bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of large-grain solid-phase crystallized polycrystalline silicon thin films
Authors: Kumar Avishek , Law Felix , Dalapati Goutam K. , Subramanian Gomathy S. , Widenborg Per I. , Tan Hui R. , Aberle Armin G.
Published: October 2014

n-type polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) films with very large grains, exceeding 30 μm in width, and with high Hall mobility of about 71.5 cm2/V s are successfully prepared by the solid-phase crystallization technique on glass through the control of the PH3 (2% in H2)/SiH4 gas flow ratio. The effect of this gas flow ratio on the electronic and structural quality of the n-type poly-Si thin film is systematically investigated using Hall effect measurements, Raman microscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), respectively. The poly-Si grains are found to be randomly oriented, whereby the average area weighted grain size is found to increase from 4.3 to 18 μm with increase of the PH3 (2% in H2)/SiH4 gas flow ratio. The stress in the poly-Si thin films is found to increase above 900 MPa when the PH3 (2% in H2)/SiH4 gas flow ratio is increased from 0.025 to 0.45. Finally, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high angle annular dark field-scanning tunneling microscopy, and EBSD are used to identify the defects and dislocations caused by the stress in the fabricated poly-Si films.
Multiple anatomy optimization of accumulated dose
Authors: Watkins W. Tyler , Moore Joseph A. , Gordon James , Hugo Geoffrey D. , Siebers Jeffrey V.
Published: October 2014

Purpose:

To investigate the potential advantages of multiple anatomy optimization (MAO) for lung cancer radiation therapy compared to the internal target volume (ITV) approach.

Methods:

MAO aims to optimize a single fluence to be delivered under free‐breathing conditions such that the accumulated dose meets the plan objectives, where accumulated dose is defined as the sum of deformably mapped doses computed on each phase of a single four dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) dataset. Phantom and patient simulation studies were carried out to investigate potential advantages of MAO compared to ITV planning. Through simulated delivery of the ITV‐ and MAO‐plans, target dose variations were also investigated.

Results:

By optimizing the accumulated dose, MAO shows the potential to ensure dose to the moving target meets plan objectives while simultaneously reducing dose to organs at risk (OARs) compared with ITV planning. While consistently superior to the ITV approach, MAO resulted in equivalent OAR dosimetry at planning objective dose levels to within 2% volume in 14/30 plans and to within 3% volume in 19/30 plans for each lung V20, esophagus V25, and heart V30. Despite large variations in per‐fraction respiratory phase weights in simulated deliveries at high dose rates (e.g., treating 4/10 phases during single fraction beams) the cumulative clinical target volume (CTV) dose after 30 fractions and per‐fraction dose were constant independent of planning technique. In one case considered, however, per‐phase CTV dose varied from 74% to 117% of prescription implying the level of ITV‐dose heterogeneity may not be appropriate with conventional, free‐breathing delivery.

Conclusions:

MAO incorporates 4DCT information in an optimized dose distribution and can achieve a superior plan in terms of accumulated dose to the moving target and OAR sparing compared to ITV‐plans. An appropriate level of dose heterogeneity in MAO plans must be further investigated.
Reciprocal allosteric regulation of p38γ and PTPN3 involves a PDZ domain–modulated complex formation
Authors: Chen Kai-En , Lin Shu-Yu , Wu Mei-Ju , Ho Meng-Ru , Santhanam Abirami , Chou Chia-Cheng , Meng Tzu-Ching , -J. Wang Andrew H.
Published: October 2014

Structural analysis of a phosphatase-kinase complex defines a role for the PDZ domain in regulating kinase inactivation.
Science Signaling
Podcast: 14 October 2014
Authors: Meng Tzu-Ching , Chen Kai-En , -J. Wang Andrew H. , VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: October 2014

The kinase p38γ and the phosphatase PTPN3 allosterically regulate one another's activity.
Rewiring the Metabolism of Cancer Cells
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: October 2014

A drug intended to treat diabetes rewires the metabolism of cancer cells so that they stop proliferating.
At the Fork, LATS1 Chooses Stability
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: October 2014

The Hippo pathway kinase LATS1 promotes BRCA2 function and DNA replication fork stability by inhibiting a cell cycle kinase.
Personalized Diabetes Therapy
Authors: Colmone Angela
Published: October 2014

The α
2A
-adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine improves insulin secretion in type 2 diabetics carrying the
ADRA2A
risk variant.
Reconstituting the Right Stuff for Division
Authors: Hurtley Stella M.
Published: October 2014

Reconstitution of signaling from microtubules to the plasma membrane and transport of cleavage furrow–inducing signals are described.
Antibiotic Use before Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Genital and Extragenital Screening in the Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinical Setting
Authors: Dukers-Muijrers Nicole H. T. M. , van Liere Genevieve A. F. S. , Wolffs Petra F. G. , Den Heijer Casper , Werner Marita I. L. S. , Hoebe Christian J. P. A.
Published: October 2014

Background antibiotic use (i.e., administration of antibiotics not directly related to
Chlamydia trachomatis
or
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
infections) has been associated with a lower prevalence of genital
C. trachomatis
infection in a clinical setting. Associations with specific antibiotic types or with
N. gonorrhoeae
are lacking. Here, we assessed the prevalence of antibiotic use, the different classes and agents used, and their association with a subsequent sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic
C. trachomatis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
test result. At our STI clinic, we systematically registered whether antibiotics were used in the past month (in 29% of the cases, the specific antibiotic agent was named). Patients were screened for urogenital
C. trachomatis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
; a third of them were also screened for anorectal and oropharyngeal
C. trachomatis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
. The proportion of antibiotics used and their association with
C. trachomatis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
prevalence were assessed for heterosexual men, men who have sex with men (MSM), and women. During 14,775 clinic consultations, antibiotic use was reported by 12.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.7% to 12.7%), i.e., 14.8% of women, 8.6% of heterosexual men, and 11.6% of MSM. The most reported antibiotics were penicillins, tetracyclines, and macrolides, respectively. The prevalence was 11.0% (95% CI, 10.3% to 11.3%) for
C. trachomatis
and 1.9% (95% CI, 1.7% to 2.1%) for
N. gonorrhoeae
. Only tetracycline use was associated with a lower
C. trachomatis
prevalence (3%). Overall antibiotic use was associated with lower anorectal
C. trachomatis
prevalence in MSM only (odds ratio, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.8). STI clinic visitors commonly report recent antibiotic use. Even in a country with low antibiotic consumption, tetracycline use impacted
C. trachomatis
prevalence, while there was a notable absence of association with azithromycin.
Genome-Wide Evaluation of the Interplay between Caenorhabditis elegans and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis during
In Vivo
Biofilm Formation
Authors: Joshua George W. P. , Atkinson Steve , Goldstone Robert J. , Patrick Hannah L. , Stabler Richard A. , Purves Joanne , Cámara Miguel , Williams Paul , Wren Brendan W.
Published: October 2014

The formation of an incapacitating biofilm on
Caenorhabditis elegans
by
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
represents a tractable model for investigating the genetic basis for host-pathogen interplay during the biofilm-mediated infection of a living surface. Previously we established a role for quorum sensing (QS) and the master motility regulator, FlhDC, in biofilm formation by
Y. pseudotuberculosis
on
C. elegans
. To obtain further genome-wide insights, we used transcriptomic analysis to obtain comparative information on
C. elegans
in the presence and absence of biofilm and on wild-type
Y. pseudotuberculosis
and
Y. pseudotuberculosis
QS mutants. Infection of
C. elegans
with the wild-type
Y. pseudotuberculosis
resulted in the differential regulation of numerous genes, including a distinct subset of nematode C-lectin (
clec
) and fatty acid desaturase (
fat
) genes. Evaluation of the corresponding
C. elegans
clec-49
and
fat-3
deletion mutants showed delayed biofilm formation and abolished biofilm formation, respectively. Transcriptomic analysis of
Y. pseudotuberculosis
revealed that genes located in both of the histidine utilization (
hut
) operons were upregulated in both QS and
flhDC
mutants. In addition, mutation of the regulatory gene
hutC
resulted in the loss of biofilm, increased expression of
flhDC
, and enhanced swimming motility. These data are consistent with the existence of a regulatory cascade in which the Hut pathway links QS and
flhDC
. This work also indicates that biofilm formation by
Y. pseudotuberculosis
on
C. elegans
is an interactive process during which the initial attachment/recognition of
Yersinia
to/by
C. elegans
is followed by bacterial growth and biofilm formation.
Ethanol-Induced Alcohol Dehydrogenase E (AdhE) Potentiates Pneumolysin in Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Luong Truc Thanh , Kim Eun-Hye , Bak Jong Phil , Nguyen Cuong Thach , Choi Sangdun , Briles David E. , Pyo Suhkneung , Rhee Dong-Kwon
Published: October 2014

Alcohol impairs the host immune system, rendering the host more vulnerable to infection. Therefore, alcoholics are at increased risk of acquiring serious bacterial infections caused byStreptococcus pneumoniae, including pneumonia. Nevertheless, how alcohol affects pneumococcal virulence remains unclear. Here, we showed that theS. pneumoniaetype 2 D39 strain is ethanol tolerant and that alcohol upregulates alcohol dehydrogenase E (AdhE) and potentiates pneumolysin (Ply). Hemolytic activity, colonization, and virulence ofS. pneumoniae, as well as host cell myeloperoxidase activity, proinflammatory cytokine secretion, and inflammation, were significantly attenuated inadhEmutant bacteria (ΔadhEstrain) compared to D39 wild-type bacteria. Therefore, AdhE might act as a pneumococcal virulence factor. Moreover, in the presence of ethanol,S. pneumoniaeAdhE produced acetaldehyde and NADH, which subsequently led Rex (redox-sensing transcriptional repressor) to dissociate from theadhEpromoter. An increase in AdhE level under the ethanol condition conferred an increase in Ply and H2O2levels. Consistently,S. pneumoniaeD39 caused higher cytotoxicity to RAW 264.7 cells than the ΔadhEstrain under the ethanol stress condition, and ethanol-fed mice (alcoholic mice) were more susceptible to infection with the D39 wild-type bacteria than with the ΔadhEstrain. Taken together, these data indicate that AdhE increases Ply under the ethanol stress condition, thus potentiating pneumococcal virulence.
Expression of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Map Is Significantly Different than That of Other Type III Secreted Effectors
In Vivo
Authors: Nguyen Mai , Rizvi Jason , Hecht Gail
Published: October 2014

The enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(EPEC) locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-encoded effectors EspF and Map are multifunctional and have an impact on the tight junction barrier while the non-LEE-encoded proteins NleH1 and NleH2 possess significant anti-inflammatory activity. In order to address the temporal expression of these important genes
in vivo
, their promoters were cloned upstream of the
luxCDABE
operon, and luciferase expression was measured in EPEC-infected mice by bioluminescence using an
in vivo
imaging system (IVIS). Bioluminescent images of living mice, of excised whole intestines, and of whole intestines longitudinally opened and washed were assessed. The majority of bioluminescent bacteria localized in the cecum by 3 h postinfection, indicating that the cecum is not only a major colonization site of EPEC but also a site of EPEC effector gene expression in mice.
espF
,
nleH1
, and
nleH2
were abundantly expressed over the course of infection. In contrast,
map
expression was suppressed at 2 days postinfection, and at 4 days postinfection it was totally abolished. After 2 to 4 days postinfection, when
map
is suppressed, EPEC colonization is significantly reduced, indicating that
map
may be one of the factors required to maintain EPEC colonization. This was confirmed in a competitive colonization study and in two models of chronic infection, repeated exposure to ketamine and
Citrobacter rodentium
infection. Our data suggest that
map
expression contributes to the maintenance of EPEC colonization.
Transgenic Expression of CXCR3 on T Cells Enhances Susceptibility to Cutaneous Leishmania major Infection by Inhibiting Monocyte Maturation and Promoting a Th2 Response
Authors: Oghumu Steve , Stock James C. , Varikuti Sanjay , Dong Ran , Terrazas Cesar , Edwards Jessica A. , Rappleye Chad A. , Holovatyk Ariel , Sharpe Arlene , Satoskar Abhay R.
Published: October 2014

Cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused mainly byLeishmania major, an obligate intracellular parasite, is a disfiguring disease characterized by large skin lesions and is transmitted by a sand fly vector. We previously showed that the chemokine receptor CXCR3 plays a critical role in mediating resistance to cutaneous leishmaniasis caused byLeishmania major. Furthermore, T cells fromL. major-susceptible BALB/c but notL. major-resistant C57BL/6 mice fail to efficiently upregulate CXCR3 upon activation. We therefore examined whether transgenic expression of CXCR3 on T cells would enhance resistance toL. majorinfection in susceptible BALB/c mice. We generated BALB/c and C57BL/6 transgenic mice, which constitutively overexpressed CXCR3 under a CD2 promoter, and then examined the outcomes withL. majorinfection. Contrary to our hypothesis, transgenic expression of CXCR3 (CXCR3Tg) on T cells of BALB/c mice resulted in increased lesion sizes and parasite burdens compared to wild-type (WT) littermates afterL. majorinfection. Restimulated lymph node cells fromL. major-infected BALB/c-CXCR3Tgmice produced more interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-10 and less gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Cells in draining lymph nodes from BALB/c-CXCR3Tgmice showed enhanced Th2 and reduced Th1 cell accumulation associated with increased neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes. However, monocytes displayed an immature phenotype which correlated with increased parasite burdens. Interestingly, transgenic expression of CXCR3 on T cells did not impact the outcome ofL. majorinfection in C57BL/6 mice, which mounted a predominantly Th1 response and spontaneously resolved their infection similar to WT littermates. Our findings demonstrate that transgenic expression of CXCR3 on T cells increases susceptibility of BALB/c mice toL. major.
Persistence and Toxin Production by Clostridium difficile within Human Intestinal Organoids Result in Disruption of Epithelial Paracellular Barrier Function
Authors: Leslie Jhansi L. , Huang Sha , Opp Judith S. , Nagy Melinda S. , Kobayashi Masayuki , Young Vincent B. , Spence Jason R.
Published: October 2014

Clostridium difficile
is the leading cause of infectious nosocomial diarrhea. The pathogenesis of
C. difficile
infection (CDI) results from the interactions between the pathogen, intestinal epithelium, host immune system, and gastrointestinal microbiota. Previous studies of the host-pathogen interaction in CDI have utilized either simple cell monolayers or
in vivo
models. While much has been learned by utilizing these approaches, little is known about the direct interaction of the bacterium with a complex host epithelium. Here, we asked if human intestinal organoids (HIOs), which are derived from pluripotent stem cells and demonstrate small intestinal morphology and physiology, could be used to study the pathogenesis of the obligate anaerobe
C. difficile
. Vegetative
C. difficile
, microinjected into the lumen of HIOs, persisted in a viable state for up to 12 h. Upon colonization with
C. difficile
VPI 10463, the HIO epithelium is markedly disrupted, resulting in the loss of paracellular barrier function. Since similar effects were not observed when HIOs were colonized with the nontoxigenic
C. difficile
strain F200, we directly tested the role of toxin using TcdA and TcdB purified from VPI 10463. We show that the injection of TcdA replicates the disruption of the epithelial barrier function and structure observed in HIOs colonized with viable
C. difficile
.
Lon-Mediated Proteolysis of the FeoC Protein Prevents Salmonella enterica from Accumulating the Fe(II) Transporter FeoB under High-Oxygen Conditions
Authors: Kim Hyunkeun , Lee Hwiseop , Shin Dongwoo
Published: October 2014

The
Salmonella
Feo system consists of the FeoA, FeoB, and FeoC proteins and mediates ferrous iron [Fe(II)] import. FeoB is an inner membrane protein that, along with contributions from two small hydrophilic proteins, FeoA and FeoC, transports Fe(II). We previously reported that FeoC binds to and protects the FeoB transporter from FtsH-mediated proteolysis. In the present study, we report proteolytic regulation of FeoC that occurs in an oxygen-dependent fashion. While relatively stable under low-oxygen conditions, FeoC was rapidly degraded by the Lon protease under high-oxygen conditions. The putative Fe-S cluster of FeoC seemed to function as an oxygen sensor to control FeoC stability, as evidenced by the finding that mutation of the putative Fe-S cluster-binding site greatly increased FeoC stability under high-oxygen conditions.
Salmonella
ectopically expressing the
feoB
and
feoC
genes was able to accumulate FeoB and FeoC only under low-oxygen conditions, suggesting that FeoC proteolysis prevents
Salmonella
from accumulating the FeoB transporter under high-oxygen conditions. Finally, we propose that Lon-mediated FeoC proteolysis followed by FtsH-mediated FeoB proteolysis helps
Salmonella
to avoid uncontrolled Fe(II) uptake during the radical environmental changes encountered when shifting from low-iron anaerobic conditions to high-iron aerobic conditions.
Rex (Encoded by DVU_0916) in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough Is a Repressor of Sulfate Adenylyl Transferase and Is Regulated by NADH
Authors: Christensen G. A. , Zane G. M. , Kazakov A. E. , Li X. , Rodionov D. A. , Novichkov P. S. , Dubchak I. , Arkin A. P. , Wall J. D.
Published: October 2014

Although the enzymes for dissimilatory sulfate reduction by microbes have been studied, the mechanisms for transcriptional regulation of the encoding genes remain unknown. In a number of bacteria the transcriptional regulator Rex has been shown to play a key role as a repressor of genes producing proteins involved in energy conversion. In the model sulfate-reducing microbe
Desulfovibrio vulgaris
Hildenborough, the gene DVU_0916 was observed to resemble other known Rex proteins. Therefore, the DVU_0916 protein has been predicted to be a transcriptional repressor of genes encoding proteins that function in the process of sulfate reduction in
D. vulgaris
Hildenborough. Examination of the deduced DVU_0916 protein identified two domains, one a winged helix DNA-binding domain common for transcription factors, and the other a Rossman fold that could potentially interact with pyridine nucleotides. A deletion of the putative
rex
gene was made in
D. vulgaris
Hildenborough, and transcript expression studies of
sat
, encoding sulfate adenylyl transferase, showed increased levels in the
D. vulgaris
Hildenborough Rex (Rex
DvH
) mutant relative to the parental strain. The Rex
DvH
-binding site upstream of
sat
was identified, confirming Rex
DvH
to be a repressor of
sat
. We established
in vitro
that the presence of elevated NADH disrupted the interaction between Rex
DvH
and DNA. Examination of the 5′ transcriptional start site for the
sat
mRNA revealed two unique start sites, one for respiring cells that correlated with the Rex
DvH
-binding site and a second for fermenting cells. Collectively, these data support the role of Rex
DvH
as a transcription repressor for
sat
that senses the redox status of the cell.
Inactivation of the Organic Hydroperoxide Stress Resistance Regulator OhrR Enhances Resistance to Oxidative Stress and Isoniazid in Mycobacterium smegmatis
Authors: Saikolappan Sankaralingam , Das Kishore , Dhandayuthapani Subramanian
Published: October 2014

The organic hydroperoxide stress resistance regulator (OhrR) is a MarR type of transcriptional regulator that primarily regulates the expression of organic hydroperoxide reductase (Ohr) in bacteria. In mycobacteria, the genes encoding these proteins exist in only a few species, which include the fast-growing organism
Mycobacterium smegmatis
. To delineate the roles of Ohr and OhrR in defense against oxidative stress in
M. smegmatis
, strains lacking the expression of these proteins were constructed by deleting the
ohrR
and
ohr
genes, independently and together, through homologous recombination. The OhrR mutant strain (MSΔohrR) showed severalfold upregulation of Ohr expression, which could be observed at both the transcript and protein levels. Similar upregulation of Ohr expression was also noticed in an
M. smegmatis
wild-type strain (MSWt) induced with cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and
t
-butyl hydroperoxide (
t
-BHP). The elevated Ohr expression in MSΔohrR correlated with heightened resistance to oxidative stress due to CHP and
t
-BHP and to inhibitory effects due to the antituberculosis drug isoniazid (INH). Further, this mutant strain exhibited significantly enhanced survival in the intracellular compartments of macrophages. In contrast, the strains lacking either Ohr alone (MSΔohr) or both Ohr and OhrR (MSΔohr-ohrR) displayed limited or no resistance to hydroperoxides and INH. Additionally, these strains showed no significant differences in intracellular survival from the wild type. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) revealed that the overexpressed and purified OhrR interacts with the
ohr-ohrR
intergenic region with a greater affinity and this interaction is contingent upon the redox state of the OhrR. These findings suggest that Ohr-OhrR is an important peroxide stress response system in
M. smegmatis
.
FlgM Is Secreted by the Flagellar Export Apparatus in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Calvo Rebecca A. , Kearns Daniel B.
Published: October 2014

The bacterial flagellum is assembled from over 20 structural components, and flagellar gene regulation is morphogenetically coupled to the assembly state by control of the anti-sigma factor FlgM. In the Gram-negative bacterium
Salmonella enterica
, FlgM inhibits late-class flagellar gene expression until the hook-basal body structural intermediate is completed and FlgM is inhibited by secretion from the cytoplasm. Here we demonstrate that FlgM is also secreted in the Gram-positive bacterium
Bacillus subtilis
and is degraded extracellularly by the proteases Epr and WprA. We further demonstrate that, like in
S. enterica
, the structural genes required for the flagellar hook-basal body are required for robust activation of σ
D
-dependent gene expression and efficient secretion of FlgM. Finally, we determine that FlgM secretion is strongly enhanced by, but does not strictly require, hook-basal body completion and instead demands a minimal subset of flagellar proteins that includes the FliF/FliG basal body proteins, the flagellar type III export apparatus components FliO, FliP, FliQ, FliR, FlhA, and FlhB, and the substrate specificity switch regulator FliK.
Not such a simple cyst: unusual presentation of sarcoma
Authors: Cooper Helen
Published: October 2014

A 10-year-old girl presented with a lump on her left upper anterior thigh. She presented to accident and emergency twice and to her general practitioner once. It was provisionally diagnosed as a cyst but it continued to grow in size. The lump had been noticed for 6 months, in paediatric clinic it was 5×5 cm, firm, tense and felt cystic. Systemically she was otherwise well. The overlying skin was blueish with prominent veins. The MRI also suggested a cyst but on excision it was revealed to be a high-grade sarcoma. After surgical excision she had a skin graft. Regular follow-ups with MRI have not shown any recurrence, she also has regular chest X-rays which have all been normal.
Rectal leiomyosarcoma: a rare and long-term complication of radiation therapy
Authors: Futuri Solaiman , Donohoe Kelsey , Spaccavento Colette , Yudelman Ian
Published: October 2014

Leiomyosarcoma of the rectum can develop as a late complication in patients with a history of pelvic irradiation. We report the case of a patient who developed rectal leiomyosarcoma 13 years after receiving radiation for treatment of a stage 2 squamous cell cancer of the anus. This was detected on physical examination. Based on a discussion with the patient, we decided to manage conservatively. Overall, leiomyosarcomas constitute 5–12% of radiation-induced sarcomas. Rectal leiomyosarcoma is rare, accounting for 0.1–0.5% of all malignant tumours of the rectum. As radiation therapy plays a major role in the management of anal cancer, it is important that clinicians are aware of the possible development of radiation-induced sarcomas that may occur decades after initial management.
‘Diabetic ketoacidosis may not always be the answer…’
Authors: Philbin Deirdre , Moylett Edina
Published: October 2014

We present the interesting case of a 9-year-old boy with type 1 diabetes mellitus. He presented to the emergency department extremely unwell and the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis was promptly performed. He was started on the local diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) protocol, but his recovery remained slow. The possibility of an underlying pathology was later addressed and led to the diagnosis of primary adrenal insufficiency. This case highlights the difficulty in diagnosis of childhood Addison's disease due to its vague and non-specific symptoms and the importance of a high degree of clinical suspicion. This case also highlights the existence of autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes and the ongoing need to increase awareness and screening of these conditions.
Moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the palm: an extremely infrequent tumour
Authors: González-Sosa David , Brea-García Beatriz , Couto-González Ivan , Taboada-Suárez Antonio
Published: October 2014

Squamous cell carcinoma of the palm is a very infrequent malignancy. Its unusual presentation can produce a delay in the final diagnosis with serious consequences as far as morbidity and mortality are concerned. This article summarises the case of a patient who was referred to our department presenting a squamous cell carcinoma on his left palm and a clinically positive axillar lymphadenopathy. He had previously been wrongly diagnosed on several occasions.
Cerebellar involvement of Griscelli syndrome type 2
Authors: Işikay Sedat
Published: October 2014

Griscelli syndrome type 2 is characterised by partial albinism and primary immunodeficiency. We present a case of a 3-year-old girl diagnosed with cerebellar involvement of Griscelli syndrome type 2. Neurological complications may accompany Griscelli syndrome, however, to the best of my knowledge there are only a few case reports of cerebellar involvement of Griscelli syndrome type 2 in the literature.
KRASmutation status impacts diagnosis and treatment decision in a patient with two colon tumours: a case report
Authors: Li Xiaodong , Pezeshkpour G , Phan Ryan T
Published: October 2014

KRASmutation status predicts response to anti-EGFR therapy in colorectal cancer patients. Here we report an interesting case of discordantKRASmutation status in a patient with two separate tumour foci. Tumour A in sigmoid colon invaded through muscularis propria into the subserosal fat with metastatic disease in regional lymph nodes (pT3N2b). Tumour B in ascending colon had a relatively lower stage and no metastasis (pT2N0). Both tumours showed similar morphology, immunohistochemical staining and microsatellite instability pattern.KRASmutation, however, was detected only in tumour A. These findings indicate distinct clonal nature of these two tumours. The discordance ofKRASmutation status also suggests that a combination of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor and chemotherapy is likely the best treatment option for this patient. This case exemplifies a notion that comprehensive pathological work-up comprising molecular testing is critical to guide the diagnosis and treatment decisions for colorectal cancer patients with multiple tumours.
Condition assessment of longitudinal pavement joints using ultrasonic surface waves
Authors: Wu Yen Chieh , Cascante Giovanni , Pandey Mahesh D.
Published: October 2014

Poor-quality longitudinal joints can cause premature failure on asphalt pavements; they are characterized by exhibiting low density and high permeability. These conditions generate surface distresses such as longitudinal cracking. Previous ultrasonic methods for condition assessment, e.g., Fourier and wavelet transmission coefficient, require user input, making the automatic data processing difficult. Furthermore, the coupling between ultrasonic transducers and the asphalt surface is not practical for testing in-service roads. This paper presents a new data analysis technique and the results of an experimental program for the condition assessment of longitudinal asphalt joints using ultrasonic surface waves. A new coupling system between the ultrasonic transducers and the asphalt surface is presented. The new data processing technique reduces user input and increases testing reliability. The new coupling system uses polyurethane foam and calibrated weights to provide a spring action on the transducers. The proposed data analysis technique, called instantaneous transmission coefficient (ITC), is based on the evaluation of instantaneous frequencies and damping ratios. The main advantage of the new procedure is that it can be performed automatically, reducing user input and increasing test repeatability. A laboratory scale asphalt slab is used to show the potential of the new methodology and coupling system. Laboratory validation results show good agreement between the new ITC method and previous methods, and a significant reduction in testing time, while improving test reliability.
Further studies of incipient motion and shear stress on local scour around bridge abutment under ice cover
Authors: Wu Peng , Hirshfield Faye , Sui Jueyi
Published: October 2014

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the scour development around bridge abutments under ice cover with non-uniform natural sands. Two abutments and three non-uniform sediments were used in the research. The mechanism of incipient motion for non-uniform sediments under ice cover was analyzed. By introducing scour angles around two abutments, a relationship between maximum scour depth and velocity was established for clear-water scour under ice cover. Dimensionless shear stress was also calculated and compared with shear Reynolds number for non-uniform sediments. The maximum scour depth and dimensionless shear stress were investigated under both open channel, smooth cover and rough covered conditions. Results show that around the square abutment, the scour angle is smaller than that of the semi-circular abutment. For clear water scour, the maximum scour depth increases due to the presence of ice cover.
Analysis of average density difference effect in a new two-lane lattice model
Authors: Zhang Geng , Sun Di-Hua , Zhao Min , Liu Wei-Ning , Cheng Sen-Lin
Published: October 2014

A new lattice model is proposed by taking the average density difference effect into account for two-lane traffic system according to Transportation Cyber-physical Systems. The influence of average density difference effect on the stability of traffic flow is investigated through linear stability theory and nonlinear reductive perturbation method. The linear analysis results reveal that the unstable region would be reduced by considering the average density difference effect. The nonlinear kink–antikink soliton solution derived from the mKdV equation is analyzed to describe the properties of traffic jamming transition near the critical point. Numerical simulations confirm the analytical results showing that traffic jam can be suppressed efficiently by considering the average density difference effect for two-lane traffic system.
Optimal Component Quality Planning in Multi-State Computer Networks
Authors: Chen Shin-Guang
Published: October 2014

Computer networks are important infrastructures required by many modern corporations today. Maintaining a reliable computer network becomes an important issue in daily business operations. A computer network usually consists of components (including links or vertices) that may have several states due to failure, partial failure or maintenance, making it a multi-state computer network (MCN). This paper proposes a novel approach to create an optimal component quality plan in MCN. Finding the optimal component quality plan for an MCN requires searching for an optimal plan such that each component in the network has the proper level of quality while the network maintains highly reliable functionality. Because the costs of quality components are diversified, an appropriate plan for component quality distribution cannot only greatly reduce the cost of network installation but also maintain the network reliability. Another important consideration is that high-quality and expensive components may not increase network reliability if they are not placed appropriately. A novel heuristic approach is proposed to efficiently search for such plan. A comparison with the implicit enumeration method is conducted. The results show that the proposed approach is very effective and efficient. Some numerical examples are illustrated and explained in detail in this paper.
EnCache: A DYNAMIC PROFILING-BASED RECONFIGURATION TECHNIQUE FOR IMPROVING CACHE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Authors: MITTAL SPARSH , ZHANG ZHAO
Published: October 2014

With each CMOS technology generation, leakage energy consumption has been dramatically increasing and hence, managing leakage power consumption of large last-level caches (LLCs) has become a critical issue in modern processor design. In this paper, we present EnCache, a novel software-based technique which uses dynamic profiling-based cache reconfiguration for saving cache leakage energy. EnCache uses a simple hardware component called profiling cache, which dynamically predicts energy efficiency of an application for 32 possible cache configurations. Using these estimates, system software reconfigures the cache to the most energy efficient configuration. EnCache uses dynamic cache reconfiguration and hence, it does not require offline profiling or tuning the parameter for each application. Furthermore, EnCache optimizes directly for the overall memory subsystem (LLC and main memory) energy efficiency instead of the LLC energy efficiency alone. The experiments performed with an ×86-64 simulator and workloads from SPEC2006 suite confirm that EnCache provides larger energy saving than a conventional energy saving scheme. For single core and dual-core system configurations, the average savings in memory subsystem energy over a shared baseline configuration are 30.0% and 27.3%, respectively.
Representations of certain binary quadratic forms as a sum of Lambert series and eta-quotients
Authors: Ye Dongxi
Published: October 2014

In this work, we establish formulas for the representations of binary quadratic forms of discriminants -44, -92, -108, -135 and -140 as a sum of Lambert series and eta-quotients.
Wollastonite hybridizing stearic acid as thermal energy storage material
Authors: Xu Dawei , Yang Huaming
Published: October 2014

This paper reported on the preparation of a novel stearic acid (SA)/wollastonite (W) composite as a form-stable phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy-storage (TES) by vacuum impregnation, and especially investigated the effect of the size grade of W on the thermal properties of the SA/W composite. Samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser particle-size analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Natural W (Wr) was classified into four size grades by wet screening. The results indicate that no chemical reaction took place between SA and W, and the SA load in the SA/W composite increased with an increase in the length/diameter (L/D) ratio of the W. The SA/W composite with a W L/D ratio of 22.5 exhibited latent heats of melting and freezing of 58.64 J/g and 56.95 J/g, respectively, which was higher than those of the composite incorporating natural W. We believe that the as-prepared form-stable PCM composite could provide a potential means of TES for the concentrated solar power.
Process Analytics Approach for R&D Project Selection
Authors: Silva Thushari , Jian Ma , Chen Yang
Published: October 2014

R&D project selection plays an important role in government funding agencies, as allocation of billions of dollars among the proposals deemed highly influential and contributive solely depend on it. Efficacious assignment of reviewers is one of the most critical processes that controls the quality of the entire project selection and also has a serious implication on business profit. Current methods that focus on workflow automation are more efficient than manual assignment; however, they are not effective, as they fail to consider the real insight of core tasks. Other decision models that analyze core tasks are effective but inefficient when handling large amounts of submissions, and they suffer from irrelevant assignment. Furthermore, they largely ignore real deep insight of back-end data such as quality of the reviewers (e.g., quality and citation impact of their produced research) and the effect of social relationships in project selection processes that are essential for identifying reviewers for interdisciplinary proposal evaluation. In light of these deficiencies, this research proposes a novel hybrid process analytics approach to decompose the complex reviewer assignment process into manageable subprocesses and applies data-driven decision models cum process analytics systematically from a triangular perspective via the research analytics framework to achieve high operational efficiencies and high-quality assignment. It also analyzes big data from scientific databases and generates visualized decision-ready information to support effective decision making. The proposed approach has been implemented to aid the project selection process of the largest funding agency in China and has been tested. The test results show that the proposed approach has the potential to add great benefits, including cost saving, improved effectiveness, and increased business value.
A Dataflow Perspective for Business Process Integration
Authors: Guo Xitong , Sun Sherry X. , Vogel Doug
Published: October 2014

Business process integration has become prevalent as business increasingly crosses organizational boundaries. To address the issue of protecting organizations’ competitive knowledge and private information while also enabling business-to-business (B2B) collaboration, past research has focused mainly on customized public and private process design, as well as structural correctness of the integrated workflow. However, a dataflow perspective is important for business process integration. This article presents a data-flow perspective using workflow management and mathematical techniques to address data exchange problems in independent multistakeholder business process integration in dynamic circumstances. The research is conducted following a design science paradigm. We build artifacts that include interorganizational workflow concepts, a workflow model, and a public dataset calculation method. The use of the proposed artifacts is illustrated by applying them to a real-world case in the Shenzhen (Chaiwan) port. The utility of the artifacts is evaluated through interviews with practitioners in industry. We conclude that this research complements the control-flow perspective in the interorganizational workflow management area and also contributes to B2B information-sharing literature; further, the dataflow formalism can help practitioners to formally provide the right data at the right time in dynamic circumstances.
Multi-Cloud Provisioning and Load Distribution for Three-Tier Applications
Authors: Grozev Nikolay , Buyya Rajkumar
Published: October 2014

Cloud data centers are becoming the preferred deployment environment for a wide range of business applications because they provide many benefits compared to private in-house infrastructure. However, the traditional approach of using a single cloud has several limitations in terms of availability, avoiding vendor lock-in, and providing legislation-compliant services with suitable Quality of Experience (QoE) to users worldwide. One way for cloud clients to mitigate these issues is to use multiple clouds (i.e., a Multi-Cloud). In this article, we introduce an approach for deploying three-tier applications across multiple clouds in order to satisfy their key nonfunctional requirements. We propose adaptive, dynamic, and reactive resource provisioning and load distribution algorithms that heuristically optimize overall cost and response delays without violating essential legislative and regulatory requirements. Our simulation with realistic workload, network, and cloud characteristics shows that our method improves the state of the art in terms of availability, regulatory compliance, and QoE with acceptable sacrifice in cost and latency.
OpenAirInterface
Authors: Nikaein Navid , Marina Mahesh K. , Manickam Saravana , Dawson Alex , Knopp Raymond , Bonnet Christian
Published: October 2014

Driven by the need to cope with exponentially growing mobile data traffic and to support new traffic types from massive numbers of machine-type devices, academia and industry are thinking beyond the current generation of mobile cellular networks to chalk a path towards fifth generation (5G) mobile networks. Several new approaches and technologies are being considered as potential elements making up such a future mobile network, including cloud RANs, application of SDN principles, exploiting new and unused portions of spectrum, use of massive MIMO and full-duplex communications. Research on these technologies requires realistic and flexible experimentation platforms that offer a wide range of experimentation modes from real-world experimentation to controlled and scalable evaluations while at the same time retaining backward compatibility with current generation systems. Towards this end, we present OpenAirInterface (OAI) as a suitably flexible platform. In addition, we discuss the use of OAI in the context of several widely mentioned 5G research directions.
Can Serum Glypican-3 Be a Biomarker for Effective Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma? A Meta-Analysis of the Literature
Authors: Yang Sheng-Li , Fang Xiefan , Huang Zao-Zao , Liu Xiang-Jie , Xiong Zhi-Fan , Liu Ping , Yao Hong-Yi , Li Chang-Hai
Published: October 2014

Objective. This review is to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum GPC3 for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to conflicting results reported.Methods. NCBI PubMed and Embase were comprehensively searched for studies that have used serum GPC3 level as a diagnostic index for HCC. The quality of the included studies was assessed. Subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of GPC3 as a HCC marker. Statistical analysis was performed with the software STATA version 12.0.Results. A total of 22 studies were included. The qualities of included studies were relatively poor. Among them, 18 studies have shown that serum GPC3 is a specific biomarker for HCC, and the pooled sensitivity and specificity of these studies were 69 and 93%, respectively. The other 4 studies have reported conflicting results, which were not caused by races, infection status of HBV and HCV, or assay reagents but due to one common experimental design of enrolling liver cirrhosis patients as control subjects.Conclusions. This meta-analysis indicates that serum GPC3 is elevated in HCC patients compared with healthy individuals, but more studies are needed to evaluate its effectiveness to differentially diagnose HCC and liver cirrhosis.
Global Existence and Blow-Up of Solutions for Nonlinear Klein-Gordon Equation with Damping Term and Nonnegative Potentials
Authors: Huang Wen-Yi , Chen Wen-Li
Published: October 2014

This paper is concerned with the nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation with damping term and nonnegative potentials. We introduce a family of potential wells and discuss the invariant sets and vacuum isolating behavior of solutions. Using the potential well argument, we obtain a new existence theorem of global solutions and a blow-up result for solutions in finite time.
On the General Dedekind Sums and Two-Term Exponential Sums
Authors: Zhang Junli , Zhang Wenpeng
Published: October 2014

We use the analytic methods and the properties of Gauss sums to study the computational problem of one kind hybrid mean value involving the general Dedekind sums and the two-term exponential sums, and give an interesting computational formula for it.
Medical Applications of Microwave Imaging
Authors: Wang Zhao , Lim Eng Gee , Tang Yujun , Leach Mark
Published: October 2014

Ultrawide band (UWB) microwave imaging is a promising method for the detection of early stage breast cancer, based on the large contrast in electrical parameters between malignant tumour tissue and the surrounding normal breast-tissue. In this paper, the detection and imaging of a malignant tumour are performed through a tomographic based microwave system and signal processing. Simulations of the proposed system are performed and postimage processing is presented. Signal processing involves the extraction of tumour information from background information and then image reconstruction through the confocal method delay-and-sum algorithms. Ultimately, the revision of time-delay and the superposition of more tumour signals are applied to improve accuracy.
Patient and Doctor Delays in Smear-Negative and Smear-Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients Attending a Referral Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey
Authors: Ekinci Gulbanu Horzum , Karakaya Esra , Ongel Esra Akkutuk , Haciomeroglu Osman , Yilmaz Adnan
Published: October 2014

Objectives.To measure delays from onset of symptoms to initiation of treatment in patients with smear-negative and smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis and to identify reasons for these delays.Methods.A total of 136 newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients were interviewed using a structured questionnaire.Results.The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 65 smear-negative patients. There were 71 smear-positive patients in group 2. The median application interval was 10 days in group 1 and 14 days in group 2. While 24.6% of the patients had patient delay in group 1, patient delay was present in 33.8% of the patients in group 2 (P>0.05). The median health care system interval was 41 days in group 1 and 16 days in group 2 (P<0.0001). The most common reason for patient delay was neglect of symptoms by patient in both groups. A low index of suspicion for tuberculosis by physicians was the most common reason for doctor delays.Conclusions.Delays are common problem in smear-negative and smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Delays should be reduced to reach an effective tuberculosis control. Education of public and physicians about tuberculosis is the most important effort to reduce delays.