bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vibration control and shock absorption techniques for Hi‐Tech manufacturing plants
Authors: Shih Ming‐Hsiang , Sung Wen‐Pei , Chen Chang‐Liang
Published: November 2010

The Hi‐Tech industrial plant that houses manufacturing processes of high precision requires much more vibration‐proof and earthquake‐proof structures than conventional plants. Taiwan is densely populated in limited space so that the Hi‐Tech industry does not have too much leeway for locating the manufacturing plant at locations that are away from sources of vibration. Hence, strengthening the capacity of Hi‐Tech plant structures to resist vibration is of primary importance to Hi‐Tech industries. In this research, the TFT‐LCD plant structure is selected for improving its shock absorption capability by replacing the braces at soft floor of the structure with Viscous Damper (VD) and Velocity and Displacement Hydraulic Damper (VDHD). The reinforced structure is then subject to vibrations of various accelerations for analysing the dynamics and efficiency of vibration reduction. The results show that: (1) When subject to micro vibration, VD and VDHD that have similar capabilities in controlling displacement and responding to acceleration are more effective than Buckling Resistant Bracing, BRB; (2) When subject to medium vibration, VD, BRB and VDHD show tremendous improvements in controlling the momentum of story drift or slab acceleration. However, BRB shows buckling that may lead to permanent structural deformation whereas the overflow occurs in the Relief valve of VDHD causing the energy‐dissipating viscosity of VDHD from a VD‐like to BRB‐like behavior; (3) Under strong vibration, when the maximum force of a VD exceeds its design value, the VD has inferior capacity than BRB and VDHD in reducing acceleration. The VDHD always has smaller acceleration response than BRB because the former has damping effect under strong vibration. The results obtained in this research will obtain the suitability of VDHD in reducing vibration and confirm its superior vibration reduction capability. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deformation capacity of ultra‐high strength concrete flexural elements subjected to inelastic load reversals
Authors: Elmenshawi Abdelsamie , Brown Tom
Published: November 2010

Ductility and plastic rotational capacity of flexural elements constructed with concrete strengths up to 175 MPa were investigated experimentally. Ten exterior beam–column sub‐assemblages were tested under cyclic displacements that represented a severe seismic event. The test variables included the concrete strength, the bottom/top reinforcement ratio, the transverse reinforcement ratio, and the shear‐span‐to‐depth ratio. The increase of concrete brittleness with the higher strength concretes did not inhibit the reinforced concrete flexural elements from attaining comparable ductility and deformation capacity with respect to counterpart elements constructed with normal strength concrete. However, the maximum concrete strength that could be used in achieving highly ductile elements depended on the other test variables of the beam element including the bottom/top reinforcement ratio, the transverse reinforcement ratio in the hinge region, and the shear‐span‐to‐depth ratio. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance‐based seismic design of complicated tall building structures beyond the code specification
Authors: Wei Li , Qing‐Ning Li
Published: November 2010

Performance‐based seismic design (PBSD) has been widely recognized as an ideal method for use in the future practice of seismic design. This paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the current seismic design code in China. Suggesting the tall building structures beyond the code specification (TBBC), applying PBSD method due to its many advantages of PBSD and aiming TBBC characteristics, a PBSD flowchart is presented and the proposed code is described. Structural seismic performance objectives, performance levels and the main method to implementation of PBSD have been presented. Site feasibility requirements, conceptual design scopes and basic rules have been proposed. Performance objective‐oriented procedures for preliminary design and seismic performance evaluation have been presented. Suggestions on seismic performance criteria and the evaluation of new TBBC have been made. In order to verify the feasibility of PBSD for application of TBBC, a typical case study has also been conducted. It is believed that PBSD methodology will bring a new era to engineering practices with increased confidence in, and reliability on, seismic performance and safety. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The clinical importance of testosterone in men with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Hackett Geoff
Published: November 2010

Although the association of low testosterone with type 2 diabetes is well established, testosterone levels are not routinely measured in diabetic patients. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd
Prenatal management of congenital infantile fibrosarcoma: unexpected outcome
Authors: Dumont C. , Monforte M. , Flandrin A. , Couture A. , Tichit R. , Boulot P.
Published: November 2010

We report the case of a large leg tumor in a fetus at 36 weeks of gestation. The tumor's location, ultrasound characteristics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings enabled a prenatal diagnosis of congenital fibrosarcoma and allowed us to establish the prognosis. After multidisciplinary discussion, it was decided that the pregnancy should continue to 38 weeks, with surgery or neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy scheduled after delivery. Unfortunately, the tumor unexpectedly burst in utero and the newborn died of the consequences of hemorrhagic shock, despite rapid amputation. Histological examination confirmed the nature of the tumor. The prognosis of congenital fibrosarcoma is generally good when there are no metastases. MRI is key to establishing a prenatal diagnosis. However, rupture of the tumor can result in fatal hemorrhaging and the pregnancy should be monitored closely before scheduled delivery. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non‐invasive pulsed cavitational ultrasound for fetal tissue ablation: feasibility study in a fetal sheep model
Authors: Kim Y. , Gelehrter S. K. , Fifer C. G. , Lu J. C. , Owens G. E. , Berman D. R. , Williams J. , Wilkinson J. E. , Ives K. A. , Xu Z.
Published: November 2010

Objectives

Currently available fetal intervention techniques rely on invasive procedures that carry inherent risks. A non‐invasive technique for fetal intervention could potentially reduce the risk of fetal and obstetric complications. Pulsed cavitational ultrasound therapy (histotripsy) is an ablation technique that mechanically fractionates tissue at the focal region using extracorporeal ultrasound. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using histotripsy as a non‐invasive approach to fetal intervention in a sheep model.

Methods

The experiments involved 11 gravid sheep at 102–129 days of gestation. Fetal kidney, liver, lung and heart were exposed to ultrasound pulses (< 10 µs) delivered by an external 1‐MHz focused ultrasound transducer at a 0.2–1‐kHz pulse‐repetition rate and 10–16 MPa peak negative pressure. Procedures were monitored and guided by real‐time ultrasound imaging. Treated organs were examined by gross and histological inspection for location and degree of tissue injury.

Results

Hyperechoic, cavitating bubble clouds were successfully generated in 19/31 (61%) treatment attempts in 27 fetal organs beneath up to 8 cm of overlying tissue and fetal bones. Histological assessment confirmed lesion locations and sizes corresponding to regions where cavitation was monitored, with no lesions found when cavitation was absent. Inability to generate cavitation was primarily associated with increased depth to target and obstructing structures such as fetal limbs.

Conclusion

Extracorporeal histotripsy therapy successfully created targeted lesions in fetal sheep organs without significant damage to overlying structures. With further improvements, histotripsy may evolve into a viable technique for non‐invasive fetal intervention procedures. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical implications of intra‐ and interobserver reproducibility of transvaginal sonographic measurement of gestational sac and crown–rump length at 6–9 weeks' gestation
Authors: Pexsters A. , Luts J. , Van Schoubroeck D. , Bottomley C. , Van Calster B. , Van Huffel S. , Abdallah Y. , D'Hooghe T. , Lees C. , Timmerman D. , Bourne T.
Published: November 2010

Objectives

To assess intra‐ and interobserver agreement of routinely performed measurements—crown–rump length (CRL) and mean gestational sac diameter (MSD)—for assessing the likelihood of miscarriage in the first trimester of pregnancy using transvaginal sonography.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study of CRL and gestational sac measurements in first‐trimester pregnancies was conducted in a fetal medicine referral center with a predominantly Caucasian population. Gestational age ranged from 6 to 9 weeks. All patients underwent a transvaginal ultrasound examination using a high‐resolution ultrasound machine. Two measurements of CRL and measurements of three diameters of the gestational sac were obtained by two observers. Agreement within and between observers for CRL and between observers for MSD was analyzed using 95% prediction intervals, Bland–Altman plots with 95% limits of agreement and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

In total 54 patients were included in the study, with measurements obtained by both observers in 44 of these. Intra‐ and interobserver ICCs were high for CRL measurements, with values of 0.992 and 0.993 for intraobserver agreement and 0.993 for interobserver agreement. For the MSD, the interobserver ICC was 0.952. Limits of agreement were ± 8.91 and ± 11.37% for intraobserver agreement of CRL and ± 14.64% for interobserver agreement of CRL. For MSD, the interobserver limits of agreement were ± 18.78%. For an MSD measurement of 20 mm by the first observer, the prediction interval for the second observer was 16.8–24.5 mm. For a CRL measurement of 6 mm, the prediction interval for the second observer was 5.4–6.7 mm.

Conclusion

For dating purposes, there is reasonable reproducibility of CRL measurements using transvaginal ultrasonography at 6–9 weeks' gestation. When diagnosing miscarriage based on measurements of CRL care must be taken for values close to any decision boundary. The higher interobserver variability that we observed for MSD has implications for the diagnosis of miscarriage based on this measurement in the absence of a visible embryo or yolk sac. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Plan B: Boxes for networked resources
Authors: Ballesteros Francisco J. , Muzquiz Gorka Guardiola , Algara Katia Leal , Soriano Enrique , de las Heras Quirós Pedro , Castro Eva M. , Leonardo Andres , Arévalo Sergio
Published: November 2010

Nowadays computing environments are made of heterogeneous networked resources, but unlike environments used a decade ago, the current environments are highly dynamic. During a computing session, new resources are likely to appear and some are likely to go online or to move to some other place. The operating system is supposed to hide most of the complexity of such environments and make it easy to write applications using them. However, that is not the case with our current operating systems. Plan B is a new operating system that attempts to allow the applications and their programmers select and use whatever resources are available without forcing them to deal with the problems created by their dynamic distributed and heterogeneous environments. It does so by using constraints along with a new abstraction used to replace the traditional le abstraction.
Structuring reflective middleware using meta-informationmanagement: The Meta-ORB approach and prototypes
Authors: Costa Fábio M. , Santos Bruno da Silva
Published: November 2010

Reflection is now an established technique for achieving dynamic adaptability of middleware platforms. It provides a clean and comprehensive way to access the internals of a platform implementation, allowing its customisation in order to achieve the best performance and adequacy under given operation environments and user requirements. In addition, the use of a runtime component model for the design of the internal platform structure facilitates the identification of the elements to be adapted, as all platform aspects are built in terms of components. The major limitation of this approach, however, is related to the multitude of aspects that make up a middleware platform, together with the requirement of keeping platform consistency after adaptations take place. This paper presents the results of ongoing research contributing to reduce this limitation. The approach is based on the use of a common meta-model, together with meta-information techniques to provide a uniform way to specify and manipulate platform configurations. Both platform configuration and runtime adaptation are always specified using a small number of building blocks defined in the meta-model. The paper also describes the overall architecture of the Meta-ORB platform, which demonstrates this approach, and presents its two implementations: a proof-of-concept prototype written in Python, and a Java-based implementation aimed at supporting mobile devices. The results are also evaluated from a quantitative perspective, according to the requirements of multimedia applications, one of the major areas of application of reflective middleware.
Assessing agile methods: An empirical study
Authors: Sampaio Américo , Vasconcelos Alexandre , Sampaio Pedro R. Falcone
Published: November 2010

Agile software processes emerged to address the issue of building software on time and within the planned budget. To adopt an agile process, it is imperative to analyze and evaluate its effectiveness in supporting high quality software development while complying with stringent time constraints. In this paper we describe an agile method for Web-based application development (XWebProcess) and an experiment conducted with a group of forty senior undergraduate students to assess the quality/speed effectiveness of the proposed method vis-à-vis the effectiveness of Extreme Programming (XP). The results have shown that the process proposed is equally agile when compared to XP, moreover, surveys conducted as part of the experiment pointed out that XWebProcess is more suitable to Web development in dimensions such as requirements gathering, user interface and navigation design, and software testing, therefore leading to better quality software.
Application of a formal testing methodology to wireless telephony networks
Authors: Cavalli Ana , Mederreg Amel , Zaidi Fatiha
Published: November 2010

This paper presents the application of a formal testing methodology to protocols and services for wireless telephony networks. The methodology provides a complete and integrated coverage of all phases of the testing procedure: specification, test generation, and test execution on a given architecture. It permits to perform conformance and interoperability testing detecting different kinds of implementation faults, as for instance output and transmission faults. The test execution is performed in the framework of a set of architectures capable to deal with different environments.

Telecommunication systems and mobility are the main focus of the application presented in this paper. Two case studies illustrates the application of the methodology to a wireless telephone network: conformance and interoperability testing of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) protocols and services based on the subscriber location.
Local DNA sequence alignment in a cluster of workstations: Algorithms and tools
Authors: Melo Alba Cristina M. A. , Walter Maria Emilia M. T. , Melo Renata Cristina F. , Santana Marcelo N. P. , Batista Rodolfo B.
Published: November 2010

Distributed Shared Memory systems allow the use of the shared memory programming paradigm in distributed architectures where no physically shared memory exist. Scope consistent software DSMs provide a relaxed memory model that reduces the coherence overhead by ensuring consistency only at synchronization operations, on a per-lock basis. Much of the work in DSM systems is validated by benchmarks and there are only a few examples of real parallel applications running on DSM systems. Sequence comparison is a basic operation in DNA sequencing projects, and most of sequence comparison methods used are based on heuristics, that are faster but do not produce optimal alignments. Recently, many organisms had their DNA entirely sequenced, and this reality presents the need for comparing long DNA sequences, which is a challenging task due to its high demands for computational power and memory. In this article, we present and evaluate a parallelization strategy for implementing a sequence alignment algorithm for long sequences. This strategy was implemented in JIAJIA, a scope consistent software DSM system. Our results on an eight-machine cluster presented good speedups, showing that our parallelization strategy and programming support were appropriate.
Efficient and robust adaptive consensus services based on oracles
Authors: Sampaio Lívia , Brasileiro Francisco , Nunes Raul Ceretta , Jansch-Pôrto Ingrid
Published: November 2010

Due to their fundamental role in the design of fault-tolerant distributed systems, consensus protocols have been widely studied. Most of the research in this area has focused on providing ways for circumventing the impossibility of reaching consensus on a purely asynchronous system subject to failures. Of particular interest are the indulgent consensus protocols based upon weak failure detection oracles. Following the first works that were more concerned with the correctness of such protocols, performance issues related to them are now a topic that has gained considerable attention. In particular, a few studies have been conducted to analyze the impact that the quality of service of the underlying failure detection oracle has on the performance of consensus protocols. To achieve better performance, adaptive failure detectors have been proposed. Also, slowness oracles have been proposed to allow consensus protocols to adapt themselves to the changing conditions of the environment, enhancing their performance when there are substantial changes on the load to which the system is exposed. In this paper we further investigate the use of these oracles to design efficient consensus services. In particular, we provide efficient and robust implementations of slowness oracles based on techniques that have been previously used to implement adaptive failure detection oracles. Our experiments on a wide-area distributed system show that by using a slowness oracle that is well matched with a failure detection oracle, one can achieve performance as much as 53.5% better than the alternative that does not use a slowness oracle.
A modeling methodology for hierarchical control system and its aplication
Authors: Lollini Paolo , Bondavalli Andrea , Giandomenico Felicita Di
Published: November 2010

Current and future computerized systems and infrastructures are going to be based on the layering of different systems, designed at different times, with different technologies and components and difficult to integrate. Control systems and resource management systems are increasingly employed in such large and heterogeneous environment as a parallel infrastructure to allow an efficient, dependable and scalable usage of the system components. System complexity comes out to be a paramount challenge to solve from a number of different viewpoints, including dependability modeling and evaluation. Key directions to deal with system complexity are abstraction and hierarchical structuring of the system functionalities. This paper addresses the issue of an efficient dependability evaluation by a model-based approach of hierarchical control and resource management systems. We exploited the characteristics of this specific, but important, class of systems and derived a modeling methodology that is not only directed to build models in a compositional way, but it also includes some capabilities to reduce their solution complexity. The modeling methodology and the resolution technique are then applied to a case study consisting of a resource management system developed in the context of the ongoing European project CAUTION++. The results obtained are useful to understand the impact of several system component factors on the dependability of the overall system instance.
Automatic formation and analysis of multi-agent virtual organization
Authors: Zheng Qinhe , Zhang Xiaoqin
Published: November 2010

Virtual organization refers to the temporary teaming of enterprises. By sharing physical, human and knowledge resources via information technologies, a virtual organization enables member enterprises to share skills, costs, access to one another’s markets and, at the same time decrease the risk of investments. To realize this new generation of business model, the ability to form and operate virtual enterprise is very important. The paper describes our experience gained by implementing a multiagent system that simulates an artificial marketplace, for which we have derived several decision-making mechanisms in various stages of a virtual organization. We presented a negotiation protocol and a bid selection algorithm for agents to form a virtual organization. We adopted the Motivational Quantities framework to support the agent’s local reasoning process. In order to better understand the organizational problem, we adapted a statistical model that predicts the expected rewards of individual agents and the performance of the virtual organization. The comparison and analysis of the results from both the simulation and the model prediction are also presented in this paper.
On the design of ontology-driven workflow flexibilization mechanisms
Authors: Vieira Tatiana A. S. C. , Casanova Marco A. , Ferrão Luis G.
Published: November 2010

Workflow management systems usually interpret a workflow definition rigidly. However, there are real life situations where users should be allowed to deviate from the prescribed static workflow definition for various reasons, including lack of information and unavailability of the required resources. To flexibilize workflow execution, this paper first proposes mechanisms that allow execution to proceed in the presence of incomplete information, by adopting presuppositions, and in the presence of negative information, by suggesting execution alternatives. Then, the paper presents an architecture for a workflow system, driven by ontologies that capture semantic relationships between workflows and resources. The architecture includes a component which uses matching techniques to find alternatives for workflows and resources.
Ecolingua: a Formal ontology for data in ecology
Authors: Brilhante Virgínia
Published: November 2010

Ecolingua is an ontology for ecological quantitative data, which has been designed through reuse of a conceptualisation of quantities and their physical dimensions provided by theEngMath family of ontologies. A hierarchy of ecological quantity classes is presented together with their definition axioms in first-order logic. An implementation-level application of the ontology is discussed, by way of which conceptual ecological models are synthesised from data annotations inEcolingua through reuse of existing model structures.
Using a Functional Ontology Of Reputation to interoperate different agent reputation models
Authors: Casare Sara , Sichman Jaime Simão
Published: November 2010

This paper presents a Functional Ontology of Reputation that could be used as a common shared reputation knowledge by agents. Although there is a huge work on agent reputation, each research defines its own basic concepts. Sometimes different meanings are associated to the same term and in other occasions the same meaning is related to different terms. We claim that the reputation knowledge structured as an ontology could be used to enable the semantic integration level involved in the interoperation of software agents using different reputation models. We have illustrated this idea by showing a semantic mapping for the reputation concepts used in three distinct reputation models. That mapping shows how this ontology could act as a common global ontology that supports the semantic integration among these models.
On synthesizing test cases in symbolic real-time testing
Authors: Khoumsi Ahmed
Published: November 2010

Test synthesis (or test generation) can be described as follows: from a formal specification of an implementation under test (IUT), and from a test purpose describing behaviors to be tested, the aim is to synthesize test cases to be executed in order to check whether theIUTconforms to its formal specification, while trying to control theIUTso that it satisfies the test purpose. In this paper, we study the synthesis of test cases for symbolic real-time systems. By symbolic, we mean that the specification of theIUTcontains variables and parameters. And by realtime, we mean that the specification of theIUTcontains timing constraints. Our method combines and generalizes two testing methods presented in previous work, namely: 1) a method for synthesizing test cases for (non-symbolic) real-time systems, and 2) a method for synthesizing test cases for (non-real-time) symbolic systems.
Effect of Diacylglycerol Supplementation on Fasting Serum Triacylglycerol Concentration: a Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Wang Wenliang , Xu Tongcheng , Li Xia , Zhu Qingjun , Cheng Anwei , Du Fangling , Li Duo
Published: November 2010

Diacylglycerol (DAG) supplementation has been shown to be associated with the reduction of fasting serum triacylglycerol (TAG) concentration, although the extent of the association is uncertain. We quantitatively examined the effect of dietary DAG on fasting serum TAG concentration by conducting a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Potential papers were searched from electronic databases of Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library. Information was extracted and the net change of fasting serum TAG concentration was used as the primary outcome to examine the effect of DAG in Review Manager 4.2. Six papers with seven independent studies (298 subjects) were included into the statistic pooling. Meta‐analysis with random effect model showed that DAG did not reduce the fasting serum TAG concentration (WMD: −0.07 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.21 to 0.08 mmol/L; P = 0.37). Sensitivity analysis indicated the robustness of overall results. Fail‐safe number analysis indicated that 18 studies with positive effect were necessary to reverse the reported non‐significant efficacy of DAG. Weight estimation analysis indicated that the effect of DAG was influenced to some extent by the initial fasting serum TAG concentration. In conclusion, DAG supplementation did not reduce the fasting serum TAG concentration significantly compared with TAG, but some effects were suggested in diabetic patients with hypertriglyceridemia.
Selectively Hydrogenated Soybean Oil Exerts Strong Anti‐Prostate Cancer Activities
Authors: Jung Mun Yhung , Choi Nak Jin , Oh Chan Ho , Shin Hyun Kyung , Yoon Suk Hoo
Published: November 2010

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of male deaths due to cancer in the United States. Hydrogenated vegetable oils have been suspected of inducing adverse health effects, including atherosclerosis and cancer. Here we report that a selectively hydrogenated soybean oil (SHSO) containing a high quantity of conjugated linoleic acids showed remarkably strong anticarcinogenic activity against prostate cancer in the rat model (Copenhagen rats with MAT‐LyLu syngeneic rat prostate cancer cells) study in vivo and human prostate carcinoma cell lines studies in vitro, as compared with native soybean oil. A 5% dietary supplementation with SHSO inhibited the growth of prostate cancer by 80% in vivo. The TUNEL method and immunohistochemical staining assays of bax, bcl‐2, and survivin clearly showed that SHSO induced prostate cancer cell apoptosis in the tested rats. DNA fragmentation analysis in vitro further confirmed the apoptotic activity of SHSO on the MAT‐LyLu prostate cancer cells. The SHSO also showed strong cytotoxicity on human prostate cancer cells (DU145 and PC3). This represents the first report demonstrating the significant anticancer activities of hydrogenated vegetable oils at low levels of dietary supplementation.
Effect of Bene Kernel Oil on the Frying Stability of Canola Oil
Authors: Sharayei Parvin , Farhoosh Reza , Poorazrang Hashem , Khodaparast Mohammad Hossein Haddad
Published: November 2010

Canola oil (CAO) with (0.05–0.4%) and without added bene kernel oil (BKO) and tert‐butylhydroquinone (TBHQ, 100 ppm) was used for deep‐fat frying of potatoes at 180 °C for 48 h. Frying stability of the oil samples during the frying process was measured based on the variations of total polar compounds (TPC) content, conjugated diene value (CDV), acid value (AV), carbonyl value (CV) and total tocopherols (TT). In general, frying stability of the CAO significantly (P < 0.05) improved in the presence of the TBHQ and BKO. The best frying performance for the CAO was obtained by using of 100 ppm TBHQ and 0.1% BKO. The effectiveness of TBHQ and BKO at these levels was found to be nearly the same. Increasing the level of BKO from 0.1 to 0.4% caused a decrease in the oxidative stability of the CAO, indicating the pro‐oxidant effect of the oils added at these levels.
Cytoreductive Nephrectomy Preceding Adjuvant Immunotherapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: 8 Years' Experience in a UK Tertiary Referral Centre
Authors: Martenstein Christian , Phipps Simon , Nabi Ghulam , Riddick Anthony , McLaren Duncan , McNeill Alan
Published: November 2010

Objective:

We report a tertiary referral centre's experience of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) combined with immunotherapy as part of multimodality treatment for metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) over a period of 8 years.

Patients and methods:

Patients who underwent CN as part of multimodality treatment for mRCC were identified from our nephrectomy database. Demographic characteristics, oncological outcome, reasons for failure to start or to complete immunotherapy, pathological findings and a comparison between open and laparo-scopic CN were evaluated.

Results:

Forty patients underwent CN for mRCC preceding immunotherapy. 26 (65%) failed to receive immunotherapy. This was most commonly due to poor performance status postoperatively (12/26, 46%). 14 patients (35%) received immunotherapy following surgery and 9 (23%) patients completed treatment. Laparoscopic CN was associated with a significantly lower blood loss, shorter hospital stay and lower rate of transfusion than the open approach.

Conclusion:

Patients are at significant risk of failure to proceed to adjuvant immunotherapy following CN for mRCC, most commonly due to poor performance status postoperatively. Laparoscopic CN is shown to be safe and effective in well-selected patients. As new targeted treatments for mRCC emerge and their use in combination with CN is evaluated, a detailed and multidisciplinary approach to selection of these patients will continue to be crucial.
Delayed puberty in prenatally glucocorticoid administered female rats occurs independently of the hypothalamic Kiss1–Kiss1r–GnRH system
Authors: Iwasa Takeshi , Matsuzaki Toshiya , Murakami Masahiro , Kinouchi Riyo , Gereltsetseg Ganbat , Yamamoto Satoshi , Kuwahara Akira , Yasui Toshiyuki , Irahara Minoru
Published: November 2010

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is an important risk factor for the pathogenesis of diseases after birth. Long‐lasting alterations in the structure and function of tissues and the neuroendocrine system, which are known as ‘programming effects’, increase the risks of these diseases. To investigate the pathophysiology of programming effects, several kinds of IUGR rodent models have been used in experiments. Sexual maturation and the onset of puberty are delayed in these models. We have previously reported that decreased action of hypothalamic kisspeptin, which is a positive regulator of GnRH, contributes to the delayed onset of puberty in undernutrition‐induced IUGR rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the hypothalamic Kiss1–Kiss1r–GnRH system is also altered in dexamethasone‐induced IUGR rats. Compared with offspring from an untreated mother (control), offspring from a dexamethasone administered mother (DEX) showed a significant reduction in body weight throughout the experimental period (from birth to the prepubertal period) and the delayed onset of puberty. There were no significant differences between the control and DEX groups with regard to their hypothalamic Kiss1, Kiss1r, GnRH, CRH, NPY and POMC mRNA levels during the experimental period or their serum LH, FSH, or leptin concentrations at postnatal day 28 or vaginal opening (VO). Compared with the control, DEX showed significantly lower ovarian weight at postnatal day 28, but not at VO. These results suggested that the delayed onset of puberty induced by maternal dexamethasone administration would occur independently of hypothalamic Kiss1–Kiss1r–GnRH system.
Mechanism of formation of superdeep sedimentary basins: lithospheric stretching or eclogitization?
Authors: Artyushkov E.V.
Published: November 2010

The superdeep North Caspian, South Caspian, and Barents basins have their sedimentary fill much thicker and the Moho, correspondingly, much deeper than it is required for crustal subsidence by lithospheric stretching. In the absence of large gravity anomalies, this crustal structure indicates the presence under the Moho of a thick layer of eclogite which is denser than mantle peridotite. Crustal subsidence in the basins can be explained by high-grade metamorphism of mafic lower crust. The basins produced by lithospheric stretching normally subside for the first ∼100 myr of their history, while at least half of the subsidence in the three basins occurred after that period, which is another evidence against the stretching formation mechanism. According to the seismic reflection profiling data, stretching can be responsible for only a minor part of the subsidence in the Caspian and Barents basins. As for the South Caspian basin, there has been a large recent subsidence event in a setting of compression. Therefore, eclogitization appears to be a realistic mechanism of crustal subsidence in superdeep basins.
Sillimanite group minerals: a new promising raw material for the Russian aluminum industry
Authors: Lepezin G.G. , Kargopolov S.A. , Zhirakovskii V.Yu.
Published: November 2010

The raw-material base of the Russian aluminum industry is considered. The raw materials include common (bauxites, nepheline syenites) and uncommon (nepheline ores, synnyrites, anorthosites, power-and-heating plant ashes, kaolines) types of ores. With regard to many criteria (reserves and quality of ores, technology of their processing, etc.), the problem of alumina deficit can be solved by mining sillimanite group minerals Al2SiO5 (wt.%: Al2O3 = 62.9, SiO2 = 37.1), namely, andalusite, sillimanite, and kyanite. Their proved reserves converted to the final product (aluminum) exceed 400 mln tons. This will be enough for more than a hundred years provided that aluminum is produced in the present-day output (4 mln tons in 2008). Almost all deposits can be explored by strip mining, with application of the gravitation, flotation, and electromagnetic separation methods for ore dressing. The alumina content in concentrates reaches 60–62 wt.%. Only high-grade bauxites and the above concentration methods can ensure such a high yield of Al2O3. Sillimanite group minerals can be processed together with nepheline ores by sintering or be used for the direct electrothermal production of silumin and aluminum, excluding the alumina production stage. The latter method is the most promising in Russia.
Local environment and valence state of iron in microinclusions in fibrous diamonds: X-ray absorption and Mössbauer data
Authors: Shiryaev A.A. , Zubavichus Y.V. , Veligzhanin A.A. , McCammon C.
Published: November 2010

Iron valence state and local environment in a set of fibrous diamonds from Brazilian and Congolese placers were investigated using X-ray absorption and Mössbauer spectroscopies. It is shown that the diamonds could be divided into two main groups differing in the type of dominant Fe-bearing inclusions. In the first group Fe is mostly trivalent and is present in octahedral coordination; diamonds from the second group contain a mixture of Fe2+ and Fe3+, most likely with Fe2+ in dodecahedral coordination. A few other diamonds contain iron in a more reduced state: The presence of metallic Fe and Fe3O4 is inferred from XAS measurements. Spatially resolved XANES and Mössbauer measurements on polished diamond plates show that in some cases the Fe valence state may change considerably between the core and rim, whereas in other cases Fe speciation and valence remain constant. It is shown that Fe valence does not correlate with water and/or carbonate content or ratio, suggesting that iron is a minor element in the growth medium of fibrous diamonds and plays a passive role. This study suggests that, when present, evolution of the C isotopic composition with diamond growth is largely due to changes in chemistry of the growth medium and not due to variations of fO2.
Reconstructing Theatre: the Globe under Dominic Dromgoole
Authors: Cornford Tom
Published: November 2010

In this article Tom Cornford examines the policy of extending and adapting the permanent stage of Shakespeare's Globe for each new production, as pursued by Dominic Dromgoole since the beginning of his tenure as Artistic Director in 2006. The article responds initially to John Russell Brown's equation in NTQ 102 of a particular kind of ‘intimate’ acting with ‘small theatres’. Cornford resists this conflation of acting and building, seeing in it a tendency to obscure both the role of reconstructed theatres to challenge contemporary notions of the ‘rightness’ of theatre spaces and the role of directors and actors to convert their apparent problems into opportunities. He explores the transformation of the Globe since 2006, using interviews given by Dromgoole and the directors working with the Globe's research team to critique the theory underpinning the ‘permanently temporary’ alterations to the theatre, and takes the evidence of performances to examine their use of the space in practice. Cornford offers a selection of staging solutions to the apparent ‘problems’ identified by Dromgoole and his team, and proposes an alternative model of reconstruction: not the rebuilding of the theatre, but the constant reviewing of theatre practice, including training. Tom Cornford is a freelance director and teacher of acting for the Guthrie Theater/University of Minnesota BFA Program, the Actors' Centre in London, and Globe Education at Shakespeare's Globe. He was, until recently, Artist in Residence at the CAPITAL Centre in the University of Warwick, where he is undertaking PhD research.
Relive the Virtual: an Analysis of Unplugged Performance Installations
Authors: Vanderbeeken Robrecht
Published: November 2010

Can retro media make us relive the virtual from digital media? Following McLuhan's thesis that the proper characteristics of a medium are revealed through remediation, it could well be that retro media re-enacting digital media can make explicit what the concept ‘virtual’ entails. Two recent works analyzed in this article take as their starting point antique theatrical techniques (the ballet pulley, the panorama) to evoke optical illusions, not to stage another illusion but for other purposes. Both works, which have no actual connection with cyberspace, include non-narrative interplay with antiquated technological installations that generate a challenging experience for the contemporary spectator in a digital era. The performance-installation I / II / III / IIII by Kris Verdonck stages a repetition in time in which the viewer gets trapped. By reviving virtual features into real ones and presenting them in replay-mode, the viewer discovers how a variation of sameness can evoke significant differences, or how identity arises due to a repetition in time. Hans Op de Beeck's installation Location (6) displays an all-round view in a real but generic space that induces the spectator's performative power – like an avatar, able to dwell in the virtuality of personal imagination. Robrecht Vanderbeeken has published on a variety of topics, including metaphysics, philosophy of technology, and aesthetics. Formerly a researcher in the Theory Department of the Jan van Eyck Academy, he now teaches at the Royal Academy of Fine Art at University College Ghent (KASK), and is currently researching the philosophical implications of technological innovations in art and culture.
North Star and Southern Cross: Shakespeare's Comedies in Australia, 1903–1904
Authors: Kelly Veronica
Published: November 2010

Michael Gow's celebrated play Away (1986) commences with a tatty school version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Set in the era of anti-Vietnam War protests, Away ironically salutes the iconic performance traditions of the ‘romantic’ Dream. At the Prince's Theatre, Manchester, in 1901–02, actor-manager Robert Courtneidge directed elaborate productions of this play and As You Like It, and under the management of George Musgrove toured them to Australia, where Twelfth Night was added. These productions' ensemble casting was central to Courtneidge's and Musgrove's ambitions for addressing the ‘distinctive geographies’ of regional taste. Veronica Kelly is an Honorary Research Advisor at the University of Queensland. Her book The Empire Actors: Stars of Australasian Costume Drama 1890s–1920s is published by Currency House (2010).
The hybrid procedure for the borderline left ventricle
Authors: Davis Christopher K. , Pastuszko Peter , Lamberti John , Moore John , Hanley Frank , El Said Howaida
Published: November 2010

Introduction

In patients with varying degrees of left heart hypoplasia, it is often difficult to determine whether the left heart structures are adequate in size to support biventricular circulation. Historically, the decision to pursue a single ventricle or biventricular repair needed to be made early and was often irreversible. The hybrid procedure may be a better initial approach for patients with borderline left ventricles.

Methods

We describe a series of four patients with various congenital cardiac malformations, all of whom had borderline left ventricles. Based on pre-operative echocardiograms, several scoring systems and left ventricle volumes were used to predict the optimal type of repair. A left ventricular volume of 20 millilitres per square metre was used as the minimum cut-off value for adequacy of biventricular repair.

Results

The left ventricular volumes for the patients were 17.1, 23.7, 25.4, and 25.8 millilitres per square metre. In none of the four patients were the calculations unanimous in the recommendation to pursue either type of repair. All patients underwent the hybrid procedure and then eventual single ventricle palliation (two patients) or biventricular repair (two patients). All survived with a mean follow-up of 18 plus or minus 3.9 months.

Conclusions

The hybrid procedure may be the best option in patients with a borderline left ventricle. It can serve as a bridge to a more definitive repair when patients are older, larger, and for whom the decision between single ventricle and biventricular repair can be more easily made.
QT dispersion in childhood obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
Authors: Khositseth Anant , Nantarakchaikul Palinee , Kuptanon Teeradej , Preutthipan Aroonwan
Published: November 2010

The difference between maximal and minimal QT interval and corrected QT interval defined as QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion may represent arrhythmogenic risks. This study sought to evaluate QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion in childhood obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Forty-four children (34 male) with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, aged 6.2 plus or minus 3.5 years along with 38 healthy children (25 male), 6.6 plus or minus 2.1 years underwent electrocardiography to measure QT and RR intervals. Means QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion were significantly higher in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome than controls, 52 plus or minus 27 compared to 40 plus or minus 14 milliseconds (p equal to 0.014), and 71 plus or minus 29 compared to 57 plus or minus 19 milliseconds (p equal to 0.010), respectively. Interestingly, QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome with obesity, 57 plus or minus 30 and 73 plus or minus 31 milliseconds, were significantly higher than in control, 40 plus or minus 14 and 57 plus or minus 19 milliseconds (p equal to 0.009 and 0.043, respectively). However, QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome without obesity, 43 plus or minus 20 and 68 plus or minus 26 milliseconds, were not significantly different. In conclusion, QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion were significantly increased only in childhood obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome with obesity. Obesity may be the factor affecting the increased QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion.
Post-operative accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy for adenoid cystic carcinoma
Authors: Sherriff Jennifer , Barthakur Urmila , Sanghera Paul , McConkey Christopher , Rusius Christopher , Hartley Andrew , Glaholm John
Published: November 2010

Objective: To examine the outcomes of patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) treated with post-operative accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy (AHRT).

Methods: Patients treated with AHRT (50–55 Gy in 20 fractions over 25 days) between 1997 and 2008 were identified and retrospectively analysed. Data collection included site of primary and surgical excision margin. Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and local control (LC) calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results: A total of 37 patients meeting the above criteria were identified with a median age of 55 years (range 31–79). Distribution by anatomical site was as follows: parotid 9 patients; submandibular gland 8 patients; other salivary gland tissue 20 patients. Surgical excision margins were as follows: non-involved 25 patients; microscopic involvement 7 patients; macroscopic involvement 4 patients; unknown 1 patient. Median follow-up was 59 (range 14–126) months. Five patients had local recurrence, 4 distant recurrences, and 1 both local and distant recurrence. The 5-year LC and OS rates were 81.8% (95% confidence intervals (CIs) 60.9–92.2) and 78.5% (95% CI 58.0–89.8%), respectively.

Conclusion: Outcomes with post-operative AHRT appear comparable to those in the literature. However, until more is known about the radiobiology of this rare disease, a biological equivalent of 60 Gy in 2 gray fractions without correction for accelerated repopulation should be used.
A novel approach to assess mean lethal radiation dose with water proton spin lattice relaxation times
Authors: Akber Syed F. , Kehwar Than S.
Published: November 2010

The assessment of mean lethal radiation dose (D0) in human organs, using multi-target and linear quadratic models, with water proton nuclear magnetic resonance spin lattice relaxation time yields a correlation coefficient of 0.90 and 0.82, respectively. Results of this study reveal that as the spin lattice relaxation time increases, the D0 decreases.