bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DETECTION OF DISJOINT AND OVERLAPPING MODULES IN WEIGHTED COMPLEX NETWORKS
Authors: BENNETT LAURA , LIU SONGSONG , PAPAGEORGIOU LAZAROS G. , TSOKA SOPHIA
Published: April 2012

Community structure detection is widely accepted as a means of elucidating the functional properties of complex networks. The problem statement is ever evolving, with the aim of developing more flexible and realistic modeling procedures. For example, a first step in developing a more informative model is the inclusion of weighted interactions. In addition to the standard community structure problem, interest has increased in the detection of overlapping communities. Adopting such constraints may, in some cases, represent a more true to life abstraction of the system under study. In this paper, two novel mathematical programming algorithms for module detection are presented. First, disjoint modules in weighted and unweighted networks are detected by formulating modularity maximization as a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model. The solution obtained is then used to detect overlapping modules through a further MINLP model. The inclusion of two parameters controlling the extent of overlapping offers flexibility in user requirements. Comparative results show that these methodologies perform competitively to previously proposed methods. The methodologies proposed here promote the detection of topological relationships in complex systems. Together with the amenable nature of mathematical programming models, we show that both algorithms offer a versatile solution to the community detection problem.
DETECTING NEW AND EMERGING EVENTS IN STREAMING NEWS DOCUMENTS
Authors: ROBERTS KIRK , HARABAGIU SANDA M.
Published: April 2012

Recognizing new and emerging events in a stream of news documents requires understanding the semantic structure of news reported in natural language. New event detection (NED) is the task of recognizing when a news document discusses a completely novel event. To be successful at this task, we believe a NED method must extract and represent four principal components of an event: its type, participants, temporal, and spatial properties. These components must then be compared in a semantically robust manner to detect novelty. We further propose event centrality, a method for determining the most important participants in an event. Our NED methods produce a 29% cost reduction over a bag-of-words baseline and a 17% cost reduction over an existing state-of-the-art approach. Additionally, we discuss our method for recognizing emerging events: the tracking and categorization of unexpected or novel events.
INELASTIC DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF AN RC BUILDING IMPACTED BY A TSUNAMI WATER-BORNE SHIPPING CONTAINER
Authors: MADURAPPERUMA M. A. K. M. , WIJEYEWICKREMA ANIL C.
Published: April 2012

In the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004, buildings without in-fill walls in the first story, which allow the unimpeded flow of tsunami waves, have been constructed in the regions of low seismic risk. However, columns in such buildings could be susceptible to impact of tsunami water-borne massive objects. In the present study, the impact of a tsunami water-borne shipping container on a reinforced concrete (RC) building is considered. The impact force-time histories are obtained from a high-fidelity finite element analysis, for a range of container velocities. These force-time histories are used in the impact analysis of the RC building and potential failure modes of the impacted column, changes in column axial forces, and floor displacements are studied. For the range of container velocities considered, it is found that although the axial load carrying capacity of the impacted column has significantly decreased, the building remains stable due to redistribution of internal forces to adjacent members.
A REINTERPRETATION OF EMD BY CUBIC SPLINE INTERPOLATION
Authors: PARK MINJEONG , KIM DONGHOH , OH HEE-SEOK
Published: April 2012

Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is a data-driven technique that decomposes a signal into several zero-mean oscillatory waveforms according to the levels of oscillation. Most of the studies on EMD have focused on its use as an empirical tool. Recently, Rilling and Flandrin, [2008] studied theoretical aspects of EMD with extensive simulations, which allow a better understanding of the method. However, their theoretical results have been obtained by considering constraints on the signal such as equally spaced extrema and constant frequency. The present study investigates the theoretical properties of EMD using cubic spline interpolation under more general conditions on the signal. This study also theoretically supports modified EMD procedures in Kopsinis and Mclaughlin, [2008] and developed for improving the conventional EMD. Furthermore, all analyses are preformed in the time domain where EMD actually operates; therefore, the principle of EMD can be visually and directly captured, which is useful in interpreting EMD as a detection procedure of hidden components.
ON EDGE COLORING OF HYPERGRAPHS AND ERDÖS–FABER–LOVÁSZ CONJECTURE
Authors: PAUL VIJI , GERMINA K. A.
Published: April 2012

The celebrated Erdös–Faber–Lovász conjecture originated in the year 1972. It can be stated as follows: any linear hypergraph on n vertices has chromatic index at most n. Different formulations of the conjecture have been obtained and the conjecture is proved to be true in some particular cases. But the problem is still unsolved in general. In this paper, we prove that the conjecture is true for all linear hypergraphs on n vertices with [Formula: see text]. It generalizes an existing result regarding an equivalent formulation of the conjecture for dense hypergraphs [A. Sanchez-Arroyo, The Erdös–Faber–Lovász conjecture for dense hypergraphs, Discrete Math.308 (2008) 991–992].
IMPROVED ALGORITHMS FOR THE POINT-SET EMBEDDABILITY PROBLEM FOR PLANE 3-TREES
Authors: MOOSA TANAEEM M. , RAHMAN M. SOHEL
Published: April 2012

In the point-set embeddability problem, we are given a plane graph G with n vertices and a point set S with the same number of points. Now the goal is to answer the question whether there exists a straight-line drawing of G such that each vertex is represented as a distinct point of S as well as to provide an embedding if one does exist. This problem has recently been solved in O(n2 log n) time for plane 3-trees. In this paper, we present a new efficient algorithm with time complexity O(n4/3+ϵ log n). We also present an O(nk4) time algorithm for the case when |S| = k > n. This is a significant improvement over the best algorithm for this case in the literature, which runs in O(nk8) time.
AN ITERATIVE ALGORITHM OF COMPUTING THE TRANSITIVE CLOSURE OF A UNION OF PARAMETRIZED AFFINE INTEGER TUPLE RELATIONS
Authors: BIELECKI WLODZIMIERZ , KLIMEK TOMASZ , PALKOWSKI MAREK , BELETSKA ANNA
Published: April 2012

A novel iterative algorithm of calculating the exact transitive closure of a parametrized graph being represented by a union of simple affine integer tuple relations is presented. When it is not possible to calculate exact transitive closure, the algorithm produces its upper bound. To calculate the transitive closure of the union of all simple relations, the algorithm recognizes the class of each simple relations, calculates its exact transitive closure, forms the union of calculated transitive closures, and applies this union in an iterative procedure. Results of experiments aimed at the comparison of the effectiveness of the presented algorithm with those of related ones are outlined and discussed.
Fabrication and Characterization of Collagen‐Immobilized Porous PHBV/HA Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Baek Jin-Young , Xing Zhi-Cai , Kwak Giseop , Yoon Keun-Byoung , Park Soo-Young , Park Lee Soon , Kang Inn-Kyu
Published: April 2012

The porous composite scaffolds (PHBV/HA) consisting of poly (3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were fabricated using a hot‐press machine and salt‐leaching. Collagen (type I) was then immobilized on the surface of the porous PHBV/HA composite scaffolds to improve tissue compatibility. The structure and morphology of the collagen‐immobilized composite scaffolds (PHBV/HA/Col) were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The potential of the porous PHBV/HA/Col composite scaffolds for use as a bone scaffold was assessed by an experiment with osteoblast cells (MC3T3‐E1) in terms of cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. The results showed that the PHBV/HA/Col composite scaffolds possess better cell adhesion and significantly higher proliferation and differentiation than the PHBV/HA composite scaffolds and the PHBV scaffolds. These results suggest that the PHBV/HA/Col composite scaffolds have a high potential for use in the field of bone regeneration and tissue engineering.
Synthesis of Core‐Shell SiOx/Carbon Nanofibers on Silicon Substrates by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis
Authors: Zhang Jianhui , Kishi Naoki , Soga Tetsuo , Jimbo Takashi , Tanji Takayoshi
Published: April 2012

We synthesized the core‐shell SiOx/carbon nanofibers with diameters of 200–300 nm using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis with a phosphorus/ethanol mixture. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) investigations confirmed the core‐shell structure, which consisted of a core of SiOx and a shell of amorphous carbon. The phosphorus atoms corroded the entire silicon substrate surface, and the Si‐P liquid‐catalyzed the solid‐liquid‐solid mechanism is proposed to explain the growth of the core‐shell SiOx/carbon nanofibers.
An Energy Efficient Localization-Free Routing Protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Wahid Abdul , Kim Dongkyun
Published: April 2012

Recently, underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) have attracted much research attention from both academia and industry, in order to explore the vast underwater environment. UWSNs have peculiar characteristics; that is, they have large propagation delay, high error rate, low bandwidth, and limited energy. Therefore, designing network/routing protocols for UWSNs is very challenging. Also, in UWSNs, improving the energy efficiency is one of the most important issues since the replacement of the batteries of underwater sensor nodes is very expensive due to the unpleasant underwater environment. In this paper, we therefore propose an energy efficient routing protocol, named (energy-efficient depth-based routing protocol) EEDBR for UWSNs. EEDBR utilizes the depth of sensor nodes for forwarding data packets. Furthermore, the residual energy of sensor nodes is also taken into account in order to improve the network lifetime. Based on the comprehensive simulation using NS2, we observe that EEDBR contributes to the performance improvements in terms of the network lifetime, energy consumption, and end-to-end delay. A previous version of this paper was accepted in AST-2011 conference.
First‐Order Three‐Point Boundary Value Problems at Resonance Part III
Authors: Mohamed Mesliza , Thompson Bevan , Jusoh Muhammad Sufian
Published: April 2012

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the existence of solutions of BVPs for a very general case in which both the system of ordinary differential equations and the boundary conditions are nonlinear. By employing the implicit function theorem, sufficient conditions for the existence of three‐point boundary value problems are established.
Oral Health and Hygiene Content in Nursing Fundamentals Textbooks
Authors: Jablonski Rita A.
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this paper is to describe the quantity and quality of oral hygiene content in a representative sample of before-licensure nursing fundamentals textbooks. Seven textbooks were examined. Quantity was operationalized as the actual page count and percentage of content devoted to oral health and hygiene. Quality of content was operationalized as congruency with best mouth care practices. Best mouth care practices included evidence-based and consensus-based practices as published primarily by the American Dental Association and supported by both published nursing research and review articles specific to mouth care and published dental research and review articles specific to mouth care. Content devoted to oral health and hygiene averaged 0.6%. Although the quality of the content was highly variable, nearly every textbook contained some erroneous or outdated information. The most common areas for inaccuracy included the use of foam sponges for mouth care in dentate persons instead of soft toothbrushes and improper denture removal.
Thrombopoietin as Biomarker and Mediator of Cardiovascular Damage in Critical Diseases
Authors: Lupia Enrico , Goffi Alberto , Bosco Ornella , Montrucchio Giuseppe
Published: April 2012

Thrombopoietin (TPO) is a humoral growth factor originally identified for its ability to stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of megakaryocytes. In addition to its actions on thrombopoiesis, TPO directly modulates the homeostatic potential of mature platelets by influencing their response to several stimuli. In particular, TPO does not induce platelet aggregationper sebut is able to enhance platelet aggregation in response to different agonists (“priming effect”). Our research group was actively involved, in the last years, in characterizing the effects of TPO in several human critical diseases. In particular, we found that TPO enhances platelet activation and monocyte-platelet interaction in patients with unstable angina, chronic cigarette smokers, and patients with burn injury and burn injury complicated with sepsis. Moreover, we showed that TPO negatively modulates myocardial contractility by stimulating its receptor c-Mpl on cardiomyocytes and the subsequent production of NO, and it mediates the cardiodepressant activity exertedin vitroby serum of septic shock patients by cooperating with TNF-αand IL-1β. This paper will summarize the most recent results obtained by our research group on the pathogenic role of elevated TPO levels in these diseases and discuss them together with other recently published important studies on this topic.
Effect of Population Density on Timing of Oviposition and Brood Size Reduction in the Burying BeetleNicrophorus pustulatusHerschel (Coleoptera: Silphidae)
Authors: Rauter Claudia M. , Rust Renae L.
Published: April 2012

Burying beetles (Nicrophorusspp.) bury small carcasses to feed their larvae. Carcasses are a limited, high-quality resource and contests over carcasses become more frequent with increasing population density. Successful beetles kill eggs and larvae present on carcass. In response, females should accelerate oviposition, while offspring development should increase to minimize mortality. Both value of a carcass and frequency of contests decrease as larvae develop. If overproduction of offspring is an insurance against high mortality, females should reduce brood size as carcass value declines. Testing our predictions, we reared female burying beetles,Nicrophorus pustulatus, at high and low densities and compared oviposition and brood reduction. High-density females delayed oviposition, suggesting that high population density imposes nutritional and/or physiological stress. Females responded to the physiological constraints and the potentially high mortality rates of eggs and newly hatched larvae by lengthening oviposition period and changing brood reduction rate.
Antidepressant-Like Activity of the Ethanolic Extract fromUncaria lanosaWallich var.appendiculataRidsd in the Forced Swimming Test and in the Tail Suspension Test in Mice
Authors: Hsu Lieh-Ching , Ko Yu-Jen , Cheng Hao-Yuan , Chang Ching-Wen , Lin Yu-Chin , Cheng Ying-Hui , Hsieh Ming-Tsuen , Peng Wen Huang
Published: April 2012

This study investigated the antidepressant activity of ethanolic extract ofU. lanosaWallich var.appendiculataRidsd (ULEtOH) for two-weeks administrations by using FST and TST on mice. In order to understand the probable mechanism of antidepressant-like activity of ULEtOHin FST and TST, the researchers measured the levels of monoamines and monoamine oxidase activities in mice brain, and combined the antidepressant drugs (fluoxetine, imipramine, maprotiline, clorgyline, bupropion and ketanserin). Lastly, the researchers analyzed the content of RHY in the ULEtOH. The results showed that ULEtOHexhibited antidepressant-like activity in FST and TST in mice. ULEtOHincreased the levels of 5-HT and 5-HIAA in cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, the levels of NE and MHPG in cortex and hippocampus, the level of NE in striatum, and the level of DOPAC in striatum. Two-week injection of IMI, CLO, FLU and KET enhanced the antidepressant-like activity of ULEtOH. ULEtOHinhibited the activity of MAO-A. The amount of RHY in ULEtOHwas 17.12 mg/g extract. Our findings support the view that ULEtOHexerts antidepressant-like activity. The antidepressant-like mechanism of ULEtOHmay be related to the increase in monoamines levels in the hippocampus, cortex, striatum, and hypothalamus of mice.
Cytosolic Double-Stranded DNA as a Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern Induces the Inflammatory Response in Rat Pancreatic Stellate Cells: A Plausible Mechanism for Tissue Injury-Associated Pancreatitis
Authors: Nakamura Taichi , Ito Tetsuhide , Igarashi Hisato , Uchida Masahiko , Hijioka Masayuki , Oono Takamasa , Fujimori Nao , Niina Yusuke , Suzuki Koichi , Jensen Robert T. , Takayanagi Ryoichi
Published: April 2012

Pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of unknown causes. There are many triggers causing pancreatitis, such as alcohol, common bile duct stone, virus and congenital or acquired stenosis of main pancreatic duct, which often involve tissue injuries. Pancreatitis often occurs in sterile condition, where the dead/dying pancreatic parenchymal cells and the necrotic tissues derived from self-digested-pancreas were observed. However, the causal relationship between tissue injury and pancreatitis and how tissue injury could induce the inflammation of the pancreas were not elucidated fully until now. This study demonstrates that cytosolic double-stranded DNA increases the expression of several inflammatory genes (cytokines, chemokines, type I interferon, and major histocompatibility complex) in rat pancreatic stellate cells. Furthermore, these increase accompanied the multiple signal molecules genes, such as interferon regulatory factors, nuclear factor-kappa B, low-molecular-weight protein 2, and transporter associated with antigen processing 1. We suggest that this phenomenon is a plausible mechanism that might explain how cell damage of the pancreas or tissue injury triggers acute, chronic, and autoimmune pancreatitis; it is potentially relevant to host immune responses induced during alcohol consumption or other causes.
From Local Adaptation to Speciation: Specialization and Reinforcement
Authors: Lenormand Thomas
Published: April 2012

Local adaptation is the first step in the process of ecological speciation. It is, however, an unstable and dynamic situation. It can be strengthened by the occurrence of alleles more specialized to the different habitats or vanish if generalist alleles arise by mutations and increase in frequency. This process can have complicated dynamics as specialist alleles may be much more common and may maintain local adaptation for a long time. Thus, even in the absence of an absolute fitness tradeoff between habitats, local adaptation may persist a long time before vanishing. Furthermore, several feedback loops can help to maintain it (the reinforcement, demographic, and recombination loops). This reinforcement can occur by modifying one of the three fundamental steps in a sexual life cycle (dispersal, syngamy, meiosis), which promotes genetic clustering by causing specific genetic associations. Distinguishing these mechanisms complements the one- versus two-allele classification. Overall, the relative rates of the two processes (specialization and reinforcement) dictate whether ecological speciation will occur.
Preliminary Study of Optimum Piezoelectric Cross-Ply Composites for Energy Harvesting
Authors: Betts David N. , Kim H. Alicia , Bowen Christopher R.
Published: April 2012

Energy harvesting devices based on a piezoelectric material attached to asymmetric bistable laminate plates have been shown to exhibit high levels of power extraction over a wide range of frequencies. This paper optimizes for the design of bistable composites combined with piezoelectrics for energy harvesting applications. The electrical energy generated during state-change, or “snap-through,” is maximized through variation in ply thicknesses and rectangular laminate edge lengths. The design is constrained by a bistability constraint and limits on both the magnitude of deflection and the force required for the reversible actuation. Optimum solutions are obtained for differing numbers of plies and the numerical investigation results are discussed.
Different Structures of PVA Nanofibrous Membrane for Sound Absorption Application
Authors: Mohrova Jana , Kalinova Klara
Published: April 2012

The thin nanofibrous layer has different properties in the field of sound absorption in comparison with porous fibrous material which works on a principle of friction of air particles in contact with walls of pores. In case of the thin nanofibrous layer, which represents a sound absorber here, the energy of sonic waves is absorbed by the principle of membrane resonance. The structure of the membrane can play an important role in the process of converting the sonic energy to a different energy type. The vibration system acts differently depending on the presence of smooth fibers in the structure, amount of partly merged fibers, or structure of polymer foil as extreme. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as a polymer because of its good water solubility. It is possible to influence the structure of nanofibrous layer during the production process thanks to this property of polyvinyl alcohol.
Congenital Simple Hamartoma of Retinal Pigment Epithelium: Clinical and Imaging Findings
Authors: Teke Mehmet Yasin , Özdal Pinar Ç. , Batioglu Figen , Elgin Ufuk , Öztürk Faruk
Published: April 2012

Congenital simple hamartoma of retinal pigment epithelium (CSHRPE) is a rare, asymptomatic, and incidentally detected benign lesion. However, it is very important to do the differential diagnosis from other pigmented retinal lesions. Its clinical presentation and imaging findings are very helpful in doing this differentiation. This paper presents clinical and imaging findings of a 56-year-old woman with incidentally detected CSHRPE. The lesion was small, heavily pigmented, well circumscribed, and slightly elevated. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning was diagnostic and showed an elevated retina at the site of the lesion, increased optical reflectivity on its inner surface, optical shadowing of deeper structures, and clearly cut tumor margins. Ocular ultrasonography, fluorescein angiography, and fundus autofluorescence imaging which is firstly described in this report did not show any characteristic finding.
The Influence of Autonomic Dysfunction Associated with Aging and Type 2 Diabetes on Daily Life Activities
Authors: Petrofsky Jerrold , Berk Lee , Al-Nakhli Hani
Published: April 2012

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and ageing have well documented effects on every organ in the body. In T2D the autonomic nervous system is impaired due to damage to neurons, sensory receptors, synapses and the blood vessels. This paper will concentrate on how autonomic impairment alters normal daily activities. Impairments include the response of the blood vessels to heat, sweating, heat transfer, whole body heating, orthostatic intolerance, balance, and gait. Because diabetes is more prevalent in older individuals, the effects of ageing will be examined. Beginning with endothelial dysfunction, blood vessels have impairment in their ability to vasodilate. With this and synaptic damage, the autonomic nervous system cannot compensate for effectors such as pressure on and heating of the skin. This and reduced ability of the heart to respond to stress, reduces autonomic orthostatic compensation. Diminished sweating causes the skin and core temperature to be high during whole body heating. Impaired orthostatic tolerance, impaired vision and vestibular sensing, causes poor balance and impaired gait. Overall, people with T2D must be made aware and counseled relative to the potential consequence of these impairments.
Primary Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Testis
Authors: Azuma Takeshi , Matayoshi Yukihide , Nagase Yasushi
Published: April 2012

Ovarian-type surface epithelial neoplasms of the testis and paratestis are uncommon, and the mucinous subtype is particularly rare. These tumors represent a counterpart to ovarian cancer. Malignant tumors have the potential for metastatic spread and are often fatal. The case of a 59-year-old man with testicular mucinous adenocarcinoma is presented. Computed tomography indicated involvement of the paraaortic and pelvic lymph nodes, so chemotherapy was initiated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second paper regarding responsiveness to chemotherapies used in ovarian cancer.
Lifestyle Influence on the Content of Copper, Zinc and Rubidium in Wild Mushrooms
Authors: Campos J. A. , De Toro J. A. , Pérez de los Reyes C. , Amorós J. A. , García-Moreno R.
Published: April 2012

The concentration of 18 trace elements in several species of fungi (arranged in three groups: ectomycorrhizae, saprobes, and epiphytes) has been determined. The measurements were made using the methodology of X-ray fluorescence. Higher contents of Cu and Rb (with statistical support) have been found in the ectomycorrhizal species. The Zn content reached higher concentrations in the saprophytic species. According to the normality test and the search for outliers, the speciesClitocybe maximaandSuillus belliniaccumulate large amounts of Cu and Rb, respectively, so that both can be named as “outliers.” The leftwards displacement of the density curves and their nonnormality are attributed to the presence of these two species, which exhibit hyperaccumulation skills for Cu and Rb, respectively. Regarding Zn absorption, no particular species were classified as outlier; therefore it can be assumed that the observed differences between the different groups of fungi are due to differences in their nutritional physiology.
Use of Iron (II) Salts and Complexes for the Production of Soil Amendments from Organic Solid Wastes
Authors: Beneduci Amerigo , Costa Ilaria , Chidichimo Giuseppe
Published: April 2012

A method to obtain rapidly stabilized composts for crops from solid organic wastes is evaluated. Here we used a laboratory scale reaction chamber where solid waste treatment was performed under strictly controlled temperature and pressure conditions. The row organic waste was mixed with acid solutions containing iron (II) ions either in the fully hydrated form or in the form of complexes with the diethylentriaminopentaacetic acid. Data from elemental analysis distribution and GC/MS analysis of the polar and non polar dissolved organic matter, clearly showed that Fe(II) ions significantly enhance organic substrate oxidation of the initial solid waste, compared to a material obtained without the addition of the Fe(II) ions to the raw organic matrix. These results suggest that Fe(II) ions might be involved in a catalytic oxidation pathway that would be activated under the experimental conditions used. The extent of the oxidation process was evaluated by the value of the C/N ratio and, qualitatively, by the molecular composition of the dissolved organic matter. After about 6 hours of incubation, dark-brown and dry organic matrices were obtained with C/N ratio as low as 12 and a high degree of oxidative decomposition into low-molecular-weight compounds at high oxidation state.
Ultrawideband Technology in Medicine: A Survey
Authors: Chávez-Santiago R. , Balasingham I. , Bergsland J.
Published: April 2012

The utilization of wireless technology in traditional medical services provides patients with enhanced mobility. This has a positive effect on the recovery speed of a person after major surgical procedures or prolonged illness. Ultrawideband (UWB) radio signals have inherent characteristics that make them highly suitable for less invasive medical applications. This paper surveys our own and related recent research on UWB technology for medical sensing and communications. Some research perspectives in the aforementioned topics are suggested too.
Role of the Radiotherapy Boost on Local Control in Ductal CarcinomaIn Situ
Authors: Riou Olivier , Lemanski Claire , Guillaumon Vanessa , Lauche Olivier , Fenoglietto Pascal , Dubois Jean-Bernard , Azria David
Published: April 2012

Ductal carcinomain situof the breast is associated with low mortality rates, but local relapse is a matter of concern in this disease. Risk factors for local relapse include young age, close or positive margins, and tumor necrosis. Whole breast irradiation following breast-conserving surgery for ductal carcinomain situsignificantly reduces the risk of local relapse as compared to breast-conserving surgery alone. Studies point to similar outcomes between breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy and mastectomy, in the absence of extensive disease. A complementary boost to the surgical bed improves outcomes for patients with invasive breast cancer. However, the effect of this strategy has never been prospectively reported for ductal carcinomain situ. Two randomized controlled trials assessing this issue are ongoing. This paper represents an update on available literature about radiotherapy for DCIS with a special focus on the role of a radiotherapy boost to the tumor bed.
Coronary Subclavian Steal Syndrome Unamenable to Angioplasty Successfully Managed with Subclavian-Subclavian Bypass
Authors: Tariq Saad , Tuladhar Swosty , Wingfield Edward , Poblete Honesto
Published: April 2012

Purpose. Coronary-subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS) is defined as a reversal of flow in a previously constructed internal mammary artery (IMA) coronary conduit, producing myocardial ischemia. We present a case of CSSS which could not be ameliorated with endovascular therapy and necessitated a subclavian-subclavian bypass.Case Report. 80-year-old Caucasian male with history of CABG presented with syncope. He had absent left-sided radial pulse with blood pressure being 60/40 on left arm and 130/80 on the right. He underwent cardiac catheterization for NSTEMI which showed patent left internal mammary artery graft to left anterior descending coronary artery with retrograde flow, and diagnosis of coronary subclavian steal syndrome was made. Complete occlusion of proximal left subclavian artery was identified. Percutaneous angioplasty failed because of calcified plaque causing 100% occlusion. Carotid doppler showed bilateral carotid artery disease. He finally underwent subclavian-subclavian bypass which resolved his condition.Conclusion. Subclavian-subclavian bypass is a successful alternative to carotid-subclavian bypass for management of CSSS especially with concomitant critical carotid artery atherosclerotic disease.
Virus‐Assembled Flexible Electrode‐Electrolyte Interfaces for Enhanced Polymer‐Based Battery Applications
Authors: Ghosh Ayan , Guo Juchen , Brown Adam D. , Royston Elizabeth , Wang Chunsheng , Kofinas Peter , Culver James N.
Published: April 2012

High‐aspect‐ratio cobalt‐oxide‐coated Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV‐) assembled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nonstick surfaces were integrated with a solvent‐free polymer electrolyte to create an anode‐electrolyte interface for use in lithium‐ion batteries. The virus‐assembled PTFE surfaces consisted primarily of cobalt oxide and were readily intercalated with a low‐molecular‐weight poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) based diblock copolymer electrolyte to produce a solid anode‐electrolyte system. The resulting polymer‐coated virus‐based system was then peeled from the PTFE backing to produce a flexible electrode‐electrolyte component. Electrochemical studies indicated the virus‐structured metal‐oxide PEO‐based interface was stable and displayed robust charge transfer kinetics. Combined, these studies demonstrate the development of a novel solid‐state electrode architecture with a unique peelable and flexible processing attribute.
Ecological Gradients Influencing Waterbird Communities in Black Water Lakes in the Anavilhanas Archipelago, Central Amazonia
Authors: Cintra Renato
Published: April 2012

For the first time, and in a large spatial scale, the influence of ecological properties on the aquatic bird community of black water lakes in Brazilian Amazonia is evaluated. Bird surveys were conducted in 45 lakes. A total of 3626 individuals in 48 bird species were recorded; of these, 31 are aquatic, and 18 of these are primarily piscivorous. Bird richness and abundance were not significantly related to lake shape and productivity but were influenced by hydrological period (low versus high), water depth, transparency, lake isolation, and habitat richness. Matrices of bird species by lake were subjected to multivariate analyses (NMDS) to evaluate how these parameters influence bird community. The variation in bird species composition was positively correlated to lake depth and isolation and negatively correlated to water transparency and habitat richness. The results indicate that period, lake physical characteristics (depth, water transparency), isolation, and habitat richness are determinants of aquatic bird community composition in the black water lake systems of Amazonia.
A Hybrid Extragradient‐Like Method for Variational Inequalities, Equilibrium Problems, and an Infinitely Family of Strictly Pseudocontractive Mappings
Authors: Wang Yaqin , Xu Hongkun , Fang Xiaoli
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this paper is to consider a new scheme by the hybrid extragradient‐like method for finding a common element of the set of solutions of a generalized mixed equilibrium problem, the set of solutions of a variational inequality, and the set of fixed points of an infinitely family of strictly pseudocontractive mappings in Hilbert spaces. Then, we obtain a strong convergence theorem of the iterative sequence generated by the proposed iterative algorithm. Our results extend and improve the results of Issara Inchan (2010) and many others.
Synthesis of Hollow CdS-TiO2Microspheres with Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Huo Yuning , Zhang Jia , Chen Xiaofang , Li Hexing
Published: April 2012

CdS-TiO2composite photocatalyst in the shape of hollow microsphere was successfully synthesized via the hard-template preparation with polystyrene microspheres followed by ion-exchange approach. The hollow CdS-TiO2microspheres significantly extended the light adsorption into visible light region, comparing to TiO2microspheres. It led to much higher photocatalytic activities of hollow CdS-TiO2microspheres than that of TiO2during the photodegradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiations. Furthermore, the well-remained hollow structure could achieve light multireflection within the interior cavities and the separation of photo-induced electrons and holes is efficient in CdS-TiO2, which were facilitated to improving the photoactivity.
Nutrition and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The Significance of Cholesterol
Authors: Enjoji Munechika , Yasutake Kenichiro , Kohjima Motoyuki , Nakamuta Makoto
Published: April 2012

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease that ranges in severity from simple steatosis to cirrhosis. NAFLD is considered to be associated with hepatic metabolic disorders, resulting in overaccumulation of fatty acids/triglycerides and cholesterol. The pathogenesis and progression of NAFLD are generally explained by the “two-hit theory.” Most studies of lipid metabolism in the NAFLD liver have focused on the metabolism of fatty acids/triglycerides; therefore, the impact of cholesterol metabolism is still ambiguous. In this paper, we review recent studies on NAFLD from the viewpoint of hepatic lipid metabolism-associated factors and discuss the impact of disordered cholesterol metabolism in the etiology of NAFLD. The clinical significance of managing cholesterol metabolism, an option for the treatment of NAFLD, is also discussed.
Photoreceptor Differentiation following Transplantation of Allogeneic Retinal Progenitor Cells to the Dystrophic Rhodopsin Pro347Leu Transgenic Pig
Authors: Klassen H. , Kiilgaard J. F. , Warfvinge K. , Samuel M. S. , Prather R. S. , Wong F. , Petters R. M. , la Cour M. , Young M. J.
Published: April 2012

Purpose. Transplantation of stem, progenitor, or precursor cells has resulted in photoreceptor replacement and evidence of functional efficacy in rodent models of retinal degeneration. Ongoing work has been directed toward the replication of these results in a large animal model, namely, the pig.Methods. Retinal progenitor cells were derived from the neural retina of GFP-transgenic pigs and transplanted to the subretinal space of rhodopsin Pro347Leu-transgenic allorecipients, in the early stage of the degeneration and the absence of immune suppression.Results. Results confirm the survival of allogeneic porcine RPCs without immune suppression in the setting of photoreceptor dystrophy. The expression of multiple photoreceptor markers by grafted cells included the rod outer segment-specific marker ROM-1. Further evidence of photoreceptor differentiation included the presence of numerous photoreceptor rosettes within GFP-positive grafts, indicative of the development of cellular polarity and self-assembly into rudiments of outer retinal tissue.Conclusion. Together, these data support the tolerance of RPCs as allografts and demonstrate the high level of rod photoreceptor development that can be obtained from cultured RPCs following transplantation. Strategies for further progress in this area, together with possible functional implications, are discussed.
A Network Coding Based Rarest-First Packet Recovery Algorithm for Transmitting Geocast Packets over Hybrid Sensor-Vehicular Networks
Authors: Hsu Tz-Heng , Lo Ying-Chen
Published: April 2012

Vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) and road-side sensors are used to improve driving safety in many applications. Sensor nodes deployed along the roadside are used to sense road conditions and then deliver information about dangerous conditions to vehicles. In hybrid sensor-vehicular networks, new challenges arise and should be addressed. Geocasting can be used to perform the regional broadcast to deliver geographic-related safety, commercials, and advertisements messages. The challenging problem in geocasting is how to deliver packets to all the nodes within the geocast region with high efficiency but low overhead. Network coding is a special in-network data-processing technique that can potentially increase the network capacity and packet throughput in wireless networking environments. In this paper, a network coding based rarest-first packet recovery algorithm for transmitting geocast packets over hybrid sensor-vehicular-networks is proposed. The proposed algorithm can increase packet delivered ratio at each mobile node. As a result, the safety and transmission efficiency can be achieved simultaneously.
Formulation Strategies, Characterization, and In Vitro Evaluation of Lecithin-Based Nanoparticles for siRNA Delivery
Authors: Pérez Sebastián Ezequiel , Gándola Yamila , Carlucci Adriana Mónica , González Lorena , Turyn Daniel , Bregni Carlos
Published: April 2012

The aim of the present work was to take advantage of lecithin’s biocompatibility along with its physicochemical properties for the preparation of lecithin-based nanocarriers for small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery. Water lecithin dispersions were prepared in different conditions, loaded with siRNA at different N/P ratios, and evaluated for loading capacity. The most appropriate ones were then assayed for cytotoxicity and characterized in terms of particle size distribution, zeta potential, and morphology. Results demonstrated that formulations prepared at pH 5.0 and 7.0 were able to load siRNA at broad N/P ratios, and cellular uptake assays showed an efficient delivery of oligos in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells; fluorescent-labeled dsRNA mainly located next to its target, near the nucleus of the cells. No signs of toxicity were observed for broad compositions of lecithin. The physicochemical characterization of the siRNA-loaded dispersions exhibited particles of nanometric sizes and pH-dependant shapes, which make them suitable for ex vivo and in vivo further evaluation.
Xanthoma of Bone: A Case Report
Authors: Guerrouj Hasnae , Mouaden Ayat , BenRais Nouzha
Published: April 2012

Bone xanthoma is a rare disease due to the presence of cholesterol deposits in the bone. We report a case of a 56-year-old patient who was hospitalized in orthopedic department for fracture on the left humerus. Histological examination of bone biopsy performed at this site has objectified cholesterol deposits. Laboratory tests showed hypercholesterolemia with hypertriglyceridemia. The diagnosis of bone xanthoma was selected. The fracture was treated surgically. An initial bone scan revealed bone lesions localized especially at the humerus and femur. The patient was put under fenofibrate and statins. The evolution was marked by gradual regression of lesions in bone scans of control.
Katabatic Flows and Their Relation to the Formation of Convective Clouds—Idealized Case Studies
Authors: Trachte Katja , Bendix Joerg
Published: April 2012

The formation of a convective cloud system as a result of a katabatic-induced surface cold front at the eastern Andes Mountains of South America was investigated in a numerical model study. The occurrence of this cloud system is hypothesized to be a consequence of converging cold-air drainage from slopes and valleys resulting from the concave shape of the terrain. Simplified terrain configurations were applied to three different atmospheric experiments to determine the influence of the terrain and the ambient stratification on the underlying processes. The simulation demonstrated the occurrence of a convective cloud, but not in every simulation. The initial stable stratification experiment did not initiate convective activity. Further analysis of the development of the convective cells confirmed the terrain’s impact, but it also showed a dependence on atmospheric conditions. The katabatic flows and the surface fluxes from which they are induced are sensitive to the ambient stratification, which was seen when only a weak cold front developed in response to a decrease in the surface inversion and the downslope velocity. On the basis of specific characteristics of katabatic flows and the heat-exchange budget, the presence of these flows and their significance as the driving force behind the cloud-formation process were confirmed.
Detailed Investigation of the Self-Aggregation of Convection in Cloud-Resolving Simulations
Authors: Muller Caroline J. , Held Isaac M.
Published: April 2012

In models of radiative–convective equilibrium it is known that convection can spontaneously aggregate into one single localized moist region if the domain is large enough. The large changes in the mean climate state and radiative fluxes accompanying this self-aggregation raise questions as to what simulations at lower resolutions with parameterized convection, in similar homogeneous geometries, should be expected to produce to be considered successful in mimicking a cloud-resolving model.

The authors investigate this self-aggregation in a nonrotating, three-dimensional cloud-resolving model on a square domain without large-scale forcing. It is found that self-aggregation is sensitive not only to the domain size, but also to the horizontal resolution. With horizontally homogeneous initial conditions, convective aggregation only occurs on domains larger than about 200km and with resolutions coarser than about 2km in the model examined. The system exhibits hysteresis, so that with aggregated initial conditions, convection remains aggregated even at our finest resolution, 500m, as long as the domain is greater than 200–300km.

The sensitivity of self-aggregation to resolution and domain size in this model is due to the sensitivity of the distribution of low clouds to these two parameters. Indeed, the mechanism responsible for the aggregation of convection is the dynamical response to the longwave radiative cooling from low clouds. Strong longwave cooling near cloud top in dry regions forces downward motion, which by continuity generates inflow near cloud top and near-surface outflow from dry regions. This circulation results in the net export of moist static energy from regions with low moist static energy, yielding a positive feedback.
An Improved Dynamical Downscaling Method with GCM Bias Corrections and Its Validation with 30 Years of Climate Simulations
Authors: Xu Zhongfeng , Yang Zong-Liang
Published: April 2012

An improved dynamical downscaling method (IDD) with general circulation model (GCM) bias corrections is developed and assessed over North America. A set of regional climate simulations is performed with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) version 3.3 embedded in the National Center for Atmospheric Research's (NCAR's) Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). The GCM climatological means and the amplitudes of interannual variations are adjusted based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)–NCAR global reanalysis products (NNRP) before using them to drive WRF. In this study, the WRF downscaling experiments are identical except the initial and lateral boundary conditions derived from the NNRP, original GCM output, and bias-corrected GCM output, respectively. The analysis finds that the IDD greatly improves the downscaled climate in both climatological means and extreme events relative to the traditional dynamical downscaling approach (TDD). The errors of downscaled climatological mean air temperature, geopotential height, wind vector, moisture, and precipitation are greatly reduced when the GCM bias corrections are applied. In the meantime, IDD also improves the downscaled extreme events characterized by the reduced errors in 2-yr return levels of surface air temperature and precipitation. In comparison with TDD, IDD is also able to produce a more realistic probability distribution in summer daily maximum temperature over the central U.S.–Canada region as well as in summer and winter daily precipitation over the middle and eastern United States.
An Inversion of Acoustical Attenuation Measurements to Deduce Bubble Populations
Authors: Czerski H.
Published: April 2012

Measurement of natural bubble populations is required for many areas of ocean science. Acoustical methods have considerable potential for achieving this goal because bubbles scatter sound strongly close to their natural frequency, which depends largely on the bubble radius. The principle of using bulk acoustical attenuation caused by a bubble population to infer the number and size of bubbles present is well established, and appropriate methods for measuring broadband acoustical attenuation are also well developed. However, the numerical methods currently used to invert the acoustical attenuation to get the bubble size distribution are complex and time consuming. In this paper, a method for the inversion is presented that uses the physics of bubble resonance to restructure the problem so that it can be accurately carried out using a simple matrix inversion. This inversion method produces results that are correct to within a few percent over two orders of magnitude of bubble size. The most significant remaining issue for acoustical bubble measurement is the potential presence of bubbles that are resonant outside the measurement frequency range. The mathematical structure outlined here considerably simplifies the investigation of this problem, and calculations are presented that show this effect to be minor in many cases.