bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantification of human error in maintenance using graph theory and matrix approach
Authors: Aju kumar V. N. , Gandhi O. P. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractAssessment of human error in maintenance requires identification of the contributing factors that lead to human error(s). These factors are called human error inducing factors (HEIFs), which take into consideration both the active and latent error contributing aspects related to man, machine and environment. A systems approach of the Graph Theory is applied in this paper for quantifying human error in maintenance activities that models the identified factors and their interactions/interrelationships in terms of human error digraph. The nodes in the digraph represent the HEIFs and the edges represent their interrelationships. The digraph is converted into an equivalent matrix and an expression based on this is developed, which is characteristic of the human error in maintenance. This expression is used to evaluate a human error index by substituting the numerical value of the factors and their interrelations. The index is a measure of the human error potential involved in the maintenance of systems. A higher value of index indicates that the error likelihood is more for the associated tasks, and more efforts are required to make the system less prone to human error. The proposed methodology is illustrated using a case study. The approach is anticipated to play a significant role in identifying sources of human errors and predicting their impact; and will help to integrate human factors during design stage with the objective of reducing human error in maintenance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Random coloring method in the combinatorial problem of Erdős and Lovász
Authors: Shabanov Dmitry A. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe work deals with a combinatorial problem of P. Erdős and L. Lovász concerning simple hypergraphs. Let
$m^{*}(n,r)$
denote the minimum number of edges in an n‐uniform simple hypergraph with chromatic number at least $r+1$. The main result of the work is a new asymptotic lower bound for $m^{*}(n,r)$. We prove that for large n and r satisfying $r\le n^{1/9}$
the following inequality holds

where
$t=\left \lfloor\sqrt{\min \left({{\ln n}\over{\ln r}},{{\ln n}\over{2\ln((4/3)\ln n)}}\right)}\right \rfloor$. This bound improves previously known bounds for $r < n^{1/36}$. The proof is based on a method of random coloring. We have also obtained results concerning colorings of h‐simple hypergraphs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2012
Effect of tacticity on the dielectric properties of polystyrene
Authors: Hikosaka Saki , Ohki Yoshimichi 
Published: March 2011

AbstractDielectric properties of polystyrene (PS) were investigated by measuring electrical conduction current and frequency spectra of complex permittivity at temperatures from 20 to 199 °C. To clarify the effects of tacticity, the properties were compared among two kinds of syndiotactic PS (SPS) with different crystallinity values and one atactic PS (APS). Experimental results indicate that the two SPS samples show a high melting point of about 250 °C. The conductivity is lowest in SPS with the low crystallinity in the whole temperature range from 20 to 199 °C, while APS had a breakdown at 140 °C. Moreover, the low‐crystallinity SPS shows the smallest permittivity values and the smallest increase in dielectric loss factor toward low frequencies among the three samples. The high‐crystallinity SPS has α crystals. Since the density of α crystals is lower than the amorphous region, the charge transport and polarization are easier in the high‐crystallinity SPS than in the low‐crystallinity SPS. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Frequency shift filter‐based multi‐carrier transceiver
Authors: Hu Yakun , Wu Dapeng 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTIt is well known that orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is sensitive to carrier frequency offset (CFO) and suffers from a high peak‐to‐average ratio. In addition, the performance of OFDM is severely affected by strong co‐channel interference and strong narrowband interference. To mitigate the limitations of OFDM, we propose a new multi‐carrier transceiver based on frequency‐shift filter. A frequency‐shift filter can separate spectrally overlapping sub‐carrier signals by exploiting the spectral correlation inherent in the cyclostationary modulated signals. To increase spectral efficiency, we increase the percentage of spectral overlap between two adjacent sub‐channels. We derive an upper bound and a lower bound on the bit error rate performance of the proposed multi‐carrier transceiver in additive white Gaussian noise channel and frequency‐nonselective Rayleigh fading channel, respectively. Compared with OFDM, our simulation results show that the proposed multi‐carrier transceiver is much less sensitive to CFO and has a lower peak‐to‐average ratio; moreover, without any additional interference suppression technique, the proposed transceiver has the advantage of being able to mitigate strong co‐channel interference with CFO from the intended multi‐carrier signal and mitigate strong narrowband interference in additive white Gaussian noise channel and in Rayleigh fading channel in which a large CFO between the transmitted signal and the received signal often occurs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
“Supraportal” Right Posterior Hepatic Artery: An Anatomic Trap in Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgery
Authors: Yoshioka Yuichiro , Ebata Tomoki , Yokoyama Yukihiro , Igami Tsuyoshi , Sugawara Gen , Nagino Masato 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackgroundA supraportal right posterior hepatic artery (RPHA), which runs cranially to the right portal vein and goes to the liver, has never been described.MethodsThe course of the RPHA to the right portal vein was evaluated, using (1) computed tomography (CT) arteriography and portography in 300 patients who underwent multidetector row CT (radiologic study) and (2) operative records in 203 patients who underwent left‐sided hepatectomy for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (surgical study).ResultsIn the radiologic study, an infraportal type RPHA was observed in 239 (79.7%) patients, a supraportal type in 35 (11.7%), and a combined type in 26 (8.7%). In the surgical study, an infraportal type was observed in 179 (88.2%) patients, a supraportal type in 11 (5.4%), and a combined type in 13 (6.4%). In two patients with the combined type RPHA, the supraportal hepatic artery of the right posterior superior segment (A7) was injured during surgery. In another two patients with advanced carcinoma involving the supraportal PRHA, combined hepatic artery resection and reconstruction was necessary. Overall, in 4 (17.4%) of the 24 hepatectomized patients with supraportal or combined type RPHA, iatrogenic injury during surgery or cancer invasion of the hepatic artery occurred due to the course of the RPHA itself. In contrast, 179 hepatectomized patients with infraportal type RPHA did not have such course‐dependent complications.ConclusionsThe supraportal RPHA runs just beneath the right hepatic duct, which may function as an anatomic trap during hepatobiliary and transplant surgery.
Determinants of the omega-3 index in a Mediterranean population at increased risk for CHD
Authors: Sala-Vila Aleix , Harris William S. , Cofán Montserrat , Pérez-Heras Ana M. , Pintó Xavier , Lamuela-Raventós Rosa M. , Covas Maria-Isabel , Estruch Ramon , Ros Emilio 
Published: March 2011

The omega-3 index, defined as the sum of EPA and DHA in erythrocyte membranes expressed as a percentage of total fatty acids, has been proposed as both a risk marker and risk factor for CHD death. A major determinant of the omega-3 index is EPA+DHA intake, but the impact of other dietary fatty acids has not been investigated. In a cross-sectional study on 198 subjects (102 men and 96 women, mean age 66 years) at high cardiovascular risk living in Spain, the country with low rates of cardiac death despite a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, dietary data were acquired from FFQ and blood cell membrane fatty acid composition was measured by GC. The average consumption of EPA+DHA was 0·9 g/d and the mean omega-3 index was 7·1 %. In multivariate models, EPA+DHA intake was the main predictor of the omega-3 index but explained only 12 % of its variability (P < 0·001). No associations with other dietary fatty acids were observed. Although the single most influential determinant of the omega-3 index measured here was the intake of EPA+DHA, it explained little of the former's variability; hence, the effects of other factors (genetic, dietary and lifestyle) remain to be determined. Nevertheless, the high omega-3 index could at least partially explain the paradox of low rates of fatal CHD in Spain despite a high background prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors.
On conditional permutability and saturated formations
Authors: Arroyo-Jordá M. , Arroyo-Jordá P. , Pérez-Ramos M. D. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractTwo subgroupsAandBof a groupGare said to be totally completely conditionally permutable (tcc-permutable) inGifXpermutes withYgfor someg∊ 〈X, Y〉, for allX≤AandY≤B. We study the belonging of a finite product of tcc-permutable subgroups to a saturated formation of soluble groups containing all finite supersoluble groups.
SPOUSAL AGREEMENT ON PREFERRED WAITING TIME TO NEXT BIRTH IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Authors: GEBRESELASSIE TESFAYI , MISHRA VINOD 
Published: March 2011

SummaryThis study investigates how various social, demographic and economic factors affect spousal agreement on preferred waiting time to next birth. Data for matched cohabiting couples from ten Demographic and Health Surveys in sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe), conducted between 2003 and 2006, were analysed to compare reported waiting time to next birth by the husband and the wife. Couples where the reported waiting time to next birth was the same for both partners (difference is 0 months) were defined as having agreement on waiting time to next birth. In sub-Saharan Africa, spousal agreement on waiting time to next birth was found to be associated with wanting the next child sooner. When the spouses disagree on waiting time to next birth, the wives want to wait longer than their husbands in most cases. Additionally, the study found that demographic factors are the primary determinants of spousal agreement on waiting time to next birth, not socioeconomic factors. The strongest predictors of spousal agreement on waiting time to next birth were number of living children, difference between the number of ideal and living children and wife's age. Couples with fewer children, a younger wife and those with a difference of five or more children between ideal and living number of children were more likely to agree on waiting time to next birth. Effects of socioeconomic factors, such as education and wealth status, on spousal agreement on waiting time to next birth were generally weak and inconsistent. The findings highlight some of the challenges in developing programmes to promote spousal communication and birth spacing and underscore the need for programmes to be gender-sensitive.
A sensorimotor area (NIf) is required for the production of learned vocalizations
Authors: Gobes Sharon , Ölveczky Bence 
Published: March 2011

AbstractSensory feedback is essential for the acquisition of complex motor behaviors, including birdsong. In zebra finches, auditory feedback is relayed to the descending motor pathway primarily through the nucleus interfacialis nidopalii (NIf). NIf projects to HVC - a premotor region essential for song, which projects to RA, a motor cortex analogue brain area that drives muscle activity required for vocalizations. NIf is also essential for ‘sleep replay’, a recapitulation of song-related neural dynamics in the motor pathway during sleep. Despite being one of the major inputs to the song control pathway, there is no known role for NIf in the production of zebra finch song. To address this, we reversibly inactivated NIf using TTX or Muscimol in 13 birds. We compared songs before and during inactivation and found large effects of NIf inactivation on song structure. Vocalizations after NIf inactivation resembled subsong, highly variable utterances typical of the very early phases of song learning. Subsong is driven by LMAN, the output nucleus of an avian basal ganglia circuit that projects to RA. To verify that NIf inactivations indeed switched song control from HVC to LMAN, we inactivated LMAN in conjunction with NIf in four birds. As with LMAN inactivations after HVC lesions, this manipulation led to a complete cessation of singing. We also lesioned NIf using ibotenic acid and saw the song recover within a day, consistent with previous studies. Our results show that NIf input to HVC is acutely necessary for generating learned vocal behavior in songbirds, and that in its absence vocal production reverts to subsong driven by LMAN. Absent NIf input, the song circuit reorganizes and recovers its ability to produce pre-lesion song over the course of 1-2 days, suggesting a redundant role for NIf that can be assumed by other parts of the song circuit.
Pilot Study of Oral Valganciclovir Therapy in Patients With Classic Kaposi Sarcoma
Authors: Krown Susan E. , Dittmer Dirk P. , Cesarman Ethel 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe conducted a clinical trial of oral valganciclovir, a drug with in vitro activity against Kaposi sarcoma (KS)–associated herpesvirus (KSHV), in classic KS. Five human immunodeficiency virus–seronegative participants received valganciclovir for up to six 4-week cycles at doses used for cytomegalovirus infection. None of the study subjects showed an objective response; KS progressed in 4 subjects after 1–4 cycles and remained stable in 1 subject after 6 cycles. KS biopsies showed minimal lytic KSHV antigen and gene expression at baseline and no treatment-associated changes. Although valganciclovir was not active against KS in this setting, other appropriately targeted anti-herpesviral strategies may prove to be more effective.
Corn Endosperm Fermentation Using Endogenous Amino Nitrogen Generated by a Fungal Protease
Authors: Vidal Bernardo C. , Rausch Kent D. , Tumbleson M. E. , Singh Vijay 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTFractionating the corn kernel to separate endosperm from germ and pericarp improves corn ethanol processing by increasing fermentation throughput and generating salable coproducts. One fractionation technology, dry fractionation (DF), suffers from loss of germ‐derived nutrients and amino acids, resulting in poor fermentation performance. Such deficiencies may be addressed by increasing nitrogen and other nutritional supplementation. As an alternative to exogenous nitrogen source, we investigated the use of a fungal protease to generate free amino nitrogen (FAN) from corn endosperm. Incubation of endosperm with protease did not affect subsequent liquefaction and saccharification. FAN supplementation through proteolysis resulted in fermentation being 99% complete in 48 hr, compared to 93% maximum with urea supplementation. Viable cell growth rates were similar in FAN and urea‐supplemented fermentations. Urea and FAN addition resulted in similar fermentation characteristics and similar FAN consumption rates as with FAN alone, which was indicative that FAN was assimilated preferentially. Increased amounts of maltose remaining after fermentation were correlated with initial FAN concentrations in mash. This observed trend was implicated in ethanol yield reduction of 2 g/L at high protease loading (generating 1.6 mg of FAN/g of glucose substrate) compared to a urea control. Using a glucose and maltose solution, we confirmed higher residual maltose in fermentations supplemented with high FAN concentrations. Use of protease to generate optimal FAN concentration in mash (1.2 mg of FAN/g of glucose substrate) could improve economics of dry fractionated corn ethanol production by increasing fermentation rates and, consequently, reducing fermentation time.
Pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease
Authors: Takahashi K , Oharaseki T , Yokouchi Y 
Published: March 2011

Summary
Kawasaki disease (KD) most frequently affects infants and young children under 5 years of age. This disease is considered a kind of systemic vasculitis syndrome, and primarily invades the medium-sized muscular arteries, including coronary arteries. Diagnosis of KD is based on characteristic clinical signs and symptoms, which are classified as principal clinical findings and other clinical and laboratory findings. Even though the aetiology of KD is unknown, epidemiological data suggest that some kinds of infectious agents are involved in the onset of KD. In addition, the data indicate that host genetics underlie the disease's pathogenesis. Histologically, coronary arteritis begins 6–8 days after the onset of KD, and leads immediately to inflammation of all layers of the artery. The inflammation spreads completely around the artery; as a result, structural components of the artery undergo intense damage; the artery then begins to dilate. Inflammatory cell infiltration continues until about the 25th day of the disease, after which the inflammatory cells gradually decrease in number. KD arteritis is characterized by granulomatous inflammation that consists of severe accumulation of monocytes/macrophages. Aberrant activation of monocytes/macrophages is thought to be involved in the formation of vascular lesions. The lesions in all the arteries are relatively synchronous as they evolve from acute to chronic injury. There is no fibrinoid necrosis nor any mixture of acute inflammatory lesions and scarring lesions, which are characteristics in polyarteritis nodosa in KD.
Cyclophosphamide as induction therapy for Wegener's granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis
Authors: Langford C A 
Published: March 2011

Summary
The introduction of cyclophosphamide (CyP) as a treatment for Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) has been among the most significant contributions in vasculitis. Prior to the introduction of CyP, WG was a uniformly fatal disease, with mortality occurring within 5–12 months from pulmonary or renal failure or from infection due to glucocorticoids. In 1973 Fauci and Wolff, at the National Institutes of Health, published their experience with a regimen that combined CyP and prednisone in which disease remission was seen in 12 of 14 patients. Long-term experience with CyP provided even greater evidence for its efficacy in which an 80% survival rate was seen, with 91% of patients having significant improvement and 75% achieving complete remission. However, extended follow-up also demonstrated that disease relapse occurred in at least 50% of patients and that 42% experienced morbidity solely as a result of treatment. These observations showed that while CyP was life-saving, it did not prevent relapse and was associated with significant toxicity such that safer means to induce remission needed to be pursued. Strategies aimed at reducing exposure to CyP have included intermittent administration, induction–maintenance regimens and avoidance of CyP for non-severe disease. Recently, the introduction of rituximab has raised important questions regarding the place of CyP in the treatment of WG/MPA. This paper examines the past, present and future of CyP through a review of its efficacy and safety.
Arabidopsis MAP Kinase Phosphatase 1 (AtMKP1) negatively regulates MPK6‐mediated PAMP responses and resistance against bacteria
Authors: Anderson Jeffrey C. , Bartels Sebastian , Besteiro Marina A. González , Shahollari Bationa , Ulm Roman , Peck Scott C. 
Published: March 2011

SummaryA primary component of plant defense is the detection of pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by plasma membrane‐localized pathogen recognition receptors. PAMP perception results in rapid and transient activation of phosphorylation‐dependent signaling pathways that lead to a wide array of defense‐related responses, including extensive changes in gene expression. In Arabidopsis, several kinases, including the mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) MPK6 and MPK3, are rapidly activated after PAMP treatment, and are thought to positively regulate a wide array of defense‐related responses. In contrast, negative regulation of PAMP responses by downstream phosphatases remains poorly understood. Here we report the identification of Arabidopsis MAP Kinase Phosphatase 1 (MKP1) as a negative regulator of diverse PAMP responses, including activation of MPK6 and MPK3, transient production of extracellular reactive oxygen species, accumulation of a subset of PAMP‐regulated transcripts, and inhibition of seedling growth. In agreement with the enhanced PAMP response phenotypes observed in the mkp1 mutant, we found that mkp1 seedlings and adult plants are more resistant to the virulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000. Further genetic analysis revealed that MPK6, but not MPK3, is required for the mkp1‐dependent increase in resistance to Pto and enhanced PAMP‐induced growth inhibition observed in mkp1 seedlings. Together, our data support a role for MKP1 as a negative regulator of MPK6‐mediated PAMP responses.
Developmental changes in transcriptional profiles
Authors: Loomis William F. , Shaulsky Gad 
Published: March 2011

Recent advances in quantitation of mRNA by hybridization to microarrayed gene sequences or by deep sequencing of cDNA (RNA‐seq) have provided global views of the abundance of each transcript. Analyses of RNA samples taken at 2 or 4 h intervals throughout development of Dictyostelium discoideum have defined the developmental changes in transcriptional profiles. Comparisons of the transcriptome of wild‐type cells to that of mutant strains lacking a gene critical to progression through the developmental stages have defined key steps in the progression. The transcriptional response to cAMP pulses depends on the expression of pulse‐independent genes that have been identified by transcriptional profiling with microarrays. Similar techniques were used to discover that the DNA binding protein GBF functions in a feed‐forward loop to regulate post‐aggregation genes and that expression of a set of late genes during culmination is dependent on the DNA binding protein SrfA. RNA‐seq is able to reliably measure individual mRNAs present as a single copy per cell as well as mRNAs present at a thousand fold higher abundance. Using this technique it was found that 65% of the genes in Dictyostelium change twofold or more during development. Many decrease during the first 8 h of development, while the rest increase at specific stages and this pattern is evolutionarily conserved as found by comparing the transcriptomes of D. discoideum and Dictyostelium purpureum. The transcriptional profile of each gene is readily available at dictyBase and more sophisticated analyses are available on DictyExpress.