bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Draft Genome Sequences for Two Metal-Reducing Pelosinus fermentans Strains Isolated from a Cr(VI)-Contaminated Site and for Type Strain R7
Authors: Brown Steven D. , Podar Mircea , Klingeman Dawn M. , Johnson Courtney M. , Yang Zamin K. , Utturkar Sagar M. , Land Miriam L. , Mosher Jennifer J. , Hurt Richard A. , Phelps Tommy J. , Palumbo Anthony V. , Arkin Adam P. , Hazen Terry C. , Elias Dwayne A.
Published: August 2012

Pelosinus fermentans16S rRNA gene sequences have been reported from diverse geographical sites since the recent isolation of the type strain. We present the genome sequence of theP. fermentanstype strain R7 (DSM 17108) and genome sequences for two new strains with different abilities to reduce iron, chromate, and uranium.
A report of an outbreak of toxicity from a novel drug of abuse: ERIC-3
Authors: Haig Stephen Douglas , Kelly Charlotte , Morden Clare
Published: August 2012

Background

Novel drugs of abuse are becoming more common in the UK, and they represent particular difficulties in management. We present a case series of toxicity due to a novel substance Eric-3.

Methods

This was a retrospective case note review over a 6-month period. Patients were included if their presentation was due to ingestion of Eric-3. Physiological data, symptoms, outcome and destination of the patient from the ED were collected. Postmortem toxicological analysis was obtained for one of the patients who died.

Results

41 attendances were identified from 18 patients. Two patients died and five were admitted to ITU. Heart rate and temperature on arrival tended to be above normal (mean heart rate was 112 bpm, with an SD of 18; mean temperature was 37.45° with an SD of 0.95°). 63.4% of attendances included agitation and 34.1% choreiform movements. α-Methyltryptamine and 3-/4-flouroephedrine were found in the blood of one of the patients who died.

Conclusions

In this outbreak, Eric-3 gave symptoms similar to other stimulants. It may have been a novel substance 3-/4-flouroephedrine. It underlines the need for prospective data collection and information sharing.
Molecular profiling of antimicrobial resistance and integron association of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates ofShigellaspecies from Faisalabad, Pakistan
Authors: Tariq Aaysha , Haque Abdul , Ali Aamir , Bashir Saira , Habeeb Muhammad Asif , Salman Muhammad , Sarwar Yasra
Published: August 2012

Bacillary dysentery, common in developing countries, is usually caused by Shigella species. A major problem in shigellosis is the rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. This is the first detailed molecular study on drug resistance of Shigella isolates from the Faisalabad region of Pakistan. Ninety-five Shigella isolates obtained after screening of 2500 stool samples were evaluated for in vitro resistance to commonly used antimicrobial agents; the presence or absence of 20 of the most relevant drug resistance genes; and the prevalence of integrons 1, 2, and 3. Shigella flexneri was found to be the most prevalent and most resistant species. Collectively, high resistance was found towards ampicillin (96.84%), tetracycline (93.68%), streptomycin (77.89%), and chloramphenicol (72.63%). Significant emerging resistance was detected towards the modern frontline drugs ciprofloxacin (12.63%), cefradine (17.89%), ceftriaxone (20.00%), cefoperazone (22.10%), and cefixime (28.42%). Prevalence rates for blaTEM, blaCTX-M, gyrA, gyrB, qnrS, aadA1, strAB, tetA, tetB, catA, and catP were 78.94%, 12.63%, 20.00%, 21.05%, 21.05%, 67.36%, 42.10%, 12.63%, 53.68%, 33.68%, and 25.26%, respectively. Class 2 integrons (42.10%) were more common in the local isolates. Simultaneous detection of class 1 and 2 integrons in some isolates and a rapidly emerging resistance to modern frontline drugs are the major findings of this study.
Detection ofhssS,hssR,hrtA, andhrtBgenes and their expression by hemin inStaphylococcus epidermidis
Authors: Juárez-Verdayes Marco A. , González-Uribe Pilar M. , Peralta Humberto , Rodríguez-Martínez Sandra , Jan-Roblero Janet , Escamilla-Hernández Rosalba , Cancino-Diaz Mario E. , Cancino-Diaz Juan C.
Published: August 2012

Staphylococcus aureus employs a heme sensing system (HssR–HssS) and a heme-regulated transporter efflux pump (HrtA–HrtB) to avoid the accumulation of heme, which is toxic at high concentrations. The detoxification system to heme has not been studied in Staphylococcus epidermidis . In this work, the hssR, hssS, hrtA, and hrtB genes were detected, and their expression when stimulated by hemin in S. epidermidis was explored. In silico genomic analyses exhibited that the genetic organization of the hssRS and hrtAB genes was identical in 11 Staphylococcus species analyzed, including S. epidermidis. Slight variations were found in their syntenic regions. The predicted secondary structure of HrtAB proteins from these species was almost identical to these of S. aureus. Additionally, hrtAB promoter sequences of some species were analyzed, and 1 or 2 different nucleotide substitutions were found in the downstream motif. Concentrations of hemin above 5 µmol/L inhibited S. epidermidis growth. However, S. epidermidis that was pre-exposed to a subinhibitory hemin concentration (1 µmol/L) was able to grow when inoculated into medium containing above 5 µmol/L hemin. The expression levels of hrtA and hrtB genes in S. epidermidis exhibited a significant difference when they were stimulated with hemin. Our results suggest that the HrtAB could be involved in hemin detoxification of S. epidermidis.
ASYMMETRIC EFFECTS ON STOCHASTIC RESONANCE IN THE BISTABLE SYSTEM SUBJECT TO CORRELATED NOISES
Authors: LONG FEI , MEI DONGCHENG
Published: August 2012

Asymmetric effects on the stochastic resonance (SR) in the bistable system with correlated noises are investigated. Based on the theory of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the expressions of SNR are derived for the case of the additive signal and the case of the multiplicative signal, respectively. Through the numerical computation, it is found in both cases of additive and multiplicative periodic signals (i) The asymmetric effects on SR phenomenon in the system induced by the multiplicative noise is dependent of initial conditions, i.e., the asymmetric parameter r weakens the SR for the initial condition of x(t = 0) = x+, however, r enhances the SR for the initial condition of x(t = 0) = x-; (ii) The asymmetric effects on SR phenomenon in the system induced by the additive noise and the correlation between noises is independent of initial conditions, i.e., the r always enhance the SR; (iii) Synergistic action of the noises, the correlation between noises, the periodic signal and the system's asymmetry induces symmetry revival.
A NOVEL TWO PHASE RETRIEVAL MECHANISM FOR A CLINICAL CASE BASED REASONING SYSTEM FOR RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENT PLANNING
Authors: JAGANNATHAN RUPA , PETROVIC SANJA , MCKENNA ANGELA , NEWTON LOUISE
Published: August 2012

This paper presents a decision support system for radiotherapy treatment planning for head, neck and brain cancer. The aim of a treatment plan is to apply radiation to kill tumor cells, while minimizing the damage to healthy tissue and critical organs. Since treatment planning is a complex decision making process that relies heavily on the subjective experience of clinicians, we propose the use of case-based reasoning (CBR), in which problems are solved based on the solutions of similar past problems. This paper focuses on the case retrieval process of a CBR system. The attributes, which describe the cases, are selected by assessing their effect on the performance of the CBR system. We have developed a context sensitive local weighting scheme that assigns weights to attributes based on their value and the values of other attributes in the target case. A novel two phase retrieval mechanism is developed, in which each phase is optimized to retrieve a particular part of the solution. We also present an original use of fuzzy logic in order to represent nonlinearity in the similarity measure. Experiments, which evaluate the similarity measure using real brain cancer patient cases, show promising results.
INVESTIGATING THE SCALABILITY OF ALGORITHMS, THE ROLE OF SIMILARITY METRIC AND THE LIST OF SUGGESTED ITEMS CONSTRUCTION SCHEME IN RECOMMENDER SYSTEMS
Authors: TSAPATSOULIS NICOLAS , GEORGIOU OLGA
Published: August 2012

The continuous increase in demand for new products and services on the market brought the need for systematic improvement of recommendation technologies. Recommender systems proved to be the answer to the data overload problem and an advantage for e-business. Nevertheless, challenges that recommender systems face, like sparsity and scalability, affect their performance in real-world situations where both the number of users and items are high and item rating is infrequent. In this article we propose a cluster based recommendation approach using genetic algorithms. Users are grouped into clusters based on their past choices and preferences and receive recommendations from the other cluster members with the aid of an innovative recommendation scheme called Top-Nvoted items. Similarity between users is computed using the max_norm Pearson coefficient. This is a modified form of the widely used Pearson coefficient and it is used to prevent very active users dominating recommendations. We compare our approach with five well established recommendation methods with the aid of three different datasets. These datasets vary in terms of the number of users, the number of items, and the sparsity of ratings. As a result important conclusions are drawn about the efficiency of each method with respect to scalability and dataset's sparsity.
SEISMIC ENHANCEMENT OF REINFORCED-CONCRETE COLUMNS BY REBAR-RESTRAINING COLLARS
Authors: RUANGRASSAMEE ANAT , SAWAROJ ARCHAWIN
Published: August 2012

When reinforced-concrete columns are subjected to lateral cyclic loading, columns usually suffer failures at plastic hinges. If the buckling of longitudinal reinforcements at plastic hinges can be prevented or delayed, columns are expected to carry gravity loads at a higher ductility level. In this study, the rebar-restraining collar (RRC) was developed to improve the post-buckling behavior of longitudinal reinforcements. The behavior was investigated under monotonic loading tests of reinforcing bars with the RRCs and the cyclic loading tests of two reinforced-concrete bridge columns with and without RRCs. From the monotonic loading test, it was found that the RRCs significantly improved the post-yielding behavior of longitudinal reinforcing bars. The ductility and energy dissipation of longitudinal reinforcing bars with RRCs was significantly higher than that of the bare bar. Then, cyclic loading tests of two reinforced-concrete bridge columns were conducted. The cross section of columns was 0.4 m × 0.4 m, and the effective height was 2.15 m. The ratio of longitudinal reinforcing bars was 0.0123, and the volumetric ratio of transverse reinforcement was 0.00424. The column with RRCs did not have buckling of longitudinal reinforcements and had the ductility enhancement of about 17%, comparing to the column without RRCs. One evident benefit of using the RRCs is to control damage at plastic hinges of columns. Hence, the repair cost of columns after an earthquake can be reduced.
MODULUS REDUCTION AND DAMPING CURVES FOR SAND OF SOUTH-EAST COAST OF INDIA
Authors: JAYA V. , DODAGOUDAR G. R. , BOOMINATHAN A.
Published: August 2012

Adequate information on dynamic soil properties, especially strain dependent shear modulus (G) and damping ratio (ξ) for each soil layer are the essential input data for seismic ground response analysis and soil-structure interaction studies. In the present study, the shear modulus and damping ratio of sand are estimated for a wide range of strains based on undrained strain-controlled cyclic triaxial tests. The bender elements are also utilized in the cyclic triaxial test to estimate the low strain shear modulus. For this purpose, the soil samples are taken from a nuclear power plant site located at the south-east coastal region of India. Based on the experimental results, an empirical expression is developed to calculate the maximum shear modulus, Gmaxas function of void ratio and effective confining stress. Predictive relationships are also developed for estimating normalized shear modulus and damping ratio curves for the sand. The predictive relationships are based on the hyperbolic model and cyclic triaxial test results. The developed modulus reduction and damping ratio curves from the predictive relationships are compared with the previously available curves in the literature.
RIGID CONTAINMENT WALLS FOR LIQUEFACTION REMEDIATION
Authors: MITRANI HELEN , MADABHUSHI S. P. G.
Published: August 2012

Many typical ground improvement techniques that are used for liquefaction remediation, such as in situ densification, are not appropriate for application under existing buildings and more novel techniques are required. This paper describes centrifuge tests investigating the performance of rigid containment walls as a liquefaction remediation method. A simple frame structure, founded on a deep layer of loose, liquefiable sand was tested under earthquake shaking. Centrifuge tests were then carried out with containment walls around the base of the structure, extending through the full depth of the liquefiable layer and also partial depth.

It is found that rigid containment walls can be very effective in reducing structural settlements primarily by preventing lateral movement of the foundation sand but the impermeability of the walls may also be important. Improvements in structural settlement are observed even when the walls do not extend through the full depth of the liquefiable layer, if the depth of the walls is greater than the depth of the free field liquefaction. In addition, it is found that the accelerations of the structure are not increased, provided there is no rigid, structural connection between the structure and the containment walls.
菲律宾华人宗教生活的世俗化：
Authors: 陈衍德
Published: August 2012

在大多数情况下，菲律宾华人的宗教生活是非制度化的、与世俗生活交织在一起的，其宗教观受制于世俗的需要，缺少纯粹的信仰追求，现实利益经常成为精神生活的动力。 但是另一方面，一些菲律宾华人的宗教生活也存在着某些对人生意义的精神追求。 笔者针对马尼拉、宿务、纳卯华人的调查中所获得的访谈资料，可以展示这种以世俗化为主但又多元并存的情况，并可作为探讨其形成原因和发展趋势之依据。 本文拟从人生观、信仰动机与组织机构的活动三方面，对此加以论述。
华商跨国网络的形成、延伸和冲突：
Authors: 李培德
Published: August 2012

有关海外华商族群和帮派的研究，目前已有不少成果。 值得注意的是，族群在商业网络形成过程中扮演了十分重要的角色。 在殖民地时代，具有族群特色的商帮，例如福建帮和广东帮，多利用英国在亚洲区内的势力，把他们的影响力扩展至其他英属殖民地。 组成商帮的三大元素—血缘、地缘和业缘，使商帮更具竞争力。 在新加坡华人社会里，不同的经济活动由各异的商帮控制，外来者不易进入。 新加坡是一个多族群的社会，包括福建、潮州、广东、客家、海南等等，族群之间既存竞争，也有合作。 由于政治权力全集中于英国人手里，殖民地统治对平衡和缓和族群冲突起着重要的作用。 本文尝试从比较角度出发，探讨代表福建和客家两大族群领袖的陈嘉庚和胡文虎，到底他们是如何建立跨界和跨国的网络，当网络形成后又如何将之延伸。 本文指出，当陈嘉庚和胡文虎彼此竞逐延伸网络的同时，之所以产生冲突，与中英两国政府平衡陈胡两派势力有密不可分之关系。
CORRELATIONS AND DEPENDENCIES IN THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL VILLAGE
Authors: KENETT DROR Y. , RADDANT MATTHIAS , ZATLAVI LIOR , LUX THOMAS , BEN-JACOB ESHEL
Published: August 2012

The high degree of coupling between global financial markets has made the financial village prone to systemic collapses. Here we present a new methodology to assess and quantify inter-market relations. The approach is based on meta-correlations (correlations between the intra-market correlations), and a Dependency Network analysis approach. We investigated the relations between six important world markets — U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan, China and India from January 2000 until December 2010. Our findings show that while the developed Western markets (U.S., U.K., Germany), are highly correlated, the inter-dependencies between these markets and the Eastern markets (India and China) are very volatile and with noticeable maxima at times of global world events. Finally, using the Dependency network approach, we quantify the flow of information between the different markets, and how markets affect each other. We observe that German and U.K. stocks show a large amount of coupling, while other markets are more segmented. These and additional reported findings illustrate that this methodological framework provides a way to quantify interdependencies in the global market and their evolvement, to evaluate the world financial network, and quantify changes in inter-market relations. Such changes can be used as precursors to the agitation of the global financial village.
COMPLEX NETWORKS AND MINIMAL SPANNING TREES IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE NETWORK
Authors: MAENG SEONG EUN , CHOI HYUNG WOOC , LEE JAE WOO
Published: August 2012

The wealth of a nation is changed by the internal economic growth of a nation and by the international trade among countries. Trade between countries are one of their most important interactions and thus expects to affect crucially the wealth distribution over countries. We reviewed the network properties of the international trade networks (ITN). We analyzed data sets of world trade. The data set include a total number of 190 countries from 1950 to 2000. We observed that the world trade network showed the uneven trading relationships which are measured by the disparity. The effective disparity followed a power law, < D(k) >~ tδ, for the import and export network. We also construct the minimal spanning tree(MST) of international trade network, where each node is a country and directed links connecting them represent money flow from a source node to a target one. The topology of the MST shows the flow patterns of the international trades. From the MST we can identify the sub-economic zone if we delete the hub node. We observed that the cumulative degree distribution functions follow the power law, P>(k) ~ k-α, with the average exponent α = 1.1(1)). We also calculated the betweenness centrality(BC) of the MST. The cumulative probability distribution of the betweenness centrality follows the power law, P>( BC ) ~ BC -β, with the average exponent β = 1.09(7).
REPLICATION OF NON-TRIVIAL DIRECTIONAL MOTION IN MULTI-SCALES OBSERVED BY THE RUNS TEST
Authors: YURA YOSHIHIRO , OHNISHI TAKAAKI , YAMADA KENTA , TAKAYASU HIDEKI , TAKAYASU MISAKO
Published: August 2012

Non-trivial autocorrelation in up-down statistics in financial market price fluctuation is revealed by a multi-scale runs test(Wald-Wolfowitz test). We apply two models, a stochastic price model and dealer model to understand this property. In both approaches we successfully reproduce the non-stationary directional price motions consistent with the runs test by tuning parameters in the models. We find that two types of dealers exist in the markets, a short-time-scale trend-follower and an extended-time-scale contrarian who are active in different time periods.
Deductive inference for the interiors and exteriors of horn theories
Authors: Makino Kazuhisa , Ono Hirotaka
Published: August 2012

In this article, we investigate deductive inference for interiors and exteriors of Horn knowledge bases, where interiors and exteriors were introduced by Makino and Ibaraki [1996] to study stability properties of knowledge bases. We present a linear time algorithm for deduction for interiors and show that deduction is coNP-complete for exteriors. Under model-based representation, we show that the deduction problem for interiors is NP-complete while the one for exteriors is coNP-complete. As for Horn envelopes of exteriors, we show that it is linearly solvable under model-based representation, while it is coNP-complete under formula-based representation. We also discuss polynomially solvable cases for all the intractable problems.
Graded computation tree logic
Authors: Bianco Alessandro , Mogavero Fabio , Murano Aniello
Published: August 2012

In modal logics,
graded (world) modalities
have been deeply investigated as a useful framework for generalizing standard existential and universal modalities in such a way that they can express statements about a given number of immediately accessible worlds. These modalities have been recently investigated with respect to the μCalculus, which have provided succinctness, without affecting the satisfiability of the extended logic, that is, it remains solvable in ExpTime. A natural question that arises is how logics that allow reasoning about paths could be affected by considering
graded path modalities
. In this article, we investigate this question in the case of the branching-time temporal logic CTL (GCTL, for short). We prove that, although GCTL is more expressive than CTL, the satisfiability problem for GCTL remains solvable in ExpTime, even in the case that the graded numbers are coded in binary. This result is obtained by exploiting an automata-theoretic approach, which involves a model of alternating automata with satellites. The satisfiability result turns out to be even more interesting as we show that GCTL is at least exponentially more succinct than graded μCalculus.
Incremental research vs. paradigm-shift mania
Authors: Meyer Bertrand
Published: August 2012

The
Communications
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Communications
, we'll publish selected posts or excerpts.

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Bertrand Meyer asks why too many research agencies seem obsessed with funding only groundbreaking projects.
Don't feel bad if you can't predict the future
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: August 2012

Wise experts and powerful machines are no match for chaotic events and human declarations. Beware of their predictions and be humble in your own.
Author order
Authors: Marcos Esperanza , Vara Juan Manuel , de Castro Valeria
Published: August 2012

Some thoughts about author order in research papers.
A new Objective-C runtime
Authors: Chisnall David
Published: August 2012

Backward compatibility always trumps new features
Success factors for deploying cloud computing
Authors: Garrison Gary , Kim Sanghyun , Wakefield Robin L.
Published: August 2012

Trust between client organization and cloud provider is a strong predictor of successful cloud deployment.
Self-adaptive software needs quantitative verification at runtime
Authors: Calinescu Radu , Ghezzi Carlo , Kwiatkowska Marta , Mirandola Raffaela
Published: August 2012

Continually verify self-adaptation decisions taken by critical software in response to changes in the operating environment.
Ubiquity symposium: Evolutionary computation and the processes of life
Authors: Burgin Mark , Eberbach Eugene
Published: August 2012

Evolution is one of the indispensable processes of life. After biologists found basic laws of evolution, computer scientists began simulating evolutionary processes and using operations discovered in nature for solving problems with computers. As a result, they brought forth evolutionary computation, inventing different kinds operations and procedures, such as genetic algorithms or genetic programming, which imitated natural biological processes. Thus, the main goal of our Symposium is exploration of the essence and characteristic properties of evolutionary computation in the context of life and computation.
Acceptance of post-adoption unanticipated is usage
Authors: Wilkin Carla L. , Davern Michael J.
Published: August 2012

Information Systems (IS), as social artifacts, are open to interpretation during use. This flexibility creates opportunities for individuals to use systems in unanticipated ways to better fit particular tasks. Yet such unanticipated usage is counter to the use of IS as vehicles for managerial control and ensuring consistency in transaction processing across organizations. To effectively manage this tension a structured appreciation of post-adoption IS usage in its social context is required. Through a case study of users in a large Australian accommodation chain we develop a taxonomy of system usage, exploring unanticipated usage to meet workplace demands, its underlying motivations, implications for transaction processing consistency and ultimately operational and/or managerial decision making.
In-Hospital Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding following Cardiac Surgery: Patient Characteristics, Endoscopic Lesions and Prognosis
Authors: Amorim Marcos , Barkun Alan N. , Larocque Martin , Herba Karl , DeVarennes Benoit , Martel Myriam
Published: August 2012

Background. Nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) can occur following cardiac surgery, with sparse contemporary data on patient characteristics and predictors of outcome in this setting. Aim. To describe the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of patients with NVUGIB following cardiac surgery and characterize predictors of outcome. Methods. Retrospective review of 131 consecutive patients with NVUGIB following cardiac surgery from 2002 to 2005. Demographic characteristics, therapeutic management, and predictors of outcomes were determined. Results. 69.5% were male, mean age: 68.8 ± 10.2 yrs, mean Parsonnet score: 24.6 ± 14.2. Commonest symptoms included melena (59.4%) or coffee ground emesis (25.8%). In-hospital medications included ASA (88.5%), heparin (95.4%, low molecular weight 6.9%), coumadin (48.1%), clopidogrel (22.9%), and NSAIDS (42%). Initial hemodynamic instability was noted in 47.1%. Associated laboratory results included hematocrit 26 ± 6, platelets 243 ± 133 109/L, INR 1.7 ± 1.6, and PTT 53.3 ± 35.6 s. Endoscopic evaluation (122 patients) yielded ulcers (85.5%) with high-risk lesions in 45.5%. Ulcers were located principally in the stomach (22.5%) or duodenum (45.9%). Many patients had more than one lesion, including esophagitis (28.7%) or erosions (26.8%). 48.8% received endoscopic therapy. Mean lengths of intensive care unit and overall stays were 10.4 ± 18.4 and 39.4 ± 46.9 days, respectively. Overall mortality was 19.1%. Only mechanical ventilation under 48 hours predicted mortality (O.R = 0.11; 95% CI = 0.04−0.34). Conclusions. This contemporary cohort of consecutive patients with NVUGIB following cardiac surgery bled most often from ulcers or esophagitis; many had multiple lesions. ICU and total hospital stays as well as mortality were significant. Mechanical ventilation for under 48 hours was associated with improved survival.
Prophylactic Breast Bud Radiotherapy for Patients Taking Bicalutamide: Should This Still Be Practised for Patients with Prostate Cancer?
Authors: Lewis R. , Cassoni A. , Payne H.
Published: August 2012

Prophylactic breast bud radiotherapy is used to prevent gynaecomastia and mastalgia in patients with prostate cancer who are being treated with antiandrogen and oestrogen therapy. Here a case is presented of a patient who developed soft-tissue sarcoma of the breast subsequent to breast bud radiotherapy prior to bicalutamide hormone treatment. Bicalutamide is often prescribed for younger men in the adjuvant setting or as monotherapy for locally advanced disease. The data regarding the efficacy of prophylactic breast bud radiotherapy is reviewed, and it is proposed that alternative therapies should be considered such as tamoxifen.
The Changing Epidemiology of Oropharyngeal Candidiasis in Patients with HIV/AIDS in the Era of Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Patel Payal K. , Erlandsen Joshua E. , Kirkpatrick William R. , Berg Deborah K. , Westbrook Steven D. , Louden Christopher , Cornell John E. , Thompson George R. , Vallor Ana C. , Wickes Brian L. , Wiederhold Nathan P. , Redding Spencer W. , Patterson Thomas F.
Published: August 2012

The impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on opportunistic conditions in HIV patients continues to evolve. We specifically studied the changing epidemiology of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) in 215 HIV/AIDS patients. Status of yeast colonization was assessed from oral rinse samples, and preliminary yeast identification was made using CHROMagarCandidaand confirmed with standard microbiological techniques and/or molecular sequencing. Susceptibility to fluconazole was determined by CHROMagarCandidaagar dilution screening and CLSI broth microdilution. 176 (82%) patients were colonized and 59 (27%) patients had symptomatic OPC.Candida albicanswas the most prevalent species, thoughC. glabrataandC. dubliniensiswere detected in 29% of isolates. Decreased fluconazole susceptibility occurred in 10% of isolates. Previous ART reduced the risk of OPC, while smoking increased the risk of colonization. Oral yeast colonization and symptomatic infection remain common even with advances in HIV therapy.C. albicansis the most common species, but other yeasts are prevalent and may have decreased susceptibility to fluconazole.
FDTD-SPICE for Characterizing Metamaterials Integrated with Electronic Circuits
Authors: Hao Zhengwei , Saadat Soheil , Mosallaei Hossein
Published: August 2012

A powerful time-domain FDTD-SPICE simulator is implemented and applied to the broadband analysis of metamaterials integrated with active and tunable circuit elements. First, the FDTD-SPICE modeling theory is studied and details of interprocess communication and hybridization of the two techniques are discussed. To verify the model, some simple cases are simulated with results in both time domain and frequency domain. Then, simulation of a metamaterial structure constructed from periodic resonant loops integrated with lumped capacitor elements is studied, which demonstrates tuning resonance frequency of medium by changing the capacitance of the integrated elements. To increase the bandwidth of the metamaterial, non-Foster transistor configurations are integrated with the loops and FDTD-SPICE is applied to successfully bridge the physics of electromagnetic and circuit topologies and to model the whole composite structure. Our model is also applied to the design and simulation of a metasurface integrated with nonlinear varactors featuring tunable reflection phase characteristic.
Relativistic Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory and Excited States Calculations for the Zinc Dimer
Authors: Kullie Ossama
Published: August 2012

I present a time-dependent density functional study of the 20 low-lying excited states as well the ground states of the zinc dimer Zn2, analyze its spectrum obtained from all electrons calculations performed using time-depended density functional with a relativistic 4-component and relativistic spin-free Hamiltonian as implemented in Dirac-Package, and show a comparison of the results obtained from different well-known and newly developed density functional approximations, a comparison with the literature and experimental values as far as available. The results are very encouraging, especially for the lowest excited states of this dimer. However, the results show that long-range corrected functionals such as CAMB3LYP gives the correct asymptotic behavior for the higher states, and for which the best result is obtained. A comparable result is obtained from PBE0 functional. Spin-free Hamiltonian is shown to be very efficient for relativistic systems such as Zn2.
Association between Serum Uric Acid Levels and Sleep Variables: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2005–2008
Authors: Wiener R. Constance , Shankar Anoop
Published: August 2012

Sleep disordered breathing as well as high serum uric acid levels are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, studies evaluating the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and hyperuricemia are limited. We examined the 2005–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination survey's sleep variables and high serum uric acid among 6491 participants aged≥20years. The sleep variables included sleep duration, snoring, snorting, and daytime sleepiness. The main outcome was high serum uric acid level, defined as levels of serum uric acid>6.8 mg/dL in males and>6.0 mg/dL in females. We found that snoring more than 5 nights per week, daytime sleepiness, and an additive composite score of sleep variables were associated with high serum uric acid in the age- , sex-adjusted model and in a multivariable model adjusting for demographic and lifestyle/behavioral risk factors. The association was attenuated with the addition of variables related to clinical outcomes such as depression, diabetes, hypertension, and high-cholesterol levels. Our results indicate a positive relationship between sleep variables, including the presence of snoring, snorting, and daytime sleepiness, and high serum uric acid levels.
An Unusual Cause of a Pain in the Neck: Pseudoaneurysm from Tuberculous Lymphadenitis
Authors: Kennedy B. , Curran D. R. , Brady A. , O'Connor T. M.
Published: August 2012

A pseudoaneurysm is a haematoma which is surrounded by connective tissue and communicates with the lumen of a ruptured blood vessel. It has no true defined capsule. We describe a case of tuberculous pseudoaneurysm. This is a rare complication of tuberculosis. The clinical presentation of these lesions is highly variable. Definitive diagnosis should consist of contrast-enhanced CT and arteriography. Treatment should include repair of the arterial wall by surgery, endovascular stent-graft insertion, or embolization followed by a full course of antituberculous chemotherapy. Our case is highly unusual in that the pseudoaneurysm arose from the subclavian vasculature in a patient with extrapulmonary tuberculosis only.
Mortality Related to Chagas Disease and HIV/AIDS Coinfection in Brazil
Authors: Martins-Melo Francisco Rogerlândio , Ramos Alberto Novaes , Alencar Carlos Henrique , Heukelbach Jorg
Published: August 2012

Chagas disease in patients with HIV infection represents a potentially serious event with high case fatality rates. This study describes epidemiological and clinical aspects of deaths related to Chagas disease and HIV/AIDS coinfection in Brazil, 1999–2007. We performed a descriptive study based on mortality data from the nationwide Mortality Information System. Of a total of about 9 million deaths, Chagas disease and HIV/AIDS were mentioned in the same death certificate in 74 cases. AIDS was an underlying cause in 77.0% (57) and Chagas disease in 17.6% (13). Males (51.4%), white skin color (50%), age group 40–49 years (29.7%), and residents in the Southeast region (75.7%) were most common. Mean age at death was significantly lower in the coinfected (47.1 years [SD ± 14.6]), as compared to Chagas disease deaths (64.1 years [SD ± 14.7],P<0.001). Considering the lack of data on morbidity related to Chagas disease and AIDS coinfection, the use of mortality data may be an appropriate sentinel approach to monitor the occurrence of this association. Due to the epidemiological transition in Brazil, chronic Chagas disease and HIV/AIDS coinfection will be further complicated and require the development of evidence-based preventive control measures.
Dirichlet Problem for the Schrödinger Operator in a Half Space
Authors: Su Baiyun
Published: August 2012

For continuous boundary data, the modified Poisson integral is used to write solutions to the half space Dirichlet problem for the Schrödinger operator. Meanwhile, a solution of the Poisson integral for any continuous boundary function is also given explicitly by the Poisson integral with the generalized Poisson kernel depending on this boundary function.
Prolonged Action Potential and After depolarizations Are Not due to Changes in Potassium Currents in NOS3 Knockout Ventricular Myocytes
Authors: Wang Honglan , Bonilla Ingrid M. , Huang Xin , He Quanhua , Kohr Mark J. , Carnes Cynthia A. , Ziolo Mark T.
Published: August 2012

Ventricular myocytes deficient in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3−/−) exhibit prolonged action potential (AP) duration and enhanced spontaneous activity (early and delayed afterdepolarizations) during β-adrenergic (β-AR) stimulation. Studies have shown that nitric oxide is able to regulate various K+ channels. Our objective was to examine if NOS3-/- myocytes had altered K+ currents. APs, transient outward (), sustained (), and inward rectifier () K+ currents were measured in NOS3-/- and wild-type (WT) myocytes. During β-AR stimulation, AP duration (measured as 90% repolarization-APD90) was prolonged in NOS3−/− compared to WT myocytes. Nevertheless, we did not observe differences in , , or between WT and NOS3−/− myocytes. Our previous work showed that NOS3−/− myocytes had a greater Ca2+ influx via L-type Ca2+ channels with β-AR stimulation. Thus, we measured β-AR-stimulated SR Ca2+ load and found a greater increase in NOS3−/− versus WT myocytes. Hence, our data suggest that the prolonged AP in NOS3−/− myocytes is not due to changes in , , or . Furthermore, the increase in spontaneous activity in NOS3−/− myocytes may be due to a greater increase in SR Ca2+ load. This may have important implications for heart failure patients, where arrhythmias are increased and NOS3 expression is decreased.
Fixed Point and Asymptotic Analysis of Cellular Neural Networks
Authors: Lai Xianghong , Zhang Yutian
Published: August 2012

We firstly employ the fixed point theory to study the stability of cellular neural networks without delays and with time‐varying delays. Some novel and concise sufficient conditions are given to ensure the existence and uniqueness of solution and the asymptotic stability of trivial equilibrium at the same time. Moreover, these conditions are easily checked and do not require the differentiability of delays.
Role of Pigeonpea Cultivation on Soil Fertility and Farming System Sustainability in Ghana
Authors: Adjei-Nsiah S.
Published: August 2012

The productivity of the smallholder farming system in Ghana is under threat due to soil fertility decline. Mineral fertilizer is sparingly being used by smallholder farmers because of prohibitive cost. Grain legumes such as pigeonpea can play a complementary or alternative role as a source of organic fertilizer due to its ability to enhance soil fertility. Despite its importance, the potential of pigeonpea as a soil fertility improvement crop has not been exploited to any appreciable extent and the amount of land cultivated to pigeonpea in Ghana is vey negligible. This paper synthesizes recent studies that have been carried out on pigeonpea in Ghana and discusses the role of pigeonpea cultivation in soil fertility management and its implication for farming system sustainability. The paper shows that recent field studies conducted in both the semi-deciduous forest and the forest/savanna transitional agro-ecological zones of Ghana indicate that pigeonpea/maize rotations can increase maize yield by 75–200%. Barrier to widespread adoption of pigeonpea include land tenure, market, and accessibility to early maturing and high yielding varieties. The paper concludes among other things that in order to promote the cultivation of pigeonpea in Ghana, there is the need to introduce varieties that combine early maturity with high yields and other desirable traits based on farmers preferences.
A Modeled Analysis of Telehealth Methods for Treating Pressure Ulcers after Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Smith Mark W. , Hill Michelle L. , Hopkins Karen L. , Kiratli B. Jenny , Cronkite Ruth C.
Published: August 2012

Home telehealth can improve clinical outcomes for conditions that are common among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, little is known about the costs and potential savings associated with its use. We developed clinical scenarios that describe common situations in treatment or prevention of pressure ulcers. We calculated the cost implications of using telehealth for each scenario and under a range of reasonable assumptions. Data were gathered primarily from US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative records. For each scenario and treatment method, we multiplied probabilities, frequencies, and costs to determine the expected cost over the entire treatment period. We generated low-, medium-, and high-cost estimates based on reasonable ranges of costs and probabilities. Telehealth care was less expensive than standard care when low-cost technology was used but often more expensive when high-cost, interactive devices were installed in the patient’s home. Increased utilization of telehealth technology (particularly among rural veterans with SCI) could reduce the incidence of stage III and stage IV ulcers, thereby improving veterans' health and quality of care without increasing costs. Future prospective studies of our present scenarios using patients with various healthcare challenges are recommended.
Antibacterial Activity ofMyristica fragransagainst Oral Pathogens
Authors: Shafiei Zaleha , Shuhairi Nadia Najwa , Md Fazly Shah Yap Nordiyana , Harry Sibungkil Carrie-Anne , Latip Jalifah
Published: August 2012

Myristica fragransHoutt is mostly cultivated for spices in Penang Island, Malaysia. The ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of flesh, mace and seed ofMyristica fragranswas evaluated the bactericidal potential against three Gram-positive cariogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutansATCC 25175,Streptococcus mitisATCC 6249, andStreptococcus salivariusATCC 13419) and three Gram-negative periodontopathic bacteria (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitansATCC 29522,Porphyromonas gingivalisATCC 33277, andFusobacterium nucleatumATCC 25586). Antibacterial activities of the extracts was determined by twofold serial microdilution, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 1.25 to 640 mg/mL and 0.075 to 40 mg/mL. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was obtained by subculturing method. Among all extracts tested, ethyl acetate extract of flesh has the highest significant inhibitory effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with mean MIC value ranging from 0.625 to1.25±0.00(SD) mg/mL;P=0.017) and highest bactericidal effects at mean MBC value ranging from 0.625 mg/mL to20±0.00(SD) mg/mL. While for seed and mace ofMyristica fragrans, their ethanol extracts exhibited good antibacterial activity against both groups of test pathogens compared to its ethyl acetate extracts. All of the extracts ofMyristica fragransdid not show any antibacterial activities againstFusobacterium nucleatumATCC 25586. Thus, our study showed the potential effect of ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts from flesh, seed and mace ofMyristica fragransto be new natural agent that can be incorporated in oral care products.
Surface Modification of Zinc with an Oxime for Corrosion Protection in Chloride Medium
Authors: Achary Ganesha , Naik Y. Arthoba
Published: August 2012

The surface treatment of zinc was done with different concentrations of an oxime (2E)‐2‐(hydroxylamino)‐1,2‐diphenylethanol molecule by the immersion method. The electrochemical corrosion studies of surface‐treated zinc specimens were performed in aqueous sodium chloride solution (1 M, pH 5.0) at different temperatures in order to study the corrosion mechanism. The recorded electrochemical data indicated a basic modification of the cathodic corrosion behavior of the treated zinc resulting in a decrease of the electron transfer rate. The zinc samples treated by immersion in the inhibiting organic solution presented good corrosion resistance. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it was found that a protective film was formed on the surface of zinc.
Synthesis and Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Iron Oxide Glycerol Nanoparticles Obtained by Coprecipitation Method
Authors: Iconaru Simona Liliana , Prodan Alina Mihaela , Le Coustumer Philippe , Predoi Daniela
Published: August 2012

The glycerol iron oxide nanoparticles (GIO‐NPs) were obtained by an adapted coprecipitation method. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) studies demonstrate that GIO‐NPs were indexed into the spinel cubic lattice with a lattice parameter of 0.835 nm. The refinement of XRD spectra indicated that no other phases except maghemite were detected. The adsorption of glycerol on iron oxide nanoparticles was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. On the other hand, this work implicated the use of GIO‐NPs in antibacterial studies. The results indicate that, in the case of P. aeruginosa  1397 biofilms, at concentrations from 0.01 mg/mL to 0.625 mg/mL, the glycerol iron oxide inhibits the ability of this strain to develop biofilms on the inert substratum.
Leptin and Soluble Leptin Receptor in Risk of Colorectal Cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Cohort
Authors: Aleksandrova Krasimira , Boeing Heiner , Jenab Mazda , Bueno-de-Mesquita H. Bas , Jansen Eugene , van Duijnhoven Fränzel J. B. , Rinaldi Sabina , Fedirko Veronika , Romieu Isabelle , Riboli Elio , Gunter Marc J. , Westphal Sabine , Overvad Kim , Tjønneland Anne , Halkjær Jytte , Racine Antoine , Boutron-Ruault Marie-Christine , Clavel-Chapelon Françoise , Kaaks Rudolf , Lukanova Annekatrin , Trichopoulou Antonia , Lagiou Pagona , Trichopoulos Dimitrios , Mattiello Amalia , Pala Valeria , Palli Domenico , Tumino Rosario , Vineis Paolo , Buckland Genevieve , Sánchez María-José , Amiano Pilar , Huerta José María , Barricarte Aurelio , Menéndez Virginia , Peeters Petra H. , Söderberg Stefan , Palmqvist Richard , Allen Naomi E. , Crowe Francesca L. , Khaw Kay-Tee , Wareham Nickolas , Pischon Tobias
Published: August 2012

Leptin, a peptide hormone produced primarily by the adipocytes, is hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R) may regulate leptin's physiologic functions; however its relation to CRC risk is unknown. This study explored the association of leptin and sOB-R with risk of CRC in a prospective nested case-control study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. A total of 1,129 incident CRC cases (713 colon, 416 rectal) were matched within risk sets to 1,129 controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). After multivariable adjustment including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and baseline leptin concentrations, sOB-R was strongly inversely associated with CRC (RR comparing the highest quintile vs. the lowest, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.40–0.76; Ptrend = 0.0004) and colon cancer (RR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.28–0.63, Ptrend = 0.0001); whereas no association was seen for rectal cancer (RR adjusted for BMI and waist circumference, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.48–1.44, Ptrend = 0.38). In contrast, leptin was not associated with risk of CRC (RR adjusted for BMI and waist circumference, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.56–1.29, Ptrend = 0.23). Additional adjustments for circulating metabolic biomarkers did not attenuate these results. These novel findings suggest a strong inverse association between circulating sOB-R and CRC risk, independent of obesity measures, leptin concentrations, and other metabolic biomarkers. Further research is needed to confirm the potentially important role of sOB-R in CRC pathogenesis. Cancer Res; 72(20); 5328–37. ©2012 AACR.