bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MATERIAL ELEMENT MODEL AND THE GEOMETRY OF THE ENTROPY FORM
Authors: DOLFIN M. , FRANCAVIGLIA M. , PRESTON S. , RESTUCCIA L.
Published: October 2010

In this work we analyze and compare the model of the material (elastic) element and the entropy form developed by Coleman and Owen with that one obtained by localizing the balance equations of the continuum thermodynamics. This comparison allows one to determine the relation between the entropy function S of Coleman–Owen and that one imported from the continuum thermodynamics. We introduce the Extended Thermodynamical Phase Space (ETPS) [Formula: see text] and realize the energy and entropy balance expressions as 1-forms in this space. This allows us to realizes I and II laws of thermodynamics as conditions on these forms. We study the integrability (closure) conditions of the entropy form for the model of thermoelastic element and for the deformable ferroelectric crystal element. In both cases closure conditions are used to rewrite the dynamical system of the model in term of the entropy form potential and to determine the constitutive relations among the dynamical variables of the model.

In a related study (to be published) these results will be used for the formulation of the dynamical model of a material element in the contact thermodynamical phase space of Caratheodory and Hermann similar to that of homogeneous thermodynamics.
MOTION OF SPACE CURVES IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL MINKOWSKI SPACE $R_1^{3}$, SO(2,1) SPIN EQUATION AND DEFOCUSING NONLINEAR SCHRÖDINGER EQUATION
Authors: MUNIRAJA GOPAL , LAKSHMANAN M.
Published: October 2010

We consider the dynamics of moving curves in three-dimensional Minkowski space [Formula: see text] and deduce the evolution equations for the curvature and torsion of the curve. Next by mapping a continuous SO(2,1) Heisenberg spin chain on the space curve in [Formula: see text], we show that the defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation(NLSE) can be identified with the spin chain, thereby giving a geometrical interpretation of it. The associated linear eigenvalue problem is also obtained in a geometrical way.
ENTANGLEMENT MEASURE OF BIPARTITE SYSTEM STATES
Authors: BERRADA K. , HASSOUNI Y.
Published: October 2010

Linear entropy as a measure of entanglement is applied to explain conditions for minimal and maximal entanglement of bipartite nonorthogonal pure states. We formulate this measure in terms of the amplitudes of coherent states in the case of entangled coherent states and calculate the conditions. We generalize this formalism to the case of bipartite mixed states and show that the entanglement measure is also a function of the probabilities.
THE IMPACT OF FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION AND STATE ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY ON REGIONAL GROWTH IN INDONESIA
Authors: TIRTOSUHARTO DARIUS
Published: October 2010

This paper provides a new empirical analysis on the effects of fiscal decentralization on economic growth with the inclusion of a state allocative efficiency factor in the growth model. Using Indonesia as a case study, this study aims to reveal whether the state allocative efficiency will impact growth through better allocation of public goods. Following a two-stage empirical method, the expenditure efficiency of Indonesia's 26 state governments over a 10-year period (1996–2005) is constructed by using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and a panel data regression is utilized in the growth model. The results indicate that although fiscal decentralization provided a greater incentive structure for state governments to become more efficient in allocating fiscal resources, it did not always lead to robust growth due to rising regional disparities particularly in the level of development and resource capacities.
Early days of CVS
Authors: Berliner Brian , Ruparelia Nayan B.
Published: October 2010

The topic of this article is to discuss the early days of CVS, from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. First, a timeline depicting key milestones for those early days is discussed and this is followed by an interview with Brian Berliner, the creator of CVS in C. This article concludes with a reading list on CVS for further study.
Report about 1st ICSE workshop on software engineering for sensor network applications (SESENA 2010)
Authors: Geihs Kurt , Gruner Stefan , Römer Kay
Published: October 2010

SESENA 2010, the First International Workshop on Software Engineering for Sensor Network Applications, took place under the umbrella of ICSE 2010, the 32nd ACM/IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering, in Cape Town, South Africa, in May 2010. This post-workshop report summarizes the aims and motivation as well as the technical contributions. See also our workshop website at http://www.sesena.info/.
Organizing a software architecture body of knowledge
Authors: Lago Patricia , Avgeriou Paris , Kruchten Philippe
Published: October 2010

Architectural Knowledge (AK) is defined as the integrated representation of the software architecture of a software-intensive system or family of systems along with architectural decisions and their rationale, external influence and the development environment. A fifth workshop on Sharing and Reusing Architectural Knowledge (SHARK) was held jointly with ICSE 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa. The theme of this workshop was the organization of a body of knowledge for software architecture knowledge management. It featured thirteen research position statements and three working groups that discussed on focused topics. This report summarizes the results of the discussions we held, and suggests some topics for future research.
2010 ICSE international workshop on advances and applications of problem orientation (WAAPO-2010)
Authors: Hall Jon G. , Rapanotti Lucia , Zhao Liping , Naish James
Published: October 2010

Software problems originate in real world problems. A software solution must address its real world problem in a satisfactory way. A software engineer must therefore understand the real world problem that their software intends to address. To be able to do this, the software engineer must understand the problem context and how it is to be affected by the proposed software, expressed as the requirements. Without this knowledge the engineer can only hope to chance upon the right solution for the problem. Application of problem-oriented approaches may well be a way of meeting this challenge. This article reports on IWAAPO-2010, an ICSE workshop concerned with recent developments in problem-oriented approaches.
Report from the 1st international workshop on replication in empirical software engineering research (RESER 2010)
Authors: Knutson Charles D. , Krein Jonathan L. , Prechelt Lutz , Juristo Natalia
Published: October 2010

The RESER 2010 Workshop, held on May 4, 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa was co-located with the 32nd International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2010). The workshop provided a venue in which empirical Software Engineering researchers could present and discuss the theoretical foundations and methods of replication, as well as the results of specific replicated studies.
2010 ICSE workshop on emerging trends in software metrics
Authors: Canfora Gerardo , Concas Giulio , Marchesi Michele , Tempero Ewan , Zhang Hongyu
Published: October 2010

This paper reports on the 2010 ICSE Workshop on Emerging Trends in Software Metrics (WETSoM 2010) held on Tuesday 4 May 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa, as part of the ICSE workshop series. The goal of this workshop was to bring together researchers and practitioners to discuss the progress of software metrics.
Proposal for evaluation of software reusability assessment approach employing a mixed method
Authors: Fazal-e-Amin  , Mahmood Ahmad Kamil , Oxley Alan
Published: October 2010

Software engineering, as an engineering discipline, is still quite young as compared to other engineering disciplines. The software engineering research community has made enormous contributions in past decades to lay down its foundations. However, the research methodologies in software engineering are still not mature. One of the reasons in this regard is the inherent complexity of this field. In this paper, we focus on one aspect of this field -- the evaluation of reusability assessment approaches. We begin by reviewing existing ways of comparing reusability assessment approaches. Following this we propose a different approach. This includes a mixture of both subjective and objective evaluation of a reusability assessment approach. This is novel in that we feel that subjective evaluation has been neglected by other approaches.
A Framework for Large-Scale Detection of Web Site Defacements
Authors: Bartoli Alberto , Davanzo Giorgio , Medvet Eric
Published: October 2010

Web site defacement, the process of introducing unauthorized modifications to a Web site, is a very common form of attack. In this paper we describe and evaluate experimentally a framework that may constitute the basis for a
defacement detection service
capable of monitoring thousands of remote Web sites systematically and automatically.

In our framework an organization may join the service by simply providing the URLs of the resources to be monitored along with the contact point of an administrator. The monitored organization may thus take advantage of the service with just a few mouse clicks, without installing any software locally or changing its own daily operational processes. Our approach is based on anomaly detection and allows monitoring the integrity of many remote Web resources automatically while remaining fully decoupled from them, in particular, without requiring any prior knowledge about those resources.

We evaluated our approach over a selection of dynamic resources and a set of publicly available defacements. The results are very satisfactory: all attacks are detected while keeping false positives to a minimum. We also assessed performance and scalability of our proposal and we found that it may indeed constitute the basis for actually deploying the proposed service on a large scale.
A mean field approximation for the capacity of server-limited, gate-limited multi-server polling systems
Authors: Robert Philippe , Roberts Jim
Published: October 2010

We propose a mean field approximation for the capacity of a limited-gated multiserver polling system with a limit on the number of servers a given station can use simultaneously. The approximation provides an expression for the stability limit under very general assumptions about the traffic process and system configuration. The result is expressed in terms of a certain parameter that is shown to be the unique solution of a simple fixed point equation. We sketch a proof that the approximation is asymptotically exact by showing that the succession of server visits converges to a Poisson process.
A fluid approximation for large-scale service systems
Authors: Liu Yunan , Whitt Ward
Published: October 2010

We introduce and analyze a deterministic fluid model that serves as an approximation for the Gt/GI/st + GI manyserver queueing model, which has a general time-varying arrival process (the Gt), a general service-time distribution (the first GI), a time-dependent number of servers (the st) and allows abandonment from queue according to a general abandonment-time distribution (the +GI). This fluid model approximates the associated queueing system when the arrival rate and number of servers are both large. We also show that the system dynamics greatly simplifies in two special cases: (i) when the service time distribution is exponential (M) and (ii) when the service time distribution is deterministic (D) and the model is stationary. We develop an efficient algorithm to compute all standard performance functions in both cases.

In case (i), we establish an asymptotic loss of memory (ALOM) property, i.e., asymptotic independence from the initial conditions as time evolves. We show that the difference in the performance functions with different initial conditions dissipates over time exponentially fast, under regularity conditions. In contrast, in case (ii) we show that ALOM fails dramatically. Instead, although all model parameters are constants, we show that the performance rapidly approaches a periodic steady state (PSS) with a period equal to the service time, whenever the system does not start with the unique stationary distribution. Moreover, the form of the PSS depends on the initial condition. Simulation and a heavy-traffic limit confirm that this anomalous behavior also occurs in the large-scale queueing model.
Happiness Studies and Legal Policy
Authors: Huang Peter Henry
Published: October 2010

Social scientists have conducted numerous empirical and experimental studies of self-reported happiness. This review focuses on two fundamental areas of research in happiness and law, namely alternative measures of happiness and various policies to foster happiness. There are many aspects, concepts, dimensions, and visions of happiness. Empirical findings often depend critically on which particular measure of happiness is analyzed. Happiness studies have applications to national well-being indices; policy evaluation; civil judicial and jury decision making about liability and damages in cases of sexual harassment, employment discrimination, and torts; optimal tax law design; family law; criminal sentencing; legal education; and legal practice. There are decision-making, health, productivity, and psychological benefits to various types of happiness. There are more or less paternalistic happiness interventions, including policies to encourage regular physical exercise, good sleep, and meditation. Hopefully, analysis of these topics offers exemplars of possibilities and limits to utilizing happiness studies in designing legal policy.
Psychological Syndromes and Criminal Responsibility
Authors: Slobogin Christopher
Published: October 2010

In criminal cases, evidence about psychological syndromes is typically introduced by the defense in support of insanity, self-defense, or imperfect self-defense claims and by the prosecution to show that a criminal act occurred. The admissibility of defense-proffered testimony about phenomena such as battered woman syndrome, combat stress syndrome, or XYY syndrome depends in the first instance on how insanity, self-defense, and other defensive doctrines are defined (the materiality issue). Additionally, this type of testimony, as well as prosecution-proffered evidence about phenomena such as rape trauma syndrome and abused child syndrome, must bear indicia of reliability (the probative value issue), add to the fact finder's knowledge (the helpfulness issue), and avoid distracting or confusing the fact finder (the prejudice issue). The ultimate admissibility decision involves consideration of the scope of the criminal law, the scientific methodology associated with the syndrome, the counter-intuitiveness of the evidence, and the role and capacities of juries.
The Debate over African American Reparations
Authors: Torpey John , Burkett Maxine
Published: October 2010

This article offers an overview of the debate over reparations for African Americans in the United States. We state the point in this way because there is little consensus about the cause of action for which reparations are sought, whether for slavery or segregation; for that matter, there is little agreement on the type of remedy reparations might effect. This raises the question of political mobilization for and popular views of reparations for African Americans. It is well known that whites and African Americans have very different perspectives on this issue. We seek to address the underlying reasons for and significance of this dissensus, stressing peculiarities of American political culture. Less discussed, however, have been the consequences for the reparations debate of recent historical developments in the United States—in particular, the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. In addition to assessing the significance of these developments for the debate over reparations, we point to several new directions that the notion of reparations appears to be taking. We conclude with some thoughts about how reparations—understood chiefly in terms of their larger aim of enhancing racial equality—might realistically be achieved.
Comparative Studies of Law, Slavery, and Race in the Americas
Authors: Fuente Alejandro de la , Gross Ariela
Published: October 2010

This review surveys the historical research comparing U.S. and Latin American law and slavery and describes how it has informed the development of legal studies of slavery in the Americas. The first generation of comparative work on race and slavery relied heavily on law to draw sharp contrasts between U.S. and Latin American slavery. Revisionist social historians criticized those scholars for providing a misleading top-down history of slavery based on metropolitan codes and instead emphasized demographic and economic factors that suggested pronounced variation in slavery regimes. However, social historians who study relationships of power in slaves' lives have found that they must reckon with law and legal institutions. Recently, legal historians have also begun to explore slave law from the bottom up: through slaves' claims in court, trial-level adjudications, and interactions among ordinary people and low-level government officials. Most studies of slavery stay within one national context, but a few scholars have begun comparative work once more, some examining slavery and freedom in the transnational context of the Atlantic world, others attempting comparisons of manumission in localities across legal regimes.
On the Politics of Imprisonments: A Review of Systematic Findings
Authors: Jacobs David , Jackson Aubrey L.
Published: October 2010

The great expansion in imprisonments in the United States in the past 35years is puzzling partly because this abrupt growth is completely unprecedented. Changes in the crime rates alone cannot explain this trend, and ideational accounts that focus on penal styles are problematic. Political explanations, however, show promise, given that governments must provide domestic order and candidates can use public concerns about race and street crime to win elections. This review highlights the empirical literature in sociology and also discusses some important findings in political science and economics. Law-and-order campaign appeals combined with a covert emphasis on the links between race and street crime used to overcome Republican electoral disadvantages seem to provide the most plausible explanations for the rapid increase in U.S. imprisonment rates in this racially divided society. Dissimilar political arrangements help explain why imprisonment trends in the United States have sharply departed from these trends in the affluent but less direct democracies in Western Europe.
The Gatehouses and Mansions: Fifty Years Later
Authors: Leo Richard A. , Koenig K. Alexa
Published: October 2010

In 1965, Yale Kamisar authored “Equal Justice in the Gatehouses and Mansions of American Criminal Procedure,” an article that came to have an enormous impact on the development of criminal procedure and American norms of criminal justice. Today, that article is a seminal work of scholarship, hailed for “playing a significant part in producing some of the [Warren] Court's most important criminal-procedure decisions” ( White 2003–2004 ), including Miranda v. Arizona. The most influential concept Kamisar promoted may have been his recognition of a gap that loomed between the Constitutional rights actualized in mansions (courts) versus gatehouses (police stations). Kamisar passionately detailed how the Constitution and its jurisprudential progeny failed to protect suspects when those rights mattered most: when facing questioning by police. This article discusses where this thesis stands today in light of nearly 50years of legal developments and social science research.
Specters of Foucault in Law and Society Scholarship
Authors: Valverde Mariana
Published: October 2010

To reflect on how we, in 2010, might make the best use of the analytical tools developed by Michel Foucault, we need first to go back to the 1970s and situate his work in the intellectual history of the European left. We then see that Foucault was extremely careful to avoid developing a new model, a grand social theory that might replace the Marxism that was dominant then. Instead, he cultivated more empirically grounded, historically specific habits of thought, in a series of books that did not follow a consistent plan. In Foucault's work, the basic terms are themselves tactical weapons, and hence do not have fixed meanings. That is, the terms are not concepts. This has gone largely unnoticed in the literature: Most of the scholars who use Foucault adopt the content but use it to prop up old forms. The governmentality literature has been particularly influential in many law and society circles, and it tends to use Foucault to produce an improved sociology of modernity—rather than to question our own desire to call ourselves modern and challenge our yearning for static models. This review examines one attempt to turn Foucault into a legal philosopher, a more novel but equally problematic effort to use Foucault to renovate old disciplines. The key argument of the review is that Foucault's work is most useful when, rather than attempt to “apply” it, we use it as inspiration to ourselves to examine the preconditions and foundations of our own present's intellectual habits.
Law and Cognitive Neuroscience
Authors: Goodenough Oliver R. , Tucker Micaela
Published: October 2010

Law and neuroscience (sometimes neurolaw) has become a recognized field of study. The advances of neuroscience are proving useful in solving some perennial challenges of legal scholarship and are leading to applications in law and policy. While caution is appropriate in considering neurolaw approaches, the new knowledge should—and will—be put to use. Areas of special attention in current neurolaw scholarship include (a) techniques for the objective investigation of subjective states such as pain, memory, and truth-telling; (b) evidentiary issues for admitting neuroscience facts and approaches into a court proceeding; (c) free will, responsibility, moral judgment, and punishment; (d) juvenile offenders; (e) addiction; (f) mental health; (g) bias; (h) emotion; and (i) the neuroeconomics of decision making and cooperation. The future of neurolaw will be more productive if challenges to collaboration between lawyers and scientists can be resolved.
The Comparative Politics of Carbon Taxation
Authors: Harrison Kathryn
Published: October 2010

Cap and trade and carbon taxes offer the prospect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a lower cost to society than conventional regulation. Between these two market-based approaches, however, carbon taxes offer significant advantages, including transparency and predictability of costs, ease of implementation, and application to small and large sources alike. This article thus seeks to inform our understanding of the conditions under which carbon taxes are politically viable by comparing the experience of four jurisdictions: Finland and Denmark, which adopted carbon taxes; Germany, which adopted a related energy tax; and Canada, which rejected a carbon tax. The cases highlight the role of policy entrepreneurs in advancing academic theories about environmental taxation. However, the impact of those ideas was conditional on voters' attention to either the environmental or economic benefits of carbon taxes. Even then, business tended to be more attentive, thus winning tax concessions relative to households. Proportional electoral systems tended to facilitate adoption of carbon taxes, whereas international institutions had mixed effects, in some cases advancing harmonization and in others undermining resolve for unilateral taxation.
Conflict Resolution in Organizations
Authors: Morrill Calvin , Rudes Danielle S.
Published: October 2010

Two meta-theoretical traditions mark research on conflict resolution in organizations: the rationalist tradition, which portrays organizations as goal-directed collectivities and conflict resolution as a threat to efficiency and performance; and the cultural tradition, which portrays organizations as normative collectivities constituted by ongoing social interaction, interpretive dynamics, and institutional environments, and emphasizes the interplay of law and social inequalities in interpersonal and collective organizational conflict resolution. Within these traditions, we distinguish between structural and processual styles of research, noting the empirical methods favored in each tradition, research that blurs the boundaries between the traditions, and vanguard scholarship. Finally, we discuss several potential areas of research that could enhance meaningful intellectual exchange between the traditions.
Adipose proinflammatory cytokine expression through sympathetic system is associated with hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in a rat ischemic stroke model
Authors: Wang Ya-Yu , Lin Shih-Yi , Chuang Yu-Han , Chen Chun-Jung , Tung Kwong-Chung , Sheu Wayne Huey-Herng
Published: October 2010

Patients who experience acute ischemic stroke may develop hyperglycemia, even in the absence of diabetes, but the exact mechanisms are still unclear. Adipose tissue secretes numerous proinflammatory cytokines and is involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism. This study aimed to determine the effects of acute stroke on adipose inflammatory cytokine expression. In addition, because sympathetic activity is activated after acute stroke and catecholamines can regulate the expression of several adipocytokines, this study also evaluated whether alterations in adipose proinflammatory cytokines following acute stroke, if any, were medicated by sympathetic system. Acute ischemic brain injury was induced by ligating the right middle cerebral artery and bilateral common carotid arteries in male adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Adipose tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA and protein levels were determined by RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunoassay, respectively. The stroke rats developed glucose intolerance on days 1 and 2 after cerebral ischemic injury. The fasting blood insulin levels and insulin resistance index measured by homeostasis model assessment were higher in the stroke rats compared with the sham group. Epididymal adipose TNF-α and MCP-1 mRNA and protein levels were elevated one- to twofold, in association with increased macrophage infiltration into the adipose tissue. When the rats were treated with a nonselective β-adrenergic receptor blocker, propranolol, before induction of cerebral ischemic injury, the acute stroke-induced increase in TNF-α and MCP-1 was blocked, and fasting blood insulin concentration and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance were decreased. These results suggest a potential role of adipose proinflammatory cytokines induced by the sympathetic nervous system in the pathogenesis of glucose metabolic disorder in rats with acute ischemic stroke.
APPL1 mediates adiponectin-stimulated p38 MAPK activation by scaffolding the TAK1-MKK3-p38 MAPK pathway
Authors: Xin Xiaoban , Zhou Lijun , Reyes Caleb M. , Liu Feng , Dong Lily Q.
Published: October 2010

The adaptor protein APPL1 mediates the stimulatory effect of adiponectin on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we show that, in C2C12 cells, overexpression or suppression of APPL1 enhanced or suppressed, respectively, adiponectin-stimulated p38 MAPK upstream kinase cascade, consisting of transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MKK3). In vitro affinity binding and coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed that TAK1 and MKK3 bind to different regions of APPL1, suggesting that APPL1 functions as a scaffolding protein to facilitate adiponectin-stimulated p38 MAPK activation. Interestingly, suppressing APPL1 had no effect on TNFα-stimulated p38 MAPK phosphorylation in C2C12 myotubes, indicating that the stimulatory effect of APPL1 on p38 MAPK activation is selective. Taken together, our study demonstrated that the TAK1-MKK3 cascade mediates adiponectin signaling and uncovers a scaffolding role of APPL1 in regulating the TAK1-MKK3-p38 MAPK pathway, specifically in response to adiponectin stimulation.
Acute Thrombotic Occlusion of Right Coronary and Left Circumflex Coronary Arteries in a Patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Successful Stent Implantation
Authors: Biceroglu Serdar , Ildizli Demirbas Muge , Karaca Mustafa , Yalcin Murat , Yilmaz Hasan
Published: October 2010

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a rare disorder. Acute myocardial infarction is uncommon among these patients. Here we report a case of a 44-year-old man with antiphospholipid syndrome admitted for acute inferior myocardial infarction. Performed coronary angiography revealed that both the right coronary and the left circumflex coronary arteries were occluded by thrombi. We successfully performed primary angioplasty and stent implantation for both of the occluded coronary arteries. In the literature, this is the first case with antiphospholipid syndrome in which primary coronary angioplasty with stent implantation was successfully performed for two coronary arteries with acute thrombotic occlusion.
Bleeding Follicular Conjunctivitis due to Influenza H1N1 Virus
Authors: Lopez-Prats Maria Jesus , Sanz Marco Empar , Hidalgo-Mora Juan Jose , Garcia-Delpech Salvador , Diaz-Llopis Manuel
Published: October 2010

Influenza H1N1 or A virus is a new virus serotype capable of human-to-human transmission. This infection causes a flu syndrome similar to that of seasonal influenza, with only one case of conjunctivitis described and no clinical details or microbiological confirmation. Its diagnosis is performed by PCR of pharyngeal smear of the patients affected. We report the first well-documented case in the medical literature of conjunctivitis by H1N1 virus.
Regulation of Tumor Immunity by Tumor/Dendritic Cell Fusions
Authors: Koido Shigeo , Homma Sadamu , Hara Eiichi , Namiki Yoshihisa , Takahara Akitaka , Komita Hideo , Nagasaki Eijiro , Ito Masaki , Ohkusa Toshifumi , Gong Jianlin , Tajiri Hisao
Published: October 2010

The goal of cancer vaccines is to induce antitumor immunity that ultimately will reduce tumor burden in tumor environment. Several strategies involving dendritic cells‐ (DCs)‐ based vaccine incorporating different tumor‐associated antigens to induce antitumor immune responses against tumors have been tested in clinical trials worldwide. Although DCs‐based vaccine such as fusions of whole tumor cells and DCs has been proven to be clinically safe and is efficient to enhance antitumor immune responses for inducing effective immune response and for breaking T‐cell tolerance to tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs), only a limited success has occurred in clinical trials. This paper reviews tumor immune escape and current strategies employed in the field of tumor/DC fusions vaccine aimed at enhancing activation of TAAs‐specific cytotoxic T cells in tumor microenvironment.
Dentinogenic Ghost Cell Tumor of the Peripheral Variant Mimicking Epulis
Authors: Kumar Uddipan , Vij Hitesh , Vij Ruchieka , Kharbanda Jitin , Aparna IN , Radhakrishnan Raghu
Published: October 2010

Dentinogenic ghost cell tumor (DGCT) is an uncommon locally invasive odontogenic tumor regarded by many as a variant of calcifying odontogenic cyst. The peripheral variant of this clinical rarity appears as a well-circumscribed mass mimicking a nonspecific gingival enlargement. Microscopic appearance of odontogenic epithelium admixed with focal areas of dentinoid formation and sheets of ghost cells giving the definitive diagnosis of dentinogenic ghost cell tumor imply that microscopic examination is compulsory for any gingival mass. Van Gieson histochemical stain further confirmed the nature of dentinoid-like material. A complete workup of a case of peripheral dentinogenic ghost cell tumor is presented in this paper and the current concept as well as the appraisal of literature is presented.
Delays in the Management of Retroperitoneal Sarcomas
Authors: Seinen Jojanneke , Almquist Martin , Styring Emelie , Rydholm Anders , Nilbert Mef
Published: October 2010

Retroperitoneal sarcomas are rare and treatment should optimally be centralized. Despite successful centralization with 90% of the patients referred prior to surgery, delays occur, which led us to assess lead times in a population-based series.Method. Patients diagnosed with retroperitoneal sarcoma in the southern Sweden health care region 2003–2009 were eligible for the study. Data on referrals and diagnostic investigations were collected from clinical files from primary health care, local hospitals, and from the sarcoma centre. Lead times were divided into patient delays and health care delays caused by primary health care, local hospitals, or procedures at the sarcoma centre.Results. Complete data were available from 33 patients and demonstrated a median patient delay of 23 days (0–17 months) and median health care delay of 94 days (1–40 months) with delays of median 15 days at the general practitioner, 36 days at local hospitals, and 55 days at the sarcoma centre.Conclusion. Centralization per se is not sufficient for optimized and efficient management. Our findings suggest that delays can be minimized by direct referral of patients from primary health care to sarcoma centers and indicate that development of coordinated diagnostic packages could shorten delays at the sarcoma centre.
Successful Treatment of ANCA-Negative Wegener's Granulomatosis with Rituximab
Authors: Khan Afsha , Lawson Catherine A. , Quinn Mark A. , Isdale Amanda H. , Green Michael J.
Published: October 2010

Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG) is a systemic vasculitis typically associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs). A small proportion of patients are ANCA negative, however, and this is more commonly found in individuals with disease limited to the ears, nose, throat, and lungs, who do not have renal involvement. Rituximab is a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody that has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of autoantibody-associated rheumatic diseases, including systemic WG. We report the case of a patient with ANCA-negative WG who responded well to rituximab, illustrating that even in the absence of detectable autoantibodies, B-cell depletion can be effective.
Physiological Roles of Class I HDAC Complex and Histone Demethylase
Authors: Hayakawa Tomohiro , Nakayama Jun-ichi
Published: October 2010

Epigenetic gene silencing is one of the fundamental mechanisms for ensuring proper gene expression patterns during cellular differentiation and development. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are evolutionally conserved enzymes that remove acetyl modifications from histones and play a central role in epigenetic gene silencing. In cells, HDAC forms a multiprotein complex (HDAC complex) in which the associated proteins are believed to help HDAC carry out its cellular functions. Though each HDAC complex contains distinct components, the presence of isoforms for some of the components expands the variety of complexes and the diversity of their cellular roles. Recent studies have also revealed a functional link between HDAC complexes and specific histone demethylases. In this paper, we summarize the distinct and cooperative roles of four class I HDAC complexes, Sin3, NuRD, CoREST, and NCoR/SMRT, with respect to their component diversity and their relationship with specific histone demethylases.
Inverse Fourier Transform in the Gamma Coordinate System
Authors: Wei Yuchuan , Yu Hengyong , Wang Ge
Published: October 2010

This paper provides auxiliary results for our general scheme of computed tomography. In 3D parallel-beam geometry, we first demonstrate that the inverse Fourier transform in different coordinate systems leads to different reconstruction formulas and explain why the Radon formula cannot directly work with truncated projection data. Also, we introduce a gamma coordinate system, analyze its properties, compute the Jacobian of the coordinate transform, and define weight functions for the inverse Fourier transform assuming a simple scanning model. Then, we generate Orlov's theorem and a weighted Radon formula from the inverse Fourier transform in the new system. Furthermore, we present the motion equation of the frequency plane and the conditions for sharp points of the instantaneous rotation axis. Our analysis on the motion of the frequency plane is related to the Frenet-Serret theorem in the differential geometry.
Rationale for Possible Targeting of Histone Deacetylase Signaling in Cancer Diseases with a Special Reference to Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Ouaïssi Mehdi , Giger Urs , Sielezneff Igor , Pirrò Nicolas , Sastre Bernard , Ouaissi Ali
Published: October 2010

There is ongoing interest to identify signaling pathways and genes that play a key role in carcinogenesis and the development of resistance to antitumoral drugs. Given that histone deacetylases (HDACs) interact with various partners through complex molecular mechanims leading to the control of gene expression, they have captured the attention of a large number of researchers. As a family of transcriptional corepressors, they have emerged as important regulators of cell differentiation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. Several HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) have been shown to efficiently protect against the growth of tumor cells in vitro as well as in vivo. The pancreatic cancer which represents one of the most aggressive cancer still suffers from inefficient therapy. Recent data, although using in vitro tumor cell cultures and in vivo chimeric mouse model, have shown that some of the HDACi do express antipancreatic tumor activity. This provides hope that some of the HDACi could be potential efficient anti‐pancreatic cancer drugs. The purpose of this review is to analyze some of the current data of HDACi as possible targets of drug development and to provide some insight into the current problems with pancreatic cancer and points of interest for further study of HDACi as potential molecules for pancreatic cancer adjuvant therapy.
[]Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Incorporation by MCF-7 Breast Tumour
Cells In Vitro Is Modulated by Treatment with Tamoxifen,
Doxorubicin, and Docetaxel: Relationship to Chemotherapy-Induced
Changes in ATP Content, Hexokinase Activity, and Glucose Transport
Authors: Sharma R. I. , Welch A. E. , Schweiger L. , Craib S. , Smith T. A. D.
Published: October 2010

Breast tumours responding to chemotherapy exhibit decreased []fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([]FDG) incorporation. Underlying mechanisms of these changes is poorly understood. Here, in MCF-7 cells, responding to chemotherapy drugs commonly utilised in the treatment of breast cancer, []FDG incorporation and several pivotal factors associated with []FDG incorporation investigated. Methods. IC50 and subclinical doxorubicin, docetaxel, and tamoxifen doses determined using MTT assay. []FDG incorporation by cells treated with IC50 drug doses for 48 hours and 72 hours were determined and FDG dephosphorylation estimated by measuring loss of 18F from []FDG-preincubated cells (pulse-chase). Glucose transport determined by measuring initial uptake rate of non-metabolised glucose analogue omethylglucose; hexokinase activity and ATP content measured in cell homogenates; Cell cycle distribution determined using flow cytometry of propidium iodide stained nuclei. Results. []FDG incorporation and ATP content decreased in cells after 72 hours treatment with IC50 doses of tamoxifen, doxorubicin, and docetaxel compared with untreated controls. Decreased glucose transport and/or hexokinase activity accompanied decreased []FDG incorporation by MCF-7 cells treated with tamoxifen or doxorubicin but not docetaxel. Conclusions. Tumour cell []FDG incorporation along with ATP content decreased by treatment with tamoxifen, doxorubicin and docetaxel paralleling clinical observations for solid tumours. Effect of each treatment on glucose transport and hexokinase activity was chemotherapy-drug dependent.
Assessment of the Expression of IRβ, IRS-1, IRS-2 and IGF-IRβ in a Rat Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Authors: Bueno Marcia Pereira , Guadagnini Dioze , Gonçalves Frances Lilian Lanhellas , Barini Ricardo , Saad Mario José Abdalla , Schmidt Augusto Frederico , Sbragia Lourenço
Published: October 2010

Objective: To investigate glomerular development and expression of insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors in an experimental model of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Material and Methods: We studied three groups of Sprague-Dawley fetuses: IUGR – restricted by ligation of the right uterine artery; C-IUGR – left horn controls, and EC – external controls (non-manipulated). Body and organs were weighed, and glomerular number and volume were analyzed. Expression of IRβ, IRS-1, IRS-2 and IGF-IRβ was analyzed in liver, intestine and kidneys by immunoblotting. Results: Organ/body weight ratios were similar. In IUGR, glomerular number and volume were increased compared to C-IUGR and EC (p<0.001). In the IUGR liver, increases were found in IGF-IRβ compared to C-IUGR and EC; IRβ compared to EC, and IRS-2 compared to C-IUGR. However, decreases in IRβ were noted in IUGR compared to C-IUGR; IRS-1 compared to C-IUGR and EC, and IRS-2 compared to EC. In IUGR intestine, increases were detected in IRβ, IRS-1 and IGF-IRβ compared to C-IUGR and EC. In IUGR kidneys, increases were observed in IRβ and IGF-IRβ compared to C-IUGR and EC, and IRS-1 compared to EC. Decreased IRS-2 in the intestine and kidney were noticed in IUGR compared to C-IUGR and EC. Conclusion: IUGR fetuses had less glomeruli and alterations in insulin receptors, which may be associated with an increased risk of disease occurrence in adulthood.
Prenatal Diagnosis of 18q-Syndrome: A Case of Fetal Mosaicism with a Normal Karyotype in Chorionic Villi
Authors: Anselem O. , Bazin A. , Mechler C. , Blin G. , Garel C. , Aboura A. , Moutard M.-L. , Mandelbrot L.
Published: October 2010

We report a case of fetoplacental discrepancy with normal karyotype on chorionic villi and deletion of the long arm of chromosome 18 on amniotic fluid. Cytogenetic tests were repeated because of a short corpus callosum on ultrasound examination. This 18q-syndrome has been reported to be associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome.
Perinatal Outcomes of Fetal Abdominal Cysts and Comparison of Prenatal and Postnatal Diagnoses
Authors: Ozyuncu Ozgur , Canpolat Fuat Emre , Ciftci Arbay Ozden , Yurdakok Murat , Onderoglu Lutfu S. , Deren Ozgur
Published: October 2010

Introduction: The differential diagnosis of an abdominal cyst can be challenging, and an accurate diagnosis is crucial for optimal antenatal management. The aim of this study was to compare the ante- and postnatal diagnoses of cases with abdominal cyst and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography. Material and Methods: A database review was performed regarding the diagnosis of fetal abdominal cyst covering the period 2002–2009. Structural characteristics and localizations of the cysts in the abdomen were recorded. Ante- and postnatal diagnoses were classified into systems according to the origin of the cyst and were compared. Perinatal outcomes were obtained for all cases. Results: 71 cases with an abdominal cyst were identified. The mean gestational age at the time of diagnosis was 25 ± 5.1 weeks. In 9 cases, there were extra-fetal structural abnormalities, and in 5 cases a chromosomal abnormality was determined. Seven pregnancies were terminated. Overall spontaneous mortality was 11/64 (17%). In 12/64 cases (18%), the cyst resolved at birth. After birth, nearly half of the cases required surgical correction and of these, 20% died. Sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of ultrasonography in identifying the system of origin were 88.1, 95.7 and 92.0%, respectively, with a 4.1% false-positive rate. Conclusion: Incorporation of different disciplines in the counseling, management and postpartum follow-up is crucial. Postnatal physical examination of fetuses with an abdominal cyst will help to prevent unnecessary surgery.
Addition of Color Doppler to the Routine Obstetric Sonographic Survey Aids in the Detection of Pulmonic Stenosis
Authors: Nadel Allan S.
Published: October 2010

Objective: Most fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) occur in women that are not at increased risk, and since it is impractical to perform detailed fetal echocardiography on everyone, detection of CHD relies mainly on routine second trimester fetal anatomic surveys. We therefore attempted to improve the detection rate of CHD at the time of routine second trimester obstetrical sonography in low-risk patients. Methods: This was a retrospective review of an 18-month period in which color Doppler was added to the standard grey scale evaluation of the fetal heart at the time of our routine second trimester anatomic surveys that we performed on fetuses at low risk for CHD. Cases in which CHD was suspected were reviewed with special attention to those in which abnormalities on color Doppler were the primary finding. Results: CHD was suspected in 17 of 1,766 (1%) routine fetal anatomic surveys that we performed between 16 and 22 weeks. There were 13 cases with findings on grey scale, and 4 cases (24%) that relied on findings with color Doppler, as the grey scale evaluation was normal or near normal. Of these 4 cases, 3 had critical pulmonic stenosis requiring balloon valvuloplasty shortly after birth; the fourth case had a mildly dysplastic pulmonic valve that did not require intervention in the immediate newborn period. Conclusions: The addition of color Doppler evaluation of the fetal heart to routine obstetrical sonographic structural surveys in low-risk patients aids in the detection of pulmonic stenosis.
Assessment of Clinical Utility of Low and High Normal Alanine Aminotransferase Values in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Bangladesh
Authors: Al-Mahtab Mamun , Rahman Salimur , Akbar Sheikh Mohammad Fazle , Kamal Mohammad , Khan Mohammad Sakirul Islam
Published: October 2010

Background/Aims: There is a lack of consensus about the currently accepted range of normal values for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels because some investigators have claimed that the true values are significantly lower than those listed by kit manufacturers. Methods: A total of 255 chronic hepatitis-B-virus (HBV)-infected patients with traditional, normal levels of ALT (≤42 U/l) were divided into 2 groups: (1) low normal ALT (men: ≤30 U/l; women: ≤19 U/l) and (2) high normal ALT (men: 31–42 U/l; women: 20–42 U/l). The extent of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis was evaluated in these patients by examining liver biopsy specimens. Results: The levels of HBV DNA were >10,000 copies/ml in 58.4, 52.9 and 61.2% of the patients with traditional normal ALT, low normal ALT and high normal ALT values, respectively (p > 0.05). Also, the moderate degrees of hepatic necroinflammation [histological activity index (HAI)-NI score of ≧9] and severe hepatic fibrosis (HAI-F score of ≧3) were similar among the 3 groups of patients (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The newly defined low normal cutoff values for ALT did not exhibit any added clinical benefit for assessing the extent of liver damage in patients with chronic HBV infection in Bangladesh.