bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macronutrient intake affects reproduction of a predatory insect
Authors: Barry Katherine L. , Wilder Shawn M.
Published: December 2012

Prey quality has previously been shown to affect the growth and reproduction of predatory arthropods, however relatively little is known about the specific nutrients responsible for these effects. We tested if the macronutrient content (i.e. lipid and protein) of live prey affected mate attraction, reproductive behavior, egg production and nutrient reserves of adult female praying mantids, Pseudomantis albofimbriata. Females on a high‐protein diet produced more than twice as many eggs as females on a high‐lipid diet despite being fed the same overall biomass of prey. Furthermore, the lipid and protein composition of eggs and the female body was directly related to the diet that females were fed (i.e. high lipid content on the high‐lipid diet). Even more striking was the effect of diet treatment on the number of males attracted to females – only one male was attracted to females on the high‐lipid treatment and 56 males were attracted to females on the high‐protein treatment. Although it is not unexpected that females with more eggs would attract more males, the extreme nature of this difference is certainly surprising because previous studies have shown that females with only a couple of eggs can attract multiple males. Hence, our results suggest that female pheromone production may be affected by the quality/nutritional composition of eggs rather than simply the number of eggs. We found no significant difference in any of the other behaviours measured during mating trials, including the frequency of sexual cannibalism. The positive effects of prey protein content on mate attraction and egg production suggest that praying mantids might be expected to choose more protein‐biased prey in nature or, if prey choice is limited, to have higher reproductive output or population growth in communities dominated by protein‐rich prey.
Multifactorial Vascular Risk Factor Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Impairment after Stroke and TIA: A 12-month Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Ihle-Hansen Hege , Thommessen Bente , Fagerland Morten W. , Øksengård Anne R. , Wyller Torgeir B. , Engedal Knut , Fure Brynjar
Published: December 2012

Objectives

Vascular risk factor control may not only prevent stroke but also reduce the risk of dementia. We investigated whether a multifactorial intervention program reduces the incidence of cognitive symptoms one-year after stroke and transient ischemic attack in first ever stroke patients without cognitive decline prior to the stroke.

Materials and methods

Patients suffering their first ever stroke were included in this randomized, evaluator-blinded, controlled trial with two parallel groups. Baseline examination included extensive assessment of exposure to vascular risk factors and cognitive assessments regarding memory, attention, and executive function. After discharge, patients were allocated to either intensive vascular risk factor intervention or care as usual. The primary end points were changes in trail-making test A and 10-word test from baseline to 12 months follow-up.

Results

One hundred ninety-five patients were randomized. The difference between groups in trail-making test A, adjusted for baseline measurements, was 3·8 s (95% confidence interval: −4·2 to 11·9; P = 0·35) in favor of the intervention group. The difference between groups in the 10-word recall test was 1·1 words (95% confidence interval: −0·5 to 2·7; P = 0·17) in favor of the intervention group. We did not observe any differences in the secondary outcomes of incident dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

Conclusions

We could not demonstrate cognitive effects of an intensive risk factor intervention at one-year poststroke. Longer follow-up and a more heterogeneous study sample might have lead to larger effects. More effective methods for managing the risk of further cognitive decline after stroke are needed.
Oil price shocks and stock market in oil‐exporting countries: evidence from Iran stock market
Authors: Oskooe Seyyed Ali Paytakhti
Published: December 2012

This study adopts causality in mean and variance approach to investigate dynamic relationship between stock market in an oil‐exporting country (Iran) and the international oil market. The empirical results imply that in view of underlying data‐generating process of the series, the variance of oil price fluctuations does not cause the variance of Iran stock returns. This means that there is no volatility spillover effect between Iran stock market and international oil market.
A geochronological and petrological study of anatectic paragneiss and associated granite dykes from the Day Nui Con Voi metamorphic core complex, North Vietnam: constraints on the timing of metamorphism within the Red River shear zone
Authors: Palin R. M. , Searle M. P. , Waters D. J. , Parrish R. R. , Roberts N. M. W. , Horstwood M. S. A. , Yeh M.‐W. , Chung S.‐L. , Anh T. T.
Published: December 2012

The Red River shear zone (RRSZ) is a major left‐lateral strike‐slip shear zone, containing a ductilely deformed metamorphic core bounded by brittle strike‐slip and normal faults, which stretches for >1000 km from Tibet through Yunnan and North Vietnam to the South China Sea. The RRSZ exposes four high‐grade metamorphic core complexes along its length. Various lithologies from the southernmost core complex, the Day Nui Con Voi (DNCV), North Vietnam, provide new constraints on the tectonic and metamorphic evolution of this region prior to and following the initial India–Asia collision. Analysis of a weakly deformed anatectic paragneiss using P–T pseudosections constructed in the MnO–Na2O–CaO–K2O–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–TiO2–O (MnNCKFMASHTO) system provides prograde, peak and retrograde metamorphic conditions, and in situ U–Th–Pb geochronology of metamorphic monazite yields texturally controlled age constraints. Tertiary metamorphism and deformation, overprinting earlier Triassic metamorphism associated with the Indosinian orogeny and possible Cretaceous metamorphism, are characterized by peak metamorphic conditions of ~805 °C and ~8.5 kbar between c. 38 and 34 Ma. Exhumation occurred along a steep retrograde P–T path with final melt crystallizing at the solidus at ≥~5.5 kbar at ~790 °C. Further exhumation at ~640–700 °C and ~4–5 kbar at c. 31 Ma occurred at subsolidus conditions. U–Pb geochronological analysis of monazite from a strongly deformed pre‐kinematic granite dyke from the flank of the DNCV provides further evidence for exhumation at this time. Magmatic grains suggest initial emplacement at 66.0 ± 1.0 Ma prior to the India–Asia collision, whereas grains with metamorphic characteristics indicate later growth at 30.6 ± 0.4 Ma. Monazite grains from a cross‐cutting post‐kinematic dyke within the core of the DNCV antiform provide a minimum age constraint of 25.2 ± 1.4 Ma for the termination of fabric development. A separate and significant episode of monazite growth at c. 83–69 Ma is suggested to be the result of fluid‐assisted recrystallization following the emplacement of magmatic units.
The association between investigative interviewers' knowledge of question type and adherence to best‐practice interviewing
Authors: Yii Su‐Lin B. , Powell Martine B. , Guadagno Belinda
Published: December 2012

It is well established that not all investigative interviewers adhere to ‘best‐practice’ interview guidelines (i.e., the use of open‐ended questions) when interviewing child witnesses about abuse. However, little research has examined the sub skills associated with open question usage. In this article, we examined the association between investigative interviewers' ability to identify various types of questions and adherence to open‐ended questions in a standardized mock interview. Study 1, incorporating 27 trainee police interviewers, revealed positive associations between open‐ended question usage and two tasks; a recognition task where trainees used a structured protocol to guide their response and a recall task where they generated examples of open‐ended questions from memory. In Study 2, incorporating a more heterogeneous sample of 40 professionals and a different training format and range of tests, positive relationships between interviewers' identification of questions and adherence to best‐practice interviewing was consistently revealed. A measure of interviewer knowledge about what constitutes best‐practice investigative (as opposed to knowledge of question types) showed no association with interviewer performance. The implications of these findings for interviewer training programs are discussed.
Differential hippocampal gene expression is associated with climate‐related natural variation in memory and the hippocampus in food‐caching chickadees
Authors: Pravosudov V. V. , Roth T. C. , Forister M. L. , LaDage L. D. , Kramer R. , Schilkey F. , van der Linden A. M.
Published: December 2012

There is significant and often heritable variation in cognition and its underlying neural mechanisms, yet specific genetic contributions to such variation are not well characterized. Black‐capped chickadees present a good model to investigate the genetic basis of cognition because they exhibit tremendous climate‐related variation in memory, hippocampal morphology and neurogenesis rates throughout the North American continent, and these cognitive traits appear to have a heritable basis. We examined the hippocampal transcriptome profiles of laboratory‐reared chickadees from the two most divergent populations to test whether differential gene expression in the hippocampus is associated with population differences in spatial memory, hippocampal morphology and adult hippocampal neurogenesis rates. Using high‐resolution mRNA sequencing coupled to a de novo transcriptome assembly, we generated 23 295 consensus sequences, which predicted 16 206 protein sequences with 13 982 showing high similarity to known protein sequences or conserved hypothetical proteins in other species. Of these, we identified differential expression in nearly 380 genes, with 47 genes specifically linked to neurogenesis, apoptosis, synaptic function, and learning and memory processes. Many of the other differentially expressed genes, however, may be associated with other functions. Our study presents the first avian hippocampal transcriptome, and it is the first study identifying differential gene expression associated with natural variation in cognition and the hippocampus. Our results provide additional support to the hypothesis that population differences in memory, hippocampal morphology and neurogenesis in chickadees have likely resulted from natural selection that appears to act on memory and its underlying neural mechanisms.
Similar traits, different genes? Examining convergent evolution in related weedy rice populations
Authors: Thurber Carrie S. , Jia Melissa H. , Jia Yulin , Caicedo Ana L.
Published: December 2012

Convergent phenotypic evolution may or may not be associated with convergent genotypic evolution. Agricultural weeds have repeatedly been selected for weed‐adaptive traits such as rapid growth, increased seed dispersal and dormancy, thus providing an ideal system for the study of convergent evolution. Here, we identify QTL underlying weedy traits and compare their genetic architecture to assess the potential for convergent genetic evolution in two distinct populations of weedy rice. F2 offspring from crosses between an indica cultivar and two individuals from genetically differentiated U.S. weedy rice populations were used to map QTL for four quantitative (heading date, seed shattering, plant height and growth rate) and two qualitative traits. We identified QTL on nine of the twelve rice chromosomes, yet most QTL locations do not overlap between the two populations. Shared QTL among weed groups were only seen for heading date, a trait for which weedy groups have diverged from their cultivated ancestors and from each other. Sharing of some QTL with wild rice also suggests a possible role in weed evolution for genes under selection during domestication. The lack of overlapping QTL for the remaining traits suggests that, despite a close evolutionary relationship, weedy rice groups have adapted to the same agricultural environment through different genetic mechanisms.
The Brassica napus blackleg resistance gene LepR3 encodes a receptor‐like protein triggered by the Leptosphaeria maculans effector AVRLM1
Authors: Larkan N. J. , Lydiate D. J. , Parkin I. A. P. , Nelson M. N. , Epp D. J. , Cowling W. A. , Rimmer S. R. , Borhan M. H.
Published: December 2012

LepR3, found in the Brassica napus cv ‘Surpass 400’, provides race‐specific resistance to the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, which was overcome after great devastation in Australia in 2004. We investigated the LepR3 locus to identify the genetic basis of this resistance interaction.

We employed a map‐based cloning strategy, exploiting collinearity with the Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica rapa genomes to enrich the map and locate a candidate gene. We also investigated the interaction of LepR3 with the L. maculans avirulence gene AvrLm1 using transgenics.

LepR3 was found to encode a receptor‐like protein (RLP). We also demonstrated that avirulence towards LepR3 is conferred by AvrLm1, which is responsible for both the Rlm1 and LepR3‐dependent resistance responses in B. napus.

LepR3 is the first functional B. napus disease resistance gene to be cloned. AvrLm1's interaction with two independent resistance loci, Rlm1 and LepR3, highlights the need to consider redundant phenotypes in ‘gene‐for‐gene’ interactions and offers an explanation as to why LepR3 was overcome so rapidly in parts of Australia.
Th17‐cells in atopic dermatitis stimulate orthodontic root resorption
Authors: Yamada K , Yamaguchi M , Asano M , Fujita S , Kobayashi R , Kasai K
Published: December 2012

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate how atopic dermatitis (AD) contributes to root resorption during orthodontic tooth movement.

Materials and Methods

Atopic dermatitis model mice and wild‐type mice were subjected to an excessive orthodontic force (OF) to induce movement of the upper first molars. The expression levels of the tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), IL‐17, IL‐6, and RANKL proteins were determined in the periodontal ligament (PDL) by an immunohistochemical analysis. Furthermore, the effects of the compression force on co‐cultures of CD4+ cells from AD patients or healthy individuals and human PDL cells were investigated with regard to the levels of secretion and mRNA expression of IL‐17, IL‐6, RANKL, and osteoprotegerin.

Results

The immunoreactivities for TRAP, IL‐17, IL‐6, and RANKL in the AD group were found to be significantly increased. The double immunofluorescence analysis for IL‐17/CD4 detected immunoreaction. The secretion of IL‐17, IL‐6, and RANKL, and the mRNA levels of IL‐6 and RANKL in the AD patients were increased compared with those in healthy individuals.

Conclusion

Th17 cells may therefore be associated with the deterioration of root resorption of AD mice, and may explain why AD patients are more susceptible to root resorption than healthy individuals when an excessive OF is applied.
Saponin polymorphism in the Korean wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.)
Authors: Panneerselvam K. , Tsukamoto Chigen , Honda Nozomi , Kikuchi Akio , Lee Jeong‐Dong , Yang Seung‐Hwan , Chung Gyuhwa
Published: December 2012

Seed saponin composition of 3025 wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.) accessions collected from nine regions of Korea was analysed by thin‐layer chromatography to determine its polymorphic variation and geographical distribution and find mutants in saponin components. The saponin composition of seed hypocotyls was primarily divided into seven phenotypes, designated as Aa, Ab, AaBc, AbBc, Aa+α, AaBc+α and AbBc+α. The predominant phenotypes were AaBc (55%), Aa (33%), AaBc+α (7.5%) and Aa+α (3.3%). The frequencies of Ab, AbBc and AbBc+α were very low (0.3‐0.5%). Codominant alleles Sg‐1a and Sg‐1b and dominant allele Sg‐4 occupied 98.6, 1.1 and 63.3%, respectively. Alleles Sg‐3 and Sg‐5 were found to be dominant in all the analysed accessions except the mutants. Three accessions were discovered as mutants via LC‐PDA/MS/MS. The accession CWS0115 did not produce saponin Aa and Ax, CWS2133 did not produce saponin Aa and Ab and CWS5095 did not produce any group A saponins. These newly determined mutants might be utilized in producing a new soybean variety with good taste as well as in biosynthetic studies.
Depth distribution of humic substances in Andosols in relation to land management and soil erosion
Authors: Armas‐Herrera C. M. , Mora J. L. , Guerra J. A. , Arbelo C. D. , Rodríguez‐Rodríguez A.
Published: December 2012

Although Andosols are relatively resistant to water erosion, they can be severely affected by changes in land use, resulting in accelerated erosion and loss of soil organic matter (SOM). We hypothesized that if the contents of specific components of SOM and organo–metallic complexes (humic acids –HAs–, fulvic acids –FAs–, sodium pyrophosphate extractable carbon –Cp–, aluminium –Alp–, and iron –Fep–) consistently tend towards certain ratios in A and B horizons, they could be used to identify soils denuded by erosion. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the vertical distribution of humus components and certain ratios, namely C‐HA/C‐FA, C‐FA/total organic C (TOC), Cp/TOC and (Fep + Alp)/C‐FA, in representative profiles of andic soils located in natural ecosystems with different degrees of human disturbance. Furthermore, we analysed these parameters in the topsoil of a natural protected area and in adjacent soils under different land use scenarios (natural reserve vs. traditional exploitation). We found that the ratios of C‐HA/C‐FA and, to a lesser extent, of C‐FA/TOC and Cp/TOC changed with depth in the selected soil profiles, but the values were characteristic of each type of soil horizon. The values of these ratios in the topsoils of the disturbed areas were closer to a B horizon than an A horizon. This pattern may be superimposed on pre‐existing gradients, such as those related to the type of natural vegetation. The use of these indices emerges as a possible land use and erosion indicator.
Comparison of CuPc-based organic thin-film transistors made by different dielectric structures
Authors: Tang Wing Man , Ng Wai Tung , Greiner Mark T. , Qiu Jacky , Helander Michael G. , Lu Zheng-Hong
Published: December 2012

Copper phthalocyanine-based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) with gate dielectric made by different combinations of ZrO2 and Al2O3 are fabricated. Experimental results show that as compared to the OTFTs with ZrO2/Al2O3 stacked and Al2O3/ZrO2/Al2O3 sandwiched gate dielectric, the device fabricated with the Al2O3/ZrO2 stacked gate dielectric manifests better electrical properties such as larger on/off ratio, smaller subthreshold slope, and higher carrier mobility. This could be explained by the fact that Al2O3 has good interface properties with CuPc and can act as a barrier layer, which prevents intermixing of materials at the organic/insulator interface and can slow oxygen diffusion through Al-O matrix, thus suppressing interfacial trap density. The gate-bias stress effect on the performance of OTFTs is also investigated. It is found that the threshold voltage shifts toward positive direction with stress time under a negative gate bias voltage. Longer stress times cause more degradation of the subthreshold and on/off ratio, probably due to more defect-state creation in the channel and an increase of interfacial traps and oxide charges in the dielectric during stress. Results also indicate that OTFTs with Al2O3 interlayer between the high-k dielectric and the gate electrode have less degradation in subthreshold and on/off ratio after a 3600-s stress. The involved mechanism lies in that the Al2O3 interlayer at the high-k dielectric/gate electrode interface can effectively block the injection of electrons from the gate electrode into the high-k material during electrical stress and thus less stress-induced interfacial traps and negative oxide charges in the devices. The electrical characteristics of the OTFTs after the removal of gate bias for a period of time are also studied.
Systematic measurements of whole‐body dose distributions for various treatment machines and delivery techniques in radiation therapy
Authors: Hälg Roger A. , Besserer Jürgen , Schneider Uwe
Published: December 2012

Purpose:

Contemporary radiotherapy treatment techniques, such as intensity‐modulated radiation therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy, could increase the radiation‐induced malignancies because of the increased beam‐on time, i.e., number of monitor units needed to deliver the same dose to the target and the larger volume irradiated with low doses. In this study, whole‐body dose distributions from typical radiotherapy patient plans using different treatment techniques and therapy machines were measured using the same measurement setup and irradiation intention.

Methods:

Individually calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters were used to measure absorbed dose in an anthropomorphic phantom at 184 locations. The dose distributions from 6 MV beams were compared in terms of treatment technique (3D‐conformal, intensity‐modulated radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, helical TomoTherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, hard wedges, and flattening filter‐free radiotherapy) and therapy machine (Elekta, Siemens and Varian linear accelerators, Accuray CyberKnife and TomoTherapy).

Results:

Close to the target, the doses from intensity‐modulated treatments (including flattening filter‐free) were below the dose from a static treatment plan, whereas the CyberKnife showed a larger dose by a factor of two. Far away from the treatment field, the dose from intensity‐modulated treatments showed an increase in dose from stray radiation of about 50% compared to the 3D‐conformal treatment. For the flattening filter‐free photon beams, the dose from stray radiation far away from the target was slightly lower than the dose from a static treatment. The CyberKnife irradiation and the treatment using hard wedges increased the dose from stray radiation by nearly a factor of three compared to the 3D‐conformal treatment.

Conclusions:

This study showed that the dose outside of the treated volume is influenced by several sources. Therefore, when comparing different treatment techniques, the dose ratios vary with distance to the isocenter. The effective dose outside the treated volume of intensity‐modulated treatments with or without flattening filter was 10%–30% larger when compared to 3D‐conformal radiotherapy. This dose increase is much lower than the monitor unit scaled effective dose from a static treatment.
Beyond the defaults: functional response parameter space and ecosystem-level fishing thresholds in dynamic food web model simulations
Authors: Gaichas Sarah K. , Odell Garrett , Aydin Kerim Y. , Francis Robert C.
Published: December 2012

Dynamic food web models are increasingly used to investigate the ecosystem effects of fishing; however, key unknown functional response parameters describing predator-prey interactions strongly influence model behavior. We explored functional response parameter uncertainty and its effect on fishing simulation results using a dynamic food web model of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) with14 fishing fleets, 104 consumer groups, four primary producer groups, and five detritus pools. After generating millions of potential ecosystems with randomly selected functional response parameters, we assigned groups of these randomly parameterized systems to one of five increasingly intense ecosystem-wide fishing treatments. For each fishing treatment, we counted and compared resulting ecosystems with no extinctions. Surprisingly, the model GOA ecosystems were robust to a wide range of functional response parameters. However, we found an abrupt threshold effect between moderate and heavy exploitation rates, beyond which a much lower proportion of model ecosystems persisted. Beyond this fishing threshold, extinction was more likely, and system attributes differed greatly from moderately fished model ecosystems. Fishing thresholds were not found with default functional response parameters, implying that model simulations should include a wide range of parameterizations to reflect ecological uncertainty and to support sustainable ecosystem-based fishery management.
Proteomic analysis of proteins differentially expressed in conidia and mycelium of the entomopathogenic fungus Aschersonia placenta
Authors: Qiu Junzhi , Su Yubin , Gelbǐc Ivan , Qiu Yunfeng , Xie Xiaocong , Guan Xiong
Published: December 2012

The infection of insects by the entomopathogenic fungus Aschersonia placenta depends on conidia. To identify proteins differentially expressed in A. placenta conidia vs mycelia, we performed a comparative proteomic analysis of A. placenta using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). We detected 1022 2-DE protein spots in conidia and 1049 in mycelia and analyzed 48 (13 from conidia and 35 from mycelia) using MALDI-TOF-MS. Finally, we identified 28 proteins (7 from conidia and 21 from mycelia). The identified proteins exclusive to conidia included major proteins participating in oxidation–reduction processes and vegetative insecticidal protein 1 (Vip1), a protein that is likely involved in pathogenicity. The identified proteins exclusive to mycelia were those involved in biosynthesis and metabolism, including uridine diphosphate galactopyranose mutase, which might play key roles in hyphal morphogenesis. This report provides the first proteomic analysis of different developmental stages of an Aschersonia species. Although only a small number of proteins were identified, the data represent a useful foundation for future studies concerning the molecular basis of entomopathogenicity in the species A. placenta and in the genus Aschersonia.
Hyperketonemia induces upregulation of LFA-1 in monocytes, which is mediated by ROS and P38 MAPK activation
Authors: Rains Justin L. , Kanikarla-Marie Preeti , Jain Sushil K.
Published: December 2012

Type 1 diabetic patients have hyperketonemia, elevated levels of pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, and a higher incidence of vascular disease. This study examines the hypothesis that hyperketonemia increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) and is in part responsible for increased expression of adhesion molecules in monocytes. THP-1 monocytes were treated with acetoacetate (AA) or β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) (0–10 mmol/L) for 24 h. Results show that AA, but not BHB, increases ROS production in monocytes. Pretreatment of monocytes with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) inhibited AA-induced ROS production. AA treatment induced upregulation of LFA-1 and pretreatment of monocytes with NAC or an inhibitor to p38 MAPK inhibited this upregulation in monocytes. This suggests that physiological concentrations of AA can contribute to increased ROS and activation of p38 MAPK, which may be responsible for AA-induced upregulation of LFA-1 in monocytes. Thus, hyperketonemia contributes to the risk for cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes.
ANOMALOUS KINETICS OF CHARGE CARRIERS IN DISORDERED SOLIDS: FRACTIONAL DERIVATIVE APPROACH
Authors: UCHAIKIN VLADIMIR V. , SIBATOV RENAT T.
Published: December 2012

Anomalous (non-Gaussian) kinetics is often observed in various disordered materials, such as amorphous semiconductors, porous solids, polycrystalline films, liquid-crystalline materials, polymers, etc. Recently the anomalous relaxation-diffusion processes have been observed in nanoscale systems: nanoporous silicon, glasses doped by quantum dots, quasi-one-dimensional (1D) systems, arrays of colloidal quantum dots, and some others. The paper presents a review of new approach, based on fractional kinetic equations. We give a physical basis for some fractional equations deriving them from their classical counterparts by means of averaging over statistical ensemble of disordered media. We consider self-similarity as the main feature of these processes, and explain memory phenomena in frameworks of hidden variables conception.
A SINGLE-OBJECT TRACKING METHOD FOR ROBOTS USING OBJECT-BASED VISUAL ATTENTION
Authors: YU YUANLONG , MANN GEORGE K. I. , GOSINE RAYMOND G.
Published: December 2012

It is a quite challenging problem for robots to track the target in complex environment due to appearance changes of the target and background, large variation of motion, partial and full occlusion, motion of the camera and so on. However, humans are capable to cope with these difficulties by using their cognitive capability, mainly including the visual attention and learning mechanisms. This paper therefore presents a single-object tracking method for robots based on the object-based attention mechanism. This tracking method consists of four modules: pre-attentive segmentation, top-down attentional selection, post-attentive processing and online learning of the target model. The pre-attentive segmentation module first divides the scene into uniform proto-objects. Then the top-down attention module selects one proto-object over the predicted region by using a discriminative feature of the target. The post-attentive processing module then validates the attended proto-object. If it is confirmed to be the target, it is used to obtain the complete target region. Otherwise, the recovery mechanism is automatically triggered to globally search for the target. Given the complete target region, the online learning algorithm autonomously updates the target model, which consists of appearance and saliency components. The saliency component is used to automatically select a discriminative feature for top-down attention, while the appearance component is used for bias estimation in the top-down attention module and validation in the post-attentive processing module. Experiments have shown that this proposed method outperforms other algorithms without using attention for tracking a single target in cluttered and dynamically changing environment.
Digital Hardware Design Teaching
Authors: Benkrid Khaled , Clayton Thomas
Published: December 2012

This article presents the design and implementation of a complete review of undergraduate digital hardware design teaching in the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. Four guiding principles have been used in this exercise: learning-outcome driven teaching, deep learning, affordability, and flexibility. This has identified discrete electronics as key components in the early stages of the curriculum and FPGAs as an economical platform for the teaching of various digital hardware design concepts and techniques in later stages of the curriculum. In particular, the article presents the detailed design and implementation of one digital hardware design laboratory, called Gateway, which introduces students to synchronous digital circuit development from high level functional specifications, uses Verilog for hardware description and FPGAs as an implementation platform. Biggs’ theory of constructive alignment was applied in the design of this lab’s learning outcomes, lab content, teaching and learning methods, and assessment methods. The lab makes extensive use of multimedia in both lab content delivery and demonstration applications developed by students. Student feedback following the deployment of this lab was overwhelmingly positive and an evaluation of the lab results compared to previous lab offerings’ shows the merit of the approach taken.
Comparison of Decision-Making Strategies for Self-Optimization in Autonomic Computing Systems
Authors: Maggio Martina , Hoffmann Henry , Papadopoulos Alessandro V. , Panerati Jacopo , Santambrogio Marco D. , Agarwal Anant , Leva Alberto
Published: December 2012

Autonomic computing systems are capable of adapting their behavior and resources thousands of times a second to automatically decide the best way to accomplish a given goal despite changing environmental conditions and demands. Different decision mechanisms are considered in the literature, but in the vast majority of the cases a single technique is applied to a given instance of the problem. This article proposes a comparison of some state of the art approaches for decision making, applied to a self-optimizing autonomic system that allocates resources to a software application. A variety of decision mechanisms, from heuristics to control-theory and machine learning, are investigated. The results obtained with these solutions are compared by means of case studies using standard benchmarks. Our results indicate that the most suitable decision mechanism can vary depending on the specific test case but adaptive and model predictive control systems tend to produce good performance and may work best in a priori unknown situations.
Neutrophil Inhibitory Factor Selectively Inhibits the Endothelium-Driven Transmigration of EosinophilsIn Vitroand Airway Eosinophilia in OVA-Induced Allergic Lung Inflammation
Authors: Schnyder-Candrian Silvia , Maillet Isabelle , Le Bert Marc , Brault Lea , Jacobs Muazzam , Ryffel Bernhard , Schnyder Bruno , Moser René
Published: December 2012

Leukocyte adhesion molecules are involved in cell recruitment in an allergic airway response and therefore provide a target for pharmaceutical intervention. Neutrophil inhibitory factor (NIF), derived from canine hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum), binds selectively and competes with the A-domain of CD11b for binding to ICAM-1. The effect of recombinant NIF was investigated. Intranasal administration of rNIF reduced pulmonary eosinophilic infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia, and Th2cytokine production in OVA-sensitized mice.In vitro, transendothelial migration of human blood eosinophils across IL-4-activated umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers was inhibited by rNIF (IC50:4.6±2.6 nM; mean ± SEM), but not across TNF or IL-1-activated HUVEC monolayers. Treatment of eosinophils with rNIF together with mAb 60.1 directed against CD11b or mAb 107 directed against the metal ion-dependent adhesion site (MIDAS) of the CD11b A-domain resulted in no further inhibition of transendothelial migration suggesting shared functional epitopes. In contrast, rNIF increased the inhibitory effect of blocking mAbs against CD18, CD11a, and VLA-4. Together, we show that rNIF, a selective antagonist of the A-domain of CD11b, has a prominent inhibitory effect on eosinophil transendothelial migrationin vitro, which is congruent to thein vivoinhibition of OVA-induced allergic lung inflammation.
Novel Approaches to Surfactant Administration
Authors: Gupta Samir , Donn Steven M.
Published: December 2012

Surfactant replacement therapy has been the mainstay of treatment for preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome for more than twenty years. For the most part, surfactant is administered intratracheally, followed by mechanical ventilation. In recent years, the growing interest in noninvasive ventilation has led to novel approaches of administration. This paper will review these techniques and the associated clinical evidence.
Mitochondria Superoxide Anion Production Contributes to Geranylgeraniol-Induced Death inLeishmania amazonensis
Authors: Lopes Milene Valéria , Desoti Vânia Cristina , Caleare Angelo de Oliveira , Ueda-Nakamura Tânia , Silva Sueli Oliveira , Nakamura Celso Vataru
Published: December 2012

Here we demonstrate the activity of geranylgeraniol, the major bioactive constituent from seeds ofBixa orellana, againstLeishmania amazonensis. Geranylgeraniol was identified through1H and13C nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and DEPT. The compound inhibited the promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms, with IC50of11±1.0and17.5±0.7 μg/mL, respectively. This compound was also more toxic to parasites than to macrophages and did not cause lysis in human blood cells. Morphological and ultrastructural changes induced by geranylgeraniol were observed in the protozoan by electronic microscopy and included mainly mitochondria alterations and an abnormal chromatin condensation in the nucleus. These alterations were confirmed by Rh 123 and TUNEL assays. Additionally, geranylgeraniol induces an increase in superoxide anion production. Collectively, ourin vitrostudies indicate geranylgeraniol as a selective antileishmanial that appears to be mediated by apoptosis-like cell death.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Children from Western Saudi Arabia: Relative Frequency, Clinical, Pathological, Endoscopic, and Immunological Study
Authors: Saadah Omar I. , Aburiziza Abdullah J. , Abu Shakra Rafat I.
Published: December 2012

Background and Purpose. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is an evolving allergic disease with an accelerated incidence. The purpose of this study was to delineate the relative frequency and clinicopathological characteristics of EE in children from western Saudi Arabia.Methods. Children with EE were studied retrospectively between October 2002 and December 2011 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital and International Medical Center.Results. The relative frequency of EE was 0.85% of 2127 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies performed during the study period. Eighteen patients were identified with EE. The median age was 8.6 years (range, 1.5–18 years). Thirteen (72.2%) were males. Dysphagia and vomiting were the most common symptoms. Ten (55.6%) children had history of atopy. Testing for food allergy by skin prick test was positive in 11 (61.1%). The most common endoscopic abnormalities were mucosal longitudinal furrow and loss of vascular pattern followed by patchy specks and strictures. The histopathological findings included increased intraepithelial eosinophils, eosinophilic degranulation, lamina propria fibrosis, and eosinophilic microabscesses. Treatment was initiated by swallowed topical corticosteroids in 12 (66.7%) and oral prednisolone in 6 (33%) patients, followed by low dose of topical corticosteroids and dietary elimination.Conclusions. Eosinophilic esophagitis is an uncommon but evolving problem. A high index of suspicion is required for early identifications and intervention to avoid possible complications.
Potential Application of Cord Blood-Derived Stromal Cells in Cellular Therapy and Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Kluth Simone Maria , Radke Teja Falk , Kogler Gesine
Published: December 2012

Neonatal stromal cells from umbilical cord blood (CB) are promising alternatives to bone marrow- (BM-) derived multipotent stromal cells (MSCs). In comparison to BM-MSC, the less mature CB-derived stromal cells have been described as a cell population with higher differentiation and proliferation potential that might be of potential interest for clinical application in regenerative medicine. Recently, it has become clear that cord blood contains different stromal cell populations, and as of today, a clear distinction between unrestricted somatic stromal cells (USSCs) and CB-MSC has been established. This classification is based on the expression of DLK-1, HOX, and CD146, as well as functional examination of the adipogenic differentiation potential and the capacity to support haematopoiesis in vitro and in vivo. However, a marker enabling a prospective isolation of the rare cell populations directly out of cord blood is yet to be found. Further analysis may help to reveal even more subpopulations with different properties, which could be useful for the directed application of these cells in preclinical models.
Jensen's Functionals on Time Scales
Authors: Anwar Matloob , Bibi Rabia , Bohner Martin , Pečarić Josip
Published: December 2012

We consider Jensen’s functionals on time scales and discuss its properties and applications. Further, we define weighted generalized and power means on time scales. By applying the properties of Jensen’s functionals on these means, we obtain several refinements and converses of Hölder’s inequality on time scales.
Preoperative Total Serum Cholesterol and Patients' Survival in Resected Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Tomita Masaki , Ayabe Takanori , Shimizu Tetsuya , Nakamura Kunihide
Published: December 2012

The association between hypocholesterolemia and lung cancer risk has been confirmed in some studies. The purpose of the study was to determine whether preoperative hypocholesterolemia (below normal range) is a prognostic factor for survival after nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) resection. Two hundred and sixty-two consecutive cases of resected NSCLC with a followup period for more than 5 years were reviewed retrospectively. In our results, there were only 13/262 patients having hypocholesterolemia. A significant association was observed between preoperative hypocholesterolemia and patients' survival. However, we failed to find the prognostic significance of preoperative hypocholesterolemia by univariate analysis. No statistical differences were also found by the comparison between 5-year survivors and the others. Our data indicates a trend toward an association between preoperative hypocholesterolemia and poorer survival in NSCLC; however, it did not reach statistical significance.
Mannose-Binding Lectin Promoter Polymorphisms and Gene Variants in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients from Cantabria (Northern Spain)
Authors: Ocejo-Vinyals J.-Gonzalo , Lavín-Alconero Lucía , Sánchez-Velasco Pablo , Guerrero-Alonso M.-Ángeles , Ausín Fernando , Fariñas M.-Carmen , Leyva-Cobián Francisco
Published: December 2012

Mannose-binding lectin is a central molecule of the innate immune system. Mannose-binding lectin 2 promoter polymorphisms and structural variants have been associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis. However, contradictory results among different populations have been reported, resulting in no convincing evidence of association between mannose-binding lectin 2 and susceptibility to tuberculosis. For this reason, we conducted a study in a well genetically conserved Spanish population in order to shed light on this controversial association. We analysed the six promoter and structural mannose-binding lectin 2 gene variants in 107 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 441 healthy controls. Only D variant and HYPD haplotype were significantly more frequents in controls which would indicate that this allele could confer protection against pulmonary tuberculosis, but this difference disappeared after statistical correction. Neither the rest of alleles nor the haplotypes were significantly associated with the disease. These results would indicate that mannose-binding lectin promoter polymorphisms and gene variants would not be associated with an increased risk to pulmonary tuberculosis. Despite the slight trend of the D allele and HYPD haplotype in conferring protection against pulmonary tuberculosis, susceptibility to this disease would probably be due to other genetic factors, at least in our population.
Investigation of the Effect of Noise Correlations on Diversity Gains and Capacities of Multiport Antennas Using Reverberation Chamber
Authors: Chen Xiaoming , Yang Jian
Published: December 2012

Most of previous studies on diversity gains and capacities of multiantenna systems assumed independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Gaussian noises. There are a few studies about the noise correlation effects on diversity gains or MIMO capacities, however, by simulations only. In this paper, the maximum ratio combining (MRC) diversity gain and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) capacity including correlated noises are presented. Based on the derived formulas, measurements in a reverberation chamber are performed for the first time to observe the effect of noise correlations on diversity gains and MIMO capacities.
Necrotizing Craniocervical Soft Tissue Infections: Clinical Experience and Personal Considerations
Authors: Gallo Stefania , Karligkiotis Apostolos , Lenzi Riccardo , Castelnuovo Paolo , Dallan Iacopo
Published: December 2012

Necrotizing cervical soft tissue infections (NCSTIs) are devastating uncommon clinical entities that are often life threatening. We report two patients suffering from NCSTI and treated at our institution. Diagnosis of NCSTI has been confirmed histologically and surgically. Both patients were managed with very aggressive treatment (medical and surgical) and survived with minimal morbidity. Early diagnosis and aggressive, multimodality treatment can reduce mortality and morbidity rates. Thoracic and mediastinal involvement requires appropriate management. A strong clinical suspicion remains one of the most important aspects of the management of such shattering conditions.
Malignant Transformation of Endometrioma in a Woman with a History of Ovulation Induction and In Vitro Fertilization
Authors: Woodard Terri L. , Awonuga Awoniyi O. , Puscheck Elizabeth
Published: December 2012

Our aim is to document a case of endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the ovary found in an endometriotic cyst that was suspected on pelvic ultrasound in a patient with polycystic ovary syndrome, normal Ca125, and a recent history of ovulation induction for IVF. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy with left salpingo-oophorectomy and omental biopsies followed by reexploration, complete staging, and modified radical abdominal hysterectomy and right salpingo-oophorectomy. An endometrioma described as suspicious for malignancy by an experienced ultrasound examiner should prompt immediate referral to a gynecological oncologist irrespective of Ca125 levels especially in women with a history of ovulation induction and endometriosis.
Low-Grade Esthesioneuroblastoma Presenting as SIADH: A Review of Atypical Manifestations
Authors: Senchak Andrew , Freeman Judy , Ruhl Douglas , Senchak Jordan , Klem Christopher
Published: December 2012

Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) is a neuroendocrine tumor that typically manifests as advanced stage malignancy in the superior nasal cavity. The hallmark symptoms include nasal obstruction and epistaxis, which result from local tissue invasion. Atypical clinical features can also arise and must be considered when diagnosing and treating ENB. These can include origin in an ectopic location, unusual presenting symptoms, and associated paraneoplastic syndromes. The case described here reports a nasal cavity ENB with atypical clinical features that occurred in a young female. Her tumor was low grade, appeared to arise primarily from the middle nasal cavity, and presented as syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). She also became pregnant shortly after diagnosis, which had implications on her surgical management. We review the atypical features that uncommonly occur with ENB and the clinical considerations that arise from these unusual characteristics.
Marfan Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Ganesh Rajendran , Vijayakumar Rajendran , Selvakumar Haridoss
Published: December 2012

Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant systemic disorder of the connective tissue. Children affected by the Marfan syndrome carry a mutation in one of their two copies of the gene that encodes the connective tissue protein fibrillin-1. Marfan syndrome affects most organs and tissues, especially the skeleton, lungs, eyes, heart, and the large blood vessel that distributes blood from the heart to the rest of the body. A case report of Marfan syndrome has been reported with oral features. The dental problems of the child were treated under general anesthesia and a one-month review showed intact stainless steel crowns' restorations and no signs of secondary caries.