bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design Features for Online Examination Software
Authors: Post Gerald V. , Hargis Jace
Published: January 2012

Online education and computer‐assisted instruction (CAI) have existed for years, but few general tools exist to help instructors create and evaluate lessons. Are these tools sufficient? Specifically, what elements do instructors want to see in online testing tools? This study asked instructors from various disciplines to identify and evaluate the importance of several features that they want to see in testing tools. Along with standard elements, the respondents evaluated the importance of more advanced elements including adaptive responses and programmability, which would be used to add responsiveness and intelligence to provide more tailored questions and assistance. A latent variable analysis of the detailed model was performed and the results reveal that several advanced features not commonly available today would be useful to many instructors—particularly to handle higher level courses. Instructors teaching lower level courses tended to emphasize basic testing and simple grading features. The features were grouped into nine categories: question formats, feedback, programmability, grading, question bank, page display capabilities, platform, data analysis, and security. The results of the study examine the relative importance of the categories as well as the detail items within each category.
Aorto‐Right Atrial Fistula Following Transseptal Catheterization and Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: ALIGETI VENKATA R. , SOUTH HARRY L. , HIRSH JEFFREY B. , WORTHAM DALE C.
Published: January 2012

Iatrogenic Aorto‐Right Atrial Fistula. Aorto‐cameral fistula, either congenital or acquired, is an abnormal connection between the ascending aortic root and one of the cardiac chambers. We report a case of a 61‐year‐old male with history of atrial fibrillation and 2 radiofrequency ablation procedures, referred to us for surgical Cox Maze procedure. Preoperative cardiac computerized tomography revealed a fistulous connection between the aortic root and the right atrium. Later, the patient underwent successful surgical closure of the fistula during the Cox Maze procedure. In this paper, we also discuss the clinical presentation, natural history, anatomy of the interatrial septum, and management of aorto‐cameral fistula. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 659–661, June 2012)
The Vascular‐Disrupting Agent Combretastatin Impairs Splitting and Sprouting Forms of Physiological Angiogenesis
Authors: HUSSAIN ARIF , STEIMLE MANUEL , HOPPELER HANS , BAUM OLIVER , EGGINTON STUART
Published: January 2012

Please cite this paper as: Hussain A, Steimle M, Hoppeler H, Baum O, Egginton S. The vascular‐disrupting agent combretastatin impairs splitting and sprouting forms of physiological angiogenesis. Microcirculation 19: 296–305, 2012.

Objective:  Vascular‐disrupting agents like combretastatin (CA‐4‐P), used to attenuate tumor blood flow in vivo, exert anti‐mitotic and anti‐migratory effects on endothelial cells in vitro. We tested whether anti‐vascular or anti‐angiogenic effects of CA‐4‐P are evident with physiological angiogenesis in skeletal muscle (EDL) due to sustained hyperemia (intraluminal splitting) and chronic muscle overload (abluminal sprouting).

Methods:  CA‐4‐P was given i.v. (25 mg/kg on alternate days for 14 days) to mice subjected to angiogenic stimuli (prazosin or synergist extirpation). The responses of femoral artery blood flow as well as capillarity, capillary ultrastructure, and levels of Rho GTPase were measured.

Results:  Blood flow was unaffected in the sprouting angiotype, but decreased in the splitting angiotype, by CA‐4‐P. In contrast, CA‐4‐P attenuated the capillarity increase in both models, associated with reduced lamellipodia and filopodia formation. Muscle overload, but not hyperemia, was accompanied by an increase in Rho GTPase with CA‐4‐P.

Conclusions:  CA‐4‐P impaired the angiogenic response in both experimental models. This inhibitory effect was associated with a lower increase in femoral blood flow in splitting, whereas sprouting angiogenesis was accompanied by higher Rho activity consistent with the interruption of actin polymerization. Thus, CA‐4‐P may exert context‐dependent anti‐vascular and anti‐angiogenic effects in vivo under physiological conditions.
Cytokeratin 10‐negative nested pattern enables sure distinction of clonal seborrheic keratosis from pagetoid Bowen's disease
Authors: Böer‐Auer Almut , Jones Meriem , Lyasnichaya Olesya V.
Published: January 2012

Background: The histopathologic pattern of clonal seborrheic keratosis (SK) is quite similar to the nested pattern of pagetoid Bowen's disease [squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS)], and differentiation between the two can be challenging, especially when only small pieces are available for interpretation.

Methods: Eleven examples of clonal SK and 13 examples of pagetoid SCCIS were examined histopathologically (tabulating necrotic keratinocytes, suprabasal mitoses, infiltrate, parakeratosis housing plump nuclei, crowding of nuclei) and immunohistochemically (using Ki‐67, bcl‐2, cytokeratin 7 and cytokeratin 10). Sensitivity, specificity, p‐values (Fisher's exact test, two‐tailed) and positive/negative likelihood ratios (+LR/−LR) were calculated.

Results: Significant differences were seen with regard to crowding (p = 0.0009) and mitoses (p = 0.0006); however, only complete absence of necrotic keratinocytes or of crowding appeared to be diagnostically convincing for a diagnosis of clonal SK (−LR < 0.01). Significant differences were also seen with bcl‐2 (p = 0.0005) and cytokeratin 10 antibodies (p < 0.00001). Both markers displayed a typical nested pattern in clonal SK, nests being bcl‐2‐positive and cytokeratin 10‐negative. Cytokeratin 10‐negative nests were the most convincing criterion for differentiation between clonal SK and pagetoid SCCIS (+LR > 10, −LR < 0.01).

Conclusions: The most reliable marker to distinguish clonal SK from pagetoid SCCIS is cytokeratin 10 when it spares nests. Other criteria that assist in the differential diagnosis are bcl‐2 expression, absence of crowding and of mitoses.

Böer‐Auer A, Jones M, Lyasnichaya OV. Cytokeratin 10‐negative nested pattern enables sure distinction of clonal seborrheic keratosis from pagetoid Bowen's disease.
Melatonin enhances thapsigargin‐induced apoptosis through reactive oxygen species‐mediated upregulation of CCAAT‐enhancer‐binding protein homologous protein in human renal cancer cells
Authors: Min Kyoung‐jin , Kim Hyo S. , Park Eun J. , Kwon Taeg K.
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Melatonin (N‐acetyl‐5‐methoxytryptamine) has differentiated the effects on apoptosis in normal and cancer cells. The mechanisms that account for the opposite effects on these cells are not adequately understood. In this study, we investigated the combined effect of melatonin and thapsigargin (TG) on apoptosis of renal cancer cells. Cotreatment with melatonin (1 mm) and TG (50 nm) induced approximately 10‐fold expression levels of CCAAT‐enhancer‐binding proteins homologous protein (CHOP) compared with that of TG (50 nm) alone. Downregulation of CHOP expression using small interfering RNAs markedly attenuated melatonin plus TG‐mediated apoptosis. In addition, cotreatment with TG‐ and melatonin‐induced CHOP upregulation likely relates to melatonin’s antioxidant capacity because we proved that this CHOP upregulation is melatonin receptor independent. Our results collectively demonstrate that the upregulation of CHOP contributes to the enhancing effect of melatonin plus TG on apoptosis in cancer cells.
Melatonin activates the Nrf2‐ARE pathway when it protects against early brain injury in a subarachnoid hemorrhage model
Authors: Wang Zhong , Ma Chao , Meng Cheng‐Jie , Zhu Guo‐Qing , Sun Xue‐Bo , Huo Lei , Zhang Jian , Liu Hui‐Xiang , He Wei‐Chun , Shen Xu‐Ming , Shu Zhang , Chen Gang
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Melatonin has beneficial effects against early brain injury (EBI) by modulating cerebral oxidative stress after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH); however, few investigations relate to the precise underlying molecular mechanisms. To date, the relation between melatonin and nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 and antioxidant responsive element (Nrf2‐ARE) pathway has not been studied in SAH models. This study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of melatonin on Nrf2‐ARE pathway in rats after SAH. Adult male SD rats were divided into four groups: (i) control group (n = 18); (ii) SAH group (n = 18); (iii) SAH + vehicle group (n = 18); and (iv) SAH + melatonin group (n = 18). The rat SAH model was induced by injection of 0.3 mL fresh arterial, nonheparinized blood into the prechiasmatic cistern in 20 s. In SAH + melatonin group, melatonin was administered i.p. at 150 mg/kg at 2 and 24 hr after the induction of SAH. Brain samples were extracted at 48 hr after SAH. Treatment with melatonin markedly increased the expressions of Nrf2‐ARE pathway‐related agents, such as Nrf2, heme oxygenase‐1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, and glutathione S‐transferase α‐1. Administration of melatonin following SAH significantly ameliorated EBI, including brain edema, blood–brain barrier (BBB) impairment, cortical apoptosis, and neurological deficits. In conclusion, post‐SAH melatonin administration may attenuate EBI in this SAH model, possibly through activating Nrf2‐ARE pathway and modulating cerebral oxidative stress by inducing antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes.
High species richness in hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai, southern Siberia
Authors: Chytrý Milan , Ermakov Nikolai , Danihelka Jiří , Hájek Michal , Hájková Petra , Horsák Michal , Kočí Martin , Kubešová Svatava , Lustyk Pavel , Otýpková Zdenka , Pelánková Barbora , Valachovič Milan , Zelený David
Published: January 2012

Questions

We discovered forests with very high local numbers of vascular plant species in southern Siberia. Are these the most species‐rich forests of the Eurasian boreal and temperate zones, and which factors cause such high species richness?

Location

Altai Mountains in southern Siberia, Altai Republic, Russia.

Methods

We sampled vegetation and measured environmental variables across the Altai Mountains in plots of 100 m2 and established series of nested plots of the size from 1 to 1000 m2 at sites with the highest species richness. We compared the richest forests with other forests of the Altai and with literature records of species‐rich vegetation types from elsewhere.

Results

The richest forests contained 45 vascular plant species per 1 m2, 82 per 10 m2, 114 per 100 m2 and 149 per 1000 m2. They are open hemiboreal forests dominated by Pinus sylvestris, with an admixture of Betula pendula, and sparse shrub and moss layers. About 95% of their vascular plant species are in the herb layer. All species are native. These forests occur in a forest‐steppe landscape of the northern Altai, where the mean January temperature is between –12.5 and –10 °C, mean July temperature is 16–18 °C, and total annual precipitation is 560–610 mm. Soils are deep and mesic, with a pH of 6.2–6.4.

Conclusions

Hemiboreal forests of the northern Russian Altai are probably the most species‐rich forests in boreal and temperate Eurasia. Such a high concentration of many species in small plots probably results from the incidental combination of several factors conducive to high species richness. These factors include the rich regional flora of the Altai Mountains, stability of the environment of this region since the Pleistocene, heterogeneity of the mountainous forest‐steppe landscape with a combination of forested areas on north‐facing slopes and steppes on south‐facing ones, an open canopy that ameliorates microclimate conditions but does not exclude light‐demanding species through strong shading, a macroclimate that is not too harsh, mesic soils with near‐neutral pH, and limited competition within the herb layer.
“I'm Not Supporting His Kids”: Nonresident Fathers' Contributions Given Mothers' New Fertility
Authors: Meyer Daniel R. , Cancian Maria
Published: January 2012

The authors examined whether nonresident fathers provide informal support to their children and whether support stops if their ex‐partner goes on to have a child with a new man. A logistic regression analysis of longitudinal survey and administrative data for 434 women who received welfare in Wisconsin showed that fathers are less likely to provide informal support when their ex‐partner has a child with a new partner. Alternative models that control for unobserved characteristics suggest somewhat different results, providing stronger evidence of declines in support that can be shared across family members than in support that can be directed to a particular child.
Gender and Material Transfers Between Older Parents and Children in Ismailia, Egypt
Authors: Yount Kathryn M. , Cunningham Solveig A. , Engelman Michal , Agree Emily M.
Published: January 2012

In Egypt, kin relations have been governed by a patriarchal contract, which defines expectations for intergenerational support along gendered lines. Social changes may be disrupting these customs and bringing attention to the ways gender may influence intergenerational support in rapidly changing contexts. Using data from 4,465 parent–child dyads in Ismailia, Egypt, we examined whether intergenerational material transfers favored women over men and whether gaps in needs and endowments accounted for gender differences in transfers. Fathers gave children money and goods more often than did mothers; mothers received material transfers from children more often than did fathers. Compared to sons, daughters made transfers to parents less often and received transfers from parents more often. We found residual advantages to mothers and daughters, even adjusting for differential needs and endowments. Findings corroborate persistent norms of gender complementarity, patrilocal endogamy, and reciprocation for women's caregiving, despite changes that have threatened patriarchal rules of exchange.
Adolescents' Pregnancy Intentions, Wantedness, and Regret: Cross‐Lagged Relations With Mental Health and Harsh Parenting
Authors: East Patricia L. , Chien Nina C. , Barber Jennifer S.
Published: January 2012

The authors used cross‐lagged analyses to examine the across‐time influences on and consequences of adolescents' pregnancy intentions, wantedness, and regret. One hundred pregnant Latina adolescents were studied during pregnancy and at 6 and 12 months postpartum. The results revealed 4 main findings: (a) similar to what has been found in adult women, adolescents' lower prenatal pregnancy intendedness and wantedness predicted initial difficulties in parenting, (b) frequent depressive symptoms predicted subsequent lower pregnancy intendedness and wantedness, (c) adolescents' poor mental health and harsh parenting of their child predicted subsequent higher childbearing regret, and (d) high childbearing regret and parenting stress were reciprocally related across time. In addition, adolescents' wantedness of their pregnancy declined prenatally to postbirth, and strong pregnancy intendedness and wantedness were not concurrently related to adolescents' poor prenatal mental health. The findings reveal how adolescents' thoughts and feelings about their pregnancies are influenced by and predictive of their mental health and parenting experiences.
Counterparts
Authors: Woodward Richard
Published: January 2012

Possible worlds represent you as being certain ways, as having a different lives, different hopes, and different friends. A foundational question in the philosophy of modality thus emerges: in virtue of what does a world represent you in these ways? In this paper, we focus on David Lewis's answer to this metarepresentational question: Counterpart Theory.
Adaptive Control of Teleoperation Systems With Linearly and Nonlinearly Parameterized Dynamic Uncertainties
Authors: Liu Xia , Tavakoli Mahdi
Published: January 2012

Existing work concerning adaptive control of uncertain teleoperation systems only deals with linearly parameterized (LP) dynamic uncertainties. Typical teleoperation system dynamics, however, also posses terms with nonlinearly parameterized (NLP) structures. An example of such terms is friction, which is ubiquitous in the joints of the master and slave robots of practical teleoperation systems. Uncertainties in the NLP dynamic terms may lead to significant position and force tracking errors if not compensated for in the control scheme. In this paper, adaptive controllers are designed for the master and slave robots with both LP and NLP dynamic uncertainties. Next, these controllers are incorporated into the 4-channel bilateral teleoperation control framework to achieve transparency. Then, transparency of the overall teleoperation is studied via a Lyapunov function analysis. Simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive scheme when exact knowledge of the LP and NLP dynamics is unavailable.
Modeling of the Anode Crater Formation in Electrical Discharge Machining
Authors: Tao Jia , Ni Jun , Shih Albert J.
Published: January 2012

This research presents a numerical model and the experimental validation of the anode crater formation in electrical discharge machining (EDM) process. The modeling is based on the theory that the material removal process in EDM is composed of two consecutive phases: the plasma heating phase in which intensive thermal energy density is applied locally to melt the work-material and the bubble collapsing phase in which the fluidic impact expels the molten material. A mathematical heat source model with Gaussian distributed heat flux and time variant heating area is applied in the plasma heating phase. Standard modules of a commercial computational fluid dynamics software, fluent, are adapted to model the crater formation in EDM. The material melting is simulated using transient heat transfer analysis and an enthalpy balance method. The volume of fraction (VOF) method is used to tackle the multiphase interactions in the processes of bubble compression and collapsing and molten material splashing and resolidification. Crater and debris geometries are attained from the model simulation and validation experiments are conducted to compare the crater morphology. The simulation and experiment results at different discharge conditions show good agreement on crater diameter suggest that the model is able to describe the mechanism of EDM crater formation.
Evaluation of Fracture Toughness by Master Curve Approach Using Miniature C(T) Specimens
Authors: Miura Naoki , Soneda Naoki
Published: January 2012

The fracture toughness master curve shows the relationship between the median of fracture toughness and temperature in the ductile–brittle transition temperature region of ferritic steels such as reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. The master curve approach specified in the ASTM standard theoretically provides the confidence levels of fracture toughness in consideration with the inherent scatter of fracture toughness. The authors have conducted several fracture toughness tests for typical Japanese RPV steels with various specimen sizes and shapes and ascertained that the master curve can be accurately applied to the specimens with a thickness of 0.4-in. or larger. With respect to using the master curve method with the current surveillance program for operating RPVs, the utilization of miniature specimens is important. Miniature specimens, which can be taken from the broken halves of surveillance specimens, are necessary for the efficient determination of the master curve from the limited volume of the available materials. In this study, fracture toughness tests were conducted for typical Japanese RPV steels, particularly SFVQ1A forged and SQV2A plate materials, using the miniature C(T) specimens with a thickness of 4 mm, following the procedure in the ASTM standard. The results show that the differences in the test temperature, evaluation method, and specimen size did not affect the master curves, and the fracture toughness indexed by the reference temperature, To, obtained from miniature C(T) specimens were consistent with those obtained from the standard and larger C(T) specimens. It was also found that valid reference temperatures can be determined with a realistic number of miniature C(T) specimens, i.e., less than ten, if the test temperature was appropriately selected. Thus, the master curve method using miniature C(T) specimens could be a practical method to determine the fracture toughness of actual RPV steels.
Effect of Welding Conditions on Residual Stress and Stress Corrosion Cracking Behavior at Butt-Welding Joints of Stainless Steel Pipes
Authors: Katsuyama Jinya , Tobita Tohru , Itoh Hiroto , Onizawa Kunio
Published: January 2012

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in Type 316 L low-carbon austenitic stainless steel recirculation pipes have been observed near butt-welding joints. These SCC in Type 316 L stainless steel grow near the welding zone mainly because of the high tensile residual stress caused by welding. Therefore, for SCC growth analysis, it is important to assess the residual stress caused by welding of stainless steel piping. In the present study, which is focused on the scatters of welding parameters such as heat input and welding speed, these values were measured experimentally by fabricating a series of butt-welded specimens of Type 316 pipes. The distribution and scatter of residual stress were also measured by stress relief and X-ray diffraction methods. The effects of welding parameters on residual stress distribution have been evaluated through welding simulations based on finite-element analysis using three-dimensional and axisymmetric models. Parametric analyses were also performed, while taking into account the variation of some welding parameters based on the experiments. SCC growth behavior was calculated using simulated residual stress distributions and applying a procedure in the fitness-for-service code. It was clearly shown that the uncertainties on welding heat input and speed have strong influences on SCC growth behavior because residual stress is also affected by the scatter of these welding parameters.
Characterization of Nontypeable and Atypical Streptococcus pneumoniae Pediatric Isolates from 1994 to 2010
Authors: Ing Jessica , Mason Edward O. , Kaplan Sheldon L. , Lamberth Linda B. , Revell Paula A. , Luna Ruth Ann , Hulten Kristina G.
Published: January 2012

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a major cause of bacteremia, meningitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and acute otitis media in children. Although optochin susceptibility, bile solubility, and Quellung testing are the standards for identifying and differentiating pneumococci, there are several reports of nontypeable pneumococci that give inconsistent results with one or more of these tests. We characterized 52 isolates previously labeled as nontypeable pneumococci. Microbiological methods included repeating the Quellung reaction using a new and expanded group of antisera, optochin susceptibility and bile solubility tests, and automated Vitek 2 identification. Molecular methods included PCR detection of
ply
and
psaA
genes, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and pyrosequencing. Of the 52 isolates, 38 (73%) were optochin susceptible, were
psaA
and
ply
positive, and could be serotyped by the Quellung reaction. The remaining 14 isolates, isolated from patients with otitis media (
n
= 6), bacteremia (
n
= 6), meningitis (
n
= 1), and pneumonia (
n
= 1), underwent further analysis. Three of these 14 isolates were nontypeable due to autoagglutination but were pneumococci by all tests and represented pneumococcal sequence types previously recognized by MLST. The 11 remaining isolates were optochin resistant, and 6 of these were bile soluble. Three of 11 were both
psaA
and
ply
positive and clustered with pneumococci by MLST (2 were bile soluble); 8 lacked
psaA
(5
ply
positive, 4 bile soluble) and likely belonged to other
Streptococcus
species. In conclusion, few isolates were truly nontypeable by Quellung reaction, and MLST and the presence of
psaA
proved useful in distinguishing between atypical pneumococci and other streptococcal species.
The COMPASs Study: Community Preferences for Prostate cAncer Screening. Protocol for a quantitative preference study: Figure 1
Authors: Howard Kirsten , Salkeld Glenn P , Mann Graham J , Patel Manish I , Cunich Michelle , Pignone Michael P
Published: January 2012

Background

Prostate cancer screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing remains controversial. Trade-offs between the potential benefits and downsides of screening must be weighed by men deciding whether to participate in prostate cancer screening; little is known about benefit:harm trade-offs men are willing to accept.

Methods/Design

The Community Preferences for Prostate Cancer Screening (COMPASs) Study examines Australian men's preferences for prostate cancer screening using PSA testing. The aims are to (1) determine which factors influence men's decision to participate in prostate cancer screening or not and (2) determine the extent of trade-offs between benefits and harms that men are willing to accept in making these decisions. Quantitative methods will be used to assess men's preferences for PSA screening. Using data on the quantitative outcomes of PSA testing from the published literature, a discrete choice study will be designed to quantitatively assess men's preferences. A web-based survey will be conducted in approximately 1000 community respondents aged 40–69 years, stratified by family history of prostate cancer, to assess men's preferences for PSA testing. A mixed logit model will be used; model results will be expressed as parameter estimates (β) and the odds of choosing screening over no screening. Trade-offs between attributes will also be calculated.

Ethics and Dissemination

The COMPASs study has been approved by the University of Sydney, Human Research Ethics committee (Protocol number 13186). The results will be published in internal reports, in peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as via conference presentations.
A modern approach to equine dentistry 1. Oral examination
Authors: Tremaine Henry , Casey Miriam
Published: January 2012

Recent developments in our understanding of dental anatomy, pathology and the effects of specific dental techniques have advanced the current status of equine dental care. This article, the first in a series of four to review these developments, describes how to carry out a thorough oral examination in horses. Subsequent articles, to be published in consecutive issues of In Practice from February to April, will describe the different lesions that might be seen in equine patients (Part 2) and how these might be investigated further using appropriate imaging techniques (Part 3). Part 4 will consider the techniques available for the prevention and treatment of equine dental disease.
The utility of a novel antibody in the pathological diagnosis of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma
Authors: Yasumoto Makiko , Hamabashiri Masato , Akiba Jun , Ogasawara Sachiko , Naito Yoshiki , Taira Tomoki , Nakayama Masamichi , Daicho Aya , Yamasaki Fumio , Shimamatsu Kazuhide , Ishida Yusuke , Kaji Ryohei , Okabe Yoshinobu , Nakashima Osamu , Ohshima Koichi , Nakashima Manabu , Sata Michio , Yano Hirohisa
Published: January 2012

Aims

Acinar cell carcinomas (ACCs) are rare tumours of the exocrine pancreas accounting for about 1–2% of all pancreatic neoplasms in adults. It is therefore difficult to come across a large number of ACC cases in a single medical institution, and only a few serial studies have been published. Since ACCs present a wide variety of morphological patterns, immunohistochemical analysis is useful. In this study, the authors established a novel monoclonal antibody 2P-1-2-1 by means of a subtractive immunisation method.

Methods

Immunohistochemical staining was performed using 50 primary pancreatic tumors, including 7 ACCs, 7 neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), 5 solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs), and 31 ductal carcinomas and organs other than the pancreas.

Results

Non-neoplastic acinar cells were stained diffusely, but epithelial cells of the pancreatic duct and the islets of Langerhans were not stained. In pancreatic tumours, all the seven ACCs were diffusely positive for the 2P-1-2-1 antibody. However, no positive staining was found in other pancreatic tumours including NETs, SPNs and ductal adenocarcinomas. The sensitivity and specificity of the 2P-1-2-1 antibody for ACCs were both 100%. In other organs studied, positive staining was observed only in the ectopic pancreas.

Conclusions

It was shown that the 2P-1-2-1 antibody specifically stained the pancreatic acinar cells and tumours of acinar cell origin, such as ACCs. Although it remains unclear at this time to which proteins the monoclonal antibody 2P-1-2-1 is directed, it is suggested to be useful for the pathological diagnosis of ACCs and for the exclusion of other pancreatic tumours.
Colorectal cancer staging using TNM 7: is it time to use this new staging system?: Table 1
Authors: Doyle V J , Bateman A C
Published: January 2012

The authors audited pathological colorectal cancer staging according to tumour node metastasis (TNM) 7 and using TNM 5 as a gold standard. 144 consecutive colorectal cancer resection specimens were staged prospectively using both TNM 5 and TNM 7 criteria during routine reporting by specialist gastrointestinal pathologists within a single institution. The pN stage remained the same under both systems apart from the required subclassification of pN1 and pN2 under TNM 7. The TNM 7 pN1c category was used in only 3% of cases. All cases staged as pT4 underwent reversal of pT4 subclassification using TNM 7 compared with TNM 5. A previous study revealed stage migration from pN1 to pN2 in 32.6% of cases under TNM 7 compared with TNM 5. The difference in frequency of pN stage migration between this study and our audit suggests that the application of TNM 7 to the assessment of discontinuous/satellite tumour foci is subject to significant inter-observer variability.
Decreased Toll-interacting protein and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ are associated with increased expression of Toll-like receptors in colon carcinogenesis
Authors: Pimentel-Nunes Pedro , Gonçalves Nádia , Boal-Carvalho Inês , Afonso Luís , Lopes Paula , Roncon-Albuquerque Roberto , Soares João-Bruno , Cardoso Elisabete , Henrique Rui , Moreira-Dias Luís , Dinis-Ribeiro Mário , Leite-Moreira Adelino F
Published: January 2012

Background

Animal data suggest that Toll-like receptors (TLR) may play an important role in colon carcinogenesis. Studies in humans to support that hypothesis are scarce.

Aim

To evaluate the expression of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR5, and the expression of several other related molecules, in different human colonic lesions.

Methods

Colon biopsy samples from normal mucosa, normal mucosa adjacent to lesion, adenoma or sporadic carcinoma were obtained from 35 consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy. Quantification of TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, Toll-interacting protein (TOLLIP), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ), nuclear factor κB, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α, cyclooxygenase (COX) 1 and 2 mRNA was performed by real-time reverse transcription PCR. TLR2, TLR4 and TLR5 protein expression was quantified by immunohistochemistry.

Results

When compared with normal mucosa (1.0 arbitrary unit (AU)), adjacent normal mucosa presented higher expression of COX-2 (1.86±0.3 AU, p=0.01) and TNFα (1.44±0.18 AU, p=0.04) and lower TOLLIP expression (0.75±0.05 AU, p=0.004). Adenomas and carcinomas presented higher expression of COX-2 (1.63±0.27 and 1.38±0.14 AU, p=0.03 and p=0.05, respectively) and lower expression of TOLLIP (0.44±0.04 AU, p<0.001), with diffuse and higher TLR protein expression (p<0.001). Carcinomas also expressed higher TLR2 (2.31±0.32 AU, p=0.006) and lower PPAR-γ (0.56±0.12 AU, p=0.003). There was a trend towards decreased TOLLIP (p<0.001) and PPAR-γ (p=0.05) from normal mucosa to adenoma/carcinoma.

Conclusions

Persistently positive TLR expression and lower expression of TLR inhibitors was associated with higher TLR protein levels throughout the spectrum of lesions of colon carcinogenesis. Increasing activation of these receptors by bacteria may play a crucial role in colon carcinogenesis and tumour progression.
Abundance and composition of plant biomass as potential controls for mire net ecosytem CO2exchange
Authors: Laine Anna M. , Bubier Jill , Riutta Terhi , Nilsson Mats B. , Moore Tim R. , Vasander Harri , Tuittila Eeva-Stiina
Published: January 2012

We compared the amount and composition of different aboveground biomass (BM) fractions of four mires with their net ecosystem CO2exchange (NEE) measured by eddy covariance. We found clear differences in response of green biomass (GBM) of plant functional types (PFTs) to water table (WT), which resulted in larger spatial variation in GBM within a mire than variation between mires. GBM varied between mires from 126 ± 7 to 336 ± 16 g·m–2(mean ± SE), while within mire variation at largest was from 157 ± 17 to 488 ± 20 g·m–2(mean ± SE). GBM of dominant PFTs appeared to be better in explaining the peak growing season NEE than the total BM or GBM of a mire. The differences in photosynthetic capacity between PTFs had a major role, and thus a smaller GBM with different species composition could result in higher NEE than larger GBM. Vascular plant GBM, especially that of sedges, appeared to have a high impact on NEE. Eleven PFTs, defined here, appeared to capture well the internal variation within mires, and the differences in GBM between communities were explained by the water table response of PFTs. Our results suggest the use of photosynthesizing BM, separated into PFTs, in modelling ecosystem carbon exchange instead of using just total BM.
Detoxification of succinate semialdehyde in Arabidopsis glyoxylate reductase and NAD kinase mutants subjected to submergence stress
Authors: Allan Wendy L. , Breitkreuz Kevin E. , Waller Jeffrey C. , Simpson Jeffrey P. , Hoover Gordon J. , Rochon Amanda , Wolyn David J. , Rentsch Doris , Snedden Wayne A. , Shelp Barry J.
Published: January 2012

Succinate semialdehyde (SSA) is a mitochondrially generated intermediate in the metabolism of γ-aminobutyrate (GABA), which accumulates in response to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. SSA can be reduced to γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) in plants exposed to various abiotic stress conditions. Recent evidence indicates that distinct cytosolic and plastidial glyoxylate reductase isoforms from Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh (GLYR1 and GLYR2, respectively) catalyze the in vitro conversion of SSA to GHB, as well as glyoxylate to glycolate, via NADPH-dependent reactions. In the present study, recombinant Arabidopsis GLYR1 was demonstrated to catalyze the NADPH-dependent reduction of both glyoxylate and SSA simultaneously to glycolate and GHB, respectively. Six-hour time-course experiments with intact vegetative wild-type Arabidopisis plants subjected to submergence demonstrated that GHB accumulates in rosette leaves, and this is accompanied by increasing levels of GABA and alanine, NADH/NAD+ and NADPH/NADP+ ratios, and GLYR1 and GLYR2 transcript abundance. The use of GLYR (glyr1 or glyr2 knockout) and NAD kinase1 (NADK1 suppression or overexpression) mutants demonstrated that under submergence the production of GHB is mediated via both GLYR isoforms, the loss of either GLYR1 or GLYR2 activity influences redox status and the levels of GABA and alanine, and the manipulation of NADP(H) availability, specifically in the cytosol, influences the production of GHB. These results suggest that biochemical mechanisms are more important than transcriptional mechanisms in the regulation of GLYR activity and SSA detoxification in plants during the onset of submergence-induced oxygen deficiency.
ENTROPIC LAW OF FORCE, EMERGENT GRAVITY AND THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE
Authors: SANTOS M. A. , VANCEA I. V.
Published: January 2012

The entropic formulation of the inertia and the gravity relies on quantum, geometrical and informational arguments. The fact that the results are completely classical is misleading. In this paper, we argue that the entropic formulation provides new insights into the quantum nature of the inertia and the gravity. We use the entropic postulate to determine the quantum uncertainty in the law of inertia and in the law of gravity in the Newtonian Mechanics, the Special Relativity and in the General Relativity. These results are obtained by considering the most general quantum property of the matter represented by the Uncertainty Principle and by postulating an expression for the uncertainty of the entropy such that: (i) it is the simplest quantum generalization of the postulate of the variation of the entropy and (ii) it reduces to the variation of the entropy in the absence of the uncertainty.
THE GENERALIZED WRONSKIAN SOLUTIONS OF THE INTEGRABLE VARIABLE-COEFFICIENT KORTEWEG-DE VRIES EQUATION
Authors: ZHANG YI , ZHAO HAI-QIONG , YE LING-YA , LV YI-NENG
Published: January 2012

A broad set of sufficient conditions consisting of systems of linear partial differential equations are presented which guarantee that the Wronskian determinant is the solutions of the integrable variable-coefficient Korteweg-de Vries model from Bose–Einstein condensates and fluid dynamics. The generalized Wronskian solutions provide us with a comprehensive approach to construct many exact solutions including rational solutions, solitons, negatons, positons, and complexitons.
CONTINUOUS ABELIAN SANDPILE MODEL IN TWO DIMENSIONAL LATTICE
Authors: AZIMI-TAFRESHI N. , LOTFI E. , MOGHIMI-ARAGHI S.
Published: January 2012

We investigate a new version of sandpile model which is very similar to Abelian Sandpile Model (ASM), but the height variables are continuous ones. With the toppling rule we define in our model, we show that the model can be mapped to ASM, so the general properties of the two models are identical. Yet the new model allows us to investigate some problems such as the effect of very small mass on the height probabilities, different boundary conditions, etc.
SIMULTANEOUS PHOTOACOUSTIC AND PHOTOPYROELECTRIC DETECTION OF TRACE GAS EMISSIONS FROM SOME PLANT PARTS AND THEIR RELATED ESSENTIAL OILS IN A COMBINED DETECTION CELL
Authors: ABU-TAHA M. I. , ABU-TEIR M. M. , AL-JAMAL A. J. , EIDEH H.
Published: January 2012

The aim of this work was to establish the feasibility of the combined photoacoustic (PA) and photopyroelectric (PPE) detection of the vapours emitted from essential oils and their corresponding uncrushed leaves or flowers. Gas traces of jasmine (Jessamine (Jasminum)), mint (Mentha arvensis L.) and Damask rose (Rosa damascena Miller) and their essential oils were tested using a combined cell fitted with both a photopyroelectric film (PVDF) and a microphone in conjunction with a pulsed wideband infrared source (PWBS) source. Infrared PA and PPE absorbances were obtained simultaneously at room temperatures with excellent reproducibility and high signal-to-noise ratios. Significant similarities found between the PA and PPE spectra of the trace gas emissions of plant parts, i.e., flowers or leaves and their related essential oils show the good correlation of their emissions and that both effects are initiated by the same absorbing molecules.
MODIFICATION OF OPTICAL TRANSITION PROBABILITY IN SEMICONDUCTOR SUPERLATTICES: EFFECTS OF STRUCTURAL DEFECT AND LAYER THICKNESS
Authors: LIU JIAN-QIANG , WANG LING-LING , FANG JIANG-NAN , HUANG WEI-QING
Published: January 2012

We present the modification of optical transition probability in the superlattices (SLs) due to the presence of structural defect and the variation of layer thickness. The results show that optical transition probability between two bound states is mainly determined by the thicknesses of layer in defect region and its nearest constituent layers for a symmetric structure. When the well layer thickness varies, the variation of transition probabilities between two bound states depend on the parity of the index of minigap n, while those from the bound states to the delocalized scattering is irrelevant to n. It is believed that applying appropriate structure and layer thickness may enhance the optical transition probability in designing optical device.
SOME NEW RESOLVENT METHODS FOR SOLVING GENERAL MIXED VARIATIONAL INEQUALITIES
Authors: BNOUHACHEM ABDELLAH , NOOR MUHAMMAD ASLAM , NOOR KHALIDA INAYAT , SHENG ZHAOHAN
Published: January 2012

In this paper, we propose two methods for solving general mixed variational inequalities. In the first method, the new iterate is obtained by using a descent direction while the second method can be viewed as an extension of the first one by performing an additional projection step at each iteration and another optimal step length is employed to reach substantial progress in each iteration. It is proved theoretically that the lower-bound of the progress obtained by the second method is greater than that by the first one. Under certain conditions, the global convergence of the both methods is proved. The comparison of these methods with other methods for solving the mixed genera variational inequalities is an open interesting problem.
DISLOCATION MEDIATED MELTING THEORY BASED ON THE STATISTICAL MECHANICS OF DISLOCATIONS
Authors: LIU KEJIA , CHEN HUIFEN
Published: January 2012

A theoretical model for crystal melting based on the dislocation pairs is discussed in detail. The theory predicts a first-order melting transition, and the upper limit of the melting temperature is obtained. The types of dislocation mediated melting for fcc structure is different from that of the bcc one, the former mediated by the partial dislocation and the latter by the perfect one. Calculated transition temperatures, Tc, for twenty-two cubic metals are close to the experimentally determined melting temperatures. As the partial dislocation mediating the lower melting point, it may give the reason of why the bcc structure is more stable than the fcc one at high temperature.
SIZE-DEPENDENT EQUATION OF STATE FOR NANOMATERIALS
Authors: BHATT ARCHANA , KUMAR MUNISH
Published: January 2012

Simple theoretical method is developed to study the size dependence of equation of state of nanomaterials. The isothermal compression of Ni and ε- Fe has been computed for different particle sizes. A shift in compression curve is obtained by increasing the particle size. This demonstrates the softening of the material by increasing the particle size. For larger particle size (~100 nm) the compression curve resembles with that of the bulk. This demonstrates that the nanomaterial becomes bulk for larger particle size. The results have been compared with the available experimental data. A good agreement between theory and experiment demonstrates the validity of the method proposed in the present paper.
COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE APPROACH TO DEVELOPING URBAN SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS
Authors: GONZALEZ AINHOA , DONNELLY ALISON , JONES MIKE , KLOSTERMANN JUDITH , GROOT ANNEMARIE , BREIL MARGARETHA
Published: January 2012

In the urban context the quest to enhance economic growth and social well-being is challenged by the need to protect and manage natural resources. In order to promote sustainable urban planning, sustainability objectives are commonly embedded into planning policies, and the associated indicators used to evaluate planning interventions and monitor implementation of such objectives. The applicability of indicators is commonly tied in to their ability to address context-specific issues and monitor progress towards definite goals set at the local level. This paper presents the findings of a participative methodology applied in five European cities to develop a set of sustainability indicators with the aim of optimising their applicability for assessing planning alternatives affecting urban metabolism (i.e. the exchange of materials and energy within cities). The results indicate that engagement of researchers and practitioners through Communities of Practice (CoP) helped bridge the gap between science and practice, and facilitated the selection of consistent and meaningful indicators to be used as a tool for decision-making. However, the results also revealed that planning priorities can significantly shape the extent and scope of sustainability indicators, and that a CoP approach may not always be sufficient to guarantee continuity of collaboration.
APPLICATION OF GENETIC ALGORITHM-SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINE (GA-SVM) FOR DAMAGE IDENTIFICATION OF BRIDGE
Authors: LIU HAN-BING , JIAO YU-BO
Published: January 2012

A support vector machine (SVM) optimized by genetic algorithm (GA)-based damage identification method is proposed in this paper. The best kernel parameters are obtained by GA from selection, crossover and mutation, and utilized as the model parameters of SVM. The combined vector of mode shape ratio and frequency rate is used as the input variable. A numerical example for a simply supported bridge with five girders is provided to verify the feasibility of the method. Numerical simulation shows that the maximal relative errors of GA-SVM for the damage identification of single, two and three suspicious damaged elements is 1.84%. Meanwhile, comparative analyzes between GA-SVM and radical basis function (RBF), back propagation networks optimized by GA (GA-BP) were conducted, the maximal relative errors of RBF and GA-BP are 6.91% and 5.52%, respectively. It indicates that GA-SVM can assess the damage conditions with better accuracy.
Loss-less Wavelength Converter with Ridge-Type Annealed Proton-Exchanged Periodically Poled MgO-Doped Congruent LiNbO3 Waveguide
Authors: Kishimoto Tadashi , Nakamura Koji
Published: January 2012

A loss-less wavelength converter based on a periodically poled MgO-doped congruent LiNbO3 (PPMgCLN) waveguide was demonstrated. The waveguide was simply fabricated by applying annealed proton exchange (APE) to a ridge structure. To optimize the APE condition, the proton concentration profiles and the diffusion coefficients were evaluated by secondary ion mass spectroscopy. We also optimized the mode field profiles within the ridge waveguide to improve the overlapping among different wavelengths. The parametric gain of the cascaded difference frequency generation was 2.5 dB. Since the insertion loss of the wavelength conversion module was 2.2 dB, a loss-less PPMgCLN wavelength converter was successfully demonstrated.
Geometries and Electronic Structures of Diamond Nanoparticles
Authors: Kamiya Katsumasa , Okada Susumu
Published: January 2012

We report geometries and electronic structures of diamond nanoclusters with clean surfaces using first-principles total-energy calculations in the framework of the density functional theory. We find that the surface morphology strongly depends on the size of the diamond clusters. For clusters with diameters greater than 1 nm, the substantial surface reconstruction leads to a transformation of their outermost shell into a graphitic structure that wraps around the inner core. The surface reconstruction also results in both sp3 and sp2 bonding features in their electronic structures. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the electronic structure of the diamond nanoclusters reveals that the electronic property depends sensitively on the size and surface morphology of the clusters. This finding implies that the surface reactivity of the diamond nanoclusters could be controllable by proper tuning of cluster size and its surface shape.