bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental models for nephropathy
Authors: Balakumar Pitchal , Vishal Arvind Chakkarwar  , Kumar Vijay , Jain Akash , Reddy Jayarami , Singh Manjeet
Published: January 2009

Nephropathy is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and its prevalence is continuously increasing in industrialised nations. Nephropathy is characterised to varying degrees by nodular glomerulosclerosis, glomerular basement membrane thickness and mesangial expansion, leading to a decline in glomerular filtration rate, persistent elevated albuminuria, elevated arterial blood pressure and fluid retention. Hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia and hypertension are considered to be the major risk factors implicated in the progression of nephropathy.Various signalling systems, such as vasoconstrictor peptides, inflammatory mediators, growth factors and adhesion molecules, are involved in the pathogenesis of nephropathy.At present, no promising therapy is available to treat patients with nephropathy due to lack of understanding of signalling culprits involved in the pathogenesis of nephropathy. Animal models are being developed to better understand the disease pathogenesis and develop drugs for nephropathy. In the present review, we have discussed various animal models for nephropathy, which may open vistas for developing new drugs to treat nephropathy.
Bowling in Hawaii
Authors: Baumann Robert W. , Matheson Victor A. , Muroi Chihiro
Published: January 2009

We use daily airplane arrival data from Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to determine the net change in tourism for a variety of sporting events. We find three events generate a positive and significant net impact on arrivals: the Honoulu Marathon, the Ironman Triathlon, and the Pro Bowl. We estimate that the Honolulu Marathon produces 2,183 to 6,519 in net arrivals while the Pro Bowl attracts about 5,596 to 6,726 in net arrivals and the Ironman Triathlon attracts between 1,880 and 3,583 net visitors. Overall, these events generate similar economic impacts on Hawaii's economy despite the fact that the state spends nearly two thirds of its sports tourism budget on the rights to the Pro Bowl while spending a fraction of that sum on the Ironman and nothing at all for the Honolulu Marathon. None of the three events attract the number of net arrivals claimed by their sponsors, and other sporting events do not generate any identifiable impact on the tourist arrivals whatsoever.
Language is Powerful
Authors: Lindquist Kristen A.
Published: January 2009

As Wierzbicka suggests in her recent review, language is powerful in emotion. Wierzbicka's solution is to remove the linguistically relative aspects of emotion concepts, like icing from a cake, to reveal the universal meanings below. In the present commentary, I suggest that language is a more fundamental ingredient in emotion than Wierzbicka's solution assumes; language can be no more removed from emotion, than flour can be removed from an already baked cake. As an alternate solution, I present a constructionist view of emotion, which not only recognizes the role of language in emotion, but also predicts and models its impact as language constitutes emotion experience.
Resentment Rising
Authors: Neu Jerome
Published: January 2009

Oatley's discussion of “resentment” in Othello works with an unfortunately impoverished notion of resentment, and the narrative of emergence and unfolding that he offers suffers from it. As explicated by Bishop Butler, John Rawls, and other philosophers, resentment rests on moral claims and is to be distinguished on that basis from envy and Nietzschean ressentiment. W. H. Auden, in “The Joker in the Pack,” provides more persuasive insight into the dark destructive malicious envy that motivates Iago. Such destructive aims are as characteristic of humans as “relational goals,” and must be attended to if we are to learn from literature about ourselves.
Can the Lone Ranger, Molly Bloom, and Emile Durkheim Be Friends?
Authors: Harber Kent D.
Published: January 2009

Bernard Rimé effectively reorients emotions and emotional disclosure in a more social and interpersonal direction, outlining the intricate interplay between emotion generation, emotional sharing, and social integration. However, he also takes a hard line on the intra-psychic emphasis of emotional disclosure, which he frames as the product of an individualistic “Lone Ranger” perspective. In many ways Rimé's critique is on target, but it does not fully credit research and theory demonstrating the benefits of private, self-to-self disclosure. This commentary proposes a reconciliation between Rimé's social structuralist perspective and an intra-psychic, self-based perspective. George Herbert Mead's symbolic interactionism, which suggests that the people can relate to their own selves as with another person, provides the basis for this accord.
Social Sharing of Emotion in Words and Otherwise
Authors: Kim Heejung S.
Published: January 2009

The review by Rimé challenges the current individualist view of emotional regulation, and argues that emotional experiences lead to the need and action of emotional social sharing which in turn plays a role in emotion regulation. Yet, the focus of the review itself is still hinged upon another aspect of individualistic assumption, namely the importance of language as a tool to carry out the social sharing of emotion. In so doing, the review highlights only the explicit, deliberate and agentic aspects of emotion sharing that are particularly common in Western individualistic culture. The review directly and indirectly demonstrates the need for a more comprehensive reconsideration of the role of sociality in emotion.
Emotion and Emotion Regulation: Integrating Individual and Social Levels of Analysis
Authors: Butler Emily A. , Gross James J.
Published: January 2009

Rimé makes the important observation that the literature on adult emotion and emotion regulation has largely focused on the individual level of analysis. He argues, we believe correctly, that emotion research would benefit by addressing the fact that emotional events provoke not only individual responses, but systematic social responses as well. We present examples of our own research that are in accord with Rimé's central claims, and that demonstrate the benefits of considering the goals that are provoked and satisfied by emotions, as well as the social context of emotional responding. We conclude by advocating a dynamic systems approach that would allow an integration of individual and social levels of analysis in the study of adult emotion and emotion regulation.
Rac1 regulates pancreatic islet morphogenesis
Authors: Greiner Thomas U , Kesavan Gokul , Ståhlberg Anders , Semb Henrik
Published: January 2009

Background

Pancreatic islets of Langerhans originate from endocrine progenitors within the pancreatic ductal epithelium. Concomitant with differentiation of these progenitors into hormone-producing cells such cells delaminate, aggregate and migrate away from the ductal epithelium. The cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating islet cell delamination and cell migration are poorly understood. Extensive biochemical and cell biological studies using cultured cells demonstrated that Rac1, a member of the Rho family of small GTPases, acts as a key regulator of cell migration.

Results

To address the functional role of Rac1 in islet morphogenesis, we generated transgenic mice expressing dominant negative Rac1 under regulation of the Rat Insulin Promoter. Blocking Rac1 function in beta cells inhibited their migration away from the ductal epithelium in vivo. Consistently, transgenic islet cell spreading was compromised in vitro. We also show that the EGF-receptor ligand betacellulin induced actin remodelling and cell spreading in wild-type islets, but not in transgenic islets. Finally, we demonstrate that cell-cell contact E-cadherin increased as a consequence of blocking Rac1 activity.

Conclusion

Our data support a model where Rac1 signalling controls islet cell migration by modulating E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion. Furthermore, in vitro experiments show that betacellulin stimulated islet cell spreading and actin remodelling is compromised in transgenic islets, suggesting that betacellulin may act as a regulator of Rac1 activity and islet migration in vivo. Our results further emphasize Rac1 as a key regulator of cell migration and cell adhesion during tissue and organ morphogenesis.
Xenopus NM23-X4 regulates retinal gliogenesis through interaction with p27Xic1
Authors: Mochizuki Toshiaki , Bilitou Aikaterini , Waters Caroline T , Hussain Kamran , Zollo Massimo , Ohnuma Shin-ichi
Published: January 2009

Background

In Xenopus retinogenesis, p27Xic1, a Xenopus cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor, functions as a cell fate determinant in both gliogenesis and neurogenesis in a context dependent manner. This activity is essential for co-ordination of determination and cell cycle regulation. However, very little is known about the mechanism regulating the context dependent choice between gliogenesis versus neurogenesis.

Results

We have identified NM23-X4, a NM23 family member, as a binding partner of p27Xic1. NM23-X4 is expressed at the periphery of the ciliary marginal zone of the Xenopus retina and the expression overlaps with p27Xic1 at the central side. Our in vivo functional analysis in Xenopus retina has shown that knockdown of NM23-X4 activates gliogenesis. Furthermore, co-overexpression of NM23-X4 with p27Xic1 results in the inhibition of p27Xic1-mediated gliogenesis, through direct interaction of NM23-X4 with the amino-terminal side of p27Xic1. This inhibitory effect on gliogenesis requires serine-150 and histidine-148, which correspond to the important residues for the kinase activities of NM23 family members.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that NM23-X4 functions as an inhibitor of p27Xic1-mediated gliogenesis in Xenopus retina and suggests that this activity contributes to the proper spatio-temporal regulation of gliogenesis.
Heterogeneity in the developmental potential of motor neuron progenitors revealed by clonal analysis of single cells in vitro
Authors: Agalliu Dritan , Schieren Ira
Published: January 2009

Background

The differentiation of neural progenitors into distinct classes within the central nervous system occurs over an extended period during which cells become progressively restricted in their fates. In the developing spinal cord, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) controls neural fates in a concentration-dependent manner by establishing discrete ventral progenitor domains characterized by specific combinations of transcription factors. It is unclear whether motor neuron progenitors can maintain their identities when expanded in vitro and whether their developmental potentials are restricted when exposed to defined extracellular signals.

Results

We have generated mice expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein under the control of the Nkx6.1 promoter, enabling fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), purification and culture of individual spinal progenitors at clonal density, and analysis of their progeny. We demonstrate that cells isolated after progenitor domains are established are heterogeneous with respect to maintaining their identity after in vitro expansion. Most Nkx6.1+ progenitors lose their ventral identity following several divisions in culture, whereas a small subset is able to maintain its identity. Thus, subtype-restricted progenitors from the Nkx6.1+ region are present in the ventral spinal cord, although at a lower frequency than expected. Clones that maintain a motor neuron identity assume a transcriptional profile characteristic of thoracic motor neurons, despite some having been isolated from non-thoracic regions initially. Exposure of progenitors to Bone Morphogenetic Protein-4 induces some dorsal cell type characteristics in their progeny, revealing that lineage-restricted progenitor subtypes are not fully committed to their fates.

Conclusion

These findings support a model whereby continuous Shh signaling is required to maintain the identity of ventral progenitors isolated from the spinal cord, including motor neuron progenitors, after in vitro expansion. They also demonstrate that pre-patterned neural progenitors isolated from the central nervous system can change their regional identity in vitro to acquire a broader developmental potential.
Cytogenetic Profile Predicts Prognosis of Patients With Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Klatte Tobias , Rao P. Nagesh , de Martino Michela , LaRochelle Jeffrey , Shuch Brian , Zomorodian Nazy , Said Jonathan , Kabbinavar Fairooz F. , Belldegrun Arie S. , Pantuck Allan J.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The majority of cytogenetic studies in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been impaired by small sample size, retrospective character, and lack of a survival end point. We prospectively studied the prognostic impact of cytogenetic abnormalities on a larger cohort of patients having up to 108 months of follow-up.

Patients and Methods

Tumors of 282 patients who underwent nephrectomy for clear cell RCC were cytogenetically analyzed. Results were correlated with pathological factors and disease-specific survival.

Results

The most frequently observed cytogenetic abnormalities were loss of 3p (60%), gain of 5q (33%), loss of 14q (28%), trisomy 7 (26%), loss of 8p (20%), loss of 6q (17%), loss of 9p (16%), loss of 4p (13%), and loss of chromosome Y in men (55%). Tumors with loss of 3p presented at lower TNM stages. Loss of 4p, 9p, and 14q were all associated with higher TNM stages, higher grade, and greater tumor size. A deletion of 3p was associated with better prognosis (P = .03), while loss of 4p (P < .001), loss of 9p (P < .01), and loss of 14q (P < .01) were each associated with worse prognosis. Loss of the Y chromosome led to improved progression-free survival in metastatic patients (P = .02). In multivariate analysis, loss of 9p was retained as an independent prognostic factor.

Conclusion

This cytogenetic study serves as a proof of principal that genetic information, such as loss of chromosome 9, can be obtained from widely available technology, and can provide additional prognostic information to standard clinicopathologic variables.
KRAS Mutations and Sensitivity to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors in Colorectal Cancer: Practical Application of Patient Selection
Authors: Jimeno Antonio , Messersmith Wells A. , Hirsch Fred R. , Franklin Wilbur A. , Eckhardt S. Gail
Published: January 2009

Recent retrospective evidence from several randomized studies has established that advanced colorectal cancer patients with tumors harboring a mutation in the KRAS gene do not derive benefit from the administration of epidermal growth factor receptor–directed monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab or panitumumab. This represents a paradigm-changing event and will have substantial impact on current and future anticancer drug development. These results add to the economic and ethical considerations involved in the development of novel targeted therapies and should increase our scrutiny of mechanisms of resistance and predictive biomarkers while in earlier developmental stages. In this article we will review the available clinical data, discuss the potential implications for future drug development in colorectal cancer, and provide a comprehensive overview of the technical aspects of KRAS mutation testing. In particular we aimed at enumerating the available procedures for mutation detection and their main characteristics, as well as comparing them from a clinical feasibility standpoint. While the true specificity and sensitivity of these methods have yet to be fully characterized, a better understanding of the differences between tests will be critical so that clinicians and pathologists can fully integrate this testing into the routine care of patients with colorectal cancer.
Indexability and Index Heuristics for a Simple Class of Inventory Routing Problems
Authors: Archibald T. W. , Black D. P. , Glazebrook K. D.
Published: January 2009

We utilise and develop Whittle's restless bandit formulation to analyse a simple class of inventory routing problems with direct deliveries. These routing problems arise from the practice of vendor-managed inventory replenishment and concern the optimal replenishment of a collection of inventory holding locations controlled centrally by a decision maker who is able to monitor inventory levels throughout the network. We develop a notion of location indexability from a Lagrangian relaxation of the problem and show that (subject to mild conditions) the locations are indeed indexable. We thus have a collection of location indices in closed form, namely, real-valued functions of the inventory level (one for each location), which measure in a natural way (namely, as a fair charge for replenishment) each location's priority for inclusion in each day's deliveries. We discuss how to use such location indices to construct heuristics for replenishment and assess a greedy index heuristic in a numerical study where it performs strongly. A simpler approximate index analysis is available for the case in which the demand at each location is Poisson. This analysis permits a more explicit characterisation of the range of holding cost rates for which (approximate) location indexability is guaranteed.
OR Practice—Efficient Short-Term Allocation and Reallocation of Patients to Floors of a Hospital During Demand Surges
Authors: Thompson Steven , Nunez Manuel , Garfinkel Robert , Dean Matthew D.
Published: January 2009

Many hospitals face the problem of insufficient capacity to meet demand for inpatient beds, especially during demand surges. This results in quality degradation of patient care due to large delays from admission time to the hospital until arrival at a floor. In addition, there is loss of revenue because of the inability to provide service to potential patients. A solution to the problem is to proactively transfer patients between floors in anticipation of a demand surge. Optimal reallocation poses an extraordinarily complex problem that can be modeled as a finite-horizon Markov decision process. Based on the optimization model, a decision-support system has been developed and implemented at Windham Hospital in Willimantic, Connecticut. Projections from an initial trial period indicate very significant financial gains of about 1% of their total revenue, with no negative impact on any standard quality of care or staffing effectiveness indicators. In addition, the hospital showed a marked improvement in quality of care because of a resulting decrease of almost 50% in the average time that an admitted patient has to wait from admission until being transferred to a floor.
Dynamic Multipriority Patient Scheduling for a Diagnostic Resource
Authors: Patrick Jonathan , Puterman Martin L. , Queyranne Maurice
Published: January 2009

We present a method to dynamically schedule patients with different priorities to a diagnostic facility in a public health-care setting. Rather than maximizing revenue, the challenge facing the resource manager is to dynamically allocate available capacity to incoming demand to achieve wait-time targets in a cost-effective manner. We model the scheduling process as a Markov decision process. Because the state space is too large for a direct solution, we solve the equivalent linear program through approximate dynamic programming. For a broad range of cost parameter values, we present analytical results that give the form of the optimal linear value function approximation and the resulting policy. We investigate the practical implications and the quality of the policy through simulation.
Algorithmic Prediction of Health-Care Costs
Authors: Bertsimas Dimitris , Bjarnadóttir Margrét V. , Kane Michael A. , Kryder J. Christian , Pandey Rudra , Vempala Santosh , Wang Grant
Published: January 2009

The rising cost of health care is one of the world's most important problems. Accordingly, predicting such costs with accuracy is a significant first step in addressing this problem. Since the 1980s, there has been research on the predictive modeling of medical costs based on (health insurance) claims data using heuristic rules and regression methods. These methods, however, have not been appropriately validated using populations that the methods have not seen. We utilize modern data-mining methods, specifically classification trees and clustering algorithms, along with claims data from over 800,000 insured individuals over three years, to provide rigorously validated predictions of health-care costs in the third year, based on medical and cost data from the first two years. We quantify the accuracy of our predictions using unseen (out-of-sample) data from over 200,000 members. The key findings are: (a) our data-mining methods provide accurate predictions of medical costs and represent a powerful tool for prediction of health-care costs, (b) the pattern of past cost data is a strong predictor of future costs, and (c) medical information only contributes to accurate prediction of medical costs of high-cost members.
Localization of Runx2, Osterix, and Osteopontin in Tooth Root Formation in Rat Molars
Authors: Hirata Azumi , Sugahara Toshio , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: January 2009

Cementogenesis starts with the differentiation of cementoblasts. Mature cementoblasts secrete cementum matrix. Cementum components are similar to bone; moreover, cementoblasts possess many characteristics similar to those of osteoblasts. Runx2 and osterix, the transcriptional factors for osteoblast differentiation, participate in tooth formation. However, the characteristics of Runx2 and osterix during the differentiation process of cementoblasts remain unclear. In this study, we examined the immunolocalization patterns of Runx2, osterix, and osteopontin during rat molar tooth formation. Periodontal ligament cells and osteoblasts located on the alveolar bone surface showed immunoreactivity for Runx2. Colocalization of Runx2 and osterix was detected in cementoblasts, which penetrated the ruptured Hertwig's epithelial root sheath and attached to root dentin. Moreover, osteopontin was observed in Runx2-positive cementoblasts facing the root surface. However, the cells adjacent to cementoblasts showed only Runx2 reactivity. Neither Runx2 nor osterix was seen in cementocytes. These results suggest that both Runx2 and osterix are important for differentiation into cementoblasts. Additionally, osterix may be indispensable for transcription of osteopontin expression.
Application of membrane filtration to wastewater desalination
Authors: Molina Jesus , Vatai Gyula , Fogarassy Eszter , Bekassy-Molnar Erika
Published: January 2009

The problem of wastewater with high content of salt is a frequent problem for the environmental authorities, because the existing municipal and industrial wastewater treatments are incapable to remove effectively inorganic compounds. In this paper an attempt was made to report new results with reverse osmosis (RO) and nano-filtration (NF) membranes to remove salts from fermentation wastewater.The basic target of the experiments was to find an industrial membrane, which can separate salts from fermentation wastewater with a high efficiency and the concentration of the clean water should satisfy the environmental regulation: salt concentration ≤ 2500 mg/L and COD concentration ≤ 1200 mgO
2
/L. RO process exhibited good salt rejection and effective removal of organics. The other aim of this study was to model the osmotic pressure and permeate flux in the wastewater using basic expressions, like van’t Hoff law and Rautenbach equations. The combination of the above models with experiment based constants gave a good tool for modeling salty wastewater.
Testicular Cancer: Implications for Primary Care Providers
Authors: Doyle-Lindrud Susan
Published: January 2009

Germ cell tumors are the most common solid tumor in men between 15 and 34 years of age. Survival from germ cell tumor is high, with a 5-year survival rate of 90% (Schmoll et al., 2004). Because this cancer affects young men, they have many years to manifest the long-term side effects of treatment. Second primary cancers are a leading cause of death among testicular cancer survivors (Zagars, Ballo, Lee, & Strom,2004). This case study reviews the clinical course of a 27-year-old male with a newly diagnosed nonseminoma germ cell tumor. Diagnostic and treatment-related issues for both patient and health care provider are addressed. Guidelines for the surveillance of nonseminoma patients after treatment and the implications of long-term follow-up are reviewed.
Relating organic matter character to trihalomethanes formation potential: a data mining approach
Authors: Roe J. , Baker A. , Bridgeman J.
Published: January 2009

The removal of natural organic matter (NOM) during water treatment is becoming more important for all water utilities in the UK, as a result of tightened regulatory standards for trihalomethanes (THM), disinfection by-products (DBP) formed when residual organics react with chlorine. This paper considers the spatial and temporal variability of raw and clarified water arising from 16 surface water treatment works in the Midlands region of the UK. A wide range of investigation techniques are applied in order to develop effective strategies for the treatment of NOM-rich water. For the first time, rigorous data mining techniques are applied to a major dataset in order to examine potential inter-relationships between a wide range of quality parameters including, inter alia, total organic carbon (TOC), UV254, coagulation pH, resin fractionation (hydrophilic acids (HPIA), hydrophobic acids (HPOA), hydrophilic non-acids (HPINA)) and total THM formation potential (TTHMFP). This paper focuses on the use of principal component analysis (PCA) to develop robust algorithms for the prediction of TOC removal and hence THM formation. Results show that raw water characteristics can be categorised into three main types, according to their HPOA content and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA.). PCA identified possible THMFP precursors, according to raw water type verified by strong statistical relationships.
Natural organic matter from catchment to drinking water: a case study of Pori waterworks, Finland
Authors: Szabo H. M. , Lindfors I. , Tuhkanen T.
Published: January 2009

In this study Natural organic matter (NOM) characteristics and variations of catchment samples (brooks and collector lakes) from Western Finland, and drinking water produced from the same catchment were examined. Seasonal and spatial NOM variations were followed by means of DOC and HPLC-SEC with UV and fluorescence detection. NOM decreased from drains to lakes by 35 to 75% and from drains to drinking water by 73 to 94%. Drains had a higher NOM content in summer and a lower NOM content in winter and spring. Lakes showed inverse patterns and had a higher NOM content in winter and spring and a lower NOM content in summer. HPLC-SEC separated 8 molecular weight fractions. In drains the HMW fractions represented up to 80% of the NOM, in lake waters HMW fractions accounted for 50 to 70% of the NOM. In drinking water IMW fractions dominated. Increased NOM in raw water during winter was associated with increased IMW fractions and the appearance of HMW fractions in drinking water, DOC increasing from 1.4 mg C/L in summer to 5.8 mg C/L in winter. SPH-Tryptophan correlated with the dissolved organic nitrogen and DOC of the samples. The drain affected by agriculture generally presented higher SPH-Tryptophan values than the unaffected drain.
Periodontal Healing of a Horizontal Root Fracture: A Case Report with a Two-year Follow-up
Authors: Petersilka G.
Published: January 2009

Clinical Relevance

Scientific rationale for this case report: Traumatically-induced tooth loss due to root fractures necessitates time-consuming and expensive prosthetic rehabilitation measures. To date, however, the appropriate use of minimal invasive periodontal surgery, in combination with adhesive dentistry, may allow cost-effective, reliable therapeutic options for the treatment of root fractures even below the gumline.

Principal findings: The coronal part of a fractured lower incisor was reattached to the apical fragment using the periodontal flap technique, endodontic therapy and adhesive fixation measures. Uncompromised aesthetics and function, and periodontal health, were maintained over a two-year observation period.

Practical implications: Data on the long-term stability of the proposed approach is scarce. However, in treatment planning for teeth with horizontal root fractures, re-bonding of the coronal part using flap surgery may be considered a treatment option.
Occurrence and Causing Stimuli of Postoperative Sensitivity in Composite Restorations
Authors: Auschill T. M. , Koch C. A. , Wolkewitz M. , Hellwig E. , Arweiler N. B.
Published: January 2009

Clinical Relevance

This study enabled the dentist to analyze the individual risk of postoperative sensitivity after composite treatment and the type of pain patients may expect.
Random Projection RBF Nets for Multidimensional Density Estimation
Authors: Skubalska-Rafajłowicz Ewa
Published: January 2009

Random Projection RBF Nets for Multidimensional Density Estimation

The dimensionality and the amount of data that need to be processed when intensive data streams are observed grow rapidly together with the development of sensors arrays, CCD and CMOS cameras and other devices. The aim of this paper is to propose an approach to dimensionality reduction as a first stage of training RBF nets. As a vehicle for presenting the ideas, the problem of estimating multivariate probability densities is chosen. The linear projection method is briefly surveyed. Using random projections as the first (additional) layer, we are able to reduce the dimensionality of input data. Bounds on the accuracy of RBF nets equipped with a random projection layer in comparison to RBF nets without dimensionality reduction are established. Finally, the results of simulations concerning multidimensional density estimation are briefly reported.
Free radicals in a conglomerate of peripheral blood with a spin trap investigated by the EPR method before and after angioplasty treatment
Authors: Krzyminiewski Ryszard , Kruczynski Zdzislaw , Stepien Aleksander , Dobosz Bernadeta
Published: January 2009

Free radicals in a conglomerate of peripheral blood with a spin trap investigated by the EPR method before and after angioplasty treatment

The Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) was used to investigate free radicals in the peripheral blood of patients subjected to angioplasty treatment. To detect these free radicals, a nitrosobenzene spin trap was used in this experiment. The EPR spectra of the blood with a spin trap conglomerate was measured at room temperature and at 170 K. To confirm the kind of free radicals in the conglomerate blood-spin trap, simulation and quantum-chemical calculations were made, and the conglomerate spin trap with ascorbic acid was measured. Two different types of radicals, one at room temperature and the other in a frozen sample of blood, were found.
Estimation of temperature distribution with the use of a thermo-camera
Authors: Taton Grzegorz , Rok Tomasz , Rokita Eugeniusz
Published: January 2009

Estimation of temperature distribution with the use of a thermo-camera

The determination of three-dimensional (3D) temperature distribution within tissue during thermoablation is necessary to estimate procedure efficiency. The use of a thermo-camera combined with finite element modelling is discussed.

The temperature distributions in a metal phantom and an animal tissue sample were simulated. In the real experiment, temperatures were measured around the heating probe by a thermo-resistor set and the temperature distributions on samples' surface were acquired by a thermo-camera. The temperatures measured in the experiment were compared with the simulated ones. The differences between the measured and simulated temperatures were lower than 1.3°C and 3.0°C for a metal phantom and tissue sample, respectively.

Good agreement was achieved for homogenous material of well-defined parameters. Higher discrepancies for the tissue sample are due to in-homogeneity and to difficulties with describing tissue thermal properties.

The proposed method permits the precise prediction of a 3D temperature distribution in in-vitro studies. Potential application for in-vivo procedures requires further investigations.
Effect of Various Stress Factors on the Induction of Androgenesis in Anther Cultures of Brussels Sprouts (Brassica oleracea L. var. gemmifera)
Authors: Krzyżanowska Dorota , Górecka Krystyna
Published: January 2009

Effect of Various Stress Factors on the Induction of Androgenesis in Anther Cultures of Brussels Sprouts (Brassica oleracea L. var. gemmifera)

Six cultivars of Brussels sprouts were used in the experiments: Ajax F1, Diablo F1, Icarus F1, Maximus F1, Topline F1, Philemon F1. Three experiments were set up to study the effect of 3 stress factors on the induction of androgenesis: ‘warm’ (+35°C) thermal shock (stress), ‘cold’ (+4°C) thermal shock (stress), and stress caused by the cutting-off of the top ends of anthers before they were laid out on the induction medium. The obtained androgenic embryos of Brussels sprouts were used to regenerate shoots on medium B5 (Gamborg et al. 1968) with 20 mg·L-1 kinetin and 20 g·L-1 sucrose, which were then induced to take root on medium B5 containing 1 mg·L-1 IAA and 30 g·L-1 sucrose.

The ‘warm’ (+35°C) shock for 24 hours proved to be an effective stimulus for inducing androgenesis in anther cultures of Brussels sprouts. The ‘cold’ (+4°C) thermal shock was less beneficial. Extending the time of treatment with low temperature (to 48, 96, and 144 hrs) was also less effective than the +35°C ‘warm’ shock for 24 hours. Differences were found in the response of the cultivars, and even clones, to the types of shocks employed. For Maximus F1 - the less embriogenic cultivar - the most beneficial stimulus proved to be the cutting-off of the top parts of anthers prior to setting up cultures.

As a result of the three passages, from each surviving embryo the authors managed to obtain a number of plants sufficient for carrying out further stages of the breeding process.
Comparison of response of Scots pine seedlings to micro-irrigation and organic fertilization on a post-arable land at zoo-melioration treatment applied under rainfall-thermal conditions of Bydgoszcz and Stargard Szczeciński
Authors: Rolbiecki Roman , Podsiadło Cezary , Klimek Andrzej , Rolbiecki Stanisław
Published: January 2009

Comparison of response of Scots pine seedlings to micro-irrigation and organic fertilization on a post-arable land at zoo-melioration treatment applied under rainfall-thermal conditions of Bydgoszcz and Stargard Szczeciński

Comparison of response of Scots pine seedlings to micro-irrigation and organic fertilization on a post-arable land at zoo-melioration treatment applied under rainfall-thermal conditions of Bydgoszcz and Stargard Szczeciński. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of microirrigation (microjet sprinkling and drip irrigation) and organic fertilization (compost prepared on the base of sewage sludge) on the growth of Scot pine seedlings (Pinus sylvestris L.), cultivated on a post-agricultural ground at zoo-melioration treatment applied, in two different regions. Field experiments were carried out in Kruszyn Krajeński (loose sandy soil of VI quality class) near Bydgoszcz and in Lipnik near Stargard Szczeciński (sandy soil of IVb quality class). Irrigation was used in three treatments: without irrigation (control), drip irrigation, microjet sprinkling. Fertilization was used in two variants: mineral fertilization (standard applied in forest nurseries), organic fertilization (compost). Weather conditions of vegetation periods were characterized using the following indices: air temperature (t), rainfall amount (P), Sielianinov's hydrothermic index (K), potential evapotranspiration according to Szarov's formula (Etp), rainfall deficiency (N = Etp - E), quotient Etp/P according to Drupka's proposal. Irrigation significantly increased the height and the diameter of Scot pine seedlings. There were no significant differences in the characters of the growth between the two irrigation systems. Fertilization of Scot pine seedlings with the compost increased significantly the height of seedlings. Interaction of irrigation with organic fertilization in shaping of Scot pine seedling height and diameter was noted. Pine seedlings grown on plots fertilized with compost under irrigation conditions were characterized by increased height and diameter. The better effects were obtained in Lipnik than in Kruszyn Krajeński. Joint effect of organic fertilization and microjet sprinkling positively influenced the density and the species number of Oribatida in Kruszyn Krajeński. Obtained results indicated that the amelioration measures used can positively influence on the growth of Scot pine seedlings on a post-agricultural ground.
An analysis of physical, hydraulic and mechanic properties of nonwoven needle-punched geotextiles
Authors: Wojtasik Dariusz
Published: January 2009

An analysis of physical, hydraulic and mechanic properties of nonwoven needle-punched geotextiles

An analysis of physical, hydraulic and mechanic properties of needle-punched nonwoven geotextiles. This paper presents an analysis of technical parameters of needle-punched geotextiles used in engineering constructions. The tests were carried out in order to compare of physical, hydraulic and mechanic properties of needle-punched geotextiles in two different groups of products. First of group, geotextiles, were made of polypropylene fibers (PP) and the second one fabrics, were of polyester filaments (PES). The tests were performed for materials of mass per unit area 250, 400 and 600 g/m2. The results of test showed that parameters of geotextile material depend on structure of fabrics.
On the First Homology of the Groups of Foliation Preserving Diﬀeomorphisms for Foliations with Singularities of Morse Type
Authors: Fukui Kazuhiko
Published: January 2009

Let

\mathbf R^n

be an

n

-dimensional Euclidean space and

\mathcal F_φ

be the foliation deﬁned by levels of a Morse function

φ : \mathbf R^n → \mathbf R

. We determine the ﬁrst homology of the identity component of the foliation preserving diffeomorphism group of

(\mathbf R^n , \mathcal F_φ)

. Then we can apply it to the calculation of the ﬁrst homology of the foliation preserving diffeomorphism groups for codimension one compact foliations with singularities of Morse type.
Discrete Tomography through Distribution Theory
Authors: Hazama Fumio
Published: January 2009

Discrete tomography concerns with the problem of reconstruction of a function

f

on

\mathbf Z^n

from various sums

f_{\mathbf t+\mathbf v} = Σ_{\mathbf x\in \mathbf t+\mathbf v} f(\mathbf x)

,

\mathbf v\in \mathbf Z^n

, where

\mathbf t

is a ﬁxed ﬁnite subset of

\mathbf Z^n

. In this paper we focus on the structure of the set of functions satisfying

f_{\mathbf t+\mathbf v} = 0

for any

\mathbf v

. Through the theory of distributions we deduce a dimension formula for the set of solutions. An intimate connection between the problem and certain types of PDE is revealed too, and it enables one to obtain an efficient algorithm, which constructs a solution from the corresponding PDE.
Study of Lipid Profile in Shift Workers
Authors: Rahman Md Abedur , Amin Md Ruhul , Begum Momotaj , Khatun Firoza , Islam Montasir , Akther Dilruba
Published: January 2009

Background: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the changes of serum lipid profile in apparently healthy shift workers and non shift workers to identify the possible high risk factors for developing atherosclerotic changes. Methods: Serum Total Cholesterol, Triglyceride, HDL-Cholesterol and LDL-Cholesterol levels were estimated and blood pressure was measured in apparently healthy adult shift worker and non shift worker participants. Total 60 subjects age ranged from 20-50 years were selected, of whom 30 were shift workers (Study) for at least one year and 30 were non shift workers (control). Height, weight and resting blood pressure of all the subjects were recorded before collection of blood. Blood samples were collected after over night fasting for estimation of serum lipid and lipoprotein levels and were measured by standard laboratory technique. Data were analyzed by unpaired ‘t' test. Results: The mean serum Total Cholesterol and LDL-Cholesterol levels were significantly higher in shift workers compared to those of non shift workers. Again mean serum Triglyceride and HDL-Cholesterol levels in the shift workers did not differ significantly from that of non shift workers. These changes may be related to internal desynchronization due to disruption of circadian rhythm. Conclusion: The changes in serum lipid and lipoprotein levels with the exception of HDL-Cholesterol and Triglyceride in the subjects engaged in shift work may put them at increased risk for coronary artery disease. Keywords: Circadian Rhythm; Lipid Profile; Shift-work   DOI:10.3329/jbsp.v2i0.982 J Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2007 Dec;(2): 34-37.
Changes in Hematological Indices in Different Stages of Chronic Renal Failure
Authors: Khanam Shaheda , Begum Noorzahan , Begum Shelina , Hoque AMM Ehteshamul
Published: January 2009

The study was carried out to observe some aspects of hematological changes like Hb concentration, PCV and TC of RBC in different stages of Chronic Renal Failure(CRF) patients suffering from anemia. For this purpose, 65 male CRF patients with anemia and 25 apparently health male (control) subjects of age ranged from 30-50 years were selected randomly from BSMMU out patient department. Hematological parameters and renal creatinine clearance were estimated by usual laboratory technique. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficient test. Among the CRF patients 15 were mild, 25 were moderate and 25 were severe CRF patients with anemia. In this study, the mean Hb concentration, PCV and total count of red blood cells were significantly lower in three stages of CRF patients with anemia compared to those of healthy subjects. Again, all of these hematological values were significantly (P< 0.001) lower in moderate and severe CRF patients compared to mild cases and also in severe cases than those of moderate CRF cases with anemia. All the Hematological parameters showed positive correlation with creatinine clearance in all three stages of CRF and it was statistically significant in moderate and severe group. From the present study it may be concluded that CRF patients with anemia had lower hematological indices and the degree of changes depend on severity of renal failure. Key Words: Hemoglobin; Packed Cell Volume; Renal Failure    DOI:10.3329/jbsp.v2i0.983 J Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2007 Dec;(2): 38-41.
Summative Assessment (Written) in Undergraduate Physiology Curriculum in Bangladesh: Reflection of Educational Objective
Authors: Ali Taskina , Begum Noorzahan , Begum Anjuman Ara , Shamim Khandaker Manzare , Ferdousi Sultana , Bennoor Kazi Saifuddin
Published: January 2009

Background: A new curriculum for undergraduate medical education has been introduced for all universities in Bangladesh since 2002. It is expected that this new curriculum will improve the qualitative level of medical education. According to this curriculum the assessment system for the students has also been modified. This new scheme gives more emphasis on certain evaluation procedures in written examination to be customized. For example, short essay questions (SEQ) are preferred to long descriptive and short answer questions (SAQ). Questions should be specific answer oriented and targeted towards assessing the level of cognitive domain of the examinees. Objective: The present retrospective analysis was done to observe the qualitative status in the written assessment procedure in Undergraduate Physiology after the implementation of the new curriculum by comparing the setting of the different question types under new curriculum with that of the old curriculum. This study was done also to identify the areas that warrant modification. Methods: This study analyzed all new and old curriculum based written questions of the assessment examinations (except MCQ) for undergraduate Physiology course from 2001 to 2006, under 4 different universities in Bangladesh. In total 63 question papers on physiology were included for evaluation. Data were statistically analyzed by proportion test using SPSS software. Results: The analysis indicates that there are significant improvement in type of questions (SEQ, SAQ and combined) and language (specific vs. non specific) field. However improvement in all the fields of medical education was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Therefore, it may be concluded that the question setting procedure of the written examination according to the modern assessment technique has partially fulfilled Â  doi: 10.3329/jbsp.v3i0.1800 Â  J Bangladesh Soc Physiol.2008 Dec;(3):61-65
Origin and Position of Cystic Artery in Bangladeshi Corpse
Authors: Khalil Mohsin , Sultana Zinat Rezina , Rahman Habibur Rahman , Sultana Seheli Zannat , Mannan Sabina , Rahman Md Mahbabur , Ahamed M Shibbir , Chowdhury Md Ashraful Islam
Published: January 2009

This cross sectional descriptive morphological study was done to see the site of origin of cystic artery supplying the gallbladder in Bangladeshi people to increase the knowledge regarding variation anatomy in our population. Sixty post mortem tissue blocks containing liver and gallbladder along with surrounding structures were collected from 40 male and 20 female cadavers of different age groups and fixed in 10% formal saline solution. This study was carried out in the Department of Anatomy in Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh , from July 2007 to June 2008. Gross and fine dissections were carried out to study the different origin of cystic artery and its topographic relationship with adjacent structures. In the present study, findings were compared with the findings of Western researchers. In the present study, the so-called typical origin of the cystic artery from right hepatic artery was 90% and in 10% cases it was found to arise from other sources. Out of 10%, 3% arise from left hepatic artery, 3% from junction between right and left hepatic artery, 2% from hepatic artery proper and 2% from gastro duodenal artery. Key Words: Cystic artery, Origin, Location. Â  doi: 10.3329/jbsp.v3i0.1801 J Bangladesh Soc Physiol.2008 Dec;(3):66-70.
Leptin, the Creation of Obesity Gene and its task in Pregnancy
Authors: Ishrat Shakeela , Hussain Md Zahid , Jahan Sultana
Published: January 2009

Leptin is a protein encoded by the âob' gene. Leptin is primarily produced by adipocytes and its primary physiologic function is to suppress body fat. Obese individuals have high serum leptin levels and obesity is a leptin resistant state. There are evidences that leptin levels are higher in pregnant women compared to non pregnant women. Leptin levels increase as pregnancy advances and at term, approximate those found in obese adults. There is speculation that leptin is synthesized in placenta in addition to adipose tissue mass. Leptin may have a permissive, indirect role in regulation of fetal growth. Key Words: Leptin, Adipose tissue, Placenta, Fetus, Growth Â  doi: 10.3329/jbsp.v3i0.1803 Â  J Bangladesh Soc Physiol.2008 Dec;(3):79-84.
Physiology for Tomorrow
Authors: Amin Md Ruhul
Published: January 2009

doi: 10.3329/jbsp.v3i0.1805 J Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2008 Dec;(3):90