bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of electric fields and estimation of dielectric susceptibility
Authors: Nogi Yasuyuki , Suzuki Kiyomitsu , Ohkuma Yasunori
Published: April 2013

We describe a method of measuring the spatial structures of electric fields produced by charge distributions such as those on strip electrodes, small disk electrodes, and long double-plate electrodes. An electric-field sensor with high sensitivity to ac fields is fabricated for the measurement using a thin copper sheet. The reliability of the sensor is confirmed using a parallel-plate capacitor. The electric fields are oscillated at a frequency of 300 kHz to operate the electric-field sensor successfully. The structures of the measured fields coincide well with those of theoretical fields derived from Coulomb's law. When a dielectric is inserted in an electric field, polarization charges appear on the surface of the dielectric and modify the electric field in empty space. We measure the modified field and confirm the well-known linear relation between the polarization of a dielectric and the electric field. Dielectric susceptibilities are estimated from the linear relation for four types of dielectric.
A qualitative approach to teaching capacitive circuits
Authors: Smith David P. , Kampen Paul van
Published: April 2013

We have investigated students' qualitative understanding of dc circuits containing resistors and a capacitor. We found that a year after traditional lecture instruction as part of an introductory physics course, most students were unable to predict the behavior of a series circuit consisting of a battery, a bulb, and a capacitor. Among the difficulties identified we found that almost half of the students implicitly abandoned the idea that a complete circuit is necessary for a bulb to light when a capacitor is introduced into the circuit. We have developed curriculum that enables students to construct a phenomenological model in which they liken the behavior of a capacitor to that of a wire, a switch, and a battery; this allows them to qualitatively describe circuits with batteries, bulbs, and capacitors. We have also developed curriculum on the determination of RC times. Post-test results show a significant increase in understanding of capacitive circuits.
Coupled Transport Protein Systems
Authors: Thatcher Jack D.
Published: April 2013

Animated lessons describe gastric pumps, glucose absorption, and CFTR as examples of coupled systems of transport proteins.
Science Signaling
Podcast: 16 April 2013
Authors: Zhuang Guanglei , Ferrara Napoleone , VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: April 2013

Analysis of VEGF signaling identifies potential therapeutic strategies for treating pathological angiogenesis.
INTERFER(ON)ing Persistence
Authors: Mueller Kristen L.
Published: April 2013

Blockade of type I interferons leads to better control of persistent lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection.
Sense and Adapt
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: April 2013

The adaptor protein STING may also serve as a sensor in the interferon-mediated response to bacterial infection.
Pressured to Metastasize
Authors: VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: April 2013

Interstitial fluid pressure induces autocrine proliferative and proinvasive glutamate signaling in some cancer cells.
Identification of Amino Acids Conferring High-Level Resistance to Expanded-Spectrum Cephalosporins in the
penA
Gene from Neisseria gonorrhoeae Strain H041
Authors: Tomberg Joshua , Unemo Magnus , Ohnishi Makoto , Davies Christopher , Nicholas Robert A.
Published: April 2013

The recent identification of a high-level-ceftriaxone-resistant (MIC = 2 to 4 μg/ml) isolate of
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
from Japan (H041) portends the loss of ceftriaxone as an effective treatment for gonococcal infections. This is of grave concern because ceftriaxone is the last remaining option for first-line empirical antimicrobial monotherapy. The
penA
gene from H041 (
penA41
) is a mosaic
penA
allele similar to mosaic alleles conferring intermediate-level cephalosporin resistance (Ceph
i
) worldwide but has 13 additional mutations compared to the mosaic
penA
gene from the previously studied Ceph
i
strain 35/02 (
penA35
). When transformed into the wild-type strain FA19, the
penA41
allele confers 300- and 570-fold increases in the MICs for ceftriaxone and cefixime, respectively. In order to understand the mechanisms involved in high-level ceftriaxone resistance and to improve surveillance and epidemiology during the potential emergence of ceftriaxone resistance, we sought to identify the minimum number of amino acid alterations above those in
penA35
that confer high-level resistance to ceftriaxone. Using restriction fragment exchange and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified three mutations, A311V, T316P, and T483S, that, when incorporated into the mosaic
penA35
allele, confer essentially all of the increased resistance of
penA41
. A311V and T316P are close to the active-site nucleophile Ser310 that forms the acyl-enzyme complex, while Thr483 is predicted to interact with the carboxylate of the β-lactam antibiotic. These three mutations have thus far been described only for
penA41
, but dissemination of these mutations in other mosaic alleles would spell the end of ceftriaxone as an effective treatment for gonococcal infections.
Pharmacokinetics of Zanamivir following Intravenous Administration to Subjects with and without Renal Impairment
Authors: Weller Stephen , Jones Lori S. , Lou Yu , Peppercorn Amanda , Ng-Cashin Judith
Published: April 2013

Intravenous zanamivir is in clinical development for the treatment of influenza in hospitalized patients, many of whom have renal impairment. This open-label study evaluated zanamivir pharmacokinetics and clinical safety following a single 100-mg intravenous infusion dose in subjects with impaired renal function compared with normal renal function. Male and female subjects between 18 and 79 years of age were recruited, four subjects to each renal function group (normal function and mild, moderate, and severe impairment). Serial blood samples were collected up to 24 h after dose administration (48 h for the severe renal impairment group) to estimate zanamivir serum pharmacokinetic parameters. Urine was collected over the same 24-h (or 48-h) period for estimation of renal clearance (CL
R
). Zanamivir pharmacokinetics were assessed by regression analysis of systemic clearance (CL) and CL
R
as a function of creatinine clearance (CL
CR
). Safety evaluations included adverse-event monitoring, vital signs, electrocardiogram, and clinical laboratory assessments. Zanamivir clearance (total and renal) significantly decreased with decreasing renal function, with corresponding increases in area under the concentration-time curve and elimination half-life. Renal impairment had no apparent effects on peak concentration or volume of distribution. Regression analysis indicated that zanamivir clearance was highly correlated (
r
2
= 0.89) with creatinine clearance: CL ≅ 7.08 + 0.826 · CL
CR
. There were no patterns or trends in adverse events, and no new safety concerns were identified following administration of intravenous zanamivir. Results from this study support the inclusion of subjects with renal impairment, with appropriate dose adjustment, in studies to evaluate intravenous zanamivir in the treatment of influenza.
Redundant Catalases Detoxify Phagocyte Reactive Oxygen and Facilitate Histoplasma capsulatum Pathogenesis
Authors: Holbrook Eric D. , Smolnycki Katherine A. , Youseff Brian H. , Rappleye Chad A.
Published: April 2013

Histoplasma capsulatumis a respiratory pathogen that infects phagocytic cells. The mechanisms allowingHistoplasmato overcome toxic reactive oxygen molecules produced by the innate immune system are an integral part ofHistoplasma's ability to survive during infection. To probe the contribution ofHistoplasmacatalases in oxidative stress defense, we created and analyzed the virulence defects of mutants lacking CatB and CatP, which are responsible for extracellular and intracellular catalase activities, respectively. Both CatB and CatP protectedHistoplasmafrom peroxide challengein vitroand from antimicrobial reactive oxygen produced by human neutrophils and activated macrophages. Optimal protection required both catalases, as the survival of a double mutant lacking both CatB and CatP was lower than that of single-catalase-deficient cells. Although CatB contributed to reactive oxygen species defensesin vitro, CatB was dispensable for lung infection and extrapulmonary disseminationin vivo. Loss of CatB from a strain also lacking superoxide dismutase (Sod3) did not further reduce the survival ofHistoplasmayeasts. Nevertheless, some catalase function was required for pathogenesis since simultaneous loss of both CatB and CatP attenuatedHistoplasmavirulencein vivo. These results demonstrate thatHistoplasma's dual catalases comprise a system that enablesHistoplasmato efficiently overcome the reactive oxygen produced by the innate immune system.
Haematogenous infection of a total knee arthroplasty withKlebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Pepke Wojciech , Lehner Burkhard , Bekeredjian-Ding Isabelle , Egermann Marcus
Published: April 2013

This case report describes a prosthetic joint infection due to the haematogenous spread ofKlebsiella pneumoniaefrom a genitourinary focus. Prior to the infection, the patient was diagnosed with early stage prostatic carcinoma, which had been successfully treated with surgery. However, in the time period following surgical treatment, the patient suffered recurring urinary tract infections. During the course of these recurring infections, he developed a concurrent bacterial infection of his total knee arthroplasty. Two sequential joint aspirates revealedK pneumoniaeto be the cause. Therefore, two-stage revision total knee arthroplasty was performed. This case reiterates the fact that invasive therapeutic procedures can cause bacteraemia resulting in infection of a joint replacement. We would therefore like to emphasise the importance of prophylactic antibiotic treatment prior to invasive therapies, particularly in organs with potentially large counts of bacteria.
Multiple skin chloromas: a rare presentation of chronic myelogenous leukaemia in chronic stable phase
Authors: Kumar Vivek , Jain Nirdesh , Chaudhary Shyam Chand , Mishra Sanjay
Published: April 2013

Chloroma, also called granulocytic sarcoma or myeloid sarcoma, is a rare malignant extramedullary neoplasm of myeloid precursor cells that occurs usually in association with acute myeloid leukaemia or blast phase of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The chloromas are regarded as an early herald of a systemic relapse, rather than as a localised process. The author reports a rare case of multiple skin chloromas in the chronic phase of CML. The patient was treated initially with hydroxyurea and chloromas disappeared. Patient has been followed for around three and half years and maintained in chronic stable phase on imatinib therapy.
Nasolabial cyst mimicking inflammatory cyst
Authors: Rallan Neelakshi Singh , Rallan Mandeep , Singh Narendra Nath , Gadiputi Shreedhar
Published: April 2013

The nasolabial cyst is an uncommon non-odontogenic soft tissue cyst. It arises as an ectodermal developmental swelling and is classified as a fissural cyst, found outside the bone, in the region corresponding to the nasolabial furrow and alar nose. A case of nasolabial cyst with classic clinical and histopathological features, along with few features mimicking those of an inflammatory cyst in a 32-year-old woman is reported.
Dust acoustic solitary structures in multidust fluids superthermal plasma
Authors: Bains Amandeep Singh , Saini Nareshpal Singh , Gill Tarsem Singh
Published: April 2013

An investigation has been made to study the properties of large-amplitude electrostatic solitary waves in dusty plasma containing both negatively and positively charged dust fluids in the presence of superthermal electrons and ions. The energy balance equation is derived by using the Sagdeev pseudopotential approach. The influence of the physical parameters (e.g., superthermality of electrons or ions, density concentration of positive and negative dust particles, solitary speed) on the amplitude of dust acoustic solitary waves has been discussed in detail. It is observed that there exists a critical value of density, below which negative potential solitary structures exist and above which positive potential solitary structures exist.
RANDOM ATTRACTORS OF STOCHASTIC LATTICE DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS DRIVEN BY FRACTIONAL BROWNIAN MOTIONS
Authors: GU ANHUI
Published: April 2013

This paper is devoted to consider stochastic lattice dynamical systems (SLDS) driven by fractional Brownian motions with Hurst parameter bigger than 1/2. Under usual dissipativity conditions these SLDS are shown to generate a random dynamical system for which the existence and uniqueness of a random attractor are established. Furthermore, the random attractor is, in fact, a singleton sets random attractor.
THE GENERALIZED TIME-DELAYED HÉNON MAP: BIFURCATIONS AND DYNAMICS
Authors: BILAL SHAKIR , RAMASWAMY RAMAKRISHNA
Published: April 2013

We analyze the bifurcations of a family of time-delayed Hénon maps of increasing dimension and determine the regions where the motion is attracted to different dynamical states. As a function of parameters that govern nonlinearity and dissipation, boundaries that confine asymptotic periodic motion are determined analytically, and we examine their dependence on the dimension d. For large d these boundaries converge. In low dimensions both the period-doubling and quasiperiodic routes to chaos coexist in the parameter space, but for high dimensions the latter predominates and prior to the onset of chaos, the systems exhibit multistability. When the nonlinearity parameter is varied, the dimension of chaotic attractors in the systems changes smoothly with increasing number of non-negative Lyapunov exponents.
TURING BIFURCATION IN A HUMAN MIGRATION MODEL OF SCHEURLE–SEYDEL TYPE
Authors: ALY SHABAN
Published: April 2013

The main goal of this paper is to continue the investigations of the important system proposed by [Scheurle & Seydel, 2000] and modified by [Sándor, 2003]. I consider spatio-temporal models for the behavior of students in graduate programs at neighboring universities as systems of ODE which describe two-identical patch-two-species systems linked by migration, where the phenomenon of the Turing bifurcation occurs. It is assumed in the model that the per capita migration rate of each individual is influenced not only by its own (Fickian) but also by the other densities, i.e. there is cross diffusion present. We study the conditions of the existence and stability properties of the equilibrium solutions in a kinetic model (no migration). We will show that analytically at a critical value of a parameter a Turing bifurcation takes place: a spatially nonhomogenous solution (pattern) arises. A numerical example is also included.
APPLICATION OF A TWO-DIMENSIONAL HINDMARSH–ROSE TYPE MODEL FOR BIFURCATION ANALYSIS
Authors: CHEN SHYAN-SHIOU , CHENG CHANG-YUAN , LIN YI-RU
Published: April 2013

In this study, we examine the bifurcation scenarios of a two-dimensional Hindmarsh–Rose type model [Tsuji et al., 2007] with four parameters and simulate some resemblances of neurophysiological features for this model using spike-and-reset conditions. We present possible classifications based on the results of the following assessments: (1) the number and stability of the equilibria are analyzed in detail using a table to demonstrate the matter in which the stability of the equilibrium changes and to determine which two equilibria collapse through the saddle-node bifurcation; (2) the sufficient conditions for an Andronov–Hopf bifurcation and a saddle-node bifurcation are mathematically confirmed; and (3) we elaborately evaluate the sufficient conditions for the Bogdanov–Takens (BT) and Bautin bifurcations. Several numerical simulations for these conditions are also presented. In particular, two types of bistable behaviors are numerically demonstrated: the BT and Bautin bifurcations. Notably, all of the bifurcation curves in the domain of the remaining parameters are similar when the time scale is large. Additionally, to show the potential for a limit cycle, the existence of a trapping region is demonstrated. These results present a variety of diverse behaviors for this model. The results of this study will be helpful in assessing suitable parameters for fitting the resemblances of experimental observations.
USING CELLULAR AUTOMATA EXPERIMENTS TO MODEL PERIODONTITIS: A FIRST STEP TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE NONLINEAR DYNAMICS OF THE DISEASE
Authors: PAPANTONOPOULOS G. , TAKAHASHI K. , BOUNTIS T. , LOOS B. G.
Published: April 2013

Cellular automata (CA) are time and space discrete dynamical systems that can model biological systems. The aim of this study is to simulate by CA experiments how the disease of periodontitis propagates along the dental root surface. Using a Moore neighborhood on a grid copy of the pattern of periodontal ligament fibers (PDLF) supporting and anchoring the teeth to bone, we investigate the fractal structure of the associated pattern using all possible outer-totalistic CA rules. On the basis of the propagation patterns, CA rules are classified in three groups, according to whether the disease was spreading, remaining constant or receding. These are subsequently introduced in a finite state Markov model as probabilistic "state-rules" and the model is validated using datasets retrieved from previous studies.

Based on the maximum entropy production principle, we identified the "state-rule" that most appropriately describes the PDLF pattern, showing a power law distribution of periodontitis propagation rates with exponent 1.3. Entropy rates and mutual information of Markov chains were estimated by extensive data simulation. The scale factor of the PDLF used to estimate the conditional entropy of Markov chains was seen to be nearly equal 1.85. This possibly reflects the fact that a dataset representing tooth percentage with bone loss equal to 50% or more of their root length, is found to have a fractal dimension (FD) of about 1.84. Similarly, datasets of serum neutrophil, basophil, eosinophil, monocyte counts and IgG, IgA, IgM levels taken from periodontitis patients, showed a FD ranging from 1.82 to 1.87.

Our study presents the first mathematical model to our knowledge that suggests periodontitis is a nonlinear dynamical process. Moreover, the model we propose implies that the entropy rate of the immune-inflammatory host response dictates the rate of periodontitis progression. This is validated by clinical data and suggests that our model can serve as a basis for detecting periodontitis susceptible individuals and shaping prognosis for treated periodontitis patients.
BIFURCATIONS AND EXACT TRAVELING WAVE SOLUTIONS FOR A GENERALIZED CAMASSA–HOLM EQUATION
Authors: LI JIBIN , QIAO ZHIJUN
Published: April 2013

In this paper, we study all possible traveling wave solutions of an integrable system with both quadratic and cubic nonlinearities: [Formula: see text], m = u-uxx, where b, k1 and k2 are arbitrary constants. We call this model a generalized Camassa–Holm equation since it is kind of a cubic generalization of the Camassa–Holm (CH) equation: mt + mxu + 2mux = 0. In the paper, we show that the traveling wave system of this generalized Camassa–Holm equation is actually a singular dynamical system of the second class. We apply the method of dynamical systems to analyze the dynamical behavior of the traveling wave solutions and their bifurcations depending on the parameters of the system. Some exact solutions such as smooth soliton solutions, kink and anti-kink wave solutions, M-shape and W-shape wave profiles of the breaking wave solutions are obtained. To guarantee the existence of those solutions, some constraint parameter conditions are given.
QUANTUM PHASE ESTIMATION WITH AN ARBITRARY NUMBER OF QUBITS
Authors: CHIANG CHEN-FU
Published: April 2013

Due to the great difficulty in scalability, quantum computers are limited in the number of qubits during the early stages of the quantum computing regime. In addition to the required qubits for storing the corresponding eigenvector, suppose we have additional k qubits available. Given such a constraint k, we propose an approach for the phase estimation for an eigenphase of exactly n-bit precision. This approach adopts the standard recursive circuit for quantum Fourier transform (QFT) in [R. Cleve and J. Watrous, Fast parallel circuits for quantum fourier transform, Proc. 41st Annual Symp. on Foundations of Computer Science (2000), pp. 526–536.] and adopts classical bits to implement such a task. Our algorithm has the complexity of O(n log k), instead of O(n2) in the conventional QFT, in terms of the total invocation of rotation gates. We also design a scheme to implement the factorization algorithm by using k available qubits via either the continued fractions approach or the simultaneous Diophantine approximation.
CONGRUENCES AMONG POWER SERIES COEFFICIENTS OF MODULAR FORMS
Authors: MOY RICHARD
Published: April 2013

Many authors have investigated the congruence relations among the coefficients of power series expansions of modular forms f in modular functions t. In a recent paper, R. Osburn and B. Sahu examine several power series expansions and prove that the coefficients exhibit congruence relations similar to the congruences satisfied by the Apéry numbers associated with the irrationality of ζ(3). We show that many of the examples of Osburn and Sahu are members of infinite families.
IRREDUCIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SUMS OF TWO RELATIVELY PRIME POLYNOMIALS
Authors: BONCIOCAT NICOLAE CIPRIAN , BUGEAUD YANN , CIPU MIHAI , MIGNOTTE MAURICE
Published: April 2013

We provide irreducibility conditions for polynomials of the form f(X) + pkg(X), with f and g relatively prime polynomials with integer coefficients, deg f < deg g, p a prime number and k a positive integer. In particular, we prove that if k is prime to deg g - deg f and pk exceeds a certain bound depending on the coefficients of f and g, then f(X) + pkg(X) is irreducible over ℚ.
INTEGRAL POINTS ON CONGRUENT NUMBER CURVES
Authors: BENNETT MICHAEL A.
Published: April 2013

We provide a precise description of the integer points on elliptic curves of the shape y2 = x3 - N2x, where N = 2apb for prime p. By way of example, if p ≡ ±3 (mod 8) and p > 29, we show that all such points necessarily have y = 0. Our proofs rely upon lower bounds for linear forms in logarithms, a variety of old and new results on quartic and other Diophantine equations, and a large amount of (non-trivial) computation.
Morphostructural MRI Abnormalities Related to Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated to Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Bonavita Simona , Tedeschi Gioacchino , Gallo Antonio
Published: April 2013

Multiple Sclerosis associated neuropsychiatric disorders include major depression (MD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar affective disorder, euphoria, pseudobulbar affect, psychosis, and personality change. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies focused mainly on identifying morphostructural correlates of MD; only a few anecdotal cases on OCD associated to MS (OCD-MS), euphoria, pseudobulbar affect, psychosis, personality change, and one research article on MRI abnormalities in OCD-MS have been published. Therefore, in the present review we will report mainly on neuroimaging abnormalities found in MS patients with MD and OCD. All together, the studies on MD associated to MS suggest that, in this disease, depression is linked to a damage involving mainly frontotemporal regions either with discrete lesions (with those visible in T1 weighted images playing a more significant role) or subtle normal appearing white matter abnormalities. Hippocampal atrophy, as well, seems to be involved in MS related depression. It is conceivable that grey matter pathology (i.e., global and regional atrophy, cortical lesions), which occurs early in the course of disease, may involve several areas including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex whose disruption is currently thought to explain late-life depression. Further MRI studies are necessary to better elucidate OCD pathogenesis in MS.
Attenuation Correction for Small Animal PET Images: A Comparison of Two Methods
Authors: D'Ambrosio Daniela , Zagni Federico , Spinelli Antonello E. , Marengo Mario
Published: April 2013

In order to extract quantitative parameters from PET images, several physical effects such as photon attenuation, scatter, and partial volume must be taken into account. The main objectives of this work were the evaluation of photon attenuation in small animals and the implementation of two attenuation correction methods based on X-rays CT and segmentation of emission images. The accuracy of the first method with respect to the beam hardening effect was investigated by using Monte Carlo simulations. Mouse- and rat-sized phantoms were acquired in order to evaluate attenuation correction in terms of counts increment and recovery of uniform activity concentration. Both methods were applied to mice and rat images acquired with several radiotracers such asF18-FDG,11C-acetate,68Ga-chloride, andF18-NaF. The accuracy of the proposed methods was evaluated in heart and tumour tissues usingF18-FDG images and in liver, kidney, and spinal column tissues usingC11-acetate,Ga68-chloride, andF18-NaF images, respectively.In vivoresults from animal studies show that, except for bone scans, differences between the proposed methods were about 10% in rats and 3% in mice. In conclusion, both methods provide equivalent results; however, the segmentation-based approach has several advantages being less time consuming and simple to implement.
Theoretical Analysis of the Effect of a Bottom Reflector on a Vertical Multiple-Effect Diffusion Solar Still Coupled with a Basin-Type Still
Authors: Tanaka Hiroshi
Published: April 2013

The effect of a flat plate bottom reflector on a vertical multiple-effect diffusion solar still coupled with a basin-type still is analyzed theoretically at 30°N latitude. The still has a right-angled triangular cross-section consisting of a horizontal basin liner, a sloping double glass cover, and the vertical multiple-effect diffusion still (multiple-effect section) at the vertical rear wall. A geometrical model was constructed to calculate the amount of solar radiation reflected by the reflector and absorbed on both the basin liner and the first partition of the multiple-effect section. The reflected radiation from the reflector can be a thermal input to the multiple-effect section both in cases where the reflected radiation is absorbed on the basin liner and on the first partition. It is predicted that the overall daily productivity of the still can be increased about 16%, 13%, and 29% on the spring and autumn equinoxes, the winter solstice, and the summer solstice, respectively, by adding the external reflector and setting the reflector inclination to the proper angle according to seasons.
Renal Angiomyolipoma with Fatty Thrombus Extending to the Right Atrium: An Exceptional Presentation
Authors: Nouira Yassine , Kallel Yousri , Gargouri Mourad , Sellami Ahmed , Boulma Rami , Ziedi Jalel , Chelif Mohamed , Ben Rhouma Sami , Kalfat Taoufik , Khayati Adel
Published: April 2013

This paper reports the case of 34-year-old woman who presented with bilateral renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs). On the right side, there was a large AML with a fatty thrombus extending to the right atrium. The treatment consisted of right nephrectomy and complete thrombectomy with extracorporeal circulation and right atriotomy. Postoperatively, the patient was septic and died on postoperative day 7 because of septic shock.
Categorical Abstract Algebraic Logic: Meet-Combination of Logical Systems
Authors: Voutsadakis George
Published: April 2013

The widespread and rapid proliferation of logical systems in several areas of computer science has led to a resurgence of interest in various methods for combining logical systems and in investigations into the properties inherited by the resulting combinations. One of the oldest such methods isfibring. In fibring the shared connectives of the combined logics inherit properties frombothcomponent logical systems, and this leads often to inconsistencies. To deal with such undesired effects, Sernadas et al. (2011, 2012) have recently introduced a novel way of combining logics, calledmeet-combination, in which the combined connectives share only thecommonlogical properties they enjoy in the component systems. In their investigations they provide a sound and concretely complete calculus for the meet-combination based on available sound and complete calculi for the component systems. In this work, an effort is made to abstract those results to a categorical level amenable tocategorical abstract algebraic logictechniques.
Classic and Quantum Capacitances in Bernal Bilayer and Trilayer Graphene Field Effect Transistor
Authors: Sadeghi Hatef , Lai Daniel T. H. , Redoute Jean-Michel , Zayegh Aladin
Published: April 2013

Our focus in this study is on characterizing the capacitance voltage (C‐V) behavior of Bernal stacking bilayer graphene (BG) and trilayer graphene (TG) as the channel of FET devices. The analytical models of quantum capacitance (QC) of BG and TG are presented. Although QC is smaller than the classic capacitance in conventional devices, its contribution to the total metal oxide semiconductor capacitor in graphene‐based FET devices becomes significant in the nanoscale. Our calculation shows that QC increases with gate voltage in both BG and TG and decreases with temperature with some fluctuations. However, in bilayer graphene the fluctuation is higher due to its tunable band structure with external electric fields. In similar temperature and size, QC in metal oxide BG is higher than metal oxide TG configuration. Moreover, in both BG and TG, total capacitance is more affected by classic capacitance as the distance between gate electrode and channel increases. However, QC is more dominant when the channel becomes thinner into the nanoscale, and therefore we mostly deal with quantum capacitance in top gate in contrast with bottom gate that the classic capacitance is dominant.
The Impact of Presentation Modality on Perceptions of Truthful and Deceptive Confessions
Authors: Bradford Deborah , Goodman-Delahunty Jane , Brooks Kevin R.
Published: April 2013

This study examined the impact of presentation modality and the effectiveness of direct and indirect measures of deception to distinguish truthful from deceptive confessions. Confession statements were presented in one of three formats: audiovisual, audio-only, or written text. Forty-six observers classified each statement as true or false and provided ratings of confidence, information sufficiency, perceived cognitive load, and suspiciousness. Compared to audio and written confessions, exposure to audiovisual recordings yielded significantly lower accuracy rates for direct veracity judgements, with below chance level performance. There was no evidence that indirect measures assisted observers in discriminating truthful from deceptive confessions. Overall, observers showed a strong bias to believe confessions with poor detection rates for false statements. Reliance on video recordings to assess the veracity of confession evidence is unlikely to reduce wrongful convictions arising from false confessions.
On the Development of Speech Resources for the Mixtec Language
Authors: Caballero-Morales Santiago-Omar
Published: April 2013

The Mixtec language is one of the main native languages in Mexico. In general, due to urbanization, discrimination, and limited attempts to promote the culture, the native languages are disappearing. Most of the information available about the Mixtec language
is in written form as in dictionaries which, although including examples about how to pronounce the Mixtec words, are not as reliable
as listening to the correct pronunciation from a native speaker. Formal acoustic resources, as speech corpora, are almost non‐existent
for the Mixtec, and no speech technologies are known to have been developed for it. This paper presents the development of the
following resources for the Mixtec language: (1) a speech database of traditional narratives of the Mixtec culture spoken by a native
speaker (labelled at the phonetic and orthographic levels by means of spectral analysis) and (2) a native speaker‐adaptive automatic speech
recognition (ASR) system (trained with the speech database) integrated with a Mixtec‐to‐Spanish/Spanish‐to‐Mixtec text translator.
The speech database, although small and limited to a single variant, was reliable enough to build the multiuser speech application
which presented a mean recognition/translation performance up to 94.36% in experiments with non‐native speakers (the target users).
Hybrid Layered Crystal Comprising Polyoxometalate and Surfactant Synthesized from Reduced Mo‐Blue Species
Authors: Mikurube Keisuke , Hasegawa Kimiko , Naruke Haruo , Ito Takeru
Published: April 2013

A hybrid layered crystal containing polyoxomolybdate was successfully synthesized from reduced Mo‐blue species as starting material. The hybrid crystal, [C5H5N(C16H33)]2[β‐H2Mo8O26]·2C2H5OH (C16py‐H2Mo8), was obtained as a single phase by the gradual oxidation of hexadecylpyridinium‐Mo‐blue (C16py‐Mo‐blue) hybrid. The X‐ray structure analysis revealed that C16py‐H2Mo8 comprised β‐type octamolybdate anion with two protons (β‐H2Mo8). The β‐H2Mo8 anions and ethanol molecules of crystallization formed two‐dimensional anionic layers. The pyridine rings of C16py did not attend to form the two‐dimensional inorganic layers, and the interdigitated C16py bilayers were sandwiched by the β‐H2Mo8 anionic layers with periodicity of 18.2 Å. These C16py‐H2Mo8 hybrid layered crystals possibly work as a new class of proton conductor.
Cellular Redox Status Regulates Emodin-Induced Radiosensitization of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Hou Huaxin , Li Danrong , Cheng Daohai , Li Li , Liu Ying , Zhou Yi
Published: April 2013

Here, we report that regulation of cellular redox status is required for radiosensitization of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells by emodin. We evaluated emodin’s radiosensitivity-enhancing ability by using NPC cells in vitro and xenografts in vivo. A clonogenic assay was performed to evaluate NPC cell survival and to determine dose modification factors. Flow cytometry, western blot analysis, and in vivo radiation-induced tumor regrowth delay assays were performed to characterize emodin’s effects. Exposure of CNE-1 NPC cells to emodin enhanced their radiosensitivity. HIF-1α expression significantly increased under hypoxic conditions but did not change after treatment with emodin alone. Emodin downregulated mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α. Cells exposed to radiation and emodin underwent significant cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. The percentage of apoptotic cells and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were significantly higher in the group exposed to emodin and radiation hypoxic group than in the other groups. Compared to the CNE-1 xenografts exposed to radiation alone, CNE-1 xenografts exposed to radiation with emodin showed significantly enhanced radiation effects. Our data suggest that emodin effectively enhanced the radiosensitivity of CNE-1 cells in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism appears to involve ROS generation and ROS-mediated inhibition of HIF-1α expression.
From Recurrent Syncope to Sudden Cardiac Death: Clinical Characteristics in a Chinese Patient Carrying a Plakophilin-2 Gene Mutation
Authors: Liu Wenling , Qiu Xiaoliang , Liu Wen , Hu Dayi , Zhu Tiangang , Wang Chunling , Beer Dominik , Zhang Li
Published: April 2013

We report a case of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) which illustrates the natural progression of disease in the absence of availability of an implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD). Electrocardiograms and cardiac imaging show the progress of ARVC and these clinical milestones of disease are presented herein.
Ventilated Double Window for the Preheating of the Ventilation Air Comparison of Its Performance in a Northern and a Southern European Climate
Authors: Carlos Jorge S. , Corvacho Helena
Published: April 2013

Keeping the indoor air quality within the reference levels requires that the polluted indoor air be replaced by fresh air coming from the outside. This paper presents a sensitivity analysis and a series of simulations where the performance of this passive system is studied. The influence of each relevant factor, like the wind, the solar radiation, and the outdoor air temperature, is assessed. Two different local sets of climatic data were chosen, a mild and a cold winter.
A Spline Smoothing Newton Method for L∞ Distance Regression with Bound Constraints
Authors: Dong Li , Yu Bo
Published: April 2013

Orthogonal distance regression is arguably the most common criterion for fitting a model to data with errors in the observations. It is not appropriate to force the distances to be orthogonal, when angular information is available about the measured data points. We consider here a natural generalization of a particular formulation of that problem which involves the replacement of l2 norm by l∞ norm. This criterion may be a more appropriate one in the context of accept/reject decisions for manufacture parts. For l∞ distance regression with bound constraints, we give a smoothing Newton method which uses cubic spline and aggregate function, to smooth max function. The main spline smoothing technique uses a smooth cubic spline instead of max function and only few components in the max function are computed; hence it acts also as an active set technique, so it is more efficient for the problem with large amounts of measured data. Numerical tests in comparison to some other methods show that the new method is very efficient.
Osiris: A Malware Behavior Capturing System Implemented at Virtual Machine Monitor Layer
Authors: Cao Ying , Miao Qiguang , Liu Jiachen , Li Weisheng
Published: April 2013

To perform behavior based malware analysis, behavior capturing is an important prerequisite. In this paper, we present Osiris system which is a tool to capture behaviors of executable files in Windows system. It collects API calls invoked not only by main process of the analysis file, but also API calls invoked by child processes which are created by main process, injected processes if process injection happens, and service processes if the main process creates services. By modifying the source code of Qemu, Osiris is implemented at the virtual machine monitor layer and has the following advantages. First, it does not rewrite the binary code of analysis file or interfere with its normal execution, so that behavior data are obtained more stealthily and transparently. Second, it employs a multi-virtual machine framework to simulate the network environment for malware analysis, so that network behaviors of a malware are stimulated to a large extend. Third, besides network environment, it also simulates most common host events to stimulate potential malicious behaviors of a malware. The experimental results show that Osiris automates the malware analysis process and provides good behavior data for the following detection algorithm.
Action Mechanism ofGinkgo bilobaLeaf Extract Intervened by Exercise Therapy in Treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia
Authors: Peng Chiung-Chi , Liu Jia-Hong , Chang Chi-Huang , Chung Jin-Yuan , Chen Kuan-Chou , Chou Kuang-Yu , Peng Robert Y.
Published: April 2013

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an imbalance between androgen/estrogen, overexpression of stromal, and epithelial growth factors associated with chronic inflammation, has become an atypical direct cause of mortality of aged male diseases.Ginkgopossesses anti-inflammatory, blood flow-enhancing, and free radical scavenging effects. Considering strenuous exercise can reduce BPH risks, we hypothesizeGinkgo+ exercise (Ginkgo+ Ex) could be beneficial to BPH. To verify this, rat BPH model was induced by s.c. 3.5 mg testosterone (T) and 0.1 mg estradiol (E2) per head per day successively for 8 weeks, using mineral oil as placebo. Cerenin®8.33 μL/100 g was applied s.c. from the 10th to the 13th week, and simultaneously, Ex was applied (30 m/min, 3 times/week). In BPH,Ginkgoalone had no effect on T, 5α-reductase, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), but suppressed androgen receptor (AR), aromatase, E2 and estrogen receptor (ER), and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA); Ex alone significantly reduced T, aromatase, E2, ER, AR, and PCNA, but highly raised DHT. WhileGinkgo+ Ex androgenically downregulated T, aromatase, E2, and ER, but upregulated DHT, AR, and PCNA, implyingGinkgo+ Ex tended to worsen BPH. Conclusively,Ginkgoor Ex alone may be more beneficial thanGinkgo+ Ex for treatment of BPH.
A Systemic Approach to the Preservation of Audio Documents: Methodology and Software Tools
Authors: Bressan Federica , Canazza Sergio
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a methodology for the preservation of audio documents, the operational protocol that acts as the methodology, and an original open source software system that supports and automatizes several tasks along the process. The methodology is presented in the light of the ethical debate that has been challenging the international archival community for the last thirty years. The operational protocol reflects the methodological principles adopted by the authors, and its effectiveness is based on the results obtained in recent research projects involving some of the finest audio archives in Europe. Some recommendations are given for the rerecording process, aimed at minimizing the information loss and at quantifying the unintentional alterations introduced by the technical equipment. Finally, the paper introduces an original software system that guides and supports the preservation staff along the process, reducing the processing timing, automatizing tasks, minimizing errors, and using information hiding strategies to ease the cognitive load. Currently the software system is in use in several international archives.
Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Effects of Constituents Isolated fromRhodiola rosea
Authors: Lee Yeonju , Jung Jae-Chul , Jang Soyong , Kim Jieun , Ali Zulfiqar , Khan Ikhlas A. , Oh Seikwan
Published: April 2013

To determine the biological activity ofRhodiola rosea, the protein expression of iNOS and proinflammatory cytokines was measured after the activation of murine microglial BV2 cells by LPS under the exposure of constituents ofRhodiola rosea: crude extract, rosin, rosarin, and salidroside (each 1–50 μg/mL). The LPS-induced expression of iNOS and cytokines in BV2 cells was suppressed by the constituents ofRhodiola roseain a concentration-dependent manner. Also the expression of the proinflammatory factors iNOS, IL-1β, and TNF-αin the kidney and prefrontal cortex of brain in mice was suppressed by the oral administration ofRhodiola roseacrude extract (500 mg/kg). To determine the neuroprotective effect of constituents ofRhodiola rosea, neuronal cells were activated by L-glutamate, and neurotoxicity was analyzed. The L-glutamate-induced neurotoxicity was suppressed by the treatment with rosin but not by rosarin. The level of phosphorylated MAPK, pJNK, and pp38 was increased by L-glutamate treatment but decreased by the treatment with rosin and salidroside. These results indicate thatRhodiola roseamay have therapeutic potential for the treatment of inflammation and neurodegenerative disease.
Detection of Pulmonary Nodules in CT Images Based on Fuzzy Integrated Active Contour Model and Hybrid Parametric Mixture Model
Authors: Li Bin , Chen Kan , Tian Lianfang , Yeboah Yao , Ou Shanxing
Published: April 2013

The segmentation and detection of various types of nodules in a Computer-aided detection (CAD) system present various challenges, especially when (1) the nodule is connected to a vessel and they have very similar intensities; (2) the nodule with ground-glass opacity (GGO) characteristic possesses typical weak edges and intensity inhomogeneity, and hence it is difficult to define the boundaries. Traditional segmentation methods may cause problems of boundary leakage and “weak” local minima. This paper deals with the above mentioned problems. An improved detection method which combines a fuzzy integrated active contour model (FIACM)-based segmentation method, a segmentation refinement method based on Parametric Mixture Model (PMM) of juxta-vascular nodules, and a knowledge-based C-SVM (Cost-sensitive Support Vector Machines) classifier, is proposed for detecting various types of pulmonary nodules in computerized tomography (CT) images. Our approach has several novel aspects: (1) In the proposed FIACM model, edge and local region information is incorporated. The fuzzy energy is used as the motivation power for the evolution of the active contour. (2) A hybrid PMM Model of juxta-vascular nodules combining appearance and geometric information is constructed for segmentation refinement of juxta-vascular nodules. Experimental results of detection for pulmonary nodules show desirable performances of the proposed method.
Struggling on My Own: A Cognitive Perspective on Frequent Attenders' Conception of Life and Their Interaction with the Healthcare System
Authors: Wiklund-Gustin Lena
Published: April 2013

Different studies reveal that a large percentage of people frequently attending healthcare not only suffer from diffuse somatic symptoms but also from psychological distress and difficulties in dealing with everyday life. Even though they are not always diagnosed with psychiatric disease, questions arise about their mental health. The study aims at describing frequent attenders’ conceptions of life, and as a result their health, from a cognitive perspective. A qualitative content analysis of in-depth interviews was carried out with nine service users in primary healthcare. The findings reveal that participants experience themselves as inadequate and as being a burden for others, by whom they experience rejection, in different ways. In order to take part in community with others the person develops compensatory strategies that aim at concealing their inadequacies, thus also preventing them from sharing their suffering with others. The consequence is that the persons become even more alienated as they start to relate to others through a façade and furthermore are unable to either improve their health or obtain adequate care. It can be concluded that these patients need to be taken seriously in order to prevent further psychological suffering.
Coexistence in a One-Predator, Two-Prey System with Indirect Effects
Authors: Colucci Renato
Published: April 2013

We study the dynamics of a one-predator, two-prey system in which the predator has an indirect effect on the preys. We show that, in presence of the indirect effect term, the system admits coexistence of the three populations while, if we disregard it, at least one of the populations goes to extinction.