bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of molding helmet on head shape in nonsurgically treated sagittal craniosynostosis
Authors: Sood Sandeep , Rozzelle Arlene , Shaqiri Blerina , Sood Natasha , Ham Steven D.
Published: June 2011

Object

Sagittal craniosynostosis is traditionally considered to be a surgical condition. Poor results of simple suturectomy follow from early reclosure of the suture. A wider craniectomy or use of interposing materials has not improved the outcome. However, endoscopic suturectomy supplemented with postoperative use of a molding helmet has shown good results. Because suturectomy reunites within 8–12 weeks of surgery, the authors questioned if the improved outcome was primarily related to use of the helmet.

Methods

In 4 patients whose families opted for calvarial reconstruction when the infant was 4–6 months old, instead of endoscopic suturectomy, a molding helmet was used to minimize compensatory changes in the interim. Patients underwent 3D CT scanning to confirm craniosynostosis. Follow-up visits were made at intervals of 4 weeks for adjustment of the helmet, head circumference measurements, clinical photographs, and cranial index measurement.

Results

There was significant improvement in the head shape within 6 weeks of use of the molding helmet. The cranial index score improved from a mean (± SD) of 67% ± 3% to 75% ± 2%.

Conclusions

These cases demonstrate that molding helmets improve head shape even without a suturectomy in patients with sagittal craniosynostosis, challenging the traditional view.
Das Projekt «Neue Bestandeskarte» | The project “New forest stand map”
Authors: Schmidtke Hubertus , Schardt Mathias , Hirschmugl Manuela , Wack Roland , Ofner Martin , Granica Klaus
Published: June 2011

Within the scope of the project “New forest stand map” an operational procedure was developed to derive automatically forest stand parameters from airoborne laser scanner and satellite data. Those stand parameters were development stage, species combination, crown cover and standing timber volume. Optional were number of trees, dominant tree height and others. The degree of automation is high. The automatically delineated stand boundaries were visually controlled and corrected. All stand parameters were then derived completely automatically. The applicability of the procedure developed was demonstrated with three test sites containing 3000 ha of forest. The “New forest stand map” was developed as a saleable product. The procedure is robust regarding varying data situations and forest conditions.
Verfahren zur Registrierung von Laserscannerdaten in Waldbeständen | Methods for registration laser scanner point clouds in forest stands
Authors: Bienert Anne , Pech Katharina , Maas Hans-Gerd
Published: June 2011

Laser scanning is a fast and efficient 3-D measurement technique to capture surface points describing the geometry of a complex object in an accurate and reliable way. Besides airborne laser scanning, terrestrial laser scanning finds growing interest for forestry applications. These two different recording platforms show large differences in resolution, recording area and scan viewing direction. Using both datasets for a combined point cloud analysis may yield advantages because of their largely complementary information. In this paper, methods will be presented to automatically register airborne and terrestrial laser scanner point clouds of a forest stand. In a first step, tree detection is performed in both datasets in an automatic manner. In a second step, corresponding tree positions are determined using RANSAC. Finally, the geometric transformation is performed, divided in a coarse and fine registration. After a coarse registration, the fine registration is done in an iterative manner (ICP) using the point clouds itself. The methods are tested and validated with a dataset of a forest stand. The presented registration results provide accuracies which fulfill the forestry requirements.
‘The less you lot have ter do with these foreigners, the happier yeh'll be’: Cultural and National Otherness in J.K. Rowling'sHarry PotterSeries
Authors: Rana Marion
Published: June 2011

This paper deals with the depiction of cultural and national otherness in Harry Potter. It analyses the presentation and connotation of cultural and national otherness in the novels, its aims and main characteristics, and highlights how otherness as a social and ideological construct is used to create a certain social order within the Hogwarts universe. Rowling has been praised widely for her supposed multicultural worldview and her support of NGO-like structures fighting for equal treatment and human rights. On the surface, the Harry Potter novels do indeed strike a light for multiculturalism, racial harmony and emancipation. As this paper will demonstrate, however, the underlying worldview of the novels is an imperial and racial biological one: despite the claims of many critics that Rowling's works are multicultural and anti-racist, the hidden discourse of the novels supports and perpetuates racial and xenophobic prejudice.
‘What should we do in America?’: Immigrant Economies in Nineteenth-Century American Children's Fiction
Authors: Harde Roxanne
Published: June 2011

This essay examines narratives about immigrants in a sampling of nineteenth-century American children's texts and grows out of my work on reform writing by major women authors. Many of the stories they published in the leading children's periodicals seem to welcome the immigrant contributor to American society even as they defined that immigrant's place in economic/class structures. The goal of this paper is to trace certain strains of the systematic discipline by which American culture tried to manage the immigrant in terms of class. I therefore consider the role of economics in immigrant stories written for children by a number of American women writers, with analyses of the ways in which these stories situate the dependent and independent immigrant in the marketplace.
Gilbert Talbot's Seventeenth-Century Translation of Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata
Authors: Gillespie Stuart
Published: June 2011

The purpose of this contribution is to document a complete English verse translation of Tasso's epic which has remained unprinted, and virtually unnoticed, since its composition in the mid- to late seventeenth century. It proceeds towards presentation of a sample canto by way of discussion of the translator, Sir Gilbert Talbot (c. 1607–1695); of the literary-historical context; then finally, and briefly, of the translation itself. The text is taken from manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford.
Distributional Benefit Analysis of a National Air Quality Rule
Authors: Post Ellen S. , Belova Anna , Huang Jin
Published: June 2011

Under Executive Order 12898, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must perform environmental justice (EJ) reviews of its rules and regulations. EJ analyses address the hypothesis that environmental disamenities are experienced disproportionately by poor and/or minority subgroups. Such analyses typically use communities as the unit of analysis. While community-based approaches make sense when considering where polluting sources locate, they are less appropriate for national air quality rules affecting many sources and pollutants that can travel thousands of miles. We compare exposures and health risks of EJ-identified individuals rather than communities to analyze EPA’s Heavy Duty Diesel (HDD) rule as an example national air quality rule. Air pollutant exposures are estimated within grid cells by air quality models; all individuals in the same grid cell are assigned the same exposure. Using an inequality index, we find that inequality within racial/ethnic subgroups far outweighs inequality between them. We find, moreover, that the HDD rule leaves between-subgroup inequality essentially unchanged. Changes in health risks depend also on subgroups’ baseline incidence rates, which differ across subgroups. Thus, health risk reductions may not follow the same pattern as reductions in exposure. These results are likely representative of other national air quality rules as well.
Ground Water Chemistry Changes before Major Earthquakes and Possible Effects on Animals
Authors: Grant Rachel A. , Halliday Tim , Balderer Werner P. , Leuenberger Fanny , Newcomer Michelle , Cyr Gary , Freund Friedemann T.
Published: June 2011

Prior to major earthquakes many changes in the environment have been documented. Though often subtle and fleeting, these changes are noticeable at the land surface, in water, in the air, and in the ionosphere. Key to understanding these diverse pre-earthquake phenomena has been the discovery that, when tectonic stresses build up in the Earth’s crust, highly mobile electronic charge carriers are activated. These charge carriers are defect electrons on the oxygen anion sublattice of silicate minerals, known as positive holes, chemically equivalent to O– in a matrix of O2–. They are remarkable inasmuch as they can flow out of the stressed rock volume and spread into the surrounding unstressed rocks. Travelling fast and far the positive holes cause a range of follow-on reactions when they arrive at the Earth’s surface, where they cause air ionization, injecting massive amounts of primarily positive air ions into the lower atmosphere. When they arrive at the rock-water interface, they act as •O radicals, oxidizing water to hydrogen peroxide. Other reactions at the rock-water interface include the oxidation or partial oxidation of dissolved organic compounds, leading to changes of their fluorescence spectra. Some compounds thus formed may be irritants or toxins to certain species of animals. Common toads, Bufo bufo, were observed to exhibit a highly unusual behavior prior to a M6.3 earthquake that hit L’Aquila, Italy, on April 06, 2009: a few days before the seismic event the toads suddenly disappeared from their breeding site in a small lake about 75 km from the epicenter and did not return until after the aftershock series. In this paper we discuss potential changes in groundwater chemistry prior to seismic events and their possible effects on animals.
8-[2-Chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[3,4-c][1,4]benzoxazin-1-one
Authors: Berezin Andrey A. , Koutentis Panayiotis A.
Published: May 2011

8-Bromo-4H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[3,4-c][1,4]benzoxazin-1-one 1 (NS2028) reacts with [2-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]boronic acid 2 (2 equiv), Pd(OAc)2 (10 mol%) and KOAc (4 equiv) in acetonitrile heated to ca. 110 °C (sealed tube) for 12 hours to give 8-[2-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[3,4-c][1,4]benzoxazin-1-one 4 in 64% yield.
Synthesis and Antimalarial Activity of Novel Dihydro-Artemisinin Derivatives
Authors: Liu Yang , Cui Kunqiang , Lu Weiqiang , Luo Wei , Wang Jian , Huang Jin , Guo Chun
Published: May 2011

The Plasmodium falciparum cysteine protease falcipain-2, one of the most promising targets for antimalarial drug design, plays a key role in parasite survival as a major peptide hydrolase within the hemoglobin degradation pathway. In this work, a series of novel dihydroartemisinin derivatives based on (thio)semicarbazone scaffold were designed and synthesized as potential falcipain-2 inhibitors. The in vitro biological assay indicated that most of the target compounds showed excellent inhibition activity against P. falciparum falcipain-2, with IC50 values in the 0.29–10.63 μM range. Molecular docking studies were performed to investigate the binding affinities and interaction modes for the inhibitors. The preliminary SARs were summarized and could serve as a foundation for further investigation in the development of antimalarial drugs.
Phytochemical and Cytotoxic Investigations of Curcuma mangga Rhizomes
Authors: Malek Sri Nurestri A. , Lee Guan Serm , Hong Sok Lai , Yaacob Hashim , Wahab Norhanom Abdul , Faizal Weber Jean-Frédéric , Shah Syed Adnan Ali
Published: May 2011

Investigations on the cytotoxic effects of the crude methanol and fractionated extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate) C. mangga against six human cancer cell lines, namely the hormone-dependent breast cell line (MCF-7), nasopharyngeal epidermoid cell line (KB), lung cell line (A549), cervical cell line (Ca Ski), colon cell lines (HCT 116 and HT-29), and one non-cancer human fibroblast cell line (MRC-5) were conducted using an in-vitro neutral red cytotoxicity assay. The crude methanol and fractionated extracts (hexane and ethyl acetate) displayed good cytotoxic effects against MCF-7, KB, A549, Ca Ski and HT-29 cell lines, but exerted no damage on the MRC-5 line. Chemical investigation from the hexane and ethyl acetate fractions resulted in the isolation of seven pure compounds, namely (E)-labda-8(17),12-dien-15,16-dial (1), (E)-15,16-bisnor-labda-8(17),11-dien-13-on (2), zerumin A (3), β-sitosterol, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bis-demethoxycurcumin. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited high cytotoxic effects against all six selected cancer cell lines, while compounds 2 showed no anti-proliferative activity on the tested cell lines. Compound 1 also demonstrated strong cytotoxicity against the normal cell line MRC-5. This paper reports for the first time the cytotoxic activities of C. mangga extracts on KB, A549, Ca Ski, HT-29 and MRC-5, and the occurrence of compound 2 and 3 in C. mangga.
Heritage Recording and 3D Modeling with Photogrammetry and 3D Scanning
Authors: Remondino Fabio
Published: May 2011

The importance of landscape and heritage recording and documentation with optical remote sensing sensors is well recognized at international level. The continuous development of new sensors, data capture methodologies and multi-resolution 3D representations, contributes significantly to the digital 3D documentation, mapping, conservation and representation of landscapes and heritages and to the growth of research in this field. This article reviews the actual optical 3D measurement sensors and 3D modeling techniques, with their limitations and potentialities, requirements and specifications. Examples of 3D surveying and modeling of heritage sites and objects are also shown throughout the paper.
Automatic Geographic Object Based Mapping of Streambed and Riparian Zone Extent from LiDAR Data in a Temperate Rural Urban Environment, Australia
Authors: Johansen Kasper , Tiede Dirk , Blaschke Thomas , Arroyo Lara A. , Phinn Stuart
Published: May 2011

This research presents a time-effective approach for mapping streambed and riparian zone extent from high spatial resolution LiDAR derived products, i.e., digital terrain model, terrain slope and plant projective cover. Geographic object based image analysis (GEOBIA) has proven useful for feature extraction from high spatial resolution image data because of the capacity to reduce effects of reflectance variations of pixels making up individual objects and to include contextual and shape information. This functionality increases the likelihood of developing transferable and automated mapping approaches. LiDAR data covered parts of the Werribee Catchment in Victoria, Australia, which is characterized by urban, agricultural, and forested land cover types. Field data of streamside vegetation structure and physical form properties were used for both calibration of the mapping routines and validation of the mapping results. To improve the transferability of the rule set, the GEOBIA approach was developed for an area representing different riparian zone environments, i.e., urbanized, agricultural and hilly forested areas. Results show that mapping streambed extent (R2 = 0.93, RMSE = 3.6 m, n = 35) and riparian zone extent (R2 = 0.74, RMSE = 3.9, n = 35) from LiDAR derived products can be automated using GEOBIA to enable derivation of spatial information in an accurate and time-effective manner suited for natural resource management agencies.
Operating Systems for Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey
Authors: Farooq Muhammad Omer , Kunz Thomas
Published: May 2011

This paper presents a survey on the current state-of-the-art in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) Operating Systems (OSs). In recent years, WSNs have received tremendous attention in the research community, with applications in battlefields, industrial process monitoring, home automation, and environmental monitoring, to name but a few. A WSN is a highly dynamic network because nodes die due to severe environmental conditions and battery power depletion. Furthermore, a WSN is composed of miniaturized motes equipped with scarce resources e.g., limited memory and computational abilities. WSNs invariably operate in an unattended mode and in many scenarios it is impossible to replace sensor motes after deployment, therefore a fundamental objective is to optimize the sensor motes’ life time. These characteristics of WSNs impose additional challenges on OS design for WSN, and consequently, OS design for WSN deviates from traditional OS design. The purpose of this survey is to highlight major concerns pertaining to OS design in WSNs and to point out strengths and weaknesses of contemporary OSs for WSNs, keeping in mind the requirements of emerging WSN applications. The state-of-the-art in operating systems for WSNs has been examined in terms of the OS Architecture, Programming Model, Scheduling, Memory Management and Protection, Communication Protocols, Resource Sharing, Support for Real-Time Applications, and additional features. These features are surveyed for both real-time and non-real-time WSN operating systems.
The Role of Interferon Antagonist, Non-Structural Proteins in the Pathogenesis and Emergence of Arboviruses
Authors: Hollidge Bradley S. , Weiss Susan R. , Soldan Samantha S.
Published: June 2011

A myriad of factors favor the emergence and re-emergence of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), including migration, climate change, intensified livestock production, an increasing volume of international trade and transportation, and changes to ecosystems (e.g., deforestation and loss of biodiversity). Consequently, arboviruses are distributed worldwide and represent over 30% of all emerging infectious diseases identified in the past decade. Although some arboviral infections go undetected or are associated with mild, flu-like symptoms, many are important human and veterinary pathogens causing serious illnesses such as arthritis, gastroenteritis, encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever and devastating economic loss as a consequence of lost productivity and high mortality rates among livestock. One of the most consistent molecular features of emerging arboviruses, in addition to their near exclusive use of RNA genomes, is the inclusion of viral, non-structural proteins that act as interferon antagonists. In this review, we describe these interferon antagonists and common strategies that arboviruses use to counter the host innate immune response. In addition, we discuss the complex interplay between host factors and viral determinants that are associated with virus emergence and re-emergence, and identify potential targets for vaccine and anti-viral therapies.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite primers for an invasive weed, Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae)
Authors: Zhu Lin , Zheng Xing‐Mei , Lou Anru
Published: June 2011

• Premise of the study: We developed microsatellite primers and tested the polymorphism of seven populations of Solanum rostratum distributed throughout their range in China. These will be useful for biologists to study the mating systems and genetic diversity and differentiation of S. rostratum in its native range in Mexico and in its current distribution throughout the world.

• Methods and Results: Five polymorphic microsatellites were identified for Solanum rostratum. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 1 to 8 (average = 4) for 195 individuals examined from seven populations. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and 0.000 to 0.778, respectively.

• Conclusions: These five markers can be used in studies examining population genetics and the mating system of Solanum rostratum to investigate its invasive mechanisms and to provide information for developing management strategies for this species.
Three-Pore Model Predictions of 24-Hour Automated Peritoneal Dialysis Therapy Using Bimodal Solutions
Authors: Akonur Alp , Leypoldt J. Ken
Published: June 2011

Background

Recently, bimodal peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions containing low concentrations of Na have been shown to increase 24-hour ultrafiltration (UF) or UF efficiency (UF volume per gram of carbohydrate or CHO absorbed) and Na removal in high (“fast”) transport patients during automated PD therapy. We used computer simulations to compare UF efficiency and Na removal at equivalent 24-hour UF volumes using either a generic bimodal solution (2.27% glucose + 7.5% icodextrin) during the long dwell or an increase in the glucose concentration during the short dwells, with all solutions containing Na at the conventional concentration (132 mEq/L).

Methods

The 3-pore model has been shown to accurately predict peritoneal transport for PD solutions containing glucose or icodextrin, or both. Here, we used that model to calculate 24-hour UF volume, CHO absorption, and Na removal for high (H), high-average (HA), and low-average (LA) transport patients on automated PD. Nighttime therapy consisted of 1.36% or 2.27% glucose solution (or both), and daytime therapy consisted of either Extraneal (Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Deerfield, IL, USA) or a bimodal solution.

Results

As expected, addition of glucose to either the long dwell or the short dwells resulted in increased UF volume and glucose absorption. The increase in UF was a function of patient transport type (bimodal range: 288 – 490 mL; short-dwell range: 323 – 350 mL), and the increase in CHO absorption was smaller with glucose added to short dwells than with bimodal solution (range: 18 – 30 g vs. 34 – 39 g). The 24-hour UF efficiency was higher when high glucose concentrations were used during short-dwell exchanges than when a bimodal PD solution was used for the long dwell (0.6 to 1.2 mL/g vs. –0.1 to 0.5 mL/g). By contrast, Na removal was lower with the short-dwell exchanges (28.3 – 30.7 mmol vs. 36.2 – 53.3 mmol), likely because of more pronounced Na sieving.

Conclusions

Our modeling studies predict that generic bimodal PD solutions will provide higher Na removal but not higher 24-hour UF efficiency compared with current automated PD prescriptions using Extraneal for the long dwell and glucose-containing solutions for the short dwells. The modeling predictions from this study require clinical validation.
Diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in cases of abnormal vaginal discharge: comparison of clinical and microbiological criteria
Authors: Modak Tamonud , Arora Preeti , Agnes Charan , Ray Raja , Goswami Sebanti , Ghosh Pramit , Das Nilay Kanti
Published: June 2011

Introduction: Bacterial vaginosis is a polymicrobial syndrome involving replacement of normal vaginal hydrogen peroxide producing lactobacilli by a variety of mycoplasmas and Gram-negative rods. Bacterial vaginosis has been conventionally diagnosed using Amsel criteria (a clinical method) or Nugent's score (a laboratory method with higher reproducibility). This study was undertaken to compare the diagnostic ability of the Amsel criteria with that of Nugent's score among patients presenting with abnormal vaginal discharge. Methodology: The study was conducted at the Medical College in Kolkata, India to determine the prevalence of patients with bacterial vaginosis and their demographic profile. Subjects attending the outpatient department presenting with abnormal vaginal discharge were evaluated for the presence of bacterial vaginosis by Amsel criteria and Nugent's score. Results: Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis was 24% by Nugent's score. In comparison, Amsel criteria had sensitivity of 66.67%, specificity of 94.74%, positive predictive value of 80% and negative predictive value of 90%. There was no perfect inter-rater agreement between the Amsel criteria and Nugent's score (Kappa = 0.58). Presence of clue cells correlated best with a positive diagnosis by Nugent's score while the amine test (whiff test) had the lowest correlation. Conclusion: Although the Amsel criteria method is a convenient and inexpensive means of diagnosing bacterial vaginosis, it is not always reliable.  Alternative reliable and inexpensive diagnostic methods that unify clinical and microbiological parameters, thus increasing sensitivity while retaining specificity, are needed.
Fatal case of Clostridium perfringens enteritis and bacteraemia in South Africa
Authors: Smith Anthony M , Thomas Juno , Mostert Pieter J.H.
Published: June 2011

Clostridium perfringens is an important anaerobic pathogen causing foodborne and non-foodborne gastrointestinal diseases in humans and animals. This pathogen is also the more common Clostridium species associated with bacteraemia. We report on a fatal case of C. perfringens infection in an adult with type 2 diabetes.
Sequence variation of the HVR1 region of Hepatitis C virus in response to interferon-α and ribavirin treatment
Authors: Al-Qahtani Ahmed Ali , Rubino Salvatore , Al-Ahdal Mohammed N.
Published: June 2011

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is a major cause of liver diseases worldwide, undergoes genetic variation during the course of infection. The aim of this study was to examine sequence variations within the HVR1 region of HCV genotype 4 in infected Saudi patients treated with a combination therapy of interferon-α and ribavirin. Methodology: cDNA of the HVR1 region of HVC-4 from one responder and one non-responder patients was generated, cloned and sequenced. Ten clones were randomly selected and analyzed for changes in nucleotide and amino acid sequences before the start of treatment, and subsequently three and six months after the start of the therapy course. Results: Based on nucleotide and amino acid sequence variations, the HVR1 region is highly sequence variable. In both the responder and the non-responder patients, amino acid sequence variations were observed and a clear distinction between patients was evident. The amino acid changes after the treatment course were different in the responder compared to the non-responder subject. Five amino acids (residues 364 to 367, 381 and 409) were unique in the non-responder patient. Conclusion: Considerable amino acid variations were observed in the HVR1 region in both responder and non-responder patients. These findings could have implications for the development of an HCV vaccine as well as treatment protocols for HCV infections.
In vitro activity of azithromycin in Salmonella isolates from Pakistan
Authors: Butt Farhana , Sultan Faisal
Published: June 2011

Introduction: Enteric fever is caused by Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A, B and C. It is a significant public health issue in Pakistan, which is exacerbated by a high level of resistance some isolates display to drugs routinely used in treatment. Azithromycin may be a treatment option for such isolates. Methodology: We determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi isolates against azithromycin in an attempt to gauge its feasibility as a therapeutic option. The MICs were also compared with corresponding disc diffusion zone sizes to see if there was consistency between the two tests. We tested 45 Salmonella enterica isolates using E-tests for MIC detection and azithromycin discs with a concentration of 15µg/ml for disc diffusion testing. Results: Salmonella Typhi, Salmonella Paratyphi A, and Salmonella Paratyphi C isolates demonstrated MICs of 2-12mg/L against azithromycin, suggesting that the antibiotic could be used for therapeutic purposes. For Salmonella Paratyphi B, the MICs were 2-48 mg/L. The higher MIC indicates a need for caution when considering use of azithromycin for Salmonella Paratyphi B infections without first testing for the MIC. There was a close correlation between MICs and zone sizes which was statistically significant. Conclusions: Our results indicate azithromycin is a potential therapeutic option for enteric fever. Standardized laboratory testing methods and interpretation for azithromycin  against Salmonella enterica would allow laboratories to report upon this antibiotic with confidence.
Role of Bifidobacterium bifidum and plant food extracts in improving microflora and biochemical and cytogenetic parameters in adjuvant arthritis.
Authors: Al-Okbi S. Y. , Mohamed D. A. , Donya S. M. , Abd El Khalek A. B.
Published: June 2011

The aim of the present research was to discover plant food extracts and probiotics that may have bioactivity towards chronic inflammation. Three plant food extract mixtures expected to be rich in phenolic compounds, carotenoids and tocopherols were prepared. The anti-inflammatory activity of the different mixtures as well as probiotic bacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum) were evaluated in adjuvant arthritis in rats. The anti-inflammatory effect, mechanism of action and safety of the three mixtures and Bifidobacterium bifidum were studied by measuring the size of inflammation and the determination of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, colonic bacteria profile and specific cytogenetic parameters. The contents of tocopherols, β-carotene and phenolic compounds in the mixtures were determined. The results show that the tested mixtures and Bifidobacterium bifidum possess promising anti-inflammatory effects. The mechanism of action seems to involve a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers and an effect on colonic microflora. Genotoxicity and DNA fragmentation induced by adjuvant arthritis were prevented after supplementation with the tested mixtures.
Extraction of oil from pequi fruit (Caryocar Brasiliense, Camb.) using several solvents and their mixtures
Authors: Aquino L. P. , Borges S. V. , Queiroz F. , Antoniassi R. , Cirillo M. A.
Published: June 2011

In this study, the oil extraction process from pequi pulp using different solvents (hexane, acetone and ethyl alcohol) and their mixtures was investigated, using a simplex-centroid design. The extraction occurred at 50°C, under stirring (22 Hz), for 16 hours. The solid-liquid ratio used was 1:10 (w/w). Higher yield values were obtained for extractions with acetone and hexane, especially their mixtures with ethanol. Iodine value, saponification value and refractive index did not differ significantly among the treatments. A higher acid value was obtained for the extraction with ethyl alcohol. Higher carotenoid contents were obtained for the extraction with acetone and ethyl alcohol as pure solvents. The fatty acid profile in the oil fraction of the extracts did not vary among the different types of solvents and their mixtures.
Dietary fish oil modulates the effect of dimethylhydrazine- induced colon cancer in rats
Authors: Rasmy G. E. , Khalil W. K.B. , Moharib S. A. , Kawkab A. A. , Jwanny E. W.
Published: June 2011

This study was conducted to examine the efficacy of fish oil supplementation in male wistar rat colon carcinogenesis. In order to induce colon cancer, the rats were given a weekly subcutaneous injection of 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine (DMH) at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. for five weeks. Afterwards, some of the rats ingested fish oil for either 4 weeks (DMH-FO4 group), or 17 weeks (DMH-FO17 group). The remaining rats continued without any supplementation for the same 4 weeks (DMH4 group), or 17 weeks (DMH17 group). Another two groups of rats did not receive the DMH and were given fish oil (FO17 group) or a normal diet only and considered as the control group (CN group). At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed; and were subsequently subjected to biochemical and molecular biological analyses as well as histopathological examinations. The results showed increased levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and alkaline phoshatase (ALP) activities in the DMH rats compared to the control. The liver and colonic changes that were induced by DMH were significantly improved through fish oil supplementation in the DMH-FO17 group. The molecular analysis revealed that DMH treatment induced the expression alterations of genes p53, p27 and p21 and increased DNA band patterns related to cancer, while both FO17 and DMH-FO17 groups showed much better results. A histopathological examination of the DMH17 group revealed colon adenocarcinoma and several lesions in rat liver tissues. An improvement in the histopathological picture was seen in the livers and colons of groups DMHFO17. In conclusion, the present results demonstrated the anti-carciongenic effect of herring fish oil against DMH induced colon carcinogenesis in rats. The inhibitory effect of FO was due to the modulation of elevated biochemical parameters, DNA damage, gene expression and histopathological lesions caused by DMH.
Physical and chemical properties of pigmented oil obtained from shrimp heads
Authors: Núñez-Gastélum J. A. , Sánchez-Machado D. I. , López-Cervantes J. , Paseiro-Losada P. , Sendón R. , Sanches-Silva A. T. , Costa H. S. , Aurrekoetxea G. P. , Angulo I. , Soto-Valdez H.
Published: June 2011

In this work the proximal analysis, physicochemical characterization, fatty acid profile and astaxanthin content of pigmented oil obtained by fermentation shrimp heads are presented. Lipids are the major components in the oil (95%). The saponification number is 178.62 mg KOH/g, iodine value 139.8 cg iodine/g, and the peroxide value was not detected. Density and viscosity were 0.92 mg/ml and 64 centipoises, respectively. The highest contents of fatty acids were linoleic (C18:2n6), oleic (C18:1n9) and palmitic (C16:0). Eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3, DHA) account for 9% of the total. The content of astaxanthin was 2.72 mg/g dry weight. The pigmented oil is a dietary source of nutrients with high value such as astaxanthin.
Rheology of oleogels based on sorbitan and glyceryl monostearates and vegetable oils for lubricating applications
Authors: Sánchez R. , Franco J. M. , Delgado M. A. , Valencia C. , Gallegos C.
Published: June 2011

Oleogels based on sorbitan and glyceryl monostearates and different types of vegetable oils, potentially applicable as biodegradable alternatives to traditional lubricating greases, have been studied. In particular, the rheological behavior, by means of small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) measurements, and some lubrication performance-related properties (mechanical stability and tribological response) have been evaluated in this work. SAOS response and mechanical stability of these oleogels are significantly influenced by the type and concentration of the organogelator and the vegetable oil used in the formulations. Glyceryl monostearate (GMS) generally produces stronger gels than sorbitan monostearate (SMS). The use of low-viscosity oils, such as rapeseed and soybean oils, yields gels with significantly higher values of the linear viscoelastic functions than oleogels prepared with high-viscosity oils, i.e. castor oil. The rheological behavior of SMS-based oleogels also depends on the cooling rate applied during the gelification process. On the other hand, the oleogels studied present low values of the friction coefficient obtained in a tribological contact, although only some GMS/castor oil-based oleogels exhibit a suitable mechanical stability.
Soldadura TIG automática de acero inoxidable austenita en una atmósfera de protección de nitrógeno y mezclas de gas a base de nitrógeno
Authors: Zorc B.
Published: May 2011

Hemos efectuado las investigaciones de la soldadura TIG en nitrógeno puro, las mezclas de gas N2 + 5 hasta un 20 % Ar, así como también N2 + 2 hasta un 10 % H2. Para la protección se utilizó nitrógeno. Para la soldadura se necesitan aproximadamente un 40 % menos de corriente de soldadura, comparado con la soldadura de argón. La investigación ha mostrado que la porosidad es un problema de absorción excesiva de la fundición con nitrógeno y que es posible suprimir la porosidad mediante parámetros adecuados de soldadura, sobre todo con una suficiente velocidad de soldadura y, con ella, una pequeña emisión controlada de calor. El hidrógeno reduce la solubilidad del nitrógeno en la fundición y acciona la segregación de ferrita. El titanio aumenta la solubilidad del nitrógeno en la fundición y reacciona fuertemente con el nitrógeno, de tal modo que en la soldadura hay una gran parte de inclusiones TiN.
The Impact of the Internet on Political Activism
Authors: Norris Pippa
Published: May 2011

The core issue for this study concerns less the social than the political consequences of the rise of knowledge societies; in particular, the capacity of the Internet for strengthening democratic participation and civic engagement linking citizens and government. To consider these issues, Part I summarizes debates about the impact of the Internet on the public sphere. The main influence of this development, as it is theorized in a market model, will be determined by the “supply” and “demand” for electronic information and communications about government and politics. Demand, in turn, is assumed to be heavily dependent upon the social characteristics of Internet users and their prior political orientations. Given this understanding, the study predicts that the primary impact of knowledge societies in democratic societies will be upon facilitating cause-oriented and civic forms of political activism, thereby strengthening social movements and interest groups, more than upon conventional channels of political participation exemplified by voting, parties, and election campaigning. Part II summarizes the sources of survey data and the key measures of political activism used in this study, drawing upon the 19-nation European Social Survey, 2002. Part III examines the evidence for the relationship between use of the Internet and indicators of civic engagement. The conclusion in Part IV summarizes the results and considers the broader implications for governance and democracy.
A Comparative Study of Municipal Adoption of Internet-Based Citizen Participation
Authors: Aikins Stephen K.
Published: May 2011

A Comparative Study of Municipal Adoption of Internet-Based Citizen Participation
Experimental E-Deliberation in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Don-yun , Huang Tong-yi , Hsiao Naiyi , Lin Tze-Luen , Lee Chung-Pin
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces a case of e-deliberation in Taiwan. Democratic deepening can be achieved by the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs), based upon their ability to connect people at a relatively low cost. Following the theories and application of deliberative democracy and e-government, experimentation is increasingly being conducted to answer the critical question: “will ICTs help?” It offers a quasi-experimental design of two citizen conferences held simultaneously in the Beitou area of Taipei, Taiwan; one face-to-face and the other online, with all other factors being equal. The results suggest that whilst online conferencing is as good as face-to-face conferencing on all fronts (with the single exception of time constraints), the expansion of e-deliberation to county- or national-level issues presents significant challenges. More evidence from further experimentation will be required to form viable strategies for fulfilling the “e-dream” of revitalizing democracy through ICTs at community, local, and national levels.
U.S. Counties' Efforts and Results
Authors: Huang Zhenyu
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a comprehensive analysis of the 3,099 U.S. counties’ adoption and diffusion of e-government and the functions provided by their Web sites. By using content analysis methodology, the services and functions of U.S. county e-government Web sites are investigated and analyzed. The research finds that U.S. counties’ e-government adoption is highly associated with socioeconomic factors; in addition, the functionalities of local e-government Web sites are significantly related to multiple socioeconomic factors according to the regression analysis. The chapter provides government officials and practitioners a comprehensive picture of U.S. local e-government practice. It sheds light on e-government research by bringing in a valuable research instrument and comprehensive analysis of e-government adoption and diffusion.
Transparency and Local Government Websites
Authors: Piotrowski Suzanne J. , Borry Erin L.
Published: May 2011

Government websites are quickly becoming the first point of contact for citizens and visitors seeking information. Local government websites’ content is key with regard to transparency. Within this chapter, we present a review of the transparency and e-government literatures, explore how they intersect, and present a Basic Transparency Model for local government websites. An analysis of local government websites and the ways in which they are being utilized to increase openness in government is presented. A case study of the municipal websites in New Jersey follows the literature review. We found that 87% of New Jersey’s 566 municipalities have a website. The extent to which these websites increase municipal transparency varies considerably. We conclude the chapter by making recommendations to municipalities to capitalize upon their web presence in order to increase transparency.
The Functionality of Website-Based Services of Metropolitan Municipalities in Turkey
Authors: Parlak Bekir , Sobaci Zahid
Published: May 2011

This chapter aims to evaluate the e-government practices in metropolitan municipalities in Turkey by determining functionality levels of metropolitan municipalities’ Web site-based services. In this context, it firstly explains the concept of e-government briefly. Secondly, it summarizes the concept of local e-government and evaluates the potential of e-government to help local governments. This chapter examines the situation of e-government practices in local governments in Turkey. Finally, the chapter analyzes the e-government practices in respect of functionality of Web site services in metropolitan municipalities by using a comparative functionality analysis. According to this analysis, they are inadequate in the provision of Web site-based e-government services. Furthermore, the authors aim to present an original and functional method that will make it possible to comparatively analyze the Web site-based services offered by the metropolitan municipalities.
Efficient and Reliable Pseudonymous Authentication
Authors: Calandriello Giorgio , Lioy Antonio
Published: May 2011

Privacy, security, and reliability are key requirements in deploying vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANET). Without those the VANET technology won’t be suitable for market diffusion. In this chapter, the authors are concerned with how to fulfill these requirements by using pseudonym-based authentication, designing security schemes that don’t endanger transport safety while maintaining low overhead. At the same time our design improves the system usability by allowing nodes to self-generate their own pseudonyms.
Facial Expression Analysis, Modeling and Synthesis
Authors: Bartneck Christoph , Lyons Michael J.
Published: May 2011

The human face plays a central role in most forms of natural human interaction so we may expect that computational methods for analysis of facial information, modeling of internal emotional states, and methods for graphical synthesis of faces and facial expressions will play a growing role in human-computer and human-robot interaction. However, certain areas of face-based HCI, such as facial expression recognition and robotic facial display have lagged others, such as eye-gaze tracking, facial recognition, and conversational characters. Our goal in this paper is to review the situation in HCI with regards to the human face, and to discuss strategies, which could bring more slowly developing areas up to speed. In particular, we are proposing the “The Art of the Soluble” as a strategy forward and provide examples that successfully applied this strategy.
Personality and Emotions in Robotics from the Gender Perspective
Authors: García-Ordaz Mercedes , Carrasco-Carrasco Rocío , Martínez-López Francisco José
Published: May 2011

It is contended here that the emotional elements and features of human reasoning should be taken into account when designing the personality of robots. As it has been shown in the last few years, the concept of gender is constructed by socio-cultural factors. Gender perspectives are increasingly being applied to different fields of knowledge. The present work aims at demonstrating that the gender perspective is indeed very useful when applied to the field of robotics. Specifically, and when dealing with complex decision-taking, it becomes necessary to analyse which managing activities women can better develop in order to apply them, together with other features, to the design of robotic emotions. The purpose is, then, to propose a robotic model that, after the inclusion of such emotional aspects, breaks with old constrained gender stereotypes and takes a rather liberating view. At the same time, such a proposal should enable us to get better results when creating robots capable of managing other robotic teams and taking complex decisions. In short, we seek to apply the gender perspective in the analysis of some emotional features to be taken into account before they are applied to the field of robotics.
Emotion in the Turing Test
Authors: Shah Huma , Warwick Kevin
Published: May 2011

The Turing Test, originally configured as a game for a human to distinguish between an unseen and unheard man and woman, through a text-based conversational measure of gender, is the ultimate test for deception and hence, thinking. So conceived Alan Turing when he introduced a machine into the game. His idea, that once a machine deceives a human judge into believing that they are the human, then that machine should be attributed with intelligence. What Turing missed is the presence of emotion in human dialogue, without expression of which, an entity could appear non-human. Indeed, humans have been confused as machine-like, the confederate effect, during instantiations of the Turing Test staged in Loebner Prizes for Artificial Intelligence. We present results from recent Loebner Prizes and two parallel conversations from the 2006 contest in which two human judges, both native English speakers, each concomitantly interacted with a non-native English speaking hidden-human, and jabberwacky, the 2005 and 2006 Loebner Prize bronze prize winner for most human-like machine. We find that machines in those contests appear conversationally worse than non-native hidden-humans, and, as a consequence attract a downward trend in highest scores awarded to them by human judges in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Loebner Prizes. Analysing Loebner 2006 conversations, we see that a parallel could be drawn with autistics: the machine was able to broadcast but it did not inform; it talked but it did not emote. The hidden-humans were easily identified through their emotional intelligence, ability to discern emotional state of others and contribute with their own ‘balloons of textual emotion’.
The DODDEL Model
Authors: McMahon Mark
Published: May 2011

This chapter proposes a document-oriented instructional design model to inform the development of serious games. The model has key features in that it promotes a theoretically inclusive approach to learning, a focus on game elements and an emphasis on documentation to provide the rigour necessary to be used as part of a broader project management model. The model defines increasingly granular stages leading to final production documentation for software development. Each design stage contains a series of iterative co-dependent elements. It is proposed that the model can form a base for prescribing and managing activities within an industry context but also as a means to teach the instructional design process for serious games within a higher education setting. A case study of the initial implementation of the model is discussed in order to contextualise it and provide a basis for future enhancement.