bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment outcomes and survival in patients with primary central nervous system lymphomas treated between 1995 and 2010 – a single centre report
Authors: Jezersek Novakovic Barbara
Published: February 2013

Background. Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL) are rare variants of extranodal non-Hodgkin′s lymphomas that are nowadays primarily treated with high-dose methotrexate or methotrexate-based chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. The optimal treatment of PCNSL is still unknown and there are differences in clinical practice.

Patients and methods. With a retrospective research we evaluated our series of patients with PCNSL in regards to the patient′s characteristics, treatment results, disease specific survival and overall survival. Fifty nine patients who attended the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana between 1995 and 2010 were treated according to the protocol that was valid at the time of the patient′s admission. Between 1995 and 1999, the systemic treatment was classical CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, steroids) chemotherapy, and later on high-dose methotrexate either alone or in combination with other agents. From 1999 onwards, radiation therapy was applied according to the patient′s age and response to chemotherapy, prior to that all patients treated with CHOP were also irradiated. Patients ineligible for the systemic treatment were treated with sole radiation therapy.

Results. There was a strong female predominance in our series and the median age at diagnosis was 59.8 years. Patients had predominantly aggressive B cell lymphomas (69.5%), one patient had marginal cell lymphoma and two patients T cell lymphoma. In total, 20.3% of patients were treated just with chemotherapy, 33.9% with combined therapy and 42.4% with sole radiation therapy. The overall response rate to the primary treatment in patients treated with sole chemotherapy was 33.3%, in patients treated with combined therapy 65% and in patients treated only with radiation therapy 56%, respectively. In terms of response duration, significantly better results were achieved with combined therapy or radiation therapy alone compared to sole chemotherapy (p<0.0006). The median overall survival of the whole cohort was 11 months and the overall survival was significantly affected by the patient′s age. The longest overall survival was observed in patients treated with combined therapy (median survival of 39 months). Patients treated just with radiation therapy had a median overall survival of 9 months and those treated with sole chemotherapy of 4.5 months, respectively.

Conclusions. The treatment outcomes in ordinary clinical practice are definitely inferior to the ones reported in clinical trials. The now standard treatment with high-dose methotrexate with or without radiation therapy is sometimes too aggressive and, therefore, a careful selection on the basis of patient′s age, performance status and concomitant diseases of those eligible for such treatment is mandatory. According to our results from a retrospective study, radiation therapy should not be excluded from the primary treatment.
Batch extractive distillation of mixture methanol-acetonitrile using aniline as a asolvent
Authors: Li Guangzhong , Yu Yang , Bai Peng
Published: February 2013

Methanol and acetonitrile form a minimum azeotrope at 336.74 K, which contains methanol 76.89 mas%. The simulation and the experiment to separate the mixture by batch extractive distillation using aniline as entrainer is performed. Based on the experimental and simulative VLE data, aniline is chosen to be the suitable solvent. The sensitivity analysis about the number of stages, the refl ux ratio, the solvent feed stage and the solvent fl ow rate is conducted to obtain the optimal parameters and confi guration of the extractive distillation column with minimal energy requirements. The most appropriate confi guration is 30 theoretical stages. The optimal entrainer feeding stage is 8 with a solvent fl ow rate of 20kg/h and the refl ux ratio of 2.0, respectively. The simulation results show the effect of the main variables on the extractive distillation process. The experiment is carried out to corroborate the feasibility of the separation of methanol-acetonitrile by batch extractive distillation.
Simulation and sensitivity analysis for biodiesel production in a reactive distillation column
Authors: Agarwal Madhu , Singh Kailash , Chaurasia S.P.
Published: February 2013

The conventional process for biodiesel production by transesterification is still expensive due to a need of high excess of alcohol required and its recovery by distillation. The use of a reactive distillation process can reduce the amount of alcohol in the feed stream as it works on a simultaneous reaction and separation. In the present study, a mathematical model has been developed for biodiesel production from triglycerides in a reactive distillation column, which has been validated with the reported data and CHEMCAD results. The effects of process parameters such as methanol to oil feed ratio, feed temperature, and reaction time have been investigated. The sensitivity analysis shows that yield of ester increases with methanol to oil ratio and number of stages, however, it decreases with fl ow rate. The MATLAB simulated results show that methanol to oil molar ratio of 5:1 produces 90% (by wt.) of methyl ester in a residence time of 4.7 minutes.
The effect of process conditions on the flocculation process occurring in an agitated vessel
Authors: Šulc Radek , Ditl Pavel
Published: February 2013

The effect of flocculation time, flocculant dosage, pollutant concentration, mixing intensity and tank size on flocculation performance was experimentally studied in a mechanically agitated vessel. The macroscopic approach was applied for fl occulation modelling. The simple semi-empirical generalized correlation for flocculation kinetics proposed by Šulc (2003a) and the simple semi-empirical generalized correlation quantifying the effect of flocculation time and flocculant dosage on fl occulation proposed by Šulc, Ditl (2007) were used for data treatment.
Application of the side stream from the cyklopol process in paint stripping formulations
Authors: Vogt Otmar , Ogonowski Jan , Michorczyk Piotr
Published: February 2013

The utilization of two side streams from the Cyklopol process was studied. The first one is the monohydric alcohols fraction and the second one is the fraction of mono-carboxylic acids. We propose to utilize these fractions and their esters as a component of gel formulation painting remover. Our composites have a gel formulation suitable for easy application on a vertical surface. D-DBS (1,3:2,4-Di-O-benzylidene-Dsorbitol) or MHPC (methylhydroxypropylcellulose) were used as gelling agents for organic liquids. The D-DBS compound is characterized by transparency and reduced yellowing of composition. The properties of the obtained preparations were compared to the properties of commercially available gel formulations SCANSOL and STRIPER. Our initial investigations indicate that side streams from the Cyklopol process are good and cheap resources of raw materials for the preparation of paint stripping formulations.
Development of approach to modelling and optimization of non-stationary catalytic processes in oil refining and petrochemistry
Authors: Dolganova Irena O. , Dolganov Igor M. , Ivashkina Elena N. , Ivanchina Emilia D. , Romanovskiy Rostislav V.
Published: February 2013

An approach to modelling of non-stationary catalytic processes of oil refining and petrochemistry is proposed. The computer modelling systems under development take into account the physical and chemical reaction laws, raw materials composition, and catalyst nature. This allows using the software for the optimization of process conditions and equipment design. The models created can be applied for solving complex problems of chemical reactors design; calculation of different variants of industrial plants reconstruction; refining and petrochemicals catalysts selection and testing; catalyst service life prolongation; determination of optimum water supply into the alkanes dehydrogenation reactor; optimization of products separation in the benzene alkylation process.
Meso-tetraphenylporphyriniron(iii) chloride catalyzed oxidation of aniline and its substituents by magnesium monoperoxyphthalate in aqueous acetic acid medium
Authors: Manickam Raja , Kulandaivelu Karunakaran
Published: February 2013

The catalytic properties of the first generation catalyst meso-tetraphenylporphyriniron(III) chloride and magnesium monoperoxyphthalate (MMPP) as oxidant have been studied in the oxidation of aniline and its substituents in acetic acid medium. The thermodynamic parameters for the oxidation have been determined and discussed. It confirms the Exner relationship (only at the low range of temperatures) and also some of the activation parameters to the isokinetic relationships. The magnesium monoperoxyphthalate oxidation with 18 ortho- meta- and para-substituted anilines fulfills with isokinetic relationship but not to any of the linear free energy relationships. The reaction mechanism and the rate law were proposed.
Simultaneous synthesis-immobilization of nano ZnO on perlite for photocatalytic degradation of an azo dye in semi batch packed bed photoreactor
Authors: Khani Ali , Sohrabi Mahmoud Reza
Published: February 2013

A novel, simple and simultaneous synthesis-immobilization of nano ZnO on perlite (nZnO-P) as a photocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of Acid orange 7 (AO7) in aqueous solution was investigated. The effect of operational parameters such as initial dye concentration, initial pH, flow rate, photocatalyst granule size, temperature and the kinetic of the removal of AO7 in terms of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model in a designed semi batch packed bed photoreactor connected to an on-line sampling UV-Vis spectrophotometer was studied. The results showed that AO7 removal efficiency increased with nZnO-P using the designed setup and the proposed photocatalyst was more efficient than TiO2 as a standard catalyst. Our results confirmed the pseudo-first-order kinetics model. The values of the adsorption equilibrium constant, KAO7, the kinetic rate constant of surface reaction, kc, and the activation energy (Ea) were found to be 0.57 (mg.l−1)−1, 0.41 mg.l−1.min−1 and 11.44 kJ/mol, respectively.
Drying of binary thin film polymeric coatings: an experimental study
Authors: Katariya Jitendra , Arya Raj Kumar
Published: February 2013

Four binary polymer -solvent systems, poly(styrene)-tetrahydrofuran, poly(styrene) - p-xylene, poly(methyl methacrylate) - ethylbenzene and poly(methyl methacrylate) - tetrahydrofuran, systems have been studied. It has been observed that thicker coatings will retain a higher amount of the residual solvent as compared to thinner coatings. In the case of poly(styrene)-tetrahydrofuran coating residual solvent remaining within the coatings were 9.09% and 4.74% for the coatings of the thicknesses of 967 micron and 559 micron, respectively. Similar trends were also observed in the case of poly(methyl methacrylate)-ethylbenzene, poly(methyl methacrylate)-tetrahydrofuran, and poly(styrene)-p-xylene systems.
Synanthropy of bloodsucking mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) under conditions of kyiv
Authors: Kilochytska N. P.
Published: February 2013

Synanthropy of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) under Conditions of Kyiv. Kilochitskaya N. P. - The 35 anthropophilic species are analyzed. The main tendancies of adaptations tending the transition of bloodsucking mosquito to synanthropic existence are considered. It is shown, that certain part of bloodsucking mosquitoes species inhabiting natural biocoenoses have been already adapted before the assimilation into the anthropogenic landscapes.
The first finding of Paulinella chromatophora (Rhizaria, Euglyphida) in Ukraine
Authors: Kapustin D. A.
Published: February 2013

The First Finding of Paulinella chromatophora (Rhizaria, Euglyphida) in Ukraine. Kapustin D. A. - A 3testate amoeba, Paulinella chromatophora Lauterborn, 1895, is recorded for the first time in the fauna of Ukraine. It is illustrated under the light and scanning electron microscope and redescribed.
Preliminary Analysis of Phylogenetic Relationships Among Palaearctic Simuliinae (Diptera, Simuliidae) Inferred From Morphological Characters
Authors: Sukhomlin K. B.
Published: February 2013

Phylogenetic relationships among the Palaearctic genera of the subfamily Simuliinae are analyzed based on the matrix of 100 morphological characters and 37 taxa, including 6 outgroups. Parsimonic analysis was resulted in 3 consensus trees (weighting based on CI, RI and RC indices) of slightly different topology, which show monophyly of the subfamily Simuliinae, tribes Stegopternini, Nevermanniini, Wilhelmiini and Simuliini, and a possible sister-group relationships between the latter two tribes. Tribe Ectemniini is apparently a paraphyletic formation. The analysis also supports transferring of the Stegopternini and Nevermanniini from Prosimuliinae to Simuliinae.
Interrelation Between Unionids and Their Epibionts in the Cooling Pond of the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (Ukraine)
Authors: Sylayeva A. A. , Protasov A. A. , Morozovskaya I. A.
Published: February 2013

Paper deals with data on interrelation of mollusks of the family Unionidae and Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) and other epibiotic invertebrates in the cooling pond of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant (Ukraine). The quantitative indices of unionids and Dreissena, inhabiting shells of the living Unionidae, size structure of populations, and morphometric indexes of the living Unionidae were analyzed. No significant negative impact of settlements of the zebra mussels on Unionidae was noted.
Contribution to Knowledge of the Genus Apsectus (Coleoptera, Dermestidae, Trinodinae) From Mexico and Neotropical Region
Authors: Háva Jiří
Published: February 2013

Apsectus kaliki sp. n. from Guyana is described, illustrated and compared with all the known Neotropical species of the genus Apsectus LeConte, 1854. Lectotypes are designated for Apsectus centralis Sharp, 1902 and Apsectus hystrix Sharp, 1902
The Impact of Advancements in Science and Technology on Cypriots’ Physical Activities over Time
Authors: Christodoulides Efstathios
Published: February 2013

Due to special historical circumstances, advancements in science and technology have affected various aspects of Cypriot people’s life relatively late.However, since the modern way of life requires less and less compulsory physical activity, this has manifested itself recently in the spreading of a sedentary lifestyle in Cyprus also. The purpose of this paper is to present the changes in the frequency, intensity and type of physical activity throughout three Cypriot generations. It is based on a part of research carried out by survey method of the population of that consisted of secondary school students, their parents, and their grandparents. The sample was selected by stratified, random, and snowball selection (N = 1067). With the youngest generation, the data were collected in groups at their school by questionnaire; the members of other two groups answered the questionnaires individually. In order to analyze the data, the Wilcoxon two related sample test and chi-square analyses were performed. The results revealed that the older generations’ everyday life encompassed more active elements in their childhood and youth than the youngsters’ life comprises nowadays. Both intragenerational and intergenerational changes in daily living and health-related physical activity occurred, and the advancements in science and technology have had a contradictory impact on these processes. In the conclusions, the necessity of taking measures to stop the decline of physical activity is emphasized.
Timber Structures Fire Resistance
Authors: Vavrušová Kristýna , Lokaj Antonín
Published: February 2013

Timber Structures Fire Resistance

The topic of this contribution is an outline of the timber structures design and assessment issues related to effects of fire according to standard and alternative (fully probabilistic) methods.
Dependency of Elastic Modulus and Stress Redistribution Coefficients on a Layout of Steel Reinforcement in Steel-Concrete Cross Section
Authors: Vojtasík Karel , Hrubešová Eva , Mohyla Marek , Staňková Jana
Published: February 2013

Dependency of Elastic Modulus and Stress Redistribution Coefficients on a Layout of Steel Reinforcement in Steel-Concrete Cross Section

The paper presents the outputs of a computational parametric study investigating the influence of both reinforcement ratio and scheme of a cross-section reinforcement on a design value of the elastic module for the homogenized cross-section and the values of the stress redistribution coefficients. The design value of the elastic module represents the steel-concrete cross section in the calculations. The stress redistribution coefficients converts the state stress in the homogenized cross-section for the state stress in steel and concrete individually. The design value of the homogenized cross-section elastic module and the stress redistribution coefficients are determined from the theory of the cooperating rings and computed by program HOMO. The result of a study is a set of the stress redistribution coefficients and a dependency of stress redistribution coefficients on the reinforcement ratio of a steel-concrete section.
Drug treatment in Swedish prisons – moving towards evidence-based interventions?
Authors: Nylander Per Åke , Holm Claes , Jukic Elma , Lindberg Odd
Published: February 2013

Aim

This article reviews the development in Sweden of prison-based drug treatment (PBDT) from the 1970s to the present situation.

Data

The data consists of committee reports, white papers, research reports and interviews with two senior managers from the Swedish Prison and Probation Services (SPPS).

Results

The 1970s and 1980s trials with milieu therapy in prisons were followed by the introduction of cognitive programmes in the 1990s. Due to the growing number of prisoners with drug problems, the Prison Anti-Drug Effort increased the number of places and programmes for drug treatment in prisons. As of 2000, the scientific evaluation of all prison-based drug treatment has been strongly emphasised. Drug control has increased since 2004, and the very concept of PBDT is now approached rather more rigorously and scientifically.

Conclusion

The SPPS programme evaluations are scientifically formed, but changes in practice are slow to emerge. The SPPS runs a more restricted policy compared to treatment outside, which leads to some evidence-based treatment methods being rejected. Also, PBDT is somewhat under threat by changes in the prisons’ internal organisation with growing specialisation in different wings, as well as by the poor financial situation of the SPPS.
The Margins of the Rational Man: Fluid Identities in Eighteenth-Century Biography
Authors: Over William
Published: February 2013

This study will explore the Enlightenment conception of the individual of reason, its attempted formulations in actor biographies, and its ultimate denial by the reality of human identity as multiple, fluid, and dialogical. Such fluidity sought to overcome the marginal status of the stage player through the embodiment of rational models of personality. Some stage celebrities, most notably David Garrick, were offering themselves as public models of identity for the new age of reasoned discourse. This involved the presentation before the public of stage performers as fully realized individuals. However, the unavoidable problem was that presenting an individual, even a renowned stage star, as a living paradigm of the enlightened person of reason would prove elusive. Aside from the inherent contradiction of locating any perfected stereotype in an actual person, the qualities making an individual in full conformity to his or her “reason” did not match the particular cultural qualities demanded for a successful eighteenth-century middle-class Englishman or Englishwoman. Nonetheless, by the last quarter of the eighteenth century, significant advances were made both within the particular profession of acting and before the onstage and offstage public. The acting profession was moving quickly and for the first time in England away from its marginalized status to offer respected agents for cultural change. The new genre of actor biographies as well contributed to this more fully realized formulation of the modern individual.
The Macabre on the Margins: A Study of the Fantastic Terrors of the Fin de Siècle
Authors: Beville Maria
Published: February 2013

With a view to discussing an important three-faceted example of marginality in literature whereby terror, the literary Fantastic and the fin de siècle period are understood as interconnected marginalia, this paper examines works such as Guy de Maupassant’s “Le Horla” and H. Rider Haggard’s She from an alternative critical perspective to that dominating current literary discourse.
It demonstrates that in spite of the dominant associations of fantastic literature with horror, terror, as the marginal and marginalized fear of the unknown, with its uncanny, sublime and suspenseful qualities, holds a definitive presence in fin de siècle fantastic texts. Literary analysis of the chosen texts registers significant examples of the importance of terror to fantastic writing, and as such functions to extract an “aesthetics of sublime terror” from the margins of critical studies of this often macabre literary mode.
The Shortest Way to Modernity Is via the Margins: J.H. Prynne’s Later Poetry
Authors: Pietrzak Wit
Published: February 2013

In the essay an attempt is made to investigate the processes of construction and reconstruction of meaning in the later books of the Cambridge poet J.H. Prynne. It has been argued that his poetry disturbs the act of meaning-making in a ceaseless experimental reconnection of words taken from multifarious discourses, ranging from economics to theology. Yet, what appears striking in this poetry is the fact that these lyrics take their force from figurative meaning with which the words are endowed in the process of a poem’s unfolding. Prynne appears to compose his lyrics by juxtaposing words that in themselves (or sometimes in small clusters) do yield a meaning but together exude an aura of unintelligibility. We may see this process as aiming at the destruction of what might be posited as the centre of signification of the modern language by constantly dispersing the meaning to the fringes of understanding. The poems force the reader to look to the margins of their meaning in the sense that the signification of the entire lyric is an unstable composite of figurative meanings of this lyric’s individual words and phrases. To approach this poetry a need arises to read along the lines of what is here termed “fleeting assertion”; it is not that Prynne’s poems debar centre in favour of, for instance, Derridean freeplay but rather that they seek to ever attempt to erect a centre through the influx from the margins of signification. Therefore they call for strong interpretive assertions without which they veer close to an absurdity of incomprehension; however, those assertions must always be geared to accepting disparate significatory influxes. Indeed, interpretation becomes a desperate chase after “seeing anew” with language but, at the same time, a chase that must a priori come to terms with the fact that this new vision will forever remain in the making.
Edward Said and the Margins
Authors: Thomas Tom
Published: February 2013

Edward Said was the quintessential intellectual of the last quarter of the twentieth century. Commonly celebrated as the founding figure of postcolonialism, his critical oeuvre spans varied terrain. The very strength of his critique lies in these diverse tributaries of thought. Crossing borders and boundaries incessantly, Said’s intellectual project celebrates the culture of resistance while opposing doctrinaire rhetoric. The paper tries to journey along the multifarious “margins” of discourses that crop up in Said. “In-between” spaces have to be investigated for their radical potential, while daring to “transgress” has its own dangers. Said unmasks the unholy nexus between knowledge and power in the mapping of the “Orient” that abetted the colonial enterprise. His contrapuntal readings of literary texts reveal the ubiquitous presence of imperial empire. Consequently, voices from the margins spur counter narratives and “writing back” in the postcolonial condition. Intellectuals in exile tend to be “marginal” and this location helps in looking at the two or even three sides of an issue. Questions of identity, selfhood, nationality, politics, memory, history, representation, geography, homeland, anxieties of influence are dealt with in the paper. The intertwining of the personal and the political occurs in Said. “Memory” is the only hope for resuscitating a “lost world” and battling the accompanying sense of “loss” and “despair” infused in both individuals and communities alike. The paper tries to address how “border crossing” and the “coalescing of margins” create an interdisciplinary breadth in Said, which resist categorization. The “centre/margin” binary is problematized by acknowledging the presence of “many voices,” “polyphony” being a favourite concept of Said. Music gave to him metaphors for human emancipation, while “transgression” was vital. His acknowledgement and assimilation of fellow critics is also mentioned. Beyond enunciating insider-outsider distinctions, Said tried to cultivate knowledge as a bridge between different interests and locations.
Calculation of Optimal Path for Parallel Car Parking
Authors: Zadachyn Viktor , Dorokhov Oleksandr
Published: February 2013

The problem of calculation of optimal path for reverse parallel parking is examined. Elementary mathematical model of car movement on plane is described. Optimality criterion and restriction on a possible path for parallel parking are formulated. It is offered a way of choice of a quasi-optimal path for reverse parallel parking. Corresponding numerical calculations and graphic example are presented.
Confrontational Apologetics versus Grace-filled Persuasion
Authors: Scorgie Glenn G.
Published: February 2013

Confrontational Apologetics versus Grace-filled Persuasion

Too often Christian apologetics has been conducted in a confrontational manner
that alienates people and undermines apologetic effectiveness. Christian apologists must be
attentive to both their message and how they communicate it. Grace-filled persuasion can flourish
as Christian apologists recognize the growing contemporary suspicion of aggressive styles of
behavior. The apologetic enterprise involves ideas, but it is also profoundly relational. The
great challenge before Christian apologists is to speak and live in ways that combine uncompromising
faithfulness to revealed truth with a generous spirit of loving service and civility.
Grace-filled persuasion always trumps smash-mouth apologetics.
The Theophoric Element Ba'Al in Ancient Phoenician Inscriptions
Authors: Botica Aurelian
Published: February 2013

The Theophoric Element Ba'Al in Ancient Phoenician Inscriptions

The following study analyzes the usage of the name Baıal in ancient Phoenician
inscriptions. The analysis starts with the premise that the deity named Baıal played a major
role in Canaanite religion, including the religion of the people of Israel. First of all, in order to
understand correctly this phenomenon, our study sketches in broad lines the historical and
religious context of the ancient Near East. Second, the study takes into account a series of corollary
issues, like the concepts of “fertility” and the “Sacred Marriage”, in order to obtain as
clear a picture as possible of the identity and character of the god Baıal. Third, the study focuses
on a number of inscriptions from Phoenicia. A number of scholars have argued that these
inscriptions represent our best evidence from Phoenicia to reconstructing the identity of
Baıal.
Acceptable noise level in Danish adult subjects diagnosed with unilateral Ménière's disease
Authors: Olsen Steen Østergaard , Lantz Johannes , Brännström K. Jonas , Nielsen Lars Holme
Published: February 2013

Objective:

The acceptable noise level (ANL) test is used for quantification of the amount of background noise that subjects are willing to accept when listening to speech. Earlier studies including subjects with normal hearing and/or mixed types of sensorineural hearing losses have shown that ANL is not affected by hearing sensitivity. The purpose of this study was to investigate possible within-subject ANL differences between ears in subjects with unilateral Ménière's disease.

Study design:

ANL was measured in three conditions in both ears of 11 Danish adult subjects diagnosed with unilateral Ménière's disease. Both speech and noise signals were presented through earphones. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was utilized to determine if there were significant differences between ANLs measured in the unaffected and the ears affected by Ménière's disease. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated to determine if an association exists between the speech discrimination score and ANL in the affected ear.

Results:

Similar mean ANL results were found in the subjects’ unaffected and affected ear. No association between speech discrimination and the ANL on the affected ear was found.

Conclusion:

The present study showed no within-subject ANL differences owing to differences in hearing sensitivity or loudness growth patterns.
Impaction of food material wrapped in a plastic sheet in a huge intraluminal duodenal diverticulum
Authors: Shrestha Umid Kumar
Published: February 2013

Journal of Advances in Internal Medicine 2013;02(01):14-15 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jaim.v2i1.7631
First presentation of Ebstein’s anomaly in an 80-year-old female patient and unusual occurrence of psychiatric illness in her male offsprings
Authors: Shrestha Umid Kumar , Sapkota Subash , Thapa Prakash
Published: February 2013

An 80-year-old female Ebstein’s anomaly patient presented with palpitation and dyspnea of New York Heart Association class III. This is probably the eldest surviving Ebstein’s anomaly patient presenting for the first time with cardiac symptoms at the age of 80 years. She had four sons and two daughters, among whom the first three sons developed psychiatric disorders after 38 years of age, with one son committing suicide because of major depressive episode. This case is unique because of the late age of initial presentation with cardiac problem and the occurrence of psychiatric illness in the male offsprings of the patient. Journal of Advances in Internal Medicine 2013;02(01):21-23 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jaim.v2i1.7634
One-Way Carsharing
Authors: Di Febbraro Angela , Sacco Nicola , Saeednia Mahnam
Published: February 2013

Carsharing services allow users to benefit from the advantages of a private car without the costs of owning one. One-way systems provide users with a higher level of service than traditional carsharing systems in terms of flexibility because users do not need to return to the station of origin. Moreover, the added option to leave the vehicle at any free parking area, which is not necessarily a station, increases the flexibility offered by the one-way system. Introduction of such improvements to the carsharing system, however, leads to a vehicle relocation problem, which should be addressed carefully to avoid concentration of vehicles in certain areas. This paper reports on a study of this issue with the use of discrete event systems (DESs), which allowed an easy representation of the complex dynamics of the carsharing system. A user-based methodology was proposed on the basis of an optimal relocation policy in a rolling horizon framework. This methodology not only offers greater flexibility to users, it also maximizes operator benefits by reducing the number of required staff to relocate vehicles among the stations and determines the minimum number of vehicles needed to satisfy system demand. The DES model was applied to a case study to evaluate the proposed approach. The results showed a significant decrease in the rejection rate from the worst scenario (no relocation) to the best (relocation of all vehicles by their users). The paper concludes with suggestions for additional research and improvements to this study.
Solitary thoracic vertebral body cysticercosis presenting with progressive compressive myelopathy
Authors: Furtado Sunil V. , Dadlani Ravi , Ghosal Nandita , Rao Arun S.
Published: February 2013

Common bony spinal pathologies that could present with progressive spasticity include vertebral body tumors or chronic infections of the spine. Cysticercosis of the spine commonly has an intramedullary occurrence. The authors discuss the presentation and management of a rare case of solitary vertebral cysticercosis that presented with lower-limb spasticity and sphincter involvement.
Biomechanical evaluation of the craniovertebral junction after inferior-third clivectomy and intradural exposure of the foramen magnum: implications for endoscopic endonasal approaches to the cranial base
Authors: Little Andrew S. , Perez-Orribo Luis , Rodriguez-Martinez Nestor G. , Reyes Phillip M. , Newcomb Anna G. U. S. , Prevedello Daniel M. , Crawford Neil R.
Published: February 2013

Object

Endoscopic endonasal approaches to the craniovertebral junction (CVJ) and clivus are increasingly performed for ventral skull-base pathology, but the biomechanical implications of these approaches have not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the spinal biomechanics of the CVJ after an inferior-third clivectomy and anterior intradural exposure of the foramen magnum as would be performed in an endonasal endoscopic surgical strategy.

Methods

Seven upper-cervical human cadaveric specimens (occiput [Oc]–C2) underwent nondestructive biomechanical flexibility testing during flexion-extension, axial rotation, and lateral bending at Oc–C1 and C1–2. Each specimen was tested intact, after an inferior-third clivectomy, and after ligamentous complex dissection simulating a wide intradural exposure using an anterior approach. Angular range of motion (ROM), lax zone, and stiff zone were determined and compared with the intact state.

Results

Modest, but statistically significant, hypermobility was observed after inferior-third clivectomy and intradural exposure during flexion-extension and axial rotation at Oc–C1. Angular ROM increased incrementally between 6% and 12% in flexion-extension and axial rotation. These increases were primarily the result of changes in the lax zone. No significant changes were noted at C1–2.

Conclusions

Inferior-third clivectomy and an intradural exposure to the ventral CVJ and foramen magnum resulted in hypermobility at Oc–C1 during flexion-extension and axial rotation. Although the results were statistically significant, the modest degree of hypermobility observed compared with other well-characterized CVJ injuries suggests that occipitocervical stabilization may be unnecessary for most patients.
Registration of Near‐Isogenic Spring Wheat Germplasm with All Combinations of Homozygous R‐Locus Genotypes
Authors: Sherman Jamie D. , Lanning Susan P. , See Deven , Talbert Luther E.
Published: February 2013

Montana State University announces the release of two sets of near‐isogenic lines of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) containing all homozygous combinations of alleles at the R loci for seed color to provide materials for dissecting the impact of allelic variation at individual loci. Marker‐assisted selection was used to develop all possible homozygous genotypes at the BC5 generation after introducing alleles for white seed into lines homozygous for alleles causing red seed. The following sets of lines were developed, where the letter a indicates homozygosity for the a allele for white seed color and the letter b indicates homozygosity for the b allele for red seed color at R‐A1, R‐B1, and R‐D1, respectively. Near‐isogenic derivatives of ‘Choteau’ include JS16 (aaa) (Reg. No. GP‐951, PI 665699), JS2 (abb) (Reg. No. GP‐953,PI 665701), JS15 (aab) (Reg. No. GP‐950, PI 665698), JS18 (aba) (Reg. No. GP‐952, PI 665700), JS5 (baa) (Reg. No. GP‐963, PI 665711), JS28 (bba) (Reg. No. GP‐954, PI 665702), JS13 (bab) (Reg. No. GP‐948, PI 665696), and JS14 (bbb) (Reg. No. GP‐949, PI 665697). Near‐isogenic derivatives of ‘Vida’ include JS37 (aaa) (Reg. No. GP‐960, PI 665708), JS36 (abb) (Reg. No. GP‐959, PI 665707), JS35 (aab) (Reg. No. GP‐958, PI 665706), JS32 (aba) (Reg. No. GP‐955, PI 665703), JS40 (baa) (Reg. No. GP‐961, PI 665709), JS49 (bba) (Reg. No. GP‐962, PI 665710), JS33 (bab) (Reg. No. GP‐956, PI 665704), and JS34 (bbb) (Reg. No. GP‐957, PI 665705). These lines will be useful for determining the impact of allelic variation at specific R loci on seed‐related traits in hard wheat.
Characteristics of Insulin and Androgen Status in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Banu IM , Wahab MA , Debnath BC , Begum D , Arslan MI
Published: February 2013

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) was originally described as a syndrome of amenorrhea, hirsutism and obesity associated with enlarged polycystic ovaries. There is increased androgen level and in some, insulin resistance (IR). Etiological relationship of androgen excess and IR in PCOS is not established. Influence of obesity on PCOS is controversial. This study was designed to see the androgen and insulin status in PCOS among obese and non-obese patients. It was a case-control study. Of total 80 study subjects, 60 primary infertile women suffering from PCOS were cases (30 obese and 30 non-obese). Age and BMI matched 20 healthy women having normal menstrual cycles were controls (10 obese and 10 non-obese). Age range of all were 20-40 years. Fasting plasma glucose, fasting S. Insulin and free Testosterone were measured. Insulin resistance (IR) was assessed by fasting glucose to insulin ratio (<4.5). Subjects with DM or known endocrine disorders that may be associated with abnormal S.Insulin or plasma glucose concentration were excluded. No significant difference of fasting plasma glucose between PCOS (obese or non-obese) and respective controls (P>0.5, in each) were observed. Significant difference of fasting S. Insulin and testosterone were observed between PCOS (both obese and non-obese) and respective controls (P<0.01 in each), but there was no significant difference between obese and non-obese PCOS (P>0.05). There was no significant difference of S.Testosterone between obese and non-obese PCOS(P>0.05). There was also no significant difference of IR between obese and non-obese PCOS, but the ratio was <4.5 (indicating IR in both). There were no significant correlation of S.Insulin with Testosterone in any group of PCOS (obese and non-obese) (P>0.05). Increased S.Insulin and Testosterone was seen in PCOS irrespective of BMI. Further studies with larger sample size is recommended to assess etiological relationship between insulin and testosterone in PCOS. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmb.v3i1.13801 Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2010; 3(1): 11-15
Efferocytosis: the Removal of Apoptotic Cells by Phagocytes
Authors: Biswas SK , Hoque N
Published: February 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmb.v3i2.13808 Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2010; 3(2): 35
New Roles for Libraries in Supporting Data-Intensive Research and Advancing Scholarly Communication
Authors: Griffin Stephen
Published: February 2013

This paper will explore potential roles for libraries in support of data-intensive research and inquiry. Scholars and researchers from many disciplines are using vast amounts of data to advance our understanding of both the physical nature of our world and its place in the universe, as well as to gain new insights into the behaviours of societies and individuals. Humanists are rapidly integrating newly digitised corpora, digital representations of material culture and spatial and temporal indexed data into their scholarly endeavours. Libraries have undergone significant transformation over the past several decades in confronting the “digital deluge” and integrating digital content into their holdings. However assuming additional responsibilities for managing and making large and complex data sets available and providing new tools for users presents significant challenges given limited resources. This paper examines data-intensive scholarship and suggest viable roles for libraries.
Strategies and Achievements of Overseas Taiwanese Archives Acquisition
Authors: Hsu Hsueh-chi
Published: February 2013

Archives, being original records of all human activities, provide first-hand sources for historical research. However, due to the geographic location of Taiwan and its political vicissitudes, many of these primary records and valuable resources of Taiwan history have been drained with human relocation to overseas and remained in foreign countries. In 2007, the ‘International Collaboration of Taiwan Historical Resources Acquisition Project’ was launched, aiming to collect and acquire precious historical materials scattered overseas with digital archiving strategies and value-added approaches.

Taking into consideration the constraints of time and distance, the project focused first in acquiring historical resources of the Qing Dynasty and Japanese Era, while at the same time continued the ongoing practice of the Institute of Taiwan History in collecting and obtaining historical materials from the greater society. In the past five years, precious sources and data have been gathered through the international academic network. The achievements include acquisition of historical images of Taiwan, personal documents, official records etc. and authorization for online publication of historical materials.

As seen in the above, the Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica has by now successfully accumulated rich experiences in digitising archival materials and gained fruitful achievement over the years.
A Digital Museum Framework Based on a Member-Centred Virtual-and-Physical Unification Service Model
Authors: Hsu Tien-Yu
Published: February 2013

In this paper, we present a member-centred virtual and physical unification digital museum (MVPU-DM) service framework for the construction of a holistic, practical and sustainable service model based on the unification of content, service and member resources from both virtual and physical spaces. This model can be applied to provide benefits and personalisation services for loyal members and to strengthen the promotion and marketing performance of museums. This member-centred virtual framework consists of three layers: the unified resource management, member-centred service linkage and personalisation service, and the member-oriented virtual/physical hybrid service layers. A practical case of such a digital museum project in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan is presented to demonstrate the concrete feasibility of the proposed framework. The sustainability issues and gap analysis are also discussed in this research.
Preserving the Original Layout of Ancient Chinese Texts Using HTML5: Using Shuowen Jiezi as an Example
Authors: Yap Cheah-Shen
Published: February 2013

We have developed a software platform for converting the Chinese classics into a digital format which the original layout is preserved. This method of conversion allows those that are not experts in classical Chinese literature, even those that do not understand Chinese, to partake in the proof-reading process. Since this kind of application involves complicated manipulation of 2D graphics, in the past, we have no choice but writing a native desktop program, with the introduction of CANVAS tag to the HTML 5 standards, we are able to move our code from desktop to browser without any plug-in or JAVA applet. The cost of cross-platform development and maintenance is greatly reduced. In order to clarify the various elements involved in the conversion and proof-reading process, we will use Duan Yu Cai's compilation of the Shuowen Jiezi 1 as an example throughout this paper.
The Use of Digital Images Recording Historical Sites and ‘Spirit of Place’: A Case Study of Xuejia Tzu-chi Temple
Authors: Tseng Yung-Kuan , Chen Hong-Kun , Hsu Pi-Yen
Published: February 2013

ICOMOS emphasised in the 2008 Québec Declaration that the ‘Spirit of Place,’ possessed by monuments and sites, must be preserved, the idea spread and promoted, and that digital technology should be extensively utilised. Xuejia Tzu-chi Temple in Taiwan, an ancestral temple that inherited the traditional belief of Bao Sheng Da Di ([Formula: see text], God of medicine) from Baijiao ([Formula: see text]), holds much religious significance and is crucial to the residents' spiritual sustenance and community. Among those objects preserved in this temple are the intricate Ye Wang's Koji potteries as well as various other precious cultural relics, making the palace an important research base for Taiwan's traditional arts. As such, religion, society, art and other elements coalesce to form the unique spirit of place of the Tzu-chi Temple. This study, under the principle of continuity in space, focuses on the temple square, corridors spanning different areas, the pantheon, and uses ‘image-based interactive panoramic imaging technology’ to capture a total of 45 spatial scenes, recording the overall spatial construct and the paths within which the space could move, completing the spirit of space of the object, and recording the track of space. Then setting this as the basis for establishing a recording of various activities of the humanities and for preserving the spirit of place of the Xuejia Tzu-chi Temple for future generations, we hope that the results of this study will provide various relevant types of digital recording for research on spatial construct in monuments.
The New Taipei City Artist Map Project: The Compilation and Promotion of the Greater Danshui Artist Map
Authors: Hsieh Yung-Cheng , Cheng Ssu-Yu
Published: February 2013

‘The Compilation and Promotion of the Greater Danshui Artist Map’ is the first-stage plan from the ‘New Taipei City Artist Map Project’ by Culture Affairs Bureau of New Taipei C ity. The goal of this project, named ‘One Year, One Village’, is to conduct field survey, in-depth interviews, artwork digitisation and promotional events on artists and art villages within Ney Taipei City. Information from the research and its resulting digitised visual and audio contents will become the foundation for future development and production of arts emerging from the growing cultural originality in New Taipei C ity. In addition to utilizing the traditional ‘direct observation’ approaches to obtain first-hand information and establish contacts with local artists, the research also takes on a field survey approach to conduct verbal interviews and complete digital photographs of artists’ artworks. The combination of these methods had achieved a complete and accessible artist archive for the Greater Danshui. Using the surveyed results and digital content, the Greater Danshui artists map website, ( http://artist-map.ntpc.gov.tw/sd_/ ) was completed and a pamphlet for arts of Greater Danshui was published.