bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Republished: Recent advances in the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of endomyocardial fibrosis in Africa
Authors: Mocumbi Ana Olga H , Falase Ayodele O
Published: December 2013

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) continues to be an important and disabling disease in many parts of Africa, although its prevalence has declined in some parts of the continent. Increased access to medical care in general and increased availability of echocardiography in some parts of the continent have led to recognition of the disease in areas in which the disease had not been previously reported, and this has given new insights into its natural history. However, the early manifestations of EMF continue to elude clinicians and researchers, and no progress has been made in defining its aetiology. Advances have, however, been made in establishing the epidemiology and improving clinical diagnosis and management, through modern medical therapy and improved surgical techniques. Research is still required to define clinical, biological and echocardiographic markers of early stages of EMF, so that advances in the knowledge of its pathogenesis and pathophysiology can be made. This will hopefully determine preventive measures and avoid the burden of this debilitating condition in this continent.
FLAVORED CP ASYMMETRIES FOR TYPE II SEESAW LEPTOGENESIS
Authors: FELIPE R. GONZÁLEZ , JOAQUIM F. R. , SERÔDIO H.
Published: December 2013

A novel contribution to the leptonic CP asymmetries in type II seesaw leptogenesis scenarios is obtained for the cases in which flavor effects are relevant for the dynamics of leptogenesis. In the so-called flavored leptogenesis regime, the interference between the tree-level amplitude of the scalar triplet decaying into two leptons and the one-loop wave function correction with leptons in the loop, leads to a new nonvanishing CP asymmetry contribution. The latter conserves total lepton number but violates lepton flavor. Cases in which this novel contribution may be dominant in the generation of the baryon asymmetry are briefly discussed.
DESIGNING OPTIMIZED IMPRECISE FIXED-POINT ARITHMETIC CIRCUITS SPECIFIED BY POLYNOMIALS WITH VARIOUS CONSTRAINTS
Authors: PANG YU , YAN YAFENG , LIN JINZHAO , LI ZHANGYONG , ZHOU QIANNENG , WU WEI
Published: December 2013

Arithmetic circuits in general do not exactly match specifications, leading to different implementations within allowed imprecision. Starting from real-valued representation, such as Taylor series, we propose a new technique based on arithmetic transform (AT) to analyze simultaneous selection of multiple word lengths and even the function approximation schemes, and then derive a verification algorithm to check whether an implementation fits the error bound. To find optimized implementations which both satisfy a given error bound and constraints included interface input, delay and area. An optimization algorithm is derived to explore multiple precision parameters and get the optimized implementations by various constraints.
AN ORIGINAL ACCURATE THEORETICAL AND NUMERICAL APPROACH TO REDEFINE A WIDE CLASS OF DIGITAL SIGNALS
Authors: CAPUTO ROBINSON GAUDINO , FIGUEIREDO GUSTAVO VARELLA , SILVEIRA MAURICIO
Published: December 2013

The theoretical and numerical analysis proposed in this paper is totally original and the essential purpose is to introduce an innovative procedure to represent some of the more important digital communications signals by using a simple mathematical tool. All new analytical concepts presented here can be used as definitions of these signals and the great improvement is the fact that we can manipulate all of them through some flexible as well as original mathematical operations. This theoretical technique permits us to represent all classic analogical waves by using periodic and non-periodic continuous functions such that they can be seen as a video color signal or a simple sequence of zeros and ones. By using a nonlinear operator, it is possible to define analytically a wide class of important electromagnetic waves.
Dynamic model for large multi-flexible-body space structures
Authors: Li D. X. , Liu W. , Lei Y. J. , Sun X. Y.
Published: December 2013

Large multi-flexible-body space structures, such as space solar arrays, comprise of multiple flexible substructures that are connected by joint hinges. Unlike traditional continuous structural models, a noncontinuous multi-flexible-body structural model with joint hinges is set up for the multi-flexible-body structure herein. In contrast to the general multi-body structural models in which each substructure is taken as a rigid body, the elastic deformation of every substructure in the multi-flexible-body structural model is taken into account. Furthermore, the connection stiffness and friction damping of joint hinges are considered as they affect the structural dynamic properties. All of the aforementioned considerations make the dynamic modeling of this multi-flexible-body structural system rather difficult. To solve the problem, an innovative semi-analytical model is developed for each flexible substructure. A four-node massless spring-damper element is built up for each joint hinge, in which the stiffness and damping coefficients of the hinge are calibrated by experiments. By comparing the computed results with experimental results, it can be concluded that the method proposed herein is correct and efficient.
QUASIHOMOGENEOUS ANALYTIC AFFINE CONNECTIONS ON SURFACES
Authors: DUMITRESCU SORIN , GUILLOT ADOLFO
Published: December 2013

We classify torsion-free real-analytic affine connections on compact oriented real-analytic surfaces which are locally homogeneous on a nontrivial open set, without being locally homogeneous on all of the surface. In particular, we prove that such connections exist. This classification relies on a local result that classifies germs of torsion-free real-analytic affine connections on a neighborhood of the origin in the plane which are quasihomogeneous, in the sense that they are locally homogeneous on an open set containing the origin in its closure, but not locally homogeneous in the neighborhood of the origin.
Strong Banach property (T) for simple algebraic groups of higher rank
Authors: Liao Benben
Published: December 2013

We extend Vincent Lafforgue's results to Sp4. As applications, the family of expanders constructed by finite quotients of a lattice in such a group does not admit a uniform embedding in any Banach space of type > 1, and any affine isometric action of such a group, or of any cocompact lattice in it, in a Banach space of type > 1 has a fixed point.
Involvement of mast cells in adipose tissue fibrosis
Authors: Hirai Shizuka , Ohyane Chie , Kim Young-Il , Lin Shan , Goto Tsuyoshi , Takahashi Nobuyuki , Kim Chu-Sook , Kang Jihey , Yu Rina , Kawada Teruo
Published: December 2013

Recently, fibrosis is observed in obese adipose tissue; however, the pathogenesis remains to be clarified. Obese adipose tissue is characterized by chronic inflammation with massive accumulation of immune cells including mast cells. The objective of the present study was to clarify the relationship between fibrosis and mast cells in obese adipose tissue, as well as to determine the origin of infiltrating mast cells. We observed the enhancement of mast cell accumulation and fibrosis in adipose tissue of severely obese diabetic db/db mice. Furthermore, adipose tissue-conditioned medium (ATCM) from severely obese diabetic db/db mice significantly enhanced collagen 5 mRNA expression in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, and this enhancement was suppressed by the addition of an anti-mast cell protease 6 (MCP-6) antibody. An in vitro study showed that only collagen V among various types of collagen inhibited preadipocyte differentiation. Moreover, we found that ATCM from the nonobese but not obese stages of db/db mice significantly enhanced the migration of bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). These findings suggest that immature mast cells that infiltrate into adipose tissue at the nonobese stage gradually mature with the progression of obesity and diabetes and that MCP-6 secreted from mature mast cells induces collagen V expression in obese adipose tissue, which may contribute to the process of adipose tissue fibrosis. Induction of collagen V by MCP-6 might accelerate insulin resistance via the suppression of preadipocyte differentiation.
QTL mapping in outbred populations: successes and challenges
Authors: Solberg Woods Leah C.
Published: December 2013

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping in animal populations has been a successful strategy for identifying genomic regions that play a role in complex diseases and traits. When conducted in an F2 intercross or backcross population, the resulting QTL is frequently large, often encompassing 30 Mb or more and containing hundreds of genes. To narrow the locus and identify candidate genes, additional strategies are needed. Congenic strains have proven useful but work less well when there are multiple tightly linked loci, frequently resulting in loss of phenotype. As an alternative, we discuss the use of highly recombinant outbred models for directly fine-mapping QTL to only a few megabases. We discuss the use of several currently available models such as the advanced intercross (AI), heterogeneous stocks (HS), the diversity outbred (DO), and commercially available outbred stocks (CO). Once a QTL has been fine-mapped, founder sequence and expression QTL mapping can be used to identify candidate genes. In this regard, the large number of alleles found in outbred stocks can be leveraged to identify causative genes and variants. We end this review by discussing some important statistical considerations when analyzing outbred populations. Fine-resolution mapping in outbred models, coupled with full genome sequence, has already led to the identification of several underlying causative genes for many complex traits and diseases. These resources will likely lead to additional successes in the coming years.
ESMART: Energy-Efficient Slice-Mix-Aggregate for Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Li Chaoran , Liu Yun
Published: December 2013

Wireless sensor network consists of a large number of resource-constrained sensor nodes and is usually deployed in unattended area to collect specific information. Energy consumption is always a major concern in the research field of wireless sensor network. Thus, data aggregation schemes emerged and were deployed for prolonging network lifetime by reducing data transmitted within the network. Meanwhile, along with the wide application of the data aggregation schemes, the security issues of data aggregation have been increasingly drawing attention and the designing of secure data aggregation scheme is becoming a hot spot. In this paper, we proposed an energy-efficient secure data aggregation scheme, ESMART: energy-efficient slice-mix-aggregate based on the technique of data slicing and mixing. The proposed scheme performs secure data aggregation in a more efficient way while keeping a good performance of privacy preservation. And the simulation result shows that the security performance of ESMART scheme is better than that of some existing and widely used schemes.
Integrating Information from Multiple Methods into the Analysis of Perceived Risk of Crime: The Role of Geo-Referenced Field Data and Mobile Methods
Authors: Fielding Jane , Fielding Nigel
Published: December 2013

This paper demonstrates the use of mixed methods discovery techniques to explore public perceptions of community safety and risk, using computational techniques that combine and integrate layers of information to reveal connections between community and place. Perceived vulnerability to crime is conceptualised using an etic/emic framework. The etic “outsider” viewpoint imposes its categorisation of vulnerability not only on areas (“crime hot spots” or “deprived neighbourhoods”) but also on socially constructed groupings of individuals (the “sick” or the “poor”) based on particular qualities considered relevant by the analyst. The range of qualities is often both narrow and shallow. The alternative, emic, “insider” perspective explores vulnerability based on the meanings held by the individuals informed by their lived experience. Using recorded crime data and Census-derived area classifications, we categorise an area in Southern England from an etic viewpoint. Mobile interviews with local residents and police community support officers and researcher-led environmental audits provide qualitative emic data. GIS software provides spatial context to analytically link both quantitative and qualitative data. We demonstrate how this approach reveals hidden sources of community resilience and produces findings that explicate low level social disorder and vandalism as turns in a “dialogue” of resistance against urbanisation and property development.
A Novel Method for Ion Track Counting in Polycarbonate Detector
Authors: Roshani Gholam Hossein , Roshani Sobhan , Shama Farzin , Roshani Saeed , Roshani Mohammad Mahdi
Published: December 2013

A computer program for recognizing and counting the track of ions that are detected with polycarbonate detector has been written using MATLAB software. There are different programs for counting the track of ions in different detectors. Algorithm of this program specially has been written for polycarbonate detector and also for low magnification of optical microscope. Thus, with this method as per image of optical microscope, greater numbers of ions are visible and general distribution of ions can be better known. However, the accuracy of counting program is very high.
Taxpas: Epidemiological and Survival Data in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with a Docetaxel-Based Chemotherapy Regimen in South Africa
Authors: Moodley Shun Devan , McMaster Alicia , Mothilal Rashem
Published: December 2013

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among South African women. There is limited South African epidemiological data on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Taxpas was a nonrandomized observational survey conducted in multiple centres in South Africa from April 2004 to December 2010. 1632 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer, with a median age of 51 years, were enrolled in the survey. Patients were treated on a docetaxel-based chemotherapy regimen. The objective of the study was to assess epidemiological data and survival data. The incidence of TNBC was 14%. The one-year survival rate for the total cohort was 84%. The one-year survival rate for patients with early stage and metastatic breast cancer was recorded as 94% and 65%, respectively. Patients with TNBC stage III (all ages) and stage IV (≤50 years) had statistically significant worse 1-year survival rate compared to N-TNBC patients of the same age and stages. Conclusion. The incidence of TNBC in South Africa which is 14% is comparable to global incidence. The 1-year survival data for certain subgroups supports the literature saying that TNBC carries a worse prognosis compared to N-TNBC. Women ≤50 years diagnosed with late stage TNBC carried the worst prognosis in this survey.
A Novel Approach for Shearer Memory Cutting Based on Fuzzy Optimization Method
Authors: Zhou Xin , Wang Zhongbin , Tan Chao , Ji Rui , Liu Xinhua
Published: December 2013

In order to improve the implement precision of shearer memory cutting, a novel approach based on the coal floor height variation which is taken as a significant factor and fuzzy optimization theory is proposed. The problem of shearer memory cutting is analyzed and the mathematic model is established. Moreover, the key technologies such as fuzzy control model, quantitative factors, and fuzzy control rules are elaborated, and the flowchart of shearer memory cutting method based on fuzzy optimization theory is designed. Finally, a simulation example is carried out and the proposed approach is proved feasible and efficient.
Microarray Analysis of mRNA and MicroRNA Expression Profile Reveals the Role ofβ-Sitosterol-D-glucoside in the Proliferation of Neural Stem Cell
Authors: Jiang Li-hua , Yang Nian-yun , Yuan Xiao-lin , Zou Yi-jie , Jiang Ze-qun , Zhao Feng-ming , Chen Jian-ping , Wang Ming-yan , Lu Da-xiang
Published: December 2013

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are self-regenerating cells, but their regenerative capacity is limited. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect ofβ-sitosterol-D-glucoside (BSSG) on the proliferation of hippocampal NSCs and to determine the corresponding molecular mechanism. Results of CCK-8 assay showed that BSSG significantly increased NSC proliferation and the effectiveness of BSSG was similar to that of basic fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor. mRNA expression profiling showed that 960 genes were differentially expressed after NSCs were treated with BSSG. Among the 960 genes, IGF1 is considered as a key regulatory gene that functionally promotes NSC proliferation. MicroRNA (miRNA) expression profiling indicated that 30 and 84 miRNAs were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. miRNA-mRNA relevance analysis revealed that numerous mRNAs including IGF1 mRNA were negatively regulated by miRNAs with decreased expression, thereby increasing the corresponding mRNA expression. The increased expression of IGF1 protein was validated by ELISA. Picropodophyllin (PPP, an inhibitor of IGF-1R) inhibition test confirmed that the proliferation-enhancing effect depended on IGF1. This study provided information about BSSG as an efficient and inexpensive growth factor alternative, of which the effect is closely involved in IGF1.
An MBS‐Assisted Femtocell Transmit Power Control Scheme with Mobile User QoS Guarantee in 2‐Tier Heterogeneous Femtocell Networks
Authors: Chen Jenhui , Yang Chih-Cheng , Sheu Shiann-Tsong
Published: December 2013

This study investigates how to adjust the transmit power of femto base station (FBS) to mitigate interference problems between the
FBSs and mobile users (MUs) in the 2‐tier heterogeneous femtocell
networks. A common baseline of deploying the FBS to increase the
indoor access bandwidth requires that the FBS operation will not
affect outdoor MUs operation with their quality‐of‐service (QoS)
requirements. To tackle this technical problem, an FBS
transmit power adjustment (FTPA) algorithm is proposed to adjust
the FBS transmit power (FTP) to avoid unwanted cochannel
interference (CCI) with the neighboring MUs in downlink
transmission. FTPA reduces the FTP to serve its femto users (FUs)
according to the QoS requirements of the nearest neighboring MUs
to the FBS so that the MU QoS requirement is guaranteed.
Simulation results demonstrate that FTPA can achieve a low MU
outage probability as well as serve FUs without violating the MU
QoS requirements. Simulation results also reveal that FTPA has
better performance on voice and video services which are the major
trend of future multimedia communication in the NGN.
Microglia and Synapse: Interactions in Health and Neurodegeneration
Authors: Šišková Zuzana , Tremblay Marie-Ève
Published: December 2013

A series of discoveries spanning for the last few years has challenged our view of microglial function, the main form of immune defense in the brain. The surveillance of neuronal circuits executed by each microglial cell overseeing its territory occurs in the form of regular, dynamic interactions. Microglial contacts with individual neuronal compartments, such as dendritic spines and axonal terminals, ensure that redundant or dysfunctional elements are recognized and eliminated from the brain. Microglia take on a new shape that is large and amoeboid when a threat to brain integrity is detected. In this defensive form, they migrate to the endangered sites, where they help to minimize the extent of the brain insult. However, in neurodegenerative diseases that are associated with misfolding and aggregation of synaptic proteins, these vital defensive functions appear to be compromised. Many microglial functions, such as phagocytosis, might be overwhelmed during exposure to the abnormal levels of misfolded proteins in their proximity. This might prevent them from attending to their normal duties, such as the stripping of degenerating synaptic terminals, before neuronal function is irreparably impaired. In these conditions microglia become chronically activated and appear to take on new, destructive roles by direct or indirect inflammatory attack.
Parametric Rough Sets with Application to Granular Association Rule Mining
Authors: He Xu , Min Fan , Zhu William
Published: December 2013

Granular association rules reveal patterns hidden in many-to-many relationships which are common in relational databases. In recommender systems, these rules are appropriate for cold-start recommendation, where a customer or a product has just entered the system. An example of such rules might be “40% men like at least 30% kinds of alcohol; 45% customers are men and 6% products are alcohol.” Mining such rules is a challenging problem due to pattern explosion. In this paper, we build a new type of parametric rough sets on two universes and propose an efficient rule mining algorithm based on the new model. Specifically, the model is deliberately defined such that the parameter corresponds to one threshold of rules. The algorithm benefits from the lower approximation operator in the new model. Experiments on two real-world data sets show that the new algorithm is significantly faster than an existing algorithm, and the performance of recommender systems is stable.
Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Leukemia Successfully Treated by Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation to a Remission of 48-Month Duration
Authors: Goren Sahin Deniz , Akay Olga Meltem , Üsküdar Teke Hava , Andıc Neslihan , Gunduz Eren , Gulbas Zafer
Published: December 2013

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a very rare subtype of AML characterized by the clonal proliferation of precursors of plasmacytoid dendritic cells. It presents with an aggressive behavior. The clinical findings include cytopenia, particularly thrombocytopenia. Although it responds well to chemotherapy initially, the relapse is a rule and prognosis is very poor. There is limited data published in the literature, making it very problematic to define the biological and clinical features, hence, the appropriate therapeutic approach. There are various treatment methods such as multiagent chemotherapy based on ALL or AML and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, none of them is approved as a standard therapy. From this point of view, we herein report a 20-year-old case at onset of a leukemic form of BPDCN who survived 48 months after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Axisymmetric Consolidation of Unsaturated Soils by Differential Quadrature Method
Authors: Zhou Wan-Huan
Published: December 2013

Axisymmetric consolidation in a sand drain foundation is a common problem in foundation engineering. In unsaturated soils, the excess pore-water and pore-air pressures simultaneously change during the consolidation procedure; and the solutions are not easy to obtain. The present paper uses the differential quadrature method (DQM) for axisymmetric consolidation of unsaturated soils in a sand drain foundation. The radial seepage of sand drain foundation is considered based on the framework of Fredlund’s one-dimensional consolidation theory in unsaturated soils. With the use of Darcy’s law and Fick’s law, the polar governing equations of excess pore-air and pore-water pressures of axisymmetric consolidation are derived. By using DQM, the two governing equations are transformed into two sets of ordinary differential equations. Then the solutions of excess pore-water and pore-air pressures can be obtained by Rong-Kutta method. The DQM solution can be used to deal with the case of nonuniform initial pore-air and pore-water distributions. Finally, case studies are presented to investigate the behavior of axisymmetric consolidation of unsaturated soils. The convergence analysis and average degree of consolidation, the settlements in radial and vertical direction, and the effects of different initial excess pore pressure distributions are presented, and discussed in this paper.
Synthesis and Characterization of New Palladium(II) Thiosemicarbazone Complexes and Their Cytotoxic Activity against Various Human Tumor Cell Lines
Authors: Hernández Wilfredo , Paz Juan , Carrasco Fernando , Vaisberg Abraham , Spodine Evgenia , Manzur Jorge , Hennig Lothar , Sieler Joachim , Blaurock Steffen , Beyer Lothar
Published: December 2013

The palladium(II) bis-chelate complexes of the type [Pd(TSC1-5)2] (6–10), with their corresponding ligands 4-phenyl-1-(acetone)-thiosemicarbazone, HTSC1(1), 4-phenyl-1-(2′-chloro-benzaldehyde)-thiosemicarbazone, HTSC2(2), 4-phenyl-1-(3′-hydroxy-benzaldehyde)-thiosemicarbazone, HTSC3(3), 4-phenyl-1-(2′-naphthaldehyde)-thiosemicarbazone, HTSC4(4), and 4-phenyl-1-(1′-nitro-2′-naphthaldehyde)-thiosemicarbazone, HTSC5(5), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic techniques (IR and1H- and13C-NMR). The molecular structure of HTSC3, HTSC4, and [Pd(TSC1)2] (6) have been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Complex6shows a square planar geometry with two deprotonated ligands coordinated toPdIIthrough the azomethine nitrogen and thione sulfur atoms in acisarrangement. Thein vitrocytotoxic activity measurements indicate that the palladium(II) complexes (IC50=0.01–9.87 μM) exhibited higher antiproliferative activity than their free ligands (IC50=23.48–70.86 and >250 μM) against different types of human tumor cell lines. Among all the studied palladium(II) complexes, the [Pd(TSC3)2] (8) complex exhibited high antitumor activity on the DU145 prostate carcinoma and K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells, with low values of the inhibitory concentration (0.01 and 0.02 μM, resp.).

Corrigendum to “Synthesis and Characterization of New Palladium(II) Thiosemicarbazone Complexes and Their Cytotoxic Activity against Various Human Tumor Cell Lines”
Fractional Black-Scholes Model and Technical Analysis of Stock Price
Authors: Xu Song , Yang Yujiao
Published: December 2013

In the stock market, some popular technical analysis indicators (e.g., Bollinger bands, RSI, ROC, etc.) are widely used to forecast the direction of prices. The validity is shown by observed relative frequency of certain statistics, using the daily (hourly, weekly, etc.) stock prices as samples. However, those samples are not independent. In earlier research, the stationary property and the law of large numbers related to those observations under Black-Scholes stock price model and stochastic volatility model have been discussed. Since the fitness of both Black-Scholes model and short-range dependent process has been questioned, we extend the above results to fractional Black-Scholes model with Hurst parameterH>1/2, under which the stock returns follow a kind of long-range dependent process. We also obtain the rate of convergence.
Ion Dynamics Study of Potato Starch + Sodium Salts Electrolyte System
Authors: Tiwari Tuhina , Srivastava Neelam , Srivastava P. C.
Published: December 2013

The effect of different anions, namely,SCN−,I−, andClO4−, on the electrical properties of starch-based polymer electrolytes has been studied. Anion size and conductivity are having an inverse trend indicating systems to be predominantly anionic conductor. Impact of anion size and multiplet forming tendency is reflected in number of charge carriers and mobility, respectively. Ion dynamics study reveals the presence of different mechanisms in different frequency ranges. Interestingly, superlinear power law (SLPL) is found to be present at <5 MHz frequency, which is further confirmed by dielectric data.
Impact of Gas Delivery Systems on Imaging Studies of Human Cerebral Blood Flow
Authors: Cain John R. , Parkes Laura M. , Eadsforth Peter , Beards Susan C. , Jackson Alan
Published: December 2013

Purpose. To compare a semiopen breathing circuit with a non-rebreathing (Hudson mask) for MRI experiments involving gas delivery.Methods and Materials. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by quantitative phase contrast angiography of the internal carotid and basilar arteries in 18 volunteers (20–31 years). In 8 subjects, gases were delivered via a standard non-rebreathing (Hudson mask). In 10 subjects, gases were delivered using a modified “Mapleson A” semiopen anesthetic gas circuit and mouthpiece. All subjects were given 100% O2, medical air, and carbogen gas (95% O2and 5% CO2) delivered at 15 L/min in a random order.Results. The Hudson mask group showed significant increases in CBF in response to increased FiCO2compared to air (+9.8%). A small nonsignificant reduction in CBF (−2.4%) was seen in response to increased inspired concentrations of oxygen (FiO2). The Mapleson A group showed significantly larger changes in CBF in response to both increased inspired concentrations of carbon dioxide (FiCO2) (+32.2%,P<0.05) and FiO2(−14.6%,P<0.01).Conclusions. The use of an anaesthetic gas delivery circuit avoids entrainment of room air and rebreathing effects that may otherwise adversely affect the experimental results.
Epidemiology and Changes in Patient-Related Factors from 1997 to 2009 in Clinical Yeast Isolates Related to Dermatology, Gynaecology, and Paediatrics
Authors: Czaika Viktor , Nenoff Pietro , Glöckner Andreas , Fegeler Wolfgang , Becker Karsten , Schmalreck Arno F.
Published: December 2013

From 1997 to 2009, 1,862 dermatology, gynaecology, and paediatrics (DGP) associated clinical yeast isolates were analysed for species occurrence, specimen origin and type, (multi-) resistance pattern, and testing period. The top seven of the isolated DGP-associated species remained the same as compared to total medical wards, withCandida albicans(45%) as most frequent pathogen. However, the DGP wards and DGP ICUs showed species-specific profiles; that is, the species distribution is clinic-specific similar and however differs in their percentage from ward to ward. By applying the “one fungus one name” principle, respectively, the appropriate current taxonomic species denominations, it has been shown that no trend to emerging species from 1998 to 2008 could be detected. In particular the frequently isolated non-Candida albicansspecies isolated in the DGP departments have already been detected in or before 1997. As yeasts are part of the cutaneous microbiota and play an important role as opportunistic pathogens for superficial infections, proper identification of the isolates according to the new nomenclature deems to be essential for specific and calculated antifungal therapy for yeast-like DGP-related infectious agents.
Wavelet Analysis of Shower Track Distribution in High-Energy Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions
Authors: Mali Provash , Sarkar Soumya , Mukhopadhyay Amitabha , Singh Gurmukh
Published: December 2013

A continuous wavelet analysis is performed for pattern recognition of charged particle emission data in28Si-Ag/Br interaction at 14.5A GeV and in32S-Ag/Br interaction at 200A GeV. Making use of the event-wise local maxima present in the scalograms, we try to identify the collective behavior in multiparticle production, if there is any. For the first time, the wavelet results are compared with a model prediction based on the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD), where we adopt a charge reassignment algorithm to modify the UrQMD events to mimic the Bose-Einstein type of correlation among identical mesons—a feature known to be the most dominating factor responsible for local cluster formation. Statistically significant deviations between the experiment and the simulation are interpreted in terms of nontrivial dynamics of multiparticle production.
On the Boundary Conditions in Deformed Quantum Mechanics with Minimal Length Uncertainty
Authors: Pedram Pouria
Published: December 2013

We find the coordinate space wave functions, maximal localization states, and quasiposition wave functions in a GUP framework that implies a minimal length uncertainty using a formally self-adjoint representation. We show how the boundary conditions in quasiposition space can be exactly determined from the boundary conditions in coordinate space.
The 5D Standing Wave Braneworld with Real Scalar Field
Authors: Gogberashvili Merab , Midodashvili Pavle
Published: December 2013

We introduce the new 5D braneworld with the real scalar field in the bulk. The model represents the brane which bounds collective oscillations of gravitational and scalar field standing waves. These waves are out of phase; that is, the energy of oscillations passes back and forth between the scalar and gravitational waves. When the amplitude of the standing waves is small, the brane width and the size of the horizon in extra space are of a same order of magnitude, and matter fields are localized in extra dimension due to the presence of the horizon. When oscillations are large, trapping of matter fields on the brane is provided mainly by the pressure of bulk waves. It is shown that in this case the mass of the lightest KK mode is determined by the smaller energy scale corresponding to the horizon size; that is, these modes can be created in accelerators at relatively low energies, which gives a chance to check the present model.
On the Stability of Wave Equation
Authors: Jung Soon-Mo
Published: December 2013

We prove the generalized Hyers-Ulam stability of the wave equation,Δu=(1/c2)utt, in a class of twice continuously differentiable functions under some conditions.
Inhibition of GSK-3 Induces Differentiation and Impaired Glucose Metabolism in Renal Cancer
Authors: Pal Krishnendu , Cao Ying , Gaisina Irina N. , Bhattacharya Santanu , Dutta Shamit K. , Wang Enfeng , Gunosewoyo Hendra , Kozikowski Alan P. , Billadeau Daniel D. , Mukhopadhyay Debabrata
Published: December 2013

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), a constitutively active serine/threonine kinase, is a key regulator of numerous cellular processes ranging from glycogen metabolism to cell-cycle regulation and proliferation. Consistent with its involvement in many pathways, it has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of various human diseases, including type II diabetes, Alzheimer disease, bipolar disorder, inflammation, and cancer. Consequently, it is recognized as an attractive target for the development of new drugs. In the present study, we investigated the effect of both pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of GSK-3 in two different renal cancer cell lines. We have shown potent antiproliferative activity of 9-ING-41, a maleimide-based GSK-3 inhibitor. The antiproliferative activity is most likely caused by G0–G1 and G2–M phase arrest as evident from cell-cycle analysis. We have established that inhibition of GSK-3 imparted a differentiated phenotype in renal cancer cells. We have also shown that GSK-3 inhibition induced autophagy, likely as a result of imbalanced energy homeostasis caused by impaired glucose metabolism. In addition, we have demonstrated the antitumor activity of 9-ING-41 in two different subcutaneous xenograft renal cell carcinoma tumor models. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing autophagy induction due to GSK-3 inhibition in renal cancer cells. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(2); 285–96. ©2013 AACR.
Naproxen Induces Cell-Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Urinary Bladder Cancer Cell Lines and Chemically Induced Cancers by Targeting PI3K
Authors: Kim Mi-Sung , Kim Jong-Eun , Lim Do Young , Huang Zunnan , Chen Hanyong , Langfald Alyssa , Lubet Ronald A. , Grubbs Clinton J. , Dong Zigang , Bode Ann M.
Published: December 2013

Naproxen [(S)-6-methoxy-α-methyl-2-naphthaleneacetic acid] is a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2 and is widely used as an over-the-counter medication. Naproxen exhibits analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Naproxen, as well as other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been reported to be effective in the prevention of urinary bladder cancer in rodents. However, potential targets other than the COX isozymes have not been reported. We examined potential additional targets in urinary bladder cancer cells and in rat bladder cancers. Computer kinase profiling results suggested that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is a potential target for naproxen. In vitro kinase assay data revealed that naproxen interacts with PI3K and inhibits its kinase activity. Pull-down binding assay data confirmed that PI3K directly binds with naproxen in vitro and ex vivo. Western blot data showed that naproxen decreased phosphorylation of Akt, and subsequently decreased Akt signaling in UM-UC-5 and UM-UC-14 urinary bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, naproxen suppressed anchorage-independent cell growth and decreased cell viability by targeting PI3K in both cell lines. Naproxen caused an accumulation of cells at the G1 phase mediated through cyclin-dependent kinase 4, cyclin D1, and p21. Moreover, naproxen induced significant apoptosis, accompanied with increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, caspase-7, and PARP in both cell types. Naproxen-induced cell death was mainly because of apoptosis in which a prominent downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax were involved. Naproxen also caused apoptosis and inhibited Akt phosphorylation in rat urinary bladder cancers induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine. Cancer Prev Res; 7(2); 236–45. ©2013 AACR.
Impact of Vitamin D Supplementation on Inflammatory Markers in African Americans: Results of a Four-Arm, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Chandler Paulette D. , Scott Jamil B. , Drake Bettina F. , Ng Kimmie , Manson JoAnn E. , Rifai Nader , Chan Andrew T. , Bennett Gary G. , Hollis Bruce W. , Giovannucci Edward L. , Emmons Karen M. , Fuchs Charles S.
Published: December 2013

African Americans have a disproportionate burden of inflammation-associated chronic diseases such as cancer and lower circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. The effect of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation on inflammatory markers is uncertain. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of supplemental oral vitamin D (placebo, 1,000, 2,000, or 4,000 IU/day of vitamin D3 orally for 3 months) in 328 African Americans (median age, 51 years) of public housing communities in Boston, MA, who were enrolled over three consecutive winter periods (2007–2010). Change from 0 to 3 months of plasma levels of 25(OH)D, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and soluble TNF-α receptor type 2 (sTNF-R2) in 292 (89%) participants were measured. Overall, no statistically significant changes in CRP, IL-6, IL-10, and sTNF-R2 were observed after the vitamin D supplementation period. Baseline CRP was significantly inversely associated with the baseline 25(OH)D level (P < 0.001) in unadjusted and adjusted models. An interaction between baseline 25(OH)D and vitamin D supplementation was observed for outcome change in log CRP (month 3–month 0; P for interaction = 0.04). Within an unselected population of African Americans, short-term exposure to vitamin D supplementation produced no change in circulating inflammatory markers. This study confirms the strong independent association of CRP with 25(OH)D status even after adjusting for body mass index. Future studies of longer supplemental vitamin D3 duration are necessary to examine the complex influence of vitamin D3 on CRP and other chronic inflammatory cytokines for possible reduction of cancer health disparities in African Americans. Cancer Prev Res; 7(2); 218–25. ©2013 AACR.
Patient outcomes using the European label for dabigatran
Authors: Clemens Andreas , Noack Herbert , Ferreira Jorge , Connolly Stuart J. , Yusuf Salim , Lip Gregory Y. H.
Published: December 2013

In the RE-LY trial dabigatran 150 mg twice daily (D150) showed significantly fewer strokes, and 110 mg (D110) significantly fewer major bleeding events (MBE) compared to well-controlled warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The European (EU) label currently recommends the use of D150 in AF patients who are aged < 80 years without an increased risk for bleeding (e.g. HAS-BLED score <3) and not on concomitant verapamil. In other patients, D110 is recommended. In this post-hoc analysis of the RE-LY dataset, we simulated how dabigatran (n=6,004) would compare to well-controlled warfarin (n=6,022) used according to the EU label. “EU label simulated dabigatran treatment” was associated with significant reductions in stroke and systemic embolism (hazard ratio [HR] 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60–0.91), haemorrhagic stroke (HR 0.22; 95%CI 0.11–0.44), death (HR 0.86; 95%CI 0.75–0.98), and vascular death (HR 0.80; 95%CI 0.68–0.95) compared to warfarin. Dabigatran was also associated with less major bleeding (HR 0.85; 95%CI 0.73–0.98), life-threatening bleeding (HR 0.72; 95%CI 0.58–0.91), intracranial haemorrhage (HR 0.28; 95%CI 0.17–0.45), and “any bleeds” (HR 0.86; 95%CI 0.81–0.92), but not gastrointestinal major bleeding (HR 1.23; 95%CI 0.96–1.59). The net clinical benefit was significantly better for dabigatran compared to warfarin. In conclusion, this post-hoc simulation of dabigatran usage based on RE-LY trial dataset indicates that “EU label simulated dabigatran treatment” may be associated with superior efficacy and safety compared to warfarin, and are in support of the EU label and the 2012 European Society of Cardiology AF guideline recommendations. Thus, adherence to European label/guideline use results in a clinically relevant benefit for dabigatran over warfarin, for both efficacy and safety.

Note: The editorial process for this paper was fully handled by Prof Christian Weber, Editor in Chief.
Furacões e tornados: um espetáculo de rotação na atmosfera terrestre
Authors: Dias Maria Assunção Faus da Silva
Published: December 2013

A atmosfera terrestre contém ar em rotação com movimentos que podem ser observados de diferentes pontos de vista. Os pequenos rodamoinhos de poeira e tornados são visíveis a olho nu, ciclones e furacões têm rotação visível desde o espaço, a bordo de satélites por exemplo. Os dois fenômenos, tornado e furacão, têm algumas importantes diferenças em termos de tamanho e tempo de vida, mas ambos representam uma situação de equilíbrio de forças físicas que mantêm os movimentos circulares do ar em situação quase estável. Tornados e furacões são eventos extremos que provocam desastres de toda sorte, principalmente devido às ventanias extremamente intensas que os caracterizam, têm distribuição geográfica heterogênea e época do ano em que são mais freqüentes. Uma das questões recorrentes nos dias de hoje é se a freqüência de ocorrência tanto de tornados como de furacões está aumentando em função do aquecimento global; se as mudanças climáticas estão provocando tornados e furacões em lugares nunca dantes atingidos e com violência cada vez maior.
Ciberativismo, cultura hacker e o individualismo colaborativo
Authors: Silveira Sérgio Amadeu da
Published: December 2013

O texto discute as relações entre o ciberativismo e a cultura hacker. Busca mostrar a influência da contracultura norte-americana na construção do "hacktivismo". Indica a conexão existente entre as mobilizações colaborativas para o desenvolvimento de softwares livres e o pensamento hacker, que prega distribuir o poder e emancipar as pessoas pelo acesso às informações. Descreve as abordagens teóricas que esclarecem a crescente relevância dos protocolos, códigos e softwares como principais intermediários da comunicação social. Conclui com a caracterização de um individualismo colaborativo que emergiu da sociabilidade hacker e que se baseia no compartilhamento de ideias e na emancipação individual pelo conhecimento.
O rossio não rival
Authors: Simon Imre , Vieira Miguel Said
Published: December 2013

Este artigo é uma introdução ao conceito de rossio não rival. Define e compara os dois tipos de rossios (rival e não rival), sugerindo que a língua portuguesa pode ser entendida como um exemplo de rossio não rival. A seguir, propõe que os rossios não rivais estão relacionados a importantes transformações sociais e culturais que começam a se afigurar, e explora essa relação por quatro aspectos: 1) a potencialização desses rossios pela tecnologia digital; 2) o papel da rede na disseminação dos bens desses rossios; 3) o avanço dos estudos acadêmicos sobre esses rossios; 4) a possibilidade de interação entre esses rossios e a política.
Comunicação e trabalho para mudanças na perspectiva sociotécnica
Authors: Figaro Roseli
Published: December 2013

Este artigo é uma reflexão, a partir do campo da comunicação, sobre a presença das tecnologias de informação e de comunicação no mundo do trabalho. Para cumprir esse objetivo, problematiza-se a atividade humana como atividade de comunicação e de trabalho. As tecnologias são produtos dessa atividade, inserem-se no contexto sociotécnico contemporâneo e revelam contradições e exclusões. A título de contribuição, apresentam-se relatos de profissionais do campo da comunicação sobre as mudanças no mundo do trabalho dos comunicadores.
Moda caipira: dicções do cantador
Authors: Sant'Anna Romildo
Published: December 2013

Este pequeno trabalho, ao enfocar alguns aspectos da moda caipira de raízes enquanto letra e música, visa a situar o cantador ou modista como intérprete das aspirações comunitárias. Põe ênfase no discurso de tradição oral-popular do romanceiro tradicional de origem ibérica e sua continuidade em formas de expressão cantadas, dispersas por todo o Brasil, e que, nas regiões Sudeste e Centro-oeste, são designadas como moda caipira. O percurso do texto é quase uma divagação sobre tema tão palpitante, mais demoradamente discutido no livro A Moda é Viola - Ensaio do Cantar Caipira (2009), do autor.
Humor e identidade: Brasilidade em Laerte e Mauricio de Sousa
Authors: D'Oliveira Gêisa Fernandes
Published: December 2013

Os quadrinhos brasileiros sempre se pautaram por um diálogo com o humor. Embora marcante, esse elemento não resultará em apenas um tipo de identidade. A partir das obras de Mauricio de Sousa e Laerte, o artigo propõe uma discussão a respeito dos desdobramentos do uso do humor e seu papel em dois diferentes projetos identitários.
A inovação, a competitividade e a projeção mundial das empresas brasileiras
Authors: Calmanovici Carlos Eduardo
Published: December 2013

A capacidade de inovar é determinante para a competitividade das empresas e das nações. Assim, é necessário discutir, com todos os setores da sociedade, o papel da inovação no seu desenvolvimento econômico e social. Nesse sentido, este texto procura discutir questões como investimentos em educação, a coerência e a complementaridade entre investimento público e privado em P&D (pesquisa e desenvolvimento), a governança do SNI (Sistema Nacional de Inovação) com maior participação das empresas e a propriedade intelectual como elementos importantes do ambiente de inovação de um país. Embora seja possível identificar avanços significativos nessas questões no Brasil nos últimos anos, algumas das limitações ou dificuldades ainda persistem e podem nos distanciar dos demais países na busca pela competitividade.
Os periódicos brasileiros e a comunicação da pesquisa nacional
Authors: Packer Abel L.
Published: December 2013

Os periódicos brasileiros ocupam espaço e função importantes na comunicação da pesquisa científica nacional e são publicados majoritariamente em acesso aberto com alta visibilidade e acessibilidade. Além de publicarem mais de um terço dos artigos indexados internacionalmente com afiliação brasileira, os periódicos brasileiros contribuem para equacionar a comunicação multilíngue da produção científica particularmente nas áreas do conhecimento com centralidade nacional. O seu desenvolvimento futuro projeta-se como uma linha de ação estratégica nas políticas de apoio à pesquisa brasileira. Essa presença marcante é contrastada pelo desempenho médio muito inferior ao obtido pelos periódicos dos países desenvolvidos, medido em número de citações recebidas por artigo. Tal desempenho afeta o impacto da pesquisa brasileira como um todo. Embora parte desse desempenho seja devido aos fatores clássicos que influenciam a prática das citações, como idioma de publicação, área temática e colaboração internacional, o aperfeiçoamento dos periódicos brasileiros requer políticas públicas que contribuam para superar suas limitações.