bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression of the sweetpotato R2R3‐type IbMYB1a gene induces anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Chu Hyosub , Jeong Jae Cheol , Kim Wook‐Jin , Chung Dong Min , Jeon Hyo Kon , Ahn Young Ock , Kim Sun Ha , Lee Haeng‐Soon , Kwak Sang‐Soo , Kim Cha Young
Published: October 2012

R2R3‐type MYB transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in transcriptional regulation of anthocyanins. The R2R3‐type IbMYB1 is known to be a key regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in the storage roots of sweetpotato. We previously showed that transient expression of IbMYB1a led to anthocyanin pigmentation in tobacco leaves. In this article, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing the IbMYB1a gene under the control of CaMV 35S promoter, and the sweetpotato SPO and SWPA2 promoters. Overexpression of IbMYBa in transgenic Arabidopsis produced strong anthocyanin pigmentation in seedlings and generated a deep purple color in leaves, stems and seeds. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that IbMYB1a expression induced upregulation of several structural genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, including 4CL, CHI, F3′H, DFR, AGT, AAT and GST. Furthermore, overexpression of IbMYB1a led to enhanced expression of the AtTT8 (bHLH) and PAP1/AtMYB75 genes. high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that IbMYB1a expression led to the production of cyanidin as a major core molecule of anthocyanidins in Arabidopsis, as occurs in the purple leaves of sweetpotato (cv. Sinzami). This result shows that the IbMYB1a TF is sufficient to induce anthocyanin accumulation in seedlings, leaves, stems and seeds of Arabidopsis plants.
Percutaneous coronary intervention or prehospital thrombolysis? What is the preferred treatment in S‐T elevation myocardial infarction?
Authors: Hiscock M.
Published: October 2012

There is no situation in medicine where outcome is so utterly dependent on time than in the treatment of patients with S‐T elevation myocardial infarction. This life‐threatening situation accounts for 30% of acute coronary syndromes. Prompt myocardial reperfusion saves lives, but health services need to be thoroughly organised to achieve this outcome. Unfortunately, a minority of patients in Australia present within 2 h of symptom onset and most patients receive reperfusion 3–4 h after. So health professionals begin at a disadvantage.

A novel approach to this problem has been to give thrombolysis at first contact with the patient, before admission to hospital. A French study has assessed this practice against the gold standard treatment for S‐T elevation myocardial infarction with some very interesting results. The implications of this study now challenge well‐entrenched guidelines for the management of patients with this condition.
The Convergent Conceptions of Being in Mainstream Analytic and Postmodern Continental Philosophy
Authors: Barris Jeremy
Published: October 2012

This article argues that there is ultimately a very close convergence between prominent conceptions of being in mainstream Anglo‐American philosophy and mainstream postmodern Continental philosophy. One characteristic idea in Anglo‐American or analytic philosophy is that we establish what is meaningful and so what we can say about what is, by making evident the limits of sense or what simply cannot be meant. A characteristic idea in Continental philosophy of being is that being emerges through contrast and interplay with what it is not, with what has no being at all and so is beyond sense. The two traditions consequently conceive being in significantly related ways. As a result, what the Continental tradition gets at with “the meaning of being as such and in general,” and how it gets at it, has much in common with what the Anglo‐American tradition gets at, and how it gets at it, by establishing “what can be meaningfully said.”
Assessing the Impacts of Pillar 1 and 2 Subsidies on TFP in French Crop Farms
Authors: Mary Sébastien
Published: October 2012

This article analyses the impact of common agricultural policy (CAP) subsidies on total factor productivity using a FADN dataset of French crop farms between 1996 and 2003. We first estimate a production function using a system GMM approach and then recover farm‐level total factor productivity (TFP). Further, the impact of Pillar 1 and 2 subsidies on TFP is investigated and results show that several subsidies have a negative impact on productivity during the period covered in the dataset. CAP reforms have also had an impact on the relationship between subsidies and productivity.
Reduction in the attraction of males to females after mating in the rice leaf bug Trigonotylus caelestialium
Authors: Yamane Takashi
Published: October 2012

The influence of mating on the extent to which males are attracted to females in Trigonotylus caelestialium (Heteroptera: Miridae) was examined. No differences in attraction of males to mated and virgin females were observed within 3–5 h of mating, but males became less attracted to females 1 to 2 days after the first mating. The difference in male attraction to mated vs virgin females disappeared at 4 days after mating. These results indicate that reduced attraction of males to mated females occurs after a certain time interval, and persists for a few days. Furthermore, males were less attracted to females that had mated with virgin vs recently mated males, i.e. males that had just mated with another female at 1 and 2 days after mating. The ejaculate expenditure of recently mated males was less than that of virgin males. Hence, the amount of male ejaculate transferred to females during mating, rather than the act of mating, might influence the attraction of males to females. The results demonstrate that mating reduces the attraction of males to females in T. caelestialium on the basis of direct observation of male behavior.
Topical Corticosteroids and Hospital Length of Stay in Children with Eczema Herpeticum
Authors: Aronson Paul L. , Shah Samir S. , Mohamad Zeinab , Yan Albert C.
Published: October 2012

Abstract:  There is concern that the use of topical corticosteroids in patients with eczema herpeticum may facilitate dissemination of herpes simplex virus and worsen disease. Our primary aim therefore was to determine whether topical corticosteroid use in children hospitalized with eczema herpeticum is associated with longer hospital length of stay (LOS). We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of 1,331 children ages 2 months to 17 years admitted with a diagnosis of eczema herpeticum between January 1, 2001, and March 31, 2010, to 42 tertiary care children’s hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System database. Multivariable linear regression models determined the association between receipt of topical corticosteroid therapy on the first day of hospitalization and the main outcome measure: LOS. Receipt of topical corticosteroid therapy on day 1 of hospitalization was not associated with a longer LOS on unadjusted or multivariable analysis (p = 0.75). Receipt of topical calcineurin inhibitors during the hospitalization was also not associated with a longer LOS (p = 0.12). Receipt of systemic corticosteroids was associated with an 18% adjusted longer LOS (95% confidence interval 2%–36%; p = 0.03). Further study is needed to identify which children with eczema herpeticum may benefit from topical corticosteroids, but their use during active infection is not associated with poorer outcomes, although the use of systemic corticosteroids was associated with a longer LOS and should be avoided in patients with eczema herpeticum pending future prospective study.
Outcomes After Unplanned Admission to Hospital in Older People: Ill‐Defined Conditions as Potential Indicators of the Frailty Trajectory
Authors: Walsh Bronagh , Addington‐Hall Julia , Roberts Helen C. , Nicholls Peter G. , Corner Jessica
Published: October 2012

Objectives

To describe outcomes after unplanned hospital admission in older people and to determine whether disease trajectories in those admitted with ill‐defined conditions (symptoms and signs) are distinct from other diagnostic groups and consistent with known disease trajectories.

Design

Longitudinal follow‐up after a retrospective cross‐sectional study of emergency admissions to general internal and geriatric medicine units in one hospital.

Setting

Acute hospital in southern England.

Participants

All people aged 65 and older with unplanned admissions to general internal and geriatric medicine inpatient units during 2002 (N = 5,312).

Measurements

Age, sex, comorbidity, presence of cognitive and mood disorders, residence, and primary diagnostic group at discharge. Outcomes were death up to 36 months from admission, any readmission, and readmission for ill‐defined conditions up to 36 months after discharge.

Results

There were significant differences in death rates between the diagnostic groups, with mortality being highest in individuals with a primary diagnosis of cancer and lowest in the ill‐defined conditions group. Nearly 83% of the ill‐defined conditions group survived the follow‐up period. Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models indicated that, when age, sex, comorbidity, residence, and cognitive and mood disorders were accounted for, the ill‐defined condition group had a lower risk of death but a higher risk of subsequent readmissions for ill‐defined conditions than any other group. Overall readmission risk was highest for individuals admitted for a respiratory condition but was similar in all other diagnostic groups.

Conclusion

The lower mortality risk associated with ill‐defined conditions is consistent with chronic rather than acute needs, but the pattern of mortality and readmission is more consistent with the frailty than the chronic organ system failure illness trajectory, suggesting that functional support needs may be more important in this group of individuals.
Enregisterment, Communities, and Authenticity: Watching Indonesian Teledramas1
Authors: Goebel Zane
Published: October 2012

This paper explores how ideas relating to enregisterment and authenticity might contribute to discussions of community. I point out how participation in processes of enregisterment enables people to position themselves as belonging to at least three types of communities: those who can recognize and evaluate enregistered signs, those who are situationally given the authority to perform them, and those who cross. My empirical focus is audio‐video recorded interaction from organized teledrama viewing sessions and post‐viewing interviews that involved Indonesians studying in Japan. I show how these Indonesians situationally index their membership in one or more of these communities through their authentication and denaturalization of representations of ethnic social types. [community, enregisterment, authenticity, Indonesia]
The combined effects of the 5‐ HTTLPR and HTR1A rs6295 polymorphisms modulate decision making in schizophrenia patients
Authors: Gu H. , Liu C. , Liu C. , Chen M. , Zhang Q. , Zhai J. , Wang K. , Ji F. , Xu Z. , Shen Q. , Bao X. , Chen X. , Li J. , Dong Q. , Chen C.
Published: October 2012

Decision making ability has been reported to be impaired in schizophrenia patients, but no research has examined the genetic bases of this impairment. This study investigated how decision making was affected by the genetic variants in the serotonin transporter gene (triallelic 5‐ HTTLPR) and serotonin receptor 1A gene (rs6295) and their interaction in 465 schizophrenia patients and 448 healthy controls. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) was used to evaluate decision making under ambiguity (the first 40 trials) and decision making under risk (the last 60 trials). Results showed that, among the patients, the main effects of 5‐ HTTLPR (F2,16 = 6.54, P  = 0.002) and HTR1A rs6295 (F2,16 = 3.87, P  = 0.021) polymorphisms and their interaction effect (F4,16 = 3.32, P  = 0.005) were significant for the first 40 trials, with the GG genotype of HTR1A rs6295, the L′L′ genotype of 5‐ HTTLPR and the GG‐L′L′ combination showing poorer IGT performance than their counterparts. Results for the healthy controls showed a similar pattern but did not reach statistical significance. No significant effects were found for the last 60 trials. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for our understanding of the genetic mechanisms of decision making in schizophrenia patients as well as healthy adults.
The Retirement Provisions in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan: Perspectives on Policy Inputs and Social Outputs
Authors: Lin Hung‐Yang
Published: October 2012

This paper aims to develop an integrated policy index system using a Surface Measure of Overall Performance (SMOP) approach to comprehensively evaluate and compare the policy input and social output of the retirement payment system in urban and rural China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. With this, a tool may be developed to help insightfully examine the old‐age income policies and appropriately, and perhaps theoretically in the future, categorize the types of retirement provisions or social security policies as a whole in the East and West. The results indicate that, particularly in urban China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, a low level of de‐familization and medium and high levels of gender equality are the common features of these five pensions in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. Furthermore, it is found that the retirement provisions in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan can well be divided into two groups based on the level of pension right protection and illustrate different characteristics between them accordingly. In addition, policy implications and suggestions for further reforms of these retirement payment schemes are elaborated in the light of the findings of this policy index system.
Psychosocial Reaction and Trauma After a Natural Disaster: The Role of Coping Behavior
Authors: Fahrudin Adi
Published: October 2012

This study examined the relationship between psychosocial reaction, coping behavior and trauma among natural disaster survivors in West Java, Indonesia. One hundred and one subjects were studied. The roles of coping behavior as a moderating factor were also tested. Psychosocial reaction during disaster and coping behavior were significantly correlated with trauma. Hierarchical regression analysis found that coping behavior was a significant potential moderating variable in terms of correlation between psychosocial reaction and trauma after a natural disaster.
Preventing Domestic Violence in the South Asian Context: Men's or Family Involvement?
Authors: Sayem Amir M.
Published: October 2012

Globally there is a growing tendency to involve men in preventing domestic violence. Since men are the main perpetrators of violence against women, proponents of men's involvement argue that men must be involved to prevent men's violence against women. Conversely, opponents of men's involvement argue that involving men would not bring about the expected outcome, since men's involvement is challenging, particularly in the cultural context, and men intentionally perpetrate violence against women. In this paper, an attempt has been made to critically justify the suitability of men's involvement and to find a more culturally acceptable alternative for preventing domestic violence against women in South Asia. This article critically discusses theories related to the sociocultural understanding of domestic violence, insightfully presents domestic violence in this regional perspective, argues the pros and cons of men's involvement, and proposes family involvement as a culturally suitable approach to prevent domestic violence.
Use of amphoteric rinsing solution for treatment of ocular tissues exposed to nitrogen mustard
Authors: Goldich Yakov , Barkana Yaniv , Zadok David , Avni Isaac , Berenshtein Eduard , Rosner Mordechai , Chevion Mordechai
Published: October 2012

Purpose:  Ocular exposure to mustard agents may cause severe and prolonged injury to the anterior segment tissues. Effective decontamination of the external eye surface after exposure is of paramount importance. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of Diphoterine rinsing solution (DRS) in reducing ocular damage after exposure to nitrogen mustard (NM) and to compare it with normal saline solution.

Methods:  One eye of 16 New Zealand albino rabbits was exposed to 2% NM. Immediate thorough irrigation was performed with either 500 ml of DRS (treated group) or with 500 ml of normal saline (control group). The magnitude of ocular injury and response to treatment were assessed by examiners masked to the treatment assignment during 22 days following the exposure.

Results:  Immediate ocular irrigation with DRS was more effective compared with saline in reducing corneal, iris and anterior chamber injury. In the DRS‐treated group, the corneal opacity and corneal neovascularization were less severe, and development of iris atrophy was delayed. Intraocular pressure (mmHg) was better maintained when compared to the control group (day 7 24.3 versus 14.8, p = 0.003; day 12 28 versus 15, p = 0.003; day 22 33.5 versus 21.8, p = 0.014, respectively). Systemic oxidative stress associated with exposure to NM was significantly higher in the saline‐treated group than in DRS‐treated group (p < 0.011).

Conclusions:  The findings of this study indicate the effectiveness of DRS in reducing of NM‐induced ocular injuries. Its use should be considered as an immediate treatment modality following exposure to mustard agents to reduce potential ocular injury.
Structural Autografts Used in Reconstruction of the Shoulder Joint
Authors: Ng Chye Yew , Funk Lennard
Published: October 2012

Bone loss involving the articular surfaces of the shoulder joint is challenging to manage. We review the reconstructive options for the glenoid and humeral head using structural autografts.
Total Shoulder Arthroplasty or Hemiarthroplasty: A Comparison of Complication Rates in the English National Health Service
Authors: Jameson Simon S. , Ahmad Sarfraz , James Philip , Reed Mike R. , McVie James L. , Rangan Amar
Published: October 2012

Background

There is debate regarding the benefit of glenoid resurfacing in shoulder arthroplasty. The present study aimed to compare the complication rates of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and hemiarthroplasty (HA). This is the first study to compare complication rates on a national scale.

Methods

Data were extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics database for patients who underwent planned TSA or HA between 2005 and 2008 in the English National Health Service. Medical and surgical complications, as well as 18-month revision rates, were analysed for the whole cohort (9804 patients). A subset of 939 with longer follow-up was examined for 5-year revision rates.

Results

The 18-month revision rate was significantly higher in the TSA group (3.03% versus 1.76%; odds ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval = 1.33 to 2.28) but, at 5 years, there was no difference (3.85% versus 3.67%; odds ratio = 0.95; confidence interval = 0.46 to 1.91). The overall in-hospital 90-day mortality rate was 0.43%. There were no significant differences in 30-day readmission, wound complication and reoperation rates. The incidence of medical problems was low.

Conclusions

Despite concerns regarding osteolysis around the glenoid component after TSA, the present study reports no significant differences in complication rates between the groups at 5 years. However, the controversy surrounding glenoid resurfacing is likely to continue.
Species interactions: estimating per‐individual interaction strength and covariates before simplifying data into per‐species ecological networks
Authors: Wells Konstans , O'Hara Robert B.
Published: October 2012

Ecological network models based on aggregated data from species interactions are widely used to make inferences about species specialization, functionality and extinction risk. While increasing number of network data are available and are used in comparative studies, data quality and uncertainty have received little attention. Moreover, key individual‐level information such as the proportion of individuals not involved in interactions and underlying processes driving interactions are ignored by aggregated data analysis.

We suggest an individual‐level hierarchical interaction model as a more flexible approach to considering uncertainty, sampling effort and conditions under which interactions take place and from which network attributes can be derived. We performed a simulation exercise to compare inference under different sample sizes and from aggregated data matrices to those from our individual‐level model.

Formalizing the process of network formation in an individual‐level model made clear that per‐species interaction frequencies are not independent of sample size and population pools and also ignore important information given by the proportion of non‐interacting individuals. Hierarchical linear models are a possible solution to infer community‐level attributes of network formation and allow various kinds of comprehensive model extensions to capture variation of per‐individual interactions in space and time that shape upper level organization.

Individual‐level hierarchical models provide the link between individual behaviour and interactions under variable environmental conditions and can be summarized into networks in a conceptually neat way. Such models may not only help to account for various sources of variation but also conceptualize aspects overlooked in aggregated data. In particular, the quantification of per‐individual interactions under different sampling scenarios emphasizes that per‐species interaction frequencies at the species level are not necessarily a surrogate of species abundance in natural systems under investigation.
Review of alternative approaches to calculation of a confidence interval for the odds ratio of a 2 × 2 contingency table
Authors: Ruxton Graeme D. , Neuhäuser Markus
Published: October 2012

A common situation in biology is where we have count data and wish to explore whether there is an association between two categorical variables, each with two levels (a 2 × 2 contingency table). The size of the association can be measured using the odds ratio, with a confidence interval for this measure enclosing unity suggesting no evidence of an association. However, there is no universally agreed method for calculating such a confidence interval.

Here, we provide a review of some commonly used and recently suggested methods.

Of all of the methods currently available, the unconditional approach based on the score statistic was consistently closest to the nominal type I error level in our investigations, and this is the method we generally recommend. This method also offers good agreement with P‐values from null hypothesis testing using the method of Fisher‐Boschloo.

However, some scientists may prefer the recently developed minlike or
Blaker methods, which offered better agreement with P‐values calculated using Fisher's Exact test or Blaker's Exact test, respectively.

Lastly, where calculation without use of a computer is required, we recommend the Woolf method with Haldane‐Anscombe correction.
Resistance evaluation of wheat germplasm containing Dn4 or Dny against Russian wheat aphid biotype RWASA3
Authors: Tolmay V. L. , Jankielsohn A. , Sydenham S. L.
Published: October 2012

Host plant resistance can effectively manage Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) Kurdjumov (Homoptera: Aphididae) in areas where it is an economically important pest of wheat. However, biotypes of D. noxia virulent on wheat containing resistance gene Dn4 have been reported in both the United States and South Africa. Thirty wheat genotypes, including susceptible Yuma, resistant CItr2401, as well as 25 genotypes containing Dn4 and three genotypes containing Dny were planted under greenhouse conditions in Bethlehem, South Africa, and screened with D. noxia biotype RWASA3. RWASA3 caused susceptible damage symptoms in MTRWA92‐145, Ankor, Halt, Bond CL, 18FAWWON‐SA 262, Prowers99, 18FAWWON‐SA 264, Hatcher, Yumar, Corwa and Thunder CL all reported to contain the Dn4 resistance gene. Genotypes PI586956, Stanton and 18FAWWON‐SA 257, containing the Dny‐resistance gene were susceptible to RWASA3. Similarly, coinciding development of virulence to resistance genes Dn4 and Dny was reported in the United States. However, in this study, 13 Dn4‐containing genotypes showed moderate resistance when screened with RWASA3 alluding to a more complex biotype‐gene‐interaction. These findings could indicate that Dn4 and Dny may be related and possibly share a similar or common resistance factor. Further studies will be aimed at explaining these results investigating the possibility of an allelic cluster or series for Dn4, possibly including Dny.
The performance of transient elastography compared to clinical acumen and routine tests – what is the incremental diagnostic value?
Authors: Dolman Grace E. , Nieboer Daan , Steyerberg Ewout W. , Harris Scott , Ferguson Amanda , Zaitoun Abed M. , Ryder Stephen D. , James Martin W. , Aithal Guruprasad P. , Guha Indra Neil
Published: October 2012

Background/Aims

There is substantial evidence suggesting transient elastography (TE) is a useful tool in assessing liver fibrosis. We aimed to determine whether TE has incremental diagnostic value over clinical acumen and routinely available tests.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of 130 patients to assess the ability of hepatologists to predict severity of fibrosis using clinical acumen; clinical acumen with routine tests; and elastography in patients with chronic liver disease. The incremental diagnostic benefit was assessed using the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and the Net Reclassification Index (NRI).

Results

Using universally available tests, including clinical acumen, the AUCs for detection of cirrhosis ranged from 0.70 to 0.80 for the four hepatologists. Elastography led to statistically non‐significant improvements in AUC statistics (range 0.83–0.89; P > 0.01). The detection of significant fibrosis using clinical acumen and routine tests was less accurate, with AUCs of 0.52–0.59. Elastography had incremental diagnostic value (AUC performance range 0.76–0.82; P < 0.01). The NRI indicated that 39–58% were correctly reclassified using elastography, especially with respect to sensitivity.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that the diagnostic value of clinical acumen and routine tests is acceptable for detection of cirrhosis, but not significant fibrosis. Elastography detects significant fibrosis or cirrhosis with acceptable accuracy and offered incremental diagnostic value in detecting significant fibrosis, but not cirrhosis. These findings have implications for determining the diagnostic value of tests over and above routine clinical assessment, which will aid incorporation of novel tests into clinical algorithms.
An Experimental and Numerical Study of Flow and Heat Transfer in Channels With Pin Fin-Dimple Combined Arrays of Different Configurations
Authors: Rao Yu , Wan Chaoyi , Zang Shusheng
Published: October 2012

An experimental and numerical study was conducted to investigate the flow and heat transfer characteristics in channels with pin fin-dimple combined arrays of different configurations, where dimples are located transversely or both transversely and streamwisely between the pin fins. The flow structure, friction factor, and heat transfer characteristics of the pin fin-dimple channels of different configurations have been obtained and compared with each other for the Reynolds number range of 8200–50,500. The experimental study showed that, compared to the pin fin channel, depending on the configurations of the pin fin-dimple combined arrays the pin fin-dimple channel can have distinctively further improved convective heat transfer performance by 8.0%–20.0%, whereas lower or slightly higher friction factors over the studied Reynolds number range. Furthermore, three-dimensional and steady-state conjugate computations have been carried out for similar experimental conditions. The numerical computations showed detailed characteristics of the distribution of the velocity and turbulence level in the flow, which revealed the underlying mechanisms for the pressure loss and heat transfer characteristics in the pin fin-dimple channels of different configurations.
A New Analysis of Heat Transfer Deterioration on Basis of Turbulent Viscosity Variations of Supercritical Fluids
Authors: Mohseni Mahdi , Bazargan Majid
Published: October 2012

A two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code has been used to study the anomalies encountered in convection heat transfer to upward turbulent flows of supercritical fluids in tubes. In this study, the effect of turbulent viscosity variations on heat transfer deterioration (HTD) and the mechanisms involved have been investigated. The results show that the suppression of the flow turbulence which leads to the deterioration of heat transfer can be partially due to the decrease in the turbulent viscosity as a result of density decrease along a heated flow. Before this study the buoyancy and the thermal acceleration effects were called as the main two known mechanisms for the heat transfer deterioration.
Solar Steam Reforming of Methane in a Volumetric Receiver–Reactor With Different Types of Catalysts
Authors: Do Han Bin , Jang Jong Tak , Han Gui Young
Published: October 2012

The steam reforming of methane is considered as one of the hydrogen production methods with solar thermal energy. In this study, lab-scale solar steam reforming of methane was examined under direct solar radiation from a solar simulator. A volumetric receiver–reactor with quartz window was used and three different catalysts were prepared, ICI 46-6, Ru/Al2O3, and Pd/Al2O3. An SiC foam absorber was employed as the catalyst supporter, and Al2O3 was applied by wash-coating onto the SiC foam support. The characteristics of the steam reforming of methane in a solar receiver were investigated with respect to reaction temperature, space velocity, and steam/methane ratio. The composition of the product gas was analyzed by gas chromatography. From the experiment, it was observed that methane conversion was increased with temperature and above the temperature of 700 °C, methane conversion increased significantly and approached equilibrium conversion. The catalytic activities of the three catalysts were estimated in the same reaction conditions, and the Ru/Al2O3 showed the highest activity followed by the Pd/Al2O3. The commercial ICI catalyst showed the lowest activity.
Lack of Methylation in the Upstream Region of Human Papillomavirus Type 6 from Aerodigestive Tract Papillomas
Authors: Ure Agustín Enrique , Forslund Ola
Published: October 2012

Methylation of the high-risk human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) upstream regulatory region (URR) has been described, but whether methylation is present among low-risk HPVs is unknown. The methylation status of the HPV6 URR was analyzed in papillomas from the upper aerodigestive tract of six adult patients. All CpGs in the URR were unmethylated, from both basal/intermediate and superficial cells, suggesting that methylation is not involved in the regulation of transcription from the HPV6 URR, regardless of epithelial differentiation.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Protein nsp1 Is a Novel Eukaryotic Translation Inhibitor That Represses Multiple Steps of Translation Initiation
Authors: Lokugamage Kumari G. , Narayanan Krishna , Huang Cheng , Makino Shinji
Published: October 2012

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus nonstructural protein 1 (nsp1) binds to the 40S ribosomal subunit and inhibits translation, and it also induces a template-dependent endonucleolytic cleavage of host mRNAs. nsp1 inhibits the translation of cap-dependent and internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-driven mRNAs, including SARS coronavirus mRNAs, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and cricket paralysis virus (CrPV) IRES-driven mRNAs that are resistant to nsp1-induced RNA cleavage. We used an nsp1 mutant, nsp1-CD, lacking the RNA cleavage function, to delineate the mechanism of nsp1-mediated translation inhibition and identify the translation step(s) targeted by nsp1. nsp1 and nsp1-CD had identical inhibitory effects on mRNA templates that are resistant to nsp1-induced RNA cleavage, implying the validity of using nsp1-CD to dissect the translation inhibition function of nsp1. We provide evidence for a novel mode of action of nsp1. nsp1 inhibited the translation initiation step by targeting at least two separate stages: 48S initiation complex formation and the steps involved in the formation of the 80S initiation complex from the 48S complex. nsp1 had a differential, mRNA template-dependent, inhibitory effect on 48S and 80S initiation complex formation. nsp1 inhibited different steps of translation initiation on CrPV and HCV IRES, both of which initiate translation via an IRES-40S binary complex intermediate; nsp1 inhibited binary complex formation on CrPV IRES and 48S complex formation on HCV IRES. Collectively, the data revealed that nsp1 inhibited translation by exerting its effect on multiple stages of translation initiation, depending on the mechanism of initiation operating on the mRNA template.
Acid-Activated Structural Reorganization of the Rift Valley Fever Virus Gc Fusion Protein
Authors: de Boer S. M. , Kortekaas J. , Spel L. , Rottier P. J. M. , Moormann R. J. M. , Bosch B. J.
Published: October 2012

The entry of the enveloped Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) into its host cell is mediated by the viral glycoproteins Gn and Gc. We investigated the RVFV entry process and, in particular, its pH-dependent activation mechanism using our recently developed nonspreading-RVFV-particle system. Entry of the virus into the host cell was efficiently inhibited by lysosomotropic agents that prevent endosomal acidification and by compounds that interfere with dynamin- and clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Exposure of plasma membrane-bound virions to an acidic pH (<pH 6) equivalent to the pH of late endolysosomal compartments allowed the virus to bypass the endosomal route of infection. Acid exposure of virions in the absence of target membranes triggered the class II-like Gc fusion protein to form extremely stable oligomers that were resistant to SDS and temperature dissociation and concomitantly compromised virus infectivity. By targeted mutagenesis of conserved histidines in Gn and Gc, we demonstrated that mutation of a single histidine (H857) in Gc completely abrogated virus entry, as well as acid-induced Gc oligomerization. In conclusion, our data suggest that after endocytic uptake, RVFV traffics to the acidic late endolysosomal compartments, where histidine protonation drives the reorganization of the Gc fusion protein that leads to membrane fusion.
Interaction of the Hepatitis B Spliced Protein with Cathepsin B Promotes Hepatoma Cell Migration and Invasion
Authors: Chen Wan-Nan , Chen Jin-Yan , Jiao Bo-Yan , Lin Wan-Song , Wu Yun-Li , Liu Ling-Ling , Lin Xu
Published: October 2012

Hepatitis B spliced protein (HBSP) is involved in the pathogenicity and/or persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Chronic HBV infection is one of the most important risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether or not HBSP contributes to the progression of HBV-associated HCC remains unknown. This study reports that overexpression of HBSP in human hepatoma cells increased cell invasion and motility. Conversely, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of HBSP expression inhibited migration and invasion. By glutathione
S
-transferase (GST) pulldown, coimmunoprecipitation, and a mammalian two-hybrid assay, HBSP was found to directly interact with cathepsin B (CTSB). Similar to HBSP knockdown, knocking down CTSB also reduced cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the HBSP-overexpressing hepatoma cells were shown to have increased expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), and overexpression of HBSP significantly enhanced tumor-induced vascularization of endothelial cells. In contrast, knockdown of either HBSP or CTSB by siRNA resulted in inhibition of the two proteolytic enzymes and of the
in vitro
angiogenesis. Expression of HBSP in the hepatoma cells appeared to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt signaling pathway, as evidenced by increases in phosphorylation of p38, Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and Akt. Taken together, these findings imply that interaction of HBSP with CTSB may promote hepatoma cell motility and invasion and highlight new molecular mechanisms for HBSP-induced HCC progression that involve the secretion and activation of proteolytic enzymes, increased tumor-induced angiogenesis, and activation of the MAPK/Akt signaling, thereby leading to the aggressiveness of hepatoma cells.
Quality improvement initiative: enhanced communication of newly identified, suspected GI malignancies with direct critical results messaging to surgical specialist
Authors: Browning Travis , Kasper Jared , Rofsky Neil M , Camp Geoffrey , Mang John , Yopp Adam , Peshock Ronald
Published: October 2012

Purpose

To improve timely evaluation and management of newly identified, suspected, gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies discovered on radiologic imaging at a safety-net hospital through direct critical results messaging to surgical specialists.

Materials and Methods

To address delays in evaluating patients for suspected GI malignancies identified on imaging, an enhanced workflow was created--electronically routed critical results messaging to the ordering provider was supplemented with parallel messaging to the surgical oncology clinic. Messaging data obtained for 10 months pre and post intervention were compared. Using chart reviews, time intervals were recorded to assess the impact on (1) being seen by a specialist, (2) completing a diagnostic workup and (3) initiating definitive management.

Results

Significant improvements were achieved: (1) patients seen by a specialist increased from 45.9% to 98.0% (p<0.001), with median time decreasing from 35 to 7 days (p<0.001); (2) patients completing a diagnostic workup increased from 77.1% to 93.9% (p<0.05), with median time decreasing from 44 to 18 days (p<0.001); (3) patients with initiation of definitive management increased from 72.1% to 89.8% (p<0.05), with median time decreasing from 62 to 35 days (p<0.05). Further study is needed to assess impact on fragmentation of care and financial implications.

Conclusions

Direct critical results messaging from the radiologist to the surgical oncologist at a safety-net hospital significantly improves the time to complete a diagnostic workup and initiate definitive management with significantly more patients being seen by a relevant specialist.
A STRUCTURAL DISTANCE-BASED CROSSOVER FOR NEURAL NETWORK CLASSIFIERS
Authors: MORENO MANUEL , GUTIÉRREZ PEDRO ANTONIO , HERVÁS-MARTÍNEZ CÉSAR
Published: October 2012

This paper presents a structural distance-based crossover for neural network classifiers, which is applied as part of a Memetic Algorithm (MA) for evolving simultaneously the structure and weights of neural network models applied to multiclass problems. Previous researchers have shown that this simultaneous evolution is a way to avoid the noisy fitness evaluation. The MA incorporates a crossover operator that shows to be useful for ameliorating the permutation problem of the network representation (i.e. different genotypes can be used to represent the same neural network phenotype), increasing the structural diversity of the individuals and improving the accuracy of the results. Instead of a recombination probability, the crossover operator considers a similarity parameter (the minimum structural distance), which allows to maintain a trade-off between global and local search. The neural network models selected in this work are the product-unit neural networks (PUNNs), due to their increasing relevance in those classification problems which show a high order relationship between the input variables. The proposed MA is intended to reduce the possible overtraining problems which can raise in some datasets for this kind of models. The evolutionary system is applied to eight classification benchmarks and the results of an analysis of variance contrast (ANOVA) show the effectiveness of the structural-based crossover operator and the capacity of our algorithm to obtain evolved PUNNs with a higher classification accuracy than those obtained using other evolutionary techniques. On the other hand, the results obtained are compared with popular effective machine learning classification methods, resulting in a competitive performance.
MULTI-LEVEL DOCUMENT IMAGE SEGMENTATION USING MULTI-LAYER PERCEPTRON AND SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINE
Authors: ZHANG YAN , YU BIN , GU HAI-MING
Published: October 2012

Document image segmentation is an important research area of document image analysis which classifies the contents of a document image into a set of text and non-text classes. Previous existing methods are often designed to classify text and halftone therefore they perform poorly in classifying graphics, tables and circuit, etc. In this paper, we present a robust multi-level classification method using multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and support vector machine (SVM) to segment the texts from non-texts and thereafter classify them as tables, graphics and halftones. This method outperforms previously existing methods by overcoming various issues associated with the complexity of document images. Experimental results prove the effectiveness of our proposed method. By virtue of our multi-level classification approach, the text components, halftone components, graphic components and table components are accurately classified respectively which would highly improve OCR accuracy to reduce garbage symbols as well as increase compression ratio thereafter simultaneously.
PRINCIPLES OF EINSTEIN–FINSLER GRAVITY AND PERSPECTIVES IN MODERN COSMOLOGY
Authors: VACARU SERGIU I.
Published: October 2012

We study the geometric and physical foundations of Finsler gravity theories with metric compatible connections defined on tangent bundles, or (pseudo) Riemannian manifolds, endowed with nonholonomic frame structure. Several generalizations and alternatives to Einstein gravity are considered, including modifications with broken local Lorentz invariance. It is also shown how such theories (and general relativity) can be equivalently re-formulated in Finsler like variables. We focus on prospects in modern cosmology and Finsler acceleration of Universe. Einstein–Finsler gravity theories are elaborated following almost the same principles as in the general relativity theory but extended to Finsler metrics and connections. Finally, some examples of generic off-diagonal metrics and generalized connections, defining anisotropic cosmological Einstein–Finsler spaces are analyzed; certain criteria for the Finsler accelerating evolution are formulated.
Optimal routing in closed queueing networks
Authors: Kobayashi Hiroshi , Gerla Mario
Published: October 2012

In this paper, we establish criteria for the optimality of routing and flow control solutions. More precisely, we investigate the convexity of the network delay function in closed queueing networks and show it exists in single chain networks. Then we derive the derivative of the network delay function with respect to relative throughput and show it can be easily obtained from the MVA algorithm. Finally, we propose a closed-network version of the FD algorithm to find the exact optimal routing solution in single chain closed queueing networks. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the correctness and efficiency of the optimization algorithm.
Synchronization issues in protocol testing
Authors: Sarikaya Behcet , Bochmann Gregor v.
Published: October 2012

Protocol testing for the purpose of certifying the implementation's adherence to the protocol specification can be done with an architecture which includes a remote Tester and a local Responder processes generating specific input stimuli called test sequences. It is possible to adapt test sequence generation methods of finite state machines, namely transition tour, characterization and checking sequence methods to generate test sequences for protocols specified as incomplete finite state machines. For certain test sequences, the Tester or Responder processes are forced to consider the timing of an interaction in which they have not taken part; these test sequences are called nonsynchronizable. The three test sequence generation algorithms are modified to obtain synchronizable test sequences. Checking the protocol designs for intrinsic synchronization problems is also discussed.
History and overview of CSNET
Authors: Denning Peter J. , Hearn Anthony , Kern C. William
Published: October 2012

CSNET is the acronym for the Computer Science Research Network, a project supported by NSF to provide advanced computer network services to the computer research community. CSNET is a "logical net" -- a high-level communication environment spanning several physical nets, including the ARPANET, Phonenet, and Telenet. This paper reviews the history, the goals, the organization, the components, and the status of CSNET.
A distributed approach to the interconnection of heterogeneous computer networks
Authors: Braden R. , Cole R. , Higginson P. , Lloyd P.
Published: October 2012

This paper describes a distributed architecture for the flexible interconnection of heterogeneous networks with a number of mini- and micro computers, in a research environment. The interconnected networks include the DARPA Internet, which uses the DoD protocols, and the X25-based networks PSS and SERCNET.

The approach described here distributes the network access into a set of microcomputers acting as network frontends ("network access machines"), with a local area network (Cambridge Ring) as a common bus. Communication between the hosts and the network access machines uses an interprocessor communication mechanism with a standard transport-level virtualcall interface, which is described. This arrangement provides local hosts with flexible access to any of the networks, and supports a relay system which allows users on one network to access hosts and facilities on any of the other networks.
Augmented Reality: A new way of augmented learning
Authors: Wang Xiangyu
Published: October 2012

Augmented Reality has great potential to provide rich contextual customized learning environments for every individual. As AR rides the hype cycle, Xiangyu Wang explores the implications of this emerging frontier technology for education.