bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Online Social Media as a Driver of Buzz Marketing
Authors: Taufique Khan Md. Raziuddin , Shahriar Faisal Mohammad
Published: May 2012

‘Buzz Marketing’ is an alternative strategy of creating preference and demand among prospective customers. Though given caution, this geometrically progressive marketing strategy offers significant opportunities for firms. The popularity of online social media adds a new dimension of buzz marketing, as these social networking sites accommodate a massive exchange of views among the users. Companies planning to use online social media as a driver of their buzz marketing efforts inevitably face the challenge of acquiring favorable response from a versatile and almost uncontrollable mass of users. Hence, profiling the users of social media is valuable. This paper examines the users of online social media and creates profiles of these “buzz riders.” Qualitative in nature, this study also proposes strategic implications for the different categories of online social media users to elicit positive responses of the buzz marketing efforts of the companies.
Predicting the Usage Intention of Social Network Games
Authors: Chang Chiao-Chen , Chin Yang-Chieh
Published: May 2012

Social network sites (SNSs) are new communication channels with which people can share information. The main functions of SNSs, such as MySpace, Facebook, and Orkut, consist of displaying a user’s social contacts, enabling people to view each other’s social networks and search for common friends or interesting content. Social networks are also connected to gaming and it is quickly becoming one of the most popular categories of applications on SNSs. The goal of this project is to gain insight into the factors that affect user intention to use a social network game. The study uses an extended technology acceptance model and focuses on combining personal innovativeness, personal involvement, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation to explain usage intentions for social network games. The proposed model was tested with data collected from potential users of a social network game. A multiple regression analysis and MANOVA analysis were then conducted to identify the key causal relationships. It is expected that personal innovativeness and personal involvement will have positive effects on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and ultimately influence usage intentions with regard to social network games.
Factors Affecting the Success of Online Branding
Authors: Eid Riyad , Al Sharief Raja Yahya , Hussein Laila
Published: May 2012

Online branding has become a crucial part of companies’ activity since the mid-90s, when internet expansion began. As internet activity starts playing bigger and greater roles in sales and marketing communications, online branding becomes more important. However, the challenge for organisations today is to advance their online business activities. To address this challenge, organisations need to understand the critical success factors for building an online brand. This paper discusses this issue proposes 9 critical factors classified into two categories and validated empirically through a sample of 150 university students. The significance, importance, and implications for each category are discussed and then recommendations are made.
Promoting Wine on the Internet
Authors: Santos J. Freitas
Published: May 2012

This study examines the content of Portuguese wine blogs and addresses two main questions: (i) which content and design elements of Portuguese wine blogs have more impact on the promotion of wine, and (ii) how can the content and design quality of wine blogs be assessed and improved. To answer these questions, a number of features of wine blogs are examined, and an initial attempt is made to describe the profile, uses and practices of Portuguese wine bloggers. Strong correlations were found between performance measures (posts, comments and traffic). In addition, it was found that one of the main marketing features that bloggers can offer was in rating wines. On the other hand, presentation features were found to account for very little regarding the performance of the blog. Finally, accessibility features, such as cross-references and RSS/Feeds that tend to increase blog traffic, are only used by a minority of Portuguese bloggers.
Fuzzy Cluster Validation Based on Fuzzy PCA-Guided Procedure
Authors: Honda K. , Notsu A. , Matsui T. , Ichihashi H.
Published: May 2012

Cluster validation is an important issue in fuzzy clustering research and many validity measures, most of which are motivated by intuitive justification considering geometrical features, have been developed. This paper proposes a new validation approach, which evaluates the validity degree of cluster partitions from the view point of the optimality of objective functions in FCM-type clustering. This approach makes it possible to evaluate the validity degree of robust cluster partitions, in which geometrical features are not available because of their possibilistic natures.
A New Efficient and Effective Fuzzy Modeling Method for Binary Classification
Authors: Liao T. Warren
Published: May 2012

This paper presents a new fuzzy modeling method that can be classified as a grid partitioning method, in which the domain space is partitioned by the fuzzy equalization method one dimension at a time, followed by the computation of rule weights according to the max-min composition. Five datasets were selected for testing. Among them, three datasets are high-dimensional; for these datasets only selected features are used to control the model size. An enumerative method is used to determine the best combination of fuzzy terms for each variable. The performance of each fuzzy model is evaluated in terms of average test error, average false positive, average false negative, training error, and CPU time taken to build model. The results indicate that this method is best, because it produces the lowest average test errors and take less time to build fuzzy models. The average test errors vary greatly with model sizes. Generally large models produce lower test errors than small models regardless of the fuzzy modeling method used. However, the relationship is not monotonic. Therefore, effort must be made to determine which model is the best for a given dataset and a chosen fuzzy modeling method.
On Possibilistic and Probabilistic Information Fusion
Authors: Yager Ronald R.
Published: May 2012

This article discusses the basic features of information provided in terms of possibilistic uncertainty. It points out the entailment principle, a tool that allows one to infer less specific from a given piece of information. The problem of fusing multiple pieces of possibilistic information is and the basic features of probabilistic information are described. The authors detail a procedure for transforming information between possibilistic and probabilistic representations, and using this to form the basis for a technique for fusing multiple pieces of uncertain information, some of which is possibilistic and some probabilistic. A procedure is provided for addressing the problems that arise when the information to be fused has some conflicts.
Applying a Fuzzy and Neural Approach for Forecasting the Foreign Exchange Rate
Authors: Chen Toly
Published: May 2012

Accurately forecasting the foreign exchange rate is important for export-oriented enterprises. For this purpose, a fuzzy and neural approach is applied in this study. In the fuzzy and neural approach, multiple experts construct fuzzy linear regression (FLR) equations from various viewpoints to forecast the foreign exchange rate. Each FLR equation can be converted into two equivalent nonlinear programming problems to be solved. To aggregate these fuzzy foreign exchange rate forecasts, a two-step aggregation mechanism is applied. At the first step, fuzzy intersection is applied to aggregate the fuzzy forecasts into a polygon-shaped fuzzy number to improve the precision. A back propagation network is then constructed to defuzzify the polygon-shaped fuzzy number and generate a representative/crisp value to enhance accuracy. To evaluate the effectiveness of the fuzzy and neural approach, a practical case of forecasting the foreign exchange rate in Taiwan is used. According to the experimental results, the fuzzy and neural approach improved both the precision and accuracy of the foreign exchange rate forecasting by 79% and 81%, respectively.
A Novel Fuzzy Associative Memory Architecture for Stock Market Prediction and Trading
Authors: Quek Chai , Guo Zaiyi , Maskell Douglas L.
Published: May 2012

In this paper, a novel stock trading framework based on a neuro-fuzzy associative memory (FAM) architecture is proposed. The architecture incorporates the approximate analogical reasoning schema (AARS) to resolve the problem of discontinuous (staircase) response and inefficient memory utilization with uniform quantization in the associative memory structure. The resultant structure is conceptually clearer and more computationally efficient than the Compositional Rule Inference (CRI) and Truth Value Restriction (TVR) fuzzy inference schemes. The local generalization characteristic of the associative memory structure is preserved by the FAM-AARS architecture. The prediction and trading framework exploits the price percentage oscillator (PPO) for input preprocessing and trading decision making. Numerical experiments conducted on real-life stock data confirm the validity of the design and the performance of the proposed architecture.
Gesture Spotting Using Fuzzy Garbage Model and User Adaptation
Authors: Yang Seung-Eun , Park Kwang-Hyun , Bien Zeungnam
Published: May 2012

Thanks to the rapid advancement of human-computer interaction technologies it is becoming easier for the elderly and/or people with disabilities to operate various electrical systems. Operation of home appliances by using a set of predefined hand gestures is an example. However, hand gesture recognition may fail when the predefined command gestures are similar to some ordinary but meaningless behaviors of the user. This paper uses a gesture spotting method to recognize a designated gesture from other similar gestures. A fuzzy garbage model is proposed to provide a variable reference value to determine whether the user’s gesture is the command gesture or not. Further, the authors propose two-stage user adaptation to enhance recognition performance: that is, off-line (batch) adaptation for inter-person variation and on-line (incremental) adaptation for intra-person variation. For implementation of the two-stage adaptation method, a genetic algorithm (GA) and the steepest descent method are adopted for each stage. Experimental results were obtained for 5 different users with left and up command gestures.
Optimizing the Performance of Plastic Injection Molding Using Weighted Additive Model in Goal Programming
Authors: Al-Refaie Abbas , Li Ming-Hsien
Published: May 2012

Injection molding process is increasingly more significant in today’s plastic production industries because it provides high-quality product, short product cycles, and light weight. This research optimizes the performance of this process with three main quality responses: defect count, cycle time, and spoon weight, using the weighted additive goal programming model. The three quality responses and process factors are described by appropriate membership functions. The Taguchi’s orthogonal array is then utilized to provide experimental layout. A linear optimization based on the weighted additive model in goal programming model is built to minimize the deviations of the product/process targets from their corresponding imprecise fuzzy values specified by the process engineer’s preferences. The results show that the average defect count is reduced from an average of 0.75 to 0.16. Moreover, the average cycle time becomes 13.06 seconds, which is significantly smaller than that obtained at initial factor settings (= 15.10 seconds). Finally, the average spoon weight is exactly on its target value of 2.0 gm.
Modelling the Long-Term Cost Competitiveness of a Semiconductor Product with a Fuzzy Approach
Authors: Chen Toly
Published: May 2012

Unit cost is undoubtedly the most critical factor for the competitiveness of a product. Therefore, evaluating the competitiveness of a product according to its unit cost is a reasonable idea. The current practice assesses the competitiveness at a number of check points in the product life cycle, and then averages the results. This approach is computationally simple but theoretically doubtful. This study evaluates the long-term cost competitiveness of a semiconductor product based on its cost learning model from a new viewpoint – the trend in the mid-term competitiveness. Using a fuzzy value to express the long-term cost competitiveness, the flexibility in the interpretation and implementation of the evaluation result is increased. A practical example is used to illustrate the proposed methodology.
A Computation Migration Approach to Elasticity of Cloud Computing
Authors: Wang Cho-Li , Lam King Tin , Kui Ma Ricky Ka
Published: May 2012

Code mobility is the capability to dynamically change the bindings between code fragments and the location where they are executed. While it is not a new concept, code mobility has reentered the limelight because of its potential uses for cloud computing—a megatrend in recent years. The strongest form of mobility allows the execution state of a computational component to be captured and restored on another node where execution is seamlessly continued. Computation migration can achieve dynamic load balancing, improve data access locality, and serve as the enabling mechanism for auto-provisioning of cloud computing resources. Therefore, it is worthwhile to study the concepts behind computation migration and its performance in a multi-instance cloud platform. This chapter introduces a handful of migration techniques working at diverse granularities for use in cloud computing. In particular, this chapter highlights an innovative idea termed stack-on-demand (SOD), which enables ultra-lightweight computation migrations and delivers a flexible execution model for mobile cloud applications.
Mobility Management Issues for Next Generation Wireless Networks
Authors: Saha Sajal , Mukhopadhyay Asish K
Published: May 2012

The next generation networks must support mobility for ubiquitous communication between any two nodes irrespective of their locations. Mobile IP was the first protocol to support mobility. The process of registration in Mobile IP protocol requires large number of location updates, excessive signaling traffic and service delay. This problem is solved by Hierarchical Mobile IP (HMIP) using the concept of hierarchy of Foreign Agent (FA) and the Gateway Foreign Agent (GFA), Mobility Anchor Point (MAP) to localize the registration information. The performance depends upon the selection of GFA or MAP and some key parameters. This chapter discusses several HMIP based mobility management schemes with a comparative analysis of those protocols and proposes an efficient mobility management scheme.
α-Enolase Expressed on the Surfaces of Monocytes and Macrophages Induces Robust Synovial Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Bae Seyeon , Kim Hyemin , Lee Naeun , Won Cheolhee , Kim Hang-Rae , Hwang Young-il , Song Yeong Wook , Kang Jae Seung , Lee Wang Jae
Published: May 2012

α-Enolase (ENO1) is a multifunctional glycolytic enzyme expressed abundantly in the cytosol. It has been implicated in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Serum Abs against ENO1 were reported in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Cell-surface expression of ENO1 has been found to be increased rapidly in response to inflammatory stimuli, but its expression and function has not been reported in RA. In this study, we show that cell-surface expression of ENO1 is increased on monocytes and macrophages isolated from RA patients but not on those from osteoarthritis patients, and Ab against ENO1 can stimulate these cells to produce higher amounts of proinflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, IL-1 α/β, IFN-γ, and PGE2 via p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathway. The frequency of ENO1-positive cells in synovial fluid mononuclear cells was higher than PBMCs. ENO1-positive cells were also found in the inflamed synovium from RA patients and arthritic ankle tissues of mice with collagen-induced arthritis. Taken together, these findings suggest that Abs against ENO1 present in RA sera may stimulate monocytes and macrophages expressing cell-surface ENO1 and contribute to production of proinflammatory mediators during the effector phase of synovial inflammation.
Differential Requirement of RasGRP1 for γδ T Cell Development and Activation
Authors: Chen Yong , Ci Xinxin , Gorentla Balachandra , Sullivan Sarah A. , Stone James C. , Zhang Weiguo , Pereira Pablo , Lu Jianxin , Zhong Xiao-Ping
Published: May 2012

γδ T (γδT) cells belong to a distinct T cell lineage that performs immune functions different from αβ T (αβT) cells. Previous studies established that Erk1/2 MAPKs are critical for positive selection of αβT cells. Additional evidence suggests that increased Erk1/2 activity promotes γδT cell generation. RasGRP1, a guanine nucleotide-releasing factor for Ras, plays an important role in positive selection of αβT cells by activating the Ras–Erk1/2 pathway. In this article, we demonstrate that RasGRP1 is critical for TCR-induced Erk1/2 activation in γδT cells, but it exerts different roles for γδT cell generation and activation. Deficiency of RasGRP1 does not obviously affect γδT cell numbers in the thymus, but it leads to increased γδT cells, particularly CD4−CD8+ γδT cells, in the peripheral lymphoid organs. The virtually unhindered γδT cell development in the RasGRP1−/− thymus proved to be cell intrinsic, whereas the increase in CD8+ γδT cells is caused by non–cell-intrinsic mechanisms. Our data provide genetic evidence that decreased Erk1/2 activation in the absence of RasGRP1 is compatible with γδT cell generation. Although RasGRP1 is dispensable for γδT cell generation, RasGRP1-deficient γδT cells are defective in proliferation following TCR stimulation. Additionally, RasGRP1-deficient γδT cells are impaired to produce IL-17 but not IFNγ. Together, these observations revealed that RasGRP1 plays differential roles for γδ and αβ T cell development but is critical for γδT cell proliferation and production of IL-17.
Modulatory effect of ascorbic acid on physiological responses of transported ostrich chicks
Authors: Salka Minka N. , Olusegun Ayo J.
Published: May 2012

The aims of this study were to determine the modulating role of ascorbic acid (AA) on rectal temperature (RT), heterophil to lymphocyte (H to L) ratio and aberrant behaviours of ostrich chicks transported by road for 4 h during hot-dry conditions. Twenty ostrich chicks aged 2.5 months, of both sexes and belonging to the Red Neck breed, served as subjects of the study. The chicks were assigned randomly to AA-treated and control groups, consisting of 10 chicks each. The AA-treated group was administered orally with 100 mg/kg body weight of AA dissolved in 5 mL of sterile water 30 min before transportation, whilst the control group was given the equivalent of sterile water only. The thermal load (TL) experienced in the vehicle during transportation fluctuated between 31 °C and 89 °C, as calculated from the ambient temperature and relative humidity. Transportation induced hyperthermia, lymphopenia, heterophilia and aberrant behaviours of pecking, wing fluffing and panting, which were ameliorated by AA administration. The relationships between the TL, journey duration and physiological variables of RT, H to L ratio and aberrant behaviours recorded during transportation were significantly and positively correlated in the control group. In AA-treated group the relationships were not significantly correlated. In conclusion, the results showed for the first time that AA ameliorated the adverse effects of stress caused by road transportation on the aberrant behaviours, RT and H to L ratio of ostrich chicks during the hot-dry season.
Landskapsfunksionaliteit en plantdiversiteit in stedelike en landelike gefragmenteerde grasvelde in die Potchefstroom omgewing
Authors: Breedt J. A.D. , Brewer Ivan , Coetzer A. , Van der Walt L. , Cilliers Sarel S.
Published: May 2012

Geen abstrak.
The evaluation of the chronological sequence and plant dynamics on rehabilitated gold minetailings at Stilfontein, North-West Province.
Authors: Boneschans R.B. , Malo D.S. , Van Rooijen F.S.J. , Kellner Klaus
Published: May 2012

The aim of the study was to evaluate the chronological sequence of vegetation establishment on the bottom parts of the western, southern and northern slopes of Dam 4 and 5 of the Chemwes gold mine tailings complex.
A study on the health of the Olifants River as reflected by the aquatic macro-invertebrate biodiversity and selected abiotic factors.
Authors: Kemp M. , De Kock Kenne N. , Wolmarans Corrie T.
Published: May 2012

Aquatic macro-invetrebrates and selected abiotic factors were used to evaluate the river health. Preliminary results indicate that the ecological categories of the study sites vary from natural to critically modified and that the Target Water Quality Range is hardly ever met.
The correlation between cardio stress and visual skills
Authors: Mthembu N. , Terblanche H.C. , Mahomed A.F. , Henning E. , Kleynhans M. , Govender Catherine , Grant Rina , Wood Paola , Du Toit Peet J.
Published: May 2012

Armed forces recruits were tested during a six month period of intense basic training. Data was collected at the start, after 12 weeks and 20 weeks.
The monitoring of plant morfological types in response to herbivory and fire in the Kruger National Park
Authors: Smith D.C. , Siebert F. , Kloppers Pieter S.
Published: May 2012

Reseach was done on the Sodics of the Nkuhlu long-term monitoring exclosures.Variation in different plant characteristics were analised across different treatments over time. No significant variation in morphological types could be detected.
Techniques for studying DNA methylation: An epigenetic mark of biodiversity
Authors: O’Neill Vanessa , Andraos Charlene , Jeffery Tamsyn , Koorsen G. , Bornman Liza
Published: May 2012

Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that does not alter the underlying DNAsequence. High resolution melt analysis and enzymatic regional methylation assay arecompared as techniques for the quantification of regional methylation at specific loci.
Calciumphosphate scaffolds for bone tissue repair and applications – in vitro characterisation
Authors: Wepener Ilse , Richter W. , Joubert Annie
Published: May 2012

The purpose of this study was to generate electrospun biphasic nanobioceramic scaffolds forin vitro testing, ultimately contributing to bone tissue engineering.
Frogs change their tune
Authors: Kruger Donnavan J.D. , Du Preez Louis
Published: May 2012

Frogs change their call pitch to adapt to the traffic noise in urbanenvironments. Male frogs calls to attract females or to defend territories from rival males.Females of some species prefer lower-pitched calls which indicate larger, more experiencedmales. Acoustic interference occurs when the background noise reduces the active distance.
Clinicopathological analysis of eyelid malignancies - A review of 85 cases
Authors: Kale Satish M. , Patil Surendra B. , Khare Nishant , Math Mahantesh , Jain Arvind , Jaiswal Sumeet
Published: May 2012

Background: Resection of eyelid malignancies leads to complex reconstructive problems due to the functional and aesthetic importance of an eyelid. Hence, a large number of such cases are referred to plastic surgery facilities. Eyelid malignancies are of varied histological types and the western and Asian data have considerable variations in case distribution and presentation. This study is an attempt to characterise these tumours in the Indian population. Materials and Methods: The present study is a retrospective analysis of 85 consecutive cases of eyelid malignancies that reported to a tertiary health care facility in central India over a 15-year period starting from January 1996 up to December 2009. The cases were analysed for their age of presentation, sex distribution, tumour location, delay in seeking treatment, recurrence rate and variations with respect to the pathological subtype. Observations: Mean age of presentation for all the malignancies was 59 years. The median age of presentation was 65 years for basal call carcinoma (BCC), 58 years for sebaceous gland carcinoma (SGC), 55 years for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 45 years for malignant melanoma. There was slight female preponderance as 56.28% of the patients were females. The most common location of the tumour was lower lid (58.2%) for all the malignancies. BCC was the most common malignancy (48.2%) followed by SGC (31.2%) and SCC (13.7%). Mean duration of symptoms was 9 months (range 3-21 months). The most common presenting complaint was mass with ulceration across all histological subtypes. Other associated complaints included itching, discharge from eye, pain and ptosis. The mean size of tumour at diagnosis was 2.34 ± 0.4 cm for BCC, 2.19 ± 0.6 cm for SGC and 1.99 ± 0.7 cm for SCC. The mean rate of growth of BCC was 1.39 cm/year. The corresponding values for SGC and SCC were 3.63 and 4.89 cm/year, respectively. The rate of follow-up was 89% at 3 months, 71% at 6 months, 62% at 1 year and 31% at 5 years. Recurrence rate was 1.9% for BCC and 12.7% for SGC. Surgical methods used included wedge excision and primary closure, excision and skin grafting, and tarso-conjunctival flap. Conclusions: We recommend that the surgeons treating eyelid malignancies in India should have a high index of suspicion for SGC. A wider margin of 10 mm is recommended for SGC excision as opposed to 5 mm for BCC.
A clinical and demographic profile of the cleft lip and palate in Sub-Himalayan India: A hospital-based study
Authors: Dvivedi Jyoti , Dvivedi Sanjay
Published: May 2012

Objectives: To study the cleft lip and cleft palate in the poverty stricken Sub-Himalayan Garhwal region of India, being a commonly seen congenital abnormality and scarcity of studies about the demography of cleft in this region. Design: A prospective cohort observational case series was performed on 4657 cleft patients at a Tertiary care Hospital in Dehradun, India, over a period of 5 years. Outcome measures: The authors investigated the differences between age and sex with cleft status and family history of clefts, birth order, religion, socioeconomic status, parent literacy, source of information for treatment, haematological investigations showing the status of infection and coagulation in such children and satisfaction after treatment. Results: Seventy-two percent parents of cleft lip patients were illiterate, and only 8% were graduates, the majority of patients were from the low socioeconomic class. The siblings of 1.1% of the cleft patients had similar deformity. Anemia was seen in 83.16% cases which was commonly microcytic hypochromic type and eosinophilia was seen in 25.50% of cases. In the coagulation profile, International Nationalized Ratio was found to be raised in 52.12%. Almost 95% of the families were fully satisfied by the treatment and results. Conclusion: This study will provide baseline information on the status of these less privileged cleft patients in this mountainous region for future reference to health workers.
Easy method of centralized fixation of endotracheal tube in cleft lip and palate surgery
Authors: Bajaj S. P. , Chavan Navdeep , Sharma Arun
Published: May 2012

As we all know that fixation of endotracheal tube is very important aspect in cleft palate and maxillofacial surgery. During cleft palate and oral surgery various methods of fixation and modified tubes are deviced to make surgery safer and ergonomically better. Our method consist of 3 point fixation of tube (RAE) with dynaplast, which is freely available, cheap and good Adhesive quality. Dynaplast divided into 3 phalanges (one central and two lateral) and one portion undivided as central limb. This undivided central limb is fixed in centre of chin and other 3 phalanges wrap around tube on either side. This fixation totally takes away any lateral movements of tube. This method can be used with any tube (RAE/ Oxford/Flexometallic). Our method is described for its simplicity, ease and convinence and result which impart universally similar results with all different members of our anesthetist team.
"Dimple"-matically correct - Revisiting the technique for the creation of a chin dimple
Authors: Mokal N. J. , Desai M. F.
Published: May 2012

The boom in cosmetic surgery has ushered in the age of the "designer dimple." In the current scenario where an increasing number of Indians are seeking cosmetic surgery, we present our technique for creation of chin dimples. We used this simple and straightforward technique in one patient. The principal steps of the technique include thinning the skin flap, creating a concave indentation in the mandibular symphysis, and obtaining an adhesion between the thinned skin flap and the indented bone. An aesthetically pleasing chin dimple was achieved. We propose that the bony contouring improves the chances of creating a permanent chin cleft or dimple. Our technique for creation of chin dimples aims to give an aesthetic and permanent result by altering the underlying contour of mandibular symphysis and achieving accurate skin coaptation with non-absorbable sutures.
Importance of dose intensity in treatment of advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer in the elderly
Authors: Prasad Narayanan , Bakshi Ashish , Deshmukh Chetan , Hingmire Sachin , Ranade AA , Parikh Purvish
Published: May 2012

Maintaining appropriate dose intensity is important not only in the curative setting but also in treatment with palliative intent. We evaluated the outcome of advanced non small cell lung cancer treated with doublet platinum based chemotherapy. Outcome was compared between patients treated by medical oncologists at a tertiary cancer center and those treated by non medical oncologists in the community. The dose intensity, overall response rate and overall survival was significantly better when patients were treated by trained qualified and experienced medical oncologists. Hence, even in the palliative setting, cancer directed systemic therapy will yield maximum benefit for the patients when treated by medical oncologists.
Chronic myeloid leukemia: In pursuit of perfection
Authors: Jayakar Vishal
Published: May 2012

The resounding success of imatinib (IM) as front line treatment in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has certainly made a paradigm shift in the therapeutic algorithm of this disorder. The precise targeting of the BCR-ABL oncogene in CML has entitled it to be the poster child of translational medicine with a well-deserved Oscar ovation from the oncology community. Clinicians are now empowered with first-, second- and third-generation tyrosine kinases, as well as advanced molecular tools to monitor disease and characterize resistance. We have come a long way in successfully managing these patients, but there are still a significant few unmet clinical needs which need addressing and targeting to optimize clinical outcomes. This review focuses on 4 such pertinent and relevant clinical issues, which still need ironing out to fulfill our ambition of achieving ‘perfection’ in this patient cohort.
Prenatal Diagnosis of an Aneurysm of the Vein of Galen by Three-Dimensional Power and Color Doppler Ultrasonography
Authors: Rios Livia Teresa Moreira , Júnior Edward Araujo , Nardozza Luciano Marcondes Machado , Moron Antonio Fernandes , Martins Marília da Glória
Published: May 2012

Aneurism of the vein of Galen is a complex arteriovenous malformation which is of multiply communications between of the vein of Galen and the cerebral arteries. It represents less than 1% of the cerebral arteriovenous malformations. Few cases using three-dimensional (3D) power and color Doppler ultrasound have been reported in the literature. We present a case of an aneurysm of the vein of Galen diagnosed at 25th week of pregnancy. We demonstrate the main findings of 3D power and color Doppler ultrasonography in this anomaly. A 36-year-old pregnant woman, gravida 3, para 2 was referred to our institution because of a midline cystic mass diagnosed in a previous ultrasonography undertaken at 24 weeks' gestation. The ultrasonographic finding consisted of a male fetus with a midline cystic mass, with positive flow detection by color Doppler and ventriculomegaly due to the compressive effects of the malformation. The 3D color and power Doppler ultrasonography allowed us to reconstruct the architecture of the vascular malformation, and it showed the spatial relationships of aneurysm of the vein of Galen with the other structures of the brain. Pregnancy was interrupted at 29 weeks' gestation because of presence of cardiomegaly. A male newborn survived for 36 hours only. The 3D ultrasound can be used as advent image technique in prenatal diagnosis of aneurysm of the vein of Galen.
Technical Note: One year of Raman-lidar measurements in Gual Pahari EUCAARI site close to New Delhi in India – Seasonal characteristics of the aerosol vertical structure
Authors: Komppula M. , Mielonen T. , Arola A. , Korhonen K. , Lihavainen H. , Hyvärinen A.-P. , Baars H. , Engelmann R. , Althausen D. , Ansmann A. , Müller D. , Panwar T. S. , Hooda R. K. , Sharma V. P. , Kerminen V.-M. , Lehtinen K. E. J. , Viisanen Y.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. One year of multi-wavelength (3 backscatter + 2 extinction + 1 depolarization) Raman lidar measurements at Gual Pahari, close to New Delhi, were analysed. The data was split into four seasons: spring (March–May), summer (June–August), autumn (September–November) and winter (December–February). The vertical profiles of backscatter, extinction, and lidar ratio and their variability during each season are presented. The measurements revealed that, on average, the aerosol layer was at its highest in spring (5.5 km). In summer, the vertically averaged (between 1–3 km) backscatter and extinction coefficients had the highest averages (3.3 Mm−1 sr−1 and 142 Mm−1 at 532 nm, respectively). Aerosol concentrations were slightly higher in summer compared to other seasons, and particles were larger in size. The autumn showed the highest lidar ratio and high extinction-related Ångström exponents (AEext), indicating the presence of smaller probably absorbing particles. The winter had the lowest backscatter and extinction coefficients, but AEext was the highest, suggesting still a large amount of small particles.
Ensemble forecasting with a stochastic convective parametrization based on equilibrium statistics
Authors: Groenemeijer P. , Craig G. C.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. The stochastic Plant-Craig scheme for deep convection was implemented in the COSMO mesoscale model and used for ensemble forecasting. Ensembles consisting of 100 48-h forecasts at 7 km horizontal resolution were generated for a 2000×2000 km domain covering central Europe. Forecasts were made for seven case studies characterized by different large-scale meteorological environments. Each 100 member ensemble consisted of 10 groups of 10 members, with each group driven by boundary and initial conditions from a selected member from the global ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System. The precipitation variability within and among these groups of members was computed, and it was found that the relative contribution to the ensemble variance introduced by the stochastic convection scheme was substantial, amounting to as much as 76% of the total variance in the ensemble in one of the studied cases. The impact of the scheme was not confined to the grid scale, and typically contributed 25–50% of the total variance even after the precipitation fields had been smoothed to a resolution of 35 km. The variability of precipitation introduced by the scheme was approximately proportional to the total amount of convection that occurred, while the variability due to large-scale conditions changed from case to case, being highest in cases exhibiting strong mid-tropospheric flow and pronounced meso- to synoptic scale vorticity extrema. The stochastic scheme was thus found to be an important source of variability in precipitation cases of weak large-scale flow lacking strong vorticity extrema, but high convective activity.
DOAS-measurement of the NO2 formation rate from NOx emissions into the atmosphere
Authors: Frins E. , Osorio M. , Casaballe N. , Belsterli G. , Wagner T. , Platt U.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. In the present work we deal with emissions originating from combustion processes containing SO2, NO and NO2, emitted into the atmosphere by a localized source. We present a method for measuring the NO2-formation rate (due to conversion of NO to NO2) from measurements of SO2- and NO2-slant column densities across different plume sections, under the (usually justified) assumption that the SO2-flux is constant. The advantages of the proposed method are that the measurements can be performed from an arbitrary location, without explicit reference to the wind speed and direction in the plume. We present results of ground based DOAS-measurements of SO2 and NOx emissions from an oil refinery located in the northern part of Montevideo Bay and give recommendations for future applications of the method.
Application of Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI 2007) to Krn Mountains 1998 Mw = 5.6 earthquake (NW Slovenia) with emphasis on rockfalls
Authors: Gosar A.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. The 12 April 1998 Mw = 5.6 Krn Mountains earthquake with a maximum intensity of VII–VIII on the EMS-98 scale caused extensive environmental effects in the Julian Alps. The application of intensity scales based mainly on damage to buildings was limited in the epicentral area, because it is a high mountain area and thus very sparsely populated. On the other hand, the effects on the natural environment were prominent and widespread. These facts and the introduction of a new Environmental Seismic Intensity scale (ESI 2007) motivated a research aimed to evaluate the applicability of ESI 2007 to this event. All environmental effects were described, classified and evaluated by a field survey, analysis of aerial images and analysis of macroseismic questionnaires. These effects include rockfalls, landslides, secondary ground cracks and hydrogeological effects. It was realized that only rockfalls (78 were registered) are widespread enough to be used for intensity assessment, together with the total size of affected area, which is around 180 km2. Rockfalls were classified into five categories according to their volume. The volumes of the two largest rockfalls were quantitatively assessed by comparison of Digital Elevation Models to be 15 × 106 m3 and 3 × 106 m3. Distribution of very large, large and medium size rockfalls has clearly defined an elliptical zone, elongated parallel to the strike of the seismogenic fault, for which the intensity VII–VIII was assessed. This isoseismal line was compared to the tentative EMS-98 isoseism derived from damage-related macroseismic data. The VII–VIII EMS-98 isoseism was defined by four points alone, but a similar elongated shape was obtained. This isoseism is larger than the corresponding ESI 2007 isoseism, but its size is strongly controlled by a single intensity point lying quite far from others, at the location where local amplification is likely. The ESI 2007 scale has proved to be an effective tool for intensity assessment in sparsely populated mountain regions not only for very strong, but for moderate earthquakes as well. This study has shown that the quantitative definition of rockfall size and frequency, which is diagnostic for each intensity, is not very precise in ESI 2007, but this is understandable since the rockfall size is related not only to the level of shaking, but also depends highly on the vulnerability of rocky slopes.
Temperature extremes in Europe: overview of their driving atmospheric patterns
Authors: Andrade C. , Leite S. M. , Santos J. A.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. As temperature extremes have a deep impact on environment, hydrology, agriculture, society and economy, the analysis of the mechanisms underlying their occurrence, including their relationships with the large-scale atmospheric circulation, is particularly pertinent and is discussed here for Europe and in the period 1961–2010 (50 yr). For this aim, a canonical correlation analysis, coupled with a principal component analysis (BPCCA), is applied between the monthly mean sea level pressure fields, defined within a large Euro-Atlantic sector, and the monthly occurrences of two temperature extreme indices (TN10p – cold nights and TX90p – warm days) in Europe. Each co-variability mode represents a large-scale forcing on the occurrence of temperature extremes. North Atlantic Oscillation-like patterns and strong anomalies in the atmospheric flow westwards of the British Isles are leading couplings between large-scale atmospheric circulation and winter, spring and autumn occurrences of both cold nights and warm days in Europe. Although summer couplings depict lower coherence between warm and cold events, important atmospheric anomalies are key driving mechanisms. For a better characterization of the extremes, the main features of the statistical distributions of the absolute minima (TNN) and maxima (TXX) are also examined for each season. Furthermore, statistically significant downward (upward) trends are detected in the cold night (warm day) occurrences over the period 1961–2010 throughout Europe, particularly in summer, which is in clear agreement with the overall warming.
New species and records of Stenus (Nestus) of the canaliculatus group, with the erection of a new species group (Insecta: Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Steninae)
Authors: Ryvkin Alexandr B.
Published: May 2012

The canaliculatus species group of Stenus (Nestus) is redefined. Four new Palaearctic species of the group are described and illustrated: S. (N.) alopex sp. nov. from the Putorana Highland and Taymyr Peninsula, Russia; S. (N.) canalis sp. nov. from SE Siberia and the Russian Far East; S. (N.) canosus sp. nov. from the Narat Mt Ridge, Chinese Tien Shan; S. (N.) delitor sp. nov. from C & SE Siberia. New distributional data as well as brief analyses of old records for fourteen species described earlier are provided from both Palaearctic and Nearctic material. S. (N.) milleporus Casey, 1884 (= sectilifer Casey, 1884) is revalidated as a species propria. S. (N.) sphaerops Casey, 1884 is redescribed; its aedeagus is figured for the first time; the aedeagus of S. (N.) caseyi Puthz, 1972 as well as aedeagi of eight previously described Palaearctic species are illustrated anew. A key for the identification of all the known Palaearctic species of the group is given. A morphology and ecology based analysis of the main evolutionary trends within the group is provided. A lectotype is designated for S. (N.) melanopus Marsham, 1802; its Siberian and NE European records are supposed to be erroneous; the monotypic melanopus species group is erected.
Novel automated system for magnetic resonance imaging quantification of the inflamed synovial membrane volume in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Malattia C. , Damasio M. B. , Basso C. , Santoro M. , Verri A. , Pederzoli S. , Mattiuz C. , Viola S. , Buoncompagni A. , Madeo A. , Mazzoni M. , Rosendahl K. , Lambot‐Juhan K. , Tanturri de Horatio L. , Magnano G. M. , Ravelli A. , Martini A.
Published: May 2012

Objective

To introduce a novel automated method for the quantification of the inflamed synovial membrane volume (SV) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to investigate its feasibility and validity in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods

The tool was tested on 58 patients with JIA and wrist involvement. Thirty‐six patients had a 1‐year MRI followup. MRI of the clinically more affected wrist was performed using a 1.5T scanner and a Flex small coil. An algorithmic approach, based on supervised voxel classification for automatic estimation of SV in a 3‐dimensional MRI, was developed. The SV was estimated as the number of positively classified voxels and then normalized by the patient's body surface (NSV). Validation procedures included the analysis of reliability, construct validity, responsiveness to change, discriminant validity, and the predictive value.

Results

The agreement between the automated estimation of NSV and the manual measurements was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.93, 95% confidence interval 0.79–0.98). The automatic NSV demonstrated good construct validity by yielding strong correlations with local signs of disease activity and a moderate correlation with global physician assessment of disease activity and with the Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring system synovitis score. NSV showed a strong responsiveness to clinical change (standardized response mean values >1) and satisfactory discriminant validity. High baseline NSV (>4.6) had high predictive value (100%) with respect to erosive progression.

Conclusion

The proposed automated method allowed reliable quantification of NSV, which represents a promising imaging biomarker of disease activity in JIA. The automated system has the potential to improve the longitudinal assessment of JIA and to predict progressive joint destruction.
Screening for signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis by family physicians and nurse practitioners using the Gait, Arms, Legs, and Spine musculoskeletal examination
Authors: Beattie Karen A. , MacIntyre Norma J. , Cividino Alfred
Published: May 2012

Objective

To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Gait, Arms, Legs, and Spine (GALS) examination to screen for signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when used by family physicians and nurse practitioners.

Methods

Participating health care professionals (2 rheumatologists, 3 family physicians, and 3 nurse practitioners) were trained to perform the GALS examination by viewing an instructional DVD and attending a training workshop. One week after training, the health care professionals performed the GALS examination on 20 individuals with RA and 21 individuals without RA. All participants were recruited through 2 rheumatology practices, and each participant was assessed by 4 health care professionals. The health care professionals were asked to record whether observed signs and symptoms were potentially consistent with a diagnosis of RA. The health care professionals understood the study objective to be their agreement on GALS findings among one another and were unaware that one‐half of the participants had RA. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to determine the ability of the GALS examination to screen for RA using the rheumatologist as the standard for comparison.

Results

Sensitivity and specificity values varied from 60–100% and 70–82%, respectively, for the 3 family physicians, and 60–90% and 73–100%, respectively, for the 3 nurse practitioners.

Conclusion

Following a very short training period, family physicians and nurse practitioners appeared to be able to use the GALS examination as a screening tool for RA signs and symptoms, particularly for identifying an individual with positive results who will benefit from further investigation or rheumatology referral.