bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning how to match fresco fragments
Authors: Funkhouser Thomas , Shin Hijung , Toler-Franklin Corey , Castañeda Antonio García , Brown Benedict , Dobkin David , Rusinkiewicz Szymon , Weyrich Tim
Published: November 2011

One of the main problems faced during reconstruction of fractured archaeological artifacts is sorting through a large number of candidate matches between fragments to find the relatively few that are correct. Previous computer methods for this task provided scoring functions based on a variety of properties of potential matches, including color and geometric compatibility across fracture surfaces. However, they usually consider only one or at most a few properties at once, and therefore provide match predictions with very low precision. In this article, we investigate a machine learning approach that computes the probability that a match is correct based on the combination of many features. We explore this machine learning approach for ranking matches in three different sets of fresco fragments, finding that classifiers based on many match properties can be significantly more effective at ranking proposed matches than scores based on any single property alone. Our results suggest that it is possible to train a classifier on match properties in one dataset and then use it to rank predicted matches in another dataset effectively. We believe that this approach could be helpful in a variety of cultural heritage reconstruction systems.
K-12 Computer Science education news
Authors: Wolz Ursula
Published: November 2011

Integrating computer science into the K-12 curriculum is not news, so why put it into the SIGCSE Bulletin? Since the big educational movements in the 1970s and 80s that promoted BASIC and Logo, computing educators have attempted to get the kind of integration into pre-college that other disciplines, like Biology and Chemistry, have. This has been a struggle, and in recent years computing, and programming in particular, are marginalized in K-12 for a variety of reasons including teacher preparedness, politics and what Peter Denning described as the "eating the seed corn problem." While grassroots and academic efforts such as CS Unplugged, CS4HS, the Alice and Scratch communities and the Principles of Computing AP movement are becoming "old news", the news of the day is that politicians are coming on board.
Ed Council and Ed Board
Authors: Owens Barabara Boucher
Published: November 2011

There are numerous entities within ACM that actively work to support education and outreach. ACM coordinates these myriad efforts through its Education Council and Education Board. As described on their website:

"The Board wields the final executive and decision-making power to facilitate the work of the Education Council.

The Council is a task-force-based, networking-oriented organization whose aim is to promote ACM's educational mission to as wide a range of constituencies as possible: universities, community colleges, high schools, corporations, and the US government."
Paper submissions for SIGCSE conferences
Authors: Walker Henry M.
Published: November 2011

For decades, authors have submitted papers to SIGCSE conferences; reviewers have supplied ratings and comments; and conference leaders have selected papers to yield a balanced, interesting program. Of course, with advances in technology, the process for submitting and reviewing papers has evolved remarkably; and plans are in progress for what we hope will be yet another successful transition for ITiCSE 2012.
Analysis of QoS parameters in fading channels based on the effective bandwidth theory
Authors: Soret Beatriz
Published: November 2011

Providing Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees is an important challenge in the design of next generations of wireless networks. In particular, real-time services involving stringent delay constraints are expected to be increasingly popular among users of mobile equipments. In Rayleigh channels, the delay requirement is usually expressed in terms of a probabilistic delay constraint composed by two terms: the target delay and the probability of exceeding the target delay.
Text-based description of music for indexing, retrieval, and browsing
Authors: Knees Peter
Published: November 2011

The aim of this PhD thesis is to develop automatic methods that extract textual descriptions from the Web that can be associated with music pieces. Deriving descriptors for music permits to index large repositories with a diverse set of labels and allows for retrieving pieces and browsing collections. The techniques presented make use of common Web search engines to find related text content on the Web. From this content, descriptors are extracted that may serve as

• labels that facilitate orientation within browsing interfaces to music collections, especially in a three-dimensional browsing interface presented,

• exing terms, used as features in music retrieval systems that can be queried using descriptive free-form text as input, and

• es in adaptive retrieval systems that aim at providing more user-targeted recommendations based on the user's searching behaviour for exploration of music collections.
Computational modeling of face-to-face social interaction
Authors: Jayagopi Dinesh Babu
Published: November 2011

The computational modeling of face-to-face interactions using nonverbal behavioral cues is an emerging and relevant problem in social computing. Studying face-to-face interactions in small groups helps in understanding the basic processes of individual and group behavior; and improving team productivity and satisfaction in the modern workplace. Apart from the verbal channel, nonverbal behavioral cues form a rich communication channel through which people infer - often automatically and unconsciously - emotions, relationships, and traits of fellow members.
A probabilistic approach to socio-geographic reality mining
Authors: Farrahi Katayoun
Published: November 2011

As we live our daily lives, our surroundings know about it. Our surroundings consist of people, but also our electronic devices. Our mobile phones, for example, continuously sense our movements and interactions. This socio-geographic data could be continuously captured by hundreds of millions of people around the world and promises to reveal important behavioral clues about humans in a manner never before possible. Mining patterns of human behavior from large-scale mobile phone data has deep potential impact on society. For example, by understanding a community's movements and interactions, appropriate measures may be put in place to prevent the threat of an epidemic. The study of such human-centric massive datasets requires advanced mathematical models and tools. In this thesis, we investigate probabilistic topic models as unsupervised machine learning tools for large-scale socio-geographic activity mining.
Automatic Summarization of Personal Photo Collections
Authors: Sinha Pinaki
Published: November 2011

Photo taking and sharing devices (e.g., smart phones, digital cameras, etc) have become extremely popular in recent times. Photo enthusiasts today capture moments of their personal lives using these devices. This has resulted in huge collections of photos stored in various personal archives. The exponential growth of online social networks and web based photo sharing platforms have added fuel to this fire. According to recent estimates [46], three billion photos are uploaded on the social network Facebook per month. This photo data overload has created some major challenges. One of the them is automatic generation of representative overviews from large photo collections. Manual browsing of photo corpora is not only tedious, but also time inefficient. Hence, development of an automatic photo summarization system is not only a research but also a practical challenge. In this dissertation, we present a principled approach for generation of size constrained overview summaries from large personal photo collections.
Modeling and understanding communities in online social
Authors: Negoescu Radu Andrei
Published: November 2011

The amount of multimedia content is on a constant increase, and people interact with each other and with content on a daily basis through social media systems. The goal of this thesis was to model and understand emerging online communities that revolve around multimedia content, more specifically photos, by using large-scale data and probabilistic models in a quantitative approach. The disertation has four contributions. First, using data from two online photo management systems, this thesis examined different aspects of the behavior of users of these systems pertaining to the uploading and sharing of photos with other users and online groups. Second, probabilistic topic models were used to model online entities, such as users and groups of users, and the new proposed representations were shown to be useful for further understanding such entities, as well as to have practical applications in search and recommendation scenarios. Third, by jointly modeling users from two different social photo systems, it was shown that differences at the level of vocabulary exist, and different sharing behaviors can be observed. Finally, by modeling online user groups as entities in a topic-based model, hyper-communities were discovered in an automatic fashion based on various topic-based representations. These hyper-communities were shown, both through an objective and a subjective evaluation with a number of users, to be generally homogeneous, and therefore likely to constitute a viable exploration technique for online communities.
Human-centric control of video functions and underlying resources in 3d tele-immersive systems
Authors: Wu Wanmin
Published: November 2011

3D tele-immersion (3DTI) has the potential of enabling virtual-reality-like interaction among remote people with real-time 3D video. However, today's 3DTI systems still suffer from various performance issues, limiting their broader deployment, due to the enormous demand on temporal (computing) and spatial (networking) resources. Past research focused on system-centric approaches for technical optimization, without taking human users into the loop. We argue that human factors (including user preferences, semantics, limitations, etc.) are an important and integral part of the cyber-physical 3DTI systems, and should not be neglected.
CDK5 interacts with Slo and affects its surface expression and kinetics through direct phosphorylation
Authors: Bai Jun-Ping , Surguchev Alexei , Joshi Powrnima , Gross Liza , Navaratnam Dhasakumar
Published: November 2011

Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels are ubiquitous and play an important role in a number of diseases. In hair cells of the ear, they play a critical role in electrical tuning, a mechanism of frequency discrimination. These channels show variable kinetics and expression along the tonotopic axis. Although the molecular underpinnings to its function in hair cells are poorly understood, it is established that BK channels consist of a pore-forming α-subunit (Slo) and a number of accessory subunits. Here we identify CDK5, a member of the cyclin-dependent kinase family, as an interacting partner of Slo. We show CDK5 to be present in hair cells and expressed in high concentrations in the cuticular plate and in the circumferential zone. In human embryonic kidney cells, we show that CDK5 inhibits surface expression of Slo by direct phosphorylation of Slo. Similarly, we note that CDK5 affects Slo voltage activation and deactivation kinetics, by a direct phosphorylation of T847. Taken together with its increasing expression along the tonotopic axis, these data suggest that CDK5 likely plays a critical role in electrical tuning and surface expression of Slo in hair cells.
Tissue injury after lithium treatment in human and rat postnatal kidney involves glycogen synthase kinase-3β-positive epithelium
Authors: Kjaersgaard Gitte , Madsen Kirsten , Marcussen Niels , Christensen Sten , Walter Steen , Jensen Boye L.
Published: November 2011

It was hypothesized that lithium causes accelerated and permanent injury to the postnatally developing kidney through entry into epithelial cells of the distal nephron and inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). GSK-3β immunoreactivity was associated with glomeruli, the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, and collecting ducts in the developing and adult human and rat kidney. In rats, the abundance of inactive, phosphorylated GSK-3β (pGSK-3β) protein decreased during postnatal development. After feeding of dams with litters lithium [50 mmol Li/kg chow, postnatal (P) days 7–28], the offspring showed plasma lithium concentration of 1.0 mmol/l. Kidneys from lithium-treated rat pups exhibited dilated distal nephron segments with microcysts. Stereological analysis showed reduced cortex and outer medullary volumes. Lithium increased pGSK-3β and the proliferation marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein abundances in the cortex and medulla. After lithium treatment, pGSK-3β-immunopositive cells exhibited restricted distribution and were associated primarily with subsets of cells in dilated and microcystic segments of cortical collecting ducts. After 6 wk of lithium discontinuation, adult rats exhibited attenuated urine concentration capacity and diminished outer medullary volume. Histological sections of two nephrectomy samples and a biopsy from three long-term lithium-treated patients showed multiple cortical microcysts that originated from normally appearing tubules. Microcysts were lined by a cuboidal PCNA-, GSK-3β-, and pGSK-3β-immunopositive epithelium. The postnatal rat kidney may serve as an experimental model for the study of lithium-induced human kidney injury. The data are compatible with a causal relationship between epithelial entry of lithium into cells of the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron, inactivation of GSK-3β, proliferation, and microcysts.
Urine concentrating mechanism: impact of vascular and tubular architecture and a proposed descending limb urea-Na+cotransporter
Authors: Layton Anita T. , Dantzler William H. , Pannabecker Thomas L.
Published: November 2011

We extended a region-based mathematical model of the renal medulla of the rat kidney, previously developed by us, to represent new anatomic findings on the vascular architecture in the rat inner medulla (IM). In the outer medulla (OM), tubules and vessels are organized around tightly packed vascular bundles; in the IM, the organization is centered around collecting duct clusters. In particular, the model represents the separation of descending vasa recta from the descending limbs of loops of Henle, and the model represents a papillary segment of the descending thin limb that is water impermeable and highly urea permeable. Model results suggest that, despite the compartmentalization of IM blood flow, IM interstitial fluid composition is substantially more homogeneous compared with OM. We used the model to study medullary blood flow in antidiuresis and the effects of vascular countercurrent exchange. We also hypothesize that the terminal aquaporin-1 null segment of the long descending thin limbs may express a urea-Na+or urea-Cl−cotransporter. As urea diffuses from the urea-rich papillary interstitium into the descending thin limb luminal fluid, NaCl is secreted via the cotransporter against its concentration gradient. That NaCl is then reabsorbed near the loop bend, raising the interstitial fluid osmolality and promoting water reabsorption from the IM collecting ducts. Indeed, the model predicts that the presence of the urea-Na+or urea- Cl−cotransporter facilitates the cycling of NaCl within the IM and yields a loop-bend fluid composition consistent with experimental data.
Two-Dimensional Electron Systems in Magnetic Fields: The Current Equipartition Law
Authors: Ueta Tsuyoshi
Published: November 2011

We consider two-dimensional randomly deformed circular quantum dots with two attached waveguides (an emitter and a collector) in magnetic fields as an electronic analogy of the blackbody radiation. Transport properties through them are numerically investigated. The fraction of the current carried by each propagating mode in the collector is computed for transmission currents when each propagating mode is incident. By taking the statistical average in shape, it is shown that a universal frequency distribution is obtained for a sufficiently deformed system even though magnetic fields are so strong that electron waves form edge states. Then, the transmission currents are randomly distributed over all propagating modes. On average, each propagating mode carries the same current as in the absence of a magnetic field. It is also confirmed that a finite size dot cannot be a model of a reservoir even if it is chaotic.
Dual Implantation of Artificial Urinary Sphincter and Inflatable Penile Prostheses for Concurrent Male Urinary Incontinence and Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Al-Shaiji Tariq F.
Published: November 2011

Erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence secondary to sphincter dysfunction are common conditions affecting many men worldwide with a negative effect on quality of life. They are encountered in a number of etiologies most commonly following radical prostatectomy in which they coexist in the same patient. Implantations of an artificial urinary sphincter and inflatable penile prosthesis have proven to be effective in the treatment of both conditions should conservative and minimally invasive measures fail. The recent literature has shown that dual implantation of these devices is feasible and safe with a durable clinical outcome. Once indicated, this can be done in a synchronous or nonsynchronous manner; however, the emerging of the single transverse scrotal incision as well as advancement in the prostheses has made synchronous dual implantation more favourable and appealing option. It provides time and cost savings with an evidence of high patient satisfaction. Synchronous dual implantation should be offered initially when indicated. This paper discusses the surgical techniques of artificial urinary sphincter and inflatable penile prosthesis dual implantation in the management of concurrent moderate-to-severe urinary incontinence and medically refractive erectile dysfunction, in addition to highlighting the existing literature pertaining to this approach.
Xanthogranulomatous Osteomyelitis Presenting as Swelling in Right Tibia
Authors: Kamat Girish , Gramapurohit Vandana , Myageri Aneel , Shettar Chidendra
Published: November 2011

Xanthogranulomatous osteomyelitis is a very rare form of chronic osteomyelitis which presents like a bone tumor. Three cases of xanthogranulomatous osteomyelitis have been described previously in the literature. We present a case of xanthogranulomatous osteomyelitis occurring in the distal part of tibia. This case presented as swelling in a 13-year-old boy. Simple curettage proved to be curative in the present case.
The Trojan Horse Liposome Technology for Nonviral Gene Transfer across the Blood-Brain Barrier
Authors: Boado Ruben J. , Pardridge William M.
Published: November 2011

The application of blood-borne gene therapy protocols to the brain is limited by the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Viruses have been extensively used as gene delivery systems. However, their efficacy in brain is limited by the lack of transport across the BBB following intravenous (IV) administration. Recent progress in the “Trojan Horse Liposome” (THL) technology applied to transvascular non-viral gene therapy of the brain presents a promising solution to the trans-vascular brain gene delivery problem. THLs are comprised of immunoliposomes carrying nonviral gene expression plasmids. The tissue target specificity of the THL is provided by peptidomimetic monoclonal antibody (MAb) component of the THL, which binds to specific endogenous receptors located on both the BBB and on brain cellular membranes, for example, insulin receptor and transferrin receptor. These MAbs mediate (a) receptor-mediated transcytosis of the THL complex through the BBB, (b) endocytosis into brain cells and (c) transport to the brain cell nuclear compartment. The expression of the transgene in brain may be restricted using tissue/cell specific gene promoters. This manuscript presents an overview on the THL transport technology applied to brain disorders, including lysosomal storage disorders and Parkinson's disease.
Nonlinear Phenomena of Ultra-Wide-Band Radiation in a Photonic Crystal Fibre
Authors: Cherif Rim , Zghal Mourad
Published: November 2011

We report the results of a numerical and experimental analysis of femtosecond pulse propagation in a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fibre (PCF). The propagation of ultrashort pulses in PCF is studied taking into account the effects of dispersion, self-phase modulation, stimulated Raman scattering, and self-steepening. The interaction between linear and nonlinear effects is investigated in order to better understand the interplay of these effects leading to the supercontinuum generation. The initial stage of an ultra-wide-band supercontinuum generation under femtosecond pumping is pointed out. Details about the expansion of the blue and red sides of the supercontinuum due to transfer of energy to dispersive waves are revealed and experimentally confirmed. Our experimental results are compared to numerical solution of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Good agreement is found.
BRAF in Melanoma: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, Inhibition, and Resistance
Authors: Sullivan Ryan J. , Flaherty Keith T.
Published: November 2011

Since the initial discovery that a subset of patients with cutaneous melanoma harbor BRAF mutations, substantial research has been focused on determining the pathologic consequences of BRAF mutations, optimizing diagnostic techniques to identify these mutations, and developing therapeutic interventions to inhibit the function of this target in mutation-bearing tumors. Recently, advances have been made which are revolutionizing the standard of care for patients with BRAF mutant melanoma. This paper provides an overview on the pathogenic ramifications of mutant BRAF signaling, the latest molecular testing methods to detect BRAF mutations, and the most recent clinical data of BRAF pathway inhibitors in patients with melanoma and BRAF mutations. Finally, emerging mechanisms of resistance to BRAF inhibitors and ways of overcoming this resistance are discussed.
Intuitionistic Fuzzy Stability of Functional Equations Associated with Inner Product Spaces
Authors: Wang Zhihua , Rassias Themistocles M.
Published: November 2011

In intuitionistic fuzzy normed spaces, we investigate some stability results for the functional equation which is said to be a functional equation associated with inner products space.
Exercise-Induced Hypoglycemic Hemiplegia in a Child with Type 1 Diabetes: A Rare Find with Multiple Potential Causative Mechanisms
Authors: Samaan M. Constantine , Alassaf Abeer , DellaVedova Jonathan , Murthy Trisha
Published: November 2011

A 10-year-old boy known to have type 1 diabetes presented to the emergency department with history of sudden onset of right-sided hemiplegia after exercise. He did not respond to oral glucose administration, but had an almost immediate resolution of symptoms with intravenous bolus of dextrose. Hemiplegic hypoglycemia is a rare complication in diabetic children, mostly affects the right side of the body, and is rarely recurrent. Children have normal brain imaging and angiography testing, and electroencephalogram may show slow-wave activity. The recovery takes place within 24 hours, and the prognosis is excellent with no focal neurological deficits noted. Our patient responded within minutes to intravenous dextrose, which is unusual and has not been reported previously. The mechanisms leading to development of hypoglycemic hemiplegia are unclear, but may involve effects of hypoglycemia on intracellular signaling pathways or molecules on motor neurons, as recent studies have shown normal brain cell glucose uptake and metabolism in hypoglycemia. While hypoglycemic hemiplegia is rare, it is a frightening experience to caregivers, and efforts should concentrate on its prevention by preventing hypoglycemia.
Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose Cyclosporine with Everolimus and Steroids inde novoHeart Transplant Patients: A Multicentre, Randomized Trial
Authors: Zuckermann Andreas , Wang Shoei-Shen , Ross Heather , Frigerio Maria , Eisen Howard J. , Bara Christoph , Hoefer Daniel , Cotrufo Maurizio , Dong Gaohong , Junge Guido , Keogh Anne M.
Published: November 2011

A six-month, multicenter, randomized, open-label study was undertaken to determine whether renal function is improved using reduced-exposure cyclosporine (CsA) versus standard-exposure CsA in 199de novoheart transplant patients receiving everolimus and steroids ± induction therapy. Mean C2levels were at the low end of the target range in standard-exposure patients (n=100) and exceeded target range in reduced-exposure patients (n=99) throughout the study. Mean serum creatinine at Month 6 (the primary endpoint) was141.0±53.1 μmol/L in standard-exposure patients versus130.1±53.7 μmol/L in reduced-exposure patients (P=0.093). The incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection ≥3A at Month 6 was 21.0% (21/100) in the standard-exposure group and 16.2% (16/99) in the reduced-exposure group (n.s.). Adverse events and infections were similar between treatment groups. Thus, everolimus with reduced-exposure CsA resulted in comparable efficacy compared to standard-exposure CsA. No renal function benefits were demonstrated; that is possibly related to poor adherence to reduced CsA exposure.
Mentorship Programs for Faculty Development in Academic General Pediatric Divisions
Authors: Takagishi Jennifer , Dabrow Sharon
Published: November 2011

Introduction. Mentoring relationships have been shown to support academicians in areas of research, work/life balance, and promotion.Methods. General pediatric division chiefs accessed an electronic survey asking about mentorship relationships, their ability to create a mentorship program, and resources needed.Results. Dyadic mentorship programs were available at 53% of divisions. Peer mentorship programs were available at 27% of divisions. Overall, 84% of chiefs believed that dyadic mentorship would benefit their faculty. 91% of chiefs believed that peer mentorship would benefit their faculty. Chiefs were interested in starting peer (57%) or dyadic (55%) mentorship programs. Few divisions had a peer mentorship program available, whereas 24% already had a dyadic program. 43% of chiefs felt that they had the tools to start a program. Many tools are needed to create a program.Discussion. General pediatric division chiefs acknowledge the benefits of mentoring relationships, and some have programs in place. Many need tools to create them. Pediatric societies could facilitate this critical area of professional development.
Lipid Nanocapsule-Based Gels for Enhancement of Transdermal Delivery of Ketorolac Tromethamine
Authors: Varshosaz Jaleh , Hajhashemi Valiollah , Soltanzadeh Sindokht
Published: November 2011

Previous reports show ineffective transdermal delivery of ketorolac by nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). The aim of the present work was enhancement of transdermal delivery of ketorolac by another colloidal carriers, lipid nanocapsules (LNCs). LNCs were prepared by emulsification with phase transition method and mixed in a Carbomer 934P gel base with oleic acid or propylene glycol as penetration enhancers. Permeation studies were performed by Franz diffusion cell using excised rat abdominal skin. Aerosil-induced rat paw edema model was used to investigate the in vivo performance. LNCs containing polyethylene glycol hydroxyl stearate, lecithin in Labrafac as the oily phase, and dilution of the primary emulsion with 3.5-fold volume of cold water produced the optimized nanoparticles. The 1% Carbomer gel base containing 10% oleic acid loaded with nanoparticles enhanced and prolonged the anti-inflammatory effects of this drug to more than 12 h in Aerosil-induced rat paw edema model.
The Genomes of All Angiosperms: A Call for a Coordinated Global Census
Authors: Galbraith David W. , Bennetzen Jeffrey L. , Kellogg Elizabeth A. , Pires J. Chris , Soltis Pamela S.
Published: November 2011

Recent advances in biological instrumentation and associated experimental technologies now permit an unprecedented efficiency and scale for the acquisition of genomic data, at ever-decreasing costs. Further advances, with accompanying decreases in cost, are expected in the very near term. It now becomes appropriate to discuss the best uses of these technologies in the context of the angiosperms. This white paper proposes a complete genomic census of the approximately 500,000 species of flowering plants, outlines the goals of this census and their value, and provides a road map towards achieving these goals in a timely manner.
Antimony Resistance inLeishmania, Focusing on Experimental Research
Authors: Jeddi Fakhri , Piarroux Renaud , Mary Charles
Published: November 2011

Leishmaniases are parasitic diseases that spread in many countries with a prevalence of 12 million cases. There are few available treatments and antimonials are still of major importance in the therapeutic strategies used in most endemic regions. However, resistance toward these compounds has recently emerged in areas where the replacement of these drugs is mainly limited by the cost of alternative molecules. In this paper, we reviewed the studies carried out on antimonial resistance inLeishmania. Several common limitations of these works are presented before prevalent approaches to evidence antimonial resistance are related. Afterwards, phenotypic determination of resistance is described, then confronted to clinical outcome. Finally, we detail molecular mechanisms and targets involved in resistance and already identifiedin vitrowithin selected mutant strains or in clinical isolates.
Design of Switching Multiobjective Controller: A New Approach
Authors: Fakharian Ahmad
Published: November 2011

Design of switching H2/H∞ output‐feedback controller for discrete‐time LTI systems with state‐multiplicative noise is considered. The closed loop system achieves a minimum bound on the stochastic H2 performance level, while satisfying the H∞ performance. The proposed controller is based on a fuzzy supervisor which manages the combination of two separate H2 and H∞ controllers. A convex formulation of the two controllers leads to a structure which benefits from the advantages of both controllers to ensure a good performance in both the transient phase (H2 controller) and the steady phase (H∞ controller). The stability analysis uses the Lyapunov technique, inspired from switching system theory, to prove that the closed loop system with the proposed controller structure remains globally stable despite the
configuration changing.
Reported Hours of Sleep, Diabetes Prevalence and Glucose Control in Jamaican Adults: Analysis from the Jamaica Lifestyle Survey 2007-2008
Authors: Cumberbatch Chisa G. , Younger Novie O. , Ferguson Trevor S. , McFarlane Shelly R. , Francis Damian K. , Wilks Rainford J. , Tulloch-Reid Marshall K.
Published: November 2011

Background. There are limited data on sleep duration and diabetes from developing countries. We therefore examined the relationship between reported hours of sleep, diabetes prevalence and glucose control in Jamaican adults.Methods. Data on reported hours of sleep and diabetes (based on glucose measurement and medication use) from a national survey of 15–74-year-old Jamaicans were analyzed.Results. The 2,432 participants (31% M, Age42±16years, BMI27.6±6.6 kg/m2, diabetes prevalence 12%) reported sleeping8.2±1.8hours. In men, sleeping less than 6 hours (OR (95% CI) = 2.65 (1.09–6.48)) or more than 10 hours (OR (95% CI) = 4.36 (1.56–12.19)) was associated with diabetes when adjusted for age, BMI, and family history of diabetes. In women sleeping less than 6 hours was associated with a reduced likelihood of diabetes after adjusting for the same confounders ((OR (95% CI) = 0.43 (0.23–0.78)). There was no significant association between sleep and glucose control.Conclusion. Insufficient and excessive sleep was associated with increased diabetes prevalence in Jamaican men but not women.
Spectacularly Successful Microsurgical Penile Replantation in an Assaulted Patient: One Case Report
Authors: Tazi Mohammed Fadl , Ahallal Youness , Khallouk Abdelhak , Elfassi Mohammed Jamal , Farih Moulay Hassan
Published: November 2011

Penile amputation is a rare condition for which immediate surgical replantation is warranted. We present herein one case of a 27-year-old male who presented to the Emergency Department after his wife cut his penis. The penis was replanted microsurgically. The deep dorsal penile veins and superficial veins were anastomosed. Although we could not reanastomose the arteries, wound healing occurred without any problem one week postoperatively and the patient regained erectile function 4 weeks after surgery. At 1-year follow-up examinations he reported on restored erectile function and a normal urinary function.
Radiation Proctitis: Current Strategies in Management
Authors: Do Nhue L. , Nagle Deborah , Poylin Vitaliy Y.
Published: November 2011

Radiation proctitis is a known complication following radiation therapy for pelvic malignancy. The majority of cases are treated nonsurgically, and an understanding of the available modalities is crucial in the management of these patients. In this paper, we focus on the current treatments of radiation proctitis.
Antiobesity and Hypoglycaemic Effects of Aqueous Extract of Ibervillea sonorae in Mice Fed a High‐Fat Diet with Fructose
Authors: Rivera-Ramírez Fabiola , Escalona-Cardoso Gerardo N. , Garduño-Siciliano Leticia , Galaviz-Hernández Carlos , Paniagua-Castro Norma
Published: November 2011

Obesity, type II diabetes, and hyperlipidaemia, which frequently coexist and are strongly associated with oxidative stress, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. An increase in carbohydrate intake, especially of fructose, and a high‐fat diet are both factors that contribute to the development of these metabolic disorders. In recent studies carried out in diabetic rats, authors reported that Ibervillea sonorae had hypoglycaemic activity; saponins and monoglycerides present in the plant could be responsible for the effects observed. In the present study, we determined the effects of an aqueous I. sonorae extract on a murine model of obesity and hyperglycaemia, induced by a high‐calorie diet, and the relationship of these effects with hepatic oxidation. A high‐fat diet over a period of 8 weeks induced weight gain in the mice and increased triglycerides and blood glucose levels. Simultaneous treatment with I. sonorae aqueous extracts, at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, decreased triglycerides and glycaemia levels, prevented an increase in body weight in a dose‐dependent manner, and decreased hepatic lipid oxidation at a dose of 200 mg/kg. These data suggest that the aqueous extract from I. sonorae root prevents obesity, dyslipidaemia, and hyperglycaemia induced by a hypercaloric diet; however, high doses may induce toxicity.
Surgical and Pathological Characteristics of Papillary Thyroid Cancer in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Dzepina Davor
Published: November 2011

Background. Thyroid carcinoma is a relatively rare pediatric pathology, comprising around 3% of all childhood tumors. We investigated parameters of tumor aggressiveness, multicentricity, and locoregional metastatic spread patterns in patients up to 18 years of age and made comparison with the older group. All patients were operated upon with total thyroidectomy, with or without lymph-node neck dissection.Results. Patients with papillary carcinoma present with more advanced stage, larger primary tumor, and more commonly present with palpable thyroid and/or neck node. Overall, papillary cancer demonstrated pathological aggressiveness as defined by our criteria in 60%, multicentricity in 40%, and locoregional metastatic foci in 77% of cases. Multicentric tumor foci in both thyroid lobes and tumor aggressiveness were identified as a risk factor for metastatic development.Conclusion. By observing clinicopathological parameters, we demonstrated that papillary thyroid cancer behaves more aggressively in the younger group. We recommend total thyroidectomy with careful intraoperative exploration of thyroid bed and lateral neck in search for possible metastatic spread. In case of positive findings, it is obligatory to perform a standard neck dissection, keeping in mind that neck lymphonodes are primary site of locoregional recurrence. With meticulous attention to technical aspects of operation, perioperative morbidity should be minimal.
Aspirin: Pharmacology and Clinical Applications
Authors: Paez Espinosa Enma V. , Murad John P. , Khasawneh Fadi T.
Published: November 2011

Antiplatelet therapy has been documented to reduce risks of cardiovascular disease after acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, and in chronic atrial fibrillation patients, amongst other risk factors. Conventional management of thrombosis-based disorders includes the use of heparin, oral anticoagulants, and the preferred antiplatelet agent aspirin. Interestingly, aspirin was not intended to be used as an antiplatelet agent; rather, after being repurposed, it has become one of the most widely prescribed antithrombotic drugs. To this end, there have been several milestones in the development of antiplatelet agents in the last few decades, such as adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitors, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors. However, given some of the limitations of these therapies, aspirin continues to play a major role in the management of thrombotic and cardiovascular disorders and is expected to do so for years to come.
Why Breast Cancer Patients Seek Traditional Healers
Authors: Muhamad Mazanah , Merriam Sharan , Suhami Norhasmilia
Published: November 2011

Traditional healing is a common practice in low and middle income countries such as Malaysia. Eighty percent of Malaysians consult traditional healers or “bomoh” at some time in their life for health-related issues. The purpose of our study was to explore why breast cancer patients visit traditional healers. This is a qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews with 11 cancer survivors who sought both traditional and Western medicine. The findings revealed the following reasons for which patients seek traditional healers: (1) recommendation from family and friends, (2) sanction from family, (3) perceived benefit and compatibility, (4) healer credibility, and (5) reservation with Western medicine and system delay. These factors work together and are strongly influenced by the Malaysian cultural context. The issue with the Western health system is common in a developing country with limited health facilities.
Still's Disease and Recurrent Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type-I: The First Description
Authors: Faillace César , de Carvalho Jozélio Freire
Published: November 2011

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic neuropathic pain disorder characterized by neuropathic pain associated with local edema and changes suggestive of autonomic involvement such as altered sweating, skin color, and skin temperature of the affected region. CRPS was described associated with several diseases, such as trauma, psychiatric conditions, and cancer. However, no case associated with Still's disease has been previously described. In this paper, the authors describe the first case of CRPS associated with Still's disease.
Motion Analysis of Live Objects by Super-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy
Authors: Yao Chunyan , Zhang Jianwei , Wu Guang , Zhang Houxiang
Published: November 2011

Motion analysis plays an important role in studing activities or behaviors of live objects in medicine, biotechnology, chemistry, physics, spectroscopy, nanotechnology, enzymology, and biological engineering. This paper briefly reviews the developments in this area mostly in the recent three years, especially for cellular analysis in fluorescence microscopy. The topic has received much attention with the increasing demands in biomedical applications. The tasks of motion analysis include detection and tracking of objects, as well as analysis of motion behavior, living activity, events, motion statistics, and so forth. In the last decades, hundreds of papers have been published in this research topic. They cover a wide area, such as investigation of cell, cancer, virus, sperm, microbe, karyogram, and so forth. These contributions are summarized in this review. Developed methods and practical examples are also introduced. The review is useful to people in the related field for easy referral of the state of the art.
Environmental Effects on Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Allergic Children
Authors: La Grutta Stefania , Ferrante Giuliana , Malizia Velia , Cibella Fabio , Viegi Giovanni
Published: November 2011

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive marker of airway inflammation in asthma and respiratory allergy. Environmental factors, especially indoor and outdoor air quality, may play an important role in triggering acute exacerbations of respiratory symptoms. The authors have reviewed the literature reporting effects of outdoor and indoor pollutants on FeNO in children. Although the findings are not consistent, urban and industrial pollution—mainly particles (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)—as well as formaldehyde and electric baseboard heating have been shown to increase FeNO, whilst ozone (O3) tends to decrease it. Among children exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) with a genetic polymorphisms in nitric oxide synthase genes (NOS), a higher nicotine exposure was associated with lower FeNO levels. Finally, although more studies are needed in order to better investigate the effect of gene and environment interactions which may affect the interpretation of FeNO values in the management of children with asthma, clinicians are recommended to consider environmental exposures when taking medical histories for asthma and respiratory allergy. Further research is also needed to assess the effects of remedial interventions aimed at reducing/abating environmental exposures in asthmatic/allergic patients.
STAT5A-Mediated SOCS2 Expression Regulates Jak2 and STAT3 Activity Following c-Src Inhibition in Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma
Authors: Sen Banibrata , Peng Shaohua , Woods Denise M. , Wistuba Ignacio , Bell Diana , El-Naggar Adel K. , Lai Stephen Y. , Johnson Faye M.
Published: November 2011

Purpose: The inhibition of c-Src results in a striking reduction in cancer cell invasion, but the effect on cell survival is modest. Defining mechanisms that limit apoptosis following c-Src inhibition could result in an ideal therapeutic approach that both inhibits invasion and leads to apoptosis. In this regard, we discovered a novel feedback loop that results in STAT3 reactivation following sustained c-Src inhibition. Here we define the mechanism underlying this feedback loop and examine the effect of inhibiting it in vivo.

Experimental Design: We measured levels and activity of pathway components using PCR, Western blotting, and kinase assays following their manipulation using both molecular and pharmacologic approaches. We used a heterotransplant animal model in which human oral squamous cancer is maintained exclusively in vivo.

Results: Following c-Src inhibition, STAT5 is durably inhibited. The inhibition of STAT5A, but not STAT5B, subsequently reduces the expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2). SOCS2 inhibits Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) activity and Jak2–STAT3 binding. SOCS2 expression is necessary for STAT3 inhibition by c-Src inhibitors. Overexpression of SOCS2 is adequate to prevent STAT3 reactivation and to enhance the cytotoxic effects of c-Src inhibition. Likewise, the combination of Jak and c-Src inhibitors led to significantly more apoptosis than either agent alone in vivo.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, ours is the first study that fully defines the mechanism underlying this feedback loop, in which sustained c-Src inhibition leads to diminished SOCS2 expression via sustained inhibition of STAT5A, allowing activation of Jak2 and STAT3, Jak2–STAT3 binding, and survival signals. Clin Cancer Res; 18(1); 127–39. ©2011 AACR.
In Silico Screening Reveals Structurally Diverse, Nanomolar Inhibitors of NQO2 That Are Functionally Active in Cells and Can Modulate NF-κB Signaling
Authors: Nolan Karen A. , Dunstan Mark S. , Caraher Mary C. , Scott Katherine A. , Leys David , Stratford Ian J.
Published: November 2011

The National Cancer Institute chemical database has been screened using in silico docking to identify novel nanomolar inhibitors of NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2). The inhibitors identified from the screen exhibit a diverse range of scaffolds and the structure of one of the inhibitors, NSC13000 cocrystalized with NQO2, has been solved. This has been used to aid the generation of a structure–activity relationship between the computationally derived binding affinity and experimentally measured enzyme inhibitory potency. Many of the compounds are functionally active as inhibitors of NQO2 in cells at nontoxic concentrations. To show this, advantage was taken of the NQO2-mediated toxicity of the chemotherapeutic drug CB1954. The toxicity of this drug is substantially reduced when the function of NQO2 is inhibited, and many of the compounds achieve this in cells at nanomolar concentrations. The NQO2 inhibitors also attenuated TNFα-mediated, NF-кB–driven transcriptional activity. The link between NQO2 and the regulation of NF-кB was confirmed by using short interfering RNA to NQO2 and by the observation that NRH, the cofactor for NQO2 enzyme activity, could regulate NF-кB activity in an NQO2-dependent manner. NF-кB is a potential therapeutic target and this study reveals an underlying mechanism that may be usable for developing new anticancer drugs. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(1); 194–203. ©2011 AACR.
NF-κB in Cancer: A Matter of Life and Death
Authors: Aggarwal Bharat B. , Sung Bokyung
Published: November 2011

Activation of NF-κB has been linked to various cellular processes in cancer, including inflammation, transformation, proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, chemoresistance, and radioresistance. Although acute inflammation mediates innate and humoral immunity, chronic inflammation has been linked to tumorigenesis. Thus, inhibition of NF-κB has therapeutic potential in sensitization of tumors to chemotherapeutic agents; however, generalized suppression of NF-κB can result in serious host toxicity with minimum effect on the tumor. Cancer Discovery; 1(6); 469–71. ©2011 AACR.

Commentary on Enzler et al., p. 496.