisense transcripts are abundant in both species, less than 3% of asRNAs are expressed at high levels in both species, and only about 14% appear to be conserved among species. And unlike the promoters of protein-coding genes, asRNA promoters show no evidence of sequence conservation between, or even within, species. Our findings suggest that many or even most bacterial asRNAs are nonadaptive by-products of the cell’s transcription machinery.

IMPORTANCE
Application of high-throughput methods has revealed the expression throughout bacterial genomes of transcripts encoded on the strand complementary to protein-coding genes. Because transcription is costly, it is usually assumed that these transcripts, termed antisense RNAs (asRNAs), serve some function; however, the role of most asRNAs is unclear, raising questions about their relevance in cellular processes. Because natural selection conserves functional elements, comparisons between related species provide a method for assessing functionality genome-wide. Applying such an approach, we assayed all transcripts in two closely related bacteria,
Escherichia coli
and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium, and demonstrate that, although the levels of genome-wide antisense transcription are similarly high in both bacteria, only a small fraction of asRNAs are shared across species. Moreover, the promoters associated with asRNAs show no evidence of sequence conservation between, or even within, species. These findings indicate that despite the genome-wide transcription of asRNAs, many of these transcripts are likely nonfunctional.
Sustained H
2
Production Driven by Photosynthetic Water Splitting in a Unicellular Cyanobacterium
Authors: Melnicki Matthew R. , Pinchuk Grigoriy E. , Hill Eric A. , Kucek Leo A. , Fredrickson Jim K. , Konopka Allan , Beliaev Alexander S.
Published: August 2012

The relationship between dinitrogenase-driven H
2
production and oxygenic photosynthesis was investigated in a unicellular cyanobacterium,
Cyanothece
sp. ATCC 51142, using a novel custom-built photobioreactor equipped with advanced process control. Continuously illuminated nitrogen-deprived cells evolved H
2
at rates up to 400 µmol ⋅ mg Chl
−1
 ⋅ h
−1
in parallel with uninterrupted photosynthetic O
2
production. Notably, sustained coproduction of H
2
and O
2
occurred over 100 h in the presence of CO
2
, with both gases displaying inverse oscillations which eventually dampened toward stable rates of 125 and 90 µmol ⋅ mg Chl
−1
 ⋅ h
−1
, respectively. Oscillations were not observed when CO
2
was omitted, and instead H
2
and O
2
evolution rates were positively correlated. The sustainability of the process was further supported by stable chlorophyll content, maintenance of baseline protein and carbohydrate levels, and an enhanced capacity for linear electron transport as measured by chlorophyll fluorescence throughout the experiment.
In situ
light saturation analyses of H
2
production displayed a strong dose dependence and lack of O
2
inhibition. Inactivation of photosystem II had substantial long-term effects but did not affect short-term H
2
production, indicating that the process is also supported by photosystem I activity and oxidation of endogenous glycogen. However, mass balance calculations suggest that carbohydrate consumption in the light may, at best, account for no more than 50% of the reductant required for the corresponding H
2
production over that period. Collectively, our results demonstrate that uninterrupted H
2
production in unicellular cyanobacteria can be fueled by water photolysis without the detrimental effects of O
2
and have important implications for sustainable production of biofuels.

IMPORTANCE
The study provides an important insight into the photophysiology of light-driven H
2
production by the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium
Cyanothece
sp. strain ATCC 51142. This work is also of significance for biotechnology, supporting the feasibility of “direct biophotolysis.” The sustainability of the process, highlighted by prolonged gas evolution with no clear sign of significant decay or apparent photodamage, provides a foundation for the future development of an effective, renewable, and economically efficient bio-H
2
production process.
Intramuscular Stimulation Therapy for Healthcare: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials
Authors: Kim Tae-Hun , Lee Cha-Ro , Choi Tae-Young , Lee Myeong Soo
Published: August 2012

Objective

A systematic review of randomised controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of intramuscular stimulation (IMS).

Methods

Electronic databases including Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, KoreaMED, Korean Studies Information Service System, RISS and DBPIA were searched through June, 2012. The Cochrane criteria were used to assess the risk of bias for the individual studies.

Results

A total of 416 publications were initially collected and four studies were included in this review. One study evaluated the efficacy of IMS for chronic tension-type headaches; IMS showed a better effect than the sham (headache index: mean difference (MD) −4.90, 95% CI −9.53 to −0.27). Three studies tested the effectiveness of IMS for various conditions. In the first study no significant difference was observed in a comparison of IMS and meloxicam therapy for chronic shoulder pain (pain-visual analogue scale (VAS): MD −0.05, 95% CI −0.25 to 0.16). The second study in patients with myofascial pain syndrome of the upper trapezius muscle found that IMS had a greater effect than simple dry needling measured by the pain-VAS (MD −2.70, 95% CI −3.77 to −1.63). In the third study, patients with lower back pain who received IMS plus the standard treatment had a better status at discharge than those receiving the standard treatment alone (relative risk 1.63, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.24).

Conclusions

Despite the positive results of these individual studies, the level of evidence supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of IMS for several conditions remains insufficient because of concerns about a lack of precision and a high risk of bias of the included studies. Rigorous large-scale clinical trials of IMS are needed to evaluate the clinical utility of this technique.
Predicting mortality for paediatric inpatients where malaria is uncommon
Authors: Clifton Dana C , Ramadhani Habib O , Msuya Levina J , Njau Boniface N , Kinabo Grace D , Buchanan Ann M , Crump John A
Published: August 2012

Objective

As the proportion of children living low malaria transmission areas in sub-Saharan Africa increases, approaches for identifying non-malarial severe illness need to be evaluated to improve child outcomes.

Design

As a prospective cohort study, we identified febrile paediatric inpatients, recorded data using Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) criteria, and collected diagnostic specimens.

Setting

Tertiary referral centre, northern Tanzania.

Results

Of 466 participants with known outcome, median age was 1.4 years (range 2 months–13.0 years), 200 (42.9%) were female, 11 (2.4%) had malaria and 34 (7.3%) died. Inpatient death was associated with: Capillary refill >3 s (OR 9.0, 95% CI 3.0 to 26.7), inability to breastfeed or drink (OR 8.9, 95% CI 4.0 to 19.6), stiff neck (OR 7.0, 95% CI 2.8 to 17.6), lethargy (OR 5.2, 95% CI 2.5 to 10.6), skin pinch >2 s (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.9 to 12.3), respiratory difficulty (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.9 to 8.2), generalised lymphadenopathy (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 8.3) and oral candidiasis (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.4 to 8.3). BCS <5 (OR 27.2, p<0.001) and severe wasting (OR 6.9, p<0.001) were independently associated with inpatient death.

Conclusions

In a low malaria transmission setting, IMCI criteria performed well for predicting inpatient death from non-malarial illness. Laboratory results were not as useful in predicting death, underscoring the importance of clinical examination in assessing prognosis. Healthcare workers should consider local malaria epidemiology as malaria over-diagnosis in children may delay potentially life-saving interventions in areas where malaria is uncommon.
Using Six Sigma to improve once daily gentamicin dosing and therapeutic drug monitoring performance
Authors: Egan Sean , Murphy Philip G , Fennell Jerome P , Kelly Sinead , Hickey Mary , McLean Carolyn , Pate Muriel , Kirke Ciara , Whiriskey Annette , Wall Niall , McCullagh Eddie , Murphy Joan , Delaney Tim
Published: August 2012

Background

Safe, effective therapy with the antimicrobial gentamicin requires good practice in dose selection and monitoring of serum levels. Suboptimal therapy occurs with breakdown in the process of drug dosing, serum blood sampling, laboratory processing and level interpretation. Unintentional underdosing may result. This improvement effort aimed to optimise this process in an academic teaching hospital using Six Sigma process improvement methodology.

Methods

A multidisciplinary project team was formed. Process measures considered critical to quality were defined, and baseline practice was examined through process mapping and audit. Root cause analysis informed improvement measures. These included a new dosing and monitoring schedule, and standardised assay sampling and drug administration timing which maximised local capabilities. Three iterations of the improvement cycle were conducted over a 24-month period.

Results

The attainment of serum level sampling in the required time window improved by 85% (p≤0.0001). A 66% improvement in accuracy of dosing was observed (p≤0.0001). Unnecessary dose omission while awaiting level results and inadvertent disruption to therapy due to dosing and monitoring process breakdown were eliminated. Average daily dose administered increased from 3.39 mg/kg to 4.78 mg/kg/day.

Conclusions

Using Six Sigma methodology enhanced gentamicin usage process performance. Local process related factors may adversely affect adherence to practice guidelines for gentamicin, a drug which is complex to use. It is vital to adapt dosing guidance and monitoring requirements so that they are capable of being implemented in the clinical environment as a matter of routine. Improvement may be achieved through a structured localised approach with multidisciplinary stakeholder involvement.
Greening vacant lots to reduce violent crime: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Garvin Eugenia C , Cannuscio Carolyn C , Branas Charles C
Published: August 2012

Background

Vacant lots are often overgrown with unwanted vegetation and filled with trash, making them attractive places to hide illegal guns, conduct illegal activities such as drug sales and prostitution, and engage in violent crime. There is some evidence that greening vacant lots is associated with reductions in violent crime.

Methods

We performed a randomised controlled trial of vacant lot greening to test the impact of this intervention on police reported crime and residents' perceptions of safety and disorder. Greening consisted of cleaning the lots, planting grass and trees, and building a wooden fence around the perimeter. We randomly allocated two vacant lot clusters to the greening intervention or to the control status (no intervention). Administrative data were used to determine crime rates, and local resident interviews at baseline (n=29) and at follow-up (n=21) were used to assess perceptions of safety and disorder.

Results

Unadjusted difference-in-differences estimates showed a non-significant decrease in the number of total crimes and gun assaults around greened vacant lots compared with control. People around the intervention vacant lots reported feeling significantly safer after greening compared with those living around control vacant lots (p<0.01).

Conclusions

In this study, greening was associated with reductions in certain gun crimes and improvements in residents' perceptions of safety. A larger randomised controlled trial is needed to further investigate the link between vacant lot greening and violence reduction.
CORRELATIONS AND MULTIFRACTALITY IN AN EARTHQUAKE MODEL ON ASSORTATIVE SCALE-FREE NETWORKS FROM MONO- AND MULTI-FRACTAL ANALYSES
Authors: LIN MIN , YAN SHUANG-XI , ZHAO GANG , WANG GANG
Published: August 2012

The scaling properties of the avalanches' interevent time series in a modified Olami–Feder–Christensen (OFC) earthquake model on assortative scale-free networks have been investigated. We analyze the interevent time of avalanches with size larger than or equal to Sthby using rescaled range (R/S) analysis and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) methods. Our results demonstrate positive correlation and persistent feature of the interevent time series. The multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) has evidenced differences among the avalanches' interevents interval with different Sth. We determine generalized Hurst exponent and singularity spectrum and find that the interevent time series have multifractal nature.
THE TYPE OF THE PHASE TRANSITION AND COUPLING VALUES IN λϕ4 MODEL
Authors: BORDAG M. , DEMCHIK V. , GULOV A. , SKALOZUB V.
Published: August 2012

The temperature induced phase transition is investigated in the one-component scalar field ϕ4 model on the lattice. Using the GPU cluster a huge amount of Monte Carlo simulation data is collected for a wide interval of coupling values. This gives a possibility to determine the low bound on the coupling constant λ0 when the transition happens and investigate its type. We found that for the values of λ close to this bound a weak-first-order phase transition takes place. It converts into a second-order one with the increase of λ. A comparison with the results obtained in analytic and numeric calculations by other authors is given.
THE WARPING POLYNOMIAL OF A KNOT DIAGRAM
Authors: SHIMIZU AYAKA
Published: August 2012

We introduce the warping polynomial of an oriented knot diagram. In this paper, we characterize the warping polynomial, and define the span of a knot to be the minimal span of the warping polynomial for all diagrams of the knot. We show that the span of a knot is one if and only if it is non-trivial and alternating, and we give an inequality between the span and the dealternating number.
Organizational Changes in the Bank of Baroda
Authors: Awasthy Richa , Vijayalakshmi C. , Gupta Rajen K.
Published: August 2012

The case explores how Bank of Baroda has responded to the changes in the Indian banking sector. In the last five years, several strategic changes have been initiated in the bank by Chief Managing Director (CMD) that has significant impacts on the performance of the bank. The case provides interesting insights into the various forces that trigger changes in an organization, resistance to these changes and interventions adopted to manage the change.
MODULAR IK: A ROBUST INVERSE KINEMATIC ALGORITHM FOR GESTURE IMITATION IN AN UPPER-BODY HUMANOID ROBOT
Authors: TEE KENG PENG , YAN RUI , CHUA YUANWEI , HUANG ZHIYONG , LI HAIZHOU
Published: August 2012

A method of computing humanoid robot joint angles from human motion data is presented in this paper. The proposed method groups the motors of an upper-body humanoid robot into pan-tilt and spherical modules, solves the inverse kinematics (IK) problem for each module, and finally resolves the coordinate transformations among the modules to yield the full solution. Scaling of the obtained joint angles and velocities is performed to ensure that their limits are satisfied and their smoothness preserved. To address robustness-accuracy tradeoff when handling kinematic singularity, we design an adaptive regularization parameter that is active only when the robot is operating near any singular configuration. This adaptive algorithm is provably robust and is simple and fast to compute. Simulation on a seven degree-of-freedom (DOF) robot arm shows that tracking accuracy is slightly reduced in a neighborhood of a singularity to gain robustness, but high accuracy is recovered outside this neighborhood. Experimentation on a 17-DOF upper-body humanoid robot confirms that user-demonstrated gestures are closely imitated by the robot. The proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art Jacobian-based IK in terms of overall imitation accuracy, while guaranteeing robust and smoothly scaled trajectories. It is ideally suited for applications such as humanoid robot teleoperation or programming by demonstration.
OPTIMIZATION-BASED DYNAMIC PREDICTION OF HUMAN POSTURAL RESPONSE UNDER TILTING OF BASE OF SUPPORT
Authors: NADERI DAVOOD , SADEGHI-MEHR MOHSEN , FARD BEHNAM MIRIPOUR
Published: August 2012

The purpose of this paper is to study formulations and computational procedures for prediction of natural human response to tilting of its base of support. The human skeletal structure is modeled as a five-segment, four-degree-of-freedom mechanical system standing on sinusoidally driven tilting platform in the sagittal plane. The problem is formulated based on predictive dynamics method that leads to an optimization problem. The joint torque square is included in the performance measure and the dynamic stability is achieved by satisfying the vertical forces criterion. The constrained nonlinear optimization problem is solved using an algorithm based on the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) approach. The results which are joint trajectories and torques are characterized in terms of two main types of movement strategies observed in humans, namely, the ankle and hip strategies. Moreover, the effect of arms on the stability of the model is studied. The results obtained with the formulation are validated with the experimental data. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed formulation in prediction of natural motion of human in response to tilting of the base plate.
A BIO-MECHANICAL DESIGNED PROSTHETIC HAND WITH MULTI-CONTROL STRATEGIES
Authors: HUANG HAI , PANG YONG-JIE , YANG DA-PENG , SUN CHAO-YU , JIANG LI , LI NAN , LIU HONG
Published: August 2012

In order to mimic the natural appearance, motion, and perception of the human hand, a bio-mechatronic approach to design an anthropomorphic prosthetic hand — HIT/DLR Prosthetic Hand has been presented. It reproduces human hand in its fundamental structure such as appearance, weight, and dimensions. Its thumb can move along a cone surface in 3D space. Similar with that of human's, it combines with abduction and adduction from palmar position to lateral position. Actuated by only one motor, the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger can envelop complex-shaped objects. In addition, the bio-mechatronic integration and cosmetic designation make it much more like a genuine human hand.

HIT/DLR Prosthetic Hand can be controlled through voice control strategy, Electromyography (EMG) control strategy, EMG, and electrocutaneous sensory feedback (ESF) close loop control strategy. In EMG control system, 10 types of hand posture are recognized through six electrodes on the basis of support vector machine (SVM). The last control strategy can help an amputee recover the grasp perception, further improve the efficiency of EMG control, and reduce the hand mis-manipulation and force delivery mistakes.
POLARIZATION PROPERTIES OF LARGE-AREA GaN-BASED LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES WITH AN OMNIDIRECTIONAL NANOSTRUCTURE
Authors: WANG WAN-WEI , CHEN LUNG-CHIEN , WANG YA-HSIN
Published: August 2012

Large-area GaN -based blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on sapphire substrates with an omnidirectional nanostructure consisted of Ag nanoparticles and TiO2/SiO2 Bragg reflector were fabricated. For the LEDs without the omnidirectional nanostructure, the spectra of the P- and S-polarization light are lightly different and the peak wavelength of P- and S-polarization light was estimated to be 464 nm and 463 nm, respectively at forward current of 20 mA. In contrast, for the LEDs with the omnidirectional nanostructure, the spectra of the P- and S-polarization light are nearly the same at forward current of 20 mA and 100 mA.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARGE–DISCHARGE PROPERTIES OF POROUS CO3O4 NANOROD BUNDLE ELECTRODE
Authors: TENG FEI , WANG JUN , CHEN MINDONG , MNEG DENNIS DESHENG
Published: August 2012

The Co3O4 nanorod bundles are synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The samples are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD), and nitrogen adsorption. It is important that the as-obtained Co3O4 nanorod bundles are assembled by nanoparticles. The porous nanorod bundle electrode exhibits a higher rate capacity and a higher reverse capability for lithium ion battery than the solid nanorods, which is attributed to the high surface area and the porous structure.
Optimizing Cholinergic Tone Through Lynx Modulators of Nicotinic Receptors: Implications for Plasticity and Nicotine Addiction
Authors: Miwa Julie M. , Lester Henry A. , Walz Andreas
Published: August 2012

The cholinergic system underlies both adaptive (learning and memory) and nonadaptive (addiction and dependency) behavioral changes through its ability to shape and regulate plasticity. Protein modulators such as lynx family members can fine tune the activity of the cholinergic system and contribute to the graded response of the cholinergic system, stabilizing neural circuitry through direct interaction with nicotinic receptors. Release of this molecular brake can unmask cholinergic-dependent mechanisms in the brain. Lynx proteins have the potential to provide top-down control over plasticity mechanisms, including addictive propensity. If this is indeed the case, then, what regulates the regulator? Transcriptional changes of lynx genes in response to pharmacological, physiological, and pathological alterations are explored in this review.
Endocytic Receptors in the Renal Proximal Tubule
Authors: Christensen Erik I. , Birn Henrik , Storm Tina , Weyer Kathrin , Nielsen Rikke
Published: August 2012

Protein reabsorption is a predominant feature of the renal proximal tubule. Animal studies show that the ability to rescue plasma proteins relies on the endocytic receptors megalin and cubilin. Recently, studies of patients with syndromes caused by dysfunctional receptors have supported the importance of these for protein clearance of human ultrafiltrate. This review focuses on the molecular biology and physiology of the receptors and their involvement in renal pathological conditions.
Survival Implications Associated with Variation in Mastectomy Rates for Early-Staged Breast Cancer
Authors: Brooks John M. , Chrischilles Elizabeth A. , Landrum Mary Beth , Wright Kara B. , Fang Gang , Winer Eric P. , Keating Nancy L.
Published: August 2012

Despite a 20-year-old guideline from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Conference recommending breast conserving surgery with radiation (BCSR) over mastectomy for woman with early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) because it preserves the breast, recent evidence shows mastectomy rates increasing and higher-staged ESBC patients are more likely to receive mastectomy. These observations suggest that some patients and their providers believe that mastectomy has advantages over BCSR and these advantages increase with stage. These beliefs may persist because the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that served as the basis for the NIH guideline were populated mainly with lower-staged patients. Our objective is to assess the survival implications associated with mastectomy choice by patient alignment with the RCT populations. We used instrumental variable methods to estimate the relationship between surgery choice and survival for ESBC patients based on variation in local area surgery styles. We find results consistent with the RCTs for patients closely aligned to the RCT populations. However, for patients unlike those in the RCTs, our results suggest that higher mastectomy rates are associated withreducedsurvival. We are careful to interpret our estimates in terms of limitations of our estimation approach.
In VitroSchistosomicidal Activity of Some Brazilian Cerrado Species and Their Isolated Compounds
Authors: Cunha Nayanne Larissa , Uchôa Camila Jacintho de Mendonça , Cintra Lucas Silva , Souza Herbert Cristian de , Peixoto Juliana Andrade , Silva Claudia Peres , Magalhães Lizandra Guidi , Gimenez Valéria Maria Meleiro , Groppo Milton , Rodrigues Vanderlei , da Silva Filho Ademar Alves , Andrade e Silva Márcio Luís , Cunha Wilson Roberto , Pauletti Patrícia Mendonça , Januário Ana Helena
Published: August 2012

Miconia langsdorffiiCogn. (Melastomataceae),Roupala montanaAubl. (Proteaceae),Struthanthus syringifolius(Mart.) (Loranthaceae), andSchefflera vinosa(Cham. & Schltdl.) Frodin (Araliaceae) are plant species from the Brazilian Cerrado whose schistosomicidal potential has not yet been described. The crude extracts, fractions, the triterpenes betulin, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and the flavonoids quercetin 3-O-β-D-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside and isorhamnetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside were evaluatedin vitroagainstSchistosoma mansoniadult worms and the bioactiven-hexane fractions of the mentioned species were also analyzed by GC-MS. Betulin was able to cause worm death percentage values of 25% after 120 h (at 100 μM), and 25% and 50% after 24 and 120 h (at 200 μM), respectively; besides the flavonoid quercetin 3-O-β-D-rhamnoside promoted 25% of death of the parasites at 100 μM. Farther the flavonoids quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucoside and quercetin 3-O-β-D-rhamnoside at 100 μM exhibited significantly reduction in motor activity, 75% and 87.5%, respectively. Biological results indicated that crude extracts ofR. montana,S. vinosa, andM. langsdorffiiand somen-hexane and EtOAc fractions of this species were able to induce worm death to some extent. The results suggest that lupane-type triterpenes and flavonoid monoglycosides should be considered for further antiparasites studies.
A New Solution Operator of One‐Dimensional p‐Laplacian with a Sign‐Changing Weight and Its Application
Authors: Sim Inbo , Lee Yong Hoon
Published: August 2012

We establish a new solution operator for the following problem −φp(u′)′ = g, t ∈ (0,1), u(0) = 0 = u(1), where φp(x) = |x|p−2x, p > 1. g may be singular at the boundary or change signs or may not be in L1(0,1) so that this solution operator can cover larger class of g than previously known ones. As an application, by checking complete continuity of the solution operator, we show the existence of nontrivial solutions for p‐Laplacian φp(u′)′ + λh(t)f(u(t)) = 0, t ∈ (0,1), u(0) = 0 = u(1), where λ > 0 a parameter and f ∈ C(ℝ, ℝ) and f(0) > 0 and h may change signs or may be beyond of L1(0,1).
Some Notes on the Difference Equation xn+1=α+(xn−1/xnk)
Authors: Gümüş Mehmet , Öcalan Özkan
Published: August 2012

We investigate the behavior of the solutions of the recursive sequence, where α ∈ [0, ∞), k ∈ (0, ∞), and the initial conditions x−1, x0 are arbitrary positive numbers. Included are results that considerably improve those in the recently published paper by Hamza and Morsy (2009).
Tuberculosis of the Parotid Gland
Authors: Gupta Vivek , Patankar Kiran , Shinde Archana , Bhosale Charu , Tamhane Ajitey
Published: August 2012

Parotid gland involvement is extremely rare, even in countries in which tuberculosis is endemic. Clinically, it usually presents as a slow-growing mass indistinguishable from a malignancy. On imaging too, tuberculosis of the parotid may mimic neoplasm. The diagnosis of parotid tuberculosis needs a high degree of clinical suspicion. This paper highlights the clinical presentation, imaging findings, and importance of FNAC in diagnosis of this rare entity.
Lung Function before and Two Days after Open-Heart Surgery
Authors: Urell Charlotte , Westerdahl Elisabeth , Hedenström Hans , Janson Christer , Emtner Margareta
Published: August 2012

Reduced lung volumes and atelectasis are common after open-heart surgery, and pronounced restrictive lung volume impairment has been found. The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing lung volumes on the second postoperative day. Open-heart surgery patients (n=107, 68 yrs, 80% male) performed spirometry both before surgery and on the second postoperative day. The factors influencing postoperative lung volumes and decrease in lung volumes were investigated with univariate and multivariate analyses. Associations between pain (measured by numeric rating scale) and decrease in postoperative lung volumes were calculated with Spearman rank correlation test. Lung volumes decreased by 50% and were less than 40% of the predictive values postoperatively. Patients with BMI >25had lower postoperative inspiratory capacity (IC) (33±14% pred.) than normal-weight patients (39±15% pred.), (P=0.04). More pain during mobilisation was associated with higher decreases in postoperative lung volumes (VC:r=0.33,P=0.001; FEV1:r=0.35,P≤0.0001; IC:r=0.25,P=0.01). Patients with high BMI are a risk group for decreased postoperative lung volumes and should therefore receive extra attention during postoperative care. As pain is related to a larger decrease in postoperative lung volumes, optimal pain relief for the patients should be identified.
Design of an Impulse Radiating Antenna Using a Curved TEM-Wire Fed Parabola
Authors: Lee Donghyun , Lee Haengseon , Hwang Sunmook , Ahn Jaewoon
Published: August 2012

A design procedure for a TEM-wire fed parabolic antenna is given for impulse radiation, which is suitable for low cost fabrication. A simple wire-type TEM horn and a parabolic reflector are used to achieve ultra-wide bandwidth and high directivity at the same time. Equations for parametric curves of a TEM-wire horn are presented and are used to investigate the relation among their shapes, bandwidth, and directivity. It is also found that wire separation near the focal point limits the high frequency directivity.
Human Myocardial Protein Pattern Reveals Cardiac Diseases
Authors: Bergquist Jonas , Baykut Gökhan , Bergquist Maria , Witt Matthias , Mayer Franz-Josef , Baykut Doan
Published: August 2012

Proteomic profiles of myocardial tissue in two different etiologies of heart failure were investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Right atrial appendages from 10 patients with hemodynamically significant isolated aortic valve disease and from 10 patients with isolated symptomatic coronary heart disease were collected during elective cardiac surgery. As presented in an earlier study by our group (Baykut et al., 2006), both disease forms showed clearly different pattern distribution characteristics. Interesting enough, the classification patterns could be used for correctly sorting unknown test samples in their correct categories. However, in order to fully exploit and also validate these findings there is a definite need for unambiguous identification of the differences between different etiologies at molecular level. In this study, samples representative for the aortic valve disease and coronary heart disease were prepared, tryptically digested, and analyzed using an FT-ICR MS that allowed collision-induced dissociation (CID) of selected classifier masses. By using the fragment spectra, proteins were identified by database searches. For comparison and further validation, classifier masses were also fragmented and analyzed using HPLC-/Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight/time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry. Desmin and lumican precursor were examples of proteins found in aortic samples at higher abundances than in coronary samples. Similarly, adenylate kinase isoenzyme was found in coronary samples at a higher abundance. The described methodology could also be feasible in search for specific biomarkers in plasma or serum for diagnostic purposes.
Rehabilitation of the Upper Extremity after Stroke: A Case Series Evaluating REO Therapy and an Auditory Sensor Feedback for Trunk Control
Authors: Thielman G. , Bonsall P.
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose. Training in the virtual environment in post stroke rehab is being established as a new approach for neurorehabilitation, specifically, ReoTherapy (REO) a robot-assisted virtual training device. Trunk stabilization strapping has been part of the concept with this device, and literature is lacking to support this for long-term functional changes with individuals after stroke. The purpose of this case series was to measure the feasibility of auditory trunk sensor feedback during REO therapy, in moderate to severely impaired individuals after stroke.Case Description. Using an open label crossover comparison design, 3 chronic stroke subjects were trained for 12 sessions over six weeks on either the REO or the control condition of task related training (TRT); after a washout period of 4 weeks; the alternative therapy was given.Outcomes. With both interventions, clinically relevant improvements were found for measures of body function and structure, as well as for activity, for two participants. Providing auditory feedback during REO training for trunk control was found to be feasible.Discussion. The degree of changes evident varied per protocol and may be due to the appropriateness of the technique chosen, as well as based on patients impaired arm motor control.
Abdominoscrotal Hydrocele with Intestinal Malrotation: A Rare Association
Authors: Jain Sonal , Singh Ragini , Singh Surendra Kumar , Singh Vikram , Shantanu Kumar
Published: August 2012

Abdominoscrotal hydrocele is an uncommon clinical entity and so is intestinal malrotation. We report a case of 15 year old boy who presented with lump in abdomen previously diagnosed as mesenteric cyst on ultrasound. A multislice CT scan and repeat ultrasound not only diagnosed the case as abdominoscrotal hydrocele but also detected intestinal malrotation with positive whirl sign. This is the first reported case of abdominoscrotal hydrocele with intestinal malrotation.
Beyond Cat Scratch Disease: A Case Report ofBartonellaInfection Mimicking Vasculitic Disorder
Authors: Spinella Amelia , Lumetti Federica , Sandri Gilda , Cestelli Valentina , Mascia Maria Teresa
Published: August 2012

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a bacterial disease caused byBartonella henselaeand it is mainly characterized by self-limiting lymphadenopathy in the draining site of a cat scratch or bite. We report a patient with history of fever, swelling lymph nodes, vasculitic-like skin lesions, and positivity ofBartonellaserology initially considered as expression of a disimmune disease.
Ectopic Axillary Breast during Systemic Lupus
Authors: Ben Dhaou Besma , Boussema Fatma , Aydi Zohra , Baili Lilia , Rokbani Lilia
Published: August 2012

Many breast changes may occur in systemic lupus erythematosus. We report a 41-year-old woman with lupus who presented three years after the onset of lupus an ectopic mammary gland confirmed by histological study.
Modeling Chaotic Behavior of Chittagong Stock Indices
Authors: Banik Shipra , Anwer Mohammed , Khan A. F. M. Khodadad
Published: August 2012

Stock market prediction is an important area of financial forecasting, which attracts great interest to stock buyers and sellers, stock investors, policy makers, applied researchers, and many others who are involved in the capital market. In this paper, a comparative study has been conducted to predict stock index values using soft computing models and time series model. Paying attention to the applied econometric noises because our considered series are time series, we predict Chittagong stock indices for the period from January 1, 2005 to May 5, 2011. We have used well-known models such as, the genetic algorithm (GA) model and the adaptive network fuzzy integrated system (ANFIS) model as soft computing forecasting models. Very widely used forecasting models in applied time series econometrics, namely, the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (GARCH) model is considered as time series model. Our findings have revealed that the use of soft computing models is more successful than the considered time series model.
Maxillary Mucocele with Orbital Floor Remodelling
Authors: Salam Tahrina , Zamani Maryam , Olver Jane
Published: August 2012

A 79-year-old man presents with signs of an orbital mass. A CT scan revealed a large maxillary mucocele eroding through the orbital floor. Surgical drainage of the mucocele and conservative postoperative care, returned all ophthalmic signs to normal and bony remodelling of the orbital floor was demonstrated. Maxillary mucoceles should be assessed by both ENT and Ophthalmic surgeons. Postoperative remodelling of the orbital floor can be illustrated with serial CT Scans.
Estimation of Soil Electrical Properties in a Multilayer Earth Model with Boundary Element Formulation
Authors: Islam T. , Chik Z. , Mustafa M. M. , Sanusi H.
Published: August 2012

This paper presents an efficient model for estimation of soil electric resistivity with depth and layer thickness in a multilayer earth structure. This model is the improvement of conventional two‐layer earth model including Wenner resistivity formulations with boundary conditions. Two‐layer soil model shows the limitations in specific soil characterizations of different layers with the interrelationships between soil apparent electrical resistivity (ρ) and several soil physical or chemical properties. In the multilayer soil model, the soil resistivity and electric potential at any points in multilayer anisotropic soil medium are expressed according to the variation of electric field intensity for geotechnical investigations. For most soils with varying layers, multilayer soil resistivity profile is therefore more suitable to get soil type, bulk density of compacted soil and to detect anomalous materials in soil. A boundary element formulation is implemented to show the multilayer soil model with boundary conditions in soil resistivity estimations. Numerical results of soil resistivity ratio and potential differences for different layers are presented to illustrate the application, accuracy, and efficiency of the proposed model. The nobility of the research is obtaining multilayer soil characterizations through soil electric properties in near surface soil profile.
A Simple Microstrip Bandstop Filter Using Cross-Coupling Stubs
Authors: Chiu Leung , Xue Quan
Published: August 2012

This paper presents an alterative implementation of a shunt open-circuited stub for multilayer microwave circuit. With making use of the proposed implementation, a simple and compact bandstop filter with a district bandstop characteristics and a first spurious at the third harmonic is proposed. The proposed filter exhibits about 12.5% fractional bandwidth of −10 dB signal rejection at the center frequency of 2.04 GHz and flat group delay at the pass bands. Besides, by cascading a number of the proposed bandstop filters designed at the different frequencies, multiband bandstop filters can be easily realized. A dual- (tri-) band design at the center frequencies of 2 GHz and 3 GHz (and 4 GHz) is designed, realized, and measured. The proposed bandstop filter well suits the nowadays multilayer and compact radio frequency integrated circuit design.
The Study on the Agreement between Automatic Tongue Diagnosis System and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners
Authors: Lo Lun-chien , Chen Yung-Fu , Chen Wen-Jiuan , Cheng Tsung-Lin , Chiang John Y.
Published: August 2012

Tongue diagnosis is an important practice in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for diagnosing diseases before determining proper means of treatments. Traditionally, it depends solely on personal knowledge and experience of the practitioner, thereby being criticized as lacking of objectivity. Currently, no research regarding intra- and inter-agreements of automatic tongue diagnosis system (ATDS) and TCM doctors has been conducted. In this study, the ATDS is developed to extract a variety of tongue features and provide practitioners with objective information to assist diagnoses. To evaluate the ATDS clinical stability, 2 sets of tongue images taken 1 hour apart from 20 patients with possible variations in lighting and extruding tongue, are employed to investigate intra-agreement of the ATDS, intra-agreement of the TCM doctors, and the inter-agreement between the ATDS and TCM doctors. The ATDS is shown to be more consistent with significantly higher intra-agreement than the TCM doctors (kappa value:0.93±0.06versus0.64±0.13) withP<0.001(Student’st-test). Inter-agreements between the ATDS and TCM doctors, as well as among the TCM doctors are both moderate. The high agreement of the ATDS can provide objective and reliable tongue features to facilitate doctor in making effective observation and diagnosis of specific diseases.
Social Isolation and Aging in Zambia: Examining the Possible Predictors
Authors: Mapoma Christopher Chabila , Masaiti Gift
Published: August 2012

This research paper examined social isolation and aging in Zambia by examining possible predictors. The paper produces evidence on risk factors likely to engender social isolation among the elderly population of Zambia. Snowball sampling was undertaken to select 690 adults aged 60 and over in communities as well as those living in homes for the aged. A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information from respondents. Results show that old people in Zambia experience forms of social isolation which exhibit themselves (but not limited to) through such factors as loss of appetite, stress, moody, hopeless, useless, unhappy, and lonely. On balance, however, the direction of association and the number of statistically significant findings suggest that associations between variables examined and risk factors associated with social isolation amongst older people in this analysis could explain the overall situation occuring currently in Zambia and probably other developing countries. In view of this, this study recommends that further work is needed to identify and explain details of factors of social isolation using techniques such as focus group discussions as well as in-depth interviews with key informants. Such approaches may even help to explain why, for example, sex seems not to be significant in determining indicators of social isolation.
A Collaborative Molecular Modeling Environment Using a Virtual Tunneling Service
Authors: Lee Jun , Kim Jee-In , Kang Lin-Woo
Published: August 2012

Collaborative researches of three-dimensional molecular modeling can be limited by different time zones and locations. A networked virtual environment can be utilized to overcome the problem caused by the temporal and spatial differences. However, traditional approaches did not sufficiently consider integration of different computing environments, which were characterized by types of applications, roles of users, and so on. We propose a collaborative molecular modeling environment to integrate different molecule modeling systems using a virtual tunneling service. We integrated Co-Coot, which is a collaborative crystallographic object-oriented toolkit, with VRMMS, which is a virtual reality molecular modeling system, through a collaborative tunneling system. The proposed system showed reliable quantitative and qualitative results through pilot experiments.
Model Predictive Control of the Grain Drying Process
Authors: Han Feng , Zuo Chuncheng , Wu Wenfu , Li Junxing , Liu Zhe
Published: August 2012

Drying plays an important role in the postharvesting process of grain. To ensure the quality of the dried grain and improve the intelligent level in drying process, a digital simulation of corn drying machine system based on a virtual instrument was established for 5HSZ dryer, automatically control the air temperature, and predict the discharging speed of grain and so forth. Finally, an online measurement and automated control software of grain parameters were developed to provide the changes of moisture, temperature, humidity, and germination rate in the process of drying. The study carried out in the actual processing showed that it can meet the requirements of the actual drying operation, effectively control the stability of the grain moisture, and keep the dry food quality.
Immune Microenvironment in Tumor Progression: Characteristics and Challenges for Therapy
Authors: Chew Valerie , Toh Han Chong , Abastado Jean-Pierre
Published: August 2012

The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in cancer development, progression, and control. The molecular and cellular nature of the tumor immune microenvironment influences disease outcome by altering the balance of suppressive versus cytotoxic responses in the vicinity of the tumor. Recent developments in systems biology have improved our understanding of the complex interactions between tumors and their immunological microenvironment in various human cancers. Effective tumor surveillance by the host immune system protects against disease, but chronic inflammation and tumor “immunoediting” have also been implicated in disease development and progression. Accordingly, reactivation and maintenance of appropriate antitumor responses within the tumor microenvironment correlate with a good prognosis in cancer patients. Improved understanding of the factors that shape the tumor microenvironment will be critical for the development of effective future strategies for disease management. The manipulation of these microenvironmental factors is already emerging as a promising tool for novel cancer treatments. In this paper, we summarize the various roles of the tumor microenvironment in cancer, focusing on immunological mediators of tumor progression and control, as well as the significant challenges for future therapies.