http://www.isrn.comThe latest articles from International Scholarly Research Network© 2012, International Scholarly Research Network. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/dermatology/2012/698034/Wound healing is a complex process involving a number of processes. Fetal regeneration has been shown to have a number of differences compared to scar-forming healing. This review discusses the number of differences identified in fetal regeneration. Understanding these differences may result in new therapeutic targets which may reduce or even prevent scarring in adult healing.K. J. Rolfe and A. O. GrobbelaarCopyright © 2012 K. J. Rolfe and A. O. Grobbelaar. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/me/2012/676751/This work examines how vapor-deposited coating of DLC (partially diamond) on stainless steel 304 substrate is affected by the sound vibration. For this, a specially designed chemical vapor deposition (thermal CVD and hot filament) apparatus having facility of generating sound vibration at different frequency is fabricated. A coating of DLC (partially diamond) has been deposited on the substrate, and the characterization of the coating has been done by SEM, EDX, and XRD. The coating of carbon is identified by EDX, and the allotropic forms of graphite and diamond peaks of carbon are found by XRD analysis. By SEM analysis, it is found that the microstructures of deposited coatings are more compact and smoother under vibration than those in absence of vibration. The experiments were conducted under different ranges of vibration including sonic and ultrasonic range. Studies have shown that the growth rate of deposited coating on a unit area is higher under vibration than that in absence of vibration. It is found that deposition rate varies with the distance between substrate and activation heater and frequency of vibration. The deposition rate does not vary significantly with the change of frequency in the sonic range. The amount of deposition under ultrasonic vibration increases significantly with the frequency of vibration upto 5-6 mm distance between substrate and activation heater. Within this distance, the difference of deposition rate under vibration and without vibration conditions increases almost linearly with the increase of frequency of vibration. Beyond this distance, the effect of frequency on deposition rate becomes almost constant. In addition, the higher the distance, the less is the effectiveness of frequency of vibration on the deposition rate in that range. The deposition rate increases due to the extra vibration of sound added to the system which may enhance the activation energy by increasing its kinetic energy. The experimental results are compared with those available in the literature, and physical explanations are provided.Syed Md. Ihsanul Karim, Mohammad Asaduzzaman Chowdhury, and Md. Maksud HelaliCopyright © 2012 Syed Md. Ihsanul Karim et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oncology/2012/674523/Background. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, it represents 5–8% of childhood malignancies. Aim of the Work. To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics and treatment outcome in two pediatric oncology centers. Patients and Method. A retrospective analysis was performed on 41 medical records of children with RMS during 6 years period. Results. The median age of patients was 6 years with 80.4% below 10 years. Head and neck was the most common primary site. Embryonal RMS was the most frequent histopathologic subtype. Stage IV was the most frequent stage. According to IRS postsurgical grouping classification, group 4 was the most frequent group. There was a significant relationship between histopathologic subtypes of tumor and metastasis, primary site of tumor and histopathologic subtype, age, metastasis, IRS presurgical stage and IRS postsurgical group and outcome. The overall survival rate was 56.9% ± 8.4 and the failure free survival rate was 68.3% ± 7.6. Conclusion. The epidemiological characteristics of our patients are quite near to the worldwide data, apart from the higher prevalence of stage IV and group 4 with most of the primary tumor site in the extremities. CWS2002 protocol of therapy had led to improvement in the curability of the disease.M. A. Badr, Y. A. Al-Tonbary, A. K. Mansour, T. H. Hassan, M. R. Beshir, A. Darwish, and R. A. El-AshryCopyright © 2012 M. A. Badr et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/inflammation/2012/267101/Streptococcus pneumonia, (Spn, the pneumococcus), is the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and is responsible for 15–40% deaths in the elderly worldwide. A primed inflammatory status is a significant risk factor for the increased severity of infectious diseases among the elderly (≥65 years of age). Studies have shown that expression of host receptors that the pneumococci bind to invade the tissues are increased thereby increasing the susceptibility to pneumococcal challenge in aged mice. Cellular senescence, an age-related phenomenon that leads to cell cycle arrest may also contribute to increased inflammation in aged mice. Evidence of cellular senescence in aged lungs of humans and mice adds credits to the concept of inflammaging and enhanced bacterial ligands expression during aging. Furthermore, cell senescence has been shown to occur in age-associated lung pathologies such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that may predispose the elderly to pathogenic assaults, including S. pneumoniae. This review highlights the aspects of: chronic inflammation in the aged population; contribution of cellular senescence to age-associated inflammation and their impact on host receptor expression; and, increased susceptibility of fibrosis and emphysematous lesions-bearing lungs to microbial infections.Pooja ShivshankarCopyright © 2012 Pooja Shivshankar. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/orthopedics/2012/431374/Background. Selection of entry point for nail insertion is controversial and lack firm anatomical basis. The study is done to analyze the proximal anthropometry of femur and measure the Trochanter-Shaft Angle to find its relation and significance in selection of entry point for antegrade uniplanar femoral nail. Materials and Methods. Study involves the measurement of trochanter-shaft angle and other anthropometric measurements on 50 dry femora and on digital radiogram. Results. Trochanter-Shaft angle ranges between 5–17 degrees in anthropometric study and 4–14 degrees in radiological study. Over all in 27 cases (54%), exit points of reamur fall in the middle quadrant in sagittal and coronal plane, which corresponds to the T-S angle of 6–12 degrees. Discussion and Conclusion. Proximal femoral Anthropometry and Trochanter-shaft angle is variable; hence it is difficult to fix any anatomical point as a universal entry point for antegrade femoral nail insertion. Trochanter shaft angle (TSA) can be well accessed radiologically and serve as a guide for selection of proper entry point.for safe nail insertion. Clinical Relevance. Individual variations in the proximal femur anatomy for safe nail insertion can be correlated with Trochanter shaft angle to serve safe entry site.O. P. LakhwaniCopyright © 2012 O. P. Lakhwani. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/urology/2012/304205/Objective. To evaluate functional outcome of the retrourethral transobturator sling suspension (RTS) in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) caused by prior prostate surgery. Methods. The RTS (AdVance male sling) was implanted in 32 patients who suffered from mild to severe postsurgical-treatment incontinence at the University Hospital Ulm from September 2010 to September 2011 including 10 patients with prior radiation therapy. Functional data (uroflowmetry, daily pad use, and postvoid residual urine) as well as quality of life with impact of urinary problems (ICIQ-UI SF) were prospectively assessed at baseline and during followup. Results. After a median followup of 9 months (range, 3–14) the incontinence cure rate (no pad usage) was 56.2% and the improvement rate (1-2 pads/day or ≥50% reduction) was 21.9%. No improvement was observed in 21.9%. Daily pad use and ICIQ-UI SF score improved significantly. No major perioperative complications occurred. Postoperatively, 15.6% of the patients exhibited transient acute urinary retention which resolved without further treatment after a maximum of 3 weeks. One patient underwent sling explantation due to dislocation and persistent perineal pain. Conclusions. The implantation of the RTS is a safe and effective procedure in selected patients with SUI resulting from prostate surgery.Johannes Mueller, Andres Jan Schrader, Thomas Schnoeller, Friedemann Zengerling, Ilija Damjanoski, Andreas Al Ghazal, Mark Schrader, and Florian JentzmikCopyright © 2012 Johannes Mueller et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/thermodynamics/2012/528737/A thermodynamic expression for the analog of the canonical ensemble for nonequilibrium systems is described based on a purely information theoretical interpretation of entropy. It is shown that this nonequilibrium canonical distribution implies some important results from nonequilibrium thermodynamics, specifically, the fluctuation theorem and the Jarzynski equality. Those results are therefore expected to be more widely applicable, for example, to macroscopic systems.Maarten H. P. AmbaumCopyright © 2012 Maarten H. P. Ambaum. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/sp/2012/914232/Segmentations of medical images are required in a number of medical applications such as quantitative analyses and patient-specific orthotics, yet accurate segmentation without significant user attention remains a challenge. This work presents a novel segmentation algorithm combining the region-growing Seeded Cellular Automata with a boundary term based on an edge-detected image. Both single processor and parallel processor implementations are developed and the algorithm is shown to be suitable for quick segmentations (2.2 s for 256×256×124 voxel brain MRI) and interactive supervision (2–220 Hz). Furthermore, a method is described for generating appropriate edge-detected images without requiring additional user attention. Experiments demonstrate higher segmentation accuracy for the proposed algorithm compared with both Graphcut and Seeded Cellular Automata, particularly when provided minimal user attention.Ryan A. BeasleyCopyright © 2012 Ryan A. Beasley. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/microbiology/2012/975143/Aims. To quantify the presence of SCCmec types and virulence genes among Staphylococcus aureus colonizing and infecting patients from a teaching hospital. Methods. We analyzed 225 and 84 S. aureus isolates recovered from surveillance and clinical cultures, respectively. Strains were studied for the presence and type of SCCmec, as well as for several virulence genes. Univariate and multivariable analysis were performed in order to identify predictors of invasiveness (defined as isolation from clinical cultures). Results. The presence of SCCmec types III (OR, 2.19, 95% CI, 1.08–4.45) and IV (OR, 5.28 95% CI, 1.35–20.63) and of genes coding for exfoliative toxin B (etb, OR, 6.38, 95% CI, 1.48–27.46) and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl, OR, 2.38, 95% CI, 1.16–4.86) was independently associated with invasiveness. Conclusions. SCCmec types III and IV and virulence genes are associated with greater invasiveness of S. aureus. Patients colonized with methicillin-resistant S. aureus, as well as with strains harboring etb or pvl, may be prone to develop invasive disease. Infection-preventing strategies should be more intensively applied to this group.Marcus Vinicius Pimenta Rodrigues, Carlos Magno Castelo Branco Fortaleza, Camila Sena Martins Souza, Natalia Bibiana Teixeira, and Maria de Lourdes Ribeiro de Souza da CunhaCopyright © 2012 Marcus Vinicius Pimenta Rodrigues et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ce/2012/469272/The fresh and hardened properties of waste virgin plastic mix concrete have been studied (CUR Report 1991). A number of concrete mixes were prepared in which sand was partially replaced by waste plastic flakes in varying percentages by volume. Waste plastic mix concrete with and without superplasticizer was tested at room temperature. Forty-eight cube samples were moulded for compressive strength tests at three, seven, and twenty-eight days. Eight beams were also cast to study the flexural strength characteristic of waste plastic mix concrete. It was found that the reduction in workability and compressive strength, due to partially replacement of sand by waste plastic, is minimal and can be enhanced by addition of superplasticizer.Baboo Rai, S. Tabin Rushad, Bhavesh Kr, and S. K. DuggalCopyright © 2012 Baboo Rai et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oncology/2012/178051/Aim. To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with endometrial carcinoma treated in a Latin American institute with emphasis in patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy. Methods. A total of 412 patients with endometrial carcinoma admitted to our hospital between 1998 and 2008 were evaluated, retrospectively. The mean age was 55 years (28–87). Two hundred seventy patients received RT following surgery. Stage distribution was as follows: 221 patients (54%) stage I, 86 patients (21%) stage II, and 103 patients (24.5%) stage III and 2 patients (0.5%) stage IVA. Results. Overall survival rate was 95% at 2 years, 84% at 5 years, and 79% at 10 years. By the end of followup, 338 patients (82%) were disease-free, and 13 (3%) were alive with disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified age, grade, serosal and adnexial involvement as significant predictors for overall survival. Conclusion. The results of our study suggests that early-stage, low-grade endometrial cancer with no risk factors should not receive external beam radiotherapy, intermediate risk patients should receive only vaginal vault brachytherapy, and the use of chemotherapy with radiotherapy for patients high-risk and advanced-stage carcinoma the addition of radiotherapy is associated with a better survival being an effective therapeutic option.Christian Flores, Carlos Mariscal, Alfredo Celis, Nidia M. Balcázar, Abelardo Meneses, Alejandro Mohar, Aida Mota, and Elizabeth TrejoCopyright © 2012 Christian Flores et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/algebra/2012/415207/We introduce right (left) g-semisymmetric ring as a new concept to generalize the well-known concept: symmetric ring. Examples are given to show that these classes of rings are distinct. They coincide under some conditions. It is shown that R is bounded right g-semisymmetric with boundary 1 from right if and only if R is symmetric, whenever R is regular. It is shown that a ring R is strongly regular if and only if R is regular and bounded right g-semisymmetric with boundary 1 from right. For a right p.p.-ring R it is shown that R is reduced if and only if R is symmetric, if and only if R is bounded right g-semisymmetric ring with boundary 1 from left, if and only if R is IFP, if and only if R is abelian. We prove that there is a special subring of the ring of 3×3 matrices over a ring without zero divisors which is bounded right g-semisymmetric with boundary 2 from left and boundary 2 from right. Also we show that flat left modules over bounded left g-semisymmetric ring with boundaries 1 from left and 1 from right are bounded left g-semisymmetric with boundaries 1 from left and 1 from right.Farahat S. Aly and Mohammed O. Al MestadyCopyright © 2012 Farahat S. Aly and Mohammed O. Al Mestady. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ac/2012/924185/A simple, precise, specific, and accurate high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of fexofenadine hydrochloride (FEX) and montelukast sodium (MTKT) in pharmaceutical dosage form. The separation was carried out on Merck HPTLC aluminum plates of silica gel G60 F254, (20×10 cm) with 250 μm thickness using toluene: ethyl acetate: methanol: ammonia (30%) (0.5: 7: 2: 0.5, v/v/v/v) as mobile phase. HPTLC separation of the two drugs followed by densitometric measurement was carried out in the absorbance mode at 220 nm. The drugs were resolved satisfactorily with Rf values of 0.21±0.01 and 0.59 ± 0.01 for FEX and MTKT, respectively. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plots showed good linear relationship with r2=0.9996 and 0.9998 for FEX and MTKT, respectively, in the concentration range of 2400–10800 ng spot-1 for FEX and 200–900 ng spot-1 for MTKT. The method was validated for precision, robustness, specificity, and accuracy. The limits of detection and quantitation were 100 and 300 ng spot-1, respectively, for FEX and 50 and 100 ng spot-1, respectively, for MTKT. The proposed developed HPTLC method can be applied for identification and quantitative determination of FEX and MTKT in bulk drug and drug formulation.Suparna S. Tandulwadkar, Snehal J. More, Atul S. Rathore, Ajinkya R. Nikam, Lohidasan Sathiyanarayanan, and Kakasaheb R. MahadikCopyright © 2012 Suparna S. Tandulwadkar et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/immunology/2012/817478/The epidemic of HIV/AIDS exists in China from more than 26 years and is still at a low prevalence (<0.06%) on the global level. The purpose of this paper is to disclose the rational of how to keep the low rate through strenthening key strategies and comprehensive measures for prevention and control of the disease using collecting, reviewing, and analyzing surveillance data, special materials from publications, national meetings, symposiums, and forums, major research results as well as the personal experiences within the period of 1985–2011. In the meantime, the paper mentions that currently China is facing challenges and also going to carry out its actions concerning how to deal with the problems in order to respond to the UN CALL on “Getting to Zero”.Laiyi KangCopyright © 2012 Laiyi Kang. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/forestry/2012/243694/A comprehensive understanding of the physiological responses of plants to extreme temperatures is essential for future strategies for plant improvement. Obvious advantages can result from the study of highly adapted plant species, such as the model tree Populus euphratica Olivier that naturally thrives under extreme temperatures, saline soils, and drought. The present paper addresses the issue of P. euphratica thermotolerance using a cell suspension model system. P. euphratica suspended cells were subjected to a range of temperatures (from 5 up to 75°C) for 20 min, and cultures were evaluated for cell viability and biomass content at specific time points. The results have shown that cell viability was only affected after a temperature stress higher than 40°C, although in these conditions it was observed that a cell growth increases after the recovery period. In contrast, a total decline in cell viability was observed in suspended cells treated at 50°C or higher temperatures, which did not show growth recovery capacity. Therefore, the known natural tolerance of P. euphratica to thermal stress was not observable at the cellular level. The greater susceptibility to high temperatures in suspended cells as compared to field plants suggests that high thermotolerance can only be achieved when cells are integrated into a tissue.Joana Silva-Correia, Herlânder Azevedo, Teresa Lino-Neto, and Rui Manuel TavaresCopyright © 2012 Joana Silva-Correia et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ac/2012/153081/The objective of this study is to investigate the contamination levels of toxic elements (TEs) in the vicinity of the small-scale mining Boroo area, Mongolia. Samples of surface soil, ground water and human hair were collected around the gold washing or milling places, grassland and village areas. After appropriate preparation, all samples were analyzed for major and toxic elements (TEs) by Particle-Induced X-ray Emission Spectrometry (PIXE). Soil texture, conductivity (EC), pH, total organic carbon (TC) and nitrogen (TN) contents were also measured. The enrichment factor (EF) was estimated to assess the level of the contamination and the possible anthropogenic impact in soils from the mining activity. The EFsoil for Cu, As and Pb were in the highest values around gold washing place, indicating that around mining area surface soils were highly enriched by those elements. The Mn, Fe and Ni concentrations of drinking waters exceed the WHO values. The mean concentrations of Ca, Ti, As and Sr were higher in hair of Mongolian miners than in the hair of normal people in Japan, Mongolia and Philippines. These results indicate that the area around gold washing or milling could be the main contamination sources of As and other toxic elements (TEs) in the surface soil samples.Bolormaa Oyuntsetseg, Katsunori Kawasaki, Makiko Watanabe, and Batkhishig OchirbatCopyright © 2012 Bolormaa Oyuntsetseg et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/optics/2012/895031/An optical beamline dedicated to the infrared (IR) spectroscopy has been constructed at MIRRORCLE, a tabletop storage ring. The beamline has been designed for the use of infrared synchrotron radiation (IRSR) emitted from a bending magnet of 156 mm bending radius with the acceptance angle of 355(H) × 138(V) mrad to obtain high flux. The IR emission is forced by an exactly circular optics, named photon storage ring (PhSR), placed around the electron orbit and is collected by a “magic mirror” associated with two plane mirrors in the storage ring. A Fourier transform interferometer has been installed to utilize the IRSR at MIRRORCLE. The design of the optical system and calculated results are reported.Md. Monirul Haque, Ahsa Moon, and Hironari YamadaCopyright © 2012 Md. Monirul Haque et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/nanotechnology/2012/608756/We have successfully developed high-quality laser-grade yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), and lutetium oxide (Lu2O3), using a novel combustion chemical vapor condensation (CCVC) technique based on a proprietary NanoSpray Combustion process. The purity of the nanopowders was >99%. Nanopowders with different dopants have been synthesized over a 10–200 nm size range, with low-cost, high-purity precursors that are viable for large-scale production. Great strides have also been made in developing highly dense (>99% theoretical density) polycrystalline Nd-doped YAG pellets using vacuum sintering and hot isostatic pressing (HIP). This method is an alternative to the Czochralski method for making single-crystal ceramic bodies, which has several disadvantages including high cost, size, shape restrictions, and limitations in Nd concentrations (∼1 at %). Nanomaterials also enable higher percentages of Nd to be incorporated into the YAG lattice which improves laser efficiency and >85% near IR transmission, thereby reducing scattering losses associated with larger grain-size polycrystalline materials.Deepak Ganta, Ganesh Venugopal, Andrew T. Hunt, and Michael SappCopyright © 2012 Deepak Ganta et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/cardiology/2012/606324/Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia and is associated with significant risks of thromboembolism, stroke, congestive heart failure, and death. There have been major advances in the management of atrial fibrillation including pharmacologic therapies, antithrombotic therapies, and ablation techniques. Surgery for atrial fibrillation, including both concomitant and stand-alone interventions, is an effective therapy to restore sinus rhythm. Minimally invasive surgical ablation is an emerging field that aims for the superior results of the traditional Cox-Maze procedure through a less invasive operation with lower morbidity, quicker recovery, and improved patient satisfaction. These novel techniques utilize endoscopic or minithoracotomy approaches with various energy sources to achieve electrical isolation of the pulmonary veins in addition to other ablation lines. We review advancements in minimally invasive techniques for atrial fibrillation surgery, including management of the left atrial appendage.Yoshitsugu Nakamura, Bob Kiaii, and Michael W. A. ChuCopyright © 2012 Yoshitsugu Nakamura et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ma/2012/904169/Let R=(-∞,∞), and let wρ(x)=|x|ρe-Q(x), where ρ>-1/2 and Q∈C1(R):R→R+=[0,∞) is an even function. Then we can construct the orthonormal polynomials pn(wρ2;x) of degree n for wρ2(x). In this paper for an even integer ν≥2 we investigate the convergence theorems with respect to the higher-order Hermite and Hermite-Fejér interpolation polynomials and related approximation process based at the zeros {xk,n,ρ}k=1n of pn(wρ2;x). Moreover, for an odd integer ν≥1, we give a certain divergence theorem with respect to the higher-order Hermite-Fejér interpolation polynomials based at the zeros {xk,n,ρ}k=1n of pn(wρ2;x).Hee Sun Jung, Gou Nakamura, Ryozi Sakai, and Noriaki SuzukiCopyright © 2012 Hee Sun Jung et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oc/2012/810938/Herein, we describe an efficient one-step synthesis of new fused benzothiadiazepine-1,1-dioxides and macrocyclic sulfamides. The synthesis of these compounds was achieved in moderate yields starting from previously described N,N′-disubstituted symmetric sulfamides and N-tert-butoxycarbonyl, N′-alkyl sulfamide. The chemical structures of all the new compounds reported in this work were confirmed by NMR, IR, and mass spectrometry. These compounds are beneficial building blocks that can be used in deriving new chemical entities that exert a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities.Mohamed Dehamchia and Zine RegainiaCopyright © 2012 Mohamed Dehamchia and Zine Regainia. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/mv/2012/872687/Defining spatiotemporal relations and modeling motion events are emerging issues of current research. Motion events are the subclasses of spatiotemporal relations, where stable and unstable spatio-temporal topological relations and temporal order of occurrence of a primitive event play an important role. In this paper, we proposed a theory of spatio-temporal relations based on topological and orientation perspective. This theory characterized the spatiotemporal relations into different classes according to the application domain and topological stability. This proposes a common sense reasoning and modeling motion events in diverse application with the motion classes as primitives, which describe change in orientation and topological relations model. Orientation information is added to remove the locative symmetry of topological relations from motion events, and these events are defined as a systematic way. This will help to improve the understanding of spatial scenario in spatiotemporal applications.Nadeem Salamat and El-hadi ZahzahCopyright © 2012 Nadeem Salamat and El-hadi Zahzah. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/microbiology/2012/697308/In E. coli, the periplasmic proteins HdeA and HdeB have chaperone-like functions, suppressing aggregation of periplasmic proteins under acidic conditions. A microarray analysis of RNA isolated from an E. coli wild type and a ΔgcvB strain grown to mid-log phase in Luria-Bertani broth indicated the hdeAB operon, encoding the HdeA and HdeB proteins, is regulated by the sRNA GcvB. We wanted to verify that GcvB and its coregulator Hfq play a role in regulation of the hdeAB operon. In this study, we show that GcvB positively regulates hdeA::lacZ and hdeB::lacZ translational fusions in cells grown in Luria-Bertani broth and in glucose minimal media + glycine. Activation also requires the Hfq protein. Although many sRNAs dependent on Hfq regulate by an antisense mechanism, GcvB regulates hdeAB either directly or indirectly at the level of transcription. GcvA, the activator of gcvB, negatively regulates hdeAB at the level of transcription. Although expression of gcvB is dependent on GcvA, activation of hdeAB by GcvB occurs independently of GcvA’s ability to repress the operon. Cell survival and growth at low pH are consistent with GcvA negatively regulating and GcvB positively regulating the hdeAB operon.Lorraine T. Stauffer and George V. StaufferCopyright © 2012 Lorraine T. Stauffer and George V. Stauffer. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/appmath/2012/290186/We study the periodicity of the solutions of the rational difference equations system of type xn=a/yn−p, yn=b/xn+p−2 (p≥1), and then we propose new exact procedure to find the probability density function of the solution, where a, b, x0=N and y0=M are independent random variables.Seifedine KadryCopyright © 2012 Seifedine Kadry. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ms/2012/106484/Ultrasonic thrombolysis is an effective method to treat blood clot thrombus in a blood vessel. This paper reports an OD 5 mm and an OD 10 mm piezoelectric thrombolysis transducers that vibrate longitudinally and generate a pressure field at the distal vibration tip. Studies of vibration mode, pressure field pattern, and cavitation effect were carried out. The transducers were also tested for blood clot emulsification. The results indicate both transducers are effective. The OD 10 mm transducer with a long transmission wire has shown to provide a strong cavitation effect and work effectively at low frequency, high amplitude, and high power conditions. The OD 5 mm transducer was found to operate effectively under higher frequency, low amplitude, and lower power conditions. The cavitation effect is moderate, which facilitates precision and controls over obtaining a more uniform emulsification result.Tao Li, Jan Ma, S. Dinesh Kumar, and Adrian F. LowCopyright © 2012 Tao Li et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/dermatology/2012/941465/Tryptases are predominantly mast cell-specific serine proteases with pleiotropic biological activities and play a critical role in skin allergic reactions, which are manifested with rapid edema and increases of vascular permeability. The exact mechanisms of mast cell tryptase promoting vascular permeability, however, are unclear and, therefore, we investigated the effect and mechanism of tryptase or human mast cells (HMC-1) supernatant on the permeability of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs). Both tryptase and HMC-1 supernatant increased permeability of HDMECs significantly, which was resisted by tryptase inhibitor APC366 and partially reversed by anti-VEGF antibody and SU5614 (catalytic inhibitor of VEGFR). Furthermore, addition of tryptase to HDMECs caused a significant increase of mRNA and protein levels of VEGF and its receptors (Flt-1 and Flk-1) by Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. These results strongly suggest an important role of VEGF on the permeability enhancement induced by tryptase, which may lead to novel means of controlling allergic reaction in skin.Qianming Bai, Xiaobo Li, Xinhong Wang, Yali Xu, Li Wang, Qingyong Zhang, and Lianhua YinCopyright © 2012 Qianming Bai et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ecology/2012/384892/Progress in achieving desired environmental outcomes needs to be rigorously measured and reported for effective environmental management. Two major challenges in achieving this are, firstly, how to synthesize monitoring data in a meaningful way at appropriate temporal and spatial scales and, secondly, how to present results in a framework that allows for effective communication to resource managers and scientists as well as a broader general audience. This paper presents a habitat framework, developed to assess the natural resource condition of the urban Rock Creek Park (Washington, DC, USA), providing insight on how to improve future assessments. Vegetation and stream GIS layers were used to classify three dominant habitat types, Forest, Wetland, and Artificial-terrestrial. Within Rock Creek Park, Forest habitats were assessed as being in good condition (67% threshold attainment of desired condition), Wetland habitats to be in fair condition (49% attainment), and Artificial-terrestrial habitats to be in degraded condition (26% attainment), resulting in an assessed fair/good condition (60% attainment; weighted by habitat area) for all natural resources in Rock Creek Park. This approach has potential to provide assessment of resource condition for diverse ecosystems and provides a basis for addressing management questions across multiple spatial scales.Tim J. B. Carruthers, Shawn L. Carter, Todd R. Lookingbill, Lisa N. Florkowski, Jane M. Hawkey, and William C. DennisonCopyright © 2012 Tim J. B. Carruthers et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/me/2012/212358/The authors investigate the far-field noise emissions of a datum fan blade fitted with tip end-plate geometries, originally designed to control the leakage vortex swirl level. The end-plate geometries influence the tip-leakage flow, vortex formation, and swirl level. In doing so, the end-plate geometries influence the sound-power levels. After an evaluation of fan rotors' aerodynamic performance, the study compares the rotors' far-field noise signature characterised in terms of sound-power and pressure-level spectra to enable and assess the end-plate acoustic pay-off. The investigation attempts to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the tip-flow dynamics and the radiated sound fields, exploring the diverse directivity patterns. The authors found a tonal reduction, due to the enhanced blade-tip end-plates and clarified the relevance of the tip features influencing the radial distribution of the noise sources using coherence analysis. The modified multiple-vortex breakdown end-plate design was effective in reducing the broadband noise, giving an improvement in the frequency range of the turbulent noise.S. Bianchi, A. Corsini, and A. G. SheardCopyright © 2012 S. Bianchi et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ps/2012/942920/This review, which is divided into three parts, concerns electrochemical synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and formation mechanisms of poly(o-aminophenol) (POAP) film electrodes. The first part of this review is devoted to describe the electropolymerization process of o-aminophenol on different electrode materials and in different electrolyte media by employing both potentiodynamic and potentiostatic methods. The second part refers to spectroscopic studies carried out by different authors to both, identify the products of the o-aminophenol electrooxidation and elucidate the chemical structure of poly(o-aminophenol) film electrodes. The third part shows the different mechanisms formulated to interpret the POAP films formation from both acid and basic solutions of o-AP. Also, some electrochemical and spectroscopic data which allowed to propos the corresponding formation mechanisms, especially in basic media, are described.Ricardo Tucceri, Pablo Arnal, and Alberto ScianCopyright © 2012 Ricardo Tucceri et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/appmath/2012/240315/Most real-life situations need some sort of approximation to fit mathematical models. The beauty of using topology in approximation is achieved via obtaining approximation for qualitative subgraphs without coding or using assumption. The aim of this paper is to apply near concepts in the Gm-closure approximation spaces. The basic notions of near approximations are introduced and sufficiently illustrated. Near approximations are considered as mathematical tools to modify the approximations of graphs. Moreover, proved results, examples, and counterexamples are provided.M. E. Abd El-Monsef, M. Shokry, and Y. Y. YousifCopyright © 2012 M. E. Abd El-Monsef et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/microbiology/2012/452024/A three-step optimization strategy which includes one-factor-at-a-time classical method and different statistical approaches (Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology) that were applied to optimize the antioxidant potential of Penicillium granulatum. Antioxidant activity was assayed by different procedures and compared with total phenolic content. Primarily, different carbon and nitrogen sources were screened by classical methods, which revealed sucrose and NaNO3 to be the most suitable. In second step, Plackett-Burman design also supported sucrose and NaNO3 to be the most significant. In third step, response surface analysis showed 4.5% sucrose, 0.1% NaNO3, and incubation temperature of 25°C to be the optimal conditions. Under these conditions, the antioxidant potential assayed through different procedures was 78.2%, 70.1%, and 78.9% scavenging effect for DPPH radical, ferrous ion, and nitric oxide ion, respectively. The reducing power showed an absorbance of 1.6 with 68.5% activity for FRAP assay.Priyanka Chandra and Daljit Singh AroraCopyright © 2012 Priyanka Chandra and Daljit Singh Arora. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/algebra/2012/367129/We combine Turyn's self-conjugacy result, variance technique, Dillon dihedral trick, and Sylow theorem to investigate the existence of (v,k,λ) difference sets in which k−λ is a square and k<1250.Adegoke Solomon OsifodunrinCopyright © 2012 Adegoke Solomon Osifodunrin. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ma/2012/869147/We analyze the positive solutions to the steady-state reaction diffusion equation with Dirichlet boundary conditions of the form: -Δu=λ[K-u+c(u4/(1+u4))],  x∈Ω, u=0,  x∈∂Ω. Here, Δu=div(∇u) is the Laplacian of u, 1/λ is the diffusion coefficient, K and c are positive constants, and Ω⊂RN is a smooth bounded region with ∂Ω in C2. This model describes the steady states of phosphorus cycling in stratified lakes. Also, it describes the colonization of barren soils in drylands by vegetation. In this paper, we discuss the existence of multiple positive solutions leading to the occurrence of an S-shaped bifurcation curve. We prove our results by the method of subsuper solutions.Dagny Butler, Sarath Sasi, and R. ShivajiCopyright © 2012 Dagny Butler et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/surgery/2012/394095/Introduction. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has been a matter of debate due to very low rate of axillary metastases. We therefore aimed to identify factors in a single institutional series to select patients who may benefit from SLNB. Material and Methods. Patients, diagnosed with pure DCIS (n=63) between July 2000 and March 2011, were reviewed. All the sentinel lymph nodes were examined by serial sectioning (50 μm) of the entire lymph node and H&E staining, and by cytokeratin immunostaining in suspicious cases. Results. Median age was 51 (range, 30–79). Of 63 patients, 40 cases (63.5%) with pure DCIS underwent SLN, and 2 of them had a positive SLN (5%). In both 2 cases with SLN metastases, only one sentinel lymph node was involved with tumor cells. Patients who underwent SLNB were more likely to have a tumor size >30 mm or DCIS with intermediate and high nuclear grade or a mastectomy in univariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusion. In our series, we found a slightly higher rate of SLNB positivity in patients with pure DCIS than the large series reported elsewhere. This may either be due to the meticulous examination of SLNs by serial sectioning technique or due to our patient selection criteria or both.D. E. Boler, N. Cabioglu, U. Ince, G. Esen, and C. UrasCopyright © 2012 D. E. Boler et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ps/2012/493065/Composites of polypropylene filled with carbon black or acetylene black at different concentrations were prepared by melt mixing followed by compression molding. The influences of filler type and filler concentration on the composites conductivity were studied. It was found that the percolation threshold is located at a lower concentration in composites filled with the acetylene black, than that of the composites filled with carbon black. The model of Mamunya gives a fairly good agreement in the evaluation of the conductivity of polymeric composites loaded with carbon black or acetylene black, beyond the percolation threshold. The Boltzman equation was adopted to develop a model that represents more faithfully all results obtained. The expressions of the electrical conductivity, calculated with the model developed, are in good agreement with experimental results for the entire concentration range studied in linear or semilogarithmic scale.Abdelhafid Merzouki and Naceredine HaddaouiCopyright © 2012 Abdelhafid Merzouki and Naceredine Haddaoui. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oncology/2012/176789/In patients with metastatic breast cancer, taxane treatment demonstrates activity but is not curative. Targeted treatment modalities are therefore necessary in order to improve outcomes in this group. A randomized placebo-controlled phase II trial was initiated to evaluate effect and toxicity of gefitinib (250 mg QD) and docetaxel 35 mg/m2 (six of seven weeks) (NCT 00319618). The inclusion of 66 patients was planned. The study was closed due to treatment-related toxicity. Of the 18 included patients, seven (of which three received gefitinib) were withdrawn from the study due to toxicity. Of the nine patients receiving gefitinib and chemotherapy, one achieved a partial response and four stable disease. In the chemotherapy of nine patients, four had a partial response and four stable disease. The breast cancer patients in this study were genotyped using a panel of 14 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), previously found associated with docetaxel clearance in a cohort of lung cancer patients. We were unable to identify genes related to toxicity in this study. Nevertheless, toxicity was aggravated by the addition of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In conclusion, despite adequately tolerated as monotherapy, combination regimens should be carefully considered for overlapping adverse events in order to avoid increased treatment-related toxicity.Olav Engebraaten, Hege Edvardsen, Erik Løkkevik, Bjørn Naume, Vessela Kristensen, Lars Ottestad, and Vasanti NatarajanCopyright © 2012 Olav Engebraaten et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/algebra/2012/197468/We consider the notion of tensor product of noncommutative Lp spaces associated with finite von Neumann algebras and define the notion of tensor product of Haagerup noncommutative Lp spaces associated with σ-finite von Neumann algebras.Somlak UtudeeCopyright © 2012 Somlak Utudee. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/nanotechnology/2012/102783/A complex of the induction magnetic field two-way nanotransducers of the different physical values for both the external and implantable interfaces in a wide range of arrays are summarized. Implementation of the nanowires allows reliable transducing of the biosignals' partials and bringing of carbon nanotubes into circuits leading to examination of the superconducting transition. Novel sensors are based on the induction magnetic field principle, which causes their interaction with an ambient EM field. Mathematical description of both the signal and mediums defines space embracing of the relevant interfacing devices. As a result, a wide range of the nano-bio-transducers allow both delivering the variety of ionized biosignals and interface the bioEM signals with further stages of electronic systems. The space coverage and transducing values properties of the state-of-the-art magnetic interfaces are summarized, and directions for their future development are deduced.Rostyslav SklyarCopyright © 2012 Rostyslav Sklyar. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/mb/2012/837306/Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease due to the presence of different clinically relevant molecular subtypes. Until today, several biological events have been identified in lung adenocarcinoma, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocations, offering new hopes to patients with metastatic disease. Unfortunately, in approximately 50% of adenocarcinoma and for those harbouring K-RAS mutations, the most frequent mutation in Caucasian lung adenocarcinoma, so far no specific drug demonstrated efficacy. The rat sarcoma (RAS) genes, including H-RAS, K-RAS, and N-RAS, encode a family of proteins regulating cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. K-RAS mutations are present in 20–30% of NSCLC and occur most commonly, but not exclusively, in adenocarcinoma histology and life-long smokers. Although in colorectal cancer patients K-RAS mutations represent a validated negative predictive biomarker for treatment with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies, their role in selecting specific treatment for NSCLC patients remains undefined. Aim of the present paper is to critically analyze the prognostic and predictive value of K-RAS mutations in NSCLC.Manolo D’Arcangelo and Federico CappuzzoCopyright © 2012 Manolo D’Arcangelo and Federico Cappuzzo. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/rheumatology/2012/164914/Autoimmune pancreatitis is part of the spectrum of IgG4-associated diseases. Its diagnostic criteria and histological subtypes have been formally proposed recently and although based on current data it has been suggested that there are differences in clinical presentation among populations, more research is needed to properly establish if this heterogeneity exists. In this paper, we describe 15 cases of autoimmune pancreatitis diagnosed at a Mexican centre of reference, all of them associated to the lymphoplasmocytic sclerosing pancreatitis variant. The mean age at the onset of symptoms was 47.5 ± 14.4 years, and 53% of patients were male. The main manifestations were weight loss (87%), obstructive jaundice (53%), and acute (27%) and chronic (27%) pancreatitis. Only 20% of patients had high IgG4 serum levels at the time of diagnosis. All patients receiving prednisone responded favourably, both in their pancreatic and extrapancreatic manifestations. Clinical manifestations of Mexican patients showed certain differences with respect to those usually reported.María T. Bourlon, Christianne Bourlon, Yemil Atisha-Fregoso, Fredy Chable-Montero, Marco A. Teliz, Arturo Angeles-Angeles, Eduardo Carrillo-Maravilla, Luis Llorente, and Luis F. UscangaCopyright © 2012 María T. Bourlon et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/pulmonology/2012/936790/Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in elderly has different clinical presentation and higher mortality than CAP in other age group. Clinical presentation may vary from mere presence of fever to altered sensorium. The incomplete clinical picture of CAP in the elderly may be associated with a delay in establishing the diagnosis and, consequently, in starting adequate antibiotic therapy. Delay in diagnosis and treatment may contribute to the higher observed death rate in the elderly population with CAP. Hence the following study was undertaken to study the clinical, radiological, and bacteriological profile of community-acquired pneumonia in elderly. A total of 50 patients were studied. Age group varied from 66 years to 88 years. Presentation varied from typical symptoms to altered sensorium. Smoking and COPD were most common predisposing conditions. Most common organisms responsible were Streptococcus pneumonia, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas, H. influenza, and Staphylococcus aureus. Etiological agents could not be identified in many cases because of difficulty in collecting sputum in elderly patients, lower yield of culture, and various atypical and difficult to isolate causative organisms. Hence there is need for an empirical therapy covering both typical and atypical organisms. Better understanding of these aspects may help a long way in managing elderly patients with pneumonia.Bilal Bin Abdullah, Mohammed Zoheb, Syed Mustafa Ashraf, Sharafath Ali, and Nida NausheenCopyright © 2012 Bilal Bin Abdullah et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ophthalmology/2012/597124/Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is a significant cause of visual disability worldwide. It predominantly affects the Eastern and South Asian population of the world. Early detection of anatomically narrow angles is important, and the subsequent prevention of visual loss from PACG depends on an accurate assessment of the anterior chamber angle (ACA). Gonioscopy has given way to modern day imaging technologies such as ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and more recently, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Ultrasound biomicroscopy provides objective, high-resolution images of anterior segment anatomy, including the cornea, iris, anterior chamber, anterior chamber angle, and ciliary body. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noncontact optical signal acquisition and processing device that provides magnified, high-resolution cross-sectional images of ocular tissues. Recent technological advances towards three-dimensional visualization broadened the scope of AS-OCT in ophthalmologic evaluation. Optical coherence tomography systems use low-coherence, near-infrared light to provide detailed images of anterior segment structures at resolutions exceeding that of UBM. This paper summarizes the clinical application of UBM and OCT for assessment of anterior segment in glaucoma.Syril Dorairaj, James C. Tsai, and Tomas M. GrippoCopyright © 2012 Syril Dorairaj et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/anesthesiology/2012/918938/Patients with solid malignancies who were not candidates for tumor resections in the past are now presenting for extensive oncological resections. Cancer patients are at risk for thromboembolic complications due to an underlying hypercoagulable state; however, some patients may have an increased risk for bleeding due to the effects of chemotherapy, the administration of anticoagulant drugs, tumor-related fibrinolysis, tumor location, tumor vascularity, and extent of disease. A common potential complication of all complex oncological surgeries is massive intra- and postoperative hemorrhage and the subsequent risk for massive blood transfusion. This can be anticipated or unexpected. Several surgical and anesthesia interventions including preoperative tumor embolization, major vessel occlusion, hemodynamic manipulation, and perioperative antifibrinolytic therapy have been used to prevent or control blood loss with varying success. The exact incidence of massive blood transfusion in oncological surgery is largely unknown and/or underreported. The current literature mostly consists of purely descriptive observational studies. Thus, recommendation regarding specific perioperative intervention cannot be made at this point, and more research is warranted.Juan P. Cata and Vijaya GottumukkalaCopyright © 2012 Juan P. Cata and Vijaya Gottumukkala. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/rehabilitation/2012/657979/Aim. To evaluate the effects of aquatic (AQ) compared to a land-based (LB) intervention programs on metabolic cost of walking (MCW), gross motor function and locomotor performance in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods. Eleven children with spastic diplegic CP completed this study, six in the AQ (5.2 ± 1.45 yrs) and five in the LB group (4.1 ± 1.33 yrs). MCW derived from Oxygen uptake (VO2) measured with a Cosmed K4 device and walking speed at steady state. Additional measures included the 10-m test, Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), and Pediatric Evaluation Developmental Inventory (PEDI). Non-parametric statistics were used to analyze change in each group. Results. The AQ group significantly decreased MCW (Z=−2.2; P<.05) and increased steady state walking speed (Z=−2.2; P<.05). Both groups significantly increased 10-m walking speed (Z=−2.2; P<.03, and Z=−2.02; P<.05, resp.). The LB group exhibited moderate to large effect sizes in 10-m self-selected and fast walking speeds (Cohen's d=1.07 and 0.73, resp.). Conclusion. Our findings suggest that Both AQ and LB programs were effective in improving 10-m speed, while the AQ training also improved the MCW of walking at steady state in children with spastic diplegic CP.Miriam Getz, Yeshayahu Hutzler, Adri Vermeer, Yoni Yarom, and Viswanath UnnithanCopyright © 2012 Miriam Getz et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/surgery/2012/438915/Background. Ingrowing toenails are a common condition which, when recurrent and painful, are often treated surgically. The aim of this study is to present a new simple surgical technique for ingrown toenails with good results. Method and Patients. The selected 250 patients with affected toes were surgically treated by our technique and observed from 1998 to 2004. Marginal nail elevation combined with surgical excision of the granulation tissue was more successful. For fixing the nail margin on the toe we have done one-bite suture by Nylon 3/0 that was removed after 3 weeks. Results. All patients were operated on by our new technique and the outcome was excellent; recurrence and failure of the technique were very low. Discussion. Because with this simple technique we excise the granulation tissue and elevate margin of nail over the skin, we will have higher cure rate, shorter postoperative pain, lower risk of postoperative infection, and remarkable cosmetic result without deformity; hence this technique should be considered as an alternative method of treatment.Seyed Reza Mousavi and Jaledin KhoshneviceCopyright © 2012 Seyed Reza Mousavi and Jaledin Khoshnevice. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/dentistry/2012/210306/The aim of the study was to assess the pattern of malocclusion in different ethnic group of Mauritian population visiting the Orthodontic Department at Mauras College of Dentistry and Hospital, Republic of Mauritius. The study population comprised of 624 patients who visited the orthodontic department during 2010. The clinical examination was conducted by a well-calibrated orthodontist. The data were recorded in the case sheets and was analyzed for presence of angles class I, class II, and class III malocclusion in both male and female patients of Asian, African, Caucasian, and Chinese ethnicity aged 5–55 years. Malocclusion was found to be high in females compared to males. 414 patients (150 male + 264 female) presented with class I, 182 patients (52 male + 130 female) presented with class II, and 28 patients (12 male + 16 female) presented with class III. Asian ethnic group were more affected and patient seeking orthodontic treatment was high in 11–15 years age group.B. H. Durgesh, Prashanth Prakash, Ravikumar Ramakrishnaiah, Basavaraj Subashchandra Phulari, and Abdul Aziz A. Al KheraifCopyright © 2012 B. H. Durgesh et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oncology/2012/421673/Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Its incidence is clearly arising comprised by the prevalence of major risk factors mainly hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The population at risk is composed of chronic liver patients at the stage of extensive fibrosis or cirrhosis. The monitoring programs of this population have allowed early detection of disease management to promote a radical therapy. Understanding the carcinogenic process and the mastery of the staging systems remain essential keys in diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Recent advances in diagnosis and new treatments have made important impacts on the disease by increasing survival rates and improving quality of life for HCC patients. This paper outlines the different management aspects of HCC which include epidemiology, prevention, carcinogenesis, staging systems, diagnosis, surveillance, and the treatment.Sene Waly Raphael, Zhang Yangde, and Chen YuXiangCopyright © 2012 Sene Waly Raphael et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/surgery/2012/293894/Aim. Robotic colorectal surgery may be a way to overcome the limitations of laparoscopic surgery. It is an emerging field; so, we aim in this paper to provide a comprehensive and data analysis of the available literature on the use of robotic technology in colorectal surgery. Method. A comprehensive systematic search of electronic databases was completed for the period from 2000 to 2011. Studies reporting outcomes of robotic colorectal surgery were identified and analyzed. Results. 41 studies (21 case series, 2 case controls, 13 comparative studies 1 prospective comparative, 1 randomized trial, 3 retrospective analyses) were reviewed. A total of 1681 patients are included in this paper; all of them use Da Vinci except 2 who use Zeus. Short-term outcome has been evaluated with 0 mortality and191 total major and minor complications. Pathological results were not analyzed in all studies and only 20 out of 41 provide data about the pathological results. Conclusion. Robotic surgery is safe and feasible option in colorectal surgery and a promising field; however, further prospective randomized studies are required to better define its role.Sami AlAsari and Byung Soh MinCopyright © 2012 Sami AlAsari and Byung Soh Min. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/education/2012/234125/In this quantitative study of college students spanning three waves, the 10 theoretical precursor steps of transformational learning did predict its occurrence. The most consistent predictor was the step of reflection. Maturity and ethnicity also showed a predictive value, but college major was not a significant differentiator for transformative learning.Sabra Brock, Ionut Florescu, and Leizer TeranCopyright © 2012 Sabra Brock et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/nanotechnology/2012/532168/Nanocrystalline nickel-zinc ferrites Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 thin films have been synthesized via the electrodeposition-anodization from the aqueous sulfate bath. The electrodeposited (Ni-Zn)Fe2 alloy was anodized in aqueous 1 M KOH solution to form the corresponding hydroxides which annealed at different temperatures ranging from 800 to 1000∘C for various periods from 1 to 4 h, to get the required ferrite. SEM micrograph of the formed ferrite particles, annealed at 1000∘C for 4 h appeared as the octahedral-like structure. A good saturation magnetization of 28.2 emu/g was achieved for Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 thin film produced after the aforementioned conditions. The kinetic studies of the crystallization of Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 films appeared to be first-order reaction and the activation energy was found to be 10.5 k Joule/mole.A. Saba, E. Elsayed, M. Moharam, and M. M. RashadCopyright © 2012 A. Saba et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oncology/2012/159568/Purpose. To explore the safety and efficacy of gemcitabine and docetaxel (GEMDOC) in previously treated patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Patients and Methods. Patients with advanced SCCHN previously pretreated with one or two lines of palliative chemotherapy were treated with gemcitabine and docetaxel until disease progression. Results. Thirty-six patients were enrolled, and 29 were response evaluable. 16 (55%) experienced clinical benefit (response or stable disease). Six (21%) patients achieved partial response (PR), none achieved complete response (CR), and the overall response rate (ORR) was 21% (95% CI: 0.10–0.38). Ten (28%) patients had stable disease. The median response duration (RD) for the 6 PR patients was 3.2 months (80% CI: 2.0–6.1 months). Median overall survival was 4.2 months (95% CI: 2.4–7.0 months). Among the 33 treated patients: 13 (39%) patients had grade 3-4 anemia, 10 (30%) had grade 3-4 neutropenia. Conclusion. The study drugs were relatively safe, and the clinical benefit (PR + SD) rate was 55%. However, the efficacy objective for this regimen was not met. Given the good safety profile, further investigation of this regimen with the addition of a targeted agent may lead to better efficacy.Zyad Kafri, Lance K. Heilbrun, Ammar Sukari, George Yoo, John Jacobs, Ho-Sheng Lin, Heather Mulrenan, Daryn Smith, and Omer KucukCopyright © 2012 Zyad Kafri et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/chemeng/2012/693545/Proportional + integral + derivative (PID) controllers are widely used in industrial applications to provide optimal and robust performance for stable, unstable, and nonlinear processes. In this paper, particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed to tune and retune the PID controller parameter for a class of time-delayed unstable systems. The proposal is to search the optimal controller parameters like Kp, Ki, and Kd by minimising the cost function. The integral of squared error (ISE) criterion is considered as the cost function, which guides the PSO algorithm to get the optimised controller parameters. The procedure for PID parameter tuning and retuning is presented in detail. A comparative study is done with the conventional PID tuning methods proposed in the literature. The simulation results show that the PSO-based PID controller tuning approach provides improved performance for the setpoint tracking, load disturbance rejection, error minimization, and measurement noise attenuation for a class of unstable systems.V. Rajinikanth and K. LathaCopyright © 2012 V. Rajinikanth and K. Latha. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/agronomy/2012/531647/A study was carried out at Lacombe, Alberta, to develop baseline information on nitrogen recovery, utilization efficiency, and agronomic performance of spring barley. This information may enable us to understand where the inefficiencies of N nutrition may lay and determine strategies to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Three divergent cultivars, “Manley” (two-rowed, tall, late maturing), “Noble” (six-rowed, mid-height, intermediate maturing), and “Tukwa” (six-rowed, semidwarf, early maturing), were grown under low (0 kg ha-1), moderate (50 kg ha-1) and high (100 kg ha-1) rates of applied N fertilization. Both N recovery and utilization efficiency decreased with the increase in rate of applied N fertilizer, and NUE declined from 45 kg kg-1N under the low N treatment to 33 kg kg-1N under the moderate treatment and 24 kg kg-1N under the high N treatment. The test cultivars were comparable in N uptake, but Tukwa and Noble were more efficient in their utilization of the N taken up than Manley, particularly under high N. Subsequently, while grain yield of Tukwa and Noble had increased linearly with rate of N fertilizer, the grain yield of Manley showed a declining trend under high N. This implies that, where a high input condition is targeted, improvement in N utilization efficiency may need to be given due consideration.Yadeta Anbessa and Patricia JuskiwCopyright © 2012 Yadeta Anbessa and Patricia Juskiw. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/psychiatry/2012/596486/Objective. To explore the Quantitative EEG (QEEG) effects of established clozapine therapy regimes compared to those of previous ineffective antipsychotic regimes among 64 chronic (DSM-IV) schizophrenic patients. Methods. Data from 20 EEG channels referenced to linked ears were collected before and during maintenance clozapine therapy (mean duration 1.4 years). Absolute power was calculated in six frequency bands: delta (0.4–3.6 Hz), theta (4.2–7.8 Hz), alpha (8.2–11.8 Hz), beta1 (12.2–15.8 Hz), beta2 (16.2–19.8 Hz), and beta3 (20.2–23.8 Hz). Results. Clozapine augments power globally in the delta and theta bands, but this effect is more pronounced over frontal areas. Beta3 power was reduced. Alpha showed a frontal increase, more pronounced in the right, coupled with a posterior decrease with no net change in overall power. Conclusion. The demonstration of a significant clozapine-induced alpha topographic shift frontally and to the right is a novel discovery that may serve to encourage further investigations of subcortical structures in attempts to better understand the diverse aetiologies and optimal treatments of the schizophrenias.D. MacCrimmon, D. Brunet, M. Criollo, H. Galin, and J. S. LawsonCopyright © 2012 D. MacCrimmon et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ph/2012/251201/Background. Pennsylvania, with thousands of abandoned coal mines and miles of streams polluted with acid mine drainage, has the largest domestic coal mining burden contributing to deterioration of communities. Objectives. To evaluate contextual aspects by examining associations between coal abandoned mine lands (AML) and community measures of socioeconomic deprivation, social disorganization, and physical disorder. Methods. AML exposure data from the Reclaimed Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System were used to create density, diversity, accessibility, and clustering metrics. The three community context outcome measures were comprised of 14 census variables. In community-level analyses, 10 AML variables were evaluated separately with each dimension of community context, adjusting for covariates, in communities with and without abandoned mines. Results. We observed consistent associations between higher AML burden and worse socioeconomic deprivation, negative relations with social disorganization, but no statistically significant associations with physical disorder. Six of 10 AML variables were associated with socioeconomic deprivation, many consistently exhibiting exposure-effect patterns of worse deprivation with greater AML. Conclusions. Higher AML was associated with higher socioeconomic deprivation. These results can help prioritize the use of Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act funds and inform decisions regarding Marcellus shale drilling to prevent analogous environmental degradation and public health impacts.Ann Y. Liu, Frank C. Curriero, Thomas A. Glass, Walter F. Stewart, and Brian S. SchwartzCopyright © 2012 Ann Y. Liu et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/nanotechnology/2012/132797/In our previous works, we have made alumina template films and used it for nanowire, nanowhisk, and nanosphere fabrication and molecular aggregation studies. In the present paper, we have combined Al2O3 template and titania (TiO2) NT fabrication processes to achieve an Al2O3/TiO2 NT dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices. The DSSC structure includes glass substrate, transparent conductive film of ITO, Pt particles serving as the counter electrode, Al2O3/TiO2 NT film, dye, and ITO serving as the working electrode, and the electrolyte is injected into the counter-working interface. Al2O3 template was made by anodization and TiO2 NT was made by sol-gel deposition into Al2O3 template. Al2O3 template has a light, transparence, large surface, good mechanical strength, and flexibility, making it a candidate material for DSSC electrode template. TiO2 NT is a semiconductor with an energy gap that matches up very nicely with N3 sensitized dye.Kuang Hsuan Yang and Chien Chon ChenCopyright © 2012 Kuang Hsuan Yang and Chien Chon Chen. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/biochemistry/2012/827604/The traditional explanation of ATP coupling is based on the raising of the equilibrium constants of the biochemical reactions. But in the frames of the detailed balance, no coupling occurs under thermodynamic equilibrium. The role of ATP in coupling is not that it provides an increase in the equilibrium constants of thermodynamically unfavorable reactions but that the unfavorable reactions are replaced by other reactions which kinetically are more favorable and give rise to the same products. The coupling with ATP hydrolysis results in the formation of quasistationary intermediate states.Nikolai BazhinCopyright © 2012 Nikolai Bazhin. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/endocrinology/2012/375231/Purpose. Measurement of serum calcitonin is important in the followup of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and reliably reflects the presence of the disease. This is the largest study so far in bibliography investigating the diagnostic accuracy of combined [18F]FDG-PET/CT in patients with MTC and elevated calcitonin levels. Methods. Between February 2007 and February 2011, 59 [18F]FDG-PET/CT were performed on 51 patients with MTC and elevated calcitonin levels for localization of recurrent disease. Conventional morphologic imaging methods were negative or showed equivocal findings. Results. Among the 59 [18F]FDG-PET/CT, 29 were positive (26 had true-positive and 3 false-positive findings) and 30 negative. The overall per-patient sensitivity of [18F]FDG-PET/CT was 44.1%. Using as cut-off point the calcitonin value of 1000 pg/ml, in patients with calcitonin exceeding this value, sensitivity raised to 86.7%. The overall sensitivity of [18F]FDG-PET/CT was lower (23%) in patients with MEN IIA syndrome. Conclusion. The findings of this paper show that [18F]FDG-PET/CT is valuable for the detection of recurrence in patients with highly elevated calcitonin levels, >1000 pg/mL, but in patients with lower calcitonin levels, its contribution is questionable. Also, there is evidence that the sensitivity of [18F]FDG-PET/CT is lower in patients with MTC as part of MEN IIA syndrome.Evangelia Skoura, Ioannis E. Datseris, Phivi Rondogianni, Stylianos Tsagarakis, Marinella Tzanela, Maria Skilakaki, Dimitrios Exarhos, and Maria AlevizakiCopyright © 2012 Evangelia Skoura et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/thermodynamics/2012/917836/Within the scope of the self-consistent field and mean (‘‘molecular’’) self-consistent field approximations, applying the static concentration wave method, the thermodynamics of f.c.c.-Ni–Fe alloys undergoing the static applied magnetic field effects is studied in detail. Under such conditions, the analytical corrections to expressions for the configuration-dependent part of free energy of macroscopically ferromagnetic L12-Ni3Fe-type or L10-NiFe-type ordering phases are taken into account. The obtained results for thermodynamically equilibrium states are compared with the refined phase diagram for f.c.c.-Ni–Fe alloys calculated recently without taking into account the applied magnetic field effects. Considering the specific character of microscopic structure of the magnetic and atomic orders in f.c.c.-Ni–Fe alloys, the changes of shape (and in arrangement) of order-disorder phase-transformation curves (Kurnakov points) are thoroughly analysed. A special attention is addressed to the investigation of the concentration, temperature, and magnetic-field induction-dependent atomic and magnetic long-range order parameters, especially, near their critical points. As revealed unambiguously, influence of a static applied magnetic field promotes the elevation of Kurnakov points for all the atomically ordering phases that is in an overall agreement with reliable experimental data. On the base of revealed phenomenon, the magneto external field analog-to-digital converter of the monochromatic radiations (X-rays or thermal neutrons) is hypothesized as a claim.I. V. Vernyhora, V. A. Tatarenko, and S. M. BokochCopyright © 2012 I. V. Vernyhora et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/gastroenterology/2012/370495/Aim. This study aimed at assessing Doppler ultrasonographic findings of gut wall vessels and thickness in active and quiescent ulcerative colitis. Methods. Fifty patients with ulcerative colitis were studied using transabdominal grayscale and Doppler sonography of sigmoid, distal and middle parts of descending colon in different stages of the disease. Thickness of colon wall in the most involved site, number of color signals in each box, resistive index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) were evaluated. Results. The median thickness of the colon wall in the most involved sites was 4.3 mm in acute phase and 4.4 mm in the inactive phase (P=0.47). The median number of the color signals in the active phase at the most involved site, distal part of descending colon and sigmoid was higher than that of the color signals in the inactive phase (P=0.0001). In the most involved site, the PI and RI were undetectable in the inactive phase. The median PI was 1.4 in the mild phase, 1.3 in the moderate phase, and 1.1 in the severe phase (P=0.002). Conclusion. In contrast to the colon wall thickness, increased intramural blood flow reflected the clinical severity in ulcerative colitis patients.Abolhassan Shakeri Bavil, Mohommad Hossein Somi, Masoud Nemati, Batool Seyfi Nadergoli, Kamyar Ghabili, Reshad Mirnour, and Hamideh AshrafiCopyright © 2012 Abolhassan Shakeri Bavil et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/physchem/2012/243741/The vibrational spectrum of matrix-isolated indole-3-pyruvic acid has been studied aiming to obtain information about the structures of the stable vapour-phase forms of the molecule. Together with results from theoretical density functional calculations, the spectroscopic data enable to undertake an attribution for most of the observed bands. The FTIR spectrum of crystalline indole-3-pyruvic acid has been compared with that of matrix isolation study.Luigi Bencivenni, Andrea Margonelli, Alessandro Mariani, Andrea Pieretti, and Stella Nunziante CesaroCopyright © 2012 Luigi Bencivenni et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ms/2012/698158/The field assisted sintering technique (FAST) is a high-amperage, low-voltage, powder consolidation technique that employs pulsed direct current and uniaxial pressure. Over the past several years, FAST has been successfully used to produce a variety of different materials including metals, composites, and ceramics. In this paper we present a transient finite element model of aluminum oxide sintering that incorporates a coupled electrical, thermal, and mechanical analysis that closely resembles the procedures used in physical experiments. Within this context, we outline the governing equations that pertain to a balanced energy equation and include the effects of thermal and electrical contact forces, radiation, and Joule heating. We couple this with the relevant equations pertaining to mechanical displacements and prescribe the necessary initial and boundary conditions for a complete solution. As part of our transient analysis, we also present our implementation of a proportional integral derivative controller, which (similar to actual experimental conditions) affords the use of a predetermined heating rate conditioned upon a variable voltage. Finally, we discuss implications relating to the temperature and stress fields and suggest possible avenues for improvement.J. B. Allen and C. WalterCopyright © 2012 J. B. Allen and C. Walter. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oc/2012/404235/A simple, efficient, and eco-friendly protocol for the N-Boc protection of the amine moiety in a variety of compounds with di-tert-butyl dicarbonate under water-acetone catalyst-free conditions is described. The corresponding monocarbamate is obtained in excellent yields on short reaction times. No competitive side reactions such as isocyanate urea and O-Boc were observed. This method represents a reasonable alternative to the previous reported protection procedures.Zinelaabine Cheraiet, Souad Ouarna, Sihem Hessainia, Malika Berredjem, and Nour-Eddine AoufCopyright © 2012 Zinelaabine Cheraiet et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/biomathematics/2012/872956/This review article provides an introduction to statistical issues that arise when some statistical model parameters are constrained. This often happens in applications, in particular in testing for variance components (e.g., genomics) and construction of one-sided confidence intervals (e.g., environmental risk analysis). Heuristic explanations are provided, and a number of general and recent statistical results that appeared in statistical literature are summarized for use in applications. Simulation results are shown for illustration of consequences of ignoring parameters on the boundary. Special attention is paid to likelihood ratio tests, but other approaches to confidence interval construction, such as Wald, bootstrap, and Bayesian are also briefly discussed. This paper presents examples from the risk assessment field and genomics, but all conclusions apply to whenever one-sided testing is conducted. Recommendations are provided for dealing with parameters on the boundary for a range of situations.Leonid KopylevCopyright © 2012 Leonid Kopylev. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/sn/2012/196590/Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are widely used in battle fields, logistic applications, healthcare, habitat monitoring, environmental monitoring, home security, and variety of other areas. The existing routing algorithms focus on the delivery of data packets to the sink using the shortest path; however, calculating the shortest path is not a cost-effective solution while disseminating datasets of interest to the nearest sink node. The approach presented in this paper extends the existing PBR (priority-based routing) protocol by providing a new fault-tolerant multipath priority-based routing (FT-MPPBR) scheme, which not only balances the energy consumption while selecting multiple paths but also balances the workload of the node closest to the sink. The nodes closer to the sink dissipate more energy and can become the source of a communication bottleneck. Simulation results for the proposed routing scheme are encouraging and clearly show that the FT-MPPBR has outperformed the existing PBR schemes in terms of prolonging the network lifetime and reliability. In healthcare sensor networks, timely dissemination of datasets is critical for the well-being of a patient. This research further extends the PBR architecture for supporting computational intensive analysis by transferring datasets of interest to the sensor grid node for improved communication and better throughput.Ather Saeed, Andrew Stranieri, and Richard DazeleyCopyright © 2012 Ather Saeed et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ss/2012/783876/The rare earth elements (REEs) are commonly defined as lanthanum (La) and the 14 elements comprising the Lanthanide series. The REE’s typically exhibit trivalent oxidation states; however, Europium may also occur as Eu2+ and Cerium may occur as Ce4+. The REE’s ionic radii decrease on progression from La to Lu, which results in a slight but predictable change in their chemical affinity. Typically, the light REE (La to Sm) reside in trace minerals such as apatite, epidote and allanite, whereas the heavy REE (Gd to Lu) are associated with minerals such as zircon. Investigations typically show that the REE are depleted in near-surface horizons and accumulate in deeper horizons or the regolith as clay-oxyhydroxide adsorbates or REE-phosphate precipitates. Numerous studies show the heavy REE accumulating in the deeper soil regions to a greater extent than the light REE, whereas other studies show the light REE’s preferentially accumulating at greater soil depths. The degree of interhorizon transport has great potential to become an index of weather intensity. The various REE soil migration pathways have been isolated, including lessivage, soil organic matter complexation, leaching in percolating water, adsorption by inorganic colloids, and precipitated by phosphate-bearing minerals.Michael T. Aide and Christine AideCopyright © 2012 Michael T. Aide and Christine Aide. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/surgery/2012/806843/Aim. To prospectively assess the effectiveness of revision with open subacromial decompression in patients who had a previous unsatisfactory outcome with the arthroscopic procedure. Methods. 11 patients were identified for the study, who did not demonstrate expected improvement in symptoms after arthroscopic acromioplasty. All patients underwent structured rehabilitation. Functional evaluation was conducted using the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, shoulder rating questionnaire. Results. M : F was 7 : 4. The mean age was 57 years. The average shoulder score improved from 49.6 preoperatively to 56 postoperatively at an average followup of 16 months. Two patients showed deterioration in their shoulder scores after revision while the rest showed only marginal improvement. All except one patient stated that they would opt for surgery again if given a second chance. Conclusion. In the group of patients that fail to benefit from the arthroscopic decompression, only a marginal improvement was noted after revision with open decompression.Anand Pillai, Vivek Eranki, Joby Malal, and Gavin NimonCopyright © 2012 Anand Pillai et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/dentistry/2012/762095/A variety of suture materials are available for primary wound closure following oral surgical procedures. The aim was to review the tissue reactions to the various suture materials used in oral surgical interventions. Databases were searched using the following keywords: cotton, nylon, polyglecaprone 25, polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), Polyglactin 910, polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid, silk, surgery, suture, and tissue reaction. Articles published only in English language were included. Seventeen studies were included. Two studies reported that polyglecaprone 25 had positive effects on wound-healing as compared to silk. Six studies reported that silk elicits more intense tissue inflammatory response and delayed wound healing as compared to other suture materials (including ePTFE, polyglecaprone-25, PGA, and nylon). Polyglactin 910 sutures were associated with the development of stitch abscess in one clinical study. Eight studies reported that tissue reactions are minimal with nylon sutures. Tissue reactions to suture materials used for oral surgical interventions may vary depending on the surface properties and bacterial adherence properties of the material.Fawad Javed, Mansour Al-Askar, Khalid Almas, Georgios E. Romanos, and Khalid Al-HezaimiCopyright © 2012 Fawad Javed et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/algebra/2012/205478/The method of solving matrix linear equations AX+BY=C and AX+YB=C over commutative Bezout domains by means of standard form of a pair of matrices with respect to generalized equivalence is proposed. The formulas of general solutions of such equations are deduced. The criterions of uniqueness of particular solutions of such matrix equations are established.N. S. Dzhaliuk and V. M. PetrychkovychCopyright © 2012 N. S. Dzhaliuk and V. M. Petrychkovych. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ms/2012/134683/Coconut fibers were used as reinforcement for unsaturated polyester resin from recycled PET that has been prepared using glycolysis and polyesterification reaction. Various concentrations of alkali, silane, and silane on alkalized fiber were applied and the optimum concentration of treatments was determined. Morphological and mechanical properties of the composite have also been investigated to study the effect of fiber surface treatment. The influence of water uptake on the sorption characteristics of composites was studied via immersion in distilled water at room temperature. Surface treatment of coconut fiber caused a significant increase in the tensile properties with the optimum treatment of 0.5% silane on the 5% alkalized coconut fiber/polyester composites. For water absorption study, it was observed that the treated fiber composites showed lower water absorption properties in comparison to those of untreated fiber composites. SEM investigation showed that the surface modification of fiber has better fiber-matrix interaction. Thus, chemical treatments on the fiber improve fiber/matrix adhesion especially for silane on alkalized fiber treatment.Nurul Munirah Abdullah and Ishak AhmadCopyright © 2012 Nurul Munirah Abdullah and Ishak Ahmad. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/education/2012/456094/This study aimed at revealing scaffolding sequences of behavior during the training phase of a learning potential test. Involved were two conditions of four children with learning gains and four children without learning gains after the training phase of the subtest Classification of the Application of Cognitive Functions Scales. This subtest included three tasks: classification of color, form, and size. A dynamic system approach was used to describe the existence of four types of scaffolding that supposedly underlie the training phase. A microgenetic data analysis of the videotapes allowed coding of the behaviors of the training phase from the children and the diagnostician. Four sequences of scaffolding were defined, asking for attention of the child and giving attention as a child, asking for understanding of the child and responding to the diagnostician as a child; giving feedback to the child and responding to the feedback of the child, and offering strategies to the child and using strategies as a child. The results revealed no significant differences in the number of sequences between the conditions. Changes, however, were exposed in the relative frequency of each type of scaffolding from subtask 1 to 3. Moreover, the hierarchy of frequency of sequences differed between the conditions. The description of the findings of a boy from each condition in frequency per sequence, rainbow plot, and representative transcript revealed emergence of sequences over time. The findings are discussed with regard to theoretical reflections and methodological issues.Geerdina M. van der Aalsvoort, Floor van Loo, and Paul van GeertCopyright © 2012 Geerdina M. van der Aalsvoort et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ss/2012/610567/The ensemble of classifiers for identification of agricultural suitability of soils on the basis of physiographic information was created in accordance with the stacking algorithm. It is comprised of five neural networks of various structures. The deciding element was a neural classifier optimised on the basis of input vectors composed of the indications of five classifiers making up the lower level. Among the architectures studied, the best result was achieved using the Radial Basis Function network as the decisive classifier, composed with the use of the constructivist Feature Space Mapping algorithm. In this configuration, the group correctly identified more than 99% of the elements of the validation set. The models may be used as tools for predicting expected soil condition, which is helpful in assessment of the range of substantial transformations.Stanislaw GruszczynskiCopyright © 2012 Stanislaw Gruszczynski. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/urology/2012/140182/Purpose. To evaluate the results and quality of life of patients with resistant of castration-resistant tumors previously treated with Insulin-potentiation therapy (IPT) combined with hormone therapy. Materials and methods. Sixteen patients with metastasis prostate tumors after bilateral castration, androgenic blockade, and progression of the disease were observed during the study. The patients were divided into two groups: group A consisting of 8 patients treated with low-dose chemotherapy Epirubicin, Vinblastine, and Cyclophosphamide combined with LHRH agonist and group B consisting of another 8 patients treated with low-dose chemotherapy Docetaxel combined with LHRH agonist. Results. The overall (groups A and B) results concerning PSA after the sixth IPT show partial effect in 8 out of 16 (50%) patients, stabilization in 4 out of 16 (25%), and progression in 4 out of 16 (25%). The median survival for all treated patients is 11,7 months (range 3–30 months). During the treatment no significant side effects were observed, and no lethal cases occurred. Conclusion. In spite of the small number of the treated patients with castration-resistant prostate tumors, the preliminary results are promising and this gives us hope and expectations for future serious multicenter research over the possibilities for routine implementation of IPTLD.Christo Damyanov, Desislava Gerasimova, Ivan Maslev, and Veselin GavrilovCopyright © 2012 Christo Damyanov et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ma/2012/698307/We introduce and study a subclass ΣP(γ,k,λ,c) of meromorphic univalent functions defined by certain linear operator involving the generalized hypergeometric function. We obtain coefficient estimates, extreme points, growth and distortion inequalities, radii of meromorphic starlikeness, and convexity for the class ΣP(γ,k,λ,c) by fixing the second coefficient. Further, it is shown that the class ΣP(γ,k,λ) is closed under convex linear combination.N. Magesh, N. B. Gatti, and S. MayilvagananCopyright © 2012 N. Magesh et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ce/2012/251726/The numerical modelling of geosynthetic-reinforced piled embankments using both the finite element method (FEM) and finite difference method (FDM) are compared. Plaxis 2D (FEM) was utilized to replicate FLAC (FDM) analysis originally presented by Han and Gabr on a unit cell axisymmetric model within a geosynthetic reinforced piled embankment (GRPE). The FEM and FED techniques were found to be in reasonable agreement, in both characteristic trend and absolute value. FEM consistently replicated the FDM outputs for deformational, loading, and load transfer mechanism (soil arching) response within the reinforced piled embankment structure with a reasonable degree of accuracy. However the FDM approach was found to give a slightly higher reinforcement tension and stress concentration but lower reinforcement strain at the pile cap than FEM, which was attributed to the greater discretize of the model geometry in the FDM than in FEM.Keith Jennings and Patrick J. NaughtonCopyright © 2012 Keith Jennings and Patrick J. Naughton. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ms/2012/894072/We have developed a nanogenerator that is driven by mechanical forces to produce continuous direct-current output. The nanogenerator was fabricated with titanium dioxide nanoparticle arrays forming a Schottky barrier with a conducting electrode with a small gap. Under uniaxial mechanical compression, nanogenerators have shown repeatable and consistent electrical outputs with energy-conversion efficiency of order of magnitude at least comparable to similar nanogenerators based on piezoelectric materials. Flexoelectricity due to inhomogeneous strain induced in the nanostructured TiO2 film has been identified as one possible mechanism of the high apparent piezoelectricity in the nanoparticles. The approach presents an adaptable, mobile, and cost-effective technology for harvesting mechanical energy from the environment. At the present stage it offers a potential solution for powering nanodevices.V. DallacasaCopyright © 2012 V. Dallacasa. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ma/2012/945741/We investigate the boundedness and the compactness of the mean operator matrix acting on the weighted Hardy spaces.Bahmann Yousefi and Ebrahim PazoukiCopyright © 2012 Bahmann Yousefi and Ebrahim Pazouki. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ac/2012/827645/The content of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) in some selected fruits and vegetables from the Misurata City Market, Libya, were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results of this study showed that the average concentrations detected ranged from 0.02 to 1.824, 0.75 to 6.21, 0.042 to 11.4, 0.141 to 1.168, 0.19 to 5.143, and 0.01 to 0.362 mg/kg for Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, and Cd, respectively. The highest mean levels of Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni and Cd were detected in mango, melon, spinach, banana, mango, and mango fruits, respectively. The levels of these metals found in our study are compared with those reported for similar fruits and vegetables from some other parts of the world. The daily human intakes of Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, and Cd ascribed to a diet of fruits and vegetables in this region have also been estimated.M. A. Elbagermi, H. G. M. Edwards, and A. I. AlajtalCopyright © 2012 M. A. Elbagermi et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/appmath/2012/783579/Finite-dimensional realization of a Two-Step Newton-Tikhonov method is considered for obtaining a stable approximate solution to nonlinear ill-posed Hammerstein-type operator equations KF(x)=f. Here F:D(F)⊆X→X is nonlinear monotone operator, K:X→Y is a bounded linear operator, X is a real Hilbert space, and Y is a Hilbert space. The error analysis for this method is done under two general source conditions, the first one involves the operator K and the second one involves the Fréchet derivative of F at an initial approximation x0 of the the solution x̂: balancing principle of Pereverzev and Schock (2005) is employed in choosing the regularization parameter and order optimal error bounds are established. Numerical illustration is given to confirm the reliability of our approach.Santhosh George and Monnanda Erappa ShobhaCopyright © 2012 Santhosh George and Monnanda Erappa Shobha. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/astro/2012/178561/A special nonaxisymmetric solution of Einstein’s equations is derived, representing pure radiation from a rotating isolated source. The spacetime is assumed to be algebraically special having a multiple null eigenvector of the Weyl tensor forming a geodesic, shear-free, diverging, and twisting congruence k. Employing a complex null tetrad involving the vector k, the Ricci tensor, density of the radiation, divergence, and twist are calculated for the derived metric. A particular (nonaxisymmetric) subcase is shown to be flat at infinity and to contain the axisymmetric radiating Kerr metric, derived by Kramer and separately by Vaidya and Patel, as a special case. The spacetime is of Petrov type II and without Killing vectors.William DavidsonCopyright © 2012 William Davidson. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/biomathematics/2012/621939/Cholera still remains as a severe global threat and is currently spreading in Africa and other parts of the world. The role of lytic bacteriophage as an intervention of cholera outbreaks is investigated using a mathematical model. Dynamics of cholera is discussed on basis of the basic reproduction number R0. Conditions of Hopf bifurcation are also derived for a positive net growth rate of Vibrio cholerae. Stability analysis and numerical simulations suggest that bacteriophage may contribute to lessening the severity of cholera epidemics by reducing the number of Vibrio cholerae in the environment. Hence with the presence of phage virus, cholera is self-limiting in nature. By using phage as a biological control agent in endemic areas, one may also influence the temporal dynamics of cholera epidemics while reducing the excessive use of chemicals. We also performed stochastic analysis which suggests that the model system is globally asymptotically stable in probability when the strengths of white noise are less than some specific quantities.Prasenjit Das and Debasis MukherjeeCopyright © 2012 Prasenjit Das and Debasis Mukherjee. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/geophysics/2012/142872/Marine cloud brightening (MCB) is one of several proposed solar radiation management (SRM) geoengineering schemes designed to ameliorate some of the undesirable effects of climate change, for example polar ice loss and associated increased sea levels. Satellite measurements over the last 40 years show a general reduction in polar sea ice area and thickness which is attributed to climate change. In our studies, HadGEM1, a fully coupled climate model, is used to predict changes in surface temperatures and ice cover as a result of implementing MCB in a double carbon dioxide concentration atmosphere. The meridional heat flux (MHF) is the mechanism within the earth system for the transport of energy from tropical to polar regions. This poleward transport of heat in a double carbon dioxide atmosphere amplifies the effects in polar regions, where it has a significant impact on both temperatures and ice cover. The results from this work show that MCB is capable of roughly restoring control temperatures and ice cover (where control is defined as 440 ppm carbon dioxide, a predicted 2020 level) in a double carbon dioxide atmosphere scenario. This work presents the first results on the impact of MCB on the MHF and the ability of the MCB scheme to restore the MHF to a control level.Ben Parkes, Alan Gadian, and John LathamCopyright © 2012 Ben Parkes et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/pharmacology/2012/950603/Background. This study was conducted to investigate the incidence of, and factors associated with, myoclonus-like abnormal movements of Japanese infants following treatment with midazolam in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods. We retrospectively investigated abnormal movements and associated risk factors in Japanese infants (less than 1 year old) who received continuous intravenous midazolam treatment in the NICU of the Neonatal Medical Center, Kumamoto City Hospital, Japan, between April 2007 and March 2009. Results. The study included 94 infants who received 119 sessions of midazolam treatment in total. Nine infants (9.6%) developed abnormal movements attributable to midazolam. These nine patients had a significantly lower gestational age at birth, a significantly lower number of weeks after conception at the start of midazolam treatment, and significantly lower body weight compared with patients free of abnormal movements. Logistic regression analysis revealed neonatal asphyxia as a factor associated with an elevated risk of abnormal movements (P=0.03). Conclusion. The incidence of abnormal movements after midazolam treatment was about 9.6% among the Japanese NICU infants. This result suggests that neonatal asphyxia may be involved in the onset of abnormal movements in infants treated with midazolam.Mitsuru Irikura, Eri Minami, Yoichi Ishitsuka, Akihiko Kawase, Yuichi Kondo, and Tetsumi IrieCopyright © 2012 Mitsuru Irikura et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ms/2012/691032/Ultrafine and monodispersable colloidal cobalt oxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized quantitatively via soft chemical approach with controlled particle size and microstructural properties for their use in technological applications. The particle size, shape, and other microstructural properties are directly influenced by their reaction conditions. The FT-IR studies give information for phase purity, and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy helps to study the optical properties. Thermal analysis gives the information about thermal stability. With the help of X-ray diffraction pattern, the size of the particle was calculated. An electron microscope studies help in morphological characterization, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method gives information about surface area. Cobalt oxide nanoparticle tends to orient itself with its narrow size distribution having a crystal size around 50 nm.Taimur Athar, Abdul Hakeem, Neha Topnani, and Ameed HashmiCopyright © 2012 Taimur Athar et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/agronomy/2012/378139/Assessment of seed vigor has long been an important tool of seed quality control programs. The conductivity test is a promising method for assessment of seed vigor, but proper protocols for its execution have yet to be established. The objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of electrical conductivity (EC) testing as a means of assessing the viability of freshly collected Kielmeyera Coriacea Mart. seeds. The test was performed on individual seeds rather than in a bulk configuration. Seeds were soaked for different periods (30 min, 90 min, 120 min., 180 min, and 240 min) at a constant temperature of 25°C. Conductivity was then measured with a benchtop EC meter.Kennya Mara Oliveira Ramos, Juliana M. M. Matos, Rosana C. C. Martins, and Ildeu S. MartinsCopyright © 2012 Kennya Mara Oliveira Ramos et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/mv/2012/235396/One of the most important issues in human motion analysis is the tracking and 3D reconstruction of human motion, which utilizes the anatomic points' positions. These points can uniquely define the position and orientation of all anatomical segments. In this work, a new method is proposed for tracking and 3D reconstruction of human motion from the image sequence of a monocular static camera. In this method, 2D tracking is used for 3D reconstruction, which a database of selected frames is used for the correction of tracking process. The method utilizes a new image descriptor based on discrete cosine transform (DCT), which is employed in different stages of the algorithm. The advantage of using this descriptor is the capabilities of selecting proper frequency regions in various tasks, which results in an efficient tracking and pose matching algorithms. The tracking and matching algorithms are based on reference descriptor matrixes (RDMs), which are updated after each stage based on the frequency regions in DCT blocks. Finally, 3D reconstruction is performed using Taylor’s method. Experimental results show the promise of the algorithm.Alireza Behrad and Nadia RoodsarabiCopyright © 2012 Alireza Behrad and Nadia Roodsarabi. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/endocrinology/2012/478120/Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with disturbance in carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism due to insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction. Epidemiological studies have confirmed a global pandemic of T2DM, which has created an enormous burden on society, with regard to morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. Life style modifications are fundamental not only in early stages of disease management but need to be intensified as disease progresses. United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) has demonstrated the progressive nature of T2DM, and as disease progresses, a combination agents—oral antidiabetic drugs (OAD) and insulin—are needed in order to maintain good sugar control. The general consensus of HbA1c target for most patients is less than 7%, and various guidelines and algorithms have provided guidance in patient management to keep patient at goal. As our understanding of pathophysiological defects advances, targeting treatment at underlying defects not only enables us to achieve HbA1c goal but also reduces morbidities, mortalities, and progression of the disease. Traditional oral agents like metformin and sulfonylureas have failed to arrest the progression of T2DM. New agents such as TZD, DPP-4 inhibitor, and SGLT-2 may increase our armamentariums against T2DM.Man-Wo TsangCopyright © 2012 Man-Wo Tsang. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/ms/2012/983062/The development of natural biomaterials is not regarded as a new area of science, but has existed for centuries. The use of natural products as a biomaterial is currently undergoing a renaissance in the biomedical field. The major limitations of natural biomaterials are due to the immunogenic response that can occur following implantation and the lot-to-lot variability in molecular structure associated with animal sourcing. The chemical stability and biocompatibility of natural products in the body greatly accounts for their utilization in recent times. The paper succinctly defines biomaterials in terms of natural products and also that natural products as materials in biomedical fields are considerably versatile and promising. The various types of natural products and forms of biomaterials are highlighted. Three main areas of applications of natural products as materials in medicine are described, namely, wound management products, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. This paper presents a brief history of natural products as biomaterials, various types of natural biomaterials, properties, demand and economic importance, and the area of application of natural biomaterials in recent times.Oladeji O. Ige, Lasisi E. Umoru, and Sunday AriboCopyright © 2012 Oladeji O. Ige et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/chemeng/2012/516461/One goal of biofabrication is to incorporate living cells into artificial scaffolds in order to repair damaged tissues or organs. Although there are many studies on various biofabrication techniques, the maintenance of cell viability during the biofabrication process and cell proliferation after the process is still a challenging issue. Construction of scaffolds using hydrogels composed of natural materials can avoid exposure of cells to harsh chemicals or temperature extremes but can still entail exposure to non-physiological conditions, causing cell damage or even death. This paper presents an experimental investigation into the influence on Schwann cell survival and proliferation of calcium used for ionic crosslinking of alginate hydrogel during the biofabrication process. The experimental results obtained show the viability and proliferation capacity of cells, either suspended in cell culture medium or encapsulated in hydrogel, and vary with the calcium concentration and the time period of cells exposed to the calcium environment. The experimental results also show the alginate concentration and cell density, that have profound influence on cell survival and proliferation, and solution viscosity as well. This study suggests the incorporation of living cells in calcium-crosslinked hydrogel in the biofabrication process can be regulated for controlled cell survival and proliferation.N. Cao, X. B. Chen, and D. J. SchreyerCopyright © 2012 N. Cao et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oncology/2012/371830/To evaluate the role of 99mTc-DMSA (V) and [18F]FDG PET-CT in management of patients with osteosarcoma, 22 patients were included in our study. All patients underwent both 99mTc-DMSA (V) and whole-body [18F]FDG PET-CT scans within an interval of 1 week. 555–740 MBq of 99mTc-DMSA (V) was injected i.v. the whole-body planar, SPECT images of primary site and chest were performed after 3-4 hours. [18F]FDG PET-CT images were obtained 60 minutes after i.v. injection of 370 MBq of F-18 FDG. Both FDG PET-CT (mean SUVmax = 7.1) and DMSA (V) scans showed abnormal uptake at primary site in all the 22 patients (100% sensitivity for both). Whole-body PET-CT detected metastasis in 11 pts (lung mets in 10 and lung + bone mets in 1 patient). Whole-body planar DMSA (V) and SPECT detected bone metastasis in one patient, lung mets in 7 patients and LN in 1 patient. HRCT of chest confirmed lung mets in 10 patients and inflammatory lesion in one patient. 7 patients positive for mets on DMSA (V) scan had higher uptake in lung lesions as compared to FDG uptake on PET-CT. Three patients who did not show any DMSA uptake had subcentimeter lung nodule. Resuts of both 99mTc-DMSA (V) (whole-body planar and SPECT imaging) and [18F]FDG PET-CT were comparable in evaluation of primary site lesions and metastatic lesions greater than 1 cm. Though 99mTc-DMSA (V) had higher uptake in the lesions as compared to [18F]FDG PET-CT, the only advantage [18F]FDG PET-CT had was that it could also detect subcentimeter lesions.G. P. Bandopadhyaya, Priyanka Gupta, Archana Singh, Jaya Shukla, S. Rastogi, Rakesh Kumar, and Arun MalhotraCopyright © 2012 G. P. Bandopadhyaya et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/cmp/2012/198590/With the seemly limit of scaling on CMOS microelectronics fast approaching, spintronics has received enormous attention as it promises next-generation nanometric magnetoelectronic devices; particularly, the electric field control of ferromagnetic transition in dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) systems offers the magnetoelectronic devices a potential for low power consumption and low variability. Special attention has been given to technologically important group IV semiconductor based DMSs, with a prominent position for Mn doped Ge. In this paper, we will first review the current theoretical understanding on the ferromagnetism in MnxGe1−x DMS, pointing out the possible physics models underlying the complicated ferromagnetic behavior of MnxGe1−x. Then we carry out detailed analysis of MnxGe1−x thin films and nanostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We show that with zero and one dimension quantum structures, superior magnetic properties of MnxGe1−x compared with bulk films can be obtained. More importantly, with MnxGe1−x nanostructures, such as quantum dots, we demonstrate a field controlled ferromagnetism up to 100 K. Finally we provide a prospective of the future development of ferromagnetic field effect transistors and magnetic tunneling junctions/memories using dilute and metallic MnxGe1−x dots, respectively. We also point out the bottleneck problems in these fields and rendering possible solutions to realize practical spintronic devices.Faxian XiuCopyright © 2012 Faxian Xiu. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/appmath/2012/725754/This paper introduces a new family of generalized lambda distributions (GLDs) based on a method of doubling symmetric GLDs. The focus of the development is in the context of L-moments and L-correlation theory. As such, included is the development of a procedure for specifying double GLDs with controlled degrees of L-skew, L-kurtosis, and L-correlations. The procedure can be applied in a variety of settings such as modeling events and Monte Carlo or simulation studies. Further, it is demonstrated that estimates of L-skew, L-kurtosis, and L-correlation are substantially superior to conventional product-moment estimates of skew, kurtosis, and Pearson correlation in terms of both relative bias and efficiency when heavy tailed distributions are of concern.Todd C. Headrick and Mohan D. PantCopyright © 2012 Todd C. Headrick and Mohan D. Pant. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/endocrinology/2012/504756/Bariatric surgery is currently the most effective and durable therapy for obesity. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, the most commonly performed procedure worldwide, causes substantial weight loss and improvement in several comorbidities associated with obesity, especially type 2 diabetes. Several mechanisms are proposed to explain the improvement in glucose metabolism after RYGB surgery: the caloric restriction and weight loss per se, the improvement in insulin resistance and beta cell function, and finally the alterations in the various gastrointestinal hormones and adipokines that have been shown to play an important role in glucose homeostasis. However, the timing, exact changes of these hormones, and the relative importance of these changes in the metabolic improvement postbariatric surgery remain to be further clarified. This paper reviews the various changes post-RYGB in adipokines and gut peptides in subjects with T2D.Mirella P. Hage, Bassem Safadi, Ibrahim Salti, and Mona NasrallahCopyright © 2012 Mirella P. Hage et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/appmath/2012/272678/We introduce new classes, Σn,λ*,μ,k(α,β,ρ) and Σn,λμ,k(α,β,ρ), of meromorphic functions defined by means of the Hadamard product of Cho-Kwon-Srivastava operator, and we define here a similar transformation by means of an operator given by Ghanim and Darus, in U={z:0<|z|<1}, and investigate a number of inclusion relationships of these classes. We also derive some interesting properties of these classes.F. Ghanim and M. DarusCopyright © 2012 F. Ghanim and M. Darus. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/obgyn/2012/843245/Fetal abnormality is a major cause of termination of pregnancy and preservation of the fetus is important for confirmation of the diagnosis. Various regimes have been reported for termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormality in the first and the second trimesters. In this paper, we compare those regimes that allow preservation of the fetus, in terms of the efficacy in expulsion of the fetus, the factors and the side effects.H. S. WongCopyright © 2012 H. S. Wong. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/inflammation/2012/953461/Acute phase reaction is a systemic response which usually follows a physiological condition that takes place in the beginning of an inflammatory process. This physiological change usually lasts 1-2 days. However, the systemic acute phase response usually lasts longer. The aim of this systemic response is to restore homeostasis. These events are accompanied by upregulation of some proteins (positive acute phase reactants) and downregulation of others (negative acute phase reactants) during inflammatory reactions. Cardiovascular diseases are accompanied by the elevation of several positive acute phase reactants such as C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen, white blood cell count, secretory nonpancreatic phospholipase 2-II (sPLA2-II), ferritin, and ceruloplasmin. Cardiovascular disease is also accompanied by the reduction of negative acute phase reactants such as albumin, transferrin, transthyretin, retinol-binding protein, antithrombin, and transcortin. In this paper, we will be discussing the biological activity and diagnostic and prognostic values of acute phase reactants with cardiovascular importance. The potential therapeutic targets of these reactants will be also discussed.M. S. Ahmed, A. B. Jadhav, A. Hassan, and Qing H. MengCopyright © 2012 M. S. Ahmed et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/oncology/2012/756591/Anal cancers are rare tumours; however, the incidence is increasing in both men and women. Changing trends in sexual behaviour, smoking, and infection with the human papillomavirus are thought to be responsible for the increase. Patients with metastatic disease have a poor prognosis, with 5-year median overall survival rates of 10% in men and 20% in women. The standard systemic treatment of metastatic disease remains cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, and aside from several non-randomised small phase II trials there has been no real progress over the past two decades. Based on the efficacy of cetuximab in squamous cell carcinomas from other primary sites, there appears to be clinical rationale for evaluation of anti-epidermal growth factor inhibitors in anal squamous cell carcinoma. In order to facilitate research and implement more effective treatment strategies international collaboration in clinical trials incorporating tissue collection for biomarkers is essential.Alice Dewdney and Sheela RaoCopyright © 2012 Alice Dewdney and Sheela Rao. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/cn/2012/290534/The design concept of passive and active reconfigurable reflectarray antennas has been proposed and tested. The antenna elements in the array are identical hollowed patches. In the first phase of study the slots are loaded with a SMD capacitor to set the required phase shift needed for array implementation. Simulations show promising results. Mounting a SMD capacitor in such a configuration can be considered as the first step in using capacitive loading on a slotted patch for active microstrip reflectarrays. It is shown that by adjusting the capacitance values it is possible to scan the beam. In the second phase, the patch elements are loaded with active varactor-diode device which its reflected phase can be varied. This phase alteration is based on the variation of the diode capacitance which can be achieved by varying the biasing voltage of the active varactor device. In latter approach by activating these varactor devices, the phase of each antenna element in the array configuration can be adopted dynamically and consequently, its beam direction can be reconfigured. The reflectarrays incorporating passive and active elements have been built and tested at 7.0 GHz and 6.0 GHz, respectively. The performance of the proposed reconfigurable antennas is excellent, and there is good agreement between the theoretical and measurement results which pioneers design of arbitrarily reconfigurable antennas.M. Hajian, B. Kuijpers, K. Buisman, A. Akhnoukh, M. Pelk, L. C. N. de Vreede, J. Zijdeveld, L. P. Ligthart, and C. SpitasCopyright © 2012 M. Hajian et al. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/probstat/2012/468758/We recall and study some properties of a known functional operating on the set of n-copulas and determine conditions under such functional is well defined on the set of n-quasi-copulas. As a consequence, new families of copulas and quasi-copulas are defined, illustrating our results with several examples.Manuel Úbeda-FloresCopyright © 2012 Manuel Úbeda-Flores. All rights reserved.http://www.isrn.com/journals/obgyn/2012/649412/In Mali, a poor sub-Saharan country, maternity referral systems were implemented to combat the still-high rates of maternal mortality. This qualitative study was aimed at understanding the relationships between the qualification of staff in community health centres, the organization of services, and the management of pregnant women in the maternity referral system in Kayes, a rural region of Mali. Physicians who managed CHCs actively or passively modified work organization, the level of technology, their obstetric skills, and staffing. They also created a competitive environment and developed relationships of trust with patients and with the district health centre. These findings are helpful in orienting decision-making for better personnel management.Maman Dogba, Pierre Fournier, and Safoura Berthe-CisseCopyright © 2012 Maman Dogba et al. All rights reserved.