bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMPLETE CMC SPACELIKE SURFACES WITH BOUNDED HYPERBOLIC ANGLE IN GENERALIZED ROBERTSON–WALKER SPACETIMES
Authors: CABALLERO MAGDALENA , ROMERO ALFONSO , RUBIO RAFAEL M.
Published: October 2010

Complete spacelike surfaces with constant mean curvature (CMC) and bounded hyperbolic angle in Generalized Robertson–Walker (GRW) spacetimes, obeying certain natural curvature assumptions, are studied. This boundedness assumption arises as a natural extension of the notion of bounded hyperbolic image of a spacelike surface in the 3-dimensional Lorentz–Minkowski spacetime. The results obtained apply to complete CMC spacelike surfaces lying between two spacelike slices in an GRW spacetime, in the steady state spacetime and in a static GRW spacetime. As an application, uniqueness and non-existence theorems for certain CMC spacelike surface differential equations in a wide family of open GRW spacetimes are given.
TRADE AND THE CRISIS: PROTECT OR RECOVER
Authors: GREGORY ROB , HENN CHRISTIAN , MCDONALD BRAD , SAITO MIKA
Published: October 2010

We show that new trade restrictions implemented since the onset of the global financial crisis have had — in the limited products targeted — a strong distortionary impact on trade. Their aggregate impact is modest, however, as most countries have resisted a widespread resort to protectionism. Looking ahead, sustained high unemployment, uneven growth, and an unwinding of government stimulus measures suggest that protectionist pressures may rise. Continuing and further enhancing monitoring of all protectionist measures will help, but the surest way to avoid such a downside scenario is to tighten multilateral trade commitments by completing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round.
DIASPORA BONDS: TAPPING THE DIASPORA DURING DIFFICULT TIMES
Authors: KETKAR SUHAS L. , RATHA DILIP
Published: October 2010

India and Israel have raised over US$35 billion by tapping into the wealth of their diaspora communities. These diaspora bonds represent a stable and cheap source of external finance, often when countries lost access to international capital markets. For diaspora investors, these bonds offer the opportunity to help their country of origin while also providing an investment opportunity. The potential for diaspora bonds is significant for many countries with large diasporas abroad. However, diaspora bond issuance from countries with weak governance and high sovereign risk may require support for institutional capacity building and credit enhancement from multilateral or bilateral agencies. Haiti, for instance, could raise several hundred million dollars by issuing diaspora bonds provided a guarantee structure is created to build trust in the country's public institutions.
Report of the 2nd international workshop on principles of engineering service-oriented systems (PESOS 2010)
Authors: Lewis Grace , Smith Dennis , Metzger Andreas , Zisman Andrea , Pistore Marco
Published: October 2010

The Second International Workshop on Principles of Engineering Service-Oriented Systems (PESOS 2010) was held at the International Conference on Software Engineering, ICSE 2010 on May 1 and 2, 2010. PESOS 2010 provided a forum for presenting and discussing current work and research topics related to serviceoriented systems. The workshop had keynotes on SOA testing challenges and adaptive service-oriented systems. There were four paper sessions on the topics of service development, testing and evolution of service-oriented systems, service adaptation, and quality of service (QoS) and Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) in service-oriented environments. General discussions focused on these overall themes. These discussions resulted in the identification of research challenges for the future.
Assessment of reusability in aspect-oriented systems using fuzzy logic
Authors: Nerurkar N. W. , Kumar Avadhesh , Shrivastava Pallavi
Published: October 2010

Reusability of the software systems is becoming a very important factor due to rapid software development and increasing complexity. Software reusability improves the quality of software product by reducing development time, effort and cost. Researchers have explored many methodologies in order to assess the reusability of Object-Oriented (OO) software systems but the assessment of the reusability of Aspect-Oriented (AO) software systems is underexplored. Aspect-Oriented Software Development (AOSD) is an emerging paradigm that aims to modularize the crosscutting concerns in an application, which cannot be modularized using traditional procedure-oriented and object-oriented approaches. By applying an aspect-oriented approach, such concerns can be isolated resulting in the increase maintainability and reusability of the system. In this paper, we propose a reusability model for aspect-oriented systems and assess it using fuzzy logic technique.
A soft computing based approach to estimate reusability of software components
Authors: Sagar Shrddha , Nerurkar N. W. , Sharma Arun
Published: October 2010

Component-based development (CBD) is the process of assembling existing software components in an application such that they satisfy a predefined functionality. Reduced development time, effort and cost are few merits of CBD. As components are black-box, therefore the use of conventional metrics in CBD is difficult, because these metrics needs analysis of source codes. To assess the reuse of component, it is important to estimate reusability of these components. Present paper discusses reusability in relation to CBD and proposes a reusability metrics for black box components. It identifies the factors affecting reusability of the components and establishes relationship in between these factors and reusability. Fuzzy logic based approach is used to estimate reusability and results found on real time applications are quite satisfactory. The proposed approach can be used by the application developers to select highly reusable components in the systems which will eventually help in maintaining the system in a better way.
Application of feed-forward neural networks for software reliability prediction
Authors: Singh Yogesh , Kumar Pradeep
Published: October 2010

Many analytical models have been proposed for modeling software reliability growth trends with different predictive capabilities at different phases of testing yet there still is a need to develop a model that can be applied for accurate predictions in a realistic environment. In this paper we describe a software reliability prediction model using feed-forward neural network for better reliability prediction through back-propagation algorithm and discuss the issues of network architecture and data representation methods. We demonstrate a comparative analysis between the proposed approach and three well known software reliability growth prediction models using seven different failure datasets collected from standard software projects to test the validity of the presented method. A numerical example also has been cited to illustrate the results that revealed significant improvement by using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) over conventional statistical models based on NHPP.
Peeking Through the Cloud
Authors: Rajab Moheeb Abu , Monrose Fabian , Provos Niels
Published: October 2010

Reliable network demographics are quickly becoming a much sought-after digital commodity. However, as the need for more refined Internet demographics has grown, so too has the tension between privacy and utility. Unfortunately, current techniques lean too much in favor of functional requirements over protecting the privacy of users. For example, the most prominent proposals for measuring the relative popularity of a Web site depend on the deployment of client-side measurement agents that are generally perceived as infringing on users’ privacy, thereby limiting their wide-scale adoption. Moreover, the client-side nature of these techniques also makes them susceptible to various manipulation tactics that undermine the integrity of their results. In this article, we propose a new estimation technique that uses DNS cache probing to infer the density of clients accessing a given service. Compared to earlier techniques, our scheme is less invasive as it does not reveal user-specific traits, and is more robust against manipulation. We demonstrate the flexibility of our approach through two important security applications. First, we illustrate how our scheme can be used as a lightweight technique for measuring and verifying the relative popularity rank of different Web sites. Second, using data from several hundred botnets, we apply our technique to indirectly measure the infected population of this increasing Internet phenomenon.
A Framework for Classification of Traffic Management Practices as Reasonable or Unreasonable
Authors: Jordan Scott , Ghosh Arijit
Published: October 2010

Traffic management practices of ISPs are an issue of public concern. We propose a framework for classification of traffic management practices as reasonable or unreasonable. We present a survey of traffic management techniques and examples of how these techniques are used by ISPs. We suggest that whether a traffic management practice is reasonable rests on the answers to four questions regarding the techniques and practices used. We propose a framework that classifies techniques as unreasonable if they are unreasonably anticompetitive, cause undue harm to consumers, or unreasonably impair free speech. We propose alternatives to unreasonable or borderline congestion management practices.
Adrift in the virtuality continuum
Authors: Davies Alex
Published: October 2010

This article explores the induction of presence upon individuals through illusion in mixed-reality installation environments, using the author's work “Dislocation” [2005] as a case study. The article reports on the design and production of “Dislocation,” concentrating on the development of techniques for creating illusion. These approaches can be used to produce compelling works that are not only technically and aesthetically sophisticated, but also provide a sustained engaging experience for the user. It reflects on the effectiveness of these techniques from observations of audience interaction in gallery settings and examines future possibilities and developments.
An interview with Luke Jerram
Authors: Wheeler Ben
Published: October 2010

“Retinal Memory Volume,” an art installation by Luke Jerram, builds a virtual image of a chair inside the mind of a viewer by using patented retinal after-image technology. The image is built in stages using flashguns passing light through a stencil.

Ben Wheeler interviewed the artist about the piece for
Computers in Entertainment.
But first, we provide a technical description of the artwork.
Stability of the bipartite matching model
Authors: Buaic Ana , Gupta Varun , Mairesse Jean
Published: October 2010

We consider the bipartite matching model of customers and servers introduced by Caldentey, Kaplan, and Weiss (Adv. Appl. Probab., 2009). There is a finite set
C
, resp.
S
, of customer, resp. server, classes. Time is discrete and at each time step, one customer and one server arrive in the system according to a joint probability measure ¼ on
C×S
, independently of the past. Allowed
matchings
are given by a fixed bipartite graph (
C, S,E ? C × S
), and customers/servers that cannot be matched are stored in a buffer. In this paper, we study the stability of the associated discrete time Markov chain under various admissible matching policies including: ML (Match-the-Longest), MS (Match-the-Shortest), FIFO (match the oldest), priorities. For the ML policy, we prove via a Lyapunov function argument that the stability region is maximal for any bipartite graph. On the other hand, we exhibit a bipartite graph for which the MS and priority policies have non-maximal stability regions. Finally, we prove that the stability of the bipartite model is implied by the stability of the associate fluid limits, and use this result to establish maximal stability region for the FIFO matching policy.
On random walks in direction-aware network problems
Authors: Tizghadam Ali , Leon-Garcia Alberto
Published: October 2010

Graph theory provides a powerful set of metrics and conceptual ideas to model and investigate the behavior of communication networks. Most graph-theoretical frameworks in the networking literature are based on undirected graph models, where a symmetric link weight is assigned to each link of the network. However, many communication networks must account for directionality of communication links. This paper reports on an effort to extend some of the existing results of symmetric graphs to asymmetric ones. In particular we are interested in the behavior of random-walk based algorithms in directed graphs and we find the average travel time of a random-walk as a function of an asymmetric Laplacian matrix, which is in turn a function of link weights.
Equalizing throughputs in random-access networks
Authors: van de Ven P. M. , Borst S. C. , Denteneer D. , Janssen A. J.E.M. , van Leeuwaarden J. S.H.
Published: October 2010

Random-access algorithms such as CSMA provide a popular mechanism for distributed medium access control in largescale wireless networks. In recent years, tractable models have been shown to yield accurate throughput estimates for CSMA networks. We consider the saturated model on a general conflict graph, and prove that for each graph, there exists a vector of activation rates (or mean back-off times) that leads to equal throughputs for all users. We describe an algorithm for computing such activation rates, and discuss a few specific conflict graphs that allow for explicit characterization of these fair activation rates.
Resiliency of distributed clock synchronization networks
Authors: Dube Parijat , Zhang Li
Published: October 2010

Clock synchronization refers to techniques and protocols used to maintain mutually consistent time-of-day clocks in a coordinated network of computers. A (clock) synchronization network is an interconnection of computers to implement a particular clock synchronization solution. To prevent clock-dependency loops, most synchronization networks use a stratified approach which is essentially a tree structure with a Primary Reference Clock (at "stratum- 0"). A node at stratum-i+1 exchanges synchronization messages with its parent node at stratum-i and also with some other nodes at same or other level. The purpose of this redundancy is two fold: (i) to calculate smoother steering rate adjustment, (ii) to maintain connectivity in the event of a failure. We provide an analytical framework to evaluate the performance of different approaches for resilient synchronization networks. To evaluate resiliency of synchronization networks, we characterize failure recovery metrics like connectivity and failure detection delay in terms of parameters related to network topology and failure recovery solutions.
Environmental Law and Native American Law
Authors: Darian-Smith Eve
Published: October 2010

This review seeks to engage two bodies of scholarship that have typically been analyzed as discrete areas of enquiry—environmental law and American Indian law. In the twenty-first century, native peoples' involvement in environmental politics is becoming more assertive. In this context it is necessary to think about the impact indigenous involvement may have in shaping future U.S. environmental agendas and regulations. After briefly discussing the rise of environmental movements and environmental law in the United States, I turn to the historical treatment of native peoples and in particular the treatment of their natural resources. This historical backdrop is essential to understanding tribal status today under the Environmental Protection Agency, and the challenges some tribal governments now present to environmental exploitation and degradation by states and corporations. The review concludes by reflecting on the future of U.S. environmental law in the context of increasing pressure being exerted by international environmental law and global indigenous politics.
The Mass Media, Public Opinion, and Lesbian and Gay Rights
Authors: Chomsky Daniel , Barclay Scott
Published: October 2010

Democratic theorists assume that government policy responds to public opinion. But public opinion may be influenced by other political actors through the mass media instead. Scholars agree that the news media have become more attentive to and supportive of lesbian and gay rights over time, and they identify several factors as explanations for the change. While events, the gay rights movement, official statements, and government action may have had an effect, coverage was contingent on the decisions of news institutions and media owners to devote attention to them. There have been few studies on the media's impact, but decisions to cover the gay rights movement appear to have moved public opinion. Despite setbacks, continued debate over gay rights is likely to generate favorable media attention and lead to increased public support for lesbian and gay rights over time.
Insurance in Sociolegal Research
Authors: Baker Tom
Published: October 2010

Insurance has a long history in sociolegal research, most prominently as a window on accident compensation and related tort law in action. Recent work has extended that research, with the result that tort law in action may be the best mapped of any legal field outside criminal law. Sociological research has begun to explore insurance as a form of governance, with effects in many legal fields and across the economy. This article reviews developments in both bodies of work. It examines the relationship between liability insurance and tort law in action using the metaphors of window and frame, as well as reviews research on insurance as governance. The conclusion returns to insurance as governance in the context of liability insurance, arguing that this is an especially promising field for sociolegal research.
Empirical Legal Scholarship in Law Reviews
Authors: Diamond Shari Seidman , Mueller Pam
Published: October 2010

Despite persistent calls for more empirical legal scholarship, only recently have scholars provided evidence that empirical legal scholarship has indeed entered the mainstream of the legal academy. Defining empirical scholarship as the systematic organization of a series of observations with the method of data collection and analysis made available to the audience, we analyzed the content of 60 law review volumes published in the years 1998 and 2008. Our content analysis revealed that by 2008 nearly half of law review articles included some empirical content. Production of original research is less common. The highest-ranked law reviews published more articles and included more complex research designs. Analyzing the benefits and costs of publishing in law reviews, we predict that law reviews will see more original empirical scholarship in the future, despite the increased availability of peer-reviewed publication outlets.
South African Constitutional Jurisprudence: The First Fifteen Years
Authors: Davis D.M.
Published: October 2010

South Africa became a constitutional democracy in 1994. This article reviews the first 15years of constitutional jurisprudence produced by the country's first Constitutional Court. While the court interpreted the Constitution to eradicate racist, sexist, and homophobic legislation and similar common law rules, it did little to promote a comprehensive transformation of the legal system and thus the patterns of distribution that were supported by the law. This is illustrated particularly in the area of social and economic rights. The conclusion is thus reached that the new legal foundations are insufficiently resilient to hold the weight of constitutional expectation.
The Law and Economics of Bribery and Extortion
Authors: Rose-Ackerman Susan
Published: October 2010

Corruption has serious economic and social costs and can undermine government legitimacy. Economic analysis can help one understand the incentives for bribery and extortion and the deterrent effect of the law. Such analysis suggests that the law in many jurisdictions ought to be redesigned. Penalties are poorly tied to the marginal benefits of bribery. Small bribes often are more effectively deterred than larger ones because penalties are not tied to the perpetrators' gains. Economic analysis also highlights the tension between obtaining evidence to bring a case ex post and deterrence ex ante. Furthermore, enforcement programs have not incorporated bureaucratic structure in a sophisticated way, and in many countries the criminal law only applies to individuals, not firms. In short, economic analysis can help guide the reform debate by proposing workable law enforcement strategies for the control of bribery and extortion.
The Law's Use of Brain Evidence
Authors: Aronson Jay D.
Published: October 2010

This review examines how advances in neuroscience are affecting civil law, criminal law, and law enforcement. Brain imaging techniques have already been used to detect brain injury, assess pain, and determine mental state and capacity for rational thought. There is also much excitement about using neuroimaging to detect lies and deception in legal and national security contexts. Despite claims of neuroimaging's revolutionary nature, numerous questions should be answered about their validity and reliability before they become widely adopted. Neuroscientists still do not fully understand the link between brain activity and behavior or memory formation. Important legal and ethical questions remain unresolved, particularly around the potential effect on juries and judges of colorful, but scientifically unproven, brain images. Finally, the very impetus behind the use of neuroscience in the legal system—to avoid the subjectivity and uncertainty of more traditional methods for assessing thought and behavior—may be misguided.
The Politics of Crime, Punishment, and Social Order in East Asia
Authors: Leheny David , Liu Sida
Published: October 2010

Recent scholarship on crime, law, and society in China and Japan has addressed the politics of globalization and legal reform in both countries, but political context is not self-revealing. The literature on China has focused too often on the role of the police in an authoritarian state without sufficiently taking into account the changing balance of power among judicial actors, which may be more important for understanding the shape and direction of Chinese legal reform. In contrast, the literature in Japan has recently begun to grapple with the new politicization of criminal justice but could do more to show how these concerns are intimately connected to deeper unease about the country's future. In suggesting new ways of analyzing the politics of criminal justice in China and Japan, this article also argues for increased attention to the social consequences of crime's increasing political saliency, including patterns of marginalization and constructions of deviancy.
After the Rights Revolution: Bills of Rights in the Postconflict State
Authors: Choudhry Sujit
Published: October 2010

Bills of rights are now central components of liberal democratic constitutions. But debates over the character and content of bills of rights are no longer at the center of more recent rounds of postconflict constitutional politics. This review puzzles through the rise and decline, but persistence, of rights-based constitutionalism. Neither comparative constitutional law nor constitutional politics offers the answer. The literature on civil war settlement suggests that bills of rights serve two functions in postconflict constitutions: a regulative role to check the abuse of public power and a constitutive role to serve as the basis of a new constitutional identity. Bills of rights cannot do the work that is expected of them. Politicized judiciaries, constitutional underenforcement, and the ex post nature of judicial review undermine the ability of the bill of rights to serve as a credible commitment against future abuses of human rights. Moreover, the idea of a bill of rights as a source of shared political identity abstracted from a contingent political and historical context is unlikely to succeed in practice.
Bureaucratic Ethics: IRBs and the Legal Regulation of Human Subjects Research
Authors: Heimer Carol A. , Petty JuLeigh
Published: October 2010

Much of the literature on human subject regulation asserts that Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) have failed at the task of regulating human subjects research. These critiques of IRB law can be grouped into three loose categories: critiques of IRB law as law, critiques of IRBs as regulation, and critiques of IRBs as a system of norm creation. Moving beyond critique, we rethink the literature on IRBs drawing on the tools and scholarship of the social sciences. In particular, we examine human subjects regulation as an insufficient remedy to inequalities between weak and powerful actors, as a site of professional claims- and career-making, and as an occasion for institutionalization. Finally, distinguishing between the regulation of science and the regulation of ethics, we observe that the latter is far more difficult because ethics are contextual and subject to social construction. For these reasons, IRBs often substitute bureaucratic ethics for professional ethics.
Toward a New Legal Empiricism: Empirical Legal Studies and New Legal Realism
Authors: Suchman Mark C. , Mertz Elizabeth
Published: October 2010

The past decade has seen a return of interest in empirical research within the U.S. legal academy, hearkening back to a similar empirical turn during the ascendancy of Legal Realism in the New Deal era. However, the current revival of legal empiricism has emerged against the backdrop of several well-established traditions of empirical sociolegal research in the interdisciplinary law-and-society movement and in the social science disciplines. This article examines two of the most prominent manifestations of the “new” legal empiricism, empirical legal studies (ELS) and new legal realism (NLR), and it situates them within the preexisting sociolegal terrain. The analysis concludes by considering possible futures for empirical research on law.
The Add-On Effect of Solifenacin for Patients with Remaining Overactive Bladder after Treatment with Tamsulosin for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Suggestive of Benign Prostatic Obstruction
Authors: Masumori Naoya , Tsukamoto Taiji , Yanase Masahiro , Horita Hiroki , Aoki Masaharu
Published: October 2010

Objectives. To investigate the add-on effect of solifenacin for Japanese men with remaining overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms after tamsulosin monotherapy for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) in real-life clinical practice.Methods. Patients aged ≥ 50 having remaining OAB symptoms (≥ 3 of OAB symptom score (OABSS) with ≥2 of urgency score) after at least 4 weeks treatment by 0.2 mg of tamsulosin for BPO/LUTS received 2.5 or 5.0 mg of solifenacin for 12 weeks. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), QOL index and OABSS, maximum flow rate (Qmax) and postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) were determined.Results. A total of 48 patients (mean age 72.5 years) completed the study. There were significant improvement in IPSS (15.1 to 11.2) and QOL index (4.2 to 3.0) by add-on of solifenacin. Although the IPSS storage symptom score was significantly improved, there were no changes observed in the IPSS voiding symptom score. The OABSS showed significant improvement (8.0 to 4.8). No changes were observed in Qmax and PVR.Conclusions. Under the supervision of an experienced urologist, the additional administration of solifenacin to patients with BPO/LUTS treated with tamsulosin, is effective in controlling remaining OAB symptoms.
L‐P Perturbation Solution of Nonlinear Free Vibration of Prestressed Orthotropic Membrane in Large Amplitude
Authors: Chang-jiang Liu , Zhou-lian Zheng , Xiao-ting He , Jun-yi Sun , Wei-ju Song , Yun-ping Xu , Jun Long
Published: October 2010

This paper reviewed the research on the nonlinear free vibration of pre‐stressed orthotropic membrane, which is commonly applied in building membrane structures. We applied the L‐P perturbation method to solve the governing equations of large amplitude nonlinear free vibration of rectangular orthotropic membranes and obtained a simple approximate analytical solution of the frequency and displacement function of large amplitude nonlinear free vibration of rectangular membrane with four edges simply supported. By giving computational examples, we compared and analyzed the frequency results. In addition, vibration mode of the membrane and displacement and time curve of each feature point on the membrane surface were analyzed in the computational example. Results obtained from this paper provide a simple and convenient method to calculate the frequency and lateral displacement of nonlinear free vibration of rectangular orthotropic membranes in large amplitude. Meanwhile, the results provide some theoretical basis for solving the response of membrane structures under dynamic loads and provide some computational basis for the vibration control and dynamic design of building membrane structures.
On Hyperbolic 3‐Manifolds Obtained by Dehn Surgery on Links
Authors: Kim Soo Hwan , Kim Yangkok
Published: October 2010

We study the algebraic and geometric structures for
closed orientable 3‐manifolds obtained by Dehn surgery along the family of
hyperbolic links with certain surgery coefficients and
moreover, the geometric presentations of the fundamental group of these manifolds.
We prove that our surgery manifolds are 2‐fold cyclic covering of 3‐sphere
branched over certain link by applying the Montesinos theorem in Montesinos‐Amilibia (1975).
In particular, our result includes the topological classification of the closed 3‐manifolds
obtained by Dehn surgery on the Whitehead link, according to Mednykh and Vesnin (1998), and
the hyperbolic link Ld+1 of d + 1 components in Cavicchioli and Paoluzzi (2000).
Atypical Wing Venation inDialictusandHemihalictusand Its Implications for Subgeneric Classification ofLasioglossum
Authors: Gibbs Jason
Published: October 2010

The subgeneric classification of hundreds of species inLasioglossumCurtissensu latois currently unstable due to differing opinions on the suitability of wing venation characters for differentiating subgenera. The subgeneraDialictusRobertson andHemihalictuswere both originally defined primarily by the forewing having two submarginal cells. I present examples of variation in submarginal cell number in the type species of these two subgenera:L. (Dialictus)anomalum(Robertson) andL. (Hemihalictus)lustrans(Cockerell). These results suggest that submarginal cell number is insufficient for recognizing subgenera inLasioglossum. The variability of this character is used to refute the classification proposed by some authors thatChloralictusRobertson, but notDialictus, be synonymised withEvylaeusRobertson.
Hyers‐Ulam Stability of Polynomial Equations
Authors: Bidkham M. , Soleiman Mezerji H. A. , Gordji M. Eshaghi
Published: October 2010

We prove the Hyers‐Ulam stability of the polynomial equation anxn + an−1xn−1 + ⋯+a1x + a0 = 0. We give an affirmative answer to a problem posed by Li and Hua (2009).
Targeted Liposomal Drug Delivery to Monocytes and Macrophages
Authors: Kelly Ciara , Jefferies Caroline , Cryan Sally-Ann
Published: October 2010

As the role of monocytes and macrophages in a range of diseases is better understood, strategies to target these cell types are of growing importance both scientifically and therapeutically. As particulate carriers, liposomes naturally target cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS), particularly macrophages. Loading drugs into liposomes can therefore offer an efficient means of drug targeting to MPS cells. Physicochemical properties including size, charge and lipid composition can have a very significant effect on the efficiency with which liposomes target MPS cells. MPS cells express a range of receptors including scavenger receptors, integrins, mannose receptors and Fc-receptors that can be targeted by the addition of ligands to liposome surfaces. These ligands include peptides, antibodies and lectins and have the advantages of increasing target specificity and avoiding the need for cationic lipids to trigger intracellular delivery. The goal for targeting monocytes/macrophages using liposomes includes not only drug delivery but also potentially a role in cell ablation and cell activation for the treatment of conditions including cancer, atherosclerosis, HIV, and chronic inflammation.
Structure and Physical Properties of Polymer Composite Films Doped with Fullerene Nanoparticles
Authors: Ahmed R. M. , El-Bashir S. M.
Published: October 2010

FullereneC60has stimulated intense interest for scientific, industrial, and medical community because of its unique structure and properties. In the present study we prepared fullerene-doped nanocomposite films based on PMMA, PVAc, and PMMA/PVAc blend. Observations made by transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed the uniform dispersion ofC60nanoparticles in the polymer matrices. Also, X-ray diffraction measurements indicated thatC60has a tendency to form crystallites in the polymer matrices. In addition, the concentration effect of fullereneC60was investigated using optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The spectroscopic properties of such films recommended their application in photonics and solar energy conversion.
The Role of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma Patients
Authors: Klyuchnikov Evgeny , Bacher Ulrike , Kröger Nicolaus , Kazantsev Ilya , Zabelina Tatjana , Ayuk Francis , Zander Axel Rolf
Published: October 2010

Despite the favorable prognosis of most patients with Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL), 15–20% of patients remain refractory to chemoradiotherapy, and 20–40% experience relapses following autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) being used as salvage approach in this situation. Long-term survival of only 20% was reported for patients who failed this option. As some authors suggested the presence of a graft versus HL effect, allogeneic SCT was introduced as a further option. Myeloablative strategies were reported to be able to achieve cure in some younger patients, but high nonrelapse mortality remains a problem. Reduced intensity conditioning, in turn, was found to be associated with high posttransplant relapse rates. As there is currently no standard in the management of HL patients who failed autologous SCT, we here review the literature on allogeneic stem cell transplantation in HL patients with a special focus on the outcomes and risk factors being reported in the largest studies.
Genotypic Profiling of 452 Choroidal Melanomas with Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification
Authors: Damato Bertil , Dopierala Justyna A. , Coupland Sarah E.
Published: October 2010

Purpose: Metastasis from uveal melanoma occurs almost exclusively with tumors showing chromosome 3 loss. We used multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) to detect chromosome 1p, 3, 6p, 6q, 8p, and 8q abnormalities in uveal melanomas. The purpose of this study was to correlate our MLPA results with other risk factors and metastatic death.

Experimental Design: Patients were included if they had a uveal melanoma involving choroid. Correlations between baseline risk factors were analyzed using the chi-square test (without Yates's adjustment) and the Mann–Whitney test, with log-rank analysis for associations with metastatic death.

Results: The patients (194 female; 258 male) had a median age of 59.4 years and a median follow-up of 1.89 years. MLPA abnormalities occurred in a wide variety of combinations. Ten-year disease-specific mortality was 0% in 133 tumors with no chromosome 3 loss, 55% in tumors with chromosome 3 loss but no chromosome 8q gain, and 71% in 168 tumors showing combined chromosome 3 loss and 8q gain. In tumors with both these abnormalities, epithelioid melanoma cytomorphology, closed loops, and high mitotic rate correlated with poor survival as did lack of chromosome 6p gain.

Conclusions: These results support the use of MLPA for routine clinical prognostication, especially if the genetic data are considered together with clinical and histologic risk factors. We showed a wide variety of MLPA results, which suggests that chromosomal abnormalities in uveal melanoma accumulate in a variable sequence.
Clinical Correlates of NRAS and BRAF Mutations in Primary Human Melanoma
Authors: Ellerhorst Julie A. , Greene Victoria R. , Ekmekcioglu Suhendan , Warneke Carla L. , Johnson Marcella M. , Cooke Carolyn P. , Wang Li-E , Prieto Victor G. , Gershenwald Jeffrey E. , Wei Qingyi , Grimm Elizabeth A.
Published: October 2010

Purpose: NRAS and BRAF mutations are common in cutaneous melanomas, although rarely detected mutually in the same tumor. Distinct clinical correlates of these mutations have not been described, despite in vitro data suggesting enhanced oncogenic effects. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that primary human cutaneous melanomas harboring mutations in NRAS or BRAF display a more aggressive clinical phenotype than tumors wild type at both loci.

Experimental Design: Microdissection of 223 primary melanomas was carried out, followed by determination of the NRAS and BRAF mutational status. Genotypic findings were correlated with features known to influence tumor behavior including age, gender, Breslow depth, Clark level, mitotic rate, the presence of ulceration, and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging.

Results: Breslow depth and Clark level varied significantly among the genotypes, with NRAS mutants showing the deepest levels and wild-type tumors the least depth. Ulceration also differed significantly among the genotypes, with BRAF mutants demonstrating the highest rate. In addition, tumors with mutated NRAS were more likely to be located on the extremities. Patients whose tumors carried either mutation presented with more advanced AJCC stages compared with patients with wild-type tumors, and specifically, were more likely to have stage III disease at diagnosis. Overall survival did not differ among the 3 groups.

Conclusions: Distinct clinical phenotypes exist for melanomas bearing NRAS and BRAF mutations, whether considered together or separately, and are associated with features known to predict aggressive tumor behavior. The impact of these mutations is most evident at earlier stages of disease progression. Clin Cancer Res; 17(2); 229–35. ©2010 AACR. Clin Cancer Res; 17(2); 229–35. ©2010 AACR.
Postoperative Middle Cerebral Artery Peak Systolic Velocity Changes Confirm Physiological Principles of the Sequential Laser Technique for Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Authors: Pathak Bhuvan , Quintero Ruben , Kontopoulos Eftichia , Assaf Samer , Miller David , Chmait Ramen H.
Published: October 2010

Introduction: Treatment of the twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) via sequential selective laser photocoagulation of communicating vessels (SQLPCV) mandates ablation of donor-to-recipient arteriovenous anastomoses first. It is hypothesized that SQLPCV facilitates intraoperative transfusion to the donor, thereby minimizing donor hypovolemia and anemia. We sought to determine if postoperative changes in fetal middle cerebral artery-peak systolic velocities (MCA-PSV) support this hypothesis. Materials and Methods: Patients undergoing preferential SQLPCV for TTTS had MCA-PSV measured 1 day before surgery and on postoperative day 1 (POD-1). Fetal anemia was defined as an MCA-PSV ≧1.5 multiples of the median (MoM). Exclusions included: POD-1 demise, missing MCA-PSV data, or gestational age <18 weeks. Results: Study criteria were met by 139 patients. Mean MCA-PSV in recipients increased from 0.97 to 1.15 MoM postoperatively (p < 0.0001). Donor mean MCA-PSV remained stable at 1.00 MoM preoperatively and 0.98 MoM postoperatively (p = 0.272). Nine fetuses, 6 donors and 3 recipients, had preoperative anemia; SQLPCV was not attempted in the 3 anemic recipients. Postoperatively, the proportion of donors with anemia remained stable (increase 3.6%, p = 0.419), and the proportion of recipients with anemia increased (increase 12.2%, p = 0.009). Discussion: Our findings confirm the presumed physiological basis for the SQLPCV treatment of TTTS.
Multipotent Stromal Cells for Autologous Cell Therapy Approaches in the Guinea Pig Model
Authors: Frölich Katrin , Scherzed Agmal , Mlynski Robert , Technau Antje , Hagen Rudolf , Kleinsasser Norbert , Radeloff Andreas
Published: October 2010

Multipotent stromal cells have become of increasing interest due to their potential to provide therapeutic approaches for autologous tissue repair. However, these cells are not well defined in the guinea pig, which represents an important model in hearing research. Adipose-tissue-derived stem cells (ADSC) and bone-marrow-derived stem cells (BMSC) were isolated from different donor sites, and growth curves were generated to judge the proliferation potential. Adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation was induced and confirmed histologically. Finally, the capability of guinea pig ADSC to differentiate into neuron-like cells was investigated. With regard to the expansion potential, total cell number and doubling time, ADSC from the neck were the most suitable cells of the tested donor sites. Both ADSC and BMSC showed nearly identical behaviour and ability to undergo multilineage differentiation. Thus, we identified ADSC from the neck as a promising cell source for autologous cell-based approaches in hearing research using the guinea pig model.
Factors Associated with Caries Increment: A Longitudinal Study from 18 Months to 5 Years of Age
Authors: Meurman P.K. , Pienihäkkinen K.
Published: October 2010

Background: Identifying the early determinants of risk for dental caries would be useful in its primary prevention. Subjects and Methods: All children at the age of 18 months in one health care area were invited in the screening test for mutans streptococci (MS) and their caretakers interviewed for the study purposes. The 366 children who met the inclusion criteria were clinically examined after 42 months. Results: At the age of 5 years ± 6 months, in 79 (21.6%) children the 42-month caries increment was >0. In the multivariate regression analysis, the strongest correlation was found with MS detected in the oral biofilm. Of the reported background factors the blue-collar occupation of the caretaker, child’s sugar use, night feeding, use of other thirst quenchers than water and father’s reported poor oral health were significantly correlated with the child’s caries increment. Conclusion: The oral health of a child is strongly related to the lifestyle and the oral health habits of the caretakers during the first years.
Common Filaggrin Null Alleles Are Not Associated with Hymenoptera Venom Allergy in Europeans
Authors: Aslam A. , Lloyd-Lavery A. , Warrell D.A. , Misbah S. , Ogg G.S.
Published: October 2010

The association of filaggrin mutations with atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis, AD) is well established and it is thought that filaggrin dysfunction impairs the skin’s barrier function allowing allergen penetration and subsequent cutaneous sensitisation and inflammation. However, as most forms of barrier dysfunction are not associated with allergic sensitisation to common allergens, the possibility that filaggrin itself is involved in Th1/Th2 polarisation remains. We tested the hypothesis that allergen delivered to the skin independently of the stratum corneum is not associated with filaggrin mutations. Wasp stings bypass the stratum corneum and deliver antigen to the dermis. We found that European individuals with AD (n = 32) have an increased frequency of the 2 commonest filaggrin null mutations (R501X and 2282del4) compared to those with vespid allergy (n = 56) and healthy controls (n = 30). Thus, filaggrin does not appear to have a downstream effect on the development of allergic disease, and it is indeed filaggrin’s role in the epithelial function that is likely to determine the link between filaggrin mutations and allergic sensitisation.
Hospital Outcome of Moderate to Severe Pericardial Effusion Complicating ST-Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Figueras Jaume , Barrabés José A. , Serra Vicens , Cortadellas Josefa , Lidón Rosa-Maria , Carrizo Alvaro , Garcia-Dorado David
Published: October 2010

Background—

Hospital prognosis of moderate to severe pericardial effusion (MPE; ≥10 mm) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction is largely unknown.

Methods and Results—

Data from 446 ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients, 228 with MPE—88 with cardiac tamponade (CT) and electromechanical dissociation (EMD), 44 with CT without EMD (w/oEMD), and 96 without initial CT—and 218 with small PE (5 to 9 mm), were compared. Patients with MPE without initial CT were also compared with 96 patients without PE. CT patients showed larger PE (
P
<0.001) than those without initial CT; 85% of those with CT+EMD and 86% with CTw/oEMD were treated with pericardiocentesis and 10% and 21% were treated with a surgical repair, respectively. Among MPE patients, 30-day mortality was 43% and was higher in those with CT+EMD (operated, 89%; and nonoperated, 85%) than in those with CTw/oEMD (22% and 11%, respectively;
P
<0.001) and those without initial CT (17%;
P
<0.001). It was also higher than in patients with small PE (10%;
P
<0.001) or those without PE (6%;
P
=0.001). Death was attributable to cardiac rupture in 83% of patients with CT+EMD, 7% with CTw/oEMD, and 8% with MPE without initial CT and occurred late (≥7 days) in 14%, 67%, and 100%, respectively.

Conclusions—

MPE carries an increased mortality that is highest in patients with CT+EMD. In those with CTw/oEMD, however, mortality is considerably low after pericardiocentesis, and subsequent management may be individualized because a conservative approach is often successful. Importantly, MPE patients without initial CT are not free from late rupture and deserve further investigation.
Relationship of Echocardiographic Dyssynchrony to Long-Term Survival After Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
Authors: Gorcsan John , Oyenuga Olusegun , Habib Phillip J. , Tanaka Hidekazu , Adelstein Evan C. , Hara Hideyuki , McNamara Dennis M. , Saba Samir
Published: October 2010

Background—

The ability of echocardiographic dyssynchrony to predict response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been unclear.

Methods and Results—

A prospective, longitudinal study was designed with predefined dyssynchrony indexes and outcome variables to test the hypothesis that baseline dyssynchrony is associated with long-term survival after CRT. We studied 229 consecutive class III to IV heart failure patients with ejection fraction ≤35 and QRS duration ≥120 milliseconds for CRT. Dyssynchrony before CRT was defined as tissue Doppler velocity opposing-wall delay ≥65 milliseconds, 12-site SD (Yu Index) ≥32 milliseconds, speckle tracking radial strain anteroseptal-to-posterior wall delay ≥130 milliseconds, or pulsed Doppler interventricular mechanical delay ≥40 milliseconds. Outcome was defined as freedom from death, heart transplantation, or left ventricular assist device implantation. Of 210 patients (89) with dyssynchrony data available, there were 62 events: 47 deaths, 9 transplantations, and 6 left ventricular assist device implantations over 4 years. Event-free survival was associated with Yu Index (
P
=0.003), speckle tracking radial strain (
P
=0.003), and interventricular mechanical delay (
P
=0.019). When adjusted for confounding baseline variables of ischemic origin and QRS duration, Yu Index and radial strain dyssynchrony remained independently associated with outcome (
P
<0.05). Lack of radial dyssynchrony was particularly associated with unfavorable outcome in those with QRS duration of 120 to 150 milliseconds (
P
=0.002).

Conclusions—

The absence of echocardiographic dyssynchrony was associated with significantly less favorable event-free survival after CRT. Patients with narrower QRS duration who lacked dyssynchrony had the least favorable long-term outcome. These observations support the relationship of dyssynchrony and CRT response.