bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A simple method to retrospectively estimate patient dose‐area product for chest tomosynthesis examinations performed using VolumeRAD
Authors: Båth Magnus , Söderman Christina , Svalkvist Angelica
Published: September 2014

Purpose:

The purpose of the present work was to develop and validate a method of retrospectively estimating the dose‐area product (DAP) of a chest tomosynthesis examination performed using the VolumeRAD system (GE Healthcare, Chalfont St. Giles, UK) from digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data available in the scout image.

Methods:

DICOM data were retrieved for 20 patients undergoing chest tomosynthesis using VolumeRAD. Using information about how the exposure parameters for the tomosynthesis examination are determined by the scout image, a correction factor for the adjustment in field size with projection angle was determined. The correction factor was used to estimate the DAP for 20 additional chest tomosynthesis examinations from DICOM data available in the scout images, which was compared with the actual DAP registered for the projection radiographs acquired during the tomosynthesis examination.

Results:

A field size correction factor of 0.935 was determined. Applying the developed method using this factor, the average difference between the estimated DAP and the actual DAP was 0.2%, with a standard deviation of 0.8%. However, the difference was not normally distributed and the maximum error was only 1.0%. The validity and reliability of the presented method were thus very high.

Conclusions:

A method to estimate the DAP of a chest tomosynthesis examination performed using the VolumeRAD system from DICOM data in the scout image was developed and validated. As the scout image normally is the only image connected to the tomosynthesis examination stored in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) containing dose data, the method may be of value for retrospectively estimating patient dose in clinical use of chest tomosynthesis.
Comparison of the Anthropometric and Physical Characteristics of International and Provincial Rugby Sevens Players
Authors: Ross Alex , Gill Nicholas D. , Cronin John B.
Published: September 2014

Anthropometrical and physical characteristics have been used to distinguish players of different competition levels and position groups; however, there is no literature on rugby sevens.

Purpose:

To compare the anthropometrical and physical characteristics of international and provincial rugby sevens players and between forwards and backs.

Methods:

To assess whether differences exist, 65 rugby sevens players including 22 international players and 43 provincial-level players were assessed for height, mass, body composition, speed, repeated-sprint ability, lower-body power, upper-body strength, and maximal aerobic endurance during in-season preparation for tournaments.

Results:

Clear differences (2.8−32%; small to very large effect sizes) were observed in all anthropometrical and physical measures between international and provincial players, with the largest differences observed in repeated-sprint ability (5.7%; very large effect size), 40-m-sprint time (4.4%; large effect size), 50-kg squat-jump peak power (32%; large effect size), and multistage fitness-test performance (19%; large effect size). Fewer and smaller differences (0.7−14%; trivial to large effect sizes) were found when comparing forwards and backs, with body height being the most discriminant characteristic (3.5%; large effect size).

Conclusions:

Lower-level rugby sevens players should seek to improve their overall physical profile, particularly their repeated-sprint ability, to reach higher levels in rugby sevens. Furthermore, positional status may have little importance when preparing for rugby sevens.
9.58 and 10.49: Nearing the Citius End for 100 m?
Authors: Haugen Thomas , Tønnessen Espen , Seiler Stephen
Published: September 2014

Human upper performance limits in the 100-m sprint remain the subject of much debate. The aim of this commentary is to highlight the vulnerabilities of prognoses from historical trends by shedding light on the mechanical and physiological limitations associated with human sprint performance. Several conditions work against the athlete with increasing sprint velocity; air resistance and braking impulse in each stride increase while ground-contact time typically decreases with increasing running velocity. Moreover, muscle-force production declines with increasing speed of contraction. Individual stature (leg length) strongly limits stride length such that conditioning of senior sprinters with optimized technique mainly must be targeted to enhance stride frequency. More muscle mass means more power and thereby greater ground-reaction forces in sprinting. However, as the athlete gets heavier, the energy cost of accelerating that mass also increases. This probably explains why body-mass index among world-class sprinters shows low variability and averages 23.7 ± 1.5 and 20.4 ± 1.4 for male and female sprinters, respectively. Performance development of world-class athletes indicates that ~8% improvement from the age of 18 represents the current maximum trainability of sprint performance. However, drug abuse is a huge confounding factor associated with such analyses, and available evidence suggests that we are already very close to “the citius end” of 100-m sprint performance.
Bax Inhibitor-1 Is Likely a pH-Sensitive Calcium Leak Channel, Not a H
+
/Ca
2+
Exchanger
Authors: Bultynck Geert , Kiviluoto Santeri , Methner Axel
Published: September 2014

The structure of a bacterial Bax inhibitor-1 homolog suggests that Bax inhibitor-1 is an ER-localized Ca
2+
leak channel tightly controlled by the intracellular pH.
Vitamin D—A Passenger, Not a Driver in Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Price Elvin
Published: September 2014

Vitamin D deficiency results from abnormal lipid concentrations and is not a contributor to the development of atherosclerosis.
Metagenomic Assay for Identification of Microbial Pathogens in Tumor Tissues
Authors: Baldwin Don A. , Feldman Michael , Alwine James C. , Robertson Erle S.
Published: September 2014

Screening for thousands of viruses and other pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites, in human tumor tissues will provide a better understanding of the contributory role of the microbiome in the predisposition for, causes of, and therapeutic responses to the associated cancer. Metagenomic assays designed to perform these tasks will have to include rapid and economical processing of large numbers of samples, supported by straightforward data analysis pipeline and flexible sample preparation options for multiple input tissue types from individual patients, mammals, or environmental samples. To meet these requirements, the PathoChip platform was developed by targeting viral, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic genomes with multiple DNA probes in a microarray format that can be combined with a variety of upstream sample preparation protocols and downstream data analysis. PathoChip screening of DNA plus RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissues demonstrated the utility of this platform, and the detection of oncogenic viruses was validated using independent PCR and deep sequencing methods. These studies demonstrate the use of the PathoChip technology combined with PCR and deep sequencing as a valuable strategy for detecting the presence of pathogens in human cancers and other diseases.

IMPORTANCE
This work describes the design and testing of a PathoChip array containing probes with the ability to detect all known publicly available virus sequences as well as hundreds of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, parasites, and helminths. PathoChip provides wide coverage of microbial pathogens in an economical format. PathoChip screening of DNA plus RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissues demonstrated the utility of this platform, and the detection of oncogenic viruses was validated using independent PCR and sequencing methods. These studies demonstrate that the PathoChip technology is a valuable strategy for detecting the presence of pathogens in human cancers and other diseases.
Protocol for a large-scale prospective observational study with alogliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes: J-BRAND Registry
Authors: Inagaki Nobuya , Ueki Kohjiro , Tanizawa Yukio , Watada Hirotaka , Nakamura Jiro , Yamada Yuichiro , Shimomura Iichiro , Nishimura Rimei , Yamazaki Tsutomu , Kadowaki Takashi
Published: September 2014

Introduction

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors including alogliptin are categorised as a newer class of oral hypoglycaemic, antidiabetic drugs to suppress the degradation of incretin hormones ((glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)) by DPP-4. We have scheduled a large-scale, multicentre, prospective, observational study (Japan-Based clinical ReseArch Network for Diabetes Registry: J-BRAND Registry) to construct an extensive database over a long-term clinical course in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs) and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of alogliptin in Japanese population.

Methods and analysis

20 000 patients with type 2 diabetes will be registered into two groups of 10 000 each: group A patients will be treated with alogliptin, while group B patients will be treated with non-DPP-4 inhibitor OHA(s). Approximately 300 institutions nationwide will enrol and assign eligible patients equally to either group. Each patient's data will be collected every 6 months for a 3-year period, during which time treatment with OHA(s) may be changed or discontinued, as per package insert for each OHA. Primary end points are safety variables to be compared between the two groups and their subgroups, with respect to hypoglycaemia, pancreatitis, skin disorders, infections and cancer. Secondary end points are efficacy variables including from-baseline changes of A1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin and urinary albumin, which will be compared between groups/subgroups. New onset and progression of microangiopathy will also be evaluated against OHA(s). Overall, the J-BRAND Registry will evaluate the safety and efficacy of antidiabetic OHA(s) including alogliptin, based on a large-scale database.

Ethics and dissemination

This study will be conducted with the highest respect for individual participants according to this protocol, the Declaration of Helsinki, the Ethical Guidelines for Clinical Research (Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2008) and relevant laws/regulations. The present study will construct a valuable database of patients with type 2 diabetes treated with OHA(s) including alogliptin.

Trial registration number

UMIN000007976.
Pupils’ and teachers’ experiences of school-based physical education: a qualitative study
Authors: Lewis Kiara
Published: September 2014

Objectives

To explore pupils’ and teachers’ experiences of physical education (PE).

Study design

A qualitative investigation employing semistructured interviews. Self Determination Theory was used as a guiding theory and Template Analysis was used to analyse the data.

Setting

A secondary school in the North East of England.

Participants

14 pupils (aged 13 and 14, boys and girls) with a range of self-perceived competencies regarding PE and four PE teachers of the pupils (3 male, 1 female).

Primary and secondary outcomes

(1) Attitudes and perceptions of PE pupils regarding their experiences of compulsory school PE lessons. (2) PE teachers’ experiences of teaching PE.

Results

Key results from pupils and teachers suggest pupils enjoy participation in PE when they feel competent, in control and supported by others. Feeling competent depended on (1) the activity within PE and (2) the pupils perceived physical capabilities/aptitude. Feeling in control related to (1) having a choice of activities, (2) being able to set exertion levels and (3) control over clothes worn while taking part. Relationships within pupil groups and between pupils and teachers were perceived as important. Teachers could positively influence their pupils’ enjoyment by understanding and supporting their personal goals, as opposed to dictating and controlling what they did and for how long, and by promoting a non-threatening atmosphere between pupils.

Conclusions

Rising obesity levels and concerns over the fitness of children and young people has returned the focus of PE to its potential as a vehicle for promoting health. This study suggests schools and PE teachers in particular can positively influence the PE experience of both boys and girls by providing more choice of activities and letting pupils make their own decisions based on their personal needs.
High incidence of HIV and syphilis among migrant men who have sex with men in Beijing, China: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Mao Hengyi , Ma Wenzhe , Lu Hongyan , Wang Lu , Zheng Hui , Zhu Yingying , Peng Zhihang , Yu Rongbin , Wang Ning
Published: September 2014

Objectives

The purpose of the study was to investigate the incidence of HIV and syphilis and their related factors, as well as to examine the predictors associated with seroconversion among migrant men who have sex with men (MSM) in Beijing, China.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Beijing, China.

Participants

511 HIV-negative migrant MSM.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Sociodemographic and behavioural information of participants, HIV and syphilis incidence rates, and factors associated with HIV/syphilis seroconversion and cohort retention.

Results

Of the 511 participants, 60.3% (308) and 52.4% (273) were retained at the 4- and 8-month follow-up visits, respectively. The HIV and syphilis incidence rates were 7.83 (95% CI 4.48 to 12.72) and 11.11 (95% CI 6.47 to 17.80) per 100 person-years, respectively. HIV seroconversion was significantly associated with ‘had first anal intercourse at age 15 or younger’ (adjusted HR (aHR) 9.20, 95% CI 1.94 to 43.56) and ‘ever had group sex’ (aHR 4.30, 95% CI 1.40 to 13.18). Bisexual orientation (aHR 5.09, 95% CI 1.02 to 25.57) was significantly associated with syphilis seroconversion. Predictors associated with both 4- and 8-month retention rates included age ≥25 years old and living in Beijing for more than 1 year.

Conclusions

The high incidence of HIV and syphilis among migrant MSM is a cause for concern. A comprehensive strategy should be implemented to maintain a higher retention rate among migrant MSM.
Improving the network management of integrated primary mental healthcare for older people in a rural Australian region: protocol for a mixed methods case study
Authors: Fuller Jeffrey , Oster Candice , Dawson Suzanne , O'Kane Deb , Lawn Sharon , Henderson Julie , Gerace Adam , Reed Richard , Nosworthy Ann , Galley Philip , McPhail Ruth , Cochrane Eimear Muir
Published: September 2014

Introduction

An integrated approach to the mental healthcare of older people is advocated across health, aged care and social care sectors. It is not clear, however, how the management of integrated servicing should occur, although interorganisational relations theory suggests a reflective network approach using evaluation feedback. This research will test a network management approach to help regional primary healthcare organisations improve mental health service integration.

Methods and analysis

This mixed methods case study in rural South Australia will test facilitated reflection within a network of health and social care services to determine if this leads to improved integration. Engagement of services will occur through a governance group and a series of three 1-day service stakeholder workshops. Facilitated reflection and evaluation feedback will use information from a review of health sector and local operational policies, a network survey about current service links, gaps and enablers and interviews with older people and their carers about their help seeking journeys. Quantitative and qualitative analysis will describe the policy enablers and explore the current and ideal links between services. The facilitated reflection will be developed to maximise engagement of senior management in the governance group and the service staff at the operational level in the workshops. Benefit will be assessed through indicators of improved service coordination, collective ownership of service problems, strengthened partnerships, agreed local protocols and the use of feedback for accountability.

Ethics, benefits and dissemination

Ethics approval will deal with the sensitivities of organisational network research where data anonymity is not preserved. The benefit will be the tested utility of a facilitated reflective process for a network of health and social care services to manage linked primary mental healthcare for older people in a rural region. Dissemination will make use of the sectoral networks of the governance group.
Evaluating the social determinants of teenage pregnancy: a temporal analysis using a UK obstetric database from 1950 to 2010
Authors: McCall Stephen J , Bhattacharya Sohinee , Okpo Emmanuel , Macfarlane Gary J
Published: September 2014

Background

Teenage pregnancy is a known social problem which has been previously described using a number of deprivation measures. This study aimed to explore the temporal patterns of teenage pregnancy in Aberdeen, Scotland and to assess the discriminating ability of three measures of socioeconomic status.

Methods

This was a population-based study from 1950 to 2010, using data from the Aberdeen Maternity Neonatal Databank (AMND). The main outcome variable was conceptions occurring in women aged less than 20 years. This study used two area-based measures, the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) and the Carstairs index, and one individual-based measure the Social Class based on Occupation (SCO). These measures were compared for their association with teenage conceptions using logistic regression models. The models were used to determine receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showing the discriminating ability of the measures.

Results

There was an overall decline in teenage conceptions over the 60-year period, but an increase in the rate ratio for deprived areas. All the measures of socioeconomic status were highly associated with teenage pregnancy. The adjusted OR of SIMD and teenage conception was 5.72 (95% CI 4.62 to 7.09), which compared the most deprived decile with the least deprived decile. The use of ROC curves showed that socioeconomic measures performed better than chance at determining teenage conceptions (χ2=21.67, p≤0.0001). They further showed that the SIMD had the largest area under the curve (AUC) with a value of 0.81 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.82), followed by the Carstairs index with an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.80), then by SCO with an AUC of 0.79 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.80).

Conclusions

Despite a slight decline in teenage pregnancies over the past decades, there is still an evident association between deprivation and teenage pregnancy. This study shows that all the measures of socioeconomic status were highly associated with teenage pregnancy, with the SIMD having the greatest discriminatory effect.
Republished: Smoking-related interstitial fibrosis (SRIF): pathologic findings and distinction from other chronic fibrosing lung diseases
Authors: Katzenstein Anna-Luise A
Published: September 2014

Smoking-related interstitial fibrosis (SRIF) is a common, histologically striking finding in smokers that must be distinguished from the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias and other chronic interstitial fibrosing lesions. It is characterised by marked thickening of alveolar septa by fibrosis composed of thick collagen bundles that have a distinctive hyalinised quality and often are admixed with variable numbers of hyperplastic smooth muscle fibres. There is minimal accompanying inflammation. This fibrosis is usually most prominent in subpleural and centrilobular parenchyma, but can be present elsewhere as well. It is accompanied by emphysema and respiratory bronchiolitis. Most patients are asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic, and the clinical course is stable in most. This paper reviews the pathologic features of SRIF in detail, its differentiation from more ominous interstitial fibrosing processes, and the clinical implications of its diagnosis.
Carbocyclodipeptides as modified nucleosides: synthesis and anti-HIV activities
Authors: Chhikara Bhupender S. , Rao M. Sudershan , Rao V. Kameshwara , Kumar Anil , Buckheit Karen W. , Buckheit Jr. Robert W. , Parang Keykavous
Published: September 2014

A new class of nucleoside analogues were synthesized using cyclic dipeptides and modified 2′-deoxyfuranoribose sugars to introduce flexibility by peptides in place of common nucleoside bases and to determine their biological properties. The synthesis was carried out by coupling of a protected ribose sugar with synthesized dipeptides in the presence of hexamethyldisilazane and trimethylsilyltriflate. The final products were characterized by NMR and high-resolution MS-TOF spectroscopy. The compounds were evaluated for anti-HIV activities. 1-(4-Azido-5-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)-3,6-diisopropylpiperazine-2,5-dione (compound 14) containing 3- and 6-isopropyl groups in the base and 3′-azide (EC50 = 1.96 μmol/L) was the most potent compound among all of the synthesized analogs.
Short-term effects of hunting on naïve black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis): behavioural response and consequences on vegetation growth
Authors: Le Saout Soizic , Padié Sophie , Chamaillé-Jammes Simon , Chollet Simon , Côté Steve , Morellet Nicolas , Pattison Jake , Harris Erin , Martin Jean-Louis
Published: September 2014

Hunting is commonly used to reduce overabundant deer populations that are of socioeconomic and ecological concerns. Recently, it has been suggested that “hunting for fear” might help maximize nonconsumptive effects of hunting and their cascading impacts. We investigated how a predator-free black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis Merriam, 1898) population introduced to the Haida Gwaii archipelago (Canada) responded to short-term hunting for fear. We conducted a hunt that minimized killing and maximized scaring on an island where some deer were marked. Between control and hunted sites, we compared deer use of bait stations and of shoreline areas (i.e., an open and risky area that provided marine subsidies). We also compared the browsing pressure and growth of two grasses and two shrubs. Hunting for fear had no effect on the overall use of bait stations and shorelines. However, in the area exposed to hunting, unmarked deer, which were assumed to be less tolerant of human disturbance, avoided bait stations at the outset of hunting. We concluded that individuals perceive and respond to risk differently. Furthermore, two of the four plant species were less likely to be browsed and had better growth in the experimental area than in the control area, suggesting an indirect effect of hunting on plants mediated by deer behaviour.
Stability versus reversibility in information processing
Authors: Alicki Robert
Published: September 2014

The paper is motivated by the discussion of feasibility of large scale quantum computations which should incorporate both unitarity of quantum dynamics for information bearing degrees of freedom and stability with respect to environmental noise. The minimal thermodynamic cost of a single CNOT gate, which is equivalent to the minimal cost of a quantum measurement of a binary observable is analyzed using a generic quantum model of one bit memory. For this model stability of memory with respect to thermal and quantum noise and the error of readout can be quantified. One obtains the relations between the minimal work which is invested in a measurement or CNOT gate, the error and the stability factor. The basic formula differs from the standard Landauer one and seems to be much more realistic. The results show the fundamental conflict between stability and irreversibility of information processing. This explains the feasibility of classical stable and scalable information processing performed by irreversible gates and suggests impossibility of large scale quantum computations based on unitary gates.
Facts, myths and fights about the KLJN classical physical key exchanger
Authors: Kish Laszlo B. , Abbott Derek , Granqvist Claes-Göran , Wen He
Published: September 2014

This paper deals with the Kirchhoff-law–Johnson-noise (KLJN) classical statistical physical key exchange method and surveys criticism—often stemming from a lack of understanding of its underlying premises or from other errors—and our related responses against these, often unphysical, claims. Some of the attacks are valid, however, an extended KLJN system remains protected against all of them, implying that its unconditional security is not impacted.
Development of Ultra-Thin Polyethylene Balloons for High Altitude Research upto Mesosphere
Authors: Kumar B. Suneel , Nagendra N. , Ojha D. K. , Peter G. Stalin , Vasudevan R. , Anand D. , Kulkarni P. M. , Reddy V. Anmi , Rao T. V. , Sreenivasan S.
Published: September 2014

Ever since its inception four decades back, Balloon Facility of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad has been functioning with the needs of its user scientists at its focus. During the early nineties, when the X-ray astronomy group at TIFR expressed the need for balloons capable of carrying the X-ray telescopes to altitudes up to 42 km, the balloon group initiated research and development work on indigenous balloon grade films in various thickness not only for the main experiment but also in parallel, took up the development of thin films in thickness range 5 to 6 μm for fabrication of sounding balloons required for probing the stratosphere up to 42 km as the regular 2000-gram rubber balloon ascents could not reach altitudes higher than 38 km. By the year 1999, total indigenization of sounding balloon manufacture was accomplished. The work on balloon grade ultra-thin polyethylene film in thickness range 2.8 to 3.8 μm for fabrication of balloons capable of penetrating mesosphere to meet the needs of user scientists working in the area of atmospheric dynamics commenced in 2011. Pursuant to the successful trials with 61,000-m3 balloon made of 3.8-μm Antrix film reaching stratopause (48 km) for the first time in the history of balloon facility in the year 2012, fine tuning of launch parameters like percentage free lift was carried out to take the same volume balloons to higher mesospheric altitudes. Three successful flights with a total suspended load of 10 kg using 61,000-m3 balloons were carried out in the month of January 2014 and all the three balloons crossed into the mesosphere reaching altitudes of over 51 km. All the balloons flown so far are closed system with no escape ducts. Balloon fabrication, development of launch hardware, flight control instruments and launch technique for these mesospheric balloon flights are discussed in this paper.
Using Digital Footprints for a City-Scale Traffic Simulation
Authors: Mcardle Gavin , Furey Eoghan , Lawlor Aonghus , Pozdnoukhov Alexei
Published: September 2014

This article introduces a microsimulation of urban traffic flows within a large-scale scenario implemented for the Greater Dublin region in Ireland. Traditionally, the data available for traffic simulations come from a population census and dedicated road surveys that only partly cover shopping, leisure, or recreational trips. To account for the latter, the presented traffic modeling framework exploits the digital footprints of city inhabitants on services such as Twitter and Foursquare. We enriched the model with findings from our previous studies on geographical layout of communities in a country-wide mobile phone network to account for socially related journeys. These datasets were used to calibrate a variant of a radiation model of spatial choice, which we introduced in order to drive individuals’ decisions on trip destinations within an assigned daily activity plan. We observed that given the distribution of population, the workplace locations, a comprehensive set of urban facilities, and a list of typical activity sequences of city dwellers collected within a national travel survey, the developed microsimulation reproduces not only the journey statistics such as peak travel periods but also the traffic volumes at main road segments with surprising accuracy.
The MOOC and the Genre Moment
Authors: Feldstein Michael
Published: September 2014

In order to determine (and shape) the long-term impact of MOOCs, we must consider not only cognitive and technological factors but also cultural ones, such as the goals of education and the cultural processes that mediate the diffusion of a new teaching modality. This paper examines the implicit cultural assumptions in the "MOOCs and Technology to Advance Learning and Learning Research Symposium" and proposes an alternative theory of diffusion to Clayton Christensen's disruptive innovation model as an illustration of the complexity that these assumptions hide.
Inference of Field-Sensitive Reachability and Cyclicity
Authors: Zanardini Damiano , Genaim Samir
Published: September 2014

In heap-based languages, knowing that a variable x points to an acyclic data structure is useful for analyzing termination. This information guarantees that the depth of the data structure to which x points is greater than the depth of the structure pointed to by x.
fld
, and allows bounding the number of iterations of a loop that traverses the data structure on
fld
.

In general, proving termination needs acyclicity, unless program-specific or nonautomated reasoning is performed. However, recent work could prove that certain loops terminate even without inferring acyclicity, because they traverse data structures “acyclically.” Consider a double-linked list: if it is possible to demonstrate that every cycle involves both the “next” and the “prev” field, then a traversal on “next” terminates since no cycle will be traversed completely.

This article develops a static analysis inferring field-sensitive reachability and cyclicity information, which is more general than existing approaches. Propositional formulæ are computed, which describe which fields may or may not be traversed by paths in the heap. Consider a tree with edges “left” and “right” to the left and right subtrees, and “parent” to the parent node: termination of a loop traversing leaf-up cannot be guaranteed by state-of-the-art analyses. Instead, propositional formulæ computed by this analysis indicate that cycles must traverse “parent” and at least one between “left” and “right”: termination is guaranteed, as no cycle is traversed completely.

This work defines the necessary abstract domains and builds an abstract semantics on them. A prototypical implementation provides the expected result on relevant examples.
A General Theory of Barbs, Contexts, and Labels
Authors: Bonchi Filippo , Gadducci Fabio , Monreale Giacoma Valentina
Published: September 2014

Barbed bisimilarity is a widely used behavioral equivalence for interactive systems: given a set of predicates (denoted “barbs” and representing basic observations on states) and a set of contexts (representing the possible execution environments), two systems are deemed to be equivalent if they verify the same barbs whenever inserted inside any of the chosen contexts. Despite its flexibility and expressiveness, this definition of equivalence is unsatisfactory because often the quantification is over an infinite set of contexts, thus making barbed bisimilarity very hard to be verified.

Should a labeled operational semantics be available, more efficient observational equivalences might be adopted. To this end, a series of techniques has been proposed to derive labeled transition systems (LTSs) from unlabeled ones, the main example being Leifer and Milner’s theory of reactive systems. The underlying intuition is that labels should be the “minimal” contexts that allow for a reduction step to be performed.

However, minimality is difficult to asses, whereas the set of “intuitively” correct labels is often easily devised by the ingenuity of the researcher. This article introduces a framework that characterizes (weak) barbed bisimilarity via LTSs whose labels are (not necessarily minimal) contexts. Differently from previous proposals, our theory does not depend on the way the labeled transitions are built but instead relies on a simple set-theoretical presentation for identifying those properties such an LTS should verify to (1) capture the barbed bisimilarities of the underlying system and (2) ensure that such bisimilarities are congruences.

Furthermore, we adopt suitable proof techniques to make feasible the verification of such properties. To provide a test-bed for our formalism, we instantiate it by addressing the semantics of the Mobile Ambients calculus, recasting its barbed bisimilarities via label-based behavioral equivalences.
Spatial and Temporal Linearities in Posed and Spontaneous Smiles
Authors: Trutoiu Laura C. , Carter Elizabeth J. , Pollard Nancy , Cohn Jeffrey F. , Hodgins Jessica K.
Published: September 2014

Creating facial animations that convey an animator’s intent is a difficult task because animation techniques are necessarily an approximation of the subtle motion of the face. Some animation techniques may result in linearization of the motion of vertices in space (blendshapes, for example), and other, simpler techniques may result in linearization of the motion in time. In this article, we consider the problem of animating smiles and explore how these simplifications in space and time affect the perceived genuineness of smiles. We create realistic animations of spontaneous and posed smiles from high-resolution motion capture data for two computer-generated characters. The motion capture data is processed to linearize the spatial or temporal properties of the original animation. Through perceptual experiments, we evaluate the genuineness of the resulting smiles. Both space and time impact the perceived genuineness. We also investigate the effect of head motion in the perception of smiles and show similar results for the impact of linearization on animations with and without head motion. Our results indicate that spontaneous smiles are more heavily affected by linearizing the spatial and temporal properties than posed smiles. Moreover, the spontaneous smiles were more affected by temporal linearization than spatial linearization. Our results are in accordance with previous research on linearities in facial animation and allow us to conclude that a model of smiles must include a nonlinear model of velocities.
Gaze-to-Object Mapping during Visual Search in 3D Virtual Environments
Authors: Bernhard Matthias , Stavrakis Efstathios , Hecher Michael , Wimmer Michael
Published: September 2014

Stimuli obtained from highly dynamic 3D virtual environments and synchronous eye-tracking data are commonly used by algorithms that strive to correlate gaze to scene objects, a process referred to as
gaze-to-object mapping (GTOM)
. We propose to address this problem with a probabilistic approach using Bayesian inference. The desired result of the inference is a predicted probability density function (PDF) specifying for each object in the scene a probability to be attended by the user. To evaluate the quality of a predicted attention PDF, we present a methodology to assess the information value (i.e., likelihood) in the predictions of different approaches that can be used to infer object attention. To this end, we propose an experiment based on a visual search task, which allows us to determine the object of attention at a certain point in time under controlled conditions. We perform this experiment with a wide range of static and dynamic visual scenes to obtain a ground-truth evaluation dataset, allowing us to assess GTOM techniques in a set of 30 particularly challenging cases.
Data security-modified AES algorithm and its applications
Authors: Mondal Subijit , Maitra Subhashis
Published: September 2014

Now a days with the rapid development of multimedia technologies, research on safety and security are becoming more important. Multimedia data are generated and transmitted through the communication channels and the wireless media. The efficiencies of encryption based on different existing algorithms are not up to the satisfactory limit. Hence researchers are trying to modify the existing algorithm or even develop new algorithms that help to increase security with a little encryption time. Here in this paper, we have furnished a new technology to modify the AES algorithm which gives more security with a little encryption time and which can be used to encrypt using 128-bit key. Theoretical analysis on the proposed algorithm with the existing reveals the novelty of our work. Here we have proposed a technique to randomize the key and hidden the key data into an encrypted digital image using the basics concept of cryptography and also using the concept of digital watermarking, the concept of key-hide has also been encrypted. We have also proposed a new technique to reposition the pixels to break the correlation between them. So, the proposed scheme offers a more secure and cost effective mechanism for encryption.
Balancing disk access times in RAID5 disk arrays in degraded mode by conditionally prioritizing fork/join requests
Authors: Thomasian Alexander , Liu Bingxing , Deng Yuhui
Published: September 2014

RAID5 disk arrays with rotated parities can tolerate single disk failures by reconstructing missing blocks on demand by XORing the contents of corresponding
K
blocks on surviving disks by a
K
-way
Fork/Join
(
F/J
) request, which is considered completed after the
K
disks are accessed. F/J accesses in RAID5 are processed concurrently with interfering disk accesses. The mean response time of F/J and independent/interfering requests: R
F/J
/
K
and R
Ind
and the mean delay from the completion of the first to the last F/J task, known as task dispersion time: T
disp
/
K
, are performance metrics of interest. Given R
F/J
/
K
> R
Ind
with FCFS scheduling, it is desirable to equalize disk access times, but giving a higher nonpreemptive priority to disk accesses due to F/J requests with respect to interfering disk accesses results in R
Ind
& R
F/J
/
K
. We propose a continuum of conditional priority methods based on the fraction F of F/J accesses completed with FCFS scheduling. F = ∞stands for FCFS and F = 0 stands for unconditional priorities. Simulation shows that F = 1/8 with K = 8 yields R
F/J
/
K
≈ RInd for three distributions of disk requests and in the range of F/J and independent disk requests considered. F can be varied adaptively based on measurement results to balance disk access times.
A Modular Neural Network Scheme Applied to Fault Diagnosis in Electric Power Systems
Authors: Flores Agustín , Quiles Eduardo , García Emilio , Morant Francisco , Correcher Antonio
Published: September 2014

This work proposes a new method for fault diagnosis in electric power systems based on neural modules. With this method the diagnosis is performed by assigning a neural module for each type of component comprising the electric power system, whether it is a transmission line, bus or transformer. The neural modules for buses and transformers comprise two diagnostic levels which take into consideration the logic states of switches and relays, both internal and back-up, with the exception of the neural module for transmission lines which also has a third diagnostic level which takes into account the oscillograms of fault voltages and currents as well as the frequency spectrums of these oscillograms, in order to verify if the transmission line had in fact been subjected to a fault. One important advantage of the diagnostic system proposed is that its implementation does not require the use of a network configurator for the system; it does not depend on the size of the power network nor does it require retraining of the neural modules if the power network increases in size, making its application possible to only one component, a specific area, or the whole context of the power system.
Determination of Tannins of Three Common Acacia Species of Sudan
Authors: Elgailani Isam Eldin Hussein , Ishak Christina Yacoub
Published: September 2014

The objective of this study is to analyze and compare tannins of three common Acacia species of Sudan, since vegetable tannins are important in leather industry. Acacia nilotica and Acacia seyal samples were collected from Sunt Forest in Khartoum State, while Acacia senegal samples were collected from the Debabat Forest in South Kordofan State. Bark samples from bulk collections of the three Acacia species were extracted with boiled deionized water. The amount of tannins present in these bulk samples was determined by Folin-Denis method for total phenolic materials, followed by precipitation with hide-powder. The difference between the amount of phenolic materials present before and after addition of hide-powder represents the amount of tannins present. The percentage of tannins in the leaves, bark, and mature and immature fruits of collections of individuals of Acacia species was estimated; mature and immature fruits of Acacia nilotica contain tannins (22.15% and 22.10%, resp.). The leaves of Acacia nilotica and Acacia seyal contain tannins (11.80% and 6.30%, resp.). The barks of Acacia seyal, Acacia nilotica, and Acacia senegal contain tannins (12.15%, 10.47%, and 3.49%, resp.).
Posttraumatic Orbital Emphysema: A Numerical Model
Authors: Skorek Andrzej , Kłosowski Paweł , Plichta Łukasz , Raczyńska Dorota , Zmuda Trzebiatowski Marcin , Lemski Paweł
Published: September 2014

Orbital emphysema is a common symptom accompanying orbital fracture. The pathomechanism is still not recognized and the usually assumed cause, elevated pressure in the upper airways connected with sneezing or coughing, does not always contribute to the occurrence of this type of fracture. Observations based on the finite model (simulating blowout type fracture) of the deformations of the inferior orbital wall after a strike in its lower rim. Authors created a computer numeric model of the orbit with specified features—thickness and resilience modulus. During simulation an evenly spread 14400 N force was applied to the nodular points in the inferior rim (the maximal value not causing cracking of the outer rim, but only ruptures in the inferior wall). The observation was made from1·10-3to1·10-2second after a strike. Right after a strike dislocations of the inferior orbital wall toward the maxillary sinus were observed. Afterwards a retrograde wave of the dislocation of the inferior wall toward the orbit was noticed. Overall dislocation amplitude reached about 6 mm. Based on a numeric model of the orbit submitted to a strike in the inferior wall an existence of a retrograde shock wave causing orbital emphysema has been found.
The Impact of “Omic” and Imaging Technologies on Assessing the Host Immune Response to Biodefence Agents
Authors: Tree Julia A. , Flick-Smith Helen , Elmore Michael J. , Rowland Caroline A.
Published: September 2014

Understanding the interactions between host and pathogen is important for the development and assessment of medical countermeasures to infectious agents, including potential biodefence pathogens such asBacillus anthracis,Ebola virus, andFrancisella tularensis. This review focuses on technological advances which allow this interaction to be studied in much greater detail. Namely, the use of “omic” technologies (next generation sequencing, DNA, and protein microarrays) for dissecting the underlying host response to infection at the molecular level; optical imaging techniques (flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy) for assessing cellular responses to infection; and biophotonic imaging for visualising the infectious disease process. All of these technologies hold great promise for important breakthroughs in the rational development of vaccines and therapeutics for biodefence agents.
A Lightweight Classification Algorithm for External Sources of Interference in IEEE 802.15.4-Based Wireless Sensor Networks Operating at the 2.4 GHz
Authors: Zacharias Sven , Newe Thomas , O'Keeffe Sinead , Lewis Elfed
Published: September 2014

IEEE 802.15.4 is the technology behind wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and ZigBee. Most of the IEEE 802.15.4 radios operate in the crowded 2.4 GHz frequency band, which is used by many technologies. Since IEEE 802.15.4 is a low power technology, the avoidance of interference is vital to conserve energy and to extend the lifetime of devices. A lightweight classification algorithm is presented to detect the common external sources of interference in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, namely, IEEE 802.11-based wireless local area networks (WLANs), Bluetooth, and microwave ovens. This lightweight algorithm uses the energy detection (ED) feature (the feature behind received signal strength indication (RSSI)) of an IEEE 802.15.4-compliant radio. Therefore, it classifies the interferers without demodulation of their signals. As it relies on time patterns instead of spectral features, the algorithm has no need to change the channel. Thus, it allows the radio both to stay connected to the channel and to receive while scanning. Furthermore, it has a maximum runtime of merely one second. The algorithm is extensively tested in a radio frequency anechoic chamber and in real world scenarios. These results are presented here.
Inhibition of Nek2 by Small Molecules Affects Proteasome Activity
Authors: Meng Lingyao , Carpenter Kent , Mollard Alexis , Vankayalapati Hariprasad , Warner Steven L. , Sharma Sunil , Tricot Guido , Zhan Fenghuang , Bearss David J.
Published: September 2014

Background. Nek2 is a serine/threonine kinase localized to the centrosome. It promotes cell cycle progression from G2 to M by inducing centrosome separation. Recent studies have shown that high Nek2 expression is correlated with drug resistance in multiple myeloma patients.Materials and Methods. To investigate the role of Nek2 in bortezomib resistance, we ectopically overexpressed Nek2 in several cancer cell lines, including multiple myeloma lines. Small-molecule inhibitors of Nek2 were discovered using an in-house library of compounds. We tested the inhibitors on proteasome and cell cycle activity in several cell lines.Results. Proteasome activity was elevated in Nek2-overexpressing cell lines. The Nek2 inhibitors inhibited proteasome activity in these cancer cell lines. Treatment with these inhibitors resulted in inhibition of proteasome-mediated degradation of several cell cycle regulators in HeLa cells, leaving them arrested in G2/M. Combining these Nek2 inhibitors with bortezomib increased the efficacy of bortezomib in decreasing proteasome activityin vitro. Treatment with these novel Nek2 inhibitors successfully mitigated drug resistance in bortezomib-resistant multiple myeloma.Conclusion. Nek2 plays a central role in proteasome-mediated cell cycle regulation and in conferring resistance to bortezomib in cancer cells. Taken together, our results introduce Nek2 as a therapeutic target in bortezomib-resistant multiple myeloma.
Adipose Tissue and Adipokines: The Association with and Application of Adipokines in Obesity
Authors: Khan Muhammad , Joseph Frank
Published: September 2014

2014 marks the 20th anniversary of adipokines. Through the identification of leptin, our perceived understanding of adipose tissue was changed instantaneously. From a simple dormant site of energy storage, adipose tissue is now recognized as an integral hub of various hormones known as adipokines. Although great strides have been made in characterizing these hormones in health, research also shows they are significantly implicated in a series of pathologies. One such condition is obesity. Defined as an excess of adipose tissue, obesity remains one of the greatest healthcare epidemics of the 21st century. With no definitive treatment, attention has shifted to understanding the role of adipokines in obesity. This review provides an introduction to the salient obesity-related adipokines and their possible application as a treatment for obesity.