bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CONFORMAL INVARIANCE OF CONTOUR LINES ON THE (2 + 1)-DIMENSIONAL RESTRICTED SOLID-ON-SOLID SURFACE
Authors: ZHOU WEI , TANG GANG , HAN KUI , XIA HUI , HAO DA-PENG , XUN ZHI-PENG , YANG XI-QUAN , CHEN YU-LING , WEN RONG-JI
Published: January 2011

The contour lines of the saturated surface of the (2 + 1)-dimensional restricted solid-on-solid (RSOS) growth model are investigated by numerical method. It is shown that the calculated contour lines are conformal invariant curves with fractal dimension df = 1.34, and they belong to the universality class at large-scale limit, called the Schramm–Loewner evolution with diffusivity κ = 4. This is identical to the value obtained from the inverse cascade of surface quasigeostrophic (SQG) turbulence [Phys. Rev. Lett.98 (2007) 024501]. We also found that the measured fractal dimensions of contours on the (2 + 1)-dimensional RSOS saturated surfaces do not coincide well with that of SLE4 df = 1 + κ/8.
TENSILE BEHAVIOR OF AMORPHOUS LAYER COATED SILICON CARBIDE NANOWIRES: AN ATOMIC SIMULATION
Authors: LI DENGFENG , WANG ZHIGUO
Published: January 2011

The tensile behavior of amorphous layer coated SiC nanowires was investigated using molecular dynamics with Tersoff potential at room temperature. Simulation results show that the amorphous layer coating leads to the decrease of the critical stress and Young's modulus, but does not affect the fracture mode of nanowires with large diameter and thin coating layer. The decrease of critical stress and Young's modulus can be attributed to the weakening of the Si – C bonds in the amorphous coating layers.
THE ANTIFERROMAGNETIC POTTS MODEL
Authors: IKHLEF YACINE
Published: January 2011

We review the exact results on the various critical regimes of the antiferromagnetic Q-state Potts model. We focus on the Bethe Ansatz approach for generic Q, and describe in each case the effective degrees of freedom appearing in the continuum limit.
A TIME-INTERVAL SEQUENTIAL PATTERN CHANGE DETECTION METHOD
Authors: TSAI CHIEH-YUAN , LO CHIH-CHUNG , LIN CHAO-WEN
Published: January 2011

Several studies have focused on mining changes in different time-period databases. Analyzing these change behaviors provides useful information for managers to develop better marketing strategies and decision making. Although some researchers have developed efficient methods for association rule change detection, no attempt has been made to analyze time-interval sequential pattern changes in databases collected over time. Therefore, this research proposes a time-interval sequential pattern change detection framework to derive the change trends in customer behaviors in two periods. First, two time-interval sequential pattern sets are generated from two time-period databases respectively using the proposed DTI-Apriori algorithm. Different from previous mining methods that require users to manually define a set of time-interval ranges in advance, the DTI-Apriori algorithm automatically arranges the time-interval range and then generates time-interval sequential patterns. The degree of change for each pair of time-interval sequential patterns from different time periods is evaluated next. Based on the degree of change, a time-interval sequential pattern is clarified as one of the following three change types: an emerging time-interval sequential pattern, an unexpected time-interval sequential pattern, or an added/perished time-interval sequential pattern. Significant change patterns are returned to users for further analysis if the degree of change is large enough.
MULTIPLE-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING BASED ON PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION WITH CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNAL MONITORING
Authors: CHOI AHYOUNG , WOO WOONTACK
Published: January 2011

We propose a multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method based on Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) estimation to analyze users' physiological status either normal or abnormal. The decision-making problem is formulated using MAP estimation and is turned out to be MCDM problem given the assumption that all probability density functions (pdfs) follow exponential forms, especially Gaussian. It indicates that this MCDM equation is decomposed into direct sum of group's physiological status distribution. Group distribution is estimated by probabilistic approach using population from the same age or same sex. For verification, we applied the proposed method to public heart rate database. According to experimental results, the proposed method considering group context reduced overall classification errors by 20.42% compared to typical decision-making (TDM) method. This method is applicable to various personalized health monitoring applications, which estimates user's physiological status by referring other group distribution without prior knowledge about previous health records.
ENSEMBLE OF SOFTWARE DEFECT PREDICTORS: AN AHP-BASED EVALUATION METHOD
Authors: PENG YI , KOU GANG , WANG GUOXUN , WU WENSHUAI , SHI YONG
Published: January 2011

Classification algorithms that help to identify software defects or faults play a crucial role in software risk management. Experimental results have shown that ensemble of classifiers are often more accurate and robust to the effects of noisy data, and achieve lower average error rate than any of the constituent classifiers. However, inconsistencies exist in different studies and the performances of learning algorithms may vary using different performance measures and under different circumstances. Therefore, more research is needed to evaluate the performance of ensemble algorithms in software defect prediction. The goal of this paper is to assess the quality of ensemble methods in software defect prediction with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), which is a multicriteria decision-making approach that prioritizes decision alternatives based on pairwise comparisons. Through the application of the AHP, this study compares experimentally the performance of several popular ensemble methods using 13 different performance metrics over 10 public-domain software defect datasets from the NASA Metrics Data Program (MDP) repository. The results indicate that ensemble methods can improve the classification results of software defect prediction in general and AdaBoost gives the best results. In addition, tree and rule based classifiers perform better in software defect prediction than other types of classifiers included in the experiment. In terms of single classifier, K-nearest-neighbor, C4.5, and Naïve Bayes tree ranked higher than other classifiers.
GRAPH BASED MULTI-VIEW LEARNING FOR SEMANTIC RELATION EXTRACTION
Authors: LI HAIBO , MATSUO YUTAKA , ISHIZUKA MITSURU
Published: January 2011

To understand text contents better, many research efforts have been made exploring detection and classification of the semantic relation between a concept pair. As described herein, we present our study of a semantic relation classification task as a graph-based multi-view learning task. Semantic relation can be naturally represented from two views: entity pair view and context view. Then we construct a weighted complete graph for each view and a bipartite graph to combine information of different views. An instance's label score is propagated on each intra-view graph and inter-view graph. The proposed algorithm is evaluated using the Concept Description Language for Natural Language (CDL) corpus and SemEval-2007 Task 04 dataset. The experimental results validate its effectiveness.
DIRECTED FIGURE CODES: DECIDABILITY FRONTIER
Authors: KOLARZ MICHAŁ
Published: January 2011

We consider directed figures defined as labelled polyominoes with designated start and end points, with a partial catenation. As we are interested in codicity verification for sets of figures, we show that it is decidable for sets of figures with parallel translation vectors, which is one of the decidability border cases in this setting. We give a constructive proof which leads to a straightforward algorithm.
ON THE DENSITY OF REGULAR AND CONTEXT-FREE LANGUAGES
Authors: HARTWIG MICHAEL
Published: January 2011

The density of a language is defined as the function dL(n) = |L ∩ Σn| and counts the number of words of a certain length accepted by L. The study of the density of regular and context-free languages has attracted some attention culminating in the fact that such languages are either sparse, when the density can be bounded by a polynomial, or dense otherwise. We show that for all nonambiguous context-free languages the number of accepted words of a given length n can also be computed recursively using a finite combination of the number of accepted words smaller than n, or [Formula: see text]. This extends an old result by Chomsky and provides us with a more expressive description and new insights into possible applications of the density function for such languages as well as possible characterizations of the density of higher languages.
ON THE HARDNESS AGAINST CONSTANT-DEPTH LINEAR-SIZE CIRCUITS
Authors: LU CHI-JEN , WU HSIN-LUNG
Published: January 2011

The notion of average-case hardness is a fundamental one in complexity theory. In particular, it plays an important role in the research on derandomization, as there are general derandomization results which are based on the assumption that average-case hard functions exist. However, to achieve a complete derandomization, one usually needs a function which is extremely hard against a complexity class, in the sense that any algorithm in the class fails to compute the function on 1/2 - 2-Ω(n) fraction of its n-bit inputs. Unfortunately, lower bound results are very rare and they are only known for very restricted complexity classes, and achieving such extreme hardness seems even more difficult. Motivated by this, we study the hardness against linear-size circuits of constant depth in this paper. We show that the parity function is extremely hard for them: any such circuit must fail to compute the parity function on at least 1/2 - 2-Ω(n) fraction of inputs.
TRACKING A GENERATOR BY PERSISTENCE
Authors: BUSARYEV OLEKSIY , DEY TAMAL K. , WANG YUSU
Published: January 2011

The persistent homology provides a mathematical tool to describe "features" in a principled manner. The persistence algorithm proposed by Edelsbrunner et al. can compute not only the persistent homology for a filtered simplicial complex, but also representative generating cycles for persistent homology groups. However, if there are dynamic changes either in the filtration or in the underlying simplicial complex, the representative generating cycle can change wildly.

In this paper, we consider the problem of tracking generating cycles with temporal coherence. Specifically, our goal is to track a chosen essential generating cycle so that the changes in it are "local". This requires reordering simplices in the filtration. To handle reordering operations, we build upon the matrix framework proposed by Cohen-Steiner et al. to swap two consecutive simplices, so that we can process a reordering directly. We present an application showing how our algorithm can track an essential cycle in a complex constructed out of a point cloud data.
APPROXIMATE WEIGHTED FARTHEST NEIGHBORS AND MINIMUM DILATION STARS
Authors: AUGUSTINE JOHN , EPPSTEIN DAVID , WORTMAN KEVIN A.
Published: January 2011

We provide an efficient reduction from the problem of querying approximate multiplicatively weighted farthest neighbors in a metric space to the unweighted problem. Combining our techniques with core-sets for approximate unweighted farthest neighbors, we show how to find approximate farthest neighbors that are farther than a factor (1 - ∊) of optimal in time O( log n) per query in D-dimensional Euclidean space for any constants D and ∊. As an application, we find an O(n log n) expected time algorithm for choosing the center of a star topology network connecting a given set of points, so as to approximately minimize the maximum dilation between any pair of points.
THRESHOLD RULES FOR ONLINE SAMPLE SELECTION
Authors: BACH ERIC , CHAWLA SHUCHI , UMBOH SEEUN
Published: January 2011

We consider the following sample selection problem. We observe in an online fashion a sequence of samples, each endowed by a quality. Our goal is to either select or reject each sample, so as to maximize the aggregate quality of the subsample selected so far. There is a natural trade-off here between the rate of selection and the aggregate quality of the subsample. We show that for a number of such problems extremely simple and oblivious "threshold rules" for selection achieve optimal tradeoffs between rate of selection and aggregate quality in a probabilistic sense. In some cases we show that the same threshold rule is optimal for a large class of quality distributions and is thus oblivious in a strong sense.
Multi-MeV Flash Radiography in Shock Physics Experiments: Specific Assemblages of Monolithic Scintillating Crystals for Use in CCD-Based Imagers
Authors: Partouche-Sebban D. , Abraham I. , Lauriot S. , Missault C.
Published: January 2011

We have developed a new CCD-based radiographic camera called CrystalEyeCam for use in shock physics experiments: it is composed of two turning mirrors and an objective to relay the (visible) image from a scintillator assembly to a highly sensitive, low noise CCD camera. The objective was specifically developed to match our needs and has few chromatic and geometric aberrations and high photometric performance. The scintillator assembly is constructed using a specific (patented) technique of assembling monolithic scintillating crystals. It replaces the segmented scintillator previously used at our facility and produces higher quality images (better resolution and no segmentation). The sensitivity, noise level, detection threshold and resolution of CrystalEyeCam were measured using an 18-MeV-bremsstrahlung spectrum, filtered with 10 cm of lead, and two BGO assemblies: 20 and 30 mm in thickness, respectively. In particular, with the 30 mm-thick BGO assembly, the measured detection threshold of the imager (at ) is 1 μGy(air) and its resolution is ~1 mm. For 4-MeV incident photons, the estimated (energy) stopping power of the scintillator is 41%. The scintillator assembly thus proved to be a cheaper, effective alternative to segmented scintillators for use in CrystalEyeCam.
Hepatitis C Virus Evasion from RIG-I-Dependent Hepatic Innate Immunity
Authors: Liu Helene Minyi , Gale Michael
Published: January 2011

Exposure to hepatitis C virus (HCV) usually results in persistent infection that often develops into chronic liver disease. Interferon-alpha (IFN) treatment comprises the foundation of current approved therapy for chronic HCV infection but is limited in overall efficacy. IFN is a major effector of innate antiviral immunity and is naturally produced in response to viral infection when viral pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) are recognized as nonself and are bound by cellular pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs). Within hepatocytes, RIG-I is a major PRR of HCV infection wherein PAMP interactions serve to trigger intracellular signaling cascades in the infected hepatocyte to drive IFN production and the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). ISGs function to limit virus replication, modulate the immune system, and to suppress virus spread. However, studies of HCV-host interactions have revealed several mechanisms of innate immune regulation and evasion that feature virus control of PRR signaling and regulation of hepatic innate immune programs that may provide a molecular basis for viral persistence.
Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Breast Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Lorico Aurelio , Rappa Germana
Published: January 2011

Many types of tumors are organized in a hierarchy of heterogeneous cell populations, with only a small proportion of cancer stem cells (CSCs) capable of sustaining tumor formation and growth, giving rise to differentiated cells, which form the bulk of the tumor. Proof of the existence of CSC comes from clinical experience with germ-cell cancers, where the elimination of a subset of undifferentiated cells can cure patients (Horwich et al., 2006), and from the study of leukemic cells (Bonnet and Dick, 1997; Lapidot et al., 1994; and Yilmaz et al., 2006). The discovery of CSC in leukemias as well as in many solid malignancies, including breast carcinoma (Al-Hajj et al. 2003; Fang et al., 2005; Hemmati et al., 2003; Kim et al., 2005; Lawson et al., 2007; Li et al., 2007; Ricci-Vitiani et al., 2007; Singh et al., 2003; and Xin et al., 2005), has suggested a unifying CSC theory of cancer development. The reported general insensitivity of CSC to chemotherapy and radiation treatment (Bao et al., 2006) has suggested that current anticancer drugs, which inhibit bulk replicating cancer cells, may not effectively inhibit CSC. The clinical relevance of targeting CSC-associated genes is supported by several recent studies, including CD44 targeting for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (Jin et al., 2006), CD24 targeting for treatment of colon and pancreatic cancer (Sagiv et al., 2008), and CD133 targeting for hepatocellular and gastric cancer (Smith et al., 2008). One promising approach is to target CSC survival signaling pathways, where leukemia stem cell research has already made some progress (Mikkola et al., 2010).
Cytogenetics of Premature Ovarian Failure: An Investigation on 269 Affected Women
Authors: Baronchelli Simona , Conconi Donatella , Panzeri Elena , Bentivegna Angela , Redaelli Serena , Lissoni Sara , Saccheri Fabiana , Villa Nicoletta , Crosti Francesca , Sala Elena , Martinoli Emanuela , Volontè Marinella , Marozzi Anna , Dalprà Leda
Published: January 2011

The importance of X chromosome in the aetiology of premature ovarian failure (POF) is well‐known but in many cases POF still remains idiopathic. Chromosome aneuploidy increase is a physiological phenomenon related to aging, but the role of low‐level sex chromosome mosaicism in ovarian function is still undiscovered. Standard cytogenetic analysis was carried out in a total of 269 patients affected by POF: 27 chromosomal abnormalities were identified, including X chromosome and autosomal structural and numerical abnormalities. In 47 patients with 46,XX karyotype we performed interphase FISH using X alpha‐satellite probe in order to identify X chromosome mosaicism rate. Aneuploidy rate in the patient group was significantly higher than the general population group. These findings underline the importance of X chromosome in the aetiology of POF and highlight the potential role of low‐level sex chromosome mosaicism in ovarian aging that may lead to a premature onset of menopause.
Intercultural Education and Migration: Educational Proposals
Authors: Ortega Ruiz Pedro , Romero Sánchez Eduardo
Published: January 2011

This paper tackles the difficult problem that immigration poses for developed Western European societies and the need of anew modelof intercultural education which puts the emphasis of educational activity not so much on “intellectual understanding” as on the acceptance and welcoming of thepersonwho isdifferent, on account of his/her culture or ethnic group. Educational proposals are put forward that are materialized in a change of the intercultural education model, the involvement of the family and of society in changing attitudes towards immigrants, the need not to attribute a metahistorical or essentialist meaning to cultural identity, and the restoring of an ethical and political dimension of educational activity.
Weight Gain, Obesity, and Psychotropic Prescribing
Authors: Nihalani Nikhil , Schwartz Thomas L. , Siddiqui Umar A. , Megna James L.
Published: January 2011

A majority of psychiatric medications are known to generate weight gain and ultimately obesity in some patients. There is much speculation about the prevalence of weight gain and the degree of weight gain during acute and longitudinal treatment with these agents. There is newer literature looking at the etiology of this weight gain and the potential treatments being used to alleviate this side effect. The authors undertook a comprehensive literature review in order to present epidemiology, etiology, and treatment options of weight gain associated with antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants.
Stathmin Overexpression Identifies High-Risk Patients and Lymph Node Metastasis in Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Trovik Jone , Wik Elisabeth , Stefansson Ingunn M. , Marcickiewicz Janusz , Tingulstad Solveig , Staff Anne C. , Njolstad Tormund S. ,   MoMaTec Study Group, Vandenput Ingrid , Amant Frederic , Akslen Lars A. , Salvesen Helga B.
Published: January 2011

Purpose: Overexpression of the oncogen Stathmin has been linked to aggressive endometrial carcinoma and a potential for PI3Kinase inhibitors in this disease. We wanted to validate the prognostic value of Stathmin expression in a large prospective multicenter setting. As lymph node sampling is part of current surgical staging, we also aimed to test if Stathmin expression in endometrial curettage specimens could predict lymph node metastasis.

Experimental Design: A total of 1,076 endometrial cancer patients have been recruited from 10 centers to investigate the biological tumor marker Stathmin in relation to clinicopathologic variables, including lymph node status and survival. Stathmin immunohistochemical staining was carried out in 477 hysterectomy and 818 curettage specimens.

Results: Seventy-one percent of the patients (n = 763) were subjected to lymph node sampling, of which 12% had metastatic nodes (n = 94). Overexpression of Stathmin was detected in 37% (302 of 818) of the curettage and in 18% (84 of 477) of the hysterectomy specimens investigated. Stathmin overexpression in curettage and hysterectomy specimens were highly correlated and significantly associated with nonendometrioid histology, high grade, and aneuploidy. Stathmin analysis in preoperative curettage samples significantly correlated with, and was an independent predictor of, lymph node metastases. High Stathmin expression was associated with poor disease-specific survival (P ≤ 0.002) both in curettage and hysterectomy specimens.

Conclusions: Stathmin immunohistochemical staining identifies endometrial carcinomas with lymph node metastases and poor survival. The value, as a predictive marker for response to PI3Kinase inhibition and as a tool to stratify patients for lymph node sampling in endometrial carcinomas, remains to be determined. Clin Cancer Res; 17(10); 3368–77. ©2011 AACR.
Microalbuminuria Is Not a Valuable Marker for Relapse in Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Horjus C.S. , van Oijen M.G.H. , Davids A.H. , Naber A.H.J. , de Jong D.J.
Published: January 2011

Background: Previous reports correlated microalbuminuria with disease activity in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). The aim of the present study is to determine the value of microalbuminuria as a marker for relapses in quiescent CD. Methods: In a 1-year prospective maintenance trial with oral budesonide in patients with CD in remission, microalbuminuria was measured at randomization, after 2, 6 and 12 months, plus at the time of a relapse. The association of microalbuminuria with the course of disease was analyzed with logistic regression analysis. Time-dependent Cox regression was undertaken to study the association between microalbuminuria and relapse. Results: We included a total of 139 patients. At randomization, microalbuminuria was present in 8 patients. During a 1-year follow-up, 29 patients relapsed and in 11% (3/29), microalbuminuria was present during the relapse. We found no statistically significant association between microalbuminuria and relapse (odds ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76–1.13). Time-dependent Cox regression analysis also revealed no statistical predictive value for microalbuminuria (hazard ratio 1.29, 95% CI 0.37–4.39, p = 0.68). Conclusion: Microalbuminuria was moderately prevalent in quiescent CD patients, but it could not be associated with disease characteristics or the type of medication before randomization, nor as a predictor for relapses.
Neuropsychological Predictors of Rapidly Progressing Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Musicco Massimo , Salamone Giovanna , Caltagirone Carlo , Cravello Luca , Fadda Lucia , Lupo Federica , Mosti Serena , Perri Roberta , Palmer Katie
Published: January 2011

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) has heterogeneous clinical manifestations. Different neuropsychological profiles in AD patients might be indicative of the diffusion of the pathological process and might be associated with differences in rates of disease progression. Methods: We studied 154 newly diagnosed AD patients (65.6% women; mean age: 73 years). Performance in memory, executive functions, praxis and language domains was categorized into mild, moderate and severe impairment. The time-dependent probability of losing 5 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) over 2 years was considered as disease progression and evaluated by survival analysis. Results: One fourth of the patients decreased by ≧5 MMSE points over the 2-year follow-up. Rapid disease progression was more frequent in more educated patients and in those with moderate severity of global cognitive impairment. In univariate analysis, more severe memory and executive functioning impairment were associated with higher probabilities of progression. The association with memory was explained by differences in executive function impairment that remained statistically significant in multivariate analyses. Conclusions: Patients with more severe executive functioning impairment have a worse prognosis over 2 years. This might be due to involvement of the prefrontal cortex by the pathological process of AD in patients with severe executive deficits.
Enhancement of Solute Removal in a Hollow-Fiber Hemodialyzer by Mechanical Vibration
Authors: Kim Jeong Chul , Garzotto Francesco , Cruz Dinna N. , Goh Ching Yan , Nalesso Federico , Kim Ji Hyun , Kang Eungtaek , Kim Hee Chan , Ronco Claudio
Published: January 2011

Better solute clearance, particularly of middle-molecular-weight solutes, has been associated with improved patient outcomes. However, blood-membrane interaction during dialysis results in the development of secondary mass transfer resistances on the dialyzer membrane surface. We discuss the potential effects of mechanical vibration on the diffusion, convection and adsorption of uremic solutes during dialysis. For sinusoidal and triangular vibratory motions, we conceptualized the hemodynamic changes inside the membrane and consequent effects on membrane morphology. Longitudinal vibration generates reverse flow by relative membrane motion, and transverse vibration generates a symmetric swirling flow inside the hollow fiber, which enhances wall shear stress and flow mixing. Moreover, the impulse induced by triangle wave vibration could provide higher absorption capacity to middle-molecular-weight solutes. Mechanical vibration could enhance solute removal by minimizing membrane morphology changes resulting from blood-membrane interaction during hemodialysis. These effects of mechanical vibration can be helpful in extracorporeal blood purification therapies including continuous, portable and wearable systems.
Evaluation of a New Online Hemodiafiltration Mode with Automated Pressure Control of Convection
Authors: Teatini U. , Steckiph D. , Romei Longhena G.
Published: January 2011

Background: Postdilution hemodiafiltration (HDF) still remains the gold standard for solute removal, but with high hemoglobin levels transmembrane pressure (TMP) may reach high levels, reducing filter performance. We compared three online postdilution HDF treatments without TMP alarms for convective volume and plasma changes following treatment. Methods: Twelve patients were enrolled in a trial with three online postdilution HDF treatments. In the volume-controlled mode (VOLc), we set the exchanged volume to obtain a filtration fraction close to 25% without TMP alarms. In the pressure-controlled mode (TMPc), we set the TMP at 100 mm Hg. In the ULTRAc mode (TMP scan combined with TMPc), the dialysis machine automatically selects the TMP with a scan. All treatments were performed with an AK200 ULTRA-S system. Results: Even with hemoglobin levels >12 g/dl, we found a 57% rise in ultrafiltration rate in TMPc versus VOLc and a 92% rise in ULTRAc versus VOLc. Phosphates and myoglobin levels were significantly affected by treatment type. Conclusions: ULTRAc may be a useful tool to achieve an excellent purification performance without the constraints associated with the risk of hemoconcentration.
Controversies in the Management of Infective Complications of Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Odudu Aghogho , Wilkie Martin
Published: January 2011

Peritoneal dialysis is an effective form of renal replacement therapy. Despite improvements in connection technology, peritoneal infection is still the most important preventable cause of patient morbidity and mortality. There has been a shift in focus from treatment to prevention of infection, but wide variation in peritonitis incidence across and within peritoneal dialysis populations remains. This minireview aims to highlight current best practice, whilst discussing controversies in the diagnosis, prediction, prevention and management of peritonitis. Exit-site infection will not be discussed per se but only as it relates to peritonitis.
Hemodiafiltration with Endogenous Reinfusion with and without Acetate-Free Dialysis Solutions: Effect on ESA Requirement
Authors: Bolasco P.G. , Ghezzi P.M. , Serra A. , Corazza L. , Murtas S. , Mascia M. , Cossu M. , Ferrara R. , Cogoni G. , Cadinu F. , Casu D. , Contu B. , Passaghe M. , Ghisu T. , Ganadu M. , Logias F.
Published: January 2011

Background: Hemofiltrate reinfusion (HFR) is a form of hemodiafiltration (HDF) in which replacement fluid is constituted by ultrafiltrate from the patient ‘regenerated’ through a cartridge containing hydrophobic styrene resin. Bicarbonate-based dialysis solutions (DS) used in routine hemodialysis and HDF contain small quantities of acetate (3–5 mM) as a stabilizing agent, one of the major causes of intradialytic hypotension. Acetate-free (AF) DS have recently been made available, substituting acetate with hydrochloric acid. The impact of AF DS during HFR on Hb levels and erythropoietic-stimulating agent (ESA) requirement in chronic dialysis patients was assessed. Patients and Methods: After obtaining informed consent, 30 uremic patients treated by standard bicarbonate dialysis (BHD, DS with acetate) were randomized to treatment in 3-month cycles: first AF HFR, followed by HFR with acetate, and again AF HFR. At the beginning and end of each period, Hb and ESA requirements were evaluated. Results: A significant increase in the Hb level was observed throughout all periods of HFR versus BHD (from 11.1 to 11.86 g/dl; p = 0.04), with a significant decrease of ESA requirements from 29,500 to 25,033 IU/month (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Regardless of the presence or absence of acetate in DS, HFR per se allows a significant lowering of ESA dosage versus BHD, while at the same time increasing Hb levels. Taking for granted the clinical impact produced, HFR seems to provide a relevant decrease in end-stage renal disease patient costs.
What Is the Upper Limitation of Volume in Chinese Peritoneal Dialysis Patients?
Authors: Luo Ya-Jun , Wang Tao
Published: January 2011

Background: Overhydration (OH) is a well-recognized problem in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and is an independent risk factor of mortality in this patient population. Achieving normohydration remains an important issue in dialysis therapy. The present study tries to compare clinical signs and find the optimal range for PD patients in China. Methods: A new bioimpedance spectroscopy device [body composition monitor (BCM)], which allows quantitative determination of how much the hydration status deviates from normal ranges (ΔHS), was selected. Blood pressure and ΔHS were analyzed in 92 PD patients from 1 dialysis center and compared with a matched healthy population (n = 45). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill., USA). Results: We took different OH values as cutoff thresholds; predictive accuracy was evaluated with sensitivity and specificity, and a receiver-operating characteristics curve and Youden’s index were adopted. Conclusion: Our data suggest that 2.0 liters is a reasonable cutoff value for ΔHS. This represents an important step towards a more objective choice of strategies for the optimal treatment of hypertension and fluid overload.
An Exploratory Study on the Combined Effects of External and Internal Morphology on Load Dissipation in Primate Capitates: Its Potential for an Understanding of the Positional and Locomotor Repertoire of Early Hominins
Authors: Macho Gabriele A. , Spears Iain R. , Leakey Meave G. , McColl Daniel J. , Jiang Yong , Abel Richard , Nakatsukasa Masato , Kunimatsu Yutaka
Published: January 2011

This pilot study explored whether the redirection of stress through trabeculae within morphologically constrained capitates provides information about habitual/positional behaviours unavailable from the study of external morphology alone. To assess this possibility, an experimental finite element approach was taken, whereby no attempt was made to reconstruct the actual magnitudes and loading conditions experienced by the capitates in vivo. Rather, this work addressed fundamental biological questions relating to bone plasticity, i.e. internal versus external bone morphology. The capitates of 7 species with different and – in the case of fossils – inferred locomotor behaviours were selected. Virtual models of capitates were created, scaled to the same size and subjected to the same theoretical load. In the first set of analyses, models were assigned the material properties of bone throughout, whereas in the second set, models were assigned 11 different material properties representing the trabecular architecture derived from high-resolution CT. Species with arboreal behaviours consistently redirected loads towards the ulnar aspect of the capitate when trabeculae were introduced, while terrestrial species, and the bipedal Homo, redirected stress towards the radial side. From these preliminary analyses, it is tentatively concluded that Australopithecus anamensis habitually engaged in arboreal behaviours, whereas Australopithecus afarensis did not.
Cardiorenal Syndrome: The Clinical Cardiologists’ Perspective
Authors: Chan Eric J. , Dellsperger Kevin C.
Published: January 2011

The term cardiorenal syndrome has evolved over the years. The understanding of the interactions between these two organ systems has led to better recognition and treatment strategies. As cardiovascular mortality is high in individuals with renal dysfunction, it is imperative to understand the pathophysiology behind the disease process. This knowledge may better serve these patients with this syndrome and improve their outcomes. In this review, we examine the key issues of the cardiorenal syndrome from a cardiologist’s perspective.
Coexistent Autoimmunity in Familial Type 1 Diabetes: Increased Susceptibility in Sib-Pairs?
Authors: Lebenthal Yael , Yackobovitch-Gavan Michal , de Vries Liat , Phillip Moshe , Lazar Liora
Published: January 2011

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients are at risk for additional autoimmune diseases (AID). Objective: To compare the characteristics of associated autoimmunity among familial (parent-offspring and sib-pair) subgroups and sporadic T1D patients. Patients and Methods: Data regarding AID in T1D patients and their nuclear family members were extracted from medical files of 121 multiplex T1D families (58 parent-offspring, 63 sib-pairs) and 226 sporadic controls followed between 1979 and 2008. Results: The prevalence of associated autoimmunity was similar in familial and sporadic cases (33.6 vs. 32.7%). The frequency of additional AID and percentage of patients with two or more coexistent AID were significantly higher among sib-pairs than parent-offspring (p = 0.05 and p = 0.04, respectively). The median time elapsed between diagnosis of T1D and occurrence of additional autoimmunity tended to be shorter in the sib-pairs. Only in familial cases did a positive autoimmune family background predict the development of coexistent autoimmunity (OR = 2.11, CI [1.0, 4.49] p = 0.05). Conclusions: Among sib-pairs with T1D, the higher prevalence of additional AID, the increased number of diseases per person, and the relatively earlier appearance of associated AID suggest an increased susceptibility for coexistent autoimmunity in this subgroup. Positive family history for autoimmunity in multiplex T1D families increased their risk for co-occurrence of AID.
Increased Uric Acid and Glucose Concentrations in Vitreous and Serum of Patients with Diabetic Macular Oedema
Authors: Krizova Libuse , Kalousova Marta , Kubena Ales , Benakova Hana , Zima Tomas , Kovarik Zdenek , Kalvoda Jan , Kalvodova Bohdana
Published: January 2011

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is characterized by blood-retina barrier breakdown induced by local changes in the retina and systemic factors. We investigated vitreous and serum levels of glucose and uric acid (UA) in patients with DR and aimed to describe their correlation with the grade of DR. Methods: Prospective study of 81 patients with DR and 48 non-diabetic controls. Biochemical analysis of vitreous and serum samples was performed. Results: UA and glucose concentrations in vitreous and serum were significantly higher in diabetic patients than in controls. Absolute ratios (vitreous level/serum level) of UA and glucose were higher in proliferative compared with non-proliferative DR. Conclusions: The results suggest that, apart from glucose, increased levels of UA in diabetic patients may also be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of DR.
Simultaneous Blockade of Costimulatory Signals CD28-CD80 and CD40-CD154 Combined with Monoclonal Antibody against CD25 Induced a Stable Chimerism and Tolerance without Graft-versus-Host Disease in Rat
Authors: Zhu Z.X. , Fan L.Y. , Wang Q.
Published: January 2011

Background: The conditioning regimen to induce chimerism for immune tolerance is usually accompanied by high toxicity and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Our aim was to explore a nontoxic strategy for the induction of mixed chimerism by pretreatment with anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody (mAb), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 immunoglobulin (CTLA4Ig) and anti-CD154 mAb. Methods: A total of 30 Lewis recipient rats (RT1l) were randomly divided into control (A and B) and treated (C, D and E) groups. Recipients serving as controls were without any pretreatment (group A) or pretreated with anti-CD25 mAb, CTLA4Ig and anti-CD154 mAb on days 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 without bone marrow transplantation (BMT; group B). In the treated groups, the recipients were pretreated with anti-CD25 mAb and CTLA4Ig (group C), with anti-CD25 mAb and anti-CD154 mAb (group D) or with anti-CD25 mAb, CTLA4Ig and anti-CD154 mAb (group E) on days 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 plus BMT [2 × 108 unmodified whole bone marrow cells from Brown Norway donor rats (RT1n)] on day 0. Full-thickness skin grafts from donor-specific Brown Norway rats were grafted to the dorsal thoracic wall of Lewis recipients on day 8. GVHD was assessed after BMT, and chimerism and T cell apoptosis on days 7, 21, 35 and 49 were detected by flow cytometry. Results: GVHD was not observed in any groups. On days 7, 21 and 35, hematopoietic chimerism was present and maintained in the recipients of the 3 treated groups (groups C, D and E), and thereafter disappeared on day 49. The rate of chimerism in group E was significantly higher compared to that in group C on day 7 and that in group C or D on day 21, but there was no significant difference on day 35 among the 3 groups. The rate of T cell apoptosis in group C, D or E was significantly higher than in group A or B on days 14, 21 and 35. The grafted skin survival in group C, D or E was longer than in group A or B, and survival was significantly longer in group E than in group C or D. Conclusion: Preconditioning with anti-CD25 mAb, CTLA4Ig and anti-CD154 mAb could effectively induce chimerism and immune tolerance without GVHD in a major histocompatibility complex-disparate rat model. This strategy may be attractive for induction of transplantation tolerance. T cell apoptosis is one of the important considerations in tolerance induction.
Fluoride Content of Water Used to Reconstitute Infant Formula
Authors: Steinmetz Julie E. A. , Martinez-Mier E. Angeles , Jones James E. , Sanders Brian J. , Weddell James A. , Soto-Rojas Armando E. , Tomlin Angela M. , Eckert George J.
Published: January 2011

Objective. To assess the fluoride content of water used to reconstitute infant formula by a Latino population living in the Indianapolis, Indiana, area. Background. Negligible as well as excessive fluoride can be detrimental to oral health. Estimates of fluoride intake and exposure for individuals may aid in the determination of their risk for developing dental fluorosis or caries. Methods. Interviews were conducted to determine brands of bottled water used to reconstitute infant formula. Identified brands were analyzed for fluoride concentration. Results. Of the 458 samples tested (from 20 brands), fluoride concentration ranged from 0.006 to 0.740 μg/mL. All brands but one had fluoride concentration less than 0.7 μg/mL, with 16 brands having less than 0.22 μg/mL. Most bottled waters analyzed in the study comply with the American Dental Association recommendation to prevent fluorosis. Comparisons made demonstrated that only waters targeted for infants and that are fluoridated do not comply with recent American Dental Association recommendations.
British Journalism Review
Authors: Alley Downturn
Published: January 2011

Bad behaviour is nothing new or unexpected in newspapers or broadcasting. In many ways the history of the press is the story of conflict between the people who want to conceal secrets and the journalists who want to reveal them. Nobody dare assert that matters of public interest were not involved in many, if not the majority, of them, but the same cannot be said of the exploits of the mobile phone hackers. So far nothing has emerged to provide them with a public-interest defence for their activities. They are simply a disgrace. The elimination by newspapers and other media of an unsavoury practice is of paramount important.
Media must beware this virus
Authors: Borkowski Mark
Published: January 2011

How did an announcement by an unknown American small-town pastor that he would burn the Koran become a huge international story? Public relations consultant Mark Borkowski explains.
The nuclear scaffold protein SAF-A is required for kinetochore–microtubule attachment and contributes to the targeting of Aurora-A to mitotic spindles
Authors: Ma Nan , Matsunaga Sachihiro , Morimoto Akihiro , Sakashita Gyosuke , Urano Takeshi , Uchiyama Susumu , Fukui Kiichi
Published: January 2011

Segregation of chromosomes during cell division requires correct formation of mitotic spindles. Here, we show that a scaffold attachment factor A (SAF-A), also known as heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-U, contributes to the attachment of spindle microtubules (MTs) to kinetochores and spindle organization. During mitosis, SAF-A was localized at the spindles, spindle midzone and cytoplasmic bridge. Depletion of SAF-A by RNA interference induced mitotic delay and defects in chromosome alignment and spindle assembly. We found that SAF-A specifically co-immunoprecipitated with the chromosome peripheral protein nucleolin and the spindle regulators Aurora-A and TPX2, indicating that SAF-A is associated with nucleolin and the Aurora-A–TPX2 complex. SAF-A was colocalized with TPX2 and Aurora-A in spindle poles and MTs. Elimination of TPX2 or Aurora-A from cells abolished the association of SAF-A with the mitotic spindle. Interestingly, SAF-A can bind to MTs and contributes to the targeting of Aurora-A to mitotic spindle MTs. Our finding indicates that SAF-A is a novel spindle regulator that plays an essential role in kinetochore–MT attachment and mitotic spindle organization.
Post-transcriptional control of circadian rhythms
Authors: Kojima Shihoko , Shingle Danielle L. , Green Carla B.
Published: January 2011

Circadian rhythms exist in most living organisms. The general molecular mechanisms that are used to generate 24-hour rhythms are conserved among organisms, although the details vary. These core clocks consist of multiple regulatory feedback loops, and must be coordinated and orchestrated appropriately for the fine-tuning of the 24-hour period. Many levels of regulation are important for the proper functioning of the circadian clock, including transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms. In recent years, new information about post-transcriptional regulation in the circadian system has been discovered. Such regulation has been shown to alter the phase and amplitude of rhythmic mRNA and protein expression in many organisms. Therefore, this Commentary will provide an overview of current knowledge of post-transcriptional regulation of the clock genes and clock-controlled genes in dinoflagellates, plants, fungi and animals. This article will also highlight how circadian gene expression is modulated by post-transcriptional mechanisms and how this is crucial for robust circadian rhythmicity.
Intravital microscopy: new insights into metastasis of tumors
Authors: Beerling Evelyne , Ritsma Laila , Vrisekoop Nienke , Derksen Patrick W. B. , van Rheenen Jacco
Published: January 2011

Metastasis, the process by which cells spread from the primary tumor to a distant site to form secondary tumors, is still not fully understood. Although histological techniques have provided important information, they give only a static image and thus compromise interpretation of this dynamic process. New advances in intravital microscopy (IVM), such as two-photon microscopy, imaging chambers, and multicolor and fluorescent resonance energy transfer imaging, have recently been used to visualize the behavior of single metastasizing cells at subcellular resolution over several days, yielding new and unexpected insights into this process. For example, IVM studies showed that tumor cells can switch between multiple invasion strategies in response to various densities of extracellular matrix. Moreover, other IVM studies showed that tumor cell migration and blood entry take place not only at the invasive front, but also within the tumor mass at tumor-associated vessels that lack an intact basement membrane. In this Commentary, we will give an overview of the recent advances in high-resolution IVM techniques and discuss some of the latest insights in the metastasis field obtained with IVM.
Autophagic substrate clearance requires activity of the syntaxin-5 SNARE complex
Authors: Renna Maurizio , Schaffner Catherine , Winslow Ashley R. , Menzies Fiona M. , Peden Andrew A. , Floto R. Andres , Rubinsztein David C.
Published: January 2011

Autophagy is a lysosome-dependent cellular catabolic mechanism that mediates the turnover of intracellular organelles and long-lived proteins. Reduced autophagic activity has been shown to lead to the accumulation of misfolded proteins in neurons and might be involved in chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we uncover an essential role for the syntaxin-5 SNARE complex in autophagy. Using genetic knockdown, we show that the syntaxin-5 SNARE complex regulates the later stages of autophagy after the initial formation of autophagosomes. This SNARE complex acts on autophagy by regulating ER-to-Golgi transport through the secretory pathway, which is essential for the activity of lysosomal proteases such as cathepsins. Depletion of syntaxin-5 complex components results in the accumulation of autophagosomes as a result of lysosomal dysfunction, leading to decreased degradation of autophagic substrates. Our findings provide a novel link between a fundamental process such as intracellular trafficking and human diseases that might be affected by defective biogenesis and/or homeostasis of the autophagosome–lysosome degradation system.