bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EFFECTS OF NITROGEN SUBSTITUTIONAL DOPING ON THE ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SMALL RADIUS (4, 0) SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES
Authors: ZHANG LI XIA , ZHANG JUAN , SHAO QING YI
Published: November 2012

By using the first-principles method based on density functional theory, we investigate the structural and electrical properties of the small radius (4, 0) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in which one or more carbon atoms are substituted by one or more nitrogen (N) atoms. Results show that substitution of nitrogen alters the electrical properties and the global structure of the tube in some way. The conductivity of the metallic (4, 0) SWCNT weaken and an energy gap opens after doping nitrogen atoms. Meanwhile, the further research tells us that a large dosage concentration will bring a large change to the band structure for the SWCNTs.
COULOMB BLOCKADE IN GRAPHENE QUANTUM DOTS
Authors: MA QIONG , TU TAO , WANG LI , ZHOU CHEN , LIN ZHI-RONG , XIAO MING , GUO GUO-PING
Published: November 2012

We study the conductance spectrum of graphene quantum dots, both single- and multiple-dot cases. The single electron tunneling through a graphene dot is investigated and the periodicity, amplitude and line shape of the Coulomb blockade oscillations at low temperatures are obtained, which are consistent with the recent experimental observations. Further, we discuss the transport behavior when multiple dots are assembled in array and find a phase transition of conductance spectra from individual Coulomb blockade to collective Coulomb blockade.
CAMERA-BASED GESTURE TRACKING FOR 3D INTERACTION BEHIND MOBILE DEVICES
Authors: YOUSEFI SHAHROUZ , KONDORI FARID ABEDAN , LI HAIBO
Published: November 2012

Number of mobile devices such as Smartphones or Tablet PCs has been dramatically increased over the recent years. New mobile devices are equipped with integrated cameras and large displays that make the interaction with the device easier and more efficient. Although most of the previous works on interaction between humans and mobile devices are based on 2D touch-screen displays, camera-based interaction opens a new way to manipulate in 3D space behind the device in the camera's field of view. In this paper, our gestural interaction relies on particular patterns from local orientation of the image called rotational symmetries. This approach is based on finding the most suitable pattern from a large set of rotational symmetries of different orders that ensures a reliable detector for fingertips and user's gesture. Consequently, gesture detection and tracking can be used as an efficient tool for 3D manipulation in various virtual/augmented reality applications.
SIGNAL PROCESSING TECHNIQUES FOR ESTIMATING POWER SYSTEM MODAL PARAMETERS
Authors: MIN D. , HEO J. , YOO J. , HUR K.
Published: November 2012

Smart Grid is expected to provide a reliable power supply with fewer and briefer outages, cleaner power, and self-healing power systems through advanced Power Quality (PQ) monitoring, analysis and diagnosis of the PQ measurements and identification of the root cause, and timely automated controls. It is important to understand that signal processing has been an integral part of advancing and expanding the horizons of this PQ research significantly and the capabilities and applications of signal processing for PQ are continually evolving. This paper thus presents a survey on the proven and emerging signal applications for enhancing PQ, focusing on algorithms for estimating system modal parameters because resonant frequencies and their damping information are critical signatures in evaluating the PQ. In particular, we discuss the need for investigating time-varying and nonlinear characteristics of the modal parameters due to dynamic changes in system operating conditions and introduce promising signal processing techniques for this purpose.
STRUCTURAL MECHANICS MODELING AND FSI SIMULATION OF WIND TURBINES
Authors: KOROBENKO A. , HSU M.-C. , AKKERMAN I. , TIPPMANN J. , BAZILEVS Y.
Published: November 2012

A fluid–structure interaction (FSI) validation study of the Micon 65/13M wind turbine with Sandia CX-100 composite blades is presented. A rotation-free isogeometric shell formulation is used to model the blade structure, while the aerodynamics formulation makes use of the FEM-based ALE-VMS method. The structural mechanics formulation is validated by means of eigenfrequency analysis of the CX-100 blade. For the coupling between the fluid and structural mechanics domains, a nonmatching discretization approach is adopted. The simulations are done at realistic wind conditions and rotor speeds. The rotor-tower interaction that influences the aerodynamic torque is captured. The computed aerodynamic torque generated by the Micon 65/13M wind turbine compares well with that obtained from on-land experimental tests.
A MOVING-MESH GRADIENT SMOOTHING METHOD FOR COMPRESSIBLE CFD PROBLEMS
Authors: YAO JIANYAO , LIU G. R. , QIAN DONG , CHEN CHUNG-LUNG , XU GEORGE X.
Published: November 2012

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver based on the gradient smoothing method (GSM) with moving mesh enabled is presented in this paper. The GSM uses unstructured meshes which could be generated and remeshed easily. The spatial derivatives of field variables at nodes and midpoints of cell edges are calculated using the gradient smoothing operations. The presented GSM codes use second-order Roes upwind flux difference splitting method and second-order 3-level backward differencing scheme for the compressible Navier–Stokes equations with moving mesh, and the second-order of accuracy for both the spatial and temporal discretization is ensured. The spatial discretization accuracy is verified using the method of manufactured solutions (MMS) on both structured and unstructured triangle meshes, and the results show that the observed order of accuracy achieves 2 even when highly distorted meshes are used. The temporal discretization accuracy is verified using the results with different time step lengths, and second-order accuracy is also obtained. Therefore, it is confirmed that the proposed GSM-CFD solver is a uniform second-order scheme.
METHODS FOR FSI MODELING OF SPACECRAFT PARACHUTE DYNAMICS AND COVER SEPARATION
Authors: TAKIZAWA KENJI , MONTES DARREN , FRITZE MATTHEW , MCINTYRE SPENSER , BOBEN JOSEPH , TEZDUYAR TAYFUN E.
Published: November 2012

Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) modeling of spacecraft parachutes involves a number of computational challenges beyond those encountered in a typical FSI problem. The stabilized space–time FSI (SSTFSI) technique serves as a robust and accurate core FSI method, and a number of special FSI methods address the computational challenges specific to spacecraft parachutes. Some spacecraft FSI problems involve even more specific computational challenges and require additional special methods. An example of that is the impulse ejection and parachute extraction of a protective cover used in a spacecraft. The computational challenges specific to this problem are related to the sudden changes in the parachute loads and sudden separation of the cover with very little initial clearance from the spacecraft. We describe the core and special FSI methods, and present the methods we use in FSI analysis of the parachute dynamics and cover separation, including the temporal NURBS representation in modeling the separation motion.
FREE-BOUNDARY PROBLEM OF THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL EQUATIONS FOR A VISCOUS AND HEAT-CONDUCTIVE GASEOUS FLOW UNDER THE SELF-GRAVITATION
Authors: UMEHARA MORIMICHI , TANI ATUSI
Published: November 2012

In this paper we consider a system of equations describing the one-dimensional motion of a viscous and heat-conductive gas bounded by the free-surface. The motion is driven by the self-gravitation of the gas. This system of equations, originally formulated in the Eulerian coordinate, is reduced to the one in a fixed domain by the Lagrangian-mass transformation. For smooth initial data we first establish the temporally global solvability of the problem based on both the fundamental result for local in time and unique existence of the classical solution and a priori estimates of its solution. Second it is proved that some estimates of the global solution are independent of time under a certain restricted, but physically plausible situation. This gives the fact that the solution does not blow up even if time goes to infinity under such a situation. Simultaneously, a temporally asymptotic behavior of the solution is established.
ISOGEOMETRIC DIVERGENCE-CONFORMING B-SPLINES FOR THE STEADY NAVIER–STOKES EQUATIONS
Authors: EVANS JOHN A. , HUGHES THOMAS J. R.
Published: November 2012

We develop divergence-conforming B-spline discretizations for the numerical solution of the steady Navier–Stokes equations. These discretizations are motivated by the recent theory of isogeometric discrete differential forms and may be interpreted as smooth generalizations of Raviart–Thomas elements. They are (at least) patchwise C0 and can be directly utilized in the Galerkin solution of steady Navier–Stokes flow for single-patch configurations. When applied to incompressible flows, these discretizations produce pointwise divergence-free velocity fields and hence exactly satisfy mass conservation. Consequently, discrete variational formulations employing the new discretization scheme are automatically momentum-conservative and energy-stable. In the presence of no-slip boundary conditions and multi-patch geometries, the discontinuous Galerkin framework is invoked to enforce tangential continuity without upsetting the conservation or stability properties of the method across patch boundaries. Furthermore, as no-slip boundary conditions are enforced weakly, the method automatically defaults to a compatible discretization of Euler flow in the limit of vanishing viscosity. The proposed discretizations are extended to general mapped geometries using divergence-preserving transformations. For sufficiently regular single-patch solutions subject to a smallness condition, we prove a priori error estimates which are optimal for the discrete velocity field and suboptimal, by one order, for the discrete pressure field. We present a comprehensive suite of numerical experiments which indicate optimal convergence rates for both the discrete velocity and pressure fields for general configurations, suggesting that our a priori estimates may be conservative. These numerical experiments also suggest our discretization methodology is robust with respect to Reynolds number and more accurate than classical numerical methods for the steady Navier–Stokes equations.
TWO-SCALE MACRO–MICRO DECOMPOSITION OF THE VLASOV EQUATION WITH A STRONG MAGNETIC FIELD
Authors: CROUSEILLES NICOLAS , FRÉNOD EMMANUEL , HIRSTOAGA SEVER A. , MOUTON ALEXANDRE
Published: November 2012

In this paper, we build a two-scale macro–micro decomposition of the Vlasov equation with a strong magnetic field. This consists in writing the solution of this equation as a sum of two oscillating functions with circumscribed oscillations. The first of these functions has a shape which is close to the shape of the two-scale limit of the solution and the second one is a correction built to offset this imposed shape. The aim of such a decomposition is to be the starting point for the construction of two-scale asymptotic-preserving schemes.
MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF A ONE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL FOR AN AGING FLUID
Authors: BENOIT DAVID , HE LINGBING , LE BRIS CLAUDE , LELIÈVRE TONY
Published: November 2012

We study mathematically a system of partial differential equations arising in the modeling of an aging fluid, a particular class of non-Newtonian fluids. We prove well-posedness of the equations in appropriate functional spaces and investigate the longtime behavior of the solutions.
AN ADAPTIVE FINITE ELEMENT APPROXIMATION OF A GENERALIZED AMBROSIO–TORTORELLI FUNCTIONAL
Authors: BURKE SIOBHAN , ORTNER CHRISTOPH , SÜLI ENDRE
Published: November 2012

The Francfort–Marigo model of brittle fracture is posed in terms of the minimization of a highly irregular energy functional. A successful method for discretizing the model is to work with an approximation of the energy. In this work a generalized Ambrosio–Tortorelli functional is used. This leads to a bound-constrained minimization problem, which can be posed in terms of a variational inequality. We propose, analyze and implement an adaptive finite element method for computing (local) minimizers of the generalized functional.
ASSESSING THE RELIABILITY OF TRANSFORMER TOP OIL TEMPERATURE MODEL
Authors: SRINIVASAN M. , KRISHNAN A.
Published: November 2012

The hot spot temperature (HST) plays a most important role in the insulation life of the transformer. Ambient temperature and environmental variable factors involved in the top oil temperature (TOT) computations in all transformer thermal models affects insulation lifetime either directly or indirectly. The importance of the ambient temperature in transformer's insulation life, a new semi-physically-based model for the estimation of TOT in transformers has been proposed in this paper. The winding hot-spot temperature can be calculated as function of the TOT that can be estimated by using the ambient temperature, wind velocity and solar heat radiation effect and transformer loading measured data. The estimated TOT is compared with measured data of a distribution transformer in operation. The proposed model has been validated using real data gathered from a 100 MVA power transformer. For a semi-physically-based model to be acceptable, it must have the qualities of: adequacy, accuracy and consistency. We assess model adequacy using the scale: prediction R2, and plot of residuals against fitted values. To assess model consistency, we use: variance inflation factor (VIF) (which measure multicollinearity), condition number. To assess model accuracy we use mean square error, maximum and minimum error values of semi-physically-based model parameters to the existing model parameters.
ON THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF DETERRENCE IN SEQUENTIAL COLONEL BLOTTO GAMES
Authors: HAUSKEN KJELL
Published: November 2012

A sequential Colonel Blotto and rent seeking game with fixed and variable resources is analyzed. With fixed resources, which is the assumption in Colonel Blotto games, we show for the common ratio form contest success function that the second mover is never deterred. This stands in contrast to Powell's (Games and Economic Behavior67(2), 611–615) finding where the second mover can be deterred. With variable resources both players exert efforts in both sequential and simultaneous games, whereas fixed resources cause characteristics of all battlefields or rents to impact efforts for each battlefield. With variable resources only characteristics of a given battlefield impact efforts are to win that battlefield because of independence across battlefields. Fixed resources impact efforts and hence differences in unit effort costs are less important. In contrast, variable resources cause differences in unit effort costs to be important. The societal implication is that resource constrained opponents can be expected to engage in warfare, whereas an advantaged player with no resource constraints can prevent warfare.
A NOTE ON PASSEPARTOUT PROBLEMS
Authors: ESTÉVEZ-FERNÁNDEZ ARANTZA , BORM PETER , HAMERS HERBERT
Published: November 2012

This note provides a methodological contribution to the allocation of joint revenues obtained from passepartouts. In a passepartout system, a group of service providers offers a passepartout that allows its owners the use of specified services for an unlimited number of times during a fixed period of time. The corresponding allocation problem is, then, how to share the total joint revenues of the passepartout system adequately among the service providers. Arguments are provided to model a passepartout problem within the framework of bankruptcy and context-specific properties are considered in order to select an appropriate allocation rule.
SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO N-PERSON SOCIAL DILEMMA GAMES: CLASSIFICATION AND ANALYSIS
Authors: MERLONE UGO , SANDBANK DAREN R. , SZIDAROVSZKY FERENC
Published: November 2012

This paper presents a new systematic review of N-person social dilemma games using a new approach based on dynamic properties of the corresponding system. Traditionally N-person social dilemma games are classified by relative orders of magnitude of payoff parameters. Without border-line cases 24 are identified. The new approach introduced in this paper categorizes the social dilemma games in cases with different number and asymptotic properties of the equilibria. In these cases the solution structure or the trajectory of the percentage of cooperators is readily apparent. These cases also provide the modeler with additional information concerning the impacts of the model parameters on the game outcomes. The example of a simple cartel illustrates this methodology.
STUDY ON ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC CAPILLARY INSTABILITY OF VISCOELASTIC FLUIDS IN PRESENCE OF AXIAL ELECTRIC FIELD
Authors: TIWARI D. K. , AWASTHI MUKESH KUMAR , AGRAWAL G. S.
Published: November 2012

Linear viscoelastic potential flow analysis of capillary instability in presence of axial electric field has been studied. A dispersion relation is derived for the case of axially imposed electric field and stability is discussed in terms of various parameters such as electric field, Deborah number, Ohnesorge number, permittivity ratio and conductivity ratio etc. Stability criterion is given in the terms of critical value of wave number as well as critical value of applied electric field. The system is unstable when electric field is less than the critical value of electric field, otherwise it is stable. It has been found that in presence of the electric field the growth rates for viscoelastic fluid are higher than viscous fluid. Various graphs have been plotted for growth rate and critical electric field.
LIGHT ASSISTED IN-VIVO MICROWAVE SENSING FOR ELECTRICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PROKARYOTES
Authors: SHARMA RAJVEER , DAYA K. S. , TIRUMALAI PREM SARAN
Published: November 2012

This paper reports an in vivo characterization technique to characterize dielectric properties of living tissues and bio-molecules at microwave frequency using cavity perturbation technique, where a slot ring resonant sensor has been used, that works at 8 GHz and has been designed to enumerate the effective dielectric constant of Spirulina platensis and chlorophyll molecule. Observed value of the dielectric constant of Spirulina platensis was 8 ± 0.04 in the absence of light and 14.575 ± 0.145 in the presence of light. Molecular polarizability of chl a molecule was 5.07 ± 0.05 × 104 Å3. Experimentally calculated local electric field actually experienced by chl a molecule was 14.197 ± 0.003 V/m for applied field of 9.79 V/m across the slot ring, dipole moment of chl a molecule was 2.175 ± 0.005 × 105 Debye and total polarisation produced due to these molecules was 1.545 ± 0.005 C/m 2. Observed relaxation time of chl a molecule was 8.09 ± 0.18 × 10-9 s . The proposed sensing method can be an alternate to spectral characterisation technique, generally used to characterize light sensitive bio-molecules and can also be extended to characterize light sensitive bio-molecules in plant cells.
PHOTOBIOMODULATION-MEDIATED PATHWAY DIAGNOSTICS
Authors: LIU TIMON CHENG-YI , ZHU LING , YANG XIANG-BO
Published: November 2012

Cellular pathways are ordinarily diagnosed with pathway inhibitors, related gene regulation, or fluorescent protein markers. They are also suggested to be diagnosed with pathway activation modulation of photobiomodulation (PBM) in this paper. A PBM on a biosystem function depends on whether the biosystem is in its function-specific homeostasis (FSH). An FSH, a negative feedback response for the function to be performed perfectly, is maintained by its FSH-essential subfunctions and its FSH-non-essential subfunctions (FNSs). A function in its FSH or far from its FSH is called a normal or dysfunctional function. A direct PBM may self-adaptatively modulate a dysfunctional function until it is normal so that it can be used to discover the optimum pathways for an FSH to be established. An indirect PBM may self-adaptatively modulate a dysfunctional FNS of a normal function until the FNS is normal, and the normal function is then upgraded so that it can be used to discover the redundant pathways for a normal function to be upgraded.
America's Return to Asia and US-China Relations
Authors: ZHANG Yun
Published: November 2012

America's new security strategy in the Asia-Pacific region is on the Southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean and realigning them to a combined new theatre. Will this lead to a US-China conflict or a more peaceful region? The author argues that the future of security in the Asia-Pacific region will be more dependent on intellectual competition than a raw military power rivalry. Overestimation of the threat, miscalculation and misjudgement are likely to be the most dangerous challenges.
Unpacking the Scarborough Shoal Dispute
Authors: COOK Alistair D. B.
Published: November 2012

In April 2012, another territorial dispute broke out in the South China Sea highlighting challenges to regional peace and security in East Asia. While China and the Philippines sought to resolve the Scarborough Shoal dispute peacefully, domestic concerns coupled with greater US involvement in the region illustrated the multifaceted nature of these issues. Future attempts at managing and resolving disputes will need to balance interests between actors at the sub-national, national and international levels.
Economic Interdependence and Security Tension: China's Rare Earth Policy
Authors: YOSHIMATSU Hidetaka
Published: November 2012

China regards rare earth elements (REEs) as strategic products and fosters the REE industry with neo-mercantilist support. It then restrains exports of REEs as a means of exerting pressure on Japan in maritime security disputes. In response, Japan pursues a soft balancing strategy to strengthen linkages with Vietnam and India, and reconfirms the value of security linkages with Washington. Thus, the economic instrument became a catalyst in stimulating balancing behaviour.
RETHINKING ENVIRONMENTAL FEDERALISM IN A WARMING WORLD
Authors: SHOBE WILLIAM M. , BURTRAW DALLAS
Published: November 2012

Climate change policy analysis has focused almost exclusively on national policy and even on harmonizing climate policies across countries, implicitly assuming that harmonization of climate policies at the subnational level would be mandated or guaranteed. We argue that the design and implementation of climate policy in a federal union will diverge in important ways from policy design in a unitary government. National climate policies built on the assumption of a unitary model of governance are unlikely to achieve the expected outcome because of interactions with policy choices made at the subnational level. In a federal system, the information and incentives generated by a national policy must pass through various levels of subnational fiscal and regulatory policy. Effective policy design must recognize both the constraints and the opportunities presented by a federal structure of government. Furthermore, policies that take advantage of the federal structure of government can improve climate governance outcomes.
Superconvergence Analysis of Finite Element Method for a Second‐Type Variational Inequality
Authors: Shi Dongyang , Guan Hongbo , Guan Xiaofei
Published: November 2012

This paper studies the finite element (FE) approximation to a second‐type variational inequality. The supe rclose and superconvergence results are obtained for conforming bilinear FE and nonconforming EQrot FE schemes under a reasonable regularity of the exact solution u ∈ H5/2(Ω), which seem to be never discovered in the previous literature. The optimal L2‐norm error estimate is also derived for EQrot FE. At last, some numerical results are provided to verify the theoretical analysis.
Statistical Convergence of Sequences of Functions in Intuitionistic Fuzzy Normed Spaces
Authors: Karakaya Vatan , Şimşek Necip , Ertürk Müzeyyen , Gürsoy Faik
Published: November 2012

The purpose of this work is to investigate types of convergence of sequences of functions in intuitionistic fuzzy normed spaces and some properties related with these concepts.
IL-17 and IL-11 GCF Levels in Aggressive and Chronic Periodontitis Patients: Relation to PCR Bacterial Detection
Authors: Shaker Olfat G. , Ghallab Noha A.
Published: November 2012

Objectives. This study evaluated IL-17 and IL-11 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of generalized chronic periodontitis (GCP) and generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP) patients in relation to periodontopathic bacteria.Subjects and Methods. GCF samples were collected from 65 subjects including 25 CP, 25 GAgP, and 15 controls (C) and analyzed for IL-17 and IL-11 by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Molecular detection of bacteria in the dental plaque was determined by polymerase chain reaction.Results. The total amount of IL-17 was significantly higher in GAgP group than in GCP and C groups(P<0.001). The IL-11 concentration was significantly higher in C and GCP groups than GAgP group(P<0.001). The IL-11/IL-17 ratio was significantly higher in the C group than in GCP and GAgP groups(P<0.05). Moreover, GAgP group showed lower ratios of IL-11/IL-17 when compared to GCP group. The high positivity ofP. gingivalisin the dental plaque was associated with significantly increased GCF levels of IL-17 in GCP and GAgP patients.Conclusions. The increased IL-17 level in GCF of GAgP suggests a potential role in the aetiopathogenesis. Meanwhile, the decreased ratio of IL-11/IL-17 might reflect an imbalance between the proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in different periodontal diseases.
Reuse of a Pediatric Liver Graft: A Case Report
Authors: Karabulut Koray , Eris Cengiz , Piskin Turgut , Kayaalp Cuneyt , Yilmaz Sezai
Published: November 2012

We report the reuse of a liver graft after brain death of the first recipient. The liver donor was an 8-year-old male who died as a result of head injury. The graft was implanted first to a 4-year-old girl for fulminant hepatic failure. Unfortunately she developed progressive coma and brain death on fifth day of transplantation. The graft functions were normal, and reuse of the liver graft was planned. After informed consent, the graft was transplanted to a 31-year-old female recipient who has hepatocellular carcinoma with an underlying cryptogenic liver cirrhosis. The patient was discharged to home on 9th day after an uneventful postoperative period. However, she was readmitted to hospital with an acute abdominal pain 30 days after the operation. Hepatic artery thrombosis was diagnosed, and the attempt to open the artery by interventional radiology was unsuccessful. She died of sepsis and multiorgan failure on 37th posttransplant day.
An Innovative Approach to Treat Incisors Hypomineralization (MIH): A Combined Use of Casein Phosphopeptide-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate and Hydrogen Peroxide—A Case Report
Authors: Mastroberardino Stefano , Campus Guglielmo , Strohmenger Laura , Villa Alessandro , Cagetti Maria Grazia
Published: November 2012

Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) is characterized by a developmentally derived deficiency in mineral enamel. Affected teeth present demarcated enamel opacities, ranging from white to brown; also hypoplasia can be associated. Patient frequently claims aesthetic discomfort if anterior teeth are involved. This problem leads patients to request a bleaching treatment to improve aestheticconditions.Nevertheless, hydrogen peroxide can produce serious side-effects, resulting from further mineral loss. Microabrasion and/or a composite restoration are the treatments of choice in teeth with mild/moderate MIH, but they also need enamel loss. Recently, a new remineralizing agent based on Casein Phosphopeptide-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (CPP-ACP) has been proposed to be effective in hypomineralized enamel, improving also aesthetic conditions. The present paper presents a case report of a young man with white opacities on incisors treated with a combined use of CPP-ACP mousse and hydrogen peroxide gel to correct the aesthetic defect. The patient was instructed to use CPP-ACP for two hours per day for three months in order to obtain enamel remineralization followed by a combined use of CPP-ACP and bleaching agent for further two months. At the end of this five-month treatment, a noticeable aesthetic improvement of the opacities was observed.
Correlation between Chemical Composition ofCurcuma domesticaandCurcuma xanthorrhizaand Their Antioxidant Effect on Human Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidation
Authors: Jantan Ibrahim , Saputri Fadlina Chany , Qaisar Muhammad Naeem , Buang Fhataheya
Published: November 2012

The antioxidant activity of the curcuminoids ofCurcuma domesticaL. andC. xanthorrhizaRoxb. and eight compounds which are prevalent constituents of their rhizome oils were investigated in an effort to correlate human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) antioxidant activity with the effect of the herbs and their components. The antioxidant activity was examined using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs) assay with human LDL as the oxidation substrate. The methanol extracts and rhizome oils ofC. xanthorrhizaandC. domesticashowed strong inhibitory activity on copper-mediated oxidation of LDL. Curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin, isolated from the methanol extracts of both plants, exhibited stronger activity than probucol (IC50value 0.57 μmol/L) as reference, with IC50values ranging from 0.15 to 0.33 μmol/L. Xanthorrhizol, the most abundant component (31.9%) of the oil ofC. xanthorrhiza, showed relatively strong activity with an IC50value of 1.93 μmol/L. The major components ofC. domestica, ar-turmerone (45.8%) and zerumbone (3.5%), exhibited IC50values of 10.18 and 24.90 μmol/L, respectively. The high levels of curcuminoids in the methanol extracts and xanthorrhizol, ar-turmerone and zerumbone in the oils, and in combination with the minor components were responsible for the high LDL antioxidant activity of the herbs.
De NovoKidney Regeneration with Stem Cells
Authors: Yokote Shinya , Yamanaka Shuichiro , Yokoo Takashi
Published: November 2012

Recent studies have reported on techniques to mobilize and activate endogenous stem-cells in injured kidneys or to introduce exogenous stem cells for tissue repair. Despite many recent advantages in renal regenerative therapy, chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality and the number of CKD patients has been increasing. When the sophisticated structure of the kidneys is totally disrupted by end stage renal disease (ESRD), traditional stem cell-based therapy is unable to completely regenerate the damaged tissue. This suggests that whole organ regeneration may be a promising therapeutic approach to alleviate patients with uncured CKD. We summarize here the potential of stem-cell-based therapy for injured tissue repair andde novowhole kidney regeneration. In addition, we describe the hurdles that must be overcome and possible applications of this approach in kidney regeneration.
Liver Transplantation for Acute Liver Failure at 11-Week Gestation with Successful Maternal and Fetal Outcome
Authors: Maddukuri Vinaya C. , Stephenson Courtney D. , Eskind Lon , Ahrens William A. , Purdum Preston , Russo Mark W.
Published: November 2012

Acute liver failure (ALF) during pregnancy is very uncommon. Pregnancy-specific liver conditions like hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome and acute fatty liver of pregnancy can cause ALF at term or postpartum, but, typically occur during the third trimester. Most of these patients recover spontaneously after delivery, but, on occasion, they require liver transplantation in the postpartum period. However, ALF during the first and second trimester of pregnancy requiring antepartum liver transplantation is rare. Only fifteen cases of liver transplantation during pregnancy have been reported, and very few occurred during the first trimester. We report a Woman who developed acute liver failure during the first trimester of pregnancy and underwent successful liver transplantation at 11-week gestation, followed by successful delivery of the fetus at 30 weeks. To our knowledge, this is the earliest case of successful liver transplantation during pregnancy followed by successful fetal outcome. We discuss management of the patient and fetus before, during, and after liver transplantation and review the literature on antepartum liver transplant in pregnancy.
Vaginal Extrusion of Transobturator Tape 6 Years after Procedure: How Long Should Be the Follow-Up Period after Vaginal Sling Surgeries?
Authors: Singh Chanchal , Weng Roy Ng Kwok
Published: November 2012

A 77-year-old lady presented to the gynaecology outpatient clinic with vaginal extrusion (3C/T3/S1) six years after a transobturator suburethral sling procedure (TOT). The entire tape was spontaneously extruded vaginally and the vaginal erosion healed with conservative management. Midurethral tapes, currently the standard of care in the management of urodynamic stress incontinence (USI), are associated with a risk of erosion and extrusion of the synthetic material. The present case highlights the importance of the long-term followup after any sling procedure as erosion and/or extrusion may arise at any time following the procedure.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Anterolateral Left Ventricular Ballooning, a Variant of Classic Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Zbinden R. , Mutter M. , Weishaupt D.
Published: November 2012

Transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome is characterized by transient akinesis of the left ventricular apex with basal wall hyperkinesis; this is also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. There are three distinct contractile LV patterns described in the literature: apical, midventricular, and basal ballooning. The apical ballooning pattern is the most frequent pattern. We describe the case of a transient anterolateral left ventricular ballooning fulfilling the definition of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy except for the contractile LV pattern. The diagnosis was supported by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and by the fact that the anterolateral ballooning resolved completely after 6 weeks.
Women’s Health Care Utilization among Harder-to-Reach HIV-Infected Women ever on Antiretroviral Therapy in British Columbia
Authors: Wang Xuetao , Salters Kate A. , Zhang Wen , McCandless Lawrence , Money Deborah , Pick Neora , Montaner Julio S. G. , Hogg Robert S. , Kaida Angela
Published: November 2012

Background. HIV-infected women are disproportionately burdened by gynaecological complications, psychological disorders, and certain sexually transmitted infections that may not be adequately addressed by HIV-specific care. We estimate the prevalence and covariates of women’s health care (WHC) utilization among harder-to-reach, treatment-experienced HIV-infected women in British Columbia (BC), Canada.Methods. We used survey data from 231 HIV-infected, treatment-experienced women enrolled in the Longitudinal Investigations into Supportive and Ancillary Health Services (LISA) study, which recruited harder-to-reach populations, including aboriginal people and individuals using injection drugs. Independent covariates of interest included sociodemographic, psychosocial, behavioural, individual health status, structural factors, and HIV clinical variables. Logistic regression was used to generate adjusted estimates of associations between use of WHC and covariates of interest.Results. Overall, 77% of women reported regularly utilizing WHC. WHC utilization varied significantly by region of residence (Pvalue<0.01). In addition, women with lower annual income (AOR (95% CI) = 0.14 (0.04–0.54)), who used illicit drugs (AOR (95% CI) = 0.42 (0.19–0.92)) and who had lower provider trust (AOR (95% CI) = 0.97 (0.95–0.99)), were significantly less likely to report using WHC.Conclusion. A health service gap exists along geographical and social axes for harder-to-reach HIV-infected women in BC. Women-centered WHC and HIV-specific care should be streamlined and integrated to better address women’s holistic health.
Retroperitoneal Abscess Formation as a Result of Spilled Gallstones during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: An Unusual Case Report
Authors: Chatzimavroudis Grigoris , Atmatzidis Stefanos , Papaziogas Basilis , Galanis Ioannis , Koutelidakis Ioannis , Doulias Triantafyllos , Christopoulos Petros , Papadakis George , Atmatzidis Konstantinos , Makris John
Published: November 2012

One of the complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone disease that seems to exceed that of the traditional open method is the gallbladder perforation and gallstone spillage. Its incidence can occur in up to 40% of patients, and in most cases its course is uneventful. However in few cases an abdominal abscess can develop, which may lead to significant morbidity. Rarely an abscess formation due to spilled and lost gallstones may occur in the retroperitoneal space. We herein report the case of a female patient who presented with clinical symptoms of sepsis six months following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Imaging investigations revealed the presence of a retroperitoneal abscess due to retained gallstones. Due to patient’s decision to refuse abscess’s surgical drainage, she underwent CT-guided drainage. The 24-month followup of the patient has been uneventful, and the patient remains in good general condition.
Incisional Site Metastasis in a Patient with Cervical Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Iavazzo C. , Madhuri K. , Tailor A. , Butler-Manuel S.
Published: November 2012

Abdominal wall metastasis either incisional, drain, or port is rather rare in patients treated for cervical carcinoma. We present a case of a patient who underwent an abdominal radical hysterectomy for a moderately differentiated cervical adenocarcinoma stage Ib1 and presented an incisional site metastasis 36 months after her operation. Moreover, we performed a literature search for abdominal wall metastases after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer, and we present a table of the relative case reports. After our literature search, we clarified that the median time of recurrence was 14 months (range 1.5 month to 45 months). Thirty-three out of 42, 8/42, and 1/42 were squamous, adeno-, and adenosquamous carcinomas, respectively. Wide excision was performed in 30/37 cases of which we have information regarding the treatment option, while 11/37 and 13/37 underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively. The possible mechanism of such a metastasis as well as the treatment options is discussed.
Risk Factors for Development of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Cartin-Ceba Rodrigo , Kashiouris Markos , Plataki Maria , Kor Daryl J. , Gajic Ognjen , Casey Edward T.
Published: November 2012

Background. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of critically ill patients. The impact of different risk factors associated with this entity in the ICU setting is unknown.Objectives. The purpose of this research was to assess the risk factors associated with the development of AKI in critically ill patients by meta-analyses of observational studies.Data Extraction. Two reviewers independently and in duplicate used a standardized form to collect data from published reports. Authors were contacted for missing data. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale assessed study quality.Data Synthesis. Data from 31 diverse studies that enrolled 504,535 critically ill individuals from a wide variety of ICUs were included. Separate random-effects meta-analyses demonstrated a significantly increased risk of AKI with older age, diabetes, hypertension, higher baseline creatinine, heart failure, sepsis/systemic inflammatory response syndrome, use of nephrotoxic drugs, higher severity of disease scores, use of vasopressors/inotropes, high risk surgery, emergency surgery, use of intra-aortic balloon pump, and longer time in cardiopulmonary bypass pump.Conclusion. The best available evidence suggests an association of AKI with 13 different risk factors in subjects admitted to the ICU. Predictive models for identification of high risk individuals for developing AKI in all types of ICU are required.
Development of New Technologies for Stem Cell Research
Authors: Ma Xibo , Zhang Qian , Yang Xin , Tian Jie
Published: November 2012

Since the 1960s, the stem cells have been extensively studied including embryonic stem cells, neural stem cells, bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. In the recent years, several stem cells have been initially used in the treatment of diseases, such as in bone marrow transplant. At the same time, isolation and culture experimental technologies for stem cell research have been widely developed in recent years. In addition, molecular imaging technologies including optical molecular imaging, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, and computed tomography have been developed rapidly in recent the 10 years and have also been used in the research on disease mechanism and evaluation of treatment of disease related with stem cells. This paper will focus on recent typical isolation, culture, and observation techniques of stem cells followed by a concise introduction. Finally, the current challenges and the future applications of the new technologies in stem cells are given according to the understanding of the authors, and the paper is then concluded.
Distinguishing between Rural and Urban Road Segment Traffic Safety Based on Zero‐Inflated Negative Binomial Regression Models
Authors: Yan Xuedong , Wang Bin , An Meiwu , Zhang Cuiping
Published: November 2012

In this study, the traffic crash rate, total crash frequency, and injury and fatal crash frequency were taken into consideration for distinguishing between rural and urban road segment safety. The GIS‐based crash data during four and half years in Pikes Peak Area, US were applied for the analyses. The comparative statistical results show that the crash rates in rural segments are consistently lower than urban segments. Further, the regression results based on Zero‐Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) regression models indicate that the urban areas have a higher crash risk in terms of both total crash frequency and injury and fatal crash frequency, compared to rural areas. Additionally, it is found that crash frequencies increase as traffic volume and segment length increase, though the higher traffic volume lower the likelihood of severe crash occurrence; compared to 2‐lane roads, the 4‐lane roads have lower crash frequencies but have a higher probability of severe crash occurrence; and better road facilities with higher free flow speed can benefit from high standard design feature thus resulting in a lower total crash frequency, but they cannot mitigate the severe crash risk.
Productive Entry Pathways of Human Rhinoviruses
Authors: Fuchs Renate , Blaas Dieter
Published: November 2012

Currently, complete or partial genome sequences of more than 150 human rhinovirus (HRV) isolates are known. Twelve species A use members of the low-density lipoprotein receptor family for cell entry, whereas the remaining HRV-A and all HRV-B bind ICAM-1. HRV-Cs exploit an unknown receptor. At least all A and B type viruses depend on receptor-mediated endocytosis for infection. In HeLa cells, they are internalized mainly by a clathrin- and dynamin-dependent mechanism. Upon uptake into acidic compartments, the icosahedral HRV capsid expands by~4% and holes open at the 2-fold axes, close to the pseudo-3-fold axes and at the base of the star-shaped dome protruding at the vertices. RNA-protein interactions are broken and new ones are established, the small internal myristoylated capsid protein VP4 is expelled, and amphipathic N-terminal sequences of VP1 become exposed. The now hydrophobic subviral particle attaches to the inner surface of endosomes and transfers its genomic (+) ssRNA into the cytosol. The RNA leaves the virus starting with the poly(A) tail at its 3′-end and passes through a membrane pore contiguous with one of the holes in the capsid wall. Alternatively, the endosome is disrupted and the RNA freely diffuses into the cytoplasm.
Giant Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma: A Case Report
Authors: Shahaji Chavan , Amit Parasnis , Prashant Punia , Sachin Tekade
Published: November 2012

Soft tissue sarcomas represent less than 1% of all human neoplasms. One-third of malignant tumors that arise in the retroperitoneum are sarcomas and liposarcoma is the most common retroperitoneal sarcoma. More often than not, patients report late to the hospital due to the slow progress and few late symptoms. Thus, the tumor is known to grow to enormous sizes. Here, we report a case of giant retroperitoneal liposarcoma weighing more than 7 kgs.
Simulating Sleep Apnea by Exposure to Intermittent Hypoxia Induces Inflammation in the Lung and Liver
Authors: da Rosa Darlan Pase , Forgiarini Luiz Felipe , Baronio Diego , Feijó Cristiano Andrade , Martinez Dênis , Marroni Norma Possa
Published: November 2012

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that results from momentary and cyclic collapse of the upper airway, leading to intermittent hypoxia (IH). IH can lead to the formation of free radicals that increase oxidative stress, and this mechanism may explain the association between central sleep apnea and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. We assessed the level of inflammation in the lung and liver tissue from animals subjected to intermittent hypoxia and simulated sleep apnea. A total of 12 C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups and then exposed to IH (n=6) or a simulated IH (SIH) (n=6) for 35 days. We observed an increase in oxidative damage and other changes to endogenous antioxidant enzymes in mice exposed to IH. Specifically, the expression of multiple transcription factors, including hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1α), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and cleaved caspase 3 were shown to be increased in the IH group. Overall, we found that exposure to intermittent hypoxia for 35 days by simulating sleep apnea leads to oxidative stress, inflammation, and increased activity of caspase 3 in the liver and lung.
Effect of Vocal Nerve Section on Song and ZENK Protein Expression in Area X in Adult Male Zebra Finches
Authors: Liao Congshu , Li Dongfeng
Published: November 2012

ZENK expression in vocal nuclei is associated with singing behavior. Area X is an important nucleus for learning and stabilizing birdsong. ZENK expression is higher in Area X compared to that in other vocal nuclei when birds are singing. To reveal the relationship between the ZENK expression in Area X and song crystallization, immunohistochemistry was used to detect ZENK protein expression in Area X after the unilateral vocal nerve (tracheosyringeal nerve) section in adult male zebra finches. Sham operations had no effect on song. In contrast, section of unilateral vocal nerve could induce song decrystallization at the 7th day after the surgery. The spectral and the temporal features of birdsong were distorted more significantly in the right-side vocal nerve section than in the left-side vocal nerve section. In addition, after surgery, ZENK expression was higher in the right-side of Area X than in the left-side. These results indicate that the vocal nerve innervations probably are right-side dominant. ZENK expression in both sides of Area X decreased, as compared to control group after surgery, which suggests that the ZENK expression in Area X is related to birdsong crystallization, and that there is cooperation between the Area X in AFP and syrinx nerve.