bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mixing chalk and cheese: the challenge for integrating complementary therapies into radiation oncology
Authors: Sagar Stephen M
Published: April 2013

Background

The supportive care of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy is an important responsibility for the radiation oncologist. A knowledgeable and empathic practitioner can gain the patients' trust to ensure that they receive appropriate management using evidence‐based interventions that are relatively safe.

Objective

To summarise the evidence‐based complementary interventions that can be used in radiation therapy.

Methods

A narrative review.

Results

There is good scientific evidence for both the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of specific complementary therapies used by radiation oncology patients.

Conclusion

Many radiation oncology programmes do not include supervised programmes for complementary therapies, despite patients' requirement for credible knowledge, and despite multiple clinical trials that have shown the utility for some interventions. It is important that the radiation oncologist can discriminate between effectiveness and ineffectiveness using knowledge transfer from appropriate clinical trials. Radiation oncology programmes should follow the evidence and implement techniques and therapies that reduce patient symptoms and contribute to their rehabilitation. As evidence builds for the effectiveness of certain complementary therapies, we are left with the challenge of integrating them into standard practice.
Holding therapy: a harmful mental health intervention
Authors: Mercer Jean
Published: April 2013

Background

Holding therapy, an alternative form of child psychotherapy, involves physical restraint and manipulation, and has been associated with adverse events.

Objective

To examine the evidence of effectiveness for holding therapy.

Methods

Four electronic databases were searched, as well as an ongoing hand search, to identify any studies reporting on the effectiveness of holding therapy.

Results

Eight studies were identified. All included studies claimed that holding therapy was efficacious, but none of the study designs were suitable for making such conclusions.

Conclusion

The evidence of effectiveness for holding therapy is insufficient, especially in the context of related adverse events.
ER+/PR+/TFF3+/IMP3− immunoprofile distinguishes endometrioid from serous and clear cell carcinomas of the endometrium: a study of 401 cases
Authors: Mhawech‐Fauceglia Paulette , Yan Li , Liu Song , Pejovic Tanja
Published: April 2013

Aims

Differentiating endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC) from uterine serous carcinoma (USC) and clear cell carcinoma (CCC) of the endometrium can be challenging. We undertook an immunohistochemical study to address this issue.

Methods and results

We evaluated 401 endometrial carcinomas cases by using four immunomarkers – oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), insulin‐like growth factor II mRNA – binding protein 3 (IMP3), and intestinal trefoil factor 3 (TFF3)–on a tissue microarray. The cases included 311 EACs (G1, 146; G2, 104; and G3, 61), 69 USCs, and 21 CCCs. ER, PR and TFF3 were most frequently expressed in EACs (P < 0.001), and IMP3 was more frequently expressed in USCs and CCCs (P < 0.001). ER+/PR+/TFF3+/IMP3− was the best marker combination associated with EAC [exact odds ratio (OR) 112; 95% confidence interval (CI) 19–∞; P < 0.0001]. This marker combination remained very reliable after adjustment for tumour grade (exact OR 19.2; 95% CI 3–∞; P = 0.0004). Because distinguishing EAC G3 from USC and CCC on the basis of morphology may be difficult, the use of immunomarkers to improve reproducibility is highly recommended. We found the ER+/PR+/TFF3+/IMP3− immunoprofile to be the best combination for confirming a diagnosis of endometrioid adenocarcinoma (exact OR 19.2; 95% CI 3–∞; P = 0.0004).

Conclusions

We recommend using an ER/PR/TFF3/IMP3 immunohistochemical panel in selected cases of endometrial carcinoma where the differential diagnosis is challenging.
Effects of high hydrostatic pressure on the physicochemical and emulsifying properties of sweet potato protein
Authors: Khan, Nasir Mehmood , Mu Tai‐Hua , Zhang Miao , Chen Jing‐Wang
Published: April 2013

The influence of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment on the physicochemical and emulsifying properties of sweet potato protein (SPP) at various concentrations, e.g. 2%, 4% and 6% (w/v, SPP‐2, SPP‐4 and SPP‐6), was investigated. Significant differences in hydrophobicity, enthalpy of denaturation and solubility were observed (P < 0.05). Emulsifying activity indexes (EAI) of SPP‐2 and SPP‐6 increased at 400 MPa, whereas EAI of all SPP significantly decreased at 600 MPa (P < 0.05). Emulsion stability (ESI) was significantly decreased for SPP‐2 and SPP‐6, while increase in ESI was observed for SPP‐4 above 200 MPa (P < 0.05). SPP‐2 emulsions showed sharp decrease in apparent viscosity with pressure increase, while pseudo plastic flow behaviour was not changed for all of emulsions. Sporamins A and B were well‐adsorbed in pressurised emulsion without displacement. These results suggest that HHP treatment could be used to modify the physicochemical and emulsifying properties of SPP.
Rheological Characterization of Aqueous 3Y‐TZP Inks Optimized for Direct Thermal Ink‐Jet Printing of Ceramic Components
Authors: Özkol Emre
Published: April 2013

Aqueous 3Y‐TZP inks with solid contents of 22 and 27 vol% were used for fabricating three‐dimensional ceramic components by the direct ink‐jet printing process (DIP). The DIP fabrication was realized using a thermal ink‐jet (TIJ) printing system. Despite the different physical properties of the inks, both inks were successfully ejected and deposited. To define the optimum window of the ink properties required for a stable printing operation, both ceramic inks as well as a typical TIJ ink were characterized in terms of particle size distribution, zeta potential, viscosity, surface tension, and the inverse Ohnesorge number (Oh−1). Moreover, single drops of all inks were deposited and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the form and integrity of the ejected drops. Demonstration objects (a base with curved channels and a sample molar tooth) were DIP fabricated using both of the ceramic inks. These objects show the potentials of the DIP process for ceramics manufacturing particularly by using TIJ printing systems.
Does social capital matter? A quantitative approach to examining technology infusion in schools
Authors: Li S.C. , Choi T.H.
Published: April 2013

Changing teachers’ perceptions about the value of technology and equipping them with appropriate knowledge and skills in pedagogical use of technology is often regarded as a key determinant of success in technology infusion in schools. However, recent studies have indicated that changing teachers’ epistemological beliefs about the use of technology in teaching and learning may not necessarily bring about change in their practice, and that technology implementation in schools can be affected by other instrumental forces, such as collegial trust, support for risk taking and access to expertise within an organization. In this article, we delineate collegial trust, access to expertise, willingness to take risks, etc. as manifestations of social capital in an organization. We argue that social capital plays a pivotal role in leveraging pedagogical change in schools. To gauge teachers’ self‐perceived change in their pedagogical use of technology, we take a constructivist perspective to explore how technology serves as a tool for facilitating students to articulate their thoughts, to explore and construct knowledge, and to become more autonomous in learning. The results of our questionnaire survey indicate that (1) the social capital of a school had a strong direct effect on teachers’ self‐perceived changes in their pedagogical use of technology, and that the effect of social capital on pedagogical change outweighed that of teachers’ perceived effectiveness of professional development; (2) teachers’ receptivity towards technology use had a direct effect on their perceived effectiveness of professional development but a very weak effect on fostering changes in their pedagogical use of technology; and (3) the social capital of a school had a direct influence on teachers’ receptivity towards technology use and their perceived effectiveness of professional development. To further unfold the complexity of technology implementation, more in‐depth qualitative studies on how social forces shape the change process are deemed necessary.
Remote biopsy darting and marking of polar bears
Authors: Pagano Anthony M. , Peacock Elizabeth , McKinney Melissa A.
Published: April 2013

Remote biopsy darting of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) is less invasive and time intensive than physical capture and is therefore useful when capture is challenging or unsafe. We worked with two manufacturers to develop a combination biopsy and marking dart for use on polar bears. We had an 80% success rate of collecting a tissue sample with a single biopsy dart and collected tissue samples from 143 polar bears on land, in water, and on sea ice. Dye marks ensured that 96% of the bears were not resampled during the same sampling period, and we recovered 96% of the darts fired. Biopsy heads with 5 mm diameters collected an average of 0.12 g of fur, tissue, and subcutaneous adipose tissue, while biopsy heads with 7 mm diameters collected an average of 0.32 g. Tissue samples were 99.3% successful (142 of 143 samples) in providing a genetic and sex identification of individuals. We had a 64% success rate collecting adipose tissue and we successfully examined fatty acid signatures in all adipose samples. Adipose lipid content values were lower compared to values from immobilized or harvested polar bears, indicating that our method was not suitable for quantifying adipose lipid content.
Institutional Models for Track Two Interventions
Authors: Mitchell Christopher
Published: April 2013

Conflict resolution as an academic field was built by pioneers like John Burton on the idea that conflict resolution academics must accomplish three basic interlocking tasks: conduct cutting‐edge research, educate students, and make a positive contribution to the real‐world work of practitioners engaged in resolving actual conflicts. Over time and as the field has grown, so have the demands to produce research deemed rigorous enough according to increasingly competitive and rigid traditional standards and so too have the demands of teaching growing numbers of students. Research and teaching commitments thus diminish the time and support available to engage in practice. In this article, I consider those pressures within universities and also consider the options available to conflict resolution scholar–practitioners outside the traditional university
Prognostic factors of congenital diaphragmatic hernia accompanied by cardiovascular malformation
Authors: Takahashi Shigehiro , Sago Haruhiko , Kanamori Yutaka , Hayakawa Masahiro , Okuyama Hiroomi , Inamura Noboru , Fujino Yuji , Usui Noriaki , Taguchi Tomoaki
Published: April 2013

Background

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is associated with cardiovascular malformation. Many prognostic factors have been identified for isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia; however, reports of concurrent congenital diaphragmatic hernia and cardiovascular malformation in infants are limited. This study evaluated congenital diaphragmatic hernia associated with cardiovascular malformation in infants. Factors associated with prognosis for patients were also identified.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was based on a Japanese survey of congenital diaphragmatic hernia patients between 2006 and 2010. Frequency and outcome of cardiovascular malformation among infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia were examined. Severity of congenital diaphragmatic hernia and cardiovascular malformation were compared as predictors of mortality and morbidity.

Results

Cardiovascular malformation was identified in 76 (12.3%) of 614 infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Mild cardiovascular malformation was detected in 19 (33.9%) and severe cardiovascular malformation in 37 (66.1%). Their overall survival rate at discharge was 46.4%, and the survival rate without morbidity was 23.2%. Mortality and morbidity at discharge were more strongly associated with severity of cardiovascular malformation (adjusted OR 7.69, 95%CI 1.96–30.27; adjusted OR 7.93, 95%CI 1.76−35.79, respectively) than with severity of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Conclusions

The prognosis for infants with both congenital diaphragmatic hernia and cardiovascular malformation remains poor. Severity of cardiovascular malformation is a more important predictive factor for mortality and morbidity than severity of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
LEAFY Controls Auxin Response Pathways in Floral Primordium Formation
Authors: Li Wuxing , Zhou Yun , Liu Xing , Yu Peng , Cohen Jerry D. , Meyerowitz Elliot M.
Published: April 2013

LEAFY stimulates auxin signaling but inhibits auxin biosynthesis in developing flowers.
A Role for SIRT6 in Secretion
Authors: Foley John F.
Published: April 2013

The sirtuin SIRT6 removes fatty acyl chains from tumor necrosis factor–α to facilitate its secretion.
Targeting of the Small GTPase Rab6A′ by the Legionella pneumophila Effector LidA
Authors: Chen Yang , Machner Matthias P.
Published: April 2013

When the bacterium
Legionella pneumophila
, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, is phagocytosed by alveolar macrophages, it delivers a large number of effector proteins through its Dot/Icm type IV secretion system into the host cell cytosol. Among those proteins is LidA, an effector that interacts with several host GTPases of the Rab family, including Rab6A′, a regulator of retrograde vesicle trafficking within eukaryotic cells. The effect of LidA on Rab6A′ function and the role of Rab6A′ for
L. pneumophila
growth within host cells has been unclear. Here, we show that LidA preferentially binds Rab6A′ in the active GTP-bound conformation. Rab6 binding occurred through the central region of LidA and followed a stoichiometry for LidA and Rab6A′ of 1:2. LidA maintained Rab6A′ in the active conformation by efficiently blocking the hydrolysis of GTP by Rab6A′, even in the presence of cellular GTPase-activating proteins, suggesting that the function of Rab6A′ must be important for efficient intracellular replication of
L. pneumophila
. Accordingly, we found that production of constitutively inactive Rab6A′(T27N) but not constitutively active Rab6A′(Q72L) significantly reduced the ability of
L. pneumophila
to initiate intracellular replication in human macrophages. Thus, the presence of an active pool of Rab6 within host cells early during infection is required to support efficient intracellular growth of
L. pneumophila
.
CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THE KAR AND FOLK SOLUTIONS FOR MINIMUM COST SPANNING TREE PROBLEMS
Authors: TRUDEAU CHRISTIAN
Published: April 2013

A review of the literature on cost sharing solutions for the minimum cost spanning tree problem is proposed, with a particular focus on the folk and Kar solutions. We compare the characterizations proposed, helped by some equivalencies between sets of properties.
PROMOTING SOCIALIZATION OF SCHOOLCHILDREN USING A TELEOPERATED ANDROID: AN INTERACTION STUDY
Authors: YAMAZAKI RYUJI , NISHIO SHUICHI , OGAWA KOHEI , MATSUMURA KOHEI , MINATO TAKASHI , ISHIGURO HIROSHI , FUJINAMI TSUTOMU , NISHIKAWA MASARU
Published: April 2013

Our research focuses on the social aspects of teleoperated androids as new media for human relationships and explores how they can contribute and encourage people to associate with others. We introduced Telenoid, a teleoperated android with a minimalistic human design, to elementary school classrooms to see how children respond to it. We found that Telenoid encourages children to work cooperatively and facilitates communication with senior citizens with dementia. Children differentiated their roles spontaneously and cooperatively participated in group work. In another class, we applied Telenoid to remote communication between schoolchildren and assisted living residents. The children felt relaxed about continuing their conversations with the elderly and positively participated in them. The results suggest that limited functionality may facilitate cooperation among participants, and varied embodiments may promote the learning process of the association with others, even those who are unfamiliar. We propose a teleoperated android as an educational tool to promote socialization.
Political Influence and TARP Investments in Credit Unions
Authors: Pana Elisabeta , Wilson Linus
Published: April 2013

About 48 credit unions received capital injections as part of the financial sector bailout. The predicted probability of receiving bailout funds jumps from 29% to 81% for the typical credit union, if the institution's headquarters was in the district of a member of the U. S. House Financial Services Committee (HFS). The credit unions receiving funds were significantly less likely to lend, contrary to the goals of the program. These results indicate that political influence may be an important determinant of which institutions receive taxpayer funds.
Interaction design for and with
the lived body
Authors: Svanæs Dag
Published: April 2013

In 2001, Paul Dourish proposed the term
embodied interaction
to describe a new paradigm for interaction design that focuses on the physical, bodily, and social aspects of our interaction with digital technology. Dourish used Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of perception as the theoretical basis for his discussion of the bodily nature of embodied interaction. This article extends Dourish's work to introduce the human-computer interaction community to ideas related to Merleau-Ponty's concept of the lived body. It also provides a detailed analysis of two related topics: (1) embodied perception: the active and embodied nature of perception, including the body's ability to extent its sensory apparatus through digital technology; and (2) kinaesthetic creativity: the body's ability to relate in a direct and creative fashion with the “feel” dimension of interactive products during the design process.
Configurable memory security in embedded systems
Authors: Crenne Jérémie , Vaslin Romain , Gogniat Guy , Diguet Jean-Philippe , Tessier Russell , Unnikrishnan Deepak
Published: April 2013

System security is an increasingly important design criterion for many embedded systems. These systems are often portable and more easily attacked than traditional desktop and server computing systems. Key requirements for system security include defenses against physical attacks and lightweight support in terms of area and power consumption. Our new approach to embedded system security focuses on the protection of application loading and secure application execution. During secure application loading, an encrypted application is transferred from on-board flash memory to external double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR-SDRAM) via a microprocessor. Following application loading, the core-based security technique provides both confidentiality and authentication for data stored in a microprocessor's system memory. The benefits of our low overhead memory protection approaches are demonstrated using four applications implemented in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in an embedded system prototyping platform. Each application requires a collection of tasks with varying memory security requirements. The configurable security core implemented on-chip inside the FPGA with the microprocessor allows for different memory security policies for different application tasks. An average memory saving of 63% is achieved for the four applications versus a uniform security approach. The lightweight circuitry included to support application loading from flash memory adds about 10% FPGA area overhead to the processor-based system and main memory security hardware.
Power-aware dynamic mapping heuristics for NoC-based MPSoCs using a unified model-based approach
Authors: Ost Luciano , Mandelli Marcelo , Almeida Gabriel Marchesan , Moller Leandro , Indrusiak Leandro Soares , Sassatelli Gilles , Benoit Pascal , Glesner Manfred , Robert Michel , Moraes Fernando
Published: April 2013

The mapping of tasks to processing elements of an MPSoC has critical impact on system performance and energy consumption. To cope with complex dynamic behavior of applications, it is common to perform task mapping during runtime so that the utilization of processors and interconnect can be taken into account when deciding the allocation of each task. This paper has two major contributions, one of them targeting the general problem of evaluating dynamic mapping heuristics in NoC-based MPSoCs, and another focusing on the specific problem of finding a task mapping that optimizes energy consumption in those architectures.
FPGA-based Connect6 solver with hardware-accelerated move refinement
Authors: Sano Kentaro , Kono Yoshiaki
Published: April 2013

Connect6 is a two-player game similar to Go-Moku, which was introduced in 2003. Since placing two stones in each turn makes a huge game-tree, we require some acceleration techniques for a solver based on a typical approach to search the tree. This paper presents an FPGA-based Connect6 solver with two-level move refinement. The solver has the dedicated hardware to accelerate the move refinement by exploiting various parallelism with a systolic array, linear arrays, and multiple score-calculation units. Implementation with a low-end FPGA demonstrates that the accelerator allows the two-level move refinement in the FPGA-based solver running at 90 MHz to be 103695 and 414 times faster than equivalent software implementation with NIOS II soft processor on the FPGA and Intel Core i7 processor operating at 2.93 GHz, respectively.
A low overhead abstract architecture for FPGA resource management
Authors: Syed Rizwan , Ha Yajun , Veeravalli Bharadwaj
Published: April 2013

To support dynamic applications, FPGAs will need to have a software operating system equivalent resource manager. An abstract FPGA architecture is the foundation to develop such an FPGA resource manager. Previous research projects work on the FPGA abstraction by abstracting the computing and/or the communication resources. However, various constraints made their proposals practically less useful due to the performance and/or the area overheads. We develop a low overhead abstract FPGA architecture that has the important features such as dynamically sized reconfigurable regions, deterministic communications among regions, clock network management and in-circuit debugging for regions. The architecture is demonstrated by implementing three applications on the Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGAs. We evaluate our work by comparing the area and performance overheads due to the abstractions between the abstracted and the non-abstracted applications. Experimental results show that additional resources required due to abstractions are found to be 6.4% on average. This is achieved with low overheads on the timing performance.
FPGA acceleration of CDO pricing based on correlation expansions
Authors: Shun Zheng Zhi , Maruyama Tsutomu
Published: April 2013

Because of the significant growth in the financial market, faster and accurate pricing of widespread instruments is becoming more important. In this paper, we describe an FPGA implementation of an analytical method for collateralized debt obligation (CDO) pricing in the multifactor Normal Copula model. Our experiments show that the FPGA system is about 40 times faster than corresponding software on a single core 3 GHz Intel Core2 processor.
On a wideband fast fourier transform for a radio telescope
Authors: Nakahara Hiroki , Nakanishi Hiroyuki , Sasao Tsutomu
Published: April 2013

The radio telescope analyzes a radio frequency from celestial objects by using fast Fourier transform (FFT). In this application, its bandwidth f is wider than that of the typical FFT. Since the amount of hardware for the typical FFT circuit is proportional to the bandwidth f, a special technique is necessary for this application. This paper shows a realization of wideband FFT for the radio telescope on an FPGA. We show that the memory size for the conventional FFT, which consists of the twiddle factor memory and the transpose memory, is too large. We replace the twiddle factor memory with the pipelined CORDIC. To reduce the number of transpose memories, we increase the radix of the FFT from 22 to 2k, also we use the DDR2SDRAM to implement the transpose memory. We implement the 230-FFT on an Altera's Stratix IV GX530 FPGA. It performs the 230-FFT operations in 1.5 seconds. Compared with the Altera's FFT library, our FFT circuit realizes 214 times wider bandwidth on the same FPGA. Also, compared with Tesla S1070 utilizing four GPUs, our FFT circuit is faster and dissipates lower power.
Performance comparison of GPU programming frameworks with the striped Smith-Waterman algorithm
Authors: Kakimoto Takeshi , Dohi Keisuke , Shibata Yuichiro , Oguri Kiyoshi
Published: April 2013

This paper evaluates and discusses how different GPU programming frameworks affect the performance obtained from GPU acceleration of the striped smith-waterman algorithm used for biological sequence alignment. A total of 6 GPU implementations of the algorithm on NVIDIA GT200b and AMD RV870 using the CUDA and the OpenCL frameworks are compared to analyze cons and pros of explicit descriptions for architecture specific hardware mechanisms in the code. The evaluation results show that the primitive descriptions with the CUDA are still efficient especially for small size data, while better instruction scheduling and optimizations are carried out by the OpenCL compiler. On the other hand, the combination of OpenCL and RV870 which provides a relatively simple view of the architecture is efficient for the large data size.
PASTIS
Authors: Tribino Julien , Trouvé Antoine , Clarke Hadrien A. , Murakami Kazuaki J.
Published: April 2013

This paper introduces PASTIS, a novel photonic arbitration protocol based on a scalable token injection scheme, and ring-based nanophotonic technology. It aims at connecting together processors and memories in many-core computer systems by means of a ring topology. The main strength of PASTIS lays in the fact that it uses photonic components exclusively, that is, routing does not require any electronics. In this work, we compare it with an hybrid opto-electronic protocol as presented in a related work. Simulations show that PASTIS performs better in terms of bandwidth, latency and energy consumption. Indeed, it is scalable as it can adapt its bandwith to the system's workload, thereby saving energy. Finally, we also study the opportunity of using reconfigurable rings. We determine that they almost halve the overall static power consumption.
Magnetoelectrodeposition for the Chiral Surface Formation of Cu Films
Authors: Mogi Iwao , Aogaki Ryoichi , Morimoto Ryoichi , Watanabe Kzuo
Published: April 2013

Cu films were electrodeposited at a constant potential under a magnetic field of 5 T on the Pt disc electrodes with diameters of 3 mm ~ 25 μm. Such magnetoelectrodeposited Cu films were employed as an electrode, and cyclic voltammograms were measured for the electrochemical reactions of the enantiomers of alanine. Chiral behavior was observed in the oxidation currents between the enantiomers. The clear chiral behavior was observed on the micro-disk electrode. The galvanostatic and pulse electrodeposition of the Cu films was also conducted in the magnetic field, and the chiral behavior depended on the pulse width. These results are discussed in connection with the micro-MHD and vertical MHD convections.
Examination of the Extinction Process of Ionic Vacancy by the Cyclotron MHD Electrode
Authors: Aogaki Ryoichi , Motomura Kentarou , Morimoto Ryoichi , Sugiyama Atsushi , Mogi Iwao , Asanuma Miki , Miura Makoto , Oshikiri Yoshinobu , Yamauchi Yusuke
Published: April 2013

From the lifetime measurement of ionic vacancy with a new type of electrode called cyclotron magnetohydrodynamic electrode (MHDE), two extinction processes of ionic vacancy were clarified; one is the decay to the initial state, and the other is the conversion to nanobubbles with the collision of the ionic vacancies. As a result, in copper electrodeposition, the formation time of the nanobubble was obtained as 0.072 s, whereas the intrinsic lifetime of the ionic vacancy without collision was determined as 8.6 s. Then, the creation-extinction process of the ionic vacancy in the diffusion layer was calculated, so that it was concluded that ionic vacancies act as lubricant with a network structure without diffusion, and the frictionless sliding of the solution begins at a constant vacancy concentration of 1.73 ± 0.36 mol m-3.
(Invited) Interpretation of Dielectric Properties for Materials showing Constant-Phase-Element (CPE) Impedance Response
Authors: Orazem Mark E. , Tribollet Bernard , Vivier Vincent , Marcelin Sabrina , Pébère Nadine , Bunge Annette L. , White Erick A. , Riemer Douglas P. , Frateur Isabelle , Musiani Marco
Published: April 2013

Models invoking Constant-Phase Elements (CPE) are often used to fit impedance data arising from a broad range of experimental systems. While the physical origins of the CPE are controversial, a bigger problem remains the interpretation of impedance data in terms of physically meaningful properties such as capacitance or thickness. Four models are used to interpret the CPE parameters associated with the impedance response of human skin and two metal oxides in terms of characteristic frequencies, film thickness, and dielectric constant. These values were compared against independent measurements. The power-law model developed recently by Hirschorn et al. provided the most reliable interpretation. Readers are cautioned that the CPE parameter Q does not provide an accurate value for capacitance, even when the CPE exponent is greater than 0.9.
Impedance Analysis of Ion Transportation in Hierarchical Porous Core-Shell Carbons with Transmission Line Model
Authors: Yang Chunzhen , Li Chi-Ying Vanessa , Li Fujun , Chan Kwong-Yu
Published: April 2013

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) with Transmission Line Model (TLM) was utilized to study the electrochemical capacitive performance in a three dimensional hierarchical carbon network with hollow core and mesoporous shell (HCMS) structure in KOH electrolyte. In order to systematically study the performance-structure relationship, the shell thickness (S) of the HCMS structure was stepwise increased from S=0 to 100 nm while other geometric parameters were kept constant. Nyquist plots were presented and fitted with Transmission line models. Ion transportation through the HCMS hierarchical structure, RC time constants and capacitance distribution across the carbon electrodes were derived from the 6-loop TLM. The stepwise increased shell thickness (S) of the HCMS structure affects both the electrochemical and physical properties of the carbon electrodes, for example, the electrode resistance, diffusion resistance, capacitance, and rate capability. TLM demonstrated that major capacitance were contributed from the second to fourth loop, which can be associated to the mesoporous shell region in the HCMS texture; while the 5th loop is associated to the diffusion of ions into micropores. Though the carbon with thicker shells can provide large specific capacitance, the rate capability (determined by RC time constants) worsens, no direct stepwise relationship was observed for increased shell thickness.
Novel Projection Display Pixels Using Micro Vessel Structures
Authors: Amirsolaimani Babak , Shahshahani Hani , Azimi Soheil , Mohajerzadeh Shams
Published: April 2013

In this paper Electrochromic based micro-mirrors fabrication has been investigated on silicon substrates using a highlyprogrammable deep reactive ion etching technique. Silicon based micro structures have been used as micro containers for Li+ based electrolyte.Covering these micro vessels with WO3 coated ITO electrodes as electrochromic layer, leads to transparent or opaque interfaces which later will be used as image pixels. Passive addressing of micro-mirrors if feasible between mentioned ITO electrodes on top and silicon n+ doped lines at the bottom of micro structures. Desired image can be achieved by addressing each or a cluster of pixels.
Surface Passivation Effect on SGOI Nanowire Biosensor in High Ge Fraction Fabrication
Authors: Chang Kow-Ming , Chen Chu-Feng , Lai Chiung-Hui , Hsieh Cheng-Ting , Wu Chin-Ning , Wang Yu-Bin , Liu Chung-Hsien , Chang Kuo-Chin
Published: April 2013

The oxidation of an SiGe-on-Insulator (SGOI) that is caused by Ge condensation increases the fraction of Ge therein and significantly increases the hole mobility. This effect can be exploited to improve the sensitivity of SGOI nano-wires. However, previous investigations by the authors have revealed that the sensitivity of SGOI nano-wires is reduced when the Ge fraction increase over 20%, because a high Ge fraction destabilizes the surface state of SiGe. In this work, a top surface passivation PECVD SiO2 layer that was deposited on a Si0.8Ge0.2 nano-wire improved its sensitivity to approximately 1.3 times that of a nano-wire sample without a top passivation layer.
Humidity Tolerance of Electrochemical Hydrogen Safety Sensors Based on Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) and Tin-doped Indium Oxide (ITO)
Authors: Woo Leta Y. , Glass Robert S. , Brosha Eric L. , Mukundan Rangachary , Garzon Fernando H. , Buttner William J. , Post Matthew B. , Rivkin Carl , Burgess Robert
Published: April 2013

Commercial hydrogen sensors are available, but performance and cost targets remain unmet for many hydrogen economy applications. For example, traditional thermal conductivity detectors (TCDs) can be responsive to combustible gases in general, show humidity effects, and are relatively costly. New options under development include solid-state electrochemical sensors, which are low cost, can be operated over various temperature and humidity ranges, have fast response times, and can show low cross-sensitivity to hydrocarbons. Previous work demonstrated potentiometric sensors based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and tin-doped indium oxide (ITO). In this study, prototypes were investigated for humidity tolerance. Electrochemical characterization indicated similar reaction rates for negative and positive potentials could be important for humidity tolerance. More advanced prototypes were developed to demonstrate miniaturization and robust packaging for cross-validation testing. Additional electronics were developed for compatibility with data acquisition systems, and results validated humidity tolerance for H2 sensors up to 10% water in air.
Marked Subchondral Bandlike Osteopenia on Radiography after Trauma and Inactivity: A Report of four Cases
Authors: Gossner J. , Raab B. W. , Larsen J. , Breitkreuz S.
Published: April 2013

We report about four cases of marked subchondral osteopenia on followup radiography after trauma and prolonged disuse. This localized form of disuse osteopenia has not been reported in details beside the followup imaging of talar neck fractures, where it is known as the “Hawkins sign.” Due to its unique morphology, it can be easily recognized as a benign finding in posttraumatic followup imaging and can be morphologically distinguished from severe complications like complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (Sudeck's disease) or periarticular osteopenia in infectious arthritis. It is important for the radiologist and orthopaedic surgeon to be aware of this form of disuse osteopenia in the proper clinical context.
Multiobjective-Optimized Design of a New UWB Antenna for UWB Applications
Authors: Moreno de Jong van Coevorden C. , Pantoja M. Fernández , García Salvador G. , Bretones A. Rubio , Gómez-Martín R. , Palmer K.
Published: April 2013

A multiobjective genetic algorithm has been applied to design a new printed, bow-tie antenna for ultrawideband applications, that is, ground penetrating radar, short range and high data rate communications, and so forth. The ultrawideband performance with respect to antenna impedance and gain is achieved by an optimized resistive loading profile and flare angle. A low-cost prototype is manufactured and numerical simulations are validated with measurements.
Rhinacanthus nasutusAmeliorates Cytosolic and Mitochondrial Enzyme Levels in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Visweswara Rao Pasupuleti , Madhavi K. , Dhananjaya Naidu M. , Gan Siew Hua
Published: April 2013

The present study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy ofRhinacanthus nasutus(R. nasutus) on mitochondrial and cytosolic enzymes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The rats were divided into five groups with 6 rats in each group. The methanolic extract ofR. nasutuswas orally administered at a dose of 200 mg/kg/day, and glibenclamide was administered at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day. All animals were treated for 30 days and were sacrificed. The activities of both intra- and extramitochondrial enzymes including glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured in the livers of the animals. The levels of G6PDH, SDH, and GDH were significantly reduced in the diabetic rats but were significantly increased after 30 days ofR. nasutustreatment. The increased LDH level in diabetic rats exhibited a significant reduction after treatment withR. nasutus. These results indicate that the administration ofR. nasutusaltered the activities of oxidative enzymes in a positive manner, indicating thatR. nasutusimproves mitochondrial energy production. Our data suggest thatR. nasutusshould be further explored for its role in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
Reuse of the Reflective Light and the Recycle Heat Energy in Concentrated Photovoltaic System
Authors: Chen Hsin-Chien , Chang Liann-Be , Lin Ho-Thea , Jeng Ming-Jer , Chow Lee
Published: April 2013

A complex solar unit with microcrystalline silicon solar cells placed around the centered GaAs triple junction solar cell has been proposed and carried out. With the same illumination area and intensity, the total resultant power shows that the excess microcrystalline silicon solar cells increase the total output power by 13.2% by absorbing the reflective light from the surface of optical collimators. Furthermore, reusing the residual heat energy generated from the above-mentioned mechanism helps to increase the output power by around 14.1%. This mechanism provides a simple method to enhance the utility rate of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system. Such concept can be further applied to the aerospace industry and the development of more efficient CPV solar energy applications.
New Quantitative Method to Identify NPM1 Mutations in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
Authors: Huet Sarah , Jallades Laurent , Charlot Carole , Chabane Kaddour , Nicolini Franck E. , Michallet Mauricette , Magaud Jean-Pierre , Hayette Sandrine
Published: April 2013

Somatic mutations in the NPM1 gene, which encodes for nucleophosmin, have been reported to be the most frequent genetic abnormalities found in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Their identification and quantification remain crucial for the patients’ residual disease monitoring. We investigated a new method that could represent a novel reliable alternative to sequencing for its identification. This method was based on high-resolution melting analysis in order to detect mutated patients and on an allele-specific oligonucleotide real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ASO-RQ-PCR) for the identification and quantification of the transcripts carrying NPM1 mutations (NPM1m). Few patients carrying known NPM1m enabled us to set up a table with the different primers’ ΔCT values, identifying a profile for each mutation type. We then analysed a series of 337 AML patients' samples for NPM1 mutational status characterization and confirmed the ASO-RQ-PCR results by direct sequencing. We identified some mutations in 86 samples, and the results were fully correlated in 100% of the 36 sequenced samples. We also detected other rare NPM1m in two samples, that we confirmed by direct sequencing. This highly specific method provides a novel quick, useful, and costless tool, easy to use in routine practice.
Chronic Disease Management in Children Based on the Five Domains of Health
Authors: So Wing Lung Alvin
Published: April 2013

Through a case study of a child with cystic fibrosis, the interactions among various domains of health have been discussed—namely, biomedical, physical, psychological/behavioural, and social. In pediatrics, development is another key domain relevant to the management of a chronic disease. An individualised management plan for this case has been outlined, and consideration of this framework may be worthwhile when managing other paediatric patients with chronic disease. Patient empowerment and parental education, as well as good co-ordination of health service delivery, are imperative to holistic patient care.
Anti-CTLA-4 Antibodies of IgG2a Isotype Enhance Antitumor Activity through Reduction of Intratumoral Regulatory T Cells
Authors: Selby Mark J. , Engelhardt John J. , Quigley Michael , Henning Karla A. , Chen Timothy , Srinivasan Mohan , Korman Alan J.
Published: April 2013

Antitumor activity of CTLA-4 antibody blockade is thought to be mediated by interfering with the negative regulation of T-effector cell (Teff) function resulting from CTLA-4 engagement by B7-ligands. In addition, a role for CTLA-4 on regulatory T cells (Treg), wherein CTLA-4 loss or inhibition results in reduced Treg function, may also contribute to antitumor responses by anti-CTLA-4 treatment. We have examined the role of the immunoglobulin constant region on the antitumor activity of anti-CTLA-4 to analyze in greater detail the mechanism of action of anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. Anti-CTLA-4 antibody containing the murine immunoglobulin G (IgG)2a constant region exhibits enhanced antitumor activity in subcutaneous established MC38 and CT26 colon adenocarcinoma tumor models compared with anti-CTLA-4 containing the IgG2b constant region. Interestingly, anti-CTLA-4 antibodies containing mouse IgG1 or a mutated mouse IgG1-D265A, which eliminates binding to all Fcγ receptors (FcγR), do not show antitumor activity in these models. Assessment of Teff and Treg populations at the tumor and in the periphery showed that anti-CTLA-4-IgG2a mediated a rapid and dramatic reduction of Tregs at the tumor site, whereas treatment with each of the isotypes expanded Tregs in the periphery. Expansion of CD8+ Teffs is observed with both the IgG2a and IgG2b anti-CTLA-4 isotypes, resulting in a superior Teff to Treg ratio for the IgG2a isotype. These data suggest that anti-CTLA-4 promotes antitumor activity by a selective reduction of intratumoral Tregs along with concomitant activation of Teffs. Cancer Immunol Res; 1(1); 32–42. ©2013 AACR.
Logic of the Immune System
Authors: Ploegh Hidde L.
Published: April 2013

Our immune system evolves under continuous selection to protect us against pathogens, a trait that can be used to deploy the immune system or its component parts for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in cancer. What follows is a thumbnail sketch of the logic that underlies immune recognition, so that those not directly active in the field of immunology may grasp both possibilities and pitfalls when considering applying the tools and concepts of immunology to cancer and cancer therapy. Cancer Immunol Res; 1(1); 5–10. ©2013 AACR.
Assessment of Screenees' Knowledge on Prostate Cancer: Results of a Questionnaire Using the Fact Sheet
Authors: Okihara Koji , Mikami Kazuya , Kamoi Kazumi , Kitamura Koji , Kawauchi Akihiro , Miki Tsuneharu
Published: April 2013

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the screenees' knowledge on prostate cancer and attitude to PSA screening using the Fact Sheet from one district, Kyoto, Japan. Methods: A PSA screening program is offered to people aged more than 54 years since 1995. The Fact Sheet consists of several chapters, as follows: (1) possibility of diagnosing prostate cancer in terms of the PSA threshold, and future morbid risk, (2) benefit and harm of biopsy, (3) necessary examinations after the diagnosis of prostate cancer and risk for overdiagnosis and overtreatment, and (4) comorbidity of main treatments such as surgery and radiation therapy. Each screenee was asked how well the Fact Sheet was understood. Results: Of the 330 men, 288 read the Fact Sheet for the first time. Of those, 59 and 75% did not know that biopsy indication was determined based on the PSA value and the concept of overdiagnosis, respectively. Furthermore, 68% did not know that active surveillance is established as one option for prostate cancer treatment. However, the screenee's knowledge in the 42 men who read the Fact Sheet previously improved substantially. Conclusions: The degree of comprehension of examinees is currently insufficient, and repeated enlightenment is required.
Ticagrelor Improves Peripheral Arterial Function in Patients with a Previous Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Torngren Kristina , Öhman Jenny , Salmi Hanna , Larsson Johan , Erlinge David
Published: April 2013

Objective: The novel P2Y12 antagonist ticagrelor inhibits adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation more potently than clopidogrel and reduces the incidence of myocardial infarction and total death in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Furthermore, ticagrelor inhibits adenosine reuptake and increases coronary flow reserve during adenosine infusion in man. We wanted to determine whether ticagrelor improves peripheral arterial function in patients with a previous ACS compared to patients treated with aspirin, clopidogrel, or prasugrel. Methods: 127 patients with a previous ACS (>3 months to <3 years ago) on maintenance dose of (1) no ADP blocker (n = 35); (2) clopidogrel 75 mg (n = 35); (3) prasugrel 10 mg (n = 32), or (4) ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily (n = 25) were evaluated with peripheral arterial tonometry after forearm ischemia. Results: Ticagrelor improves peripheral arterial function compared to the other groups [(1) controls 1.78 ± 0.53; (2) clopidogrel 1.78 ± 0.45; (3) prasugrel 1.64 ± 0.33, and (4) ticagrelor 2.25 ± 0.54 (means ± SD)] with a significance of p < 0.01 for ticagrelor versus no ADP blocker, p < 0.01 for ticagrelor versus clopidogrel, and p < 0.001 for ticagrelor versus prasugrel. There were fewer patients with endothelial dysfunction (<1.67 reactive hyperemia index) in the ticagrelor group (12%) compared to aspirin (51%), clopidogrel (46%), and prasugrel (53%) (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Treatment with ticagrelor improves peripheral endothelial function compared to no ADP blocker, clopidogrel, or prasugrel treatment.