bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Five‐year follow up of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor: Recurrence‐free survival by risk group
Authors: KAPOOR Rakesh , KHOSLA Divya , KUMAR Pankaj , KUMAR Narendra , BERA Anjan
Published: February 2012

Aim:  Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. There is limited published data on GIST from the Indian subcontinent. This 5‐year retrospective analysis of 49 patients treated for GIST reports clinical and pathological features and survival outcome by risk stratification.

Methods:  We reviewed 49 cases of GIST from January 2004 to December 2008. Imatinib was administered after surgery in patients with either high‐risk, residual or metastatic disease and at onset of recurrence or metastatic disease in patients with intermediate risk.

Results:  The mean age was 50 years (range, 17–80 years). Patients with localized tumor were classified as low (n = 2), intermediate (n = 4) and high risk (n = 32), based on the primary tumor and mitotic index. At a median follow up of 21 months, 2‐year and 3‐year recurrence or progression‐free survival rates were 61 and 39%, respectively, for all patients. The median recurrence‐free survival rate in the intermediate‐risk and high‐risk groups were 7 and 49 months, respectively. The median progression‐free survival in the residual (n = 4) and metastatic disease group (n = 7) was 10 and 29 months, respectively.

Conclusion:  This study demonstrates the role of imatinib in adjuvant and therapeutic settings. Responses have been durable and most patients tolerate the drug well at clinically effective doses. In view of high recurrence rates in the intermediate‐risk group in our study, it would be better to keep these patients on strict follow up to detect recurrence at the earliest opportunity.
Influence of ι‐Carrageenan, Pectin, and Gelatin on the Physicochemical Properties and Stability of Milk Protein‐Stabilized Emulsions
Authors: Tippetts M. , Martini S.
Published: February 2012

Abstract:  This study evaluated the stability of bilayer emulsions as a function of secondary layer composition and pH. Primary emulsions were formulated with 5% soybean oil, 1% protein from nonfat dry milk (NDM) powder as emulsifier and ι‐carrageenan (ι‐carr), low‐methoxyl pectin (LMp), high‐methoxyl pectin (HMp), or gelatin as secondary layers. ζ‐Potential values increased for each emulsion as the pH decreased, with ι‐carr emulsions being consistently more negatively charged than primary emulsions and significantly more stable. ζ‐Potential values were not always correlated to emulsion stability. Gelatin secondary emulsions at pH 3 and HMp secondary emulsions at pH 7 were unstable due to the presence of depletion flocculation. In addition, LMp secondary emulsions stability at pH 7 might be due to calcium bridging, which increased the emulsion's viscosity. Overall, the stability of NDM emulsions was improved when ι‐carr and LMp were used as secondary layers at pH 7 and 5, and when ι‐carr and HMp were used as secondary layers at pH 3. Increased stability of these systems can be attributed to a second homogenization step used to formulate the secondary emulsions and to the presence of Ca+2 in the NDM. Results from this research show that the stability of bilayer emulsions is driven by the presence of depletion flocculation, droplet charge, droplet size and distribution and viscosity.

Practical Application:  The use of everyday ingredients (nonfat dry milk powder, gelatin, pectin, and carrageenan), which are understood and accepted by the average consumer, creates label‐friendly products that are the wave of the future. Stable emulsions can be formed using these ingredients at various pH. Understanding the stability and how the pH impacts the physicochemical characteristics and stability of these emulsions will enable manufactures to use ordinary ingredients to create healthier products (for example, low‐fat dressings, sauces, dips, and beverages).
Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for malignant liver tumours in challenging locations
Authors: Kelogrigoris Michalis , Laspas Fotios , Kyrkou Katerina , Stathopoulos Kostas , Georgiadou Vithleem , Thanos Loucas
Published: February 2012

Purpose: To evaluate the treatment results of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for primary and metastatic malignant liver tumours in challenging locations and also to present the treatment strategy that was used in these cases.

Patients and Methods: From January 2007 to January 2010, we performed CT‐guided RFA on 528 lesions in 402 patients (265 men and 137 women; mean age 65.1 years, range 19–82 years) with liver tumours (primary and metastatic) of which 98 lesions in 84 patients (55 men and 29 women; mean age 67.8 years, range 33–82 years) were located in challenging locations, defined as less than 5 mm from a large vessel or an extrahepatic organ (heart, lung, gall bladder, right kidney or gastrointestinal tract). The sizes of the tumours ranged 1.5–6 cm. We used two different RFA systems with an expandable needle electrode (RITA; Rita Medical Systems, Inc, Mountain View, CA, USA and MIRAS; Invatec S.r.l., Roncadelle, Italy).The tumours were considered as ablated completely if no viability was found on dual‐phase dynamic contrast‐enhanced CT at 1 month after RFA.

Results: Complete ablation was obtained in 89.7% (88/98) of the high‐risk located lesions, while 10 (10.3%) of the lesions were managed with repeated RFA because of tumour residue. The 1‐, 2‐ and 3‐year survival rates were 82.6, 67.3 and 54.1%, respectively. Minor complications occurred in eight of the 84 patients (9.5%), including small sub‐capsular haematoma in four, small pleural effusion in three and partial liver infarction in one. Local tumour progression rate was 9.2% (9/98).

Conclusion: RFA is a safe and effective method of treatment of primary and metastatic liver tumours even located in challenging locations when performed by a well‐trained and experienced interventional radiologist.
Obstacles to participation in randomised cancer clinical trials: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Grand Melissa M , O'Brien Peter C
Published: February 2012

Accrual to clinical trials continues to be a problem in many countries including Australia despite its fundamental importance to the progress of evidence‐based medicine. This paper reviews the current literature addressing the obstacles to accrual excluding those related to protocol design. An electronic search of the literature identified publications in oncology specifically addressing the obstacles to participation in clinical trials. This search was supplemented by searches of key oncology journals. Obstacles fall into three main categories – clinician, patient and system; however, there are overlaps between categories. Clinician behaviour is the most important of these. Exclusion of patients for reasons other than defined eligibility criteria, concerns about increased time requirements, and suboptimal communication with patients all affect accrual. Risk management strategies for clinical trials need to be individualised to address the obstacles most likely to negatively impact on accrual. Communication between clinician and patient appears to be a greater issue than previously recognised. Time concerns need to be addressed as generational change affects the expectations of the medical workforce.
De novo characterization of the Timema cristinae transcriptome facilitates marker discovery and inference of genetic divergence
Authors: COMEAULT AARON A. , SOMMERS MATHEW , SCHWANDER TANJA , BUERKLE C. ALEX , FARKAS TIMOTHY E. , NOSIL PATRIK , PARCHMAN THOMAS L.
Published: February 2012

Adaptation to different ecological environments can promote speciation. Although numerous examples of such ‘ecological speciation’ now exist, the genomic basis of the process, and the role of gene flow in it, remains less understood. This is, at least in part, because systems that are well characterized in terms of their ecology often lack genomic resources. In this study, we characterize the transcriptome of Timema cristinae stick insects, a system that has been researched intensively in terms of ecological speciation, but for which genomic resources have not been previously developed. Specifically, we obtained >1 million 454 sequencing reads that assembled into 84 937 contigs representing approximately 18 282 unique genes and tens of thousands of potential molecular markers. Second, as an illustration of their utility, we used these genomic resources to assess multilocus genetic divergence within both an ecotype pair and a species pair of Timema stick insects. The results suggest variable levels of genetic divergence and gene flow among taxon pairs and genes and illustrate a first step towards future genomic work in Timema.
The 7‐year cumulative incidence of cornea guttata and morphological changes in the corneal endothelium in the Reykjavik Eye Study
Authors: Zoega Gunnar M. , Arnarsson Arsaell , Sasaki Hiroshi , Söderberg Per G. , Jonasson Fridbert
Published: February 2012

Purpose:  To examine the corneal endothelium and establish the 7‐year cumulative incidence of cornea guttata (CG).

Methods:  Population‐based prospective cohort study with 573 participants (third wave of the Reykjavik Eye Study (RES) in 2008). Four hundred and thirty‐seven subjects had either right or left eyes available for analysis after excluding confounding eye conditions. The baseline for eyes at risk for developing CG is the second wave of the RES in 2001. Participants underwent specular microscopy and a standardized eye examination.

Results:  The cumulative 7‐year incidence of CG in either eye was estimated as a 95% confidence interval for the expected value for both genders combined (15–23%), for males (8–18%) and for females (19–29%). In right eye only, the 7‐year cumulative incidence for both genders combined was estimated to be 6–11%. For genders combined and for males only, the data indicated no correlation between 7‐year cumulated incidence and age at baseline. In women, however, the change of 7‐year incidence for CG in at least one eye appeared to be correlated to age at baseline. Reduction of endothelial cell density for corneas with CG at baseline was found [CI (0.95)−132 ± 94].

Conclusion:  The cumulative 7‐year incidence of primary central CG for a middle‐aged and older Caucasian population without history of potentially confounding eye disease has been established. Women tend to have higher incidence if onset occurs at middle age. If CG is present, the cell density and the cell size variation decrease within a 7‐year period.
Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in obesity and Prader–Willi syndrome: current evidence and implications for future obesity therapies
Authors: Haqq A. M. , DeLorey D. S. , Sharma A. M. , Freemark M. , Kreier F. , Mackenzie M. L. , Richer L. P.
Published: February 2012

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls essential functions like breathing, heart rate, digestion, body temperature and hormone levels. Evidence suggests that ANS dysfunction is associated with adult and childhood obesity and plays a role in the distribution of total body fat and the development of obesity‐related complications in humans. This review summarizes our current understanding of ANS involvement in the pathogenesis of obesity and Prader–Willi syndrome. Available evidence of ANS dysfunction in the control of energy balance is limited and, in some cases, contradictory. Further investigation in this area is warranted in order to better understand the important contributions of the ANS to regulation of body fat, development of obesity and its comorbidities. Results from these studies will guide the development of novel obesity therapeutics targeting specific ANS dysfunction.
The Economics Curriculum in Australian Universities 1980 to 2011
Authors: Thornton Tim
Published: February 2012

This paper examines the recent evolution of the Australian economics curriculum.2 First, it examines 2011 survey evidence produced by the Economic Society of Australia that shows that the Australian economics profession wishes to see a broadening and updating of what is taught. These findings are then related to an analysis of the curriculum in both 1980 and 2011 to see if the curriculum is moving in the desired direction. It is shown that the curriculum is not moving in the desired direction, becoming narrower, rather than broader. It has also not kept up to date with important advances in economic knowledge. It is argued that there are strong intellectual and practical benefits that would come from remedying this situation.
High resolution TEM of chondritic carbonaceous matter: Metamorphic evolution and heterogeneity
Authors: LE GUILLOU Corentin , ROUZAUD Jean‐Noël , BONAL Lydie , QUIRICO Eric , DERENNE Sylvie , REMUSAT Laurent
Published: February 2012

Abstract– The insoluble carbonaceous matter from 12 chondrites (CI, CM, CO, CV, EH, and UOC), was characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Besides ubiquitous nanoglobules, the insoluble organic matter from petrologic type 1 and 2 chondrites and Semarkona (LL 3.0) is composed of a highly disordered polyaromatic component. No structural differences were observed between these IOMs, in agreement with the limited thermal metamorphism they all experienced. In chondrites of petrologic type >3.0, the evolution of the IOM is controlled by the extent of thermal metamorphism. The polyaromatic layers, shorter than 1 nm in petrologic type ≤3.0 chondrites, grow up to sizes between 5 and 10 nm in petrologic type >3.6 chondrites, contributing to the increase of the degree of structural order. In addition, we find rare, but ubiquitous onion‐like carbons, which may be the product of nanodiamond graphitization. The insoluble carbonaceous matter of the enstatite chondrite Sahara 97096 (EH 3) is different from the other meteorites studied here. It is more heterogeneous and displays a high abundance of graphitized particles. This may be the result of a mixture between (1) the disordered carbon located in the matrix, and (2) catalytic graphitized phases associated with metal, potentially originating from partial melting events. The structural and nanostructural evolution are similar in all IOMs. This suggests that the structure of the accreted precursors and the parent body conditions of their secondary thermal modifications (temperature, duration, and pressure) were similar. The limited degree of organization of the most metamorphosed IOMs compared with terrestrial rocks submitted to similar temperature suggests that the conditions are not favorable to graphitization processes, due to the chemical nature of the precursor or the lack of confinement pressure.
Accelerate Iteration of Least-Squares Finite Element Method for Radiative Heat Transfer in Participating Media With Diffusely Reflecting Walls
Authors: An Wei , Zhu Tong , Gao NaiPing
Published: February 2012

A high reflectivity of walls often leads to prohibitive computation time in the numerical simulation of radiative heat transfer. Such problem becomes very serious in many practical applications, for example, metal processing in high-temperature environment. The present work proposes a modified diffusion synthetic acceleration model to improve the convergence of radiative transfer calculation in participating media with diffusely reflecting boundary. This model adopts the P1 diffusion approximation to rectify the scattering source term of radiative transfer equation and the reflection term of the boundary condition. The corrected formulation for boundary condition is deduced and the algorithm is realized by finite element method. The accuracy of present model is verified by comparing the results with those of Monte Carlo method and finite element method without any accelerative technique. The effects of emissivity of walls and optical thickness on the convergence are investigated. The results indicate that the accuracy of present model is reliable and its accelerative effect is more obvious for the optically thick and scattering dominated media with intensive diffusely reflecting walls.
First-in-Human Testing of a Wirelessly Controlled Drug Delivery Microchip
Authors: Farra Robert , Sheppard Norman F. , McCabe Laura , Neer Robert M. , Anderson James M. , Santini John T. , Cima Michael J. , Langer Robert
Published: February 2012

Implanted in humans, a wirelessly controlled, microchip-based drug delivery device demonstrates pharmacokinetic profiles of an anti-osteoporosis drug that are similar to subcutaneous injections.
BAND ALIGNMENT FOR AMBIPOLAR-DOPING OF PbxZn1-xTe ALLOYS: A FIRST-PRINCIPLE STUDY
Authors: YUAN XIAO-JUAN , LIU JIAN-ZHE , ZHANG YONG , TANG LI-MING
Published: February 2012

Using a first-principle band-structure method and a special quasirandom structure (SQS) approach, we present state-of-the-art HSE06 functional calculations for demonstrating the possibility of ternary PbxZn1-xTe alloys to be bipolar-doping materials. The results show that the bowing parameters and the band gaps of these alloys sensitively depend on the composition x. Due to the full overlapping and delocalization, the coupling between Pb outermost p orbits and Zn 4s orbits become very strong, thus resulting in a significant downshift of conduction band edge with the increase of Pb concentration x. When the concentration x reaches 0.25, it is demonstrated that the Pb0.25Zn0.75Te alloy has a substantial decrease in the conduction band edge, while leaving the valence band edge almost unchanged compared to that of binary ZnTe, thus improving the possibility for ambipolar-doping. Meanwhile, the spectral response of this alloy (Eg = 1.38 eV) is very consistent with the solar spectrum. We expect that our results will be helpful for the applications of optoelectronic devices.
HUN TUN VERSUS BIG BANG: HOW CLASSICAL CHAOS IMPLIES BOTH "THERMODYNAMICS" AND "CRYODYNAMICS"
Authors: RÖSSLER OTTO E.
Published: February 2012

The pre-history of chaos in a rationalist context is taken as a point of departure, starting out with ancient China. The related ancient-Greek "unmixing theory" then leads over to two simple formally 2-body Hamiltonian systems exhibiting chaotic behavior. When the two masses involved are unequal, "pseudoattractors" are formed. Deterministic statistical "thermodynamics" with its dissipative behavior arises when the potential is repulsive. Deterministic statistical "cryodynamics" arises when the potential is attractive. The latter class of Newtonian systems is characterized by "antidissipative" behavior. A geometric proof is sketched in the footsteps of Sinai and Bunimovich. Antidissipative behavior is known empirically from Hubble's law which was so far explained in less fundamental terms. Three experimental examples are proposed.
TO ESCAPE OR NOT TO ESCAPE, THAT IS THE QUESTION — PERTURBING THE HÉNON–HEILES HAMILTONIAN
Authors: BLESA FERNANDO , SEOANE JESÚS M. , BARRIO ROBERTO , SANJUÁN MIGUEL A. F.
Published: February 2012

In this work, we study the Hénon–Heiles Hamiltonian, as a paradigm of open Hamiltonian systems, in the presence of different kinds of perturbations as dissipation, noise and periodic forcing, which are very typical in different physical situations. We focus our work on both the effects of these perturbations on the escaping dynamics and on the basins associated to the phase space and to the physical space. We have also found, in presence of a periodic forcing, an exponential-like decay law for the survival probability of the particles in the scattering region where the frequency of the forcing plays a crucial role. In the bounded regions, the use of the OFLI2 chaos indicator has allowed us to characterize the orbits. We have compared these results with the previous ones obtained for the dissipative and noisy case. Finally, we expect this work to be useful for a better understanding of the escapes in open Hamiltonian systems in the presence of different kinds of perturbations.
ON SOME RECENT ADVANCES IN COMPLEX SOFTWARE NETWORKS: MODELING, ANALYSIS, EVOLUTION AND APPLICATIONS
Authors: WANG HONGCHUN , HE KEQING , LI BING , LÜ JINHU
Published: February 2012

Complex software networks, as a typical kind of man-made complex networks, have attracted more and more attention from various fields of science and engineering over the past ten years. With the dramatic increase of scale and complexity of software systems, it is essential to develop a systematic approach to further investigate the complex software systems by using the theories and methods of complex networks and complex adaptive systems. This paper attempts to briefly review some recent advances in complex software networks and also develop some novel tools to further analyze complex software networks, including modeling, analysis, evolution, measurement, and some potential real-world applications. More precisely, this paper first describes some effective modeling approaches for characterizing various complex software systems. Based on the above theoretical and practical models, this paper introduces some recent advances in analyzing the static and dynamical behaviors of complex software networks. It is then followed by some further discussions on potential real-world applications of complex software networks. Finally, this paper outlooks some future research topics from an engineering point of view.
MODELING THE DYNAMICS OF COMPLEX INTERACTION SYSTEMS: FROM MORPHOGENESIS TO CONTROL
Authors: CORSON N. , AZIZ-ALAOUI M. A. , GHNEMAT R. , BALEV S. , BERTELLE C.
Published: February 2012

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the modeling and analysis of complex systems, taking into account the nature of complexity at different stages of the system life-cycle: from its genesis to its evolution. Therefore, some structural aspects of the complexity dynamics are highlighted, leading (i) to implement the morphogenesis of emergent complex network structures, and (ii) to control some synchronization phenomena within complex networks. Specific applications are proposed to illustrate these two aspects, in urban dynamics and in neural networks.
PARTIAL CONTROL OF TRANSIENT CHAOS IN ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
Authors: WAGEMAKERS ALEXANDRE , ZAMBRANO SAMUEL , SANJUÁN MIGUEL A. F.
Published: February 2012

We present an analog circuit implementation of the novel partial control method, that is able to sustain chaotic transient dynamics. The electronic circuit simulates the dynamics of the one-dimensional slope-three tent map, for which the trajectories diverge to infinity for nearly all the initial conditions after behaving chaotically for a while. This is due to the existence of a nonattractive chaotic set: a chaotic saddle. The partial control allows one to keep the trajectories close to the chaotic saddle, even if the control applied is smaller than the effect of the applied noise, introduced into the system. Furthermore, we also show here that similar results can be implemented on a circuit that simulates a horseshoe-like map, which is a simple extension of the previous one. This encouraging result validates the theory and opens new perspectives for the application of this technique to systems with higher dimensions and continuous time dynamics.
EXAMPLES OF THE EFFECT OF GROWTH AND STRAIN ON TURING PATTERN FORMATION DYNAMICS
Authors: GARZÓN-ALVARADO DIEGO ALEXANDER
Published: February 2012

Reaction–diffusion (RD) equation behavior has been studied in various fields, including biology, bioengineering and chemistry. Their solution leads to the formation of patterns which are stable in time and unstable in space, especially when RD system parameters are in the Turing space. Such patterns can be changed due to the growth of the domain where the reaction takes place. This article presents RD equations concerning growing domains in 2D and 3D. Several numerical examples have been solved using different geometries to study the effect of growth on pattern formation. The finite element method was used in conjunction with the Newton–Raphson method for the numerical solution to approximate nonlinear partial differential equations. It was found that growth affected Turing pattern formation, thereby generating complex structures in the domain.
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ACUTE TRAUMATIC SUBUNGUAL HAEMATOMA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Authors: Dean Benjamin , Becker Giles , Little Christopher
Published: February 2012

There is no consensus regarding the optimal mode of managing the acute traumatic subungual haematoma in the hand. In this context the medical literature was searched systematically and the results analysed. The final dataset consisted of four articles. The complication rates of all forms of treatment were low. The outcome in terms of nail cosmesis was generally good, although the method of outcome measurement was variable in nature. There was no difference in cosmetic outcome when comparing nail bed repair with simple decompression. In conclusion the outcome in terms of nail cosmesis does not appear to be affected by the mode of treatment. The acutely painful subungual haematoma should be decompressed, whether this be done by trephining or nail removal. Future research includes the potential for a randomised controlled trial to compare nail bed repair with trephination.
A CASE OF OSTEOID OSTEOMA OF THE TRAPEZOID BONE: THE EFFICIENCY OF DYNAMIC MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FOR THE DETECTION OF OSTEOID OSTEOMA LOCALIZED AT THE ATYPICAL SITE
Authors: Tonogai Ichiro , Hamada Yoshitaka , Yasui Natsuo
Published: February 2012

The occurrence of osteoid osteoma of the carpus is rare, particularly of the trapezoid. We present a case of a ten-year-old girl with osteoid osteoma of the trapezoid in whom surgical excision of the lesion was successful. Useful information for the diagnosis of the lesion was mainly provided by dynamic magnetic resonance imaging.
EXTENSIVE OPEN DRAINAGE FOR SUPPURATIVE FLEXOR TENOSYNOVITIS INVOLVING FIVE DIGITS: A CASE REPORT
Authors: Foo Tun Lin , Chua Ivan Tjun-Huat , Chan Lester Wai-Mon
Published: February 2012

An unusual case of suppurative tenosynovitis involving all five digits up to distal forearm in a 20-year-old male with no known risk factors is reported. We highlight the strategy of extensile skin incisions from the wrist to all five digits that allowed flexor sheath debridement, synovectomy, and infection resolution without causing skin flap ischemia. At three months, total active motion of 70% of contralateral hand was achieved.
THE "SILVER-NITRATE-OMA"
Authors: McBride T. J. , Rand B. , Dhillon S. S.
Published: February 2012

This case report demonstrates and emphasises the unusual radiographic appearance of silver nitrate treatment in a 30-year-old patient, who subsequently underwent excision biopsy of a presumed potentially malignant lesion.
BONE GRAFTING IN FOUR-CORNER MID-CARPAL FUSION
Authors: McBride T. J. , Jewell D. P. A. , Deshmukh S. C.
Published: February 2012

Four-corner fusion is an accepted surgical treatment for established SLAC and SNAC wrist. We describe a technique of bone grafting to be used in conjunction with any of the standard fusion techniques. A step by step, illustrated approach allows the easy placement of an autograft which is in contact with all surfaces of the bones involved in the fusion.
BAND STRUCTURE, METALLIZATION AND SUPERCONDUCTIVITY OF InP AND InN UNDER HIGH PRESSURE
Authors: RAJ A. AMAL , LOUIS C. NIRMALA , REJILA V. , IYAKUTTI K.
Published: February 2012

The electronic band structure, structural phase transition, metallization and superconducting transition of cubic zinc blende type indium phosphide (InP) and indium nitride (InN), under pressure, are studied using FP-LMTO method. These indium compounds become metals and superconductors under high pressure but before that they undergo structural phase transition from ZnS to NaCl structure. The ground state properties and band gap values are compared with the experimental and previous theoretical results. From our analysis, it is found that the metallization pressure increases with increase of lattice constant. The superconducting transition temperatures (Tc) of InP and InN are obtained as a function of pressure for both the ZnS and NaCl structures and these compounds are identified as pressure induced superconductors. When pressure is increased Tc increases in both the normal ( ZnS ) and high pressure ( NaCl ) structures. The dependence of Tc on electron–phonon mass enhancement factor λ shows that InP and InN are electron–phonon mediated superconductors. The non-occurrence of metallization, phase transition and onset of superconductivity simultaneously in InP and InN is confirmed.
IN SILICO PREDICTION OF MELTING POINTS OF IONIC LIQUIDS BY USING MULTILAYER PERCEPTRON NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: FATEMI MOHAMMAD H. , IZADIAN PARISA
Published: February 2012

Quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) was used to predict melting points of 62 ionic liquids (ILs), which include ammonium, pyrrolidiniu, imidazolium, pyridiniu, piperidiniu, phosphonium ionic liquid salts. The structures of ionic liquids were optimized by Hyperchem software and MOPAC program, and stepwise multiple linear regression method was applied to select the relevant structural descriptors. The predicting models correlating selected descriptors and melting points were set up using multiple linear regressions (MLR) and multilayer perceptron neural network (MLP NN), separately. The obtained linear and nonlinear QSPR models were validated by internal and external test sets. According to the obtained results, the correlation coefficients between predicted and experimental melting points for training, test and validation sets were; 0.91, 0.86 and 0.79 for MLR model. These values for MLP NN model were; 0.97, 0.96 and 0.85, respectively. The results of this study revealed the high applicability of QSPR approach to melting point prediction of ILs.
EFFECTS AND ROLE OF WATER ENVIRONMENT ON A GEMINAL HYDROXYLATED SILICA SURFACE — SELF-CONSISTENT CHARGE DENSITY FUNCTIONAL TIGHT BINDING THEORY BASED MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATION
Authors: ZHAO Y. L.
Published: February 2012

The presence of aqueous solution is inevitable in complex systems involving biological and material components and could affect the interaction between them substantially. To properly simulate such an interaction system, it is necessary to quantitatively explore the effects and specific roles of the water environment on the material surface. In this work, a silica surface was adopted as an example to study the impact of water environment ( 144H2O ) on the structure and energetics using a self-consistent charge density functional tight binding/molecular dynamic method. First, we demonstrated that the silica surface in a vacuum involves a large deformation due to the formation of hydrogen bonds among the surface silanols; in contrast, the deformation is eased in water environment because water molecules could locate in between the silanols and form many hydrogen bonds with the silanols. Therefore, water molecules play an important role to maintain surface from not getting heavily deformed. Our work not only tested the feasible computational methodology of studying nanoscale large systems under water environment at a quantum-mechanical level of theory, but also provided clear evidence on the impact of water environment to the inorganic surface.
ATOMIC DIPOLE MOMENT CORRECTED HIRSHFELD POPULATION METHOD
Authors: LU TIAN , CHEN FEIWU
Published: February 2012

Charge preservation is a necessary condition in population analysis. However, one such constraint is not enough to solve the arbitrariness involved in the population analysis such as Hirshfeld population. This arbitrariness results in too small Hirshfeld charges and poor reproducibility of molecular dipolar moments. In this article, the preservation of the molecular dipole moment is imposed upon the Hirshfeld population analysis as another constraint to improve the original Hirshfeld charges. In the scheme each atomic dipolar moment defined by the deformation density is expanded as contributions from all atoms in the molecule. The corresponding correction charges are then accumulated for each atom together with the original Hirshfeld charge as the predicted charge. All computed charges are generally larger than Hirshfeld charges, independent of basis set, and have very good electrostatic potential reproducibility and high correlation with the charges derived from the electrostatic potential fitting.
Ezetimibe ameliorates intestinal chylomicron overproduction and improves glucose tolerance in a diet-induced hamster model of insulin resistance
Authors: Naples Mark , Baker Chris , Lino Marsel , Iqbal Jahangir , Hussain M. Mahmood , Adeli Khosrow
Published: February 2012

Ezetimibe is a cholesterol uptake inhibitor that targets the Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 cholesterol transporter. Ezetimibe treatment has been shown to cause significant decreases in plasma cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia and familial hypercholesterolemia. A recent study in humans has shown that ezetimibe can decrease the release of atherogenic postprandial intestinal lipoproteins. In the present study, we evaluated the mechanisms by which ezetimibe treatment can lower postprandial apoB48-containing chylomicron particles, using a hyperlipidemic and insulin-resistant hamster model fed a diet rich in fructose and fat (the FF diet) and fructose, fat, and cholesterol (the FFC diet). Male Syrian Golden hamsters were fed either chow or the FF or FFC diet ± ezetimibe for 2 wk. After 2 wk, chylomicron production was assessed following intravenous triton infusion. Tissues were then collected and analyzed for protein and mRNA content. FFC-fed hamsters treated with ezetimibe showed improved glucose tolerance, decreased fasting insulin levels, and markedly reduced circulating levels of TG and cholesterol in both the LDL and VLDL fractions. Examination of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein (TRL) fractions showed that ezetimibe treatment reduced postprandial cholesterol content in TRL lipoproteins as well as reducing apoB48 content. Although ezetimibe did not decrease TRL-TG levels in FFC hamsters, ezetimibe treatment in FF hamsters resulted in decreases in TRL-TG. Jejunal apoB48 protein expression was lower in ezetimibe-treated hamsters. Reductions in jejunal protein levels of scavenger receptor type B-1 (SRB-1) and fatty acid transport protein 4 were also observed. In addition, ezetimibe-treated hamsters showed significantly lower jejunal mRNA expression of a number of genes involved in lipid synthesis and transport, including srebp-1c, sr-b1, ppar-γ, and abcg1. These data suggest that treatment with ezetimibe not only inhibits cholesterol uptake, but may also alter intestinal function to promote improved handling of dietary lipids and reduced chylomicron production. These, in turn, promote decreases in fasting and postprandial lipid levels and improvements in glucose homeostasis.
Stimulation of Rho signaling by pathologic mechanical stretch is a “second hit” to Rho-independent lung injury induced by IL-6
Authors: Birukova Anna A. , Tian Yufeng , Meliton Angelo , Leff Alan , Wu Tinghuai , Birukov Konstantin G.
Published: February 2012

Most patients with acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome of septic and nonseptic nature require assisted ventilation with positive pressure, which at suboptimal range may further exacerbate lung dysfunction. Previous studies described enhancement of agonist-induced Rho GTPase signaling and endothelial cell (EC) permeability in EC cultures exposed to pathologically relevant cyclic stretch (CS) magnitudes. This study examined a role of pathologic CS in modulation of pulmonary EC permeability caused by IL-6, a cytokine increased in sepsis and acting in a Rho-independent manner. IL-6 increased EC permeability, which was associated with activation of Jak/signal transducers and activators of transcription, p38 MAP kinase, and NF-κB signaling and was augmented by EC exposure to 18% CS. Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 suppressed the synergistic effect of 18% CS on IL-6-induced EC monolayer disruption but did not alter the IL-6 effects on static EC culture. 18% CS also increased IL-6-induced ICAM-1 expression by pulmonary EC and neutrophil adhesion, which was attenuated by Y-27632. Intratracheal IL-6 administration in C57BL/6J mice increased protein content and cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. These changes were augmented by high tidal volume mechanical ventilation (HTV; 30 ml/kg, 4 h). Intravenous injection of Y-27632 suppressed IL6/HTV-induced lung injury. In conclusion, this study proposes a novel mechanism contributing to two-hit model of ALI: in addition to synergistic effects on Rho-dependent endothelial hyper-permeability triggered by thrombin, TNFα, LPS, or other agonists, ventilator-induced lung injury-relevant CS may also exacerbate Rho-independent mechanisms of EC permeability induced by other inflammatory mediators such as IL-6 via mechanisms involving Rho activity.
Gas Turbine Health State Determination: Methodology Approach and Field Application
Authors: Pinelli Michele , Spina Pier Ruggero , Venturini Mauro
Published: February 2012

A reduction of gas turbine maintenance costs, together with the increase in machine availability and the reduction of management costs, is usually expected when gas turbine preventive maintenance is performed in parallel to on-condition maintenance. However, on-condition maintenance requires up-to-date knowledge of the machine health state. The gas turbine health state can be determined by means of Gas Path Analysis (GPA) techniques, which allow the calculation of machine health state indices, starting from measurements taken on the machine. Since the GPA technique makes use of field measurements, the reliability of the diagnostic process also depends on measurement reliability. In this paper, a comprehensive approach for both the measurement validation and health state determination of gas turbines is discussed, and its application to a 5 MW gas turbine working in a natural gas compression plant is presented.
Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity of Mesoporous AnataseTiO2Codoped with Nitrogen and Chlorine
Authors: Cheng Xiuwen , Yu Xiujuan , Xing Zipeng , Yang Lisha
Published: February 2012

Anatase mesoporous titanium dioxide codoped with nitrogen and chlorine (N-Cl-TiO2) photocatalysts were synthesized through simple one-step sol-gel reactions in the presence of ammonium chloride. The resulting materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectrum (UV-vis DRS). XRD results indicated that codoping with nitrogen and chlorine could effectively retard the phase transformation of TiO2from anatase to rutile and the growth of the crystallite sizes. XPS revealed that nitrogen and chlorine elements were incorporated into the lattice of TiO2through substituting the lattice oxygen atoms. DRS exhibited that the light absorption of N-Cl-TiO2in visible region was greatly improved. As a result, the band gap of TiO2was reduced to 2.12 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the as-synthesized TiO2was evaluated for the degradation of RhB and phenol under visible light irradiation. It was found that N-Cl-TiO2catalyst exhibited higher visible light photocatalytic activity than that of P25 TiO2and N-TiO2, which was attributed to the small crystallite size, intense light absorption in visible region, and narrow band gap.
Theoretical Analysis and Semianalytical Solutions for a Turbulent Buoyant Hydrogen‐Air Jet
Authors: El-Amin M. F. , Sun Shuyu , Salama Amgad
Published: February 2012

Semianalytical solutions are developed for turbulent hydrogen‐air plume. We derived analytical expressions for plume centerline variables (radius, velocity, and density deficit) in terms of a single universal function, called plume function. By combining the obtained analytical expressions of centerline variables with empirical Gaussian expressions of the mean variables, we obtain semianalytical expressions for mean quantities of hydrogen‐air plume (velocity, density deficit, and mass fraction).
Appreciating the Strengths and Weaknesses of Transthoracic Echocardiography in Hemodynamic Assessments
Authors: Huang Stephen J. , McLean Anthony S.
Published: February 2012

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is becoming the choice of hemodynamic assessment tool in many intensive care units. With an ever increasing number of training programs available worldwide, learning the skills to perform TTE is no longer a limiting factor. Instead, the future emphasis will be shifted to teach the users how to recognize measurement errors and artefacts (internal validity), to realize the limitations of TTE in various applications, and finally how to apply the information to the patient in question (external validity). This paper aims to achieve these objectives in a common area of TTE application—hemodynamic assessments. We explore the strengths and weaknesses of TTE in such assessments in this paper. Various methods of hemodynamic assessments, such as cardiac output measurements, estimation of preload, and assessment of fluid responsiveness, will be discussed.
Determination of Total Selenium in Infant Formulas: Comparison of the Performance of FIA and MCFA Flow Systems
Authors: Pistón Mariela , Knochen Moisés
Published: February 2012

Two flow methods, based, respectively, on flow-injection analysis (FIA) and on multicommutated flow analysis (MCFA), were compared with regard to their use for the determination of total selenium in infant formulas by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry. The method based on multicommutation provided lower detection and quantification limits (0.08 and 0.27 μg L−1compared to 0.59 and 1.95 μ L−1, resp.), higher sampling frequency (160versus. 70 samples per hour), and reduced reagent consumption. Linearity, precision, and accuracy were similar for the two methods compared. It was concluded that, while both methods proved to be appropriate for the purpose, the MCFA-based method exhibited a better performance.
L-Fuzzy Connectedness in Stratified Order-Preserving Operator Spaces
Authors: Wu Xiu-Yun , Xie Li-Li , Huang Liang-Sheng
Published: February 2012

The concepts of stratified order-preserving operators and stratified continuity are introduced inL-fuzzy topological spaces. Their basic properties are discussed, and their characteristic properties are observed. The relationship between induced stratified order-preserving topological spaces and general order-preserving operator topological spaces is studied. Finally, stratified connectedness is introduced, and its properties are studied systematically.
The Novel Akt Inhibitor API-1 Induces c-FLIP Degradation and Synergizes with TRAIL to Augment Apoptosis Independent of Akt Inhibition
Authors: Li Bo , Ren Hui , Yue Ping , Chen Mingwei , Khuri Fadlo R. , Sun Shi-Yong
Published: February 2012

API-1 (pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines) is a novel small-molecule inhibitor of Akt, which acts by binding to Akt and preventing its membrane translocation and has promising preclinical antitumor activity. In this study, we reveal a novel function of API-1 in regulation of cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) levels and TRAIL-induced apoptosis, independent of Akt inhibition. API-1 effectively induced apoptosis in tested cancer cell lines including activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9. It reduced the levels of c-FLIP without increasing the expression of death receptor 4 (DR4) or DR5. Accordingly, it synergized with TRAIL to induce apoptosis. Enforced expression of ectopic c-FLIP did not attenuate API-1–induced apoptosis but inhibited its ability to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis. These data indicate that downregulation of c-FLIP mediates enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis by API-1 but is not sufficient for API-1–induced apoptosis. API-1–induced reduction of c-FLIP could be blocked by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Moreover, API-1 increased c-FLIP ubiquitination and decreased c-FLIP stability. These data together suggest that API-1 downregulates c-FLIP by facilitating its ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation. Because other Akt inhibitors including API-2 and MK2206 had minimal effects on reducing c-FLIP and enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis, it is likely that API-1 reduces c-FLIP and enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis independent of its Akt-inhibitory activity. Cancer Prev Res; 5(4); 612–20. ©2012 AACR.
Cytologic Diagnosis of Intravascular Papillary Endothelial Hyperplasia: A Report of Two Cases and Review of Cytologic Literature
Authors: Handa Uma , Khurana Ujjawal , Singhal Niti , Punia R.P.S. , Mohan Harsh
Published: February 2012

Background: Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH), previously known as ‘Masson’s hemangioma’, is a reactive endothelial proliferation that occurs most commonly in the vessels of the head, neck, and extremities. The cytologic findings of the lesion are varied and depend on the age of the lesion. Cases: Case 1 is a 61-year-old man who presented with a swelling on the medial aspect of the forearm. The clinical diagnosis was lipoma. Cytologic smears showed spindle cells tagging onto a rich capillary network and smaller round cells arranged around hyaline cores. The cytologic diagnosis was benign vascular tumor. On histolopathogic examination a diagnosis of IPEH was given. Case 2 is a 45-year-old man who presented with swelling on the dorsal aspect of the wrist. The cytologic diagnosis of giant cell tumor was made based on the presence of scattered spindled cells and multinucleate giant cells. The giant cells had various shapes like round or crescent and had 10–25 nuclei. The lesion was excised and a diagnosis of IPEH was rendered. Conclusion: These two cases highlight the varied cytomorphology of IPEH making the pinpoint diagnosis of this lesion difficult on cytologic smears.
Patients with Nonaffective Psychosis Are at Increased Risk for Heroin Use Disorders
Authors: Pedersen Kjersti , Waal Helge , Kringlen Einar
Published: February 2012

Background/Aim: It is well-established knowledge that persons with nonaffective psychotic disorders often have problematic use of alcohol, cannabis and stimulants, but heroin use is usually not included. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of heroin use disorders in patients with nonaffective psychosis. Methods: As the combination of heroin use and nonaffective psychosis is infrequent, epidemiological studies have to include large populations. The present study is acase count study using information from all psychiatric and social services in Oslo. Prevalence was calculated for four possible scenarios of minimum and maximum case counts and prevalences of nonaffective psychosis. Odds ratios were calculated for the resulting prevalences compared to the minimum and maximum prevalence of heroin use disorder in the general population. Results: We found between 39 and 56 subjects with nonaffective psychoses and comorbid heroin use disorder. The number of individuals with nonaffective psychosis was estimated to be between 692 and 1,730. This corresponds to a prevalence of heroin use disorder of between 2.3 and 8.1%. The odds ratio compared to the general population will range from 1.83 with a prevalence of heroin use disorder in the general population of 1.2% to 9.43 with a prevalence of 0.9%. Conclusion: Individuals with nonaffective psychosis are at increased risk of heroin use.