bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation: An Overview
Authors: Romero Iñaki , Nedios Sotirios , Kriatselis Charalampos
Published: August 2014

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been defined as the new cardiovascular “epidemic”. Its prevalence is rising in developed countries, and the associated social and economic costs are high. In the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in understanding the mechanisms of AF and its management. New pharmacotherapies together with novel techniques for surgical and catheter treatment of AF have been developed, allowing the maintenance of sinus rhythm and the alleviation of symptoms in a large number of patients with AF. However, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed. This article gives an overview of the current state of the art on novel techniques for diagnosis and management of AF.
A sparse ising model with covariates
Authors: Cheng Jie , Levina Elizaveta , Wang Pei , Zhu Ji
Published: August 2014

There has been a lot of work fitting Ising models to multivariate binary data in order to understand the conditional dependency relationships between the variables. However, additional covariates are frequently recorded together with the binary data, and may influence the dependence relationships. Motivated by such a dataset on genomic instability collected from tumor samples of several types, we propose a sparse covariate dependent Ising model to study both the conditional dependency within the binary data and its relationship with the additional covariates. This results in subject‐specific Ising models, where the subject's covariates influence the strength of association between the genes. As in all exploratory data analysis, interpretability of results is important, and we use penalties to induce sparsity in the fitted graphs and in the number of selected covariates. Two algorithms to fit the model are proposed and compared on a set of simulated data, and asymptotic results are established. The results on the tumor dataset and their biological significance are discussed in detail.
Guanine nucleotide‐binding protein 1 is one of the key molecules contributing to cancer cell radioresistance
Authors: Fukumoto Motoi , Amanuma Tatsuya , Kuwahara Yoshikazu , Shimura Tsutomu , Suzuki Masatoshi , Mori Shiro , Kumamoto Hiroyuki , Saito Yohei , Ohkubo Yasuhito , Duan Zhenfeng , Sano Kenji , Oguchi Tomohiro , Kainuma Kazuyuki , Usami Shinichi , Kinoshita Kengo , Lee Inchul , Fukumoto Manabu
Published: August 2014

Standard fractionated radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer consists of daily irradiation of 2‐Gy X‐rays, 5 days a week for 5–8 weeks. To understand the characteristics of radioresistant cancer cells and to develop more effective radiotherapy, we established a series of novel, clinically relevant radioresistant (CRR) cells that continue to proliferate with 2‐Gy X‐ray exposure every 24 h for more than 30 days in vitro. We studied three human and one murine cell line, and their CRR derivatives. Guanine nucleotide‐binding protein 1 (GBP1) gene expression was higher in all CRR cells than their corresponding parental cells. GBP1 knockdown by siRNA cancelled radioresistance of CRR cells in vitro and in xenotransplanted tumor tissues in nude mice. The clinical relevance of GBP1 was immunohistochemically assessed in 45 cases of head and neck cancer tissues. Patients with GBP1‐positive cancer tended to show poorer response to radiotherapy. We recently reported that low dose long‐term fractionated radiation concentrates cancer stem cells (CSCs). Immunofluorescence staining of GBP1 was stronger in CRR cells than in corresponding parental cells. The frequency of Oct4‐positive CSCs was higher in CRR cells than in parental cells, however, was not as common as GBP1‐positive cells. GBP1‐positive cells were radioresistant, but radioresistant cells were not necessarily CSCs. We concluded that GBP1 overexpression is necessary for the radioresistant phenotype in CRR cells, and that targeting GBP1‐positive cancer cells is a more efficient method in conquering cancer than targeting CSCs.
Footprints of Cardiac Mechanical Activity as Expressed in Lung Doppler Signals
Authors: Palti Yoram , Schatzberger Rachel , Zreik Majd , Solter Emma , Kronzon Itzhak
Published: August 2014

Aims

To determine the diagnostic information contained in cardiac pulsatile pressure waves as expressed in the Doppler signals recorded over the right lung.

Methods and Results

The pulsatile characteristics of the pulmonary vascular system were studied by means of the novel pulse Doppler technology in 38 control volunteers, 31 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and 7 patients with atrial flutter. The Doppler velocity waveforms recorded were interpreted in relation to the cardiac cycle mechanical events that generate them: Ventricular systole (S), diastole (D) and presystolic left atrial contraction (A). It was demonstrated that in all cases of AF, wave‐A was absent. With longer diastole a high frequency velocity waves were visible. It is assumed that they represent the atrial mechanical fibrillation. In the patients with atrial flutter, the single A‐wave was replaced by a waveform termed F, the frequency of which exactly matched that of the flutter wave on the ECG. The F‐wave had both a positive and negative component.

Conclusion

The lung Doppler signals contain distinct signatures typical of arrhythmias such as AF and atrial flutter that can be used for both diagnosis and to gain insight into the nature of the phenomena.
The Uses of Emotion Maps in Research and Clinical Practice with Families and Couples: Methodological Innovation and Critical Inquiry
Authors: Gabb Jacqui , Singh Reenee
Published: August 2014

We explore how “emotion maps” can be productively used in clinical assessment and clinical practice with families and couples. This graphic participatory method was developed in sociological studies to examine everyday family relationships. Emotion maps enable us to effectively “see” the dynamic experience and emotional repertoires of family life. Through the use of a case example, in this article we illustrate how emotion maps can add to the systemic clinicians’ repertoire of visual methods. For clinicians working with families, couples, and young people, the importance of gaining insight into how lives are lived, at home, cannot be understated. Producing emotion maps can encourage critical personal reflection and expedite change in family practice. Hot spots in the household become visualized, facilitating dialogue on prevailing issues and how these events may be perceived differently by different family members. As emotion maps are not reliant on literacy or language skills they can be equally completed by parents and children alike, enabling children's perspective to be heard. Emotion maps can be used as assessment tools, to demonstrate the process of change within families. Furthermore, emotion maps can be extended to use through technology and hence are well suited particularly to working with young people. We end the article with a wider discussion of the place of emotions and emotion maps within systemic psychotherapy.
Pluralising Climate Change and Migration: An Argument in Favour of Open Futures
Authors: Baldwin Andrew
Published: August 2014

This paper contextualises the relation between climate change and human migration using the concepts of neoliberalism, sovereignty and otherness. The paper is intended to provide a general account of climate change and migration research, which seeks to extend understanding of the relation beyond a focus on policy and policy‐relevant research. The argument is that because the relation between climate change and migration is so vast, touching on so many aspects of life, the debate on climate change and migration needs to be pluralised. This is especially the case given the future‐conditional nature of the relation between climate change and migration.
The effects of human keratinocyte coculture on human adipose‐derived stem cells
Authors: Seo Bommie F , Kim Ki J , Kim Min K , Rhie Jong W
Published: August 2014

The potential for adipose‐derived stem cells to differentiate into keratinocyte‐like cells has recently been receiving attention, stemming from the hypothesis that a bioengineered skin may be manufactured from these readily available mesenchymal stem cells. This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of human keratinocyte non‐contact coculture on hADSCs. Human epidermal keratinocytes and hADSCs obtained by lipoaspiration were cultured in keratinogenic growth media, which were divided into the following groups: human adipose‐derived stem cell (hADSC) monoculture, non‐contact coculture of hADSCs and human keratinocytes and keratinocyte monoculture. Cell proliferation was assessed, and keratogenicity was analysed through immunocytochemistry and polymerase chain reaction of early, intermediate and late keratogenic markers. hADSCs cocultured with keratinocytes displayed enhanced proliferation compared with the monoculture group. After a 7‐day coculture period, immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction findings revealed the presence of specific keratinocyte markers in the coculture group. This study demonstrates that hADSCs cocultured with keratinocytes have the capacity to transdifferentiate into keratinocyte lineage cells, and suggests that adipose tissue may be a source of keratinocytes that may further be used in structuring the bioengineered skin.
Parliaments in the Euro Crisis: Can the Losers of Integration Still Fight Back?
Authors: Auel Katrin , Höing Oliver
Published: August 2014

The eurozone crisis challenges the scrutiny systems of national parliaments: many instruments tackling the crisis were established outside the EU legal framework; the crisis management has generally been dominated by European and national executives; and decisions were taken under enormous time pressure. Did national parliaments become involved in scrutiny of the crisis management, and if so, how? And to what extent are their crisis‐related scrutiny activities different from those in other EU affairs? Based on a quantitative data set on formal parliamentary activities in 2010–12, this article shows that the crisis did play an important role with regard to plenary EU debates in many national parliaments. Beyond debates, however, scrutiny of the crisis management has surprisingly been ‘business as usual’ for most parliamentary chambers. This further cements the gap between formally strong and active and formally weak and inactive parliaments.
No Demos? Identities and Public Spheres in the Euro Crisis
Authors: Risse Thomas
Published: August 2014

This article takes issue with the ‘no demos’ thesis about the European Union. Empirically speaking, a ‘demos’ requires a sense of community among the citizens, on the one hand, and a lively public spheres in which political issues are debated, on the other. It is argued in this article, first, that a majority of European citizens has developed dual identities – to their nation‐state and to Europe – and this Europeanization of national identities is sufficient to sustain carefully crafted (re‐)distributive policies on the European level. Second, the euro crisis has strongly increased the politicization of national public spheres and has also led to their growing Europeanization with regard to issue salience and to the actors represented.
Unified Theory of Allocations and Constructs in Life Cycle Assessment and Input‐Output Analysis
Authors: Majeau‐Bettez Guillaume , Wood Richard , Strømman Anders Hammer
Published: August 2014

The treatment of coproducts is one of the most persistent methodological challenges for both input‐output (IO) analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA). The two fields have developed distinct modeling traditions to artificially extract independent Leontief production functions (technological “recipes”) for products of multioutput activities; whereas IO operates in terms of system‐wide models named constructs, LCA practitioners usually use allocations or system expansion on a process‐by‐process basis. Recently, there have been renewed efforts to connect these two modeling traditions on the basis of their underlying assumptions. A formal description of a unified framework for the treatment of coproducts is still lacking, however. The present article strives to fill this gap. From a single generalized allocation equation, we derive all practical LCA allocations and IO constructs. This approach extends previous studies by arranging the different models in a formal “taxonomic tree,” clarifying the relation between the different LCA allocation and IO construct models. This framework also clarifies the relation of certain models to classical system expansion. We then analyze the properties of these models when combined with different types of inventories and make recommendations for best practice in inventory compilation.
Reduction of the scanning time by total variation minimization reconstruction for X‐ray tomography in a SEM
Authors: LALOUM D. , PRINTEMPS T. , SANCHEZ D.F. , LORUT F. , AUDOIT G. , BLEUET P.
Published: August 2014

Total variation minimization is applied to the particular case of X‐ray tomography in a scanning electron microscope. To prove the efficiency of this reconstruction method, noise‐free and noisy data based on the Shepp & Logan phantom have been simulated. These simulations confirm that Total variation minimization‐reconstruction algorithm better manages data containing low number of projections with respect to simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique or filtered backprojection, even in the presence of noise. The algorithm has been applied to real data sets, with a low angular sampling and a high level of noise. Two samples containing micro‐interconnections have been analyzed and 3D reconstructions show that Total variation minimization‐based algorithm performs well even with 60 projections in order to properly recover a 500 nm diameter void inside a copper interconnection.
Psychopathy Deconstructed and Reconstructed: Identifying and Assembling the Personality Building Blocks of Cleckley's Chimera
Authors: Lilienfeld Scott O. , Watts Ashley L. , Francis Smith Sarah , Berg Joanna M. , Latzman Robert D.
Published: August 2014

The psychopathy field has long been beset by confusion and contention regarding the boundaries and features of this chimerical condition. We propose that this disagreement stems largely from the historical separation between psychopathy and basic personality psychology. Using findings from a meta‐analysis of the correlations between the Psychopathy Checklist‐Revised (PCL‐R) and normal‐range personality traits as a launching point, we (a) deconstruct widely used measures of psychopathy into their constituent subdimensions and (b) examine the associations of these subdimensions with higher‐order and lower‐order personality dimensions drawn from the Big Five and Big Three frameworks. Our review of the adult psychopathy literature reveals broad agreement that psychopathy measures are imbued with low Agreeableness and low Conscientiousness. Nevertheless, substantial disagreement revolves around the place of largely adaptive features, especially high agentic Extraversion, low Neuroticism, and high Openness, within the psychopathy construct. We propose that ongoing debates regarding the nature and boundaries of psychopathy reflect a focus on two differing operationalizations of this condition, each of which reflects a different “species” of individual.
Fashion and Dress Culture
Authors: Parker Sarah
Published: August 2014

This article summarises the significant critical works on fashion and dress culture in 19th‐century literature published during the last 10 years, identifying the key trends in this area of scholarship, including work on shopping and consumption, the ‘shopgirl’ and the needlewoman, and reform movements such as the Rational and Aesthetic dress movements. During the 19th century, dress was a battleground on which a number of key debates were fought and contested. But whilst fashion and art historians have long been interested in this period, literary studies has tended to overlook dress, perhaps due to fashion being associated with shallowness and triviality. Fortunately, in the last 10 years, there has been a noticeable increase in critical work that focuses on the important role of fashion and dress in 19th‐century literature and culture. Such work moves beyond viewing dress as merely a metaphor or symbolic device – instead approaching dress as a cultural phenomenon worthy of attention in its own right.
Life Stage Studies and the Eighteenth Century: Reading Age in Literature
Authors: Gustafson Katherine
Published: August 2014

This essay traces the field of life stage studies, surveying its general trends and its particular impact on our understanding of eighteenth‐century culture. Also known as “life cycle studies,” “life span studies,” or “age studies,” this field has been largely overlooked until recently, but has yielded new insights into identity and literary formations. When aggregated, recent studies show a profound change in how aging was perceived and treated in the eighteenth century as more fluid ideas about three stages of the life cycle – childhood, adolescence, and senescence – gradually became identified not simply by social rituals or external appearance but also by numerical age. Because of its multidisciplinary approach, life stage studies allows us both to recognize this transformation and to connect it to developments in the eighteenth century in the fields of philosophy, law, education, social policy, and literature.
Agriculture and nutrition in India: mapping evidence to pathways
Authors: Kadiyala Suneetha , Harris Jody , Headey Derek , Yosef Sivan , Gillespie Stuart
Published: August 2014

In India, progress against undernutrition has been slow. Given its importance for income generation, improving diets, care practices, and maternal health, the agriculture sector is widely regarded as playing an important role in accelerating the reduction in undernutrition. This paper comprehensively maps existing evidence along agriculture–nutrition pathways in India and assesses both the quality and coverage of the existing literature. We present a conceptual framework delineating six key pathways between agriculture and nutrition. Three pathways pertain to the nutritional impacts of farm production, farm incomes, and food prices. The other three pertain to agriculture–gender linkages. After an extensive search, we found 78 research papers that provided evidence to populate these pathways. The literature suggests that Indian agriculture has a range of important influences on nutrition. Agriculture seems to influence diets even when controlling for income, and relative food prices could partly explain observed dietary changes in recent decades. The evidence on agriculture–gender linkages to nutrition is relatively weak. Sizeable knowledge gaps remain. The root causes of these gaps include an interdisciplinary disconnect between nutrition and economics/agriculture, a related problem of inadequate survey data, and limited policy‐driven experimentation. Closing these gaps is essential to strengthening the agriculture sector's contribution to reducing undernutrition.
Development of asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Salzer Wanda L. , Asselin Barbara L. , Plourde Paul V. , Corn Tim , Hunger Stephen P.
Published: August 2014

Since it was identified in 1963 as the antileukemic agent in guinea pig serum, l‐asparaginase (ASNase) has become an integral component of chemotherapy protocols to treat patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi provide the sources of ASNase used clinically today. From the time ASNase was first introduced into treatment protocols, the 5‐year survival rate has increased significantly, particularly in children and adolescents. E. coli–derived ASNase was approved in 1978 to be used as part of a multiagent chemotherapy to treat ALL. However, the development of hypersensitivity in 10–30% of patients often leads to treatment discontinuation. E. chrysanthemi–derived ASNase (referred to herein as ASNase Erwinia chrysanthemi) is immunologically distinct from E. coli ASNase and therefore does not cross‐react with the E. coli enzyme. In 2011, ASNase Erwinia chrysanthemi was approved in the United States for patients who develop hypersensitivity to E. coli–derived ASNase. When indicated, a switch from ASNase E. coli to ASNase E. chrysanthemi allows patients to continue to receive treatment and maintain therapeutic levels of ASNase activity. Therapeutic drug monitoring may help ensure that therapeutic enzyme levels are maintained. Pegylated recombinant ASNase Erwinia chrysanthemi is currently being developed to improve pharmacokinetic properties and reduce immunogenicity.
Diminishing Returns from Higher Density Restoration Seedings Suggest Trade‐offs in Pollinator Seed Mixes
Authors: Wilkerson Marit L. , Ward Kimiora L. , Williams Neal M. , Ullmann Katharina S. , Young Truman P.
Published: August 2014

Native forbs have become a more central component of restoration programs, especially because of their role in supporting crop pollinators. This study evaluates the success of different native forb mixes and seeding rates using shared goals of restoration practitioners and agroecologists, namely percent native species cover, floral resources, native diversity, and cost‐effectiveness. At 6 sites with hedgerows adjacent to agricultural lands in California's Central Valley, we planted 3 native forb seed mixes at 3 seeding rates and monitored germination, percent cover, and floral resources for 2 to 3 years. We also evaluated the cost of the mixes based on seeding rates and original seed prices. More than mix type, relative seeding rate strongly affected germination, cover, and floral resource success. The relative benefits of seeding with more species diminished at higher seeding rates, especially when cost was considered. Cover increased significantly over the years but diversity declined sharply after the first year. Increased cover of target species was mainly due to the effect of 1 dominant species Grindelia camporum, common gumplant. We summarize data from a similar forb restoration study showing that the species that dominated in our mix‐and‐rate experimental sites also attracted the greatest diversity and abundance of pollinators. These findings highlight trade‐offs and balance‐points within restoration and pollination services goals. We offer suggestions on how to weigh those trade‐offs, given particular priorities and how native forb plantings can support combined goals of pollination services and restoration.
Women and healthcare in early modern German towns
Authors: Kinzelbach Annemarie
Published: August 2014

This article is a study of women's continued involvement in healthcare practice in German Imperial towns and cities between the fifteenth century and the mid eighteenth century. It contextualizes the defamatory rhetoric against women healers found in printed books and publications, corrects the distortions of juridical administrative sources, and modifies the frequent complaints of medical corporations. Comparing the sources produced by hospital administrators and by other administrative agencies with the practice notes of a physician allows us to see women's day‐to‐day medical tasks in institutions and households, their shared competencies and networks, as well as their role in facilitating the flow of medical information. Moreover, female practitioners belonging to different social and cultural strata, who fulfilled varying levels of medical tasks, become visible by analysing institutional sources in conjunction with more private records documenting the intersection of domestic healthcare with treatment offered by certified practitioners. Contrary to what administrative and hospital records suggest, the handwritten daily notes of the Nuremberg physician Johann Christoph Götz do not indicate a devaluation of female medical expertise in the early modern period; on the contrary, the information of learned women from mercantile or academic families became part of the process by which medical knowledge was created.
Precipitating Circumstances of Suicide among Active Duty U.S. Army Personnel Versus U.S. Civilians, 2005–2010
Authors: Logan Joseph E. , Skopp Nancy A. , Reger Mark A. , Gladden Matt , Smolenski Derek J. , Floyd C. Faye , Gahm Gregory A.
Published: August 2014

To help understand suicide among soldiers, we compared suicide events between active duty U.S. Army versus civilian decedents to identify differences and inform military prevention efforts. We linked 141 Army suicide records from 2005 to 2010 to National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) data. We described the decedents’ military background and compared their precipitators of death captured in NVDRS to those of demographically matched civilian suicide decedents. Both groups commonly had mental health and intimate partner precipitating circumstances, but soldier decedents less commonly disclosed suicide intent.
Self‐forgiveness: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Authors: Wohl Michael J. A. , McLaughlin Kendra J.
Published: August 2014

Traditionally, self‐forgiveness has been framed as a process that helps facilitate psychological as well as physiological well‐being following wrongdoing. In the present paper, we outline the limits and boundaries of this presupposition. Specifically, we outline contexts in which self‐forgiveness might yield negative consequence that include, among other things, a continuation of the wrongful behavior. First, we provide evidence that self‐forgiveness for ongoing, wrongful behavior (e.g., smoking) alleviates negative feelings associated with acknowledged wrongs committed by the self, which does little to motivate behavioral change. We then discuss the complication that is pseudo‐self‐forgiveness – a situation in which people shift some responsible away from the self for wrongs committed by the self. This outward shift in responsibility lets the self “off the hook”, which increases the likelihood that the wrongful behavior will continue. Drawing on these discussions, a path model for behavioral change that places self‐forgiveness at its core is offered. Although we present some pessimism regarding the outcome of the self‐forgiveness process, this paper points to situations and attributions that maximize its positive effects.
Street‐level Bureaucrats' and the General Public's Deservingness Perceptions of Social Assistance Recipients in Finland
Authors: Kallio Johanna , Kouvo Antti
Published: August 2014

Perceptions of deservingness are crucial when we attempt to explain public support for welfare policies or try to understand the development of modern welfare states. These perceptions also reveal the status of a particular population group in society and the social cohesion between marginalized groups and the general public. In this article, we are concerned about whether perceptions of the deservingness of social assistance recipients vary between different street‐level bureaucrat groups, citizens and those individuals who have received social assistance or whose family members have been recipients of social assistance at some stage of their life. We focus on the nature of the impact of various individual level factors in these perceptions. The studied street‐level bureaucrats are social workers in municipalities, deacons of the Church of Finland and benefit officials of the Social Security Institution of Finland. Two nationwide surveys among street‐level bureaucrats (N = 2,124) and citizens (N = 1,883) are used. Descriptive statistics and rank ordered logistic regression are utilized. According to the results, street‐level bureaucrats and the general public perceive social assistance recipients in quite a positive way. However, there are clear differences between and within these groups. Street‐level bureaucrats' attitudes towards social assistance recipients are more positive than those among the public. However, benefit officials have a more critical stance on the deservingness of social assistance recipients than social workers and deacons. Those who have received social assistance are more positive than those who have not had these experiences. Age, education and political identification further explain the attitudes of bureaucrats and citizens.
Carbapenem‐resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections in kidney transplant recipients: a case–control study
Authors: Simkins J. , Muggia V. , Cohen H.W. , Minamoto G.Y.
Published: August 2014

Introduction

Carbapenem‐resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infections have emerged as a significant challenge in solid organ transplantation. CRKP infections in other patient populations have been associated with higher mortality, when compared to infections caused by carbapenem‐sensitive K. pneumoniae (CSKP).

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate possible risk factors, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of CRKP infections compared with CSKP infections in kidney transplant recipients (KTR).

Methods

We retrospectively investigated 13 CRKP infections and 39 CSKP infections in KTR (2006–2010).

Results

CRKP was not significantly associated with age, gender, or comorbidities. CRKP infections were significantly associated with recent exposure to broad‐spectrum antibiotics and were more likely to have been managed on an inpatient basis and to have required source control. CRKP was significantly associated with earlier mortality. Six of 13 (46%) patients with CRKP infection, and none of the patients with CSKP infection, died within 6.5 months of infection onset. Although cases and controls did not differ significantly with respect to diabetes, all patients (100%, n = 9) who died during the study had diabetes, while 58% of the 43 survivors had diabetes (P = 0.02).

Conclusion

In conclusion, CRKP compared with CSKP is associated with greater risk of mortality. Investigations on ways to better prevent CRKP are urgently needed.
Finding roots in with the successive resultants algorithm
Authors: Petit Christophe
Published: August 2014

The problem of solving polynomial equations over finite fields has many applications in cryptography and coding theory. In this paper, we consider polynomial equations over a ‘large’ finite field with a ‘small’ characteristic. We introduce a new algorithm for solving this type of equations, called thesuccessive resultants algorithm(SRA). SRA is radically different from previous algorithms for this problem, yet it is conceptually simple. A straightforward implementation using Magma was able to beat the built-inRootsfunction for some parameters. These preliminary results encourage a more detailed study of SRA and its applications. Moreover, we point out that an extension of SRA to the multivariate case would have an important impact on the practical security of the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem in the small characteristic case.

Supplementary materials are available with this article.
An algorithm for the principal ideal problem in indefinite quaternion algebras
Authors: Page A.
Published: August 2014

Deciding whether an ideal of a number field is principal and finding a generator is a fundamental problem with many applications in computational number theory. For indefinite quaternion algebras, the decision problem reduces to that in the underlying number field. Finding a generator is hard, and we present a heuristically subexponential algorithm.
Tunable daughter molds from a single Si master grating mold
Authors: Kundu Shreya , Lim Su Hui , Ganesan Ramakrishnan , Hussain Hazrat , Saifullah Mohammad S. M. , Yang Hyunsoo , Ho Ghim Wei , Bhatia Charanjit S.
Published: August 2014

After the cost of ownership of tool, the next significant cost involved in nanoimprint lithography is that of mold fabrication. The cost of mold fabrication is proportional to the area of pattern and follows an inverse relationship with the pattern resolution. In this work, the authors demonstrate proof-of-concept fabrication of Si and SiO2 grating molds of variable feature sizes, spacings, densities, and aspect ratios that can be generated from a single Si master mold of 2 μm line and space features. This process utilizes “SiO2 resin,” which can be imprinted via in situ thermal free radical polymerization. Heat-treatment of the patterned resin resulted in loss of organics, formation of SiOx and gave rise to known feature size reduction (∼65%). After the pattern transfer using SiOx as the etch mask, a Si daughter mold containing 0.7 μm wide gratings with 3.3 μm spacing was generated. The process of imprinting and heat-treatment was repeated using the daughter mold, which regenerated a mold that approximates the master mold feature profile. Our technique demonstrates that submicron-sized features can be achieved from Si molds containing micron-sized features and vice versa. Such flexibility may lead to substantial reduction in the cost of mold fabrication.
Acoustic discrimination between harbor porpoises and delphinids by using a simple two-band comparison
Authors: Kameyama Saho , Akamatsu Tomonari , Dede Ayhan , Amaha Öztürk Ayaka , Arai Nobuaki
Published: August 2014

A simple discrimination method between Delphinidae and Phocoenidae based on the comparison of the intensity ratios of two band frequencies (130 and 70 kHz) is proposed. Biosonar signals were recorded at the Istanbul Strait (Bosphorus) in Turkey. Simultaneously, the presence of the species was confirmed by visual observation. Two types of thresholds of two-band intensity ratios, fixed and dynamic threshold, were tested for identification. The correct detection and false alarm rates for porpoises were 0.55 and 0.06 by using the fixed threshold and 0.74 and 0.08 by using the dynamic threshold, respectively. When the dynamic threshold was employed, the appropriate threshold changed depending on the mix ratio of recorded sounds from both Delphinidae and Phocoenidae. Even under biased mix ratios from 26% to 82%, the dynamic threshold worked with >0.80 correct detection and <0.20 false alarm rates, whereas the fixed threshold did not. The proposed method is simple but quantitative, which can be applicable for any broadband recording system, including a single hydrophone with two frequency band detectors.
Application of a short-time version of the Equalization-Cancellation model to speech intelligibility experiments with speech maskers
Authors: Wan Rui , Durlach Nathaniel I. , Colburn H. Steven
Published: August 2014

A short-time-processing version of the Equalization-Cancellation (EC) model of binaural processing is described and applied to speech intelligibility tasks in the presence of multiple maskers, including multiple speech maskers. This short-time EC model, called the STEC model, extends the model described by Wan et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 128, 3678–3690 (2010)] to allow the EC model's equalization parameters τ and α to be adjusted as a function of time, resulting in improved masker cancellation when the dominant masker location varies in time. Using the Speech Intelligibility Index, the STEC model is applied to speech intelligibility with maskers that vary in number, type, and spatial arrangements. Most notably, when maskers are located on opposite sides of the target, this STEC model predicts improved thresholds when the maskers are modulated independently with speech-envelope modulators; this includes the most relevant case of independent speech maskers. The STEC model describes the spatial dependence of the speech reception threshold with speech maskers better than the steady-state model. Predictions are also improved for independently speech-modulated noise maskers but are poorer for reversed-speech maskers. In general, short-term processing is useful, but much remains to be done in the complex task of understanding speech in speech maskers.
Modeling vibroacoustic systems involving cascade open cavities and micro-perforated panels
Authors: Yu Xiang , Cheng Li , Guyader Jean-Louis
Published: August 2014

While the structural-acoustic coupling between flexible structures and closed acoustic cavities has been extensively studied in the literature, the modeling of structures coupled through open cavities, especially connected in cascade, is still a challenging task for most of the existing methods. The possible presence of micro-perforated panels (MPPs) in such systems adds additional difficulties in terms of both modeling and physical understanding. In this study, a sub-structuring methodology based on the Patch Transfer Function (PTF) approach with a Compound Interface treatment technique, referred to as CI-PTF method, is proposed, for dealing with complex systems involving cascade open/closed acoustic cavities and MPPs. The co-existence of apertures and solid/flexible/micro-perforated panels over a mixed separation interface is characterized using a compound panel subsystem, which enhances the systematic coupling feature of the PTF framework. Using several typical configurations, the versatility and efficiency of the proposed method is illustrated. Numerical studies highlight the physical understanding on the behavior of MPP inside a complex vibroacoustic environment, thus providing guidance for the practical design of such systems.
Two-microphone spatial filtering provides speech reception benefits for cochlear implant users in difficult acoustic environments
Authors: Goldsworthy Raymond L. , Delhorne Lorraine A. , Desloge Joseph G. , Braida Louis D.
Published: August 2014

This article introduces and provides an assessment of a spatial-filtering algorithm based on two closely-spaced (∼1 cm) microphones in a behind-the-ear shell. The evaluated spatial-filtering algorithm used fast (∼10 ms) temporal-spectral analysis to determine the location of incoming sounds and to enhance sounds arriving from straight ahead of the listener. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured for eight cochlear implant (CI) users using consonant and vowel materials under three processing conditions: An omni-directional response, a dipole-directional response, and the spatial-filtering algorithm. The background noise condition used three simultaneous time-reversed speech signals as interferers located at 90°, 180°, and 270°. Results indicated that the spatial-filtering algorithm can provide speech reception benefits of 5.8 to 10.7 dB SRT compared to an omni-directional response in a reverberant room with multiple noise sources. Given the observed SRT benefits, coupled with an efficient design, the proposed algorithm is promising as a CI noise-reduction solution.
Phoneme recognition in vocoded maskers by normal-hearing and aided hearing-impaired listeners
Authors: Phatak Sandeep A. , Grant Ken W.
Published: August 2014

This study compared modulation benefit for phoneme recognition obtained by normal-hearing (NH) and aided hearing-impaired (HI) listeners. Consonant and vowel recognition scores were measured using nonsense syllables in the presence of a steady-state noise and four vocoded speech maskers. Vocoded maskers were generated by modulating the steady-state noise, in either one or six frequency channels, with the speech envelope extracted from the speech of either a single talker or a four-talker babble. Aided HI listeners obtained lower consonant recognition scores than NH listeners in all masker conditions. Vowel recognition scores for aided HI listeners were comparable to NH scores, except in the six-channel vocoded masker conditions where they were relatively lower. Analysis using the extended speech intelligibility index developed by Rhebergen, Versfeld, and Dreschler [(2006). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 120(6), 3988–3997] suggested that the signal-to-noise ratio deficit observed in aided HI listeners was largely due to uncompensated audibility loss. There was no significant difference between modulation masking release obtained by NH and aided HI listeners for both consonant and vowel recognition.
Sound penetration into a hard-backed rigid porous layer: Theory and experiments
Authors: Tao Hongdan , Tong Bao N. , Li Kai Ming
Published: August 2014

This study examines the sound field within a hard-backed rigid porous medium due to an airborne source. The total sound field can be approximated by two terms: A transmitted wave component arriving at the receiver directly through the porous interface, and a second transmitted wave component reflected from the rigid backing plane before reaching the receiver. These two components can be expressed in an integral form that is amenable to further analyses. A standard saddle path method is applied to evaluate the integral analytically, leading to a uniform asymptotic solution that allows the prediction of the sound field within the rigid porous medium. The validity of the asymptotic formula is verified by comparison with the numerical results computed by a more accurate wave-based numerical scheme. The asymptotic solution is shown to provide a convenient means of rapid and accurate computations of sound field within the rigid porous medium. The accuracy of the numerical solutions is further confirmed by comparison with indoor experimental results. The measurement data and theoretical predictions suggest that when the receiver is located near the bottom of the hard-backed layer, the reflection of the refracted wave gives rise to a significant contribution to the total sound field.
Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase-1 and Cyclooxygenase-2 Impairs Trypanosoma cruzi Entry into Cardiac Cells and Promotes Differential Modulation of the Inflammatory Response
Authors: Malvezi Aparecida D. , Panis Carolina , da Silva Rosiane V. , de Freitas Rafael Carvalho , Lovo-Martins Maria I. , Tatakihara Vera L. H. , Zanluqui Nágela G. , Neto Edecio Cunha , Goldenberg Samuel , Bordignon Juliano , Yamada-Ogatta Sueli F. , Martins-Pinge Marli C. , Cecchini Rubens , Pinge-Filho Phileno
Published: August 2014

The intracellular protozoan parasite
Trypanosoma cruzi
is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, a serious disorder that affects millions of people in Latin America. Cell invasion by
T. cruzi
and its intracellular replication are essential to the parasite's life cycle and for the development of Chagas disease. Here, we present evidence suggesting the involvement of the host's cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes during
T. cruzi
invasion. Pharmacological antagonists for COX-1 (aspirin) and COX-2 (celecoxib) caused marked inhibition of
T. cruzi
infection when rat cardiac cells were pretreated with these nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for 60 min at 37°C before inoculation. This inhibition was associated with an increase in the production of NO and interleukin-1β and decreased production of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) by cells. Taken together, these results indicate that COX-1 more than COX-2 is involved in the regulation of anti-
T. cruzi
activity in cardiac cells, and they provide a better understanding of the influence of TGF-β-interfering therapies on the innate inflammatory response to
T. cruzi
infection and may represent a very pertinent target for new therapeutic treatments of Chagas disease.
Linezolid Manifests a Rapid and Dramatic Therapeutic Effect for Patients with Life-Threatening Tuberculous Meningitis
Authors: Sun Feng , Ruan Qiaoling , Wang Jiali , Chen Shu , Jin Jialin , Shao Lingyun , Zhang Ying , Zhang Wenhong
Published: August 2014

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with MRC grade II/III tuberculous meningitis (TBM) who accepted a background antitubercular regimen (BR) with or without linezolid (LZD). At the 4th week, the LZD-BR group achieved a faster and higher percentage of Glasgow coma scale recovery and temperature recovery, a higher cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/blood glucose ratio, and lower CSF white blood cell counts than did the BR group. Short-term linezolid supplementation may be a more effective treatment for life-threatening TBM.
The New Pyrazolyltetrazole Derivative MSN20 Is Effective via Oral Delivery against Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Faiões Viviane dos Santos , dos Santos Maurício Silva , Bernardino Alice Maria Rolim , Cunha-Júnior Edézio Ferreira , Canto Cavalheiro Marilene Marcuzzo do , Torres-Santos Eduardo Caio
Published: August 2014

An orally delivered, safe and effective treatment for leishmaniasis is an unmet medical need. Azoles and the pyrazolylpyrimidine allopurinol present leishmanicidal activity, but their clinical efficacies are variable. Here, we describe the activity of the new pyrazolyltetrazole hybrid, 5-[5-amino-1-(4′-methoxyphenyl)1H-pyrazole-4-yl]1H-tetrazole (MSN20). MSN20 showed a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC
50
) of 22.3 μM against amastigotes of
Leishmania amazonensis
and reduced significantly the parasite load in infected mice, suggesting its utility as a lead compound for the development of an oral treatment for leishmaniasis.
An Upstream Truncation of the
furA-katG
Operon Confers High-Level Isoniazid Resistance in a Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolate with No Known Resistance-Associated Mutations
Authors: Siu Gilman Kit Hang , Yam Wing Cheong , Zhang Ying , Kao Richard Y. T.
Published: August 2014

Although the major causes of isoniazid (INH) resistance in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
are confined to structural mutations in
katG
and promoter mutations in the
mabA-inhA
operon, a significant proportion of INH-resistant strains have unknown resistance mechanisms. Recently, we identified a high-level INH-resistant
M. tuberculosis
clinical isolate, GB005, with no known resistance-associated mutations. A comprehensive study was performed to investigate the molecular basis of drug resistance in this strain. Although no mutations were found throughout the
katG
and
furA-katG
intergenic region, the
katG
expression and the catalase activity were greatly diminished compared to those in H37Rv (
P
< 0.01). Northern blotting revealed that the
katG
transcript from the isolate was smaller than that of H37Rv. Sequencing analysis of
furA
and upstream genes discovered a 7.2-kb truncation extended from the 96th base preceding the initiation codon of
katG
. Complementation of the
M. tuberculosis
Δ(
furA-katG
) strain with
katG
and different portions of the truncated region identified a 134-bp upstream fragment of
furA
that was essential for full catalase activity and INH susceptibility in
M. tuberculosis
. The promoter activity of this fragment was also shown to be stronger than that of the
furA-katG
intergenic region (
P
< 0.01). Collectively, these findings demonstrate that deletion of the 134-bp
furA
upstream fragment is responsible for the reduction in
katG
expression, resulting in INH resistance in GB005. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that deletion of the upstream region preceding the
furA-katG
operon causes high-level INH resistance in a clinical isolate of
M. tuberculosis
.
Impact of MIC Range for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae on the Ceftolozane
In Vivo
Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Target
Authors: Lepak A. J. , Reda A. , Marchillo K. , Van Hecker J. , Craig W. A. , Andes D.
Published: August 2014

Ceftolozane is a novel cephalosporin with activity against drug-resistant pathogens, including
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Streptococcus pneumoniae
. The
in vivo
investigation reported here tested the limits of this drug against 20
P. aeruginosa
and
S. pneumoniae
isolates across a wide MIC range and defined resistance mechanisms. The times above the MIC (
T
>MIC) targets for stasis and 1- and 2-log reductions were 31%, 39%, and 42% for
P. aeruginosa
and 18%, 24%, and 27% for
S. pneumoniae
, respectively. The 1-log endpoint was achieved for strains with MICs as high as 16 μg/ml.