bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tissue localization during resective epilepsy surgery
Authors: Poliachik Sandra L. , Poliakov Andrew V. , Jansen Laura A. , McDaniel Sharon S. , Wray Carter D. , Kuratani John , Saneto Russell P. , Ojemann Jeffrey G. , Novotny Edward J.
Published: May 2013

Object

Imaging-guided surgery (IGS) systems are widely used in neurosurgical practice. During epilepsy surgery, the authors routinely use IGS landmarks to localize intracranial electrodes and/or specific brain regions. The authors have developed a technique to coregister these landmarks with pre- and postoperative scans and the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) standard space brain MRI to allow 1) localization and identification of tissue anatomy; and 2) identification of Brodmann areas (BAs) of the tissue resected during epilepsy surgery. Tracking tissue in this fashion allows for better correlation of patient outcome to clinical factors, functional neuroimaging findings, and pathological characteristics and molecular studies of resected tissue.

Methods

Tissue samples were collected in 21 patients. Coordinates from intraoperative tissue localization were downloaded from the IGS system and transformed into patient space, as defined by preoperative high-resolution T1-weighted MRI volume. Tissue landmarks in patient space were then transformed into MNI standard space for identification of the BAs of the tissue samples.

Results

Anatomical locations of resected tissue were identified from the intraoperative resection landmarks. The BAs were identified for 17 of the 21 patients. The remaining patients had abnormal brain anatomy that could not be meaningfully coregistered with the MNI standard brain without causing extensive distortion.

Conclusions

This coregistration and landmark tracking technique allows localization of tissue that is resected from patients with epilepsy and identification of the BAs for each resected region. The ability to perform tissue localization allows investigators to relate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative functional and anatomical brain imaging to better understand patient outcomes, improve patient safety, and aid in research.
Disconnective surgery in posterior quadrantic epilepsy: experience in a consecutive series of 10 patients
Authors: Dorfer Christian , Czech Thomas , Mühlebner-Fahrngruber Angelika , Mert Aygül , Gröppel Gudrun , Novak Klaus , Dressler Anastasia , Reiter-Fink Edith , Traub-Weidinger Tatjana , Feucht Martha
Published: May 2013

Object

Outcomes following functional hemispherotomy in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy have been well described. However, studies reporting long-term longitudinal outcomes after subhemispheric disconnective epilepsy surgery are still limited.

Methods

The authors conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected data of 10 children who underwent temporoparietooccipital (TPO) disconnective surgery at the Vienna Pediatric Epilepsy Center.

Results

There were 3 males and 7 females (median age 8.7 years; range 4.2–22.1 years). The affected hemisphere was the left in 3 patients and the right in 7. The patients' median age at seizure onset was 3.0 years (range 0.2–8.3 years). The median duration of epilepsy before surgery was 5.2 years (range 1.3–17.2 years). The underlying pathology was TPO malformation of cortical development in 5 patients, and venous infarction, posterior hemispheric quadrant atrophy, Sturge-Weber syndrome, cortical involvement of a systemic lupus erythematosus, and gliosis after cerebral tumor treatment in 1 each. In 6 children, a pure TPO disconnection was performed; in 2 patients, the temporal lobe was resected and parietooccipital disconnection was performed. The 2 remaining patients had had previous epilepsy surgery that was extended to a TPO disconnection: disconnection of the occipital lobe (n = 1) and resection of the temporal lobe (n = 1). The authors encountered no complications while performing surgery. No patient needed blood replacement therapy. No patient developed CSF disturbances that warranted treatment. Nine of 10 patients are currently seizure free since surgery (Wieser Class 1a) at a median follow-up time of 2.1 years (range 4 months to 8.1 years).

Conclusions

Temporoparietooccipital disconnection is a safe and effective motor-sparing epilepsy surgery in selected cases. Technical adjuncts facilitate a better intraoperative visualization and orientation, thereby enabling a less invasive approach than previously suggested.
Time course of recovery following poor-grade SAH: the incidence of delayed improvement and implications for SAH outcome study design
Authors: Wilson David A. , Nakaji Peter , Albuquerque Felipe C. , McDougall Cameron G. , Zabramski Joseph M. , Spetzler Robert F.
Published: May 2013

Object

Data regarding the time course of recovery after poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is lacking. Most SAH studies assess outcome at a single time point, often as early as 3 or 6 months following SAH. The authors hypothesized that recovery following poor-grade SAH is a dynamic process and that early outcomes may not always approximate long-term outcomes. To test this hypothesis, they analyzed long-term outcome data from a cohort of patients with poor-grade aneurysmal SAH to determine the incidence and predictors of early and delayed neurological improvement.

Methods

The authors reviewed outcome data from 88 poor-grade SAH patients enrolled in a prospective SAH treatment trial (the Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial). They assessed modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at discharge, 6 months, 12 months, and 36 months after treatment to determine the incidence and predictors of neurological improvement during each interval.

Results

The mean aggregate mRS scores at 6 months (3.31 ± 2.1), 12 months (3.28 ± 2.2), and 36 months (3.17 ± 2.3) improved significantly compared with the mean score at hospital discharge (4.33 ± 1.3, p < 0.001), but they did not differ significantly among themselves. Between discharge and 6 months, 61% of patients improved on the mRS. The incidence of improvement between 6–12 months and 12–36 months was 18% and 19%, respectively. Hunt and Hess Grade IV versus V (OR 6.20, 95% CI 2.11–18.25, p < 0.001) and the absence of large (> 4 cm) (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.02–7.55, p = 0.05) or eloquent (OR 5.17, 95% CI 1.89–14.10, p < 0.01) stroke were associated with improvement up to 6 months. Age ≤ 65 years (OR 5.56, 95% CI 1.17–26.42, p = 0.02), Hunt and Hess Grade IV versus V (OR 4.17, 95% CI 1.10–15.85, p = 0.03), and absence of a large (OR 8.97, 95% CI 2.65–30.40, p < 0.001) or eloquent (OR 4.54, 95% CI 1.46–14.08, p = 0.01) stroke were associated with improvement beyond 6 months. Improvement beyond 1 year was most strongly predicted by the absence of a large stroke (OR 7.62, 95% CI 1.55–37.30, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

A substantial minority of poor-grade SAH patients will experience delayed recovery beyond the point at which most studies assess outcome. Younger patients, those presenting in better clinical condition, and those without CT evidence of large or eloquent stroke demonstrated the highest capacity for delayed recovery.
Operating room radiation exposure in cone beam computed tomography–based, image-guided spinal surgery
Authors: Nottmeier Eric W. , Pirris Stephen M. , Edwards Steven , Kimes Sherri , Bowman Cammi , Nelson Kevin L.
Published: May 2013

Object

Surgeon and operating room (OR) staff radiation exposure during spinal surgery is a concern, especially with the increasing use of multiplanar fluoroscopy in minimally invasive spinal surgery procedures. Cone beam computed tomography (cbCT)–based, 3D image guidance does not involve the use of active fluoroscopy during instrumentation placement and therefore decreases radiation exposure for the surgeon and OR staff during spinal fusion procedures. However, the radiation scatter of a cbCT device can be similar to that of a standard 64-slice CT scanner and thus could expose the surgeon and OR staff to radiation during image acquisition. The purpose of the present study was to measure radiation exposure at several unshielded locations in the OR when using cbCT in conjunction with 3D image-guided spinal surgery in 25 spinal surgery cases.

Methods

Five unshielded badge dosimeters were placed at set locations in the OR during 25 spinal surgery cases in which cbCT-based, 3D image guidance was used. The cbCT device (O-ARM) was used in conjunction with the Stealth S7 image-guided platform. The radiology department analyzed the badge dosimeters after completion of the last case.

Results

Fifty high-definition O-ARM spins were performed in 25 patients for spinal registration and to check instrumentation placement. Image-guided placement of 124 screws from C-2 to the ileum was accomplished without complication. Badge dosimetry analysis revealed minimal radiation exposure for the badges 6 feet from the gantry in the area of the anesthesiology equipment, as well as for the badges located 10–13 feet from the gantry on each side of the room (mean 0.7–3.6 mrem/spin). The greatest radiation exposure occurred on the badge attached to the OR table within the gantry (mean 176.9 mrem/spin), as well as on the control panel adjacent to the gantry (mean 128.0 mrem/spin).

Conclusions

Radiation scatter from the O-ARM was minimal at various distances outside of and not adjacent to the gantry. Although the average radiation exposure at these locations was low, an earlier study, undertaken in a similar fashion, revealed no radiation exposure when the surgeon stood behind a lead shield. This simple precaution can eliminate the small amount of radiation exposure to OR staff in cases in which the O-ARM is used.
Analysis of association between IL-1β, CASP-9, and GDF5 variants and low-back pain in Chinese male soldiers
Authors: Mu Jihong , Ge Weiming , Zuo Xincheng , Chen Yuxuan , Huang Changlin
Published: May 2013

Object

Recent studies have suggested that genetic risk factors play an important role in the occurrence of low-back pain (LBP) and lumbar disc disease. The authors' study aimed to assess the association between 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to LBP related to military training.

Methods

In this case-control study, data from 892 Chinese male soldiers were retrospectively reviewed. The case group was made up of 305 soldiers with LBP related to military training and a control group of 587 soldiers without constant LBP for more than 2 weeks. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes of all subjects and polymerase chain reaction products were genotyped.

Results

No association was found between the SNP of interleukin-1β (IL-1β; +3954C/T) and LBP at both the genotypic (p = 0.104) and the allelic (p = 0.098) level. However, the G allele of caspase-9 (CASP-9) and the T allele of growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) were more common in patients with LBP than in patients without LBP (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The findings in a Chinese military cohort indicated that CASP-9 (−1263A/G) and GDF5 (+104T/C) polymorphisms are associated with a susceptibility to LBP related to military training.
Reliability in the location of hindlimb motor representations in Fischer-344 rats
Authors: Frost Shawn B. , Iliakova Maria , Dunham Caleb , Barbay Scott , Arnold Paul , Nudo Randolph J.
Published: May 2013

Object

The purpose of the present study was to determine the feasibility of using a common laboratory rat strain for reliably locating cortical motor representations of the hindlimb.

Methods

Intracortical microstimulation techniques were used to derive detailed maps of the hindlimb motor representations in 6 adult Fischer-344 rats.

Results

The organization of the hindlimb movement representation, while variable across individual rats in topographic detail, displayed several commonalities. The hindlimb representation was positioned posterior to the forelimb motor representation and posterolateral to the motor trunk representation. The areal extent of the hindlimb representation across the cortical surface averaged 2.00 ± 0.50 mm2. Superimposing individual maps revealed an overlapping area measuring 0.35 mm2, indicating that the location of the hindlimb representation can be predicted reliably based on stereotactic coordinates. Across the sample of rats, the hindlimb representation was found 1.25–3.75 mm posterior to the bregma, with an average center location approximately 2.6 mm posterior to the bregma. Likewise, the hindlimb representation was found 1–3.25 mm lateral to the midline, with an average center location approximately 2 mm lateral to the midline.

Conclusions

The location of the cortical hindlimb motor representation in Fischer-344 rats can be reliably located based on its stereotactic position posterior to the bregma and lateral to the longitudinal skull suture at midline. The ability to accurately predict the cortical localization of functional hindlimb territories in a rodent model is important, as such animal models are being increasingly used in the development of brain-computer interfaces for restoration of function after spinal cord injury.
Traumatic spinal perimedullary arteriovenous fistula due to knife stabbing and subsequent kyphosis
Authors: Bai Yahui , Zhi Xinglong , Jian Fengzeng , Zhang Hongqi , Ling Feng
Published: May 2013

Perimedullary arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a relatively rare spinal vascular malformation. Although it has traditionally been considered to be a congenital lesion, some cases identified in adults have suggested that the lesion may be acquired. The etiology and exact mechanism of these lesions are unknown. The authors present a case of a perimedullary AVF caused by a direct stabbing injury of the spinal cord and induced by subsequent kyphosis, and they discuss the pathogenesis and treatment strategy.
Registration of ‘CP 04‐1935’ Sugarcane
Authors: Edmé Serge J. , Davidson R. Wayne , Gilbert Robert A. , Glynn Neil C. , Zhao Duli , Comstock Jack C. , Glaz Barry , Sood Sushma , Miller Jimmy D. , Tai Peter Y. P.
Published: May 2013

‘CP 04‐1935’ (Reg. No. CV‐154, PI 667660) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum spp.) was developed through cooperative research conducted by the USDA‐ARS, the University of Florida, and the Florida Sugar Cane League and was released to growers in Florida on 20 Sept. 2011. CP 04‐1935 was selected from the cross CP 94‐2059/CP 84‐1322 made at Canal Point, FL on 8 Dec. 1998. In the final stage of selection, CP 04‐1935 was tested for yield performance at two sand‐soil locations along with 15 other genotypes across three crop years and for freeze tolerance in northern Florida for two crop years. CP 04‐1935 produced an 11% higher cane yield, a 3.5% higher sucrose content, and a 14.5% higher sucrose yield than the reference sand cultivar CP 78‐1628. CP 04‐1935 is resistant to brown rust (caused by Puccinia melanocephala H. & P. Sydow), orange rust (caused by Puccinia kuehnii E.J. Butler), mosaic (caused by Sugarcane mosaic virus strain E), to smut (caused by Ustilago scitaminea H. & P. Sydow), and to eyespot [caused by the Bipolaris sacchari (E.J. Butler) Shoemaker]; it is moderately resistant to leaf scald (caused by Xanthomonas albilineans Ashby, Dowson), and to ratoon stunt (caused by Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli Evtushenko et al.), but it is susceptible to Sugarcane yellow leaf virus. CP 04‐1935 performed significantly worse under freeze conditions than CP 89‐2143, the Florida industry standard for acceptable freeze tolerance. With its profitability predicted to be 19% higher than that of CP 78‐1628, combined with a good disease profile, CP 04‐1935 was recommended for planting on sand soils in Florida.
Multiple Pathways of Genome Plasticity Leading to Development of Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Baharoglu Zeynep , Garriss Geneviève , Mazel Didier
Published: May 2013

The emergence of multi-resistant bacterial strains is a major source of concern and has been correlated with the widespread use of antibiotics. The origins of resistance are intensively studied and many mechanisms involved in resistance have been identified, such as exogenous gene acquisition by horizontal gene transfer (HGT), mutations in the targeted functions, and more recently, antibiotic tolerance through persistence. In this review, we focus on factors leading to integron rearrangements and gene capture facilitating antibiotic resistance acquisition, maintenance and spread. The role of stress responses, such as the SOS response, is discussed.
Monte Carlo Study Elucidates the Type 1/Type 2 Choice in Apoptotic Death Signaling in Healthy and Cancer Cells
Authors: Raychaudhuri Subhadip , Raychaudhuri Somkanya
Published: May 2013

Apoptotic cell death is coordinated through two distinct (type 1 and type 2) intracellular signaling pathways. How the type 1/type 2 choice is made remains a central problem in the biology of apoptosis and has implications for apoptosis related diseases and therapy. We study the problem of type 1/type 2 choice in silico utilizing a kinetic Monte Carlo model of cell death signaling. Our results show that the type 1/type 2 choice is linked to deterministic versus stochastic cell death activation, elucidating a unique regulatory control of the apoptotic pathways. Consistent with previous findings, our results indicate that caspase 8 activation level is a key regulator of the choice between deterministic type 1 and stochastic type 2 pathways, irrespective of cell types. Expression levels of signaling molecules downstream also regulate the type 1/type 2 choice. A simplified model of DISC clustering elucidates the mechanism of increased active caspase 8 generation and type 1 activation in cancer cells having increased sensitivity to death receptor activation. We demonstrate that rapid deterministic activation of the type 1 pathway can selectively target such cancer cells, especially if XIAP is also inhibited; while inherent cell-to-cell variability would allow normal cells stay protected.
A Characterization of the Utility of Using Artificial Intelligence to Test Two Artificial Intelligence Systems
Authors: Straub Jeremy , Huber Justin
Published: May 2013

An artificial intelligence system, designed for operations in a real-world environment faces a nearly infinite set of possible performance scenarios. Designers and developers, thus, face the challenge of validating proper performance across both foreseen and unforeseen conditions, particularly when the artificial intelligence is controlling a robot that will be operating in close proximity, or may represent a danger, to humans. While the manual creation of test cases allows limited testing (perhaps ensuring that a set of foreseeable conditions trigger an appropriate response), this may be insufficient to fully characterize and validate safe system performance. An approach to validating the performance of an artificial intelligence system using a simple artificial intelligence test case producer (AITCP) is presented. The AITCP allows the creation and simulation of prospective operating scenarios at a rate far exceeding that possible by human testers. Four scenarios for testing an autonomous navigation control system are presented: single actor in two-dimensional space, multiple actors in two-dimensional space, single actor in three-dimensional space, and multiple actors in three-dimensional space. The utility of using the AITCP is compared to that of human testers in each of these scenarios.
Zero Delay Joint Source Channel Coding for Multivariate Gaussian Sources over Orthogonal Gaussian Channels
Authors: Floor Pål , Kim Anna , Ramstad Tor , Balasingham Ilangko
Published: May 2013

Communication of a multivariate Gaussian source transmitted over orthogonal additive white Gaussian noise channels using delay-free joint source channel codes (JSCC) is studied in this paper. Two scenarios are considered: (1) all components of the multivariate Gaussian are transmitted by one encoder as a vector or several ideally collaborating nodes in a network; (2) the multivariate Gaussian is transmitted through distributed nodes in a sensor network. In both scenarios, the goal is to recover all components of the multivariate Gaussian at the receiver. The paper investigates a subset of JSCC consisting of direct source-to-channel mappings that operate on a symbol-by-symbol basis to ensure zero coding delay. A theoretical analysis that helps explain and quantify distortion behavior for such JSCC is given. Relevant performance bounds for the network are also derived with no constraints on complexity and delay. Optimal linear schemes for both scenarios are presented. Results for Scenario 1 show that linear mappings perform well, except when correlation is high. In Scenario 2, linear mappings provide no gain from correlation when the channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gets large. The gap to the performance upper bound is large for both scenarios, regardless of SNR, when the correlation is high. The main contribution of this paper is the investigation of nonlinear mappings for both scenarios. It is shown that nonlinear mappings can provide substantial gain compared to optimal linear schemes when correlation is high. Contrary to linear mappings for Scenario 2, carefully chosen nonlinear mappings provide a gain for all SNR, as long as the correlation is close to one. Both linear and nonlinear mappings are robust against variations in SNR.
Fuzzy Logic as a Tool for Assessing Students’ Knowledge and Skills
Authors: Voskoglou Michael
Published: May 2013

Fuzzy logic, which is based on fuzzy sets theory introduced by Zadeh in 1965, provides a rich and meaningful addition to standard logic. The applications which may be generated from or adapted to fuzzy logic are wide-ranging and provide the opportunity for modeling under conditions which are imprecisely defined. In this article we develop a fuzzy model for assessing student groups’ knowledge and skills. In this model the students’ characteristics under assessment (knowledge of the subject matter, problem solving skills and analogical reasoning abilities) are represented as fuzzy subsets of a set of linguistic labels characterizing their performance, and the possibilities of all student profiles are calculated. In this way, a detailed quantitative/qualitative study of the students’ group performance is obtained. The centroid method and the group’s total possibilistic uncertainty are used as defuzzification methods in converting our fuzzy outputs to a crisp number. According to the centroid method, the coordinates of the center of gravity of the graph of the membership function involved provide a measure of the students’ performance. Techniques of assessing the individual students’ abilities are also studied and examples are presented to illustrate the use of our results in practice.
Fairness in Risky Environments: Theory and Evidence
Authors: Van Koten Silvester , Ortmann Andreas , Babicky Vitezslav
Published: May 2013

The relationship between risk in the environment, risk aversion and inequality aversion is not well understood. Theories of fairness have typically assumed that pie sizes are known ex-ante. Pie sizes are, however, rarely known ex ante. Using two simple allocation problems—the Dictator and Ultimatum game—we explore whether, and how exactly, unknown pie sizes with varying degrees of risk (“endowment risk”) influence individual behavior. We derive theoretical predictions for these games using utility functions that capture additively separable constant relative risk aversion and inequity aversion. We experimentally test the theoretical predictions using two subject pools: students of Czech Technical University and employees of Prague City Hall. We find that: (1) Those who are more risk-averse are also more inequality-averse in the Dictator game (and also in the Ultimatum game but there not statistically significantly so) in that they give more; (2) Using the within-subject feature of our design, and in line with our theoretical prediction, varying risk does not influence behavior in the Dictator game, but does so in the Ultimatum game (contradicting our theoretical prediction for that game); (3) Using the within-subject feature of our design, subjects tend to make inconsistent decisions across games; this is true on the level of individuals as well as in the aggregate. This latter finding contradicts the evidence in Blanco et al. (2011); (4) There are no subject-pool differences once we control for the elicited risk attitude and demographic variables that we collect.
Burnout in Relation to Specific Contributing Factors and Health Outcomes among Nurses: A Systematic Review
Authors: Khamisa Natasha , Peltzer Karl , Oldenburg Brian
Published: May 2013

Nurses have been found to experience higher levels of stress-related burnout compared to other health care professionals. Despite studies showing that both job satisfaction and burnout are effects of exposure to stressful working environments, leading to poor health among nurses, little is known about the causal nature and direction of these relationships. The aim of this systematic review is to identify published research that has formally investigated relationships between these variables. Six databases (including CINAHL, COCHRANE, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PROQUEST and PsyINFO) were searched for combinations of keywords, a manual search was conducted and an independent reviewer was asked to cross validate all the electronically identified articles. Of the eighty five articles that were identified from these databases, twenty one articles were excluded based on exclusion criteria; hence, a total of seventy articles were included in the study sample. The majority of identified studies exploring two and three way relationships (n = 63) were conducted in developed countries. Existing research includes predominantly cross-sectional studies (n = 68) with only a few longitudinal studies (n = 2); hence, the evidence base for causality is still very limited. Despite minimal availability of research concerning the small number of studies to investigate the relationships between work-related stress, burnout, job satisfaction and the general health of nurses, this review has identified some contradictory evidence for the role of job satisfaction. This emphasizes the need for further research towards understanding causality.
Incinerator Pollution and Child Development in the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Lung For-Wey , Chiang Tung-Liang , Lin Shio-Jean , Shu Bih-Ching
Published: May 2013

This study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect effects of environmental pollutants on child development and parental concerns. It focused on the pathway relationships among the following factors: living within three kilometers of an incinerator, breastfeeding, place of residence, parental concerns about development, and parent-perceived child development. The Taiwan Birth Cohort Study (TBCS) dataset includes randomized community data on 21,248 children at six, 18, and 36 months of age. The Parental Concern Checklist and the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study-Developmental Instrument were used to measure parental concern and parent-perceived child development. Living within three kilometers of an incinerator increased the risk of children showing delayed development in the gross motor domain at six and 36 months. Although breastfeeding is a protective factor against uneven/delayed developmental disability (U/DDD), children living near an incinerator who were breastfed had an increased risk of U/DDD compared with those who did not live near incinerators. The presence of a local incinerator affected parent-perceived child development directly and indirectly through the mediating factor of breastfeeding. Further follow-up of these children to investigate the long-term effects of specific toxins on their development and later diagnostic categorization is necessary.
Reference Gene Selection for Quantitative PCR Studies in Sheep Neutrophils
Authors: Vorachek William , Hugejiletu  , Bobe Gerd , Hall Jean
Published: May 2013

Reference genes are essential for studying mRNA expression with quantitative PCR (qPCR). We investigated 11 potential neutrophil reference genes (RPL19, GAPDH, ACTB, B2M, HPRT, G6PD, TFRC, PGK1, YWHAZ, SDHA and GYPC) for sheep under disease conditions of foot rot (FR) and with or without Se supplementation. Initial screening was based on gene expression level (<28 Cq cycles) and variability (SD < 1.5 Cq cycles) and excluded TFRC, GYPC and HPRT from further analysis. Expression stability of the remaining genes was evaluated using four software programs: geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and the comparative delta Cq method. The neutrophil reference genes, G6PD, YWHAZ, GAPDH, RPL19 and SDHA, consistently ranked among the top five most stable genes under these experimental conditions. The SDHA gene expression was not stable in FR-diseased sheep receiving Se treatment and, thus, cannot be recommended as a reference gene. The commonly used genes, PGK1, ACTB and B2M, were not reliable reference genes, underscoring the need to validate neutrophil reference genes under different experimental conditions. Multiple references genes rather than a single gene may provide more robust and reliable results. The best pair of reference genes was SDHA/G6PD in healthy sheep and GADPH/YWHAZ in FR-diseased sheep.
The Influence of Light Quality, Circadian Rhythm, and Photoperiod on the CBF-Mediated Freezing Tolerance
Authors: Maibam Punyakishore , Nawkar Ganesh , Park Joung , Sahi Vaidurya , Lee Sang , Kang Chang
Published: May 2013

Low temperature adversely affects crop yields by restraining plant growth and productivity. Most temperate plants have the potential to increase their freezing tolerance upon exposure to low but nonfreezing temperatures, a process known as cold acclimation. Various physiological, molecular, and metabolic changes occur during cold acclimation, which suggests that the plant cold stress response is a complex, vital phenomenon that involves more than one pathway. The C-Repeat Binding Factor (CBF) pathway is the most important and well-studied cold regulatory pathway that imparts freezing tolerance to plants. The regulation of freezing tolerance involves the action of phytochromes, which play an important role in light-mediated signalling to activate cold-induced gene expression through the CBF pathway. Under normal temperature conditions, CBF expression is regulated by the circadian clock through the action of a central oscillator and also day length (photoperiod). The phytochrome and phytochrome interacting factor are involved in the repression of the CBF expression under long day (LD) conditions. Apart from the CBF regulon, a novel pathway involving the Z-box element also mediates the cold acclimation response in a light-dependent manner. This review provides insights into the progress of cold acclimation in relation to light quality, circadian regulation, and photoperiodic regulation and also explains the underlying molecular mechanisms of cold acclimation for introducing the engineering of economically important, cold-tolerant plants.
Apparent Polyploidization after Gamma Irradiation: Pitfalls in the Use of Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) for the Estimation of Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Gene Copy Numbers
Authors: Kam Winnie , Lake Vanessa , Banos Connie , Davies Justin , Banati Richard
Published: May 2013

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has been widely used to quantify changes in gene copy numbers after radiation exposure. Here, we show that gamma irradiation ranging from 10 to 100 Gy of cells and cell-free DNA samples significantly affects the measured qPCR yield, due to radiation-induced fragmentation of the DNA template and, therefore, introduces errors into the estimation of gene copy numbers. The radiation-induced DNA fragmentation and, thus, measured qPCR yield varies with temperature not only in living cells, but also in isolated DNA irradiated under cell-free conditions. In summary, the variability in measured qPCR yield from irradiated samples introduces a significant error into the estimation of both mitochondrial and nuclear gene copy numbers and may give spurious evidence for polyploidization.
Emergence and Evolution of Meaning: The General Definition of Information (GDI) Revisiting Program—Part 2: The Regressive Perspective: Bottom-up
Authors: Díaz Nafría José , Zimmermann Rainer
Published: May 2013

In this second part of our inquiry into the emergence and evolution of meaning, the category of meaning is explored from the manifestation of reality in its corresponding level of interaction towards the interpretation of such reality (the first part deals correspondingly with an appropriate top-down approach). Based on the physical constraints of manifestation through electromagnetic waves, which constitutes the base of animal vision, we analyze the limits of the meaning-offer of such a manifestation, which allows us, on the one hand, to compare the efficiency of natural evolution in the reception of such meaning-offers; on the other hand, to analyze the conditions of developing agency able to acknowledge the reality underlying its manifestation. Regarding the complexity of such an agency and its related pragmatic response, we distinguish different levels, which allow the development of the General Definition of Information (GDI) properly, with respect to interpretation, as advanced in the first part, throughout nature. As we show at the end, our approach provides new grounds for the Unified Theory of Information (UTI) Program, as well as the possibility for bridging other approaches in the converging fields of information, meaning, computation, and communication.
Laboratory and Simulated Field Bioassays to Evaluate Larvicidal Activity of Pinus densiflora Hydrodistillate, Its Constituents and Structurally Related Compounds against Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens pallens in Relation to Their Inhibitory Effects on Acetylcholinesterase Activity
Authors: Lee Dong , Ahn Young-Joon
Published: May 2013

The toxicity of Pinus densiflora (red pine) hydrodistillate, its 19 constituents and 28 structurally related compounds against early third-instar larvae of Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus), Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) and Culex pipiens palles (Cx. p. pallens) was examined using direct-contact bioassays. The efficacy of active compounds was further evaluated in semi-field bioassays using field-collected larval Cx. p. pallens. Results were compared with those of two synthetic larvicides, temephos and fenthion. In laboratory bioassays, Pinus densiflora hydrodistillate was found to have 24 h LC50 values of 20.33, 21.01 and 22.36 mg/L against larval Ae. albopictus, Ae. aegypti and Cx. p. pallens respectively. Among the identified compounds, thymol, δ-3-carene and (+)-limonene exhibited the highest toxicity against all three mosquito species. These active compounds were found to be nearly equally effective in field trials as well. In vitro bioassays were conducted to examine the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of 10 selected compounds. Results showed that there is a noticeable correlation between larvicidal activity and AChE inhibitory activity. In light of global efforts to find alternatives for currently used insecticides against disease vector mosquitoes, Pinus densiflora hydrodistillate and its constituents merit further research as potential mosquito larvicides.
Collaborative 3D Target Tracking in Distributed Smart Camera Networks for Wide-Area Surveillance
Authors: Kushwaha Manish , Koutsoukos Xenofon
Published: May 2013

With the evolution and fusion of wireless sensor network and embedded camera technologies, distributed smart camera networks have emerged as a new class of systems for wide-area surveillance applications. Wireless networks, however, introduce a number of constraints to the system that need to be considered, notably the communication bandwidth constraints. Existing approaches for target tracking using a camera network typically utilize target handover mechanisms between cameras, or combine results from 2D trackers in each camera into 3D target estimation. Such approaches suffer from scale selection, target rotation, and occlusion, drawbacks typically associated with 2D tracking. In this paper, we present an approach for tracking multiple targets directly in 3D space using a network of smart cameras. The approach employs multi-view histograms to characterize targets in 3D space using color and texture as the visual features. The visual features from each camera along with the target models are used in a probabilistic tracker to estimate the target state. We introduce four variations of our base tracker that incur different computational and communication costs on each node and result in different tracking accuracy. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed trackers by comparing their performance to a 3D tracker that fuses the results of independent 2D trackers. We also present performance analysis of the base tracker along Quality-of-Service (QoS) and Quality-of-Information (QoI) metrics, and study QoS vs. QoI trade-offs between the proposed tracker variations. Finally, we demonstrate our tracker in a real-life scenario using a camera network deployed in a building.
The Linkages between Real Estate Tourism and Urban Sprawl in Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)
Authors: Hof Angela , Blázquez-Salom Macià
Published: May 2013

Financial capitalism has driven profound changes in urban land use patterns in Majorca, at the Balearic Islands (Spain). This archipelago is a major tourist destination located in the Mediterranean basin, with 4,492 km2 of surface area, 1,113,114 inhabitants and 12,316,399 tourists (2011), of whom 29.9% came from Germany, 24% from the UK and 19% from the rest of Spain. Neoliberal state regulation has favored the elite’s financial interests in the real estate sector through transport megaproject investment and lifting regional planning restrictions which prevented urban growth. Urban sprawl is becoming increasingly significant for inland Majorca, where intensive tourist resorts had not previously been developed. Urban growth distribution patterns are studied, firstly of suburban development both for tourists and for residential purposes, and secondly of exurban sprawl distribution for isolated dwellings. Recent regional planning relaxation guided by the free market economy and roll-with-it politics aims to promote this urban sprawl as a neoliberal answer to the current crisis of capitalism. In this way, a new model of capital investment in urban spatio-temporal fix, such as countryside villas with swimming pools, is shifting the urban model of this island. The paper identifies the site-specific spatial, temporal and planning pathways through which the actions and decisions of residential tourists and developers buying property in Majorca have driven urban sprawl and vice versa.
Hydrogen Production by Steam Reforming of Ethanol over Nickel Catalysts Supported on Sol Gel Made Alumina: Influence of Calcination Temperature on Supports
Authors: Yaakob Zahira , Bshish Ahmed , Ebshish Ali , Tasirin Siti , Alhasan Fatah
Published: May 2013

Selecting a proper support in the catalyst system plays an important role in hydrogen production via ethanol steam reforming. In this study, sol gel made alumina supports prepared for nickel (Ni) catalysts were calcined at different temperatures. A series of (Ni/AlS.G.) catalysts were synthesized by an impregnation procedure. The influence of varying the calcination temperature of the sol gel made supports on catalyst activity was tested in ethanol reforming reaction. The characteristics of the sol gel alumina supports and Ni catalysts were affected by the calcination temperature of the supports. The structure of the sol gel made alumina supports was transformed in the order of γ → (γ + θ) → θ-alumina as the calcination temperature of the supports increased from 600 °C to 1000 °C. Both hydrogen yield and ethanol conversion presented a volcano-shaped behavior with maximum values of 4.3 mol/mol ethanol fed and 99.5%, respectively. The optimum values were exhibited over Ni/AlS.G800 (Ni catalyst supported on sol gel made alumina calcined at 800 °C). The high performance of the Ni/AlS.G800 catalyst may be attributed to the strong interaction of Ni species and sol gel made alumina which lead to high nickel dispersion and small particle size.
The Mathematics of a Successful Deconvolution: A Quantitative Assessment of Mixture-Based Combinatorial Libraries Screened Against Two Formylpeptide Receptors
Authors: Santos Radleigh , Appel Jon , Giulianotti Marc , Edwards Bruce , Sklar Larry , Houghten Richard , Pinilla Clemencia
Published: May 2013

In the past 20 years, synthetic combinatorial methods have fundamentally advanced the ability to synthesize and screen large numbers of compounds for drug discovery and basic research. Mixture-based libraries and positional scanning deconvolution combine two approaches for the rapid identification of specific scaffolds and active ligands. Here we present a quantitative assessment of the screening of 32 positional scanning libraries in the identification of highly specific and selective ligands for two formylpeptide receptors. We also compare and contrast two mixture-based library approaches using a mathematical model to facilitate the selection of active scaffolds and libraries to be pursued for further evaluation. The flexibility demonstrated in the differently formatted mixture-based libraries allows for their screening in a wide range of assays.
Protein-Protein Interactions: Gene Acronym Redundancies and Current Limitations Precluding Automated Data Integration
Authors: Casado-Vela Juan , Matthiesen Rune , Sellés Susana , Naranjo José
Published: May 2013

Understanding protein interaction networks and their dynamic changes is a major challenge in modern biology. Currently, several experimental and in silico approaches allow the screening of protein interactors in a large-scale manner. Therefore, the bulk of information on protein interactions deposited in databases and peer-reviewed published literature is constantly growing. Multiple databases interfaced from user-friendly web tools recently emerged to facilitate the task of protein interaction data retrieval and data integration. Nevertheless, as we evidence in this report, despite the current efforts towards data integration, the quality of the information on protein interactions retrieved by in silico approaches is frequently incomplete and may even list false interactions. Here we point to some obstacles precluding confident data integration, with special emphasis on protein interactions, which include gene acronym redundancies and protein synonyms. Three human proteins (choline kinase, PPIase and uromodulin) and three different web-based data search engines focused on protein interaction data retrieval (PSICQUIC, DASMI and BIPS) were used to explain the potential occurrence of undesired errors that should be considered by researchers in the field. We demonstrate that, despite the recent initiatives towards data standardization, manual curation of protein interaction networks based on literature searches are still required to remove potential false positives. A three-step workflow consisting of: (i) data retrieval from multiple databases, (ii) peer-reviewed literature searches, and (iii) data curation and integration, is proposed as the best strategy to gather updated information on protein interactions. Finally, this strategy was applied to compile bona fide information on human DREAM protein interactome, which constitutes liable training datasets that can be used to improve computational predictions.
Comparing Two Methods of Surface Change Detection on an Evolving Thermokarst Using High-Temporal-Frequency Terrestrial Laser Scanning, Selawik River, Alaska
Authors: Barnhart Theodore , Crosby Benjamin
Published: May 2013

Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) allow large and complex landforms to be rapidly surveyed at previously unattainable point densities. Many change detection methods have been employed to make use of these rich data sets, including cloud to mesh (C2M) comparisons and Multiscale Model to Model Cloud Comparison (M3C2). Rather than use simulated point cloud data, we utilized a 58 scan TLS survey data set of the Selawik retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) to compare C2M and M3C2. The Selawik RTS is a rapidly evolving permafrost degradation feature in northwest Alaska that presents challenging survey conditions and a unique opportunity to compare change detection methods in a difficult surveying environment. Additionally, this study considers several error analysis techniques, investigates the spatial variability of topographic change across the feature and explores visualization techniques that enable the analysis of this spatiotemporal data set. C2M reports a higher magnitude of topographic change over short periods of time (~12 h) and reports a lower magnitude of topographic change over long periods of time (~four weeks) when compared to M3C2. We found that M3C2 provides a better accounting of the sources of uncertainty in TLS change detection than C2M, because it considers the uncertainty due to surface roughness and scan registration. We also found that localized areas of the RTS do not always approximate the overall retreat of the feature and show considerable spatial variability during inclement weather; however, when averaged together, the spatial subsets approximate the retreat of the entire feature. New data visualization techniques are explored to leverage temporally and spatially continuous data sets. Spatially binning the data into vertical strips along the headwall reduced the spatial complexity of the data and revealed spatiotemporal patterns of change.
A New Hybrid Gyroscope with Electrostatic Negative Stiffness Tuning
Authors: Yang Bo , Guan Yumei , Wang Shourong , Zou Qi , Chu Xian , Xue Haiyan
Published: May 2013

A variety of gyroscopes have been extensively studied due to their capability of precision detection of rotation rates and extensive applications in navigation, guidance and motion control. In this work, a new Hybrid Gyroscope (HG) which combines the traditional Dynamically Tuned Gyroscope (DTG) with silicon micromachined technology is investigated. The HG not only has the potentiality of achieving the same high precision as the traditional DTG, but also features a small size and low cost. The theoretical mechanism of the HG with a capacitance transducer and an electrostatic torquer is derived and the influence of the installation errors from the capacitance plate and the disc rotor module is investigated. A new tuning mechanism based on negative stiffness rather than the traditional dynamic tuning is proposed. The experimental results prove that the negative stiffness tuning is practicable and a tuning voltage of as high as 63 V is demonstrated. Due to the decreased installation error, the non-linearity of the scale factor is reduced significantly from 11.78% to 0.64%, as well as the asymmetry from 93.3% to 1.56% in the open loop condition. The rebalancing close-loop control is simulated and achieved experimentally, which proves that the fundamental principle of the HG is feasible.