bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early marriage, poor reproductive health status of mother and child well-being in India
Authors: Prakash Ravi , Singh Abhishek , Pathak Praveen Kumar , Parasuraman Sulabha
Published: June 2011

Background and methodology

Early marriage, women's poor reproductive health and child well-being are important areas of concern, especially in developing countries like India. Data from the third wave of National Family Health Survey (NFHS, 2005–2006) was used to examine the effects of early marriage on the reproductive health status of women and on the well-being of their children. Bivariate analyses, multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used for analyses.

Results

The results show that early age at marriage had detrimental effects on the reproductive health status of women. Women married at an early age were exposed to frequent childbearing, unplanned motherhood and abortions, which negatively affected their nutritional status. Children born to mothers with poor reproductive health had lower chances of survival and a higher likelihood of anthropometric failure (i.e. stunting, wasting and underweight).

Discussion and conclusions

Programmes should focus on delaying entry of adolescents into wedlock and motherhood through information, education and communication. More emphasis needs to be put on meeting the reproductive needs of poor adolescent mothers, and improving the nutritional status of their children, to break the vicious circle of poor reproductive health and poverty.
Pharmacokinetics of butorphanol in broiler chickens
Authors: Singh P. M. , Johnson C. , Gartrell B. , Mitchinson S. , Chambers P.
Published: June 2011

Butorphanol tartrate (2 mg/kg) was injected intravenously in 18 healthy broiler chickens to study its pharmacokinetics. Plasma samples were analysed by a highly sensitive high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode‐array detection method and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from the mean pooled data. With non‐compartmental analysis, the terminal half‐life (T1/2.z) was 71.3 minutes, clearance was 67.6 ml/minute/kg and the apparent volume of distribution was 6.9 l/kg. The concentration‐time curve was also fitted to a two‐compartmental model. In this analysis, elimination half‐life (T1/2β) was 69.3 minutes, clearance was 74.6 ml/minute/kg and volume of distribution at steady state was 5.6 l/kg. The micro rate constants k21, k12and k10were 0.034, 0.050 and 0.029, respectively. Butorphanol was well distributed in the chickens with rapid clearance. It remained above the minimum effective concentration for analgesia in mammals for approximately two hours in the chickens.
κ-DEFORMED DIRAC EQUATION
Authors: HARIKUMAR E. , SIVAKUMAR M. , SRINIVAS N.
Published: June 2011

We construct a Dirac equation in κ-Minkowski spacetime and analyze its implications. This κ-deformed Dirac equation is expanded as a power series involving derivatives with respect to commutative coordinates and the deformation parameter, a. We show that the κ-deformation breaks the charge conjugation invariance but preserves parity and time reversal. We then study how the hydrogen atom spectrum is modified due to the κ-deformation, applying perturbation theory. Using this, we obtain bounds on the deformation parameter a, which are a few orders higher than the Planck length. We also show that the effects of deformation on the spectrum are distinct from that of Moyal deformation and generalized uncertainty principle.
FIRST RESULTS FROM THE 2010 pp RUN AND PERFORMANCE OF THE CMS EXPERIMENT
Authors: LEONIDOPOULOS CHRISTOS
Published: June 2011

In 2010, the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at LHC recorded over 45 pb-1 of pp collision data at [Formula: see text]. The large collected datasets are of very high quality and have been used to commission and calibrate the CMS detector, with the achieved performance close to the TDR specifications. CMS has re-established all the major Standard Model processes in the 2010 Run and is entering new territory in searches for New Physics, with sensitivity already exceeding that at LEP and TeVatron.
PROCEDURE FOR GENERATING EQUATIONS IN LINEAR SIGMA MODEL
Authors: FARIBORZ AMIR H.
Published: June 2011

A procedure for implementation of the generating equations in the linear sigma model of low energy QCD is presented. For any explicit symmetry breaking term, this procedure computes the masses of scalar and pseudoscalar mesons as well as various three-point and four-point interaction vertices that are needed in calculation of different decay widths and scattering amplitudes.
THE TRACE ANOMALY AND THE GRAVITATIONAL COUPLING OF AN ANOMALOUS U(1)
Authors: ARMILLIS ROBERTA , CORIANÒ CLAUDIO , DELLE ROSE LUIGI , MANNI LUIGI
Published: June 2011

We extend a previous computation of the TJJ correlator, involving the energy–momentum tensor of an Abelian gauge theory and two vector currents (J ≡ JV), to the case of mixed axial-vector/vector currents (JA). The study is performed in analogy to the case of the AVV vertex for the chiral anomaly. We derive the general structure of the anomalous Ward identities and provide explicit tests of their consistency using Dimensional Reduction. Mixed massive correlators of the form TJV JA are shown to vanish both by Ward identities and by C-invariance. The result is characterized by the appearance of massless scalar degrees of freedom in the coupling of chiral and vector theories to gravity, affecting both the soft and the ultraviolet region of the vertex. This is in agreement with previous studies of the effective action of gauge and conformal anomalies in QED and QCD.
ABSOLUTELY CONTINUOUS COMPENSATORS
Authors: JANSON SVANTE , M'BAYE SOKHNA , PROTTER PHILIP
Published: June 2011

We give sufficient conditions on the underlying filtration such that all totally inaccessible stopping times have compensators which are absolutely continuous. If a semimartingale, strong Markov process X has a representation as a solution of a stochastic differential equation driven by a Wiener process, Lebesgue measure, and a Poisson random measure, then all compensators of totally inaccessible stopping times are absolutely continuous with respect to the minimal filtration generated by X. However Çinlar and Jacod have shown that all semimartingale strong Markov processes, up to a change of time and slightly of space, have such a representation.
OPTIMAL TRADE EXECUTION UNDER GEOMETRIC BROWNIAN MOTION IN THE ALMGREN AND CHRISS FRAMEWORK
Authors: GATHERAL JIM , SCHIED ALEXANDER
Published: June 2011

With an alternative choice of risk criterion, we solve the HJB equation explicitly to find a closed-form solution for the optimal trade execution strategy in the Almgren–Chriss framework assuming the underlying unaffected stock price process is geometric Brownian motion.
MANAGING CORPORATE LIQUIDITY: STRATEGIES AND PRICING IMPLICATIONS
Authors: ASVANUNT ATTAKRIT , BROADIE MARK , SUNDARESAN SURESH
Published: June 2011

Defaults arising from illiquidity can lead to private workouts, formal bankruptcy proceedings or even liquidation. All these outcomes can result in deadweight losses. Corporate illiquidity in the presence of realistic capital market frictions can be managed by (a) equity dilution, (b) carrying positive cash balances, or (c) entering into loan commitments with a syndicate of lenders. An efficient way to manage illiquidity is to rely on mechanisms that transfer cash from "good states" into "bad states" (i.e., financial distress) without wasting liquidity in the process. In this paper, we first investigate the impact of costly equity dilution as a method to deal with illiquidity, and characterize its effects on corporate debt prices and optimal capital structure. We show that equity dilution produces lower firm value in general. Next, we consider two alternative mechanisms: cash balances and loan commitments. Abstracting from future investment opportunities and share re-purchases, which are strong reasons for corporate cash holdings, we show that carrying positive cash balances for managing illiquidity is in general inefficient relative to entering into loan commitments, since cash balances (a) may have agency costs, (b) reduce the riskiness of the firm thereby lowering the option value to default, (c) postpone or reduce dividends in good states, and (d) tend to inject liquidity in both good and bad states. Loan commitments, on the other hand, (a) reduce agency costs, and (b) permit injection of liquidity in bad states as and when needed. Then, we study the trade-offs between these alternative approaches to managing corporate illiquidity. We show that loan commitments can lead to an improvement in overall welfare and reduction in spreads on existing debt for a broad range of parameter values. We derive explicit pricing formulas for debt and equity prices. In addition, we characterize the optimal draw down strategy for loan commitments, and study its impact on optimal capital structure.
FORWARD AND FUTURE IMPLIED VOLATILITY
Authors: GLASSERMAN PAUL , WU QI
Published: June 2011

We address the problem of defining and calculating forward volatility implied by option prices when the underlying asset is driven by a stochastic volatility process. We examine alternative notions of forward implied volatility and the information required to extract these measures from the prices of European options at fixed maturities. We then specialize to the SABR model and show how the asymptotic expansion of the bivariate transition density in Wu (forthcoming) allows calibration of the SABR model with piecewise constant parameters and calculation of forward volatility. We then investigate empirically whether current option prices at multiple maturities contain useful information in predicting future option prices and future implied volatility. We undertake this investigation using data on options on the euro-dollar, sterling-dollar, and dollar-yen exchange rates. We find that prices across maturities do indeed have predictive value. Moreover, we find that model-based forward volatility extracts this predicative information better than a standard "model-free" measure of forward volatility and better than spot implied volatility. The enhancement to out-of-sample forecasting accuracy gained from model-based forward volatility is greatest at longer forecasting horizons.
UPDATE-ENABLED TRIPLIFICATION OF RELATIONAL DATA INTO VIRTUAL RDF STORES
Authors: RAMANUJAM SUNITHA , KHADILKAR VAIBHAV , KHAN LATIFUR , KANTARCIOGLU MURAT , THURAISINGHAM BHAVANI , SEIDA STEVEN
Published: June 2011

The current buzzword in the Internet community is the Semantic Web initiative proposed by the W3C to yield a Web that is more flexible and self-adapting. However, for the Semantic Web initiative to become a reality, heterogeneous data sources need to be integrated in order to enable access to them in a homogeneous manner. Since a vast majority of data currently resides in relational databases, integrating relational data sources with semantic web technologies is at the top of the list of activities required to realize the semantic web vision. Several efforts exist that publish relational data as Resource Description Framework (RDF) triples; however almost all current work in this arena is uni-directional, presenting data from an underlying relational database into a corresponding virtual RDF store in a read-only manner. An enhancement over previous relational-to-RDF bridging work in the form of bi-directionality support is presented in this paper. The bi-directional bridge proposed here allows RDF data updates specified as triples to be propagated back into the underlying relational database as tuples. Towards this end, we present various algorithms to translate the triples to be updated/inserted/deleted into equivalent relational attributes/tuples whenever possible. Particular emphasis is laid, in this paper, on the translation and update propagation process for triples containing blank nodes and reification nodes, and a platform enhanced with our algorithms, called D2RQ++, through which bi-directional translation can be achieved, is presented.
EVENT AND TEMPORAL EXPRESSION EXTRACTION FROM RAW TEXT: FIRST STEP TOWARDS A TEMPORALLY AWARE SYSTEM
Authors: UZZAMAN NAUSHAD , ALLEN JAMES F.
Published: June 2011

Extracting temporal information from raw text is fundamental for deep language understanding, and key to many applications like question answering, information extraction, and document summarization. Our long-term goal is to build complete temporal structure of documents and use the temporal structure in other applications like textual entailment, question answering, visualization, or others. In this paper, we present a first step, a system for extracting events, event features, main events, temporal expressions and their normalized values from raw text. Our system is a combination of deep semantic parsing with extraction rules, Markov Logic Network classifiers and Conditional Random Field classifiers. To compare with existing systems, we evaluated our system on the TempEval-1 and TempEval-2 corpus. Our system outperforms or performs competitively with existing systems that evaluate on the TimeBank, TempEval-1 and TempEval-2 corpus and our performance is very close to inter-annotator agreement of the TimeBank annotators.
APPLYING SYNTACTICAL INFORMATION IN WEB SEARCH
Authors: WANG SHU , SHEU PHILLIP C.-Y.
Published: June 2011

Web search could be much facilitated if we can better relate the user intention with the meaning of the web content. In this paper, we first survey the various existing methods, focusing on the dilemma that obtaining high accuracy results usually sacrifices the response time. We then propose a novel information retrieval framework to combine keyword-based search and search based on syntactical information. In particular, we design a sequential structure called LSC (Language Sequential Component) to encode syntactical information. Given a sentence, LSC provides a bridge from its syntactical representation and semantic meaning. We also propose a learning algorithm to obtain the LSCs from a training set, a classification algorithm to find the relevant LSCs from a user query to interpret the intentions of the user, and a search framework (called Semantic Search Engine) to incorporate syntactical information into a keyword based search system. Our experiments show the Semantic Search Engine outperforms the keyword-based approach significantly.
GEOMETRIC INVARIANTS CONSTRUCTION FROM MULTIPLE VIEWS
Authors: JIN CHENG
Published: June 2011

Geometric invariants have wide applications in computer vision and their precision has long been a hot topic. In most of the existing methods, three-dimensional (3D) invariants have been obtained by reconstruction of the object structure, where fundamental matrices between image pairs should be first established. Consequently, there are additional errors introduced during invariants construction and could be very time consuming. In this paper, a novel algorithm to calculate 3D projective invariants from multiple images has been proposed, without reconstructing the object structures explicitly. We have employed the geometric configuration of points and lines in general position to deduce the formulation of 3D invariants. It has been verified in our experiments that our proposed method is considerably accurate when compared with the ground truth, and more efficient when compared with reconstruction based methods.
FINITE ELEMENT MODELING OF ONE-DIMENSIONAL BOUSSINESQ EQUATIONS
Authors: GHADIMI PARVIZ , JABBARI MOHAMMAD HADI , REISINEZHAD ARSHAM
Published: June 2011

Finite element modeling of one-dimensional Beji and Nadaoka Boussinesq equation is presented. The continuous equations are spatially discretized using standard Galerkin method. Since the extended Boussinesq equations contain high-order derivatives, two different numerical techniques are proposed in this paper in order to simplify the discretization task of the third-order terms. In the first technique, an auxiliary equation is introduced to eliminate the third-order derivatives of the momentum equation while non-overlapping elements with linear interpolating functions are employed to account for the dependent variables. However, in the second method, overlapping elements with quadratic interpolating functions are applied for discretizing the governing equations. Time integration is performed using the Adams–Bashforth–Moulton predictor–corrector method. By considering the truncation error and theoretical analysis for both of the numerical techniques, accuracy and stability of the adopted finite element schemes have been studied. Finally, a computer code is developed based on the proposed schemes. To show the validity as well as the practicality of the developed code, five different test cases are presented, and the results are compared with some analytical solutions and experimental data. Favorable agreements have been achieved in all cases.
NONLINEAR MECHANICAL BENDING OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADED MATERIAL PLATES UNDER TRANSVERSE LOADS WITH VARIOUS BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
Authors: TALHA MOHAMMAD , SINGH B. N.
Published: June 2011

Nonlinear mechanical bending of functionally graded material (FGM) plates under transverse loads with various boundary conditions are presented. The material properties of the FGM plates are graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The theoretical nonlinear finite element formulations are based on the higher-order shear deformation theory, with a special modification in the transverse displacement in order to estimate the parabolic distribution of transverse shear strains through the plate thickness. The Green–Lagrange nonlinear strain–displacement relation with all higher-order nonlinear strain terms is included to account for the large deflection response of the plate. The fundamental equations for FGM plates with traction-free boundary conditions on the top and bottom faces of the plate are accomplished using variational approach. Results have been achieved using a C0continuous isoparametric Lagrangian finite element with 13 degrees of freedom per node. Convergence and comparison studies have been performed to ascertain the effectiveness of the present model. Numerical results are highlighted for different thickness ratios, aspect ratios, and role played by the constituent volume fraction index with different boundary conditions.
GROWTH OF QUANTUM WELL FILMS OF TOPOLOGICAL INSULATOR Bi2Se3 ON INSULATING SUBSTRATE
Authors: CHANG CUI-ZU , HE KE , WANG LI-LI , MA XU-CUN , LIU MIN-HAO , ZHANG ZUO-CHENG , CHEN XI , WANG YA-YU , XUE QI-KUN
Published: June 2011

Insulating substrates are crucial for electrical transport study and room-temperature application of topological insulator films at thickness of only several nanometers. High-quality quantum well films of Bi 2 Se 3, a typical three-dimensional topological insulator, have been grown on α- Al 2 O 3 (sapphire) (0001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The films exhibit well-defined quantum well states and surface states, suggesting the uniform thickness over macroscopic area. The Bi 2 Se 3 thin films on sapphire (0001) provide a good system to study low-dimensional physics of topological insulators since conduction contribution from the substrate is negligibly small.
INTERFACE MAGNETISM IN FERROMAGNETIC METAL–COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR HYBRID STRUCTURES
Authors: HINDMARCH AIDAN T.
Published: June 2011

Interfaces between dissimilar materials present a wide range of fascinating physical phenomena. When a nanoscale thin-film of a ferromagnetic metal is deposited in intimate contact with a compound semiconductor, the properties of the interface exhibit a wealth of novel behavior, having immense potential for technological application, and being of great interest from the perspective of fundamental physics. This article presents a review of recent advances in the field of interface magnetism in (001)-oriented ferromagnetic metal/III–V compound semiconductor hybrid structures. Until relatively recently, the majority of research in this area continued to concentrate almost exclusively on the prototypical epitaxial Fe / GaAs (001) system: now, a significant proportion of work has branched out from this theme, including ferromagnetic metal alloys, and other III–V compound semiconductors. After a general overview of the topic, and a review of the more recent literature, we discuss recent results where advances have been made in our understanding of the physics underpinning magnetic anisotropy in these systems: tailoring the terms contributing to the angular-dependent free-energy density by employing novel fabrication methods and ferromagnetic metal electrodes.
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1, Diabetes, and Cognitive Decline: Possible Pathophysiological Links and Therapeutic Opportunities
Authors: Mossello Enrico , Ballini Elena , Boncinelli Marta , Monami Matteo , Lonetto Giuseppe , Mello Anna Maria , Tarantini Francesca , Baldasseroni Samuele , Mannucci Edoardo , Marchionni Niccolò
Published: June 2011

Metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders have a growing prevalence in Western countries. Available epidemiologic and neurobiological evidences support the existence of a pathophysiological link between these conditions. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), whose activity is reduced in insulin resistance, has been implicated in central nervous system function, including cognition, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis. We review the experimental researches suggesting that GLP-1 dysfunction might be a mediating factor between Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and neurodegeneration. Drug treatments enhancing GLP-1 activity hold out hope for treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive decline.
The Effects of L-Arginine on Liver Damage in Experimental Acute Cholestasis an Immunohistochemical Study
Authors: Ozsoy Yucel , Ozsoy Mustafa , Coskun Teoman , Namlı Kemal , Var Ahmet , Özyurt Beyhan
Published: June 2011

Obstructive jaundice damages critical functions in the liver. Nitric oxide modulation would influence liver damage induced by biliary obstruction, and little is known about it Acute cholestasis was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats. L-Arginine or serum physiologic was administered to treatment and control group. Histopathological and immunohistochemical iNOS expression was investigated in hepatic tissue. Plasma enzyme activities were increased in acute cholestasis, and that L-arginine treatment partially but significantly prevented the elevation of these markers of liver damage (P< .05). Also histopathology scoring showed that the liver injury was prevented and immunohistochemical iNOS activity was increased significantly in L-arginine group (P< .05). This study shows that, after 7 days of biliary obstruction, liver damage is well established and exogenous L-arginine treatment partially but significantly prevented the liver injury in acute cholestasis.
Multiple Intestinal Erosions as a Result of Hemorrhage due to Parasites: Case Reports and Review of the Literature
Authors: Pitanga Lukashok Hannah , Robles-Jara Carlos , Robles-Medranda Carlos
Published: June 2011

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding appears to be uncommon in patients with parasites. In spite of that some reports had described this relationship in patients evaluated during capsule endoscopy procedures; the characteristic of the bleeding lesions remains unclear. This paper describes two patients with a massive obscure gastrointestinal bleeding due to ascariasis, using the new capsule endoscopy technology “MiroCam”, describing the characteristic of the lesions found in our patients (observed in a better image quality), and reviewing the literature.
Characterization of the Vertical Structure of Coastal Atmospheric Boundary Layer over Thumba (, ) during Different Seasons
Authors: Nair Sandhya K. , Anurose T. J. , Subrahamanyam D. Bala , Kumar N. V. P. Kiran , Santosh M. , Sijikumar S. , Mohan Mannil , Namboodiri K. V. S.
Published: June 2011

Vertical profiles of meteorological parameters obtained from balloon-borne GPS Radiosonde for a period of more than two years are analyzed for characterization of the coastal atmospheric boundary layer (CABL) over Thumba (, , India). The study reports seasonal variability in the thickness of three different sublayers of the CABL, namely, mixed layer, turbulent flow, and sea breeze flow. Among the three, the vertical thickness of sea breeze flow showed considerable dominance on the other two throughout the year. Mixed layer heights derived through gradients in virtual potential temperature () showed large seasonal variability with a peak in the Summer and Post-Monsoon. On the other hand, the vertical thickness of turbulent flow remained steady all through the year. Results from the present study indicate that the magnitudes of mixed layer heights are often larger than the turbulent flow thickness.
Dysfunction of Lacrimal and Salivary Glands in Sjögren′s Syndrome: Nonimmunologic Injury in Preinflammatory Phase and Mouse Model
Authors: Hayashi Toshiharu
Published: June 2011

Sjögren′s syndrome (SjS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by dry eyes and dry mouth due to dacryoadenitis and sialoadenitis with SS‐A/Ro and/or SS‐B/La autoantibodies in genetically predisposed individuals. Destruction of lacrimal and salivary glands by autoimmune reactions may lead to clinical manifestation. However, the mechanisms behind the decreased volume of secretions in tears and saliva are complex and are not fully understood. Exocrine gland dysfunction may precede autoimmunity (acquired immunity) or represent a process independent from inflammation in the pathogenesis of SjS. The preceded functional and morphologic changes of those tissues by nonimmunologic injury before the development of inflammation at the sites of target organs have been implicated. This paper focuses on the several factors and components relating to glandular dysfunction and morphologic changes by nonimmunologic injury during the preinflammatory phase in mouse model, including the factors which link between innate immunity and adaptive immunity.
Armodafinil versus Modafinil in Patients of Excessive Sleepiness Associated with Shift Work Sleep Disorder: A Randomized Double Blind Multicentric Clinical Trial
Authors: Tembe D. V. , Dhavale A. , Desai H. , Mane D. N. , Raut S. K. , Dhingra G. , Sardesai U. , Saoji S. , Rohra M. , Shinde V. G. , Padsalge M. , Paliwal A. , Abbasi K. , Devnani P. , Papinwar S. , Phadke S. , Mehta H. , Bhailume V.
Published: June 2011

Aim. To compare the efficacy and safety of armodafinil, the R-enantiomer of modafinil, with modafinil in patients of shift work sleep disorder (SWSD).Material and Methods. This was a 12-week, randomized, comparative, double-blind, multicentric, parallel-group study in 211 patients of SWSD, receiving armodafinil (150 mg) or modafinil (200 mg) one hour prior to the night shift.Outcome Measures. Efficacy was assessed by change in stanford sleepiness score (SSS) by at least 2 grades (responder) and global assessment for efficacy. Safety was assessed by incidence of adverse events, change in laboratory parameters, ECG, and global assessment of tolerability.Results. Both modafinil and armodafinil significantly improved sleepiness mean grades as compared to baseline (). Responder rates with armodafinil (72.12%) and modafinil (74.29%) were comparable (). Adverse event incidences were comparable.Conclusion. Armodafinil was found to be safe and effective in the treatment of SWSD in Indian patients. The study did not demonstrate any difference in efficacy and safety of armodafinil 150 mg and modafinil 200 mg.
On p‐Convergence in Measure of a Sequence of Measurable Functions
Authors: Boccuto A. , Papachristodoulos Ch. , Papanastassiou N.
Published: June 2011

In the study by Papanastassiou and Papachristodoulos, 2009 the notion of p‐convergence in measure was introduced. In a natural way p‐convergence in measure induces an equivalence relation
on the space M of all sequences of measurable functions converging in
measure to zero. We show that the quotient space ℳ is a complete but
not compact metric space.
Nurses' Psychosocial Barriers to Suicide Risk Management
Authors: Valente Sharon
Published: June 2011

Suicide remains a serious health care problem and a sentinel event tracked by The Joint Commission. Nurses are pivotal in evaluating risk and preventing suicide. Analysis of nurses' barriers to risk management may lead to interventions to improve management of suicidal patients. These data emerged from a random survey of 454 oncology nurses' attitudes, knowledge of suicide, and justifications for euthanasia. Instruments included a vignette of a suicidal patient and a suicide attitude questionnaire.Results. Psychological factors (emotions, unresolved grief, communication, and negative judgments about suicide) complicate the nurse's assessment and treatment of suicidal patients. Some nurses () indicated that euthanasia was never justified and 11 were unsure of justifications and evaluated each case on its merits. Justifications for euthanasia included poor symptom control, poor quality of life, incurable illness or permanent disability, terminal illness, and terminal illness with inadequate symptom control or impending death, patient autonomy, and clinical organ death. The nurses indicated some confusion and misconceptions about definitions and examples of euthanasia, assisted suicide, and double effect. Strategies for interdisciplinary clinical intervention are suggested to identify and resolve these psychosocial barriers.
Influence of Genetic Variation in Oak Leaf Roller Pupae and Their Host Plants on Body Sizes of Their Parasitoids,Itoplectis maculator(Fabricius, 1775)
Authors: Simchuk Andrey , Ivashov Anatoly
Published: June 2011

Variation in sizes of parasitoidsItoplectis maculatorF. (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) were studied in respect to their genetic variation as well as to the genetic variations in their host insect (Tortrix viridanaL.) pupae and their host plant (Quercus pubescensWilld). The data obtained have shown that the interactions between genotypes of parasitoids and their host insects contribute up to 49%, and interaction between genotypes of parasitoids and oaks contributes up to 28% to the total variation in the parasitoid body sizes. As the parasitoid body size is fitness related, we may conclude that fitness of a parasitoid depends on not only its genotype but also on genotypes of its host insects and even the tree on which the host insects have developed. As a result the genotypes of representatives of the studied food chain links were found to be stochastically associated.
Cancer Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Metabolic Links and Therapeutic Considerations
Authors: Sun Grace , Kashyap Sangeeta R.
Published: June 2011

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is increasing in incidence, creating worldwide public health concerns and impacting morbidity and mortality rates. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated shared associations between DM2 and malignancy, including key clinical, biochemical, and metabolic commonalities. This paper will attempt to explore the relationship between the various types of cancer and diabetes, the common metabolic pathways underlying cancer development, and the potential impact of various antidiabetes therapies on cancer risk.
Contamination as the Cause of Erroneous Records of Brochosomes
Authors: Rakitov Roman
Published: June 2011

Brochosomes are ultramicroscopic particles produced in large quantities by the Malpighian tubules of leafhoppers (Insecta, Hemiptera, and Cicadellidae) and applied by leafhoppers as a coat to their integuments. A recent study has described brochosomes on museum specimens of Heteroptera and Psylloidea, suggesting a wider distribution of brochosomes among Hemiptera. Here, I report that the majority of adultSthenarus rotermundi(Scholtz) (Miridae) andKleidocerys resedae(Panzer) (Lygaeidae) reared in captivity and handled with clean tools had no brochosomes on them, suggesting that the earlier records of brochosomes in these and perhaps other species outside of the Cicadellidae were due to contamination. Additionally, simple experiments demonstrated that insects can become contaminated with brochosomes via entomological tools that had been in contact with leafhoppers and via preservation in ethanol together with leafhoppers. Contamination of host plants, predators, and parasites of leafhoppers with brochosomes is also expected but remains to be demonstrated.
Sparse Logistic Regression for Diagnosis of Liver Fibrosis in Rat by Using SCAD‐Penalized Likelihood
Authors: Yan Fang-Rong , Lin Jin-Guan , Liu Yu
Published: June 2011

The objective of the present study is to find out the quantitative relationship between progression of liver fibrosis and the levels of certain serum markers using mathematic model. We provide the sparse logistic regression by using smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) penalized function to diagnose the liver fibrosis in rats. Not only does it give a sparse solution with high accuracy, it also provides the users with the precise probabilities of classification with the class information. In the simulative case and the experiment case, the proposed method is comparable to the stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) and the sparse logistic regression with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalty, by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) with bayesian bootstrap estimating area under the curve (AUC) diagnostic sensitivity for selected variable. Results show that the new approach provides a good correlation between the serum marker levels and the liver fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA) in rats. Meanwhile, this approach might also be used in predicting the development of liver cirrhosis.
Subarachnoid Transplant of the Human Neuronal hNT2.19 Serotonergic Cell Line Attenuates Behavioral Hypersensitivity without Affecting Motor Dysfunction after Severe Contusive Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Eaton Mary J. , Widerström-Noga Eva , Wolfe Stacey Quintero
Published: June 2011

Transplant of cells which make biologic agents that can modulate the sensory and motor responses after spinal cord injury (SCI) would be useful to treat pain and paralysis. To address this need for clinically useful human cells, a unique neuronal cell line that synthesizes and secretes/releases the neurotransmitter serotonin (5HT) was isolated. Hind paw tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia induced by severe contusive SCI were potently reversed after lumbar subarachnoid transplant of differentiated cells, but had no effect on open field motor scores, stride length, foot rotation, base of support, or gridwalk footfall errors associated with the SCI. The sensory effects appeared 1 week after transplant and did not diminish during the 8-week course of the experiment when grafts were placed 2 weeks after SCI. Many grafted cells were still present and synthesizing 5HT at the end of the study. These data suggest that the human neuronal serotonergic hNT2.19 cells can be used as a biologic minipump for receiving SCI-related neuropathic pain, but likely requires intraspinal grafts for motor recovery.
Study on the Corrosion Mechanism of Zn-5Al-0.5Mg-0.08Si Coating
Authors: Li Shiwei , Gao Bo , Tu Ganfeng , Hao Yi , Hu Liang , Yin Shaohua
Published: June 2011

A new type of hot-dip Zn-5Al-0.5Mg-0.08Si and Zn-5Al alloy coatings was performed on the cold rolled common steel. The hot-dip process was executed by self-made hot-dip galvanising simulator. SEM and EDS test results demonstrated that Mg was mainly distributed in crystal boundaries. XRD test results showed that the corrosion product of Zn-5Al-0.5Mg-0.08Si alloy coating was almost Zn5(OH)8C12⋅H2O. The features of Zn5(OH)8C12⋅H2O are low electric conductivity, insolubility and good adhesion.The corrosion resistance of alloy-coated steels was detected by neutral salt spray test. The microstructural characterization of the coating surface after neutral salt spray test and removing the corrosion products revealed that the corrosion process of Zn-5Al-0.5Mg-0.08Si coating was uniform and the coating surface was almost flat. As a result, the corrosion resistance of Zn-5Al-0.5Mg-0.08Si coating has a remarkable improvement with a factor of 9.2 compared with that of Zn-5Al coating.
Xenotransplantation of Human Neural Progenitor Cells to the Subretinal Space of Nonimmunosuppressed Pigs
Authors: Warfvinge Karin , Schwartz Philip H. , Kiilgaard Jens Folke , la Cour Morten , Young Michael J. , Scherfig Erik , Klassen Henry
Published: June 2011

To investigate the feasibility of transplanting human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) to the retina of nonimmunosuppressed pigs, cultured hNPCs were injected into the subretinal space of 5 adult pigs after laser burns were applied to promote donor cell integration. Postoperatively, the retinal vessels appeared normal without signs of exudation, bleeding, or subretinal elevation. Eyes were harvested at 10–28 days. H&E consistently showed mild retinal vasculitis, depigmentation of the RPE, and marked mononuclear cell infiltrate in the choroid adjacent to the site of transplantation. Human-specific antibodies revealed donor cells in the subretinal space at 10–13 days and smaller numbers within the retina on days 12 and 13, with evidence suggesting a limited degree of morphological integration; however, no cells remained at 4 weeks. The strong mononuclear cell reaction and loss of donor cells indicate that modulation of host immunity is likely necessary for prolonged xenograft survival in this model.
Hedgehog Overexpression Is Associated with Stromal Interactions and Predicts for Poor Outcome in Breast Cancer
Authors: O'Toole Sandra A. , Machalek Dorothy A. , Shearer Robert F. , Millar Ewan K.A. , Nair Radhika , Schofield Peter , McLeod Duncan , Cooper Caroline L. , McNeil Catriona M. , McFarland Andrea , Nguyen Akira , Ormandy Christopher J. , Qiu Min Ru , Rabinovich Brian , Martelotto Luciano G. , Vu Duc , Hannigan Gregory E. , Musgrove Elizabeth A. , Christ Daniel , Sutherland Robert L. , Watkins D. Neil , Swarbrick Alexander
Published: June 2011

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling plays an important role in several malignancies but its clinical significance in breast cancer is unclear. In a cohort of 279 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, expression of Hh ligand was significantly associated with increased risk of metastasis, breast cancer-specific death, and a basal-like phenotype. A paracrine signature, encompassing high epithelial Hh ligand and high stromal Gli1, was an independent predictor for overall survival in multivariate analysis. In 2 independent histological progression series (n = 301), Hh expression increased with atypia. Hh ligand overexpression in a mouse model of basal breast cancer increased growth, induced a poorly differentiated phenotype, accelerated metastasis, and reduced survival. A stromal requirement for these effects was supported by the lack of similar Hh-mediated changes in vitro, and by stromal-specific expression of Hh target genes in vivo. Furthermore, inhibition of Hh ligand with a monoclonal antibody (5E1) inhibited tumor growth and metastasis. These data suggest that epithelial–stromal Hh signaling, driven by ligand expression in carcinoma cells, promotes breast cancer growth and metastasis. Blockade of Hh signaling to peritumoral stromal cells may represent a novel therapeutic approach in some basal-like breast cancers. Cancer Res; 71(11); 4002–14. ©2011 AACR.
In Vivo Programming of Tumor Antigen-Specific T Lymphocytes from Pluripotent Stem Cells to Promote Cancer Immunosurveillance
Authors: Lei Fengyang , Zhao Baohua , Haque Rizwanul , Xiong Xiaofang , Budgeon Lynn , Christensen Neil D. , Wu Yuzhang , Song Jianxun
Published: June 2011

Adoptive T-cell immunotherapy has garnered wide attention, but its effective use is limited by the need of multiple ex vivo manipulations and infusions that are complex and expensive. In this study, we show how highly reactive antigen (Ag)-specific CTLs can be generated from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to provide an unlimited source of functional CTLs for adoptive immunotherapy. iPS cell–derived T cells can offer the advantages of avoiding possible immune rejection and circumventing ethical and practical issues associated with other stem cell types. iPS cells can be differentiated into progenitor T cells in vitro by stimulation with the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 (DL1) overexpressed on bone marrow stromal cells, with complete maturation occurring upon adoptive transfer into Rag1-deficient mice. Here, we report that these iPS cells can be differentiated in vivo into functional CTLs after overexpression of MHC I-restricted Ag-specific T-cell receptors (TCR). In this study, we generated murine iPS cells genetically modified with ovalbumin (OVA)-specific and MHC-I restricted TCR (OT-I) by retrovirus-mediated transduction. After their adoptive transfer into recipient mice, the majority of OT-I/iPS cells underwent differentiation into CD8+ CTLs. TCR-transduced iPS cells developed in vivo responded in vitro to peptide stimulation by secreting interleukin 2 and IFN-γ. Most importantly, adoptive transfer of TCR-transduced iPS cells triggered infiltration of OVA-reactive CTLs into tumor tissues and protected animals from tumor challenge. Taken together, our findings offer proof of concept for a potentially more efficient approach to generate Ag-specific T lymphocytes for adoptive immunotherapy. Cancer Res; 71(14); 4742–7. ©2011 AACR.
Unipolar Depression and the Progression of Coronary Artery Disease: Toward an Integrative Model
Authors: Ormel Johan , de Jonge Peter
Published: June 2011

Background: Despite extensive research on the relationship between depression and coronary artery disease (CAD) after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), causal interpretations are still difficult. This uncertainty has led to much confusion regarding screening and treatment for depression in CAD patients. Method: A critical and conceptual analysis of the pertinent literature, which elaborates the implications of the heterogeneity in symptom pattern, etiology, and course of depression in CAD patients. Results: We propose an integrative dynamic model of the depression-CAD relationship. The model rests on three core hypotheses: (1) Depression in CAD patients consists of mixtures of two types of depression, denoted as ‘cognitive/affective’ and ‘somatic’ depression, each having a somewhat characteristic symptom expression and etiology. (2) Effects of depression on CAD depend on the type and duration of depression. The dynamic aspect of the model indicates that post-ACS depression shifts, when it persists, from a marker of the severity (somatic type) and meaning (cognitive/affective type) of the ACS to a largely indirect causal factor in the progression of CAD. (3) The most plausible pathways mediating the effects of persistent/recurrent depression, irrespective of type, on cardiac prognosis are behavioral and act by making depressed CAD patients more susceptible to other CAD risks. The model offers testable predictions and explanations for a variety of apparently unrelated or inconsistent findings. Conclusion: The proposed model may have potential for integrating findings regarding the depression-CAD relationship, contributing to the clarification of discords on screening and treatment of depression, and guiding future research.
Computerized Testing of Neurocognitive Function in Euthymic Bipolar Patients Compared to Those with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Cognitively Healthy Controls
Authors: Osher Y. , Dobron A. , Belmaker R.H. , Bersudsky Y. , Dwolatzky T.
Published: June 2011

Objectives: While neuropsychological impairment in bipolar disorder is well documented, the effect size of this impairment is rarely compared directly to that in other clinically familiar cognitive disorders. This study compares neuropsychological functioning of euthymic bipolar patients to those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as healthy controls. Methods: Following evaluation during regular follow-up in a mood disorders clinic, 58 euthymic adult bipolar subjects were administered a validated and fully computerized cognitive assessment (Mindstreams; NeuroTrax Corp., N.Y., USA). Study data were compared to existing data for MCI and cognitively healthy individuals tested with the same assessment. Results: Final analyses were based on 51 bipolar patients, 162 MCI patients and 495 healthy comparison subjects. Significant (p < 0.001) group effects were found for every parameter. Post hoc analysis revealed that the bipolar and MCI groups showed statistically equivalent functioning in memory, executive function, verbal function, and information processing speed. In the domains of visual-spatial processing, attention, and motor skills, the MCI group outperformed the bipolar group. In every domain, the healthy control group outperformed both the bipolar and the MCI groups. Conclusions: The cognitive function of euthymic bipolar patients and those diagnosed with MCI was found to be similar in most but not all domains. Both groups performed significantly less well than the comparison group of healthy subjects. It may be helpful for clinicians to conceptualize the overall level of cognitive impairment in bipolar patients as similar to that in MCI.
A Novel End-to-Side Anastomosis Technique for Hepatic Rearterialization in Rat Orthotopic Liver Transplantation to Accommodate Size Mismatches between Vessels
Authors: Huang H. , Deng M. , Jin H. , Liu A. , Dirsch O. , Dahmen U.
Published: June 2011

Background/Aims: We present our modification of a sutured arterial anastomosis in orthotopic rat liver transplantation as well as a literature survey and analysis of the existing techniques of rearterialization with regard to technical difficulties and potential limitations. Methods: The donor common hepatic artery (CHA) was anastomosed to the enlarged lumen of the recipient proper hepatic artery (PHA), tailored to match the size of the donor CHA, with an end-to-side interrupted suture technique. Vascular patency of hepatic rearterialization was assessed both intraoperatively and at the time the liver grafts were harvested (postoperative days 2 and 28). The effect of arterialization on hepatic morphology was confirmed by histological examination and compared to nonarterialized rat orthotopic liver transplantation. Results: The CHAs had a significantly larger diameter (up to 3-fold) compared to the PHAs, which represents a considerable size mismatch. The anastomosis procedure including the size adaptation required 15–25 min. All anastomoses were patent immediately, 5 min after rearterialization and at both harvest time points. The liver lobular architecture was intact in the rearterialized group, whereas a moderate degree of bile duct proliferation and portal/lobular lymphocytic infiltration were observed in the nonarterialized group. Conclusion: The new technique is a time-consuming and microsurgically challenging but universally applicable and robust procedure accommodating even a substantial mismatch in vessel diameter.