bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevention of tracheal cartilage injury with modified Griggs technique during percutaneous tracheostomy — Randomized controlled cadaver study
Authors: Élő Gábor , Zubek László , Hargitai Zoltán , Iványi Zsolt , Branovics Judit , Gál János
Published: December 2012

Introduction

Tracheal stenosis is the most common severe late complication of percutaneous tracheostomy causing significant decrease in quality of life. Applying modified Griggs technique reduced the number of late tracheal stenoses observed in our clinical study. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of this relationship.

Materials and methods

Forty-six cadavers were randomized into two groups according to the mode of intervention during 2006–2008. Traditional versus modified Griggs technique was applied in the two groups consequently. Wider incision, surgical preparation, and bidirectional forceps dilation of tracheal wall were applied in modified technique. Injured cartilages were inspected by sight and touch consequently. Age, gender, level of intervention, and number of injured tracheal cartilages were registered.

Results

Significantly less frequent tracheal cartilage injury was observed after modified (9%) than original (91%) Griggs technique (p<0.001). A moderate association between cartilage injury and increasing age was observed, whereas the level of intervention (p=0.445) and to gender (p=0.35) was not related to injury. Risk of cartilage injury decreased significantly (OR: 0.0264, 95%, CI: 0.005–0.153) with modified Griggs technique as determined in adjusted logistic regression model.

Discussion

Modified Griggs technique decreased the risk of tracheal cartilage injury significantly in our cadaver study. This observation may explain the decreased number of late tracheal stenosis after application of the modified Griggs method.
Assessment of the Stress Transmitted to Dental Implants Connected to Screw-Retained Bars Using Different Casting Techniques
Authors: Haselhuhn Klaus , Marotti Juliana , Tortamano Pedro , Weiss Claudia , Suleiman Lubna , Wolfart Stefan
Published: December 2012

Passive fit of the prosthetic superstructure is important to avoid complications; however, evaluation of passive fit is not possible using conventional procedures. Thus, the aim of this study was to check and locate mechanical stress in bar restorations fabricated using two casting techniques. Fifteen patients received four implants in the interforaminal region of the mandible, and a bar was fabricated using either the cast-on abutment or lost-wax casting technique. The fit accuracy was checked according to the Sheffield's test criteria. Measurements were recorded on the master model with a gap-free, passive fit using foil strain gauges both before and after tightening the prosthetic screws. Data acquisition and processing was analyzed with computer software and submitted to statistical analysis (ANOVA). The greatest axial distortion was at position 42 with the cast-on abutment technique, with a mean distortion of 450 μm/m. The lowest axial distortion occurred at position 44 with the lost-wax casting technique, with a mean distortion of 100 μm/m. The minimal differences between the means of axial distortion do not indicate any significant differences between the techniques (P = 0.2076). Analysis of the sensor axial distortion in relation to the implant position produced a significant difference (P < 0.0001). Significantly higher measurements were recorded in the axial distortion analysis of the distal sensors of implants at the 34 and 44 regions than on the mesial positions at the 32 and 42 regions (P = 0.0481). The measuring technique recorded axial distortion in the implant-supported superstructures. Distortions were present at both casting techniques, with no significant difference between the sides.
Increased resistance towards generalist herbivory in the new range of a habitat‐forming seaweed
Authors: Nylund G. M. , Pereyra R. T. , Wood H. L. , Johannesson K. , Pavia H.
Published: December 2012

Interactions between plants and their biotic environment can drastically change during range‐expansion and result in rapid adaptive evolution of plant traits. According to the influential evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis escape from specialist natural enemies will lead to a reduction in defense levels, but the way in which generalist consumers in the new ranges affect the evolution of plant defenses remains poorly understood. We conducted a four month controlled environment experiment to examine if the high densities of the generalist herbivore Idotea baltica in the Baltic Sea have selected for increased grazer‐resistance in Fucus vesiculosus, a North Atlantic seaweed that has expanded into large parts of the brackish Baltic Sea. Genetic analysis using microsatellites showed that the sampled populations are genetically distinct, which strongly suggests that traits under divergent selection may readily diverge and populations evolve local adaptations. Feeding trials and measurements of defense metabolites, i.e., phlorotannins, showed that F. vesiculosus from the Baltic Sea was least preferred and contained more than 50% higher constitutive levels of phlorotannins than conspecifics in the North Sea (Skagerrak), while algae from the Öresund, one of the sounds connecting the Baltic Sea to the Skagerrak, had intermediate resistance levels both in terms of grazer preference and phlorotannin levels. These results suggest that the higher grazing pressure on F. vesiculosus expanded into the Baltic Sea has resulted in the evolution of increased resistance towards generalist grazing.
Association of Arterial Rigidity with Incident Kidney Disease and Kidney Function Decline
Authors: Madero Magdalena , Peralta Carmen , Katz Ronit , Canada Robert , Fried Linda , Najjar Samer , Shlipak Michael , Simonsick Eleanor , Lakatta Edward , Patel Kushang , Rifkin Dena , Hawkins Marquis , Newman Anne , Sarnak Mark
Published: December 2012

Background and objective

The association of large arterial rigidity and kidney function decline in longitudinal analyses is not well established. This study evaluated the association of aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) and pulse pressure (PP) with rapid kidney function decline and incident CKD in the Health, Aging and Body Composition study.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

Participants were 2129 older adults with a baseline measurement of aPWV, PP, and cystatin C and at least one additional measurement of cystatin C, either at year 3 or year 10. Outcomes were rapid kidney function decline (estimated GFRcysC loss of >3 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year) and incident CKD (eGFRcysC < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 in participants with baseline estimated GFR > 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2). Multivariate regression models were used to evaluate association of aPWV and PP with each outcome.

Results

Mean (SD) baseline estimated GFRcysC was 79±29 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Median follow-up duration was 8.9 years. In multivariable analyses, aPWV was not associated with rapid decline (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16, 0.89–1.52) but was associated with incident CKD (incident rate ratio [IRR], 95% CI, 1.39, 1.09–1.77) and PP was associated with both rapid decline (OR, 95% CI 1.10, 1.04–1.16) and incident CKD (IRR, 95% CI, 1.06, 1.01–1.11).

Conclusions

Large arterial stiffness assessed by aPWV and pulsatility assessed by PP were associated with incident CKD among older adults. Pulsatility assessed by PP was associated with rapid kidney function decline and incident CKD. Future research should determine whether interventions targeting arterial rigidity will prevent CKD development and progression.
New integral forms of generalized Mathieu series and related applications
Authors: Milovanovic Gradimir , Pogány Tibor
Published: December 2012

The main object of this article is to present a systematic study of integral
representations for generalized Mathieu series and its alternating variant,
and to derive a new integral expression for these special functions by
contour integration using rectangular integration path. Also, by virtue of
newly established integral form of generalized Mathieu series, we obtain a
new integral expression for the Bessel function of the first kind of half
integer order, solving a related Fredholm integral equation of the first kind
with nondegenerate kernel.
SMP-SIM: An SMP-based discrete-event execution-driven performance simulator
Authors: Lin Yufei , Xu Xinhai , Tang Yuhua , Zhang Xin , Guo Xiaowei
Published: December 2012

Designing and implementing a large-scale parallel system can be
time-consuming and costly. It is therefore desirable to enable system
developers to predict the performance of a parallel system at its design
phase so that they can evaluate design alternatives to better meet
performance requirements. Before the target machine is completely built, the
developers can always build an symmetric multi-processor (SMP) for evaluation
purposes. In this paper, we introduce an SMP-based discrete-event
execution-driven performance simulation method for message passing interface
(MPI) programs and describe the design and implementation of a simulator
called SMP-SIM. As the processes share the same memory space in an SMP,
SMP-SIM manages the events globally at the granularity of central processing
units (CPUs). Furthermore, by re-implementing core MPI point-to-point
communication primitives, SMP-SIM handles the communication virtually and
sequential computation actually. Our experimental results show that SMP-SIM
is highly accurate and scalable, resulting in errors of less than 7.60% for
both SMP and SMP-Cluster target machines.
Clustering based two-stage text classification requiring minimal training data
Authors: Zhang Xue , Xiao Wang-Xin
Published: December 2012

Clustering has been employed to expand training data in some semi-supervised
learning methods. Clustering based methods are based on the assumption that
the learned clusters under the guidance of initial training data can somewhat
characterize the underlying distribution of the data set. However, our
experiments show that whether such assumption holds is based on both the
separability of the considered data set and the size of the training data
set. It is often violated on data set of bad separability, especially when
the initial training data are too few. In this case, clustering based methods
would perform worse. In this paper, we propose a clustering based two-stage
text classification approach to address the above problem. In the first
stage, labeled and unlabeled data are first clustered with the guidance of
the labeled data. Then a self-training style clustering strategy is used to
iteratively expand the training data under the guidance of an oracle or
expert. At the second stage, discriminative classifiers can subsequently be
trained with the expanded labeled data set. Unlike other clustering based
methods, the proposed clustering strategy can effectively cope with data of
bad separability. Furthermore, our proposed framework converts the
challenging problem of sparsely labeled text classification into a supervised
one, therefore, supervised classification models, e.g. SVM, can be applied,
and techniques proposed for supervised learning can be used to further
improve the classification accuracy, such as feature selection, sampling
methods and data editing or noise filtering. Our experimental results
demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed approach especially when the
size of the training data set is very small.
Image denoising using anisotropic second and fourth order diffusions based on gradient vector convolution
Authors: Wang Huaibin , Wang Yuanquan , Ren Wenqi
Published: December 2012

In this paper, novel second order and fourth order diffusion models are
proposed for image denoising. Both models are based on the gradient vector
convolution (GVC) model. The second model is coined by incorporating the GVC
model into the anisotropic diffusion model and the fourth order one is by
introducing the GVC to the You-Kaveh fourth order model. Since the GVC model
can be implemented in real time using the FFT and possesses high robustness
to noise, both proposed models have many advantages over traditional ones,
such as low computational cost, high numerical stability and remarkable
denoising effect. Moreover, the proposed fourth order model is an anisotropic
filter, so it can obviously improve the ability of edge and texture
preserving except for further improvement of denoising. Some experiments are
presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models.
Study on prediction models for integrated scheduling in semiconductor manufacturing lines
Authors: Guo Lu , Hao Jinghua , Liu Min
Published: December 2012

Quality prediction of lot operations is significant for integrated scheduling
in semiconductor production line. The modeltraining algorithm needs to be
fast and incremental to satisfy the online applications where data comes one
by one or chunk by chunk. This paper presents a novel prediction model
referred to as Incremental Extreme Least Square Support Vector Machine
(IELSSVM), which transforms the data into ELM feature space and then
minimizes the structural risk like LSSVM. The transformation into ELM feature
space can be regarded as a good dimensionality reduction. The incremental
formula is proposed for on-line industrial application to avoid retraining
when data comes one by one or chunk by chunk. Detailed comparisons of the
IELSSVM algorithm with other incremental algorithms are achieved by
simulation on benchmark problems and real overlay prediction problem of
lithography in semiconductor production line. The results show that IELSSVM
has better performance than other incremental algorithms like OS-ELM.
An ant system based on moderate search for TSP
Authors: Guo Ping , Liu Zhujin
Published: December 2012

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithms often suffer from criticism for the
local optimum and premature convergence. In order to overcome these inherent
shortcomings shared by most ACO algorithms, we divide the ordinary ants into
two types: the utilization-oriented ants and the exploration-oriented ants.
The utilization-oriented ants focus on constructing solutions based on the
learned experience like ants in many other ACO algorithms. On the other hand,
inspired by the adaptive behaviors of some real-world Monomorium ant species
who tend to select paths with moderate pheromone concentration, a novel
search strategy, that is, a completely new transition rule is designed for
the exploration-oriented ants to explore more unknown solutions. In addition,
a new corresponding update strategy is also employed. Moreover, applying the
new search strategy and update strategy, we propose an improved version of
ACO algorithm-Moderate Ant System. This improved algorithm is experimentally
turned out to be effective and competitive.
Orthogonal sequences based multi-CFO estimation and semi-blind ICA based equalization for multiuser comp systems
Authors: Jiang Yufei , Xu Zhu , Lim Enggee , Yi Huang
Published: December 2012

We propose a low-complexity carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation
approach and an independent component analysis (ICA) based semi-blind
equalization structure for the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
(OFDM) based multiuser coordinated multi-point (CoMP) systems. A group of
orthogonal sequences are employed to enable separation and simultaneous
estimation of multiple CFOs at base stations, dividing a complex
multi-dimensional search into series of low-complexity mono-dimensional
searches. Then, a small number of pilot symbols attached to the source data,
are used to resolve the ambiguity problem in the ICA equalized signals. It
has a low complexity, as the permutation and quadrature ambiguity can be
eliminated simultaneously, rather than sequentially by the previous precoding
aided method. Simulation results show that the proposed semi-blind
equalization structure has a bit error rate (BER) performance close to the
ideal cases of the zero forcing (ZF) and minimum mean square error (MMSE)
based equalization with perfect channel state information (CSI) and no CFO,
and also significantly outperforms the constant amplitude zero
autocorrelation (CAZAC) sequences based CFO estimation method.
Educational achievement of Serbian students in TIMSS 2011
Authors: Gasic-Pavisic Slobodanka , Stankovic Dejan
Published: December 2012

This paper presents the main results of the international study of students?
mathematics and science achievement TIMSS 2011. The focus is on presentation
and discussion of the results achieved by Serbian students. In Serbia, this
study was conducted in the fourth grade of primary school on a nationally
representative sample of students - a total of 4379 students from 156 primary
schools were tested, i.e. 219 classes. The average achievement of students
from Serbia was 516 points in mathematics and in science, which in both cases
represents achievement that is significantly higher than the center point of
the TIMSS 4th grade scale. The paper also presents results according to
content domains, differences in achievement between boys and girls, as well
as students? distribution according to international benchmarks. The results
are observed from the view point of overlapping of the Serbian curricula and
the TIMSS test. Overall, these results can be seen as encouraging indicators
of the Serbian education system for the first education cycle, particularly
if we bear in mind relatively poor performance of students in higher grades
in Serbia which had been shown in various previous studies. Since TIMSS
findings should primarily be used in planning the development of education,
the concluding part discusses the importance of regular participation of
Serbia in international studies of this kind, as well as the importance of
greater involvement of domestic researchers in analysis of available
international databases.
Perceived empathy of teachers and students’ metacognitive strategies
Authors: Sladoje-Bosnjak Biljana
Published: December 2012

The aim of this research was to establish correlation between perceived
empathy of teachers and students? metacognitive strategies. To obtain a more
comprehensive picture of this correlation, the aim was expanded to prediction
of students? metacognitive strategies based on components of teachers?
empathy. Teachers? empathy was examined through presence of six different
components: suffering, positive sharing, crying, emotional attention, feeling
for others and identification, which were assessed by attribution theory.
Students were the ones who evaluated teachers? empathy. The following
metacognitive strategies were explored: awareness of one?s own cognitive
functioning, planning one?s own cognitive functioning and monitoring one?s
own cognitive functioning. The research was conducted in two primary schools
in the area of East Sarajevo on the sample of seventh-, eighth- and
ninth-grade students, which yielded a total of 665 students. The obtained
results show that there is a correlation between all variables used to
examine teachers? empathy and all variables used to explore students?
metacognitive strategies. Teachers? suffering, as one of the components of
teachers? empathy, figures as an important predictor of metacognitive
strategies as criterion variables. When it comes to development of
metacognitive strategies, students preferred a positive attitude of teachers
towards them, based on cognitive and affective balance. Since empathy plays
an important role in application of learning strategies and promoting
positive behaviour such as interpersonal understanding, helping others and
inhibition of anti-social behaviour, empathy skills training should become an
integral part of teacher education programmes.
Pedagogical documentation: Preschool teachers’ perspective
Authors: Pavlovic-Breneselovic Dragana , Krnjaja Zivka , Matovic Natasa
Published: December 2012

Educational policy shapes the positions of all stakeholders and their mutual
relations in the system of preschool education through its attitude towards
documentation. The attitude towards the function of pedagogical documentation
in preschool education programmes reflects certain views on children,
learning and nature of the programmes. Although contemporary approaches to
preschool education emphasise the issue of documentation, this problem is
dealt with partially and technically in our country. The aim of our research
was to explore preschool teachers? perspective on documentation by
investigating the current situation and teachers? preferences related to
documentation type, as well as to study the purpose, meaning and process of
documentation. The research was conducted on the sample of 300 preschool
teachers. The descriptive method, interviewing and scaling techniques were
used. Research data suggest that the field of documentation is marked by
contradictions in perceiving the meaning and function of documentation, as
well as by discrepancy and lack of integration at the level of conceptions,
practice and educational policy. Changing the current situation in the field
of documentation is not a technical matter of elaboration of certain types
and forms of documentation; it demands explication of the purpose and
function of documentation in keeping with the conception of preschool
education programmes and a systemic approach to changes originating from the
given conception.
Theoretical foundations of organizing student excursions
Authors: Andjelkovic Sonja
Published: December 2012

Once the cornerstone of sciences, student excursions have become adventurous
social events, the value of which should be reconsidered. Since
recommendations for organization of student excursions are mostly based on
research findings and practitioners? experiences, we have attempted to base
them on the assumptions of contemporary theories of development, learning and
motivation. Potential recommendations for organization of quality student
excursions are derived from the constructivist theory of cognitive
development, experiential learning theory and self-determination theory. The
main recommendations refer to: establishing the link between excursions and
the curriculum; a student-centred approach; students? autonomy in planning
and organizing excursions; promoting research activities in students;
promoting joint activities of students and teachers, as well as joint
activities of students, and authentic experiences in the out-of-school
context. Recommendations are grouped into five categories: integrating
excursions in the curriculum; motivating students; structure and authenticity
of activities; encouraging students to think; social interaction during
excursions. Research findings indicate that there is a gap between theory and
practice of organizing students excursions. This situation is mostly
explained by logistic and system shortcomings. We therefore suggest a more
serious discussion of the place of excursions in the curriculum, financial
support to their organization and reinforcing teachers to implement this form
of teaching.
Music education and musicians: Expectations, course and outcomes
Authors: Bogunovic Blanka , Dubljevic Jelena , Buden Nina
Published: December 2012

Considering the long-term talent development, from the moment of its
recognition to the moment when an adult is confronted with the necessity of
integration in the professional music and life streams, we wonder whether
education satisfies the needs of talents and provides, in the long run, the
necessary knowledge and skills. The aim of this research was to investigate:
(1) the initial motivation for learning music and expectations from music
education; (2) the course of development of young musicians (the degree of
self-actualisation, developmental perspectives, evaluation of music
education) and (3) outcomes of music education and development of the
professional career. The sample (N=487) consisted of five subsamples: music
kindergarten pupils, students of primary music schools, students of secondary
music schools, university students of music and teachers at music schools and
universities. The paper analyses psychological, educational and professional
aspects of education of musically gifted pupils and students, as well as
music teachers in five successive age groups. The results indicate that with
an increase in age there is a considerable increase in the variety and scope
of expectations and a higher aspiration towards personal, educational and
professional lifelong improvement, while, at the same time, there is a
considerable decrease in the level of fulfilment of expectations and the
level of assessment of self-actualisation. This is indicative of a
continuously present feeling of ?hidden underachievement? in the group of
(relatively) successful young musicians and professionals. Analysis of
respondents? answers points out to the existence of still traditional system
of music education, which lacks flexibility and innovation and fails to
provide a sufficient level of transferable knowledge and skills. The findings
point out to a whole cluster of controversies demanding further
reconsideration and (re)designing of the curriculum of (high) music
education.
Evaluation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in the cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with intracranial tumors
Authors: Mariani Christopher L. , Boozer Lindsay B. , Braxton Alicia M. , Platt Simon R. , Vernau Karen M. , McDonnell John J. , Guevar Julien
Published: December 2012

Objective—To identify matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 in CSF from dogs with intracranial tumors.

Sample—CSF from 55 dogs with intracranial tumors and 37 control dogs.

Procedures—Latent and active MMP-2 and -9 were identified by use of gelatin zymography. The presence of MMPs in the CSF of dogs with intracranial tumors was compared with control dogs that were clinically normal and with dogs that had idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy or peripheral vestibular disease. Relationships between MMP-9 and CSF cell counts and protein were also investigated.

Results—Latent MMP-2 was found in CSF samples from all dogs, although active MMP-2 was not detected in any sample. Latent MMP-9 was detected in a subset of dogs with histologically documented intracranial tumors, including meningiomas (2/10), gliomas (3/10), pituitary tumors (1/2), choroid plexus tumors (5/6), and lymphoma (4/4), but was not detected in any control samples. Dogs with tumors were significantly more likely than those without to have detectable MMP-9 in the CSF, and the presence of MMP-9 was associated with higher CSF nucleated cell counts and protein concentration.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Latent MMP-9 was detected in most dogs with choroid plexus tumors or lymphoma but in a smaller percentage of dogs with meningiomas, gliomas, or pituitary tumors. Detection of MMP in CSF may prove useful as a marker of intracranial neoplasia or possibly to monitor response of tumors to therapeutic intervention.
Effects of interstitial cystitis on the acoustic startle reflex in cats
Authors: Hague Devon W. , Stella Judi L. , Buffington C. A. Tony
Published: December 2012

Objective—To compare acoustic startle reflexes (ASRs) of healthy cats and cats with interstitial cystitis (IC).

Animals—28 healthy cats (11 males and 17 females) and 20 cats with IC (13 males and 7 females).

Procedures—To evaluate the effect of neutering on ASRs, ASRs in neutered and unneutered healthy cats were measured. To evaluate the effect of housing facility acclimation on ASRs in cats with IC, ASRs were measured in cats with IC within 1 month after arrival at the housing facility and again 2 to 3 months after arrival. To evaluate the effect of the environment on ASRs, ASRs were evaluated in all cats with and without IC after acclimation but before and then after environmental enrichment.

Results—Neutering led to a significant decrease in overall ASR in the healthy cats. Habituation to the housing facility resulted in a significant decrease in overall ASR of female but not male cats with IC. Environmental enrichment led to a significant decrease in ASR in cats with IC but not in healthy cats.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The magnitude of the ASR appeared to be sensitive to environmental conditions and affected by sex, both in healthy cats and cats with IC. It was also higher in cats with IC versus healthy cats, except when cats were housed in a highly enriched environment.

Impact for Human Medicine—Treatment approaches that include reduction of a patient's perception of environmental unpredictability may benefit humans with IC.
Comparison of a body-mounted inertial sensor system–based method with subjective evaluation for detection of lameness in horses
Authors: Keegan Kevin G. , Wilson David A. , Kramer Joanne , Reed Shannon K. , Yonezawa Yoshiharu , Maki Hiromitchi , Pai P. Frank , Lopes Marco A. F.
Published: December 2012

Objective—To compare data obtained with an inertial sensor system with results of subjective lameness examinations performed by 3 experienced equine veterinarians for evaluation of lameness in horses.

Animals—106 horses.

Procedures—Horses were evaluated for lameness with a body-mounted inertial sensor system during trotting in a straight line and via subjective evaluation by 3 experienced equine practitioners who performed complete lameness examinations including lunging in a circle and limb flexion tests. Agreement among evaluators regarding results of subjective evaluations and correlations and agreements between various inertial sensor measures and results of subjective lameness evaluations were determined via calculation of Fleiss’ κ statistic, regression analysis, and calculation of 95% prediction intervals.

Results—Evaluators agreed on classification of horses into 3 mutually exclusive lameness categories (right limb lameness severity greater than left limb lameness severity, left limb lameness severity greater than right limb lameness severity, or equal right and left limb lameness severity) for 58.8% (κ = 0.37) and 54.7% (κ = 0.31) of horses for forelimb and hind limb lameness, respectively. All inertial sensor measures for forelimb and hind limb lameness were positively and significantly correlated with results of subjective evaluations. Agreement between inertial sensors measures and results of subjective evaluations was fair to moderate for forelimb lameness and slight to fair for hind limb lameness.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results of lameness evaluation of horses with an inertial sensor system and via subjective lameness examinations were significantly correlated but did not have strong agreement. Inertial sensor-based evaluation may augment but not replace subjective lameness examination of horses.
Development of FeOOH nanoarrays using magnetic cations
Authors: Garcia-Casillas Perla , Martinez-Pérez Carlos , González Claudia , Camacho-Montes Héctor , Martel Estrada Santos , Armendáriz Imelda
Published: December 2012

Abstract In this work, FeOOH arrays were obtained using two different magnetic cations. The nanoparticles were grouped into a package having different orientations through the van der Waals interaction with the magnetic cations. With Fe2+, the FeOOH nanoparticles have a rod shape with a 30-nm diameter and approximately 1-micron length, and are aligned in a star structure. With Co2+, a somatoidal shape was observed, with 20-nm diameter and 150-nm length and a pathway structure to the array. The chemical synthesis method was used to obtain the nanoarrays. The morphology and the average size of the nanorods and nanowires were determined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to study the interaction between the nanorods and the cobalt ions. The phases of the material were identified using X-ray Diffraction. Graphical abstract
Differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human bone marrow and subcutaneous adipose tissue into pancreatic islet-like clusters in vitro
Authors: Marappagounder Dhanasekaran , Somasundaram Indumathi , Dorairaj Sudarsanam , Sankaran Rajkumar
Published: December 2012

Although stem cells are present in various adult tissues and body fluids, bone marrow has been the most popular source of stem cells for treatment of a wide range of diseases. Recent results for stem cells from adipose tissue have put it in a position to compete for being the leading therapeutic source. The major advantage of these stem cells over their counterparts is their amazing proliferative and differentiation potency. However, their pancreatic lineage transdifferentiation competence was not compared to that for bone marrow-derived stem cells. This study aims to identify an efficient source for transdifferentiation into pancreatic islet-like clusters, which would increase potential application in curative diabetic therapy. The results reveal that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from bone marrow and subcutaneous adipose tissue can differentiate into pancreatic islet-like clusters, as evidenced by their islet-like morphology, positive dithizone staining and expression of genes such as Nestin, PDX1, Isl 1, Ngn 3, Pax 4 and Insulin. The pancreatic lineage differentiation was further corroborated by positive results in the glucose challenge assay. However, the results indicate that bone marrow-derived MSCs are superior to those from subcutaneous adipose tissue in terms of differentiation into pancreatic islet-like clusters. In conclusion, bone marrow-derived MSC might serve as a better alternative in the treatment of diabetes mellitus than those from adipose tissue.
Application of Hurwitz-Radon matrices in curve interpolation and almost-smoothing
Authors: Jakóbczak Dariusz
Published: December 2012

Dedicated methods for dealing with curve interpolation and curve smoothing have been developed. One such method, Hurwitz-Radon Matrices (MHR), can be used in reconstruction and interpolation of curves in the plane. The method is based on a family of Hurwitz-Radon (HR) matrices. The matrices are skew-symmetric and possess columns composed of orthogonal vectors. The of Hurwitz-Radon Operator (OHR), built from these matrices, is described. It is shown how to create the orthogonal and discrete OHR and how to use it in a process of curve interpolation and modelling. The method needs suitable choice of nodes, i.e. points of the curve to be reconstructed: nodes should be settled at each local extremum and nodes should be monotonic in one of coordinates (for example equidistance). Application of MHR gives a very good interpolation accuracy in the process of modeling and reconstruction of the curve. Created from the family of N-1 HR matrices and completed with the identity matrix, the system of matrices is orthogonal only for vector spaces of dimensions N = 2, 4 or 8. Orthogonality of columns and rows is very important and significant for stability and high precision of calculations. The MHR method models the curve point by point without using any formula or function. Main features of the MHR method are: the accuracy of curve reconstruction depends on the number of nodes and method of choosing nodes, interpolation of L points of the curve has a computational cost of rank O(L), and the smoothing of the curve depends on the number of OHR operators used to build the average matrix operator. The problem of curve length estimation is also considered. Algorithms and numerical results are presented.
DRL-Prefixspan: A novel pattern growth algorithm for discovering downturn, revision and launch (DRL) sequential patterns
Authors: George Aloysius , Binu D.
Published: December 2012

Discovering sequential patterns is a rather well-studied area in data mining and has been found many diverse applications, such as basket analysis, telecommunications, etc. In this article, we propose an efficient algorithm that incorporates constraints and promotion-based marketing scenarios for the mining of valuable sequential patterns. Incorporating specific constraints into the sequential mining process has enabled the discovery of more user-centered patterns. We move one step ahead and integrate three significant marketing scenarios for mining promotion-oriented sequential patterns. The promotion-based market scenarios considered in the proposed research are 1) product Downturn, 2) product Revision and 3) product Launch (DRL). Each of these scenarios is characterized by distinct item and adjacency constraints. We have developed a novel DRL-PrefixSpan algorithm (tailored form of the PrefixSpan) for mining all length DRL patterns. The proposed algorithm has been validated on synthetic sequential databases. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of incorporating the promotion-based marketing scenarios in the sequential pattern mining process.
Word sense disambiguation to improve precision for ambiguous queries
Authors: Chifu Adrian-Gabriel , Ionescu Radu-Tudor
Published: December 2012

Success in Information Retrieval (IR) depends on many variables. Several interdisciplinary approaches try to improve the quality of the results obtained by an IR system. In this paper we propose a new way of using word sense disambiguation (WSD) in IR. The method we develop is based on Naïve Bayes classification and can be used both as a filtering and as a re-ranking technique. We show on the TREC ad-hoc collection that WSD is useful in the case of queries which are difficult due to sense ambiguity. Our interest regards improving the precision after 5, 10 and 30 retrieved documents (P@5, P@10, P@30), respectively, for such lowest precision queries.
Sorting and Supporting
Authors: Nomi Takako , Allensworth Elaine M.
Published: December 2012

In 2003, Chicago schools required students entering ninth grade with below-average math scores to take two periods of algebra. This led to higher test scores for students with both above- and below-average skills, yet failure rates increased for above-average students. We examine the mechanisms behind these surprising results. Sorting by incoming skills benefitted the test scores of high-skill students partially through higher demands and fewer disruptive peers. But more students failed because their skills were low relative to classroom peers. For below-average students, improvements in pedagogy and more time for learning offset problems associated with low-skill classrooms. In some cases, classrooms were not sorted, but below-average students took an extra support class simultaneously. Test scores also improved in such classes.
The Himalayan wanderer: Conservationist, scholar and friend
Authors: Heinen Joel T
Published: December 2012

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hjs.v7i9.7112 Himalayan Journal of Sciences Vol.7 Issue 9 2011 pp.35
Measuring Nonmotorized Accessibility and Connectivity in a Robust Pedestrian Network
Authors: Tal Gil , Handy Susan
Published: December 2012

This paper explores measures of pedestrian accessibility and network connectivity with a network that includes pedestrian facilities in addition to the street network. Studies that focus on walkability usually use available street networks that do not include pedestrian-only facilities. The effect of missing pedestrian connections where the street network is richer than the pedestrian network has been examined in some studies, but the case of suburban environments with robust pedestrian networks has mostly been ignored. In the current study, various measures of connectivity and accessibility were compared between the pedestrian network and the street network in different suburban settings and for accessibility to different land use activities, such as schools and retail centers. Documenting the degree to which the pedestrian network enhanced pedestrian accessibility over the street network alone was motivated by the desire to inform research and to inform policy. Nine neighborhoods in the city of Davis, California, with typical suburban densities, a variety of street network types, and an extensive system of off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities were used in the study. A network that included all minor and primary roads in the city plus pedestrian ways was also used. This network included 60 mi of off-street facilities and excluded freeways not open to pedestrians. Households were used as origins and schools and retail centers as destinations to demonstrate the effect of the pedestrian network on connectivity and accessibility in different parts of the city. The results of this study can be used to improve the measurement of built environment in studies of active travel and to increase understanding of the effect of the pedestrian network in the suburban environment.
European Ethnology, Europeanist Anthropology and Beyond
Authors: Kockel Ullrich
Published: December 2012

As I settle down to put together this issue, it occurs to me that the development of AJEC in its various phases displays an uncanny correspondence with my personal professional trajectory so far. Its inception and first volume happened during my postdoctoral fellowship when I was happy to place one of my first (coauthored) academic articles in its inaugural issue. The remainder of AJEC’s first approximate decade coincides with my time as a lecturer. At the time I took up my first chair, the format of AJEC changed, eventually turning it, for a while, into a Yearbook rather than a journal. And in the year I moved to my second chair, I was invited to take on the editorship of AJEC, which would now be published by Berghahn and returning to the format of two issues per year. This correspondence raises a curious question: What significant turning point for the journal will correspond with my own as I am becoming an emeritus professor?
Anthropology Meets History
Authors: Giordano Christian
Published: December 2012

This article analyses the difficult relation between anthropology and history. The point, therefore, is to show how anthropology conceptualises the past differently from history as a discipline. Beginning with the differences between anthropology and history in terms of the concept of time, the article highlights that while for history time is concrete, objective and exogenous to human beings, for anthropology it is characterised by its being condensed, collectively subjective and endogenous. By analyzing actual examples, the article shows that the anthropologist is not interested in the past per se, but rather in the past as a dimension of the present. Accordingly, actualised, revised and manipulated history as well as the role of the past in the present need to be taken into account. Consequently, history and the past have their own specific efficiency because they are also a form of knowledge and social resource mobilised by single individuals or groups to find their bearings and act accordingly in the present and likewise to plan the future.
Elisabeth Katschnig-Fasch (1947-2012)
Authors: Greverus Ina-Maria
Published: December 2012

Elisabeth Katschnig-Fasch died on 4 February 2012. Many people, including the present and past editors of AJEC, are mourning the loss of this very special, indeed unique woman. However, she remains in dialogue with us through her numerous publications.
Book Reviews
Authors: Stan Sabina , Murphy Fiona
Published: December 2012

Esin Bozkurt (2009), Conceptualising 'Home': The Question of Belonging Among Turkish Families in Germany (Frankfurt/M. and New York: Campus), 243 pp., Pb: €32.90, ISBN: 978-3593387918.

Brigitte Bönisch-Brednich and Catherine Trundle (eds) (2010), Local Lives: Migration and the Politics of Place (Aldershot: Ashgate), 218 pp., Hb: £55.00, ISBN: 978-1-4094-0103-2.
Books Available for Review
Authors: Craith Máiréad Nic
Published: December 2012

Books Available for Review
Single-Grating Monochromators for Extreme-Ultraviolet Ultrashort Pulses
Authors: Poletto Luca , Frassetto Fabio
Published: December 2012

A single-grating monochromator can be used for the spectral selection of ultrashort pulses without altering in a significant way the pulse duration, provided that the number of illuminated grooves is equal to the resolution. Two configurations are compared: the classical-diffraction mount (CDM) and the off-plane mount (OPM). The advantages and drawbacks of both configurations are presented. The two geometries can be joined in a new and innovative design of a monochromator with two interchangeable diffracting stages both used at grazing incidence, one with the gratings in the CDM and the other in the OPM. The use of two stages gives great flexibility: the OPM stage is used for sub-50 fs time response and low spectral resolution and the CDM stage for 100-200 fs time response and high spectral resolution. The design overcomes the limits of the two single configurations, giving on the same instrument either ultrafast response with low spectral resolution or slower response with higher resolution.
Homologous Recombination as a Replication Fork Escort: Fork-Protection and Recovery
Authors: Costes Audrey , Lambert Sarah
Published: December 2012

Homologous recombination is a universal mechanism that allows DNA repair and ensures the efficiency of DNA replication. The substrate initiating the process of homologous recombination is a single-stranded DNA that promotes a strand exchange reaction resulting in a genetic exchange that promotes genetic diversity and DNA repair. The molecular mechanisms by which homologous recombination repairs a double-strand break have been extensively studied and are now well characterized. However, the mechanisms by which homologous recombination contribute to DNA replication in eukaryotes remains poorly understood. Studies in bacteria have identified multiple roles for the machinery of homologous recombination at replication forks. Here, we review our understanding of the molecular pathways involving the homologous recombination machinery to support the robustness of DNA replication. In addition to its role in fork-recovery and in rebuilding a functional replication fork apparatus, homologous recombination may also act as a fork-protection mechanism. We discuss that some of the fork-escort functions of homologous recombination might be achieved by loading of the recombination machinery at inactivated forks without a need for a strand exchange step; as well as the consequence of such a model for the stability of eukaryotic genomes.
From Augustine of Hippo’s Memory Systems to Our Modern Taxonomy in Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience of Memory: A 16-Century Nap of Intuition before Light of Evidence
Authors: Cassel Jean-Christophe , Cassel Daniel , Manning Lilianne
Published: December 2012

Over the last half century, neuropsychologists, cognitive psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists interested in human memory have accumulated evidence showing that there is not one general memory function but a variety of memory systems deserving distinct (but for an organism, complementary) functional entities. The first attempts to organize memory systems within a taxonomic construct are often traced back to the French philosopher Maine de Biran (1766–1824), who, in his book first published in 1803, distinguished mechanical memory, sensitive memory and representative memory, without, however, providing any experimental evidence in support of his view. It turns out, however, that what might be regarded as the first elaborated taxonomic proposal is 14 centuries older and is due to Augustine of Hippo (354–430), also named St Augustine, who, in Book 10 of his Confessions, by means of an introspective process that did not aim at organizing memory systems, nevertheless distinguished and commented on sensible memory, intellectual memory, memory of memories, memory of feelings and passion, and memory of forgetting. These memories were envisaged as different and complementary instances. In the current study, after a short biographical synopsis of St Augustine, we provide an outline of the philosopher’s contribution, both in terms of questions and answers, and focus on how this contribution almost perfectly fits with several viewpoints of modern psychology and neuroscience of memory about human memory functions, including the notion that episodic autobiographical memory stores events of our personal history in their what, where and when dimensions, and from there enables our mental time travel. It is not at all meant that St Augustine’s elaboration was the basis for the modern taxonomy, but just that the similarity is striking, and that the architecture of our current viewpoints about memory systems might have preexisted as an outstanding intuition in the philosopher’s mind.