bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measuring the rate of progression in Friedreich ataxia: Implications for clinical trial design
Authors: Friedman Lisa S. , Farmer Jennifer M. , Perlman Susan , Wilmot George , Gomez Christopher M. , Bushara Khalaf O. , Mathews Katherine D. , Subramony S. H. , Ashizawa Tetsuo , Balcer Laura J. , Wilson Robert B. , Lynch David R.
Published: January 2010

Friedreich ataxia is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by ataxia of all four limbs, dysarthria, and arreflexia. A variety of measures are currently used to quantify disease progression, including the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale, examiner‐rated functional disability scales, self‐reported activities of daily living and performance measures such as the timed 25‐foot walk, 9‐hole pegboard test, PATA speech test, and low‐contrast letter acuity vision charts. This study examines the rate of disease progression over one and two years in a cohort of 236 Friedreich ataxia patients using these scales and performance measure composites. The Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale and performance‐measure composites captured disease progression, with a greater sensitivity to change over 2 years than over 1 year. The measures differed in their sensitivity to change and in possible bias. These results help to establish norms for progression in FRDA that can be useful in measuring the long‐term success of therapeutic agents and defining sample‐size calculations for double‐blind clinical trials. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Long‐term deep brain stimulation for essential tremor: 12‐year clinicopathologic follow‐up
Authors: DiLorenzo Daniel J. , Jankovic Joseph , Simpson Richard K. , Takei Hidehiro , Powell Suzanne Z.
Published: January 2010

We describe the clinical course and postmortem pathological findings in a patient with essential tremor (ET) treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) for 12 years. This 75 year old woman had a 13‐year history of progressive ET prior to implantation of bilateral quadripolar DBS electrodes in the region of her ventral intermediate thalamic nuclei in 1996, producing immediate relief of arm tremor. Histopathological examination of the brain, performed 12 years after the initial implantation, demonstrated electrode catheter tracts rimmed by 20‐25 micron fibrous sheaths, with multinucleated giant cells and reactive gliosis. Lymphocytic infiltration was seen by L26 immunoreactivity with CD3 (T cells) staining predominating over CD20 (B cells). Cerebellar axonal spheroids and Purkinje cell loss were found. The minimal foreign body reaction and gliosis around the electrodes 12 years after implantation supports the long‐term safety of DBS. The case represents the longest reported follow‐up with autopsy examination after DBS and confirmed histological changes associated with ET. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Correlation of contractile function recovery with acetylcholine receptor changes in a rat muscle flap model
Authors: Zhang Yingfan , Liu Antang , Zhang Wenjun , Jiang Hua , Cai Zailong
Published: January 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between contractile function recovery and changes of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) in a transferred muscle flap following reinnervation. Orthotopic transfer of the gracilis muscle flap with repair of its nerve was performed bilaterally in 48 rats. The rats were randomly divided into six experimental groups based on the time intervals for assessments (1, 4, 5, 10, 20, and 30 weeks). Sixteen gracilis muscle samples from eight rats without surgery were used as the controls. In each group, muscle contractile force and weight were measured (n = 16). The AChR numbers (n = 8) and subunits (ϵ and γ) mRNA (n = 8) were examined using [125I]‐α‐bungarotoxin and fluorescent quantitative‐PCR. The results showed the AChR numbers in the muscle flap increased from 4 to 20 weeks after reinnervation and correlated with recovery of the tetanic contraction force. However, correlation between the increase of AChR number with the specific tension (peak contractile force normalized to wet muscle weight) was only found from 4 to 10 weeks postoperatively. The expression of γ‐subunit mRNA increased at the early period after flap transfer and then decreased rapidly, whereas the ϵ‐subunit mRNA recovered gradually since fourth week postoperatively. A small amount of γ‐subunit mRNA could still be detected at 30 weeks after surgery. In conclusion, following reinnervation of the transferred muscle flap, the contractile functional recovery is partially correlated to increase of the AChRϵ. Our findings may provide evidence for further study of improving muscle function in functional reconstruction by targeting the AChR. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 2010.
Miniaturized bandpass filter design using LC resonators on an organic substrate
Authors: Huang Chien‐Hsiang , Chen Chien‐Hsun , Chiu Chi‐Tsung , Lee Pao‐Nan , Horng Tzyy‐Sheng , Li Jian‐Yu , Chen Cheng‐Chung
Published: January 2010

This letter presents very small LC resonator‐based bandpass filters on an organic substrate for wireless system applications. Because of the lack of a fabrication process for high‐capacitance density capacitors on the applicable substrate, the proposed bandpass filter designs are based on either modified‐T or coupled‐resonator prototype. By carefully taking parasitic and coupling effects into account in the filter synthesis procedure, the presented bandpass filter designs can feature themselves with a Chebyshev response plus multiple transmission zeros, resulting in a low‐insertion loss in the passband as well as a high‐attenuation rate in the roll‐off region. Comparison between EM simulation and measurement results shows excellent agreement. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 547–551, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24966
A highly integrated Ka‐band transceiver module with two channels
Authors: Wang Zhigang , Xu Ruimin , Guo Yunchuan , Zhang Yong , Yan Bo
Published: January 2010

A compact Ka‐band square‐wave modulation transceiver module with two receiving and transmitting channels is presented.This module consists of 15 monolithic microwave integrated circuits, two dielectric resonator oscillators, a E‐plane waveguide filter, a coupler, two power dividers, and over 200 components, and works at two Ka‐band operating frequency points. The developed Ka‐band transceiver module is fabricated using advanced packages techniques, which has a compact size of 120 mm × 60 mm × 20 mm and exhibits greater than 500 mw output power with amplitude imbalance of two output ports less than 30 mw, switch rise time and fall time less than 4 ns, isolation of transmitting two channels more than 63 dB, and voltage standing wave ratio of receiving ports better than 1.3. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 615–618, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25005
Investigation of microstrip antenna array stacked structure realized on LTCC for 60 GHz band
Authors: Bondarik Alexander , Jun Dong Suk , Kim Joung Myoun , Yun Je Hoon
Published: January 2010

This article presents the 16‐element antenna array with parasitic microstrip antenna single element. Antenna designed to operate at 60 GHz and its structure based on low‐temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrate. Gain more than 18 dBi and return loss bandwidth about 20% were obtained after antenna geometry parameters optimization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 648–652, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25006
Receiver gain function: the actual NMR receiver gain
Authors: Mo Huaping , Harwood John S. , Raftery Daniel
Published: January 2010

The observed NMR signal size depends on the receiver gain parameter. We propose a receiver gain function to characterize how much the raw FID is amplified by the receiver as a function of the receiver gain setting. Although the receiver is linear for a fixed gain setting, the actual gain of the receiver may differ from what the gain setting suggests. Nevertheless, for a given receiver, we demonstrate that the receiver gain function can be calibrated. Such a calibration enables accurate comparison of separately acquired NMR signals in quantitative analysis, which frequently requires different receiver gain settings to avoid receiver saturation or achieve optimum sensitivity. The application of receiver gain function, along with the definition of receiving efficiency, allows easy concentration determination by a single internal or external concentration reference. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genomic profiling of gastric carcinoma in situ and adenomas by array‐based comparative genomic hybridization
Authors: Uchida Masahiro , Tsukamoto Yoshiyuki , Uchida Tomohisa , Ishikawa Yuta , Nagai Takayuki , Hijiya Naoki , Nguyen Lam Tung , Nakada Chisato , Kuroda Akiko , Okimoto Tadayoshi , Kodama Masaaki , Murakami Kazunari , Noguchi Tsuyoshi , Matsuura Keiko , Tanigawa Masato , Seto Masao , Ito Hisao , Fujioka Toshio , Takeuchi Ichiro , Moriyama Masatsugu
Published: January 2010

Although genomic copy number aberrations (CNAs) of gastric carcinoma at the advanced stage have already been extensively characterized by array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) analysis, those of gastric carcinoma in situ (CIS) are still poorly understood. Furthermore, no reports have demonstrated correlations between CNAs and histopathological features of gastric adenoma. In this study, we investigated CNAs of 20 gastric CISs (Vienna category 4.2) and 20 adenomas including seven low‐grade adenomas (LGA; Vienna category 3) and 13 high‐grade adenomas (HGA; Vienna category 4.1), using oligonucleotide‐based array CGH. The most frequent aberrations in CIS were gains at 8q (85%) and 20q (50%), and losses at 5q (50%) and 17p (50%), suggesting that these CNAs are involved in the development of CIS. We found that the pattern of CNAs in HGA was quite different from that in LGA. The most frequent CNAs in HGA were gains at 8q (62%) and 7pq (54%), whereas those in LGA were gain at 7q21.3‐q22.1 (57%) and loss at 5q (43%). Interestingly, gains at 8q and 7pq, both of which occurred most frequently in HGA, were not detected in any cases of LGA. Of note, 8q gain was detected most frequently in both HGA and CIS but was undetected in LGA. Since HGA is believed to have a higher risk of progression to invasive carcinoma than LGA, these data suggest that 8q gain is important for the malignant transformation of gastric adenoma. Copyright © 2010 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conservative treatment of L‐asparaginase‐associated lipid abnormalities in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Cohen Hofit , Bielorai Bella , Harats Dror , Toren Amos , Pinhas‐Hamiel Orit
Published: January 2010

Objective

To determine the incidence and clinical consequences of asparaginase‐associated lipid abnormalities in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Methods

Sixty‐five newly diagnosed children and adolescents aged 0.4–21 years with ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma were retrospectively evaluated for lipid abnormalities. They were treated according to the ALLIC‐BFM 2002 protocol between 2002 and 2005. Fasting cholesterol levels were measured in all patients and triglycerides (TG) in 42/65 patients.

Results

Prior to treatment, mean cholesterol level was 149 ± 50 mg/dl, and increased to maximal level 274 ± 124 mg/dl during treatment. Mean TG level during treatment was 459 ± 526 mg/dl (range 54–3,009). Twelve patients (28%) had TG levels <200 mg/dl, 18 (43%) had 200–400 mg/dl, 3 (7%) had 400–600 mg/dl, 4 (10%) between 600 and 1,000 mg/dl, and 5 (12%) patients had >1,000 mg/dl. No association was found between TG levels and age or gender. One of the 12 patients with TG >400 mg/dl developed left saggital sinus thrombosis and left frontal lobe infarct. TG level at the time of the event was 2,640 mg/dl. None of the five patients with TG levels >1,000 mg/dl developed pancreatitis. Children with TG levels between 400 and 600 mg/dl were treated by fasting. Fibrates and heparin were added to those with levels >600 mg/dl. Lipid abnormalities normalized in all children upon completion of asparaginase treatment.

Conclusions

Abnormalities of lipid profile in children with ALL during asparaginase therapy are relatively common. We recommend measuring TG before and during asparaginase treatment. Initiation of conservative treatment could prevent further increase of TG and decrease the risk of potential complications. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:703–706. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Perinatal outcome following suspected fetal abnormality when managed through a fetal management unit
Authors: Lewis Sharon , McGillivray George , Rowlands Shelley , Halliday Jane
Published: January 2010

Objective

To determine the perinatal outcomes of the first 1057 cases seen at a fetal management unit (FMU).

Methods

Record linkage of FMU data with the Victorian Birth data and the Victorian Births Defects Register (BDR).

Results

Ninety‐nine percent of cases were followed up with 811 (77%) linked to the BDR and 202 (22%) linked to the birth data. Almost two‐thirds of cases with birth defects (528) were live births surviving 28 days, 52 (6%) were neonatal deaths, 26 (3%) were stillbirths and 205 (25%) were terminations. The birth defects most prevalent were of the heart/circulatory system (31%). Cases that resulted in a termination were significantly more likely to have multiple birth defects [OR 2.43 (95% CI 1.70, 3.48)], a chromosomal birth defect [OR 3.30 (95% CI 1.96, 5.57)], a lethal birth defect [OR 1.32 (95% CI 1.25, 1.38)], or a syndrome [OR 4.81 (95% CI 2.54, 9.11)]. In this setting, 61% of cases of Down syndrome resulted in a live birth.

Conclusion

Over three‐quarters of cases referred to the FMU were confirmed with a birth defect and notified to the BDR. Notably, two‐thirds of the cases (with or without a birth defect) were live births surviving 28 days. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation and properties of biocomposites composed of bio‐based epoxy resin, tannic acid, and microfibrillated cellulose
Authors: Shibata Mitsuhiro , Nakai Koichi
Published: January 2010

As new bio‐based epoxy resin systems, glycerol polyglycidyl ether (GPE) and sorbitol polyglycidyl ether (SPE) were cured with tannic acid (TA) at various conditions. When the curing conditions were optimized for the improvement of thermal and mechanical properties, the most balanced properties were obtained for the GPE/TA and SPE/TA cured at 160 °C for 2–3 h at the epoxy/hydroxyl ratio of 1/1. The cured SPE/TA had a higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and tensile strength than the cured GPE/TA. Next, biocomposites of GPE/TA and SPE/TA with microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) were prepared by mixing aqueous solution of the epoxy/curing reagent with MFC, and subsequent drying and curing at the optimized condition. For both the GPE/TA/MFC and SPE/TA/MFC biocomposites, Tg and the storage modulus at rubbery plateau region increased with increasing MFC content over the studied range of 3–15 wt %. The tensile strength at 25 °C for GPE/TA/MFC biocomposite with MFC content 10 wt % was 76% higher than that of control GPE/TA, while the tensile modulus was little improved. On the other hand, the tensile strength and modulus of SPE/TA/MFC biocomposite with MFC content 10 wt % were 30 and 55% higher than those of control SPE/TA, respectively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 425–433, 2010
Real time monitoring of the crystallization process during the plasma annealing of amorphous silicon
Authors: Ohta Naoki , Imamura Takashi , Shimizu Hirokazu , Kobayashi Tomohiro , Shirai Hajime
Published: January 2010

The transient surface temperature and optical transmissivity profiles during the plasma annealing of amorphous silicon (a‐Si) on quartz substrate was studied using a radio‐frequency (rf) thermal plasma torch (TPT). The film crystallization promoted through solid‐phase crystallization (SPC) at surface temperature of 750 °C, followed by a lateral crystalline grain growth at above 900 °C within millisecond time domain. The spectroscopic ellipsometry study revealed that the film crystallization by a TPT annealing promoted from near the bottom surface due to the sufficient thermal storage in the bulk rather than the top surface. The average crystalline grain size extended to 200–300 nm by adjusting the stage velocity and substrate distance.
Theoretical study of hydrogen microstructure in models of hydrogenated amorphous silicon
Authors: Timilsina Rajendra , Biswas Parthapratim
Published: January 2010

We study the distribution of hydrogen and various hydride configurations in realistic models of a‐Si:H for two different concentrations generated via experimentally constrained molecular relaxation approach (ECMR) 1. The microstructure corresponding to low (<10%) and high (>20%) concentration of H atoms are addressed and are compared to the experimental results with particular emphasis on the size of H clusters and local environment of H atoms. The linewidths of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum for the model configurations are calculated in order to compare to the experimental NMR data. Our study shows the presence of isolated hydrogen atoms, small and relatively large clusters with average proton–proton neighbor distance in the clusters around 1.6–2.4 Å that have been observed in multiple‐quantum NMR (MQ‐NMR) experiments.
Growth of few‐layer graphene by gas‐source molecular beam epitaxy using cracked ethanol
Authors: Maeda Fumihiko , Hibino Hiroki
Published: January 2010

To obtain few‐layer graphene (FLG), we propose a new growth process based on gas‐source molecular beam epitaxy, in which a cracked‐ethanol source is employed. To show the feasibility of this growth process, we tried to homoepitaxially grow FLG on epitaxial graphene formed on a SiC substrate. The results of Raman scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and in situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses prove that graphene was formed on the substrate, indicating that our approach is feasible for the formation of wafer‐scale FLG.
Decreasing the thickness of the active layer of microcrystalline silicon TFTs
Authors: Belarbi K. , Kandoussi K. , Souleiman I. , Simon C. , Coulon N. , Mohammed‐Brahim T.
Published: January 2010

Top‐gate TFTs are fabricated at T < 200 °C using μc‐Si:H film with different thickness, 30, 100 and 200 nm as active layer. Silicon nitride deposited at 150 °C is used as gate insulator. Due to improved crystallinity, mobility increases with the μc‐Si:H thickness. However, the columnar structure of thick μc‐Si:H films induces some shift of the TFT's characteristics. The denser structure of thinnest film, constituted by nano‐grains embedded in amorphous phase, leads to highly stable TFTs. Present results show that a mean way between the needs of high crystallinity, obtained in high thick films, and stability, obtained with dense material, has to be found in μc‐Si:H low temperature technology (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optical, morphological and spectro‐ scopic characterization of graphene on SiO2
Authors: Giannazzo F. , Sonde S. , Raineri V. , Patanè G. , Compagnini G. , Aliotta F. , Ponterio R. , Rimini E.
Published: January 2010

This work addresses the issue of determining the number of layers in few layers of graphene (FLG) flakes by cross‐comparison of several techniques: optical microscopy (OM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro‐Raman (μR) spectroscopy. SL were preliminarily identified by μR spectroscopy, which allows an unambiguous distinction between monolayers, bilayers and multilayers from the shape and relative intensity of the G and 2D peaks. It is demonstrated that the thickness of a SL measured by tapping mode AFM with respect to the SiO2 substrate is affected by an “offset” ∼0.3 nm.

This offset is explained in terms of the different adhesion forces between tip and SiO2 and tip and graphene measured by force spectroscopy curves. A calibration curve relating the height of a flake measured by AFM with the number of graphene layer was obtained. Finally, the optical contrast (OC) variations with FLG thickness was measured for different wavelengths in the visible range and for different oxide thicknesses (from 100 to 300 nm). OC was correlated with the number of layers (independently measured by AFM). (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
ToF‐SIMS multivariate characterization of surface modification of polymers by N2H2 atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge
Authors: Sarra‐Bournet C. , Poulin S. , Piyakis K. , Turgeon S. , Laroche G.
Published: January 2010

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) is a powerful tool for the surface characterization of plasma‐modified surface. However, the SIMS fragmentation patterns of the resulting surface are quite complex and a full interpretation may be prohibitive. As a result, many studies are turning to multivariate statistical methods to simplify the interpretation. In this study, a principal component analysis (PCA) was used to obtain a more detailed interpretation of the surface modification of polymers by an atmospheric pressure plasma. The dataset was obtained from three polymers with different chemical compositions [namely, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and poly(tetrafluoroethylene)], where each material was treated with an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in an atmosphere composed of different N2/H2 ratios. The results are discussed in terms of the suitability of ToF‐SIMS analysis combined with PCA for the discrimination between the three polymers and the possibility to create a predictive model that would describe the plasma surface modification, independent of the polymer substrate chemical composition. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Index compression using 64‐bit words
Authors: Anh Vo Ngoc , Moffat Alistair
Published: January 2010

Modern computers typically make use of 64‐bit words as the fundamental unit of data access. However the decade‐long migration from 32‐bit architectures has not been reflected in compression technology, because of a widespread assumption that effective compression techniques operate in terms of bits or bytes, rather than words. Here we demonstrate that the use of 64‐bit access units, especially in connection with word‐bounded codes, does indeed provide the opportunity for improving the compression performance. In particular, we extend several 32‐bit word‐bounded coding schemes to 64‐bit operation and explore their uses in information retrieval applications. Our results show that the Simple‐8b approach, a 64‐bit word‐bounded code, is an excellent self‐skipping code, and has a clear advantage over its competitors in supporting fast query evaluation when the data being compressed represents the inverted index for a large text collection. The advantages of the new code also accrue on 32‐bit architectures, and for all of Boolean, ranked, and phrase queries; which means that it can be used in any situation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal findings and differential diagnosis of scimitar syndrome and pulmonary sequestration
Authors: Bhide A. , Murphy D. , Thilaganathan B. , Carvalho J. S.
Published: January 2010

Objectives

Scimitar syndrome and pulmonary sequestration (PS) have overlapping features. This accounts for postnatal descriptions of a ‘sequestrated lung’ in scimitar‐syndrome patients. We review the similarities and differences in these two conditions, and the antenatal ultrasound findings that allow correct prenatal identification and differential diagnosis.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of prenatally diagnosed cases of scimitar syndrome or PS that underwent fetal echocardiography between January 1995 and November 2004.

Results

There were five cases of PS and six of scimitar syndrome. Right‐sided mediastinal shift (ipsilateral relative to the affected lung) was the commonest indication for referral in scimitar syndrome whereas in sequestration, referral was because of hyperechogenic lung and contralateral mediastinal shift. Lung echogenicity was normal in scimitar syndrome but focally increased in PS. Abnormal, unobstructed pulmonary venous drainage was identified prenatally in four cases of scimitar syndrome. It was normal in three fetuses with sequestration but abnormal and obstructed in the other two cases complicated by hydrothorax. Abnormal systemic arterial supply to the affected lung was easily demonstrated in all fetuses with PS, but could not be shown prenatally in scimitar‐syndrome fetuses. Postnatal embolization was warranted in one case with PS and four with scimitar syndrome, one each in the neonatal period.

Conclusion

Prenatally, scimitar syndrome and PS are clearly distinct entities based on lung echogenicity and laterality of mediastinal shift. Hyperechogenic lung and dextrocardia indicate the possibility of PS and scimitar syndrome, respectively. Complete delineation of the vascular pattern should be attempted in all, but is more challenging in scimitar syndrome. Obstructed venous return in PS may identify fetuses at risk of developing hydrothorax. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A position‐based routing algorithm in 3D sensor networks
Authors: Al tahan Alaa M. , Watfa Mohamed K.
Published: January 2010

As large‐scale sensor networks become more feasible, properties such as stateless nature and low maintenance overhead make position‐based routing increasingly more attractive. Motivated by the fact that sensor networks would probably be deployed in a three‐dimensional space, we present a novel 3D geographical routing (3DGR) algorithm that makes use of the position information to route packets from sources to destinations with high path quality and reliability. The locality and high scalability of this algorithm make it suitable for wireless sensor networks. It provides high adaptability to changes in topology and recovery of link failures which increases its reliability. We also incorporate battery‐aware energy efficient schemes to increase the overall lifetime of the network. To reduce latency, a method of keeping a small record of recent paths is used. We also show that location errors will still result in good performance of our algorithm while the same assumptions might yield bad performance or even complete failures in other popular geographical routing algorithms. We evaluate the 3DGR protocol using simulation. Compared to other geographic routing algorithms, we find that 3DGR exhibits noticeably longer network lifetime, smaller path stretch, smaller end‐to‐end delay, and better packet delivery ratio. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the energy cost of authenticated key agreement in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Galindo David , Roman Rodrigo , Lopez Javier
Published: January 2010

Wireless sensors are battery‐powered devices which are highly constrained in terms of computational capabilities, memory and communication bandwidth. While battery life is their main limitation, they require considerable energy to communicate data. Due to this, it turns out that the energy saving of computationally inexpensive primitives (like symmetric key cryptography (SKC)) can be nullified by the bigger amount of data they require to be sent. In this work, we study the energy cost of key agreement protocols between peers in a network using asymmetric key cryptography. Our main concern is to reduce the amount of data to be exchanged, which can be done by using special cryptographic paradigms like identity‐based and self‐certified cryptography. The main news is that an intensive computational primitive for resource‐constrained devices, such as non‐interactive identity‐based authenticated key exchange, performs comparably or even better than traditional authenticated key exchange (AKE) in a variety of scenarios. Moreover, protocols based in this primitive can provide better security properties in real deployments than other simple protocols based on symmetric cryptography. Our findings illustrate to what extent the latest implementation advancements push the efficiency boundaries of public key cryptography (PKC) in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Long‐range dependence
Authors: Beran Jan
Published: January 2010

Long‐range dependence (LRD) refers to dependence structures that decay slowly with increasing distance. Mathematically this leads to limit theorems that differ from the short‐memory case, and to major corrections of standard statistical methods. Here, a brief overview of the probabilistic foundations and statistical methods is given. We focus on how LRD is defined, which typical models may generate LRD, how to do statistical inference for stationary and nonstationary long‐memory models, and how to distinguish between LRD and alternative models that may mimic long‐memory behavior. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Data: Types and Structure > Time Series, Stochastic Processes, and Functional Data
Rendering in computer graphics
Authors: Chen Jim X.
Published: January 2010

In this paper, some basics and advanced rendering methods in computer graphics are introduced. It takes a serious course to understand the principle and details of computergraphics. Here, I try to explain some basics and methods so that engineers and scientists not in the graphics specialty field will be able to understand graphics rendering methods and conceive applications with available means. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Algorithms and Computational Methods > Computer Graphics
Forward simulation models
Authors: Thompson James
Published: January 2010

The uses of simulation are virtually endless. In this article we consider only a few. The first is the use of simulation to take a data set and generate pseudo data points which are essentially stochastic combinations of points in the data set. This SIMDAT application is model free. The second is the use of simulation to obtain data‐based estimates of a stochastic process model. In order to estimate model parameters, we simulate assuming parameter values pseudo data points. Using goodness‐of‐fit measures we can then adjust the parameter values to bring the resulting pseudo data into maximal concordance with the actual data. This SIMEST algorithm is highly a model dependent. Since the time of Poisson, stochatic processes are modeled in the forward (temporal) direction. Fisher's maximum likelihood is a temporally backwards technique of parameter estimation. Thus, for example, if we are looking at a data set of the times of detection of ‘secondary’ tumors, we need to consider all the possible pathways for genesis of these tumors, and there are an infinite number of these. A ‘secondary tumor’ may have been generated from a primary over a continuum of times. It might have been generated from a secondary tumor over a continuum of times. It might actually be a new primary, having been generated from a systemic failure of the immune system. In this paper, we give an example of the forwards SIMEST estimation procedure. SIMEST has been successfully used to generate pseudo data based on an assumption of parameter values and then compared with clinical data via Pearson's goodness of fit. In the area of computational finance, we briefly consider the work which, using simulation‐based data analysis, challenges the efficient market hypothesis and looks at data‐based portfolio alternatives. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical Models > Simulation Models
Habituation to environmental enrichment in captive sloth bears—effect on stereotypies
Authors: Anderson Claes , Arun Attur Shanmugam , Jensen Per
Published: January 2010

The benefits to captive animals of environmental enrichment (EE) are widely recognized. Few studies have, however, studied how to maximise the effect of EE. One issue with EE programs seems to be habituation to the enrichment device. To study the effect of habituation to EE, 14 captive sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) were subjected to two different EE treatments. Treatment one presented EE (logs with honey containing holes) for five consecutive days, whereas treatment two presented EE on intermittent days for five days. Intermittent presentations tended to reduce habituation toward the EE. Both consecutive and intermittent presentations significantly reduced stereotypies; however, the consecutive presentations had a longer‐lasting effect. Explorative behaviors increased in both treatments, consistent with earlier findings that EE increase levels of natural behaviors. Other behaviors were unaffected by the EE presentations. The results show that intermittent presentation of EE objects may secure the interest of the animals, but continuous access to enrichment may be more efficient in reducing stereotypies in the long run. Zoo Biol 29:705–714, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Point-condensation phenomena and saturation effect for the one-dimensional Gierer–Meinhardt system
Authors: Morimoto Kotaro
Published: January 2010

In this paper, we are concerned with peak solutions to the following one-dimensional Gierer–Meinhardt system with saturation:

\begin{cases}
0 = \varepsilon ^{2}A''−A + \frac{A^{2}}{H(1 + \kappa A^{2})} + \sigma , & A > 0,\:x \in (−1,1), \\
0 = DH''−H + A^{2}, & H > 0,\:x \in (−1,1), \\
A' ( \pm 1) = H^{′}( \pm 1) = 0, &
\end{cases}

where

\varepsilon ,D > 0

,

\kappa ⩾0

,

\sigma ⩾0

. The saturation effect of the activator is given by the parameter

κ

. We will give a sufficient condition of

κ

for which point-condensation phenomena emerge. More precisely, for fixed

D > 0

, we will show that the Gierer–Meinhardt system admits a peak solution when

ε

is sufficiently small under the assumption:

κ

depends on

ε

, namely,

\kappa = \kappa (\varepsilon )

, and there exists a limit

\mathrm{\lim }_{\varepsilon \rightarrow 0}\kappa \varepsilon ^{−2} = \kappa _{0}

for certain

\kappa _{0} \in [0,\infty )

.
Nonsense‐mediated translational repression involves exon junction complex downstream of premature translation termination codon
Authors: Lee Hyung Chul , Oh Nara , Cho Hana , Choe Junho , Kim Yoon Ki
Published: January 2010

Human transforming growth factor‐β receptor type 2 (TGFβR2) mRNA harboring a premature translation termination codon (PTC) generated by frameshift mutation is targeted for nonsense‐mediated translational repression (NMTR), rather than nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Here we show that exon junction complex (EJC) downstream of a PTC plays an inhibitory role in translation of TGFβR2 mRNA. Translational repression by core EJC components occurs after formation of 80S ribosome complex, which is demonstrated using different types of internal ribosome entry sites (IRESes). Our findings implicate EJCs or core EJC components as negative regulators of translation.
Early dementia diagnosis and the risk of suicide and euthanasia
Authors: Draper Brian , Peisah Carmelle , Snowdon John , Brodaty Henry
Published: January 2010

Background

Diagnosis of dementia is occurring earlier, and much research concerns the identification of predementia states and the hunt for biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. Reports of suicidal behavior and requests for euthanasia in persons with dementia may be increasing.

Methods

We performed a selective literature review of suicide risk in persons with dementia and the ethical issues associated with euthanasia in this population.

Results

In the absence of any effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, there is already evidence that persons with mild cognitive change and early dementia are at risk of suicidal behavior, often in the context of comorbid depression. The ensuing clinical, ethical, and legal dilemmas associated with physician‐assisted suicide and euthanasia in the context of dementia are a subject of intense debate. By analogy, the preclinical and early diagnoses of Huntington's disease are associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior. Thus there is the potential for a preclinical and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (through biomarkers, neuroimaging, and clinical assessment) to result in increased suicide risk and requests for physician‐assisted suicide.

Conclusions

Although dementia specialists have long recognized the importance of a sensitive approach to conveying bad news to patients and families and the possibility of depressive reactions, suicidal behavior has not been regarded as a likely outcome. Such preconceptions will need to change, and protocols to monitor and manage suicide risk will need to be developed for this population.
Growing Public
Authors: Lindert Peter H.
Published: January 2010

Growing Public examines the question of whether social policies that redistribute income impose constraints on economic growth. What kept prospering nations from using taxes for social programs until the end of the nineteenth century? Why did taxes and spending then grow so much, and what are the prospects for social spending in this century? Why did North America become a leader in public education in some ways and not others? Lindert finds answers in the economic history and logic of political voice, population ageing, and income growth. Contrary to traditional beliefs, the net national costs of government social programs are virtually zero. This book not only shows that no Darwinian mechanism has punished the welfare states, but uses history to explain why this surprising result makes sense. Contrary to the intuition of many economists and the ideology of many politicians, social spending has contributed to, rather than inhibited, economic growth.
Enumeration of Finite Groups
Authors: Blackburn Simon R. , Neumann Peter M. , Venkataraman Geetha
Published: January 2010

How many groups of order n are there? This is a natural question for anyone studying group theory, and this Tract provides an exhaustive and up-to-date account of research into this question spanning almost fifty years. The authors presuppose an undergraduate knowledge of group theory, up to and including Sylow's Theorems, a little knowledge of how a group may be presented by generators and relations, a very little representation theory from the perspective of module theory, and a very little cohomology theory - but most of the basics are expounded here and the book is more or less self-contained. Although it is principally devoted to a connected exposition of an agreeable theory, the book does also contain some material that has not hitherto been published. It is designed to be used as a graduate text but also as a handbook for established research workers in group theory.
Finite Element Methods in Mechanics
Authors: Kikuchi Noboru
Published: January 2010

This is a textbook written for mechanical engineering students at first-year graduate level. As such, it emphasizes the development of finite element methods used in applied mechanics. The book starts with fundamental formulations of heat conduction and linear elasticity and derives the weak form (i.e. the principle of virtual work in elasticity) from a boundary value problem that represents the mechanical behaviour of solids and fluids. Finite element approximations are then derived from this weak form. The book contains many useful exercises and the author appropriately provides the student with computer programs in both BASIC and FORTRAN for solving them. Furthermore, a workbook is available with additional computer listings, and also an accompanying disc that contains the BASIC programs for use on IBM-PC microcomputers and their compatibles. Thus the usefulness and versatility of this text is enhanced by the student's ability to practise problem solving on accessible microcomputers.
Efficient Algorithms for Listing Combinatorial Structures
Authors: Goldberg Leslie Ann
Published: January 2010

First published in 1993, this thesis is concerned with the design of efficient algorithms for listing combinatorial structures. The research described here gives some answers to the following questions: which families of combinatorial structures have fast computer algorithms for listing their members? What general methods are useful for listing combinatorial structures? How can these be applied to those families which are of interest to theoretical computer scientists and combinatorialists? Amongst those families considered are unlabelled graphs, first order one properties, Hamiltonian graphs, graphs with cliques of specified order, and k-colourable graphs. Some related work is also included, which compares the listing problem with the difficulty of solving the existence problem, the construction problem, the random sampling problem, and the counting problem. In particular, the difficulty of evaluating Pólya's cycle polynomial is demonstrated.
Finance and Fictionality in the Early Eighteenth Century
Authors: Sherman Sandra
Published: January 2010

In the early eighteenth century, the increasing dependence of society on financial credit provoked widespread anxiety. The texts of credit - stock certificates, IOUs, bills of exchange - were denominated as potential 'fictions', while the potential fictionality of other texts was measured in terms of the 'credit' they deserved. Sandra Sherman argues that in this environment finance is like fiction, employing the same tropes. She goes on to show how the work of Daniel Defoe epitomised the market's capacity to unsettle discourse, demanding and evading 'honesty' at the same time. Defoe's œuvre, straddling both finance and literature, theorizes the disturbance of market discourse, elaborating strategies by which an author can remain in the market, perpetrating fiction while avoiding responsibility for doing so.
Economic Expansion and Social Change
Authors: Clay C. G. A.
Published: January 2010

Historical understanding of the dynamics of economic and social change in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries has been transformed by an enormous volume of original research. A fascinating picture has emerged of an economy and society in turmoil under the influence of population growth, inflation, the commercialization of agriculture, the growth of a huge capital city, the emergence of new forms of manufacturing, and changes in the international economic context. Traditional forms of production, traditional social structures and traditional values all came under increasingly insistent attack from the forces of change, leading to radical economic and social readjustments.
Economic Expansion and Social Change: England 1500–1700
Authors: Clay C. G. A.
Published: January 2010

Historical understanding of the dynamics of economic and social change in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries has been transformed in the last twenty or thirty years by an enormous volume of original research. A fascinating picture has emerged of an economy and society in turmoil under the influence of population growth, inflation, the commercialisation of agriculture, the growth of a huge capital city, the emergence of distinct forms of manufacturing, and changes in the international economic context. Traditional forms of production, traditional social structures, and traditional values, all came under increasingly insistent attack from the forces of change, leading to radical economic and social readjustments. In this book, Christopher Clay draws on this flourishing research to provide a lucidly written analysis of the economy and society of England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, logically organised on a thematic rather than a chronological basis.
The Impact of Human Rights Law on Armed Forces
Authors: Rowe Peter
Published: January 2010

This book considers those aspects of human rights law which may become relevant to the activities of armed forces whether they remain in barracks, undertake training or are deployed in military operations within their own state or outside it. The unique nature of military service and of military courts gives rise to human rights issues in respect both of civilians and soldiers, whether volunteers or conscripts, who find themselves before these courts. Rowe examines these issues as well as the application of international humanitarian law alongside the human rights obligations of the state when forces are training for and involved in armed conflict; where armed forces are deployed in situations of civil disorder; and where states contribute armed forces to multinational forces. An invaluable resource for scholars in human rights, international law and military studies, and anyone concerned with policy relevant to the armed forces.
Island Colonization
Authors: Thornton Ian
Published: January 2010

New or recently sterilized islands (for example through volcanic activity), provide ecologists with natural experiments in which to study colonization, development and establishment of new biological communities. Studies carried out on islands like this have provided answers to fundamental questions as to what general principles are involved in the ecology of communities and what processes underlie and maintain the basic structure of ecosystems. These studies are vital for conservation biology, especially when evolutionary processes need to be maintained in systems in order to maintain biodiversity. The major themes are how animal and plant communities establish, particularly on 'new land' or following extirpations by volcanic activity. This book comprises a broad review of island colonization, bringing together succession models and general principles, case studies with which Professor Ian Thornton was intimately involved, and a synthesis of ideas, concluding with a look to the future for similar studies.
The Syntax of Agreement and Concord
Authors: Baker Mark C.
Published: January 2010

'Agreement' is the grammatical phenomenon in which the form of one item, such as the noun 'horses', forces a second item in the sentence, such as the verb 'gallop', to appear in a particular form, i.e. 'gallop' must agree with 'horses' in number. Even though agreement phenomena are some of the most familiar and well-studied aspects of grammar, there are certain basic questions that have rarely been asked, let alone answered. This book develops a theory of the agreement processes found in language, and considers why verbs agree with subjects in person, adjectives agree in number and gender but not person, and nouns do not agree at all. Explaining these differences leads to a theory that can be applied to all parts of speech and to all languages.
Laws of Nature
Authors: Carroll John W.
Published: January 2010

John Carroll undertakes a careful philosophical examination of laws of nature, causation, and other related topics. He argues that laws of nature are not susceptible to the sort of philosophical treatment preferred by empiricists. Indeed he shows that emperically pure matters of fact need not even determine what the laws are. Similar, even stronger, conclusions are drawn about causation. Replacing the traditional view of laws and causation requiring some kind of foundational legitimacy, the author argues that these phenomena are inextricably intertwined with everything else. This distinctively clear and detailed discussion of what it is to be a law will be valuable to a broad swathe of philosophers in metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of science.