bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toponym resolution in text
Authors: Leidner Jochen L.
Published: January 2008

In Information Extraction (IE), processing of named entities in text has traditionally been seen as a two-step process comprising a flat text span recognition sub-task and an atomic classification sub-task; relating the text span to a model of the world has been ignored by evaluations such as DARPA/NIST's MUC or ACE. However, spatial and temporal expressions refer to events in space-time, and the grounding of events is a precondition for accurate reasoning. Thus, automatic grounding can improve many applications such as automatic map drawing (e.g. for choosing a focus) and question answering (e.g., for questions like
How far is London from Edinburgh
, given a story in which both occur and can be resolved). Whereas temporal grounding has received considerable attention in the recent Past [2, 3], robust spatial grounding has long been neglected. Concentrating on geographic names for populated places, I define the task of automatic
Toponym Resolution
(TR) as computing the mapping from occurrences of names for places as found in a text to a representation of the extensional semantics of the location referred to (its referent), such as a geographic latitude/longitude footprint. The task of mapping from names to locations is hard due to insufficient and noisy databases, and a large degree of ambiguity: common words need to be distinguished from proper names (geo/non-geo ambiguity), and the mapping between names and locations is ambiguous
London
can refer to the capital of the UK or to London, Ontario, Canada, or to about forty other Londons on earth). In addition, names of places and the boundaries referred to change over time, and databases are incomplete.
The XCSF classifier system in Java
Authors: Butz Martin V.
Published: January 2008

After many inquiries by various researchers in the field, I finally got around to completely restructure my XCS Java code released in 2000 (!) and was able to make a new version available. Due the apparent lack of publicly available real-valued XCS implementations and the struggle of many to implement it from scratch, I invested the time and put out a real-valued XCS implementation for function approximation. The code is available from Martin Pelikan's MEDAL lab webpage (http://medal.cs.umsl.edu/files/XCSFJava1.1.zip). It includes the Java API, which should give a general idea of how the code works and how classes communicate with each other. Moreover, there is a short MEDAL report available that gives further code details and also points out what needs to be done to adjust or enhance the code for your individual research needs (http://medal.cs.umsl.edu/files/2007008.pdf). This note is meant to spread the good news and to give a short idea of what the code is capable of.
Comparison of the three CPU schedulers in Xen
Authors: Cherkasova Ludmila , Gupta Diwaker , Vahdat Amin
Published: January 2008

The primary motivation for enterprises to adopt virtualization technologies is to create a more agile and dynamic IT infrastructure -- with server consolidation, high resource utilization, the ability to quickly add and adjust capacity on demand -- while lowering total cost of ownership and responding more effectively to changing business conditions. However, effective management of virtualized IT environments introduces new and unique requirements, such as dynamically resizing and migrating virtual machines (VMs) in response to changing application demands. Such capacity management methods should work in conjunction with the underlying resource management mechanisms. In general, resource multiplexing and scheduling among virtual machines is poorly understood. CPU scheduling for virtual machines, for instance, has largely been borrowed from the process scheduling research in operating systems. However, it is not clear whether a straight-forward port of process schedulers to VM schedulers would perform just as well. We use the open source Xen virtual machine monitor to perform a comparative evaluation of three different CPU schedulers for virtual machines. We analyze the impact of the choice of scheduler and its parameters on application performance, and discuss challenges in estimating the application resource requirements in virtualized environments.
Poisson-noise removal in self-similarity studies based on packet-counting
Authors: Gianini Gabriele , Damiani Ernesto
Published: January 2008

In this work we point out that some common methods for estimating self-similarity parameters -- involving packet counting for the estimate of statistical moments -- are affected by distortion at the finest resolutions and quantization errors and we illustrate -- using also a small sample of the Bellcore data set -- a technique for removing this undesirable effect, based on factorial moments and strip integrals. Then we extend the strip-integral approach to the approximation of the square of the Haar wavelet coefficients, for the estimate of the Hurst self-affinity exponent.
An overview of tractable computation of optimal scheduling and routing in mesh networks
Authors: Wang Peng , Bohacek Stephan
Published: January 2008

Capacity optimization by optimizing transmission schedules of wireless networks has been an active area of research for at least 20 years. The challenge is that the space over which the optimization is performed is exponential in the number of links in the network. For example, in the simple SISO case where no power control is used and only one bitrate is available, the optimization must be performed over a space of size 2

L

where there are
L
links in the network. Thus, a brute force approach to this optimization is not possible for even moderate size networks of more than a few tens of links.
Characterization of moments and autocorrelation in MAPs
Authors: Casale Giuliano , Zhang Eddy Z. , Smirni Evgenia
Published: January 2008

Markovian Arrival Processes (MAPs) [9] are a general class of point processes which admits, hyper-exponential, Erlang, and Markov Modulated Poisson Processes (MMPPs) as special cases. MAPs can be easily integrated within queueing models. This makes MAPs useful for evaluating the impact of non-Poisson workloads in networking and for quantifying the performance of multi-tiered e-commerce applications and disk drives [8, 10].
Optimal capacity planning in stochastic loss networks
Authors: Lu Yingdong , Radovanović Ana , Squillante Mark S.
Published: January 2008

A large number of application areas involve resource allocation problems in which resources of different capabilities are used to provide service to various classes of customers at their arrival instants, otherwise the opportunity to serve the customer is lost. Stochastic loss networks are often used to capture the dynamics and uncertainty of this class of resource allocation problems. A wide variety of examples include applications in telephony and data networks, distributed computing and data centers, inventory control and manufacturing systems, and call and contact centers. Another emerging application area is workforce management where, e.g., an IT services company offers a collection of service products, each requiring a set of resources with certain capabilities. The customer demands for such IT service products are stochastic and the IT services company seeks to determine its per-class resource capacity levels in order to maximize its profits over the long run.
Creating a collaborative space to share data, visualization, and knowledge
Authors: Ma Kwan-Liu
Published: January 2008

Collaboration is an effective approach to problem solving. Most large-scale scientific investigations are highly interdisciplinary and collaborative, with project investigators often geographically distributed. For example, ITER [1] is a joint international research and development project that aims to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power. The partners in the project are distributed in more than ten countries, and it is imperative that they share their creations and findings since greater advances are only made with collective efforts. Similarly, I am participating in the U.S. Department of Energy's SciDAC (Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing) program [2], which sponsors a dozen high-profile science projects. Each of the project teams involves researchers from several different universities and national laboratories. Clearly, there is an explicit need to provide support for collaborative work. How can these researchers effectively share their data, problem solving strategies, and research findings without time and place constraint? The answer is web-based collaboratories, which have been created for many major science projects. However, most of these collaboratories are simply data repositories with web interfaces. For instance, users do not get to see the associations between data and users, which are as valuable as the data itself. These associations can be large and very complex, and thus hard to comprehend. Visualization can play a key role in both knowledge discovery and managing potentially complex and high-dimensional collaborative workspace. I have been thinking about how to address the need to support collaborative data analysis and visualization, and how to direct the visualization research community towards the development of such needed technologies. I am going to describe some of the ongoing efforts to facilitate sharing visualization resources that will provide the eventual support for the kind of collaborative workspace I have in mind.
SIGGRAPH 2007
Authors: Lingafelter Daniel
Published: January 2008

Being born and having lived the majority of my life in the so called "high tech" capitol of the world (Silicon Valley), and having never been to a SIGGRAPH conference, I was not too sure what to expect.
SIGGRAPH 2007
Authors: Zhao Liming
Published: January 2008

Although I had been informed of the magnificent weather and ocean view of San Diego, I was still enchanted by its cool ocean breeze while enjoying a wonderful Italian dinner in Little Italy. I knew many more surprises were to come as soon as SIGGRAPH 2007 started on Sunday, August 5th, at the San Diego Convention Center
Take a Freaking Measurement!
Authors: Neville-Neil George V.
Published: January 2008

Have you ever worked with someone who is a complete jerk about measuring everything?
Powering Down
Authors: Garrett Matthew
Published: January 2008

Power management is a topic of interest to everyone. In the beginning there was the desktop computer. It ran at a fixed speed and consumed less power than the monitor it was plugged into. Where computers were portable, their sheer size and weight meant that you were more likely to be limited by physical strength than battery life. It was not a great time for power management. Now consider the present. Laptops have increased in speed by more than 5,000 times. Battery capacity, sadly, has not. With hardware becoming increasingly mobile, however, users are demanding that battery life start matching the way they work. People want to work from cafes. Long-haul flights are now perceived as the ideal opportunity to finish a presentation. Two hours of battery life just isn’t going to cut it; users are looking for upwards of eight hours. What’s drawing that power, and more importantly, how can we manage it better?
Document & Media Exploitation
Authors: Garfinkel Simson L.
Published: January 2008

A computer used by Al Qaeda ends up in the hands of a Wall Street Journal reporter. A laptop from Iran is discovered that contains details of that country’s nuclear weapons program. Photographs and videos are downloaded from terrorist Web sites. As evidenced by these and countless other cases, digital documents and storage devices hold the key to many ongoing military and criminal investigations. The most straightforward approach to using these media and documents is to explore them with ordinary tools—open the word files with Microsoft Word, view the Web pages with Internet Explorer, and so on.
Understanding DRM
Authors: Sohn David
Published: January 2008

The explosive growth of the Internet and digital media has created both tremendous opportunities and new threats for content creators. Advances in digital technology offer new ways of marketing, disseminating, interacting with, and monetizing creative works, giving rise to expanding markets that did not exist just a few years ago. At the same time, however, the technologies have created major challenges for copyright holders seeking to control the distribution of their works and protect against piracy.
Big Games, Small Screens
Authors: Callow Mark , Beardow Paul , Brittain David
Published: January 2008

One thing that becomes immediately apparent when creating and distributing mobile 3D games is that there are fundamental differences between the cellphone market and the more traditional games markets, such as consoles and handheld gaming devices. The most striking of these are the number of delivery platforms; the severe constraints of the devices, including small screens whose orientation can be changed; limited input controls; the need to deal with other tasks; the nonphysical delivery mechanism; and the variations in handset performance and input capability.
Calendar
Authors: Stanik John
Published: January 2008

XML 2007 Conference
Use It or Lose It
Authors: Kelly-Bootle Stan
Published: January 2008

My aphorisme du jour allows me to roam widely in many directions, some of which, I hope, will be timely and instructive for Queue readers. My choice of the French aphorisme is a justifiably elitist affectation, paying homage to Montaigne, Voltaire, Bertrand Meyer, and that cohue d’elegance. The Gallic gargled r (as in Brassens) and the sublime long final syllable, if you get them right, simply drip with class compared with the slovenly sequence of English diphthongs: a-for-iz-um. We tend to treat the terms aphorism and epigram as posh synonyms for maxim, motto, or even saying. They are all characterized by an attempt to condense volumes of wisdom into short, memorable phrases suitable, say, for adorning our college crests, tombstones, or car bumpers.
Electrochemical Behavior of Calix[6]Arene-Based Supramolecular Models of Copper Enzymes
Authors: Zeitouny Joceline F. , Douziech Bénédicte , Over Diana , Izzet Guillaume , Reinaud Olivia , Le Mest Yves
Published: January 2008

A supramolecular model of mononuclear Cu active site of copper enzymes was elaborated, [Cu(II)(calix[6]tren)(L)]2+; the retention of guest molecules in its calixarene cone during Cu (II)/Cu(I) redox transformations and reactivity of its reduced form of this new complex [Cu(I)(calix[6]tren)(L)]+ with O2 have been studied in CH3CN, PhCN and CH2Cl2.
Inhibition of Electrocrystallization of a Copper Monoatomic Layer by a Polyacrylamide Additive in an Acid Sulfate Solution
Authors: Yurchenko Natalya , Trofimenko Vitaliy
Published: January 2008

Peculiarities of an influence of polyacrylamide (PAA) on the charge transfer and crystallization stages during galvanostatic growth of monoatomic layer of copper from an acid sulfate solution were studied. An analysis of the electrode process was based on Vetter's conception of additivity of charge transfer and crystallization overpotentials ηD and ηc. A probable mechanism of an influence of the additive consists in inhibition of growth steps of the deposit by a mixed adsorption layer of HSO4- ions and PAA. That layer creates an additional potential barrier to incorporation of copper adatoms into growth sites. Inhibition of the crystallization stage by PAA results in both an increase of ηc and a considerable influence of supersaturation on kinetics of the stage of Cu2+ ion reduction.
Nano-Sized Carbon Materials Produced During the Metal Dusting Process of Stainless Steel and Their Hydrogen Storage Capability
Authors: Chang Jeng-Kuei , Tsai Heng-Yi , Lin Kuan-Yu , Tsai Wen-Ta , Wang Cheng-Yu , Yu Ming-Sheng
Published: January 2008

The nano-sized carbon materials produced during the metal dusting process of 304L stainless steel were studied in this investigation. In the reaction atmosphere of CO/CO2 (35:1) mixed gas, the nano-fibers and multi-wall carbon nano-tubes (MWCNTs) could be obtained at 500ºC and 600ºC, respectively. Hydrogen storage performance of the MWCNTs was evaluated by an electrochemical method; the experimental data indicated that their discharge capacity was 57 mAh/g. Two methods, including heat treatment and acid etching, were used to purify the as- prepared MWCNTs. It was found that the hydrogen storage capacity of the heat-treated and acid-treated MWCNTs was greatly improved to 85 mAh/g and 103 mAh/g, respectively. The considerable capacity increase of the etched MWCNTs was attributed to the elimination of the surface amorphous carbon and the coexisted metal particles.
Study of Metal Borides for Sodium Borohydride Hydrolysis
Authors: Walter Joshua C. , Revankar Shripad
Published: January 2008

Metal boride catalysts have been developed through reduction of (Co, and Ru) metal salts with sodium borohydride solutions. The resulting metal borides were determined to be Co3B and elemental Ru through XRD analysis. SEM images give the particle size of the catalyst to be in the range of 65-150nm. Prepared catalyst samples were heat treated at 200oC for Co3B, and 400oC for Ru. Ruthenium catalysts were found to have the greatest catalytic activity followed by that of cobalt boride. Hydrolysis testing was performed for each catalyst in loose, unbound form with 2.5-30 wt% NaBH4 and 5 wt% NaOH to stabilize the solution. Hydrolysis rate data was also obtained using 20 wt% NaBH4 with NaOH concentration ranging from 5-30 wt%. All rate experiments were performed at 60 oC. The maximum observed rate for Co3B was 6.0L H2/min/gcat and that of Ru was 18.6L H2/min/gcat. Observations were made that increasing the NaOH concentration increases the rate of reaction for Co3B while decreasing the reaction rate for Ru catalyzed reactions.
Novel Anode for High Power Zinc-Air Batteries
Authors: Zhang Gregory X.
Published: January 2008

This paper introduces newly developed solid zinc anodes using fibrous material for high power applications in zinc-air battery systems. The improved performance of the anodes in two different sizes of battery is demonstrated. The possibilities for control of electrode porosity and for anode/battery design using fibrous materials are discussed in light of experimental data. Because of its mechanical integrity and connectivity, the fibrous solid anode has good electrical conductivity, mechanical stability, and design flexibility for controlling mass distribution, porosity and effective surface area. Experimental data indicated excellent material utilization at various discharge rates. The zinc-air battery powered an electric bicycle and demonstrated good results.
Effect of Net Geometry on the Current Distribution in a Parallel Plate Electrochemical Reactor with One Electrode Operating at Limiting Current Conditions
Authors: Venkatraman Murali , Shimpalee Sirivatch , Van Zee John
Published: January 2008

In aluminum-hydrogen peroxide batteries, when an inert net is placed between two parallel plates through which the electrolyte flows, the flow field is altered severely. This affects the local current distribution, and this effect is very pronounced when the reactions are mass transfer limited (limiting current conditions). The effect of the net on the current density distribution is presented as individual and combined effects of longitudinal and transverse ribs. In all the cases the local current density was observed to follow the changes in the local velocity profile. Also it was observed that the transverse ribs if in contact with the metal anode, could potentially increase the dissolution of the metal anode.
Titanium-Based Air Electrodes for Secondary Air Batteries
Authors: Hattori Yasuhisa , Matsunaga Morio , Morimitsu Masatsugu
Published: January 2008

The charge-discharge properties of titanium-based air electrodes have been examined to develop the high durability cells with low overpotential for the oxygen evolution and reduction. In this study, iridium oxide or ruthenium oxide was coated on the titanium powders. Comparing to no oxide formation, twice or more coating of these metal oxides induced the stable charge voltage at the cycle test, while the polarization properties were similar to usual air electrodes. The discharge voltage, however, gradually decreased with cycles. XPS and XRS analyses indicated the formation of titanium oxide at charging might influence on the variation on the discharge voltage.
Zn-Air Fuel Cell/Battery Hybrid Power Sources with Addition of Borohydride
Authors: Hong Jan , Fang Bin , Wang Chunsheng , Currie Kenneth
Published: January 2008

The electrochemical oxidation behaviors of NaBH4 on Zn-MH, and MH (metal hydride) electrodes were investigated, and an intrinsic direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC)/battery hybrid power source using MH (or Zn-MH) as the anode and MnO2 as the cathode was tested. The borohydride can be electrochemically oxidized on Zn/MH electrodes through a 4e reaction at a high overpotential. Simply adding borohydride into an alkaline electrolyte of a Zn/air or MH/air battery can greatly increase the capacity, while an intrinsic DBFC/MH (or Zn)-MnO2 battery can deliver a higher peak power than regular DBFCs. By replacing the liquid electrolyte with anion exchange membranes, the solid Zn-Air batteries with a gel anode showed promising performance.
Effects of Muclin (Dmbt1) deficiency on the gastrointestinal system
Authors: De Lisle Robert C. , Xu Weihong , Roe Bruce A. , Ziemer Donna
Published: January 2008

The Dmbt1 gene encodes alternatively spliced glycoproteins that are either membrane-associated or secreted epithelial products. Functions proposed for Dmbt1 include it being a tumor suppressor, having roles in innate immune defense and inflammation, and being a Golgi-sorting receptor in the exocrine pancreas. The heavily sulfated membrane glycoprotein mucin-like glycoprotein (Muclin) is a Dmbt1 product that is strongly expressed in organs of the gastrointestinal (GI) system. To explore Muclin's functions in the GI system, the Dmbt1 gene was targeted to produce Muclin-deficient mice. Muclin-deficient mice have normal body weight gain and are fertile. The Muclin-deficient mice did not develop GI tumors, even when crossed with mice lacking the known tumor suppressor p53. When colitis was induced by dextran sulfate sodium, there was no significant difference in disease severity in Muclin-deficient mice. Also, when acute pancreatitis was induced with supraphysiological caerulein, there was no difference in disease severity in the Muclin-deficient mice. Exocrine pancreatic function was impaired, as measured by attenuated neurohormonal-stimulated amylase release from Muclin-deficient acinar cells. Also, by [35S]Met/Cys pulse-chase analysis, traffic of newly synthesized protein to the stimulus-releasable pool was significantly retarded in Muclin-deficient cells compared with wild type. Thus Muclin deficiency impairs trafficking of regulated proteins to a stimulus-releasable pool in the exocrine pancreas.
Annexin-1 modulates repair of gastric mucosal injury
Authors: Martin Gary R. , Perretti Mauro , Flower Roderick J. , Wallace John L.
Published: January 2008

Annexin-1 is a glucocorticoid-inducible protein that plays an important effector role in the resolution of inflammation and has recently been shown to contribute to the resistance of the stomach to injury. Using an integrated genetic and pharmacological approach, we have tested the hypothesis that annexin-1 contributes to the healing of mucosal injury, given that such injury is accompanied by an inflammatory response, which is often associated with an overexpression of annexin-1 expression. Gastric ulcers were induced in mice through serosal application of acetic acid. Annexin-1 expression during the healing of the ulcers was examined. The effects on gastric ulcer healing of treatment with an annexin-1 mimetic (Ac2-26), an antagonist of the annexin-1 receptor (Boc2), or a glucocorticoid (dexamethasone) were examined. Finally, susceptibility to and healing of indomethacin-induced gastric lesions were compared in wild-type and annexin-1-deficient mice. Expression of annexin-1 was significantly increased in the gastric ulcer margin throughout the healing process. Treatment with an annexin-1 mimetic (Ac2-26) significantly enhanced gastric ulcer healing. In contrast, both dexamethasone and an formyl peptide receptor-like-1 (FPRL-1) antagonist impaired the early phase of ulcer healing. Annexin-1-deficient mice exhibited the same susceptibility as wild-type mice to indomethacin-induced gastric damage, but the healing of that damage was impaired in the former. These data support the hypothesis that annexin-1 contributes significantly to the process of healing of gastric mucosal damage.
The resolution of lymphedema by interstitial flow in the mouse tail skin
Authors: Uzarski Joseph , Drelles Megan B. , Gibbs Sara E. , Ongstad Emily L. , Goral Julie C. , McKeown Katherine K. , Raehl Alisha M. , Roberts Melissa A. , Pytowski Bronislaw , Smith Martyn R. , Goldman Jeremy
Published: January 2008

Lymphangiogenesis is considered a promising approach for increasing fluid drainage during secondary lymphedema. However, organization of lymphatics into functional capillaries may be dependent upon interstitial flow (IF). The present study was undertaken to determine the importance of lymphangiogenesis for lymphedema resolution. We created a lymphatic obstruction that produces lymphedema in mouse tail skin. The relatively scar-free skin regeneration that occurred across the obstruction allowed the progression of lymphangiogenesis to be observed and compared with the evolution of lymphedema. The role of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C)/VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-3 signaling in lymphedema resolution was investigated by exogenous administration of VEGF-C or neutralizing antibodies against VEGFR-3. VEGF-C protein improved lymphedema at 15 days [reducing dermal thickness from 742 ± 105 to 559 ± 141 μm with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), P < 0.05] without increasing lymphatic capillary coverage (11.6 ± 6.4% following VEGF-C treatment relative to 9.6 ± 6.2% with 95% CIs, P > 0.50). Blocking VEGFR-3 signaling did not inhibit lymphedema resolution at 25 days (dermal thickness of 462 ± 127 μm following VEGFR-3 inhibition relative to 502 ± 87 μm with 95% CIs) or inhibit IF, although VEGFR-3 blocking prevented lymphangiogenesis (reducing lymphatic coverage to 0.2 ± 0.7% relative to 8.7 ± 7.3% with 95% CIs, P < 0.005). A second mouse tail lymphedema model was employed to investigate the ability of VEGF-C to increase fluid drainage across a scar. We found that neither neutralization of VEGFR-3 nor administration of VEGF-C affected the course of skin swelling over 25 days. These findings suggest that resolution of lymphedema in the mouse tail skin may be more dependent upon IF and regeneration of the extracellular matrix across the obstruction than lymphatic capillary regeneration.
Metoprolol improves cardiac function and modulates cardiac metabolism in the streptozotocin-diabetic rat
Authors: Sharma Vijay , Dhillon Pavan , Wambolt Richard , Parsons Hannah , Brownsey Roger , Allard Michael F. , McNeill John H.
Published: January 2008

The effects of diabetes on heart function may be initiated or compounded by the exaggerated reliance of the diabetic heart on fatty acids and ketones as metabolic fuels. β-Blocking agents such as metoprolol have been proposed to inhibit fatty acid oxidation. We hypothesized that metoprolol would improve cardiac function by inhibiting fatty acid oxidation and promoting a compensatory increase in glucose utilization. We measured ex vivo cardiac function and substrate utilization after chronic metoprolol treatment and acute metoprolol perfusion. Chronic metoprolol treatment attenuated the development of cardiac dysfunction in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. After chronic treatment with metoprolol, palmitate oxidation was increased in control hearts but decreased in diabetic hearts without affecting myocardial energetics. Acute treatment with metoprolol during heart perfusions led to reduced rates of palmitate oxidation, stimulation of glucose oxidation, and increased tissue ATP levels. Metoprolol lowered malonyl-CoA levels in control hearts only, but no changes in acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylation or AMP-activated protein kinase activity were observed. Both acute metoprolol perfusion and chronic in vivo metoprolol treatment led to decreased maximum activity and decreased sensitivity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I to malonyl-CoA. Metoprolol also increased sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase expression and prevented the reexpression of atrial natriuretic peptide in diabetic hearts. These data demonstrate that metoprolol ameliorates diabetic cardiomyopathy and inhibits fatty acid oxidation in streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Since malonyl-CoA levels are not increased, the reduction in total carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity is the most likely factor to explain the decrease in fatty acid oxidation. The metabolism changes occur in parallel with changes in gene expression.
Is reduced SERCA2a expression detrimental or beneficial to postischemic cardiac function and injury? Evidence from heterozygous SERCA2a knockout mice
Authors: Talukder M. A. Hassan , Kalyanasundaram Anuradha , Zuo Li , Velayutham Murugesan , Nishijima Yoshinori , Periasamy Muthu , Zweier Jay L.
Published: January 2008

Recent studies have demonstrated that increased expression of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) 2a improves myocardial contractility and Ca2+ handling at baseline and in disease conditions, including myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Conversely, it has also been reported that pharmacological inhibition of SERCA might improve postischemic function in stunned hearts or in isolated myocardium following I/R. The goal of this study was to test how decreases in SERCA pump level/activity affect cardiac function following I/R. To address this question, we used a heterozygous SERCA2a knockout (SERCA2a+/−) mouse model with decreased SERCA pump levels and studied the effect of myocardial stunning (20-min ischemia followed by reperfusion) and infarction (30-min ischemia followed by reperfusion) following 60-min reperfusion. Our results demonstrate that postischemic myocardial relaxation was significantly impaired in SERCA2a+/− hearts with both stunning and infarction protocols. Interestingly, postischemic recovery of contractile function was comparable in SERCA2a+/− and wild-type hearts subjected to stunning. In contrast, following 30-min ischemia, postischemic contractile function was reduced in SERCA2a+/− hearts with significantly larger infarction. Rhod-2 spectrofluorometry revealed significantly higher diastolic intracellular Ca2+ in SERCA2a+/− hearts compared with wild-type hearts. Both at 30-min ischemia and 2-min reperfusion, intracellular Ca2+ levels were significantly higher in SERCA2a+/− hearts. Electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping showed a similar extent of postischemic free-radical generation in both strains. These data provide direct evidence that functional SERCA2a level, independent of oxidative stress, is crucial for postischemic myocardial function and salvage during I/R.
The coexistence of nocturnal sustained hypoxia and obesity additively increases cardiac apoptosis
Authors: Lee Shin-Da , Kuo Wei-Wen , Bau Da-Tian , Ko Fu-Yang , Wu Fong-Li , Kuo Chia-Hua , Tsai Fuu-Jen , Wang Paulus S. , Lu Min-Chi , Huang Chih-Yang
Published: January 2008

Background: nocturnal sustained hypoxia during sleeping time has been reported in severe obesity, but no information regarding the cardiac molecular mechanism in the coexistence of nocturnal sustained hypoxia and obesity is available. This study evaluates whether the coexistence of nocturnal sustained hypoxia and obesity will increase cardiac Fas death receptor and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. Methods: 32 lean and 32 obese 5- to 6-mo-old rats with or without nocturnal sustained hypoxia were studied and assigned to one of four subgroups: normoxia lean (NL), normoxia obese (NO), hypoxia lean (HL, 12% O2for 8 h and 21% O216 h/day, 1 wk), and hypoxia obese (HO). The heart weight index, tail cuff plethysmography, echocardiography, hematoxylin-eosin staining, TUNEL assays, Western blotting, and RT-PCR were performed. Results: systolic and diastolic blood pressures in HO were higher than those in NL, and fractional shortening in HO was reduced compared with others. The whole heart weight, the left ventricular weight, the abnormal myocardial architecture, and TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells, as well as the activity of cardiac Fas-dependent and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway, were significantly increased in obese group or nocturnal sustained hypoxia group and were further increased when obesity and nocturnal sustained hypoxia coexisted, the evidence for which is based on decreases in an anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 level and Bid and increases in Fas, FADD, pro-apoptotic Bad, BNIP3, cytosolic cytochrome c, activated caspase-8, activated caspase-9, and activated caspase-3. Conclusions: The cardiac Fas receptor- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways were more activated in obesity with coexistent nocturnal sustained hypoxia, which may represent one possible apoptotic mechanism for the development of heart failure in obesity with nocturnal sustained hypoxia.
Visualization of pulmonary inflammation using noninvasive fluorescence molecular imaging
Authors: Haller Jodi , Hyde Damon , Deliolanis Nikolaos , de Kleine Ruben , Niedre Mark , Ntziachristos Vasilis
Published: January 2008

The ability to visualize molecular processes and cellular regulators of complex pulmonary diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), would aid in the diagnosis, differentiation, therapy assessment and in small animal-based drug-discovery processes. Herein we report the application of normalized transillumination and fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) for the noninvasive quantitative imaging of the mouse lung in vivo. We demonstrate the ability to visualize and quantitate pulmonary response in a murine model of LPS-induced airway inflammation. Twenty-four hours prior to imaging, BALB/c female mice were injected via tail vein with 2 nmol of a cathepsin-sensitive activatable fluorescent probe (excitation: 750 nm; emission: 780 nm) and 2 nmol of accompanying intravascular agent (excitation: 674 nm; emission: 694 nm). Six hours later, the mice were anesthetized with isoflurane and administered intranasal LPS in sterile 0.9% saline in 25 μl aliquots (one per nostril). Fluorescence molecular imaging revealed the in vivo profile of cysteine protease activation and vascular distribution within the lung typifying the inflammatory response to LPS insult. Results were correlated with standard in vitro laboratory tests (Western blot, bronchoalveolar lavage or BAL analysis, immunohistochemistry) and revealed good correlation with the underlying activity. We demonstrated the capacity of fluorescence tomography to noninvasively and longitudinally characterize physiological, cellular, and subcellular processes associated with inflammatory disease burden in the lung. The data presented herein serve to further evince fluorescence molecular imaging as a technology highly appropriate for the biomedical laboratory.
WISE-2005: tibial and gastrocnemius vein and calf tissue response to LBNP after a 60-day bed rest with and without countermeasures
Authors: Arbeille P. , Kerbeci P. , Mattar L. , Shoemaker J. K. , Hughson R. L.
Published: January 2008

The objective of this study was to quantify by echography the changes in the intramuscular [gastrocnemius (Gast)] and nonintramuscular [posterior tibial (Tib)] calf veins cross-sectional area (CSA) and the superficial tissue thickness (STth) in response to lower body negative pressure (LBNP) after 60-day head-down bed rest (HDBR). Twenty-four healthy women (25–40 yr) were divided into three groups: control (Con), treadmill-LBNP and flywheel (Ex-Lb), nutrition (Nut; protein supplement). All underwent a LBNP (0 and −45 mmHg) before and on day 55 of HDBR. Subjects were identified as finisher (F) or nonfinisher (NF) of a 10-min tilt test after 60 days of HDBR. There were no differences in resting CSA of the Tib and Gast veins on HDBR day 55 compared with pre-HDBR for the Ex-Lb, Con and Nut, or the F groups; however, for NF both the Tib and Gast vein CSA at rest were significantly smaller after HDBR. At −45 mmHg LBNP, Tib and Gast CSAs were not significantly different from before HDBR in all groups (Ex-Lb, Con, Nut, F, NF). However, percent change in CSA of both veins from rest to −45 mmHg LBNP was significantly greater in the Con and Nut groups compared with Ex-Lb, and also NF compared with F. Similarly, the percent increase in STth on going from rest to −45 mmHg was higher after HDBR in the Con and Nut groups compared with Ex-Lb, as well as NF compared with F. These results showed that the Ex-Lb countermeasure minimized the bed rest effect on leg vein capacitance (CSA percent change) and STth increase during LBNP, whereas Nut had no effect and that higher leg vein and superficial tissue capacitance were associated with reduced orthostatic tolerance.
Pulmonary edema and hemoptysis after breath-hold diving at residual volume
Authors: Lindholm Peter , Ekborn Andreas , Öberg Daniel , Gennser Mikael
Published: January 2008

To simulate pressure effects and experience thoracic compression while breath-hold diving in a relatively safe environment, competitive breath-hold divers exhale to residual volume before diving in a swimming pool, thus compressing the chest even at depth of only 3–6 m. The study was undertaken to investigate whether such diving could cause pulmonary edema and hemoptysis. Eleven volunteer breath-hold divers who regularly dive on full exhalation performed repeated dives to 6 m during a 20-min period. The subjects were studied with dynamic spirometry, video-fibernasolaryngoscopy, and single-breath diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DlCO). The duration of dives with empty lungs ranged from 30 to 120 s. Postdiving forced vital capacity (FVC) was reduced from mean (SD) 6.57 ± 0.88 to 6.23 ± 1.02 liters ( P < 0.05), and forced expiratory volume during the first second (FEV1.0) was reduced from 5.09 ± 0.64 to 4.59 ± 0.72 liters ( P < 0.001) ( n = 11). FEV1.0/FVC was 0.78 ± 0.05 prediving and 0.74 ± 0.05 postdiving ( P < 0.001) ( n = 11). All subjects reported a (reversible) change in their voice after diving, irritation, and slight congestion in the larynx. Fresh blood that originated from somewhere below the vocal cords was found by laryngoscopy in two subjects. DlCO/alveolar ventilation (V̇a) was 1.56 ± 0.17 mmol·kPa−1·min−1·l−1 before diving. After diving, the DlCO/V̇a increased to 1.72 ± 0.24 ( P = 0.001), but 20 min later it was indistinguishable from the predive value: 1.57 ± 0.20 ( n = 11). Breath-hold diving with empty lungs to shallow depths can induce hemoptysis in healthy subjects. Edema was possibly present in the lower airways, as suggested by reduced dynamic spirometry.
Laparoskopisches ovarielles Drilling bei polyzystischem Ovarsyndrom zur Erzielung ovulatorischer Zyklen
Authors: Strowitzki Thomas
Published: January 2008

Die operative Behandlung des polyzystischen Ovarsyndroms ist als laparoskopische ovarielle Thermokoagulation (Drilling, LOD) ein weit verbreitetes Verfahren. Der Stellenwert ist noch unklar. Langzeiterfolge mit ovulatorischen Zyklen über einen Nachbeobachtungszeitraum von bis zu 9 Jahren sind beschrieben. Schwangerschaftsraten sind unter LOD vergleichbar einer niedrig dosierten Gonadotropinstimulation über 3–6 Zyklen. Nachteile des LOD sind die Notwendigkeit eines operativen Eingriffs und postoperative Adhäsionsbildung. Bei Patientinnen mit schlechter Ansprechrate kann LOD die ovarielle Stimulierbarkeit verbessern.
Limits of Diagnosis and Molecular Markers for Early Detection of Ulcerative Colitis-Associated Colorectal Neoplasia
Authors: Fujii Shigehiko , Katsumata Daisuke , Fujimori Takahiro
Published: January 2008

The incidence of colorectal neoplasia has been increasing among patients with long-standing and extensive ulcerative colitis (UC), and therefore surveillance colonoscopy has been widely recommended. However, because UC-associated neoplasia is often difficult to detect endoscopically and to discriminate from inflammatory regenerative epithelium histologically, the efficacy of current surveillance remains unsatisfactory. In order to overcome these difficulties, adjunctive modalities for diagnosing UC-associated neoplasia, chromo- and magnifying endoscopy for endoscopic diagnosis and analysis of p53 alteration for histological diagnosis have been introduced. Furthermore, if it were possible to differentiate UC patients with long-standing and extensive colitis into subgroups with a high and a low risk of neoplasia, it would enable physicians to conduct more intensive surveillance with these modalities for patients at higher risk. Several molecular alterations of nonneoplastic epithelium in UC patients with neoplasia may be promising as markers for identifying individuals with UC at increased risk of neoplasia. We evaluated estrogen receptor (ER) methylation of nonneoplastic colorectal epithelium to clarify whether this epigenetic alteration can contribute to the prediction of increased neoplasia risk in UC patients and demonstrated that the ER methylation level in nonneoplastic epithelium was higher throughout the colorectum in patients with neoplasia than in those without. These results suggest that analysis of ER gene methylation may be potentially useful for identifying individuals at increased risk of neoplasia among patients with long-standing and extensive UC.
Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of Early Gastric Cancer
Authors: Tanaka Masaki , Ono Hiroyuki , Hasuike Noriaki , Takizawa Kohei
Published: January 2008

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of early gastric cancer (EGC) without any risk of lymph node metastasis was developed in Japan in the 1980s, and it has been one of the standard treatments of EGC for nearly 20 years. Recently, several EMR techniques developed in Japan have been accepted and done in Western countries. These EMR techniques are safe and efficacious but unsuitable for large lesions. Because we could not remove a large lesion in 1 fragment, which was very important for the precise diagnosis of tumor depth, local recurrence increased in large-lesion cases. An innovative procedure using newly developed endoscopic knives, called endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), was developed in the late 1990s, which made it possible to remove a large lesion en bloc. Theoretically, ESD has no limitation with respect to tumor size; therefore, it is expected to replace the surgical treatment in some situations. Although ESD has spread throughout Japan within a short period, there remain several disadvantages, such as a higher incidence of complications and a requirement of higher endoscopic skills compared to those of conventional EMR methods. The endoscopic indications, procedures, complications and treatment outcomes of the ESD of EGC are described in this review.
Current Pharmacologic Therapies and Emerging Alternatives in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Nakamura Tetsuya , Nagahori Masakazu , Kanai Takanori , Watanabe Mamoru
Published: January 2008

Recent progress in both basic and clinical research has led us to develop sophisticated and effective medical therapy of ulcerative colitis (UC). Although classical agents such as aminosalicylates, corticosteroids and immunomodulatory drugs have remained as the gold standard for decades, their novel formulations and/or dosage regimens have changed their placements in the medical management of UC. In addition, studies have shown that a number of novel therapeutic agents, designed to target specific mechanisms involved in the inflammatory cascade, have efficacy for the treatment of UC and they will have significant clinical impacts in the near future. A clear understanding of the proven and potential benefits of both the standard and emerging therapies will be required for the optimum individual care of patients with varied clinical presentations.
Update on Flexible Ureteroscopy
Authors: Buscarini Maurizio , Conlin Michael
Published: January 2008

Objective: An update on ureteroscopy with focus on current technology and newer instrumentation is presented. Methods: A literature search through Medline-indexed journals as well as personal comments are included in this review. Topics such as new semirigid and flexible ureteroscopes, lasers, ureteral access sheats, wires and stone extraction devices are outlined. Results: Thanks to the continuous advances of technology and miniaturization of instruments, ureteroscopy is an ever-expanding field. A clear outline of the available instruments and techniques with reference to published results catches the status of this dynamic field. Conclusions: Urologists are faced with a host of new products related to ureteroscopy every year. This review serves to identify the most useful and proven advances in the field and helps in selecting the equipment needed for a successful minimally invasive approach to upper urinary tract pathologies.
Clinical and Functional Results after Continent Cutaneous Urinary Diversion with the Ileal Double-T-Pouch
Authors: Seifert Hans-Helge , Obaje Alice , Müller-Mattheis Volker , Müller Mirko , Grimm Marc-Oliver , Ackermann Rolf
Published: January 2008

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess the clinical and functional results after continent cutaneous diversion with the ileal double-T-pouch. Patients and Methods: Between July 1998 and July 2006, 19 patients underwent continent urinary diversion with a cutaneous ileal double-T-pouch. Follow-up investigations included blood chemistry, renal ultrasound and evaluation of the outlet function. The median follow-up was 24 months (range 3–76). Results: There were no intraoperative complications and no perioperative mortality. Early postoperative complications not related to urinary diversion occurred in 6 patients (31.6%). Five patients developed complications related to the urinary diversion (26.3%). The mean operating time was 580 min (420–840). Including the patients who had good results after reoperation, 16 out of the 19 patients (84.2%) were continent day and night without any catheterization difficulties. The average pouch capacity was 490 ml (range 250–1,100). A mild acidosis was the only metabolic disorder observed. During follow-up renal function remained stable in all patients, urinary reflux, recurrent pyelonephritis or stone formation were not found. Three patients with a body mass index >30 developed a necrosis of the efferent loop resulting in pouch cutaneous fistulas. Conclusions: Continent cutaneous urinary diversion with the ileal double-T-pouch led to good intermediate functional and clinical results. However, construction of the pouch is sophisticated, resulting in a long operation time. The double-T-pouch is not recommended in obese patients.