bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zinc biosorption by the purple non-sulfur bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus
Authors: Magnin Jean-Pierre , Gondrexon Nicolas , Willison John C.
Published: October 2014

This paper presents the first report providing information on the zinc (Zn) biosorption potentialities of the purple non-sulfur bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. The effects of various biological, physical, and chemical parameters on Zn biosorption were studied in both the wild-type strain B10 and a strain, RC220, lacking the endogenous plasmid. At an initial Zn concentration of 10 mg·L−1, the Zn biosorption capacity at pH 7 for bacterial biomass grown in synthetic medium containing lactate as carbon source was 17 and 16 mg Zn·(g dry mass)–1 for strains B10 and RC220, respectively. Equilibrium was achieved in a contact time of 30–120 min, depending on the initial Zn concentration. Zn sorption by live biomass was modelled, at equilibrium, according to the Redlich–Peterson and Langmuir isotherms, in the range of 1–600 mg Zn·L−1. The wild-type strain showed a maximal Zn uptake capacity (Qm) of 164 ± 8 mg·(g dry mass)−1 and an equilibrium constant (Kads) of 0.017 ± 0.00085 L·(mg Zn)−1, compared with values of 73.9 mg·(g dry mass)−1 and 0.361 L·mg−1 for the strain lacking the endogenous plasmid. The Qm value observed for R. capsulatus B10 is one of the highest reported in the literature, suggesting that this strain may be useful for Zn bioremediation. The lower Qm value and higher equilibrium constant observed for strain RC220 suggest that the endogenous plasmid confers an enhanced biosorption capacity in this bacterium, although no genetic determinants for Zn resistance appear to be located on the plasmid, and possible explanations for this are discussed.
Impact of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase on virulence factor production byPseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Daniels Jonathan B. , Scoffield Jessica , Woolnough Jessica L. , Silo-Suh Laura
Published: October 2014

Pseudomonas aeruginosa establishes life-long chronic infections in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung by utilizing various adaptation strategies. Some of these strategies include altering metabolic pathways to utilize readily available nutrients present in the host environment. The airway sputum contains various host-derived nutrients that can be utilized by P. aeruginosa, including phosphatidylcholine, a major component of lung surfactant. Pseudomonas aeruginosa can degrade phosphatidylcholine to glycerol and fatty acids to increase the availability of usable carbon sources in the CF lung. In this study, we show that some CF-adapted P. aeruginosa isolates utilize glycerol more efficiently as a carbon source than nonadapted isolates. Furthermore, a mutation in a gene required for glycerol utilization impacts the production of several virulence factors in both acute and chronic isolates of P. aeruginosa. Taken together, the results suggest that interference with this metabolic pathway may have potential therapeutic benefits.
Novel variable number of tandem repeats of gibbon MAOA gene and its evolutionary significance
Authors: Choi Yuri , Jung Yi-Deun , Ayarpadikannan Selvam , Koga Akihiko , Imai Hiroo , Hirai Hirohisa , Roos Christian , Kim Heui-Soo
Published: October 2014

Variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) are scattered throughout the primate genome, and genetic variation of these VNTRs have been accumulated during primate radiation. Here, we analyzed VNTRs upstream of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene in 11 different gibbon species. An abundance of truncated VNTR sequences and copy number differences were observed compared to those of human VNTR sequences. To better understand the biological role of these VNTRs, a luciferase activity assay was conducted and results indicated that selected VNTR sequences of the MAOA gene from human and three different gibbon species (Hylobates klossii, Hylobates lar, and Nomascus concolor) showed silencing ability. Together, these data could be useful for understanding the evolutionary history and functional significance of MAOA VNTR sequences in gibbon species.
Linear and nonlinear electromagnetic waves in a magnetized quantum electron-positron plasma
Authors: Momeni Mahdi
Published: October 2014

The linear and nonlinear properties of the electromagnetic waves are investigated in a magnetized quantum electron–positron (e–p) plasma by employing the quantum hydrodynamic (QHD) model. It is found that the quantum dispersion relation in comparison with the classical version is modified by the quantum corrections through quantum diffraction and statistics. The standard reductive perturbation technique is used to derive the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation. The exact soliton solutions and the existence regions of the solitary waves are also defined precisely. It is also shown that the results are affected by the quantum corrections.
The Heisenberg–Euler Lagrangian as an example of an effective field theory
Authors: Dittrich Walter
Published: October 2014

We review the beginning of the effective Lagrangian in QED that was first introduced in the literature by W. Heisenberg and H. Euler in 1936. Deviating from their way of calculating the one-loop effective correction to the classical Maxwell Lagrangian, we use Green's functions and adopt the Fock–Schwinger proper-time method. The important role of the Heisenberg–Euler effective Lagrangian is explicitly demonstrated for low-energy photon–photon processes.
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF COMPLICATIONS AND RECURRENCE RATE OF ARTHROSCOPIC RESECTION OF VOLAR WRIST GANGLION
Authors: Fernandes Carlos Henrique , Miranda Cesar Dario Oliveira , dos Santos João Baptista Gomes , Faloppa Flavio
Published: October 2014

The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the incidence of complications and the recurrence rate of a volar wrist ganglion following arthroscopic resection.

We performed a systematic review of English and non-English articles using Google Scholar, Medline, and Web of Knowledge. Articles were screened for study inclusion by three independent reviewers using the terms "arthroscopic treatment of volar wrist ganglion" and "arthroscopic resection of volar wrist ganglion". Inclusion criteria: (1) level I–V evidence, (2) documentation of the number of wrists subjected to surgery, (3) documentation of surgical techniques used on wrists, and (4) documentation of surgical or post-surgical complications and recurrence rate of a volar wrist ganglion after arthroscopic resection. A complication was defined as an adverse outcome that was directly related to the operative procedure. Between 2001 and 2012, 13 articles met the inclusion criteria. Two articles were excluded and 11 were reviewed. A total of 232 wrists underwent arthroscopic surgery with 14 recurrences.

The recurrence rate ranged from 0 to 20%, with mean of 6.03%. There were 16 (6.89%) complications. There was no connection with the ganglion in six wrists, three haematomas, three cases of neuropraxia of the dorsal radial nerve, two partial lesions of the median nerve, and two lesions of a branch of the radial artery. Patients did not have a decrease in the arc range of motion. Treatment of volar ganglia of the midcarpal joint was technically difficult and associated with a higher number of complications.

In general, arthroscopic resection results in fewer complications and lower recurrence rates than an open surgical approach, but there is no clear evidence of such an advantage for arthroscopic resection of a volar wrist ganglion. Additional prospective, controlled clinical trials will be essential to address this important issue.
NEW TECHNIQUE FOR REDUCING FIBROSIS IN RECURRENT CASES OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
Authors: Nassar Wael A. M. , Atiyya Ahmed Naeem
Published: October 2014

Purpose: Synthetic bio-degradable materials have been used as an artificial barrier in prophylaxis of adhesions. We report on the use of lactid caprolacton film (Mesofol®) in recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome. We hypothesise that its use will give favourable results regarding the functional outcome and the recurrence rate.

Patients and methods: Fourteen patients were prospectively reviewed following neurolysis and application of Mesofol®film. Average age was 48 years. Outcome assessment measures included; two-point discrimination, verbal rating scale, and Boston Questionnaire.

Results: Follow-up period averaged 25.5 months. Post-operative two-point discrimination improved to an average of 4.57 mm. The post-operative average verbal rating scale was 1.5. The mean symptom severity score improved to 1.88 and the mean functional score improved to 1.69 post-operatively.

Conclusion: In cases of recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome, the use of mesofol barrier yields good functional results at the short term follow-up. The technique is simple. No patients needed further surgeries.
IS MASSON'S TUMOUR ONLY A SLOW-GROWING BENIGN NEOPLASM? A CASE REPORT
Authors: Corni V. , Lucchina S. , Fusetti C.
Published: October 2014

Masson's tumour is a rare benign neoplasm of vascular origin characterized histologically by papillary endothelial hyperplasia. Unlike previous scientific articles we report a case of a "rapid growing" lesion in a 73-year-old man underlining the clinical features to distinguish this uncommon lesion from other neoplasms of vascular origin.
Classes of Sequentially Cohen-Macaulay Squarefree Monomial Ideals
Authors: Olteanu Oana
Published: October 2014

We compute the minimal primary decomposition for completely squarefree lexsegment ideals. We show that critical squarefree monomial ideals are sequentially Cohen-Macaulay. As an application, we give a complete characterization of the completely squarefree lexsegment ideals which are sequentially Cohen-Macaulay and we also derive formulas for some homological invariants of this class of ideals.
Finite Locally-quasiprimitive Graphs
Authors: Song Shujiao , Li Caiheng , Wang Dianjun
Published: October 2014

A graph 𝛤 is called G-locally-quasiprimitive if each normal subgroup of Gv acts on 𝛤(v) trivially or transitively for every vertex v. In this paper we analyse the global action and the structural information of such groups G, extending the previous results for locally-primitive graphs and vertex-transitive locally-quasiprimitive graphs.
Fibonacci Type Semigroups
Authors: Williams Gerald
Published: October 2014

We study “Fibonacci type” groups and semigroups. By establishing asphericity of their presentations we show that many of the groups are infinite. We combine this with Adjan graph techniques and the classification of the finite Fibonacci semigroups (in terms of the finite Fibonacci groups) to extend it to the Fibonacci type semigroups.
On the Semigroups of Order-preserving and A-Decreasing Finite Transformations
Authors: Zhao Ping
Published: October 2014

For n ∈ ℕ, let On be the semigroup of all singular order-preserving mappings on [n]= {1,2,…,n}. For each nonempty subset A of [n], let On(A) = {α ∈ On: (∀ k ∈A) kα ≤ k} be the semigroup of all order-preserving and A-decreasing mappings on [n]. In this paper it is shown that On(A) is an abundant semigroup with n-1𝒟*-classes. Moreover, On(A) is idempotent-generated and its idempotent rank is 2n-2- |A\ {n}|. Further, it is shown that the rank of On(A) is equal to n-1 if 1 ∈ A, and it is equal to n otherwise.
A Prime Submodule Principle
Authors: Nekooei R. , Rostami E.
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we extend the concept of Ako and Oka families to submodules, study the behavior of the extended prime submodule principle and use these concepts to give new proofs of some familiar theorems.
G-Algebras and Clifford Extensions of Points
Authors: Coconeţ Tiberiu
Published: October 2014

Let K be a normal subgroup of the finite group H. To a point of a K-interior H-algebra we associate a group extension, and we prove that this extension is isomorphic to an extension associated to the point given by the Brauer homomorphism. This may be regarded as a generalization and an alternative treatment of Dade's results [2, Section 12].
POLICY INTEGRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Authors: TAJIMA RYO , GORE TOM , FISCHER THOMAS B.
Published: October 2014

This paper aims to clarify the potential benefits and challenges of integrating environmental assessment (EA) and disaster management considerations, and current research gaps. In this context, the discussion is provided from three perspectives: (1) the consideration of disaster risk in EA; (2) the development of accelerated EA for post-disaster situations; and (3) the integration of EA into pre-disaster response and recovery planning. For this, a Japanese JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)/UK ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) financed UK-Japan project on the integration of environmental assessment (EA) and disaster management was conducted in 2012. It was concluded that whilst EA can be beneficial for disaster management, there are a number of potential pitfalls and an evident lack of research in the area.
Maximizing Range Sum in External Memory
Authors: Choi Dong-Wan , Chung Chin-Wan , Tao Yufei
Published: October 2014

This article studies the
MaxRS
problem in spatial databases. Given a set
O
of weighted points and a rectangle
r
of a given size, the goal of the MaxRS problem is to find a location of
r
such that the sum of the weights of all the points covered by
r
is maximized. This problem is useful in many location-based services such as finding the best place for a new franchise store with a limited delivery range and finding the hotspot with the largest number of nearby attractions for a tourist with a limited reachable range. However, the problem has been studied mainly in the theoretical perspective, particularly in computational geometry. The existing algorithms from the computational geometry community are in-memory algorithms that do not guarantee the scalability. In this article, we propose a scalable external-memory algorithm (
ExactMaxRS
) for the MaxRS problem that is optimal in terms of the I/O complexity. In addition, we propose an approximation algorithm (
ApproxMaxCRS
) for the
MaxCRS
problem that is a circle version of the MaxRS problem. We prove the correctness and optimality of the ExactMaxRS algorithm along with the approximation bound of the ApproxMaxCRS algorithm.

Furthermore, motivated by the fact that all the existing solutions simply assume that there is no
tied
area for the best location, we extend the MaxRS problem to a more fundamental problem, namely
AllMaxRS
, so that all the locations with the same best score can be retrieved. We first prove that the AllMaxRS problem cannot be trivially solved by applying the techniques for the MaxRS problem. Then we propose an output-sensitive external-memory algorithm (
TwoPhaseMaxRS
) that gives the exact solution for the AllMaxRS problem through two phases. Also, we prove both the soundness and completeness of the result returned from TwoPhaseMaxRS.

From extensive experimental results, we show that ExactMaxRS and ApproxMaxCRS are several orders of magnitude faster than methods adapted from existing algorithms, the approximation bound in practice is much better than the theoretical bound of ApproxMaxCRS, and TwoPhaseMaxRS is not only much faster but also more robust than the straightforward extension of ExactMaxRS.
Scheduling Temporal Data with Dynamic Snapshot Consistency Requirement in Vehicular Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Liu Kai , Lee Victor C. S. , Ng Joseph K. Y. , Son Sang H. , Sha Edwin H.-M.
Published: October 2014

Timely and efficient data dissemination is one of the fundamental requirements to enable innovative applications in vehicular cyber-physical systems (VCPS). In this work, we intensively analyze the characteristics of temporal data dissemination in VCPS. On this basis, we formulate the static and dynamic snapshot consistency requirements on serving real-time requests for temporal data items. Two online algorithms are proposed to enhance the system performance with different requirements. In particular, a reschedule mechanism is developed to make the scheduling adaptable to the dynamic snapshot consistency requirement. A comprehensive performance evaluation demonstrates the superiority of the proposed algorithms.
Allograph modeling for online handwritten characters in devanagari using constrained stroke clustering
Authors: A. Bharath , Madhvanath Sriganesh
Published: October 2014

Writer-specific character writing variations such as those of stroke order and stroke number are an important source of variability in the input when handwriting is captured “online” via a stylus and a challenge for robust online recognition of handwritten characters and words. It has been shown by several studies that explicit modeling of character allographs is important for achieving high recognition accuracies in a writer-independent recognition system. While previous approaches have relied on unsupervised clustering at the character or stroke level to find the allographs of a character, in this article we propose the use of
constrained clustering
using automatically derived domain constraints to find a minimal set of stroke clusters. The allographs identified have been applied to Devanagari character recognition using Hidden Markov Models and Nearest Neighbor classifiers, and the results indicate substantial improvement in recognition accuracy and/or reduction in memory and computation time when compared to alternate modeling techniques.
NBTI tolerance and leakage reduction using gate sizing
Authors: Lin Ing-Chao , Syu Shun-Ming , Ho Tsung-Yi
Published: October 2014

Leakage power is a major design constraint in deep submicron technology and below. Meanwhile, transistor degradation due to Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) has emerged as one of the main reliability concerns in nanoscale technology. Gate sizing is a widely used technique to reduce circuit leakage, and this approach has recently attracted much attention with regard to improving circuits to tolerate NBTI. However, these studies only consider timing and area constraints, and many other important issues, such as slew and max-load, are missing. In this article, we present an efficient gate sizing framework that can reduce leakage and improve circuit reliability under timing constraints. Our algorithms consider slack, slew and max-load constraints. The benchmarks are those from ISPD 2012, which feature industrial design properties, including discrete cell sizes, nonconvex cell timing models, slew dependencies and constraints, as well as large design sizes. The experimental results obtained from ISPD 2012 benchmark circuits demonstrate that our approach can meet all the constraints and tolerated NBTI degradation with a power savings of 6.54% as compared with the traditional method.
Query Rewriting and Optimization for Ontological Databases
Authors: Gottlob Georg , Orsi Giorgio , Pieris Andreas
Published: October 2014

Ontological queries are evaluated against a knowledge base consisting of an extensional database and an ontology (i.e., a set of logical assertions and constraints that derive new intensional knowledge from the extensional database), rather than directly on the extensional database. The evaluation and optimization of such queries is an intriguing new problem for database research. In this article, we discuss two important aspects of this problem: query rewriting and query optimization. Query rewriting consists of the compilation of an ontological query into an equivalent first-order query against the underlying extensional database. We present a novel query rewriting algorithm for rather general types of ontological constraints that is well suited for practical implementations. In particular, we show how a conjunctive query against a knowledge base, expressed using linear and sticky existential rules, that is, members of the recently introduced Datalog± family of ontology languages, can be compiled into a union of conjunctive queries (UCQ) against the underlying database. Ontological query optimization, in this context, attempts to improve this rewriting process soas to produce possibly small and cost-effective UCQ rewritings for an input query.
Random Projections for Linear Support Vector Machines
Authors: Paul Saurabh , Boutsidis Christos , Magdon-Ismail Malik , Drineas Petros
Published: October 2014

Let
X
be a data matrix of rank ρ, whose rows represent
n
points in
d
-dimensional space. The linear support vector machine constructs a hyperplane separator that maximizes the 1-norm soft margin. We develop a new oblivious dimension reduction technique that is precomputed and can be applied to any input matrix
X
. We prove that, with high probability, the margin and minimum enclosing ball in the feature space are preserved to within ϵ-relative error, ensuring comparable generalization as in the original space in the case of classification. For regression, we show that the margin is preserved to ϵ-relative error with high probability. We present extensive experiments with real and synthetic data to support our theory.
Automatic parallelization of a class of irregular loops for distributed memory systems
Authors: Ravishankar Mahesh , Eisenlohr John , Pouchet Louis-Noël , Ramanujam J. , Rountev Atanas , Sadayappan P.
Published: October 2014

Many scientific applications spend significant time within loops that are parallel, except for dependences from associative reduction operations. However these loops often contain data-dependent control-flow and array-access patterns. Traditional optimizations that rely on purely static analysis fail to generate parallel code in such cases.

This article proposes an approach for automatic parallelization for distributed memory environments, using both static and runtime analysis. We formalize the computations that are targeted by this approach and develop algorithms to detect such computations. We also describe algorithms to generate a parallel inspector that performs a runtime analysis of control-flow and array-access patterns, and a parallel executor to take advantage of this information. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated on several benchmarks that were automatically transformed using a prototype compiler. For these, the inspector overheads and performance of the executor code were measured. The benefit on real-world applications was also demonstrated through similar manual transformations of an atmospheric modeling software.
Energy Efficiency Analysis for the Single Frequency Approximation (SFA) Scheme
Authors: Pagani Santiago , Chen Jian-Jia
Published: October 2014

Energy-efficient designs are important issues in computing systems. This article studies the energy efficiency of a simple and linear-time strategy, called the Single Frequency Approximation (SFA) scheme, for periodic real-time tasks on multicore systems with a shared supply voltage in a voltage island. The strategy executes all the cores at a single frequency to just meet the timing constraints. SFA has been adopted in the literature after task partitioning, but the worst-case performance of SFA in terms of energy consumption incurred is an open problem. We provide comprehensive analysis for SFA to derive the cycle utilization distribution for its worst-case behaviour for energy minimization. Our analysis shows that the energy consumption incurred by using SFA for task execution is at most 1.53 (1.74, 2.10, 2.69, respectively), compared to the energy consumption of the optimal voltage/frequency scaling, when the dynamic power consumption is a cubic function of the frequency and the voltage island has up to 4 (8, 16, 32, respectively) cores. The analysis shows that SFA is indeed an effective scheme under practical settings, even though it is not optimal. Furthermore, since all the cores run at a single frequency and no frequency alignment for Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) between cores is needed, any unicore dynamic power management technique for reducing the energy consumption for idling can be easily incorporated individually on each core in the voltage island. This article also provides an analysis of energy consumption for SFA combined with procrastination for Dynamic Power Management (DPM), resulting in an increment of 1 from the previous results for task execution. Furthermore, we also extend our analysis for deriving the approximation factor of SFA for a multicore system with multiple voltage islands.
Branch Prediction-Directed Dynamic Instruction Cache Locking for Embedded Systems
Authors: Qiu Keni , Zhao Mengying , Xue Chun Jason , Orailoglu Alex
Published: October 2014

Cache locking is a cache management technique to preclude the replacement of locked cache contents. Cache locking is often adopted to improve cache access predictability in Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) analysis. Static cache locking methods have been proposed recently to improve Average-Case Execution Time (ACET) performance. This article presents an approach, Branch Prediction-directed Dynamic Cache Locking (BPDCL), to improve system performance through cache conflict miss reduction. In the proposed approach, the control flow graph of a program is first partitioned into disjoint execution regions, then memory blocks worth locking are determined by calculating the locking profit for each region. These two steps are conducted during compilation time. At runtime, directed by branch predictions, locking routines are prefetched into a small high-speed buffer. The predetermined cache locking contents are loaded and locked at specific execution points during program execution. Experimental results show that the proposed BPDCL method exhibits an average improvement of 25.9%, 13.8%, and 8.0% on cache miss rate reduction in comparison to cases with no cache locking, the static locking method, and the dynamic locking method, respectively.
A simple parallel cartesian tree algorithm and its application to parallel suffix tree construction
Authors: Shun Julian , Blelloch Guy E.
Published: October 2014

We present a simple linear work and space, and polylogarithmic time parallel algorithm for generating multiway Cartesian trees. We show that bottom-up traversals of the multiway Cartesian tree on the interleaved suffix array and longest common prefix array of a string can be used to answer certain string queries. By adding downward pointers in the tree (e.g. using a hash table), we can also generate suffix trees from suffix arrays on arbitrary alphabets in the same bounds. In conjunction with parallel suffix array algorithms, such as the skew algorithm, this gives a rather simple linear work parallel,
O
(
n
ε
) time (0<
ε
<1), algorithm for generating suffix trees over an integer alphabet
Σ
{1, ...,
n
}, where
n
is the length of the input string. It also gives a linear work parallel algorithm requiring
O
(log2
n
) time with high probability for constant-sized alphabets. More generally, given a sorted sequence of strings and the longest common prefix lengths between adjacent elements, the algorithm will generate a patricia tree (compacted trie) over the strings. Of independent interest, we describe a work-efficient parallel algorithm for solving the all nearest smaller values problem using Cartesian trees, which is much simpler than the work-efficient parallel algorithm described in previous work.

We also present experimental results comparing the performance of the algorithm to existing sequential implementations and a second parallel algorithm that we implement. We present comparisons for the Cartesian tree algorithm on its own and for constructing a suffix tree. The results show that on a variety of strings our algorithm is competitive with the sequential version on a single processor and achieves good speedup on multiple processors. We present experiments for three applications that require only the Cartesian tree, and also for searching using the suffix tree.
Haploid Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells: Rapid Genetic Screening and Germline Transmission
Authors: Wutz Anton
Published: October 2014

Most animal genomes are diploid, and mammalian development depends on specific adaptations that have evolved secondary to diploidy. Genomic imprinting and dosage compensation restrict haploid development to early embryos. Recently, haploid mammalian development has been reinvestigated since the establishment of haploid embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from mouse embryos. Haploid cells possess one copy of each gene, facilitating the generation of loss-of-function mutations in a single step. Recessive mutations can then be assessed in forward genetic screens. Applications of haploid mammalian cell systems in screens have been illustrated in several recent publications. Haploid ESCs are characterized by a wide developmental potential and can contribute to chimeric embryos and mice. Different strategies for introducing genetic modifications from haploid ESCs into the mouse germline have been further developed. Haploid ESCs therefore introduce new possibilities in mammalian genetics and could offer an unprecedented tool for genome exploration in the future.
Astrocyte Regulation of Synaptic Behavior
Authors: Allen Nicola J.
Published: October 2014

Astrocytes regulate multiple aspects of neuronal and synaptic function from development through to adulthood. Instead of addressing each function independently, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the different ways astrocytes modulate neuronal synaptic function throughout life, with a particular focus on recent findings in each area. It includes the emerging functions of astrocytes, such as a role in synapse formation, as well as more established roles, including the uptake and recycling of neurotransmitters. This broad approach covers the many ways astrocytes and neurons constantly interact to maintain the correct functioning of the brain. It is important to consider all of these diverse functions of astrocytes when investigating how astrocyte-neuron interactions regulate synaptic behavior to appreciate the complexity of these ongoing interactions.
Histone H3 Variants and Their Chaperones During Development and Disease: Contributing to Epigenetic Control
Authors: Filipescu Dan , Müller Sebastian , Almouzni Geneviève
Published: October 2014

Within the nucleus, the interplay between lineage-specific transcription factors and chromatin dynamics defines cellular identity. Control of this interplay is necessary to properly balance stability and plasticity during the development and entire life span of multicellular organisms. Here, we present our current knowledge of the contribution of histone H3 variants to chromatin dynamics during development. We review the network of histone chaperones that governs their deposition timing and sites of incorporation and highlight how their distinct distribution impacts genome organization and function. We integrate the importance of H3 variants in the context of nuclear reprogramming and cell differentiation, and, using the centromere as a paradigm, we describe a case in which the identity of a given genomic locus is propagated across different cell types. Finally, we compare development to changes in stress and disease. Both physiological and pathological settings underline the importance of H3 dynamics for genome and chromatin integrity.
Auctioning Resource Rights
Authors: Hendricks Kenneth , Porter Robert H.
Published: October 2014

We review the issues involved in designing a mechanism for allocating resource rights. We focus on the case of exploration and development rights for oil and gas leases in US federal lands to highlight the trade-offs at play. The main issues concern the design of the lease contract, the design of the auction, and the supply of leases. A distinguishing feature of oil and gas leases is that the mechanism must solve not only the adverse selection problem of selecting the bidder with the highest valuation but also the moral hazard problem of ensuring that right holders make efficient investment decisions.
Traumatic Tension Pneumothorax as a Cause of ICD Failure: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Ul Haq Ehtesham , Omar Bassam
Published: October 2014

Background. Tension pneumothorax can infrequently cause ventricular arrhythmias and increase the threshold of defibrillation. It should be suspected whenever there is difficulty in defibrillation for a ventricular arrhythmia.Purpose. To report a case of traumatic tension pneumothorax leading to ventricular tachycardia and causing defibrillator failure.Case. A 65-year-old African-American female was brought in to our emergency department complaining of dyspnea after being forced down by cops. She had history of mitral valve replacement for severe mitral regurgitation and biventricular implantable cardioverter defibrillator inserted for nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Shortly after arrival, she developed sustained ventricular tachycardia, causing repetitive unsuccessful ICD shocks. She was intubated and ventricular tachycardia resolved with amiodarone. Chest radiograph revealed large left sided tension pneumothorax which was promptly drained. The patient was treated for congestive heart failure; she was extubated on the third day of admission, and the chest tube was removed.Conclusion. Prompt recognition of tension pneumothorax is essential, by maintaining a high index of suspicion in patients with an increased defibrillation threshold causing ineffective defibrillations.
Comparison of Different Measures of Fat Mass and Their Association with Serum Cystatin C Levels
Authors: Teo Boon Wee , Soon Jonathan J. H. , Toh Qi Chun , Xu Hui , Li Jialiang , Lee Evan J. C.
Published: October 2014

Introduction. Cystatin C (CysC) is a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) marker affected by GFR and obesity. Because percentage body fat (%BF) distribution is affected by ethnicity, different measures of %BF may improve CysC prediction. This study aims to create multivariate models that predict serum CysC and determine which %BF metric gives the best prediction. Methods. Serum CysC was measured by nephelometric assay. We estimated %BF by considering weight, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, triceps skin fold, bioimpedance, and Deurenberg and Yap %BF equations. A base multivariate model for CysC was created with a %BF metric added in turn. The best model is considered by comparing P values, R2, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Results. There were 335 participants. Mean serum CysC and creatinine were 1.27 mg/L and 1.44 mg/dL, respectively. Variables for the base model were age, gender, ethnicity, creatinine, serum urea, c-reactive protein, log GFR, and serum albumin. %BF had a positive correlation with CysC. The best model for predicting CysC included bioimpedance-derived %BF (P=0.0011), with the highest R2 (0.917) and the lowest AIC and BIC (−371, −323). Conclusion. Obesity is associated with CysC, and the best predictive model for CysC includes bioimpedance-derived %BF.
A Randomised Control Trial of the Impact of a Computer-Based Activity Programme upon the Fitness of Children with Autism
Authors: Dickinson Kathleen , Place Maurice
Published: October 2014

The poor levels of fitness in children with autism are prompting concern for the children’s future health. This study looked to assess if a computer-based activity programme could improve fitness levels (as reflected in cardiopulmonary function) of these children, and achieve a reduction in their body mass index. In a randomised controlled trial, 50 children with autism (of which 33 were under the age of 11 years and 39 were boys) were allocated to an intervention group which encouraged them to use the Nintendo Wii and the software package “Mario and Sonics at the Olympics” in addition to their routine physical education classes. 50 children with autism (34 under the age of 11 years and 40 being boys) acted as controls. At the end of one year, analysis of the changes in scores using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) on the Eurofit fitness tests showed that the intervention group had made statistically significant improvement on all tests other than flexibility. These improvements were also significantly better than controls. This type of intervention appears to be an effective addition to standard fitness training in order to help children with autism improve their fitness levels.
Pneumatosis Coli Mimicking Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Jacob Teresa , Paracha Mohammad , Penna Marta , Arul Dhili , Wilson Jonathan
Published: October 2014

Pneumatosis coli (PC) is a rare condition of the gastrointestinal tract involving extraluminal gas confined within the bowel wall. We report the case of a 40-year-old gentleman presenting clinically and endoscopically with suspected colorectal cancer. In light of the patient’s red flag symptoms, and carpet of polyps seen endoscopically, surgical management by an anterior resection was performed with the patient making a successful recovery. Histological analysis of the resected specimen confirmed pneumatosis coli with no evidence of colonic neoplasia. Although PC can be an incidental finding in asymptomatic patients and considered a benign condition, it can also present as a life-threatening emergency with bowel necrosis and obstruction requiring emergency surgical intervention. Also, when PC mimics malignancy, surgical management is the most appropriate step to ensure that the diagnosis of cancer is not missed.
Neoadjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiation for Curative Treatment of Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Chhabra Arpit , Schwartz David , Leaf Andrea , Karanikolas Nikolaos , Weiss Jeffrey P. , Schreiber David
Published: October 2014

Introduction. Penile cancer is a rare malignancy often treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. However, the utility of neoadjuvant chemoradiation, particularly when the tumor is resistant to chemotherapy alone, has not been established. In this study, we report a case of pT3cN3M0 penile squamous cell carcinoma with progression of nodal disease on chemotherapy, which was cured with use of neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation.Case Report. A 65-year-old male presented with a fixed left inguinal lymph node with associated firmness of the penile glans. Biopsies of both sites revealed evidence of squamous cell carcinoma. The patient underwent partial penectomy for the primary lesion and began neoadjuvant chemotherapy to reduce the size of the unresectable left inguinal node. However, he displayed disease progression in the left inguinal node. As such, we attempted concurrent chemoradiation therapy with regression of his nodal disease. The patient was able to undergo left inguinal node dissection and has no evidence of disease 18 months since his initial surgery.Conclusion. The use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation for bulky cN2-3 disease seems appropriate in the setting of progressive disease. Further studies are necessary to assess the utility of concurrent chemoradiation both in the neoadjuvant and salvage setting.
Does Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Itself Have Additional Effect on Apelin Levels?
Authors: Benk Silfeler Dilek , Gokce Cumali , Keskin Kurt Raziye , Yilmaz Atilgan Nigar , Ozturk Oktay Hasan , Turhan Ebru , Baloglu Ali
Published: October 2014

Objective. The present study was designed to compare serum levels of apelin between lean PCOS women and healthy women with regular menses.Study Design. A total of 30 lean patients with PCOS and 30 healthy subjects were included in this study. Serum apelin levels were compared between groups.Results. Serum apelin levels in lean PCOS patients were not significantly different from the control subjects.Conclusion. Our findings indicate that PCOS itself does not seem to change apelin levels. Further investigation on a large number of subjects will need to be conducted to prove the consistent or variable association in PCOS.
Gaussian Energy Broadening Function of an HPGe Detector in the Range of 40 keV to 1.46 MeV
Authors: Eftekhari Zadeh E. , Feghhi S. A. H. , Bayat E. , Roshani G. H.
Published: October 2014

High-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors are widely used in nuclear spectroscopy (e.g., neutron activation analysis) due to their high resolution. Resolution function of a GMX series coaxial detector system (model number GMX40P4-83) in the range of 40 keV to 1.46 MeV has been measured using standard γ-ray sources. The energy response function also was calculated using Monte Carlo simulation through the precise modeling of the detector structure. The simulated energy response function was verified with the measured energy response function obtained using calibration sources. A new approach was used and the agreement between both results has been improved.
Nodes Localization in 3D Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Multidimensional Scaling Algorithm
Authors: Risteska Stojkoska Biljana
Published: October 2014

In the recent years, there has been a huge advancement in wireless sensor computing technology. Today, wireless sensor network (WSN) has become a key technology for different types of smart environment. Nodes localization in WSN has arisen as a very challenging problem in the research community. Most of the applications for WSN are not useful without a priory known nodes positions. Adding GPS receivers to each node is an expensive solution and inapplicable for indoor environments. In this paper, we implemented and evaluated an algorithm based on multidimensional scaling (MDS) technique for three-dimensional (3D) nodes localization in WSN using improved heuristic method for distance calculation. Using extensive simulations we investigated our approach regarding various network parameters. We compared the results from the simulations with other approaches for 3D-WSN localization and showed that our approach outperforms other techniques in terms of accuracy.
Fumigation Toxicity of Essential Oil Monoterpenes to Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)
Authors: Ajayi Olufunmilayo E. , Appel Arthur G. , Fadamiro Henry Y.
Published: October 2014

The fumigant toxicity of eight essential oil components, 1-8-cineole, carvacrol, eugenol, (−)-menthone, (−)-linalool, S-(−)-limonene, (−)-β-pinene, and (+)-α-pinene, was tested against the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), at 0.25–60 µL/L air doses. 1-8-Cineole, carvacrol, and eugenol caused complete adult mortality at 10 µL/L air 24 h after treatment. 1-8-Cineole and carvacrol were the most toxic with LD50 values of 0.24 and 0.6 µL/L air at 24 h, respectively. (−)-β-Pinene and (+)-α-pinene were the least toxic with LD50 values of 31 and 31.4 µL/L air at 24 h, respectively. Toxicity was negatively correlated with vapor pressure. 1-8-Cineole and carvacrol caused 100% oviposition deterrence at all doses tested. Eugenol and (−)-menthone completely inhibited adult emergence. S-(−)-Limonene, (−)-β-pinene, and (+)-α-pinene were not effective at preventing oviposition or adult emergence, suggesting that a lethal dose of the three oil components would be necessary to control C. maculatus infestations.
NGF Blockade at Early Times during Bone Cancer Development Attenuates Bone Destruction and Increases Limb Use
Authors: McCaffrey Gwen , Thompson Michelle L. , Majuta Lisa , Fealk Michelle N. , Chartier Stephane , Longo Geraldine , Mantyh Patrick W.
Published: October 2014

Studies in animals and humans show that blockade of nerve growth factor (NGF) attenuates both malignant and nonmalignant skeletal pain. While reduction of pain is important, a largely unanswered question is what other benefits NGF blockade might confer in patients with bone cancer. Using a mouse graft model of bone sarcoma, we demonstrate that early treatment with an NGF antibody reduced tumor-induced bone destruction, delayed time to bone fracture, and increased the use of the tumor-bearing limb. Consistent with animal studies in osteoarthritis and head and neck cancer, early blockade of NGF reduced weight loss in mice with bone sarcoma. In terms of the extent and time course of pain relief, NGF blockade also reduced pain 40% to 70%, depending on the metric assessed. Importantly, this analgesic effect was maintained even in animals with late-stage disease. Our results suggest that NGF blockade immediately upon detection of tumor metastasis to bone may help preserve the integrity and use, delay the time to tumor-induced bone fracture, and maintain body weight. Cancer Res; 74(23); 7014–23. ©2014 AACR.
Periodic Limb Movements During Sleep and Prevalent Hypertension in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Koo Brian B. , Sillau Stefan , Dean Dennis A. , Lutsey Pamela L. , Redline Susan
Published: October 2014

Periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) are associated with immediate increases in blood pressure. Both PLMS and hypertension have different distributions across racial/ethnic groups. We sought to determine whether PLMS is associated with hypertension among various racial/ethnic groups. A total of 1740 men and women underwent measurement of blood pressure and polysomnography with quantification of PLMS. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140, diastolic BP ≥90, or taking antihypertensive medication. For those taking antihypertensives, an estimated pretreatment SBP value was derived based on observed SBP and medication type/dose. Measures of PLMS, PLMS index, and PLMS arousal index were the main explanatory variables. Hypertension and SBP were modeled with logistic and multivariable regression adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle/habitual factors, apnea-hypopnea index, and race/ethnicity. In the overall cohort, prevalent hypertension was modestly associated with PLMS index (10 U; odds ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.00–1.10) and PLMS arousal index (1 U; 1.05; 1.01–1.09) after adjusting for confounders. Association in the overall cohort was influenced by large effect sizes in blacks, in whom the odds of prevalent hypertension increased by 21% (1%–45%) for 10 U PLMS index increase and 20% (2%–42%) for 1-U PLMS arousal index increase. In blacks, every 1-U PLMS arousal index increase was associated with SBP 1.01 mm Hg higher (1.01; 0.04–1.98). Associations between PLMS and blood pressure outcomes were also suggested among Chinese-Americans but not in whites or Hispanics. In a multiethnic cohort of community-dwelling men and women, prevalent hypertension and SBP are associated with PLMS frequency in blacks.
Relationship Between Cerebral Blood Flow and Blood Pressure in Long-Term Heart Transplant Recipients
Authors: Smirl Jonathan D. , Haykowsky Mark J. , Nelson Michael D. , Tzeng Yu-Chieh , Marsden Katelyn R. , Jones Helen , Ainslie Philip N.
Published: October 2014

Heart transplant recipients are at an increased risk for cerebral hemorrhage and ischemic stroke; yet, the exact mechanism for this derangement remains unclear. We hypothesized that alterations in cerebrovascular regulation is principally involved. To test this hypothesis, we studied cerebral pressure-flow dynamics in 8 clinically stable male heart transplant recipients (62±8 years of age and 9±7 years post transplant, mean±SD), 9 male age-matched controls (63±8 years), and 10 male donor controls (27±5 years). To increase blood pressure variability and improve assessment of the pressure-flow dynamics, subjects performed squat–stand maneuvers at 0.05 and 0.10 Hz. Beat-to-beat blood pressure, middle cerebral artery velocity, and end-tidal carbon dioxide were continuously measured during 5 minutes of seated rest and throughout the squat–stand maneuvers. Cardiac baroreceptor sensitivity gain and cerebral pressure-flow responses were assessed with linear transfer function analysis. Heart transplant recipients had reductions in R-R interval power and baroreceptor sensitivity low frequency gain (
P
<0.01) compared with both control groups; however, these changes were unrelated to transfer function metrics. Thus, in contrast to our hypothesis, the increased risk of cerebrovascular complication after heart transplantation does not seem to be related to alterations in cerebral pressure-flow dynamics. Future research is, therefore, warranted.