bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bridging the gap
Authors: Dumas Jérémie , Hergel Jean , Lefebvre Sylvain
Published: July 2014

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is the process of 3D printing objects from melted plastic filament. The hot plastic exits a nozzle and fuses with the part just below, adding a layer of material to the object being formed. However, filament can only be deposited
on top
of an existing surface. Therefore, overhangs require a disposable
support structure
to be printed, temporarily supporting the threads of plastic that would otherwise hang in empty space.

Existing techniques for support generation fall into two categories: The first allow for very reliable prints by enclosing the bottom of the object in a dense structure, at the expense of increased material usage and build times. The second generate thin hierarchical structures connecting to the surface in a sparse number of points. This uses less material, at the expense of reliability: the part might become unstable, the structure itself may become difficult to print, the bottom surface quality degrades. The user therefore has to correct the structure and its parameters for each new object.

We propose to exploit the ability of FFF printers to print bridges across gaps. Since bridges are always supported by pillars at their extremities, they are both stronger and more stable than hierarchical tree structures. Our technique first selects the points to support based on overhang and part stability during the entire print process. It then optimizes for a printable scaffolding composed of bridges and vertical pillars, supporting all points. The result is an automated support generation technique using little material while ensuring fine surface quality and stability during the printing process.
Computing layouts with deformable templates
Authors: Peng Chi-Han , Yang Yong-Liang , Wonka Peter
Published: July 2014

In this paper, we tackle the problem of tiling a domain with a set of deformable templates. A valid solution to this problem completely covers the domain with templates such that the templates do not overlap. We generalize existing specialized solutions and formulate a general layout problem by modeling important constraints and admissible template deformations. Our main idea is to break the layout algorithm into two steps: a discrete step to lay out the approximate template positions and a continuous step to refine the template shapes. Our approach is suitable for a large class of applications, including floorplans, urban layouts, and arts and design.
Real-time non-rigid reconstruction using an RGB-D camera
Authors: Zollhöfer Michael , Nießner Matthias , Izadi Shahram , Rehmann Christoph , Zach Christopher , Fisher Matthew , Wu Chenglei , Fitzgibbon Andrew , Loop Charles , Theobalt Christian , Stamminger Marc
Published: July 2014

We present a combined hardware and software solution for markerless reconstruction of non-rigidly deforming physical objects with arbitrary shape in
real-time
. Our system uses a single self-contained stereo camera unit built from off-the-shelf components and consumer graphics hardware to generate spatio-temporally coherent 3D models at 30 Hz. A new stereo matching algorithm estimates real-time RGB-D data. We start by scanning a smooth template model of the subject as they move rigidly. This geometric surface prior avoids strong scene assumptions, such as a kinematic human skeleton or a parametric shape model. Next, a novel GPU pipeline performs non-rigid registration of live RGB-D data to the smooth template using an extended non-linear as-rigid-as-possible (ARAP) framework. High-frequency details are fused onto the final mesh using a linear deformation model. The system is an order of magnitude faster than state-of-the-art methods, while matching the quality and robustness of many offline algorithms. We show precise real-time reconstructions of diverse scenes, including: large deformations of users' heads, hands, and upper bodies; fine-scale wrinkles and folds of skin and clothing; and non-rigid interactions performed by users on flexible objects such as toys. We demonstrate how acquired models can be used for many interactive scenarios, including re-texturing, online performance capture and preview, and real-time shape and motion re-targeting.
Vector graphics complexes
Authors: Dalstein Boris , Ronfard Rémi , van de Panne Michiel
Published: July 2014

Basic topological modeling, such as the ability to have several faces share a common edge, has been largely absent from vector graphics. We introduce the vector graphics complex (VGC) as a simple data structure to support fundamental topological modeling operations for vector graphics illustrations. The VGC can represent any arbitrary non-manifold topology as an immersion in the plane, unlike planar maps which can only represent embeddings. This allows for the direct representation of incidence relationships between objects and can therefore more faithfully capture the intended semantics of many illustrations, while at the same time keeping the geometric flexibility of stacking-based systems. We describe and implement a set of topological editing operations for the VGC, including glue, unglue, cut, and uncut. Our system maintains a global stacking order for all faces, edges, and vertices without requiring that components of an object reside together on a single layer. This allows for the coordinated editing of shared vertices and edges even for objects that have components distributed across multiple layers. We introduce VGC-specific methods that are tailored towards quickly achieving desired stacking orders for faces, edges, and vertices.
On-line learning of parametric mixture models for light transport simulation
Authors: Vorba Jiří , Karlík Ondřej , Šik Martin , Ritschel Tobias , Křivánek Jaroslav
Published: July 2014

Monte Carlo techniques for light transport simulation rely on importance sampling when constructing light transport paths. Previous work has shown that suitable sampling distributions can be recovered from particles distributed in the scene prior to rendering. We propose to represent the distributions by a parametric mixture model trained in an on-line (i.e. progressive) manner from a potentially infinite stream of particles. This enables recovering good sampling distributions in scenes with complex lighting, where the necessary number of particles may exceed available memory. Using these distributions for sampling scattering directions and light emission significantly improves the performance of state-of-the-art light transport simulation algorithms when dealing with complex lighting.
Displaced dynamic expression regression for real-time facial tracking and animation
Authors: Cao Chen , Hou Qiming , Zhou Kun
Published: July 2014

We present a fully automatic approach to real-time facial tracking and animation with a single video camera. Our approach does not need any calibration for each individual user. It learns a generic regressor from public image datasets, which can be applied to any user and arbitrary video cameras to infer accurate 2D facial landmarks as well as the 3D facial shape from 2D video frames. The inferred 2D landmarks are then used to adapt the camera matrix and the user identity to better match the facial expressions of the current user. The regression and adaptation are performed in an alternating manner. With more and more facial expressions observed in the video, the whole process converges quickly with accurate facial tracking and animation. In experiments, our approach demonstrates a level of robustness and accuracy on par with state-of-the-art techniques that require a time-consuming calibration step for each individual user, while running at 28 fps on average. We consider our approach to be an attractive solution for wide deployment in consumer-level applications.
VideoSnapping
Authors: Wang Oliver , Schroers Christopher , Zimmer Henning , Gross Markus , Sorkine-Hornung Alexander
Published: July 2014

Aligning video is a fundamental task in computer graphics and vision, required for a wide range of applications. We present an
interactive
method for computing optimal nonlinear temporal video alignments of an arbitrary number of videos. We first derive a robust approximation of alignment quality between pairs of clips, computed as a weighted histogram of feature matches. We then find optimal temporal mappings (constituting frame correspondences) using a graph-based approach that allows for very efficient evaluation with artist constraints. This enables an enhancement to the "snapping" interface in video editing tools, where videos in a time-line are now able snap to one another when dragged by an artist based on their
content
, rather than simply start-and-end times. The pairwise snapping is then generalized to multiple clips, achieving a globally optimal temporal synchronization that automatically arranges a series of clips filmed at different times into a single consistent time frame. When followed by a simple spatial registration, we achieve high quality spatiotemporal video alignments at a fraction of the computational complexity compared to previous methods. Assisted temporal alignment is a degree of freedom that has been largely unexplored, but is an important task in video editing. Our approach is simple to implement, highly efficient, and very robust to differences in video content, allowing for
interactive
exploration of the temporal alignment space for multiple real world HD videos.
Form-finding with polyhedral meshes made simple
Authors: Tang Chengcheng , Sun Xiang , Gomes Alexandra , Wallner Johannes , Pottmann Helmut
Published: July 2014

We solve the form-finding problem for polyhedral meshes in a way which combines form, function and fabrication; taking care of user-specified constraints like boundary interpolation, planarity of faces, statics, panel size and shape, enclosed volume, and last, but not least, cost. Our main application is the interactive modeling of meshes for architectural and industrial design. Our approach can be described as guided exploration of the constraint space whose algebraic structure is simplified by introducing auxiliary variables and ensuring that constraints are at most quadratic. Computationally, we perform a projection onto the constraint space which is biased towards low values of an energy which expresses desirable "soft" properties like fairness. We have created a tool which elegantly handles difficult tasks, such as taking boundary-alignment of polyhedral meshes into account, planarization, fairing under planarity side conditions, handling hybrid meshes, and extending the treatment of static equilibrium to shapes which possess overhanging parts.
Relating shapes via geometric symmetries and regularities
Authors: Tevs Art , Huang Qixing , Wand Michael , Seidel Hans-Peter , Guibas Leonidas
Published: July 2014

In this paper we address the problem of finding correspondences between related shapes of widely varying geometry. We propose a new method based on the observation that symmetry and regularity in shapes is often associated with their function. Hence, they provide cues for matching related geometry even under strong shape variations. Correspondingly, we decomposes shapes into overlapping regions determined by their regularity properties. Afterwards, we form a graph that connects these pieces via pairwise relations that capture geometric relations between rotation axes and reflection planes as well as topological or proximity relations. Finally, we perform graph matching to establish correspondences. The method yields certain more abstract but semantically meaningful correspondences between man-made shapes that are too difficult to recognize by traditional geometric methods.
Compact precomputed voxelized shadows
Authors: Sintorn Erik , Kämpe Viktor , Olsson Ola , Assarsson Ulf
Published: July 2014

Producing high-quality shadows in large environments is an important and challenging problem for real-time applications such as games. We propose a novel data structure for precomputed shadows, which enables high-quality filtered shadows to be reconstructed for any point in the scene. We convert a high-resolution shadow map to a sparse voxel octree, where each node encodes light visibility for the corresponding voxel, and compress this tree by merging common subtrees. The resulting data structure can be many orders of magnitude smaller than the corresponding shadow map. We also show that it can be efficiently evaluated in real time with large filter kernels.
The Connect-The-Dots family of puzzles
Authors: Löffler Maarten , Kaiser Mira , van Kapel Tim , Klappe Gerwin , van Kreveld Marc , Staals Frank
Published: July 2014

In this paper we introduce several innovative variants on the classic Connect-The-Dots puzzle. We study the underlying geometric principles and investigate methods for the automatic generation of high-quality puzzles from line drawings.

Specifically, we introduce three new variants of the classic Connect-The-Dots puzzle. These new variants use different rules for drawing connections, and have several advantages: no need for printed numbers in the puzzle (which look ugly in the final drawing), and perhaps more challenging "game play", making the puzzles suitable for different age groups. We study the rules of all four variants in the family, and design principles describing what makes a good puzzle. We identify general principles that apply across the different variants, as well as specific implementations of those principles in the different variants. We make these mathematically precise in the form of criteria a puzzle should satisfy.

Furthermore, we investigate methods for the automatic generation of puzzles from a plane graph that describes the input drawing. We show that the problem of generating a good puzzle --one satisfying the mentioned criteria-- is computationally hard, and present several heuristic algorithms.

Using our implementation for generating puzzles, we evaluate the quality of the resulting puzzles with respect to two parameters: one for similarity to the original line drawing, and one for ambiguity; i.e. what is the visual accuracy needed to solve the puzzle.
Interactive shape modeling using a skeleton-mesh co-representation
Authors: Bærentzen J. Andreas , Abdrashitov Rinat , Singh Karan
Published: July 2014

We introduce the Polar-Annular Mesh representation (PAM). A PAM is a mesh-skeleton co-representation designed for the modeling of 3D organic, articulated shapes. A PAM represents a manifold mesh as a partition of polar (triangle fans) and annular (rings of quads) regions. The skeletal topology of a shape is uniquely embedded in the mesh connectivity of a PAM, enabling both surface and skeletal modeling operations, interchangeably and directly on the mesh itself. We develop an algorithm to convert arbitrary triangle meshes into PAMs as well as techniques to simplify PAMs and a method to convert a PAM to a quad-only mesh. We further present a PAM-based multi-touch sculpting application in order to demonstrate its utility as a shape representation for the interactive modeling of organic, articulated figures as well as for editing and posing of pre-existing models.
Randomization in Automata on Infinite Trees
Authors: Carayol Arnaud , Haddad Axel , Serre Olivier
Published: July 2014

We study finite automata running over infinite binary trees. A run of such an automaton over an input tree is a tree labeled by control states of the automaton: the labeling is built in a top-down fashion and should be consistent with the transitions of the automaton. A branch in a run is accepting if the ω-word obtained by reading the states along the branch satisfies some acceptance condition (typically an ω-regular condition such as a Büchi or a parity condition). Finally, a tree is accepted by the automaton if there exists a run over this tree in which
every
branch is accepting.

In this article, we consider two relaxations of this definition, introducing a qualitative aspect. First, we relax the notion of accepting run by allowing a negligible set (in the sense of measure theory) of nonaccepting branches. In this qualitative setting, a tree is accepted by the automaton if there exists a run over this tree in which
almost every
branch is accepting. This leads to a new class of tree languages,
qualitative tree languages
. This class enjoys many good properties: closure under union and intersection (but not under complement), and emptiness is decidable in polynomial time. A dual class,
positive tree languages
, is defined by requiring that an accepting run contains a non-negligeable set of branches.

The second relaxation is to replace the existential quantification (a tree is accepted if there exists some accepting run over the input tree) with a probabilistic quantification (a tree is accepted if almost every run over the input tree is accepting). For the run, we may use either classical acceptance or qualitative acceptance. In particular, for the latter, we exhibit a tight connection with partial observation Markov decision processes. Moreover, if we additionally restrict operation to the Büchi condition, we show that it leads to a class of probabilistic automata on infinite trees enjoying a decidable emptiness problem. To our knowledge, this is the first positive result for a class of probabilistic automaton over infinite trees.
Georeferencing Wikipedia Documents Using Data from Social Media Sources
Authors: Laere Olivier Van , Schockaert Steven , Tanasescu Vlad , Dhoedt Bart , Jones Christopher B.
Published: July 2014

Social media sources such as Flickr and Twitter continuously generate large amounts of textual information (tags on Flickr and short messages on Twitter). This textual information is increasingly linked to geographical coordinates, which makes it possible to learn how people refer to places by identifying correlations between the occurrence of terms and the locations of the corresponding social media objects. Recent work has focused on how this potentially rich source of geographic information can be used to estimate geographic coordinates for previously unseen Flickr photos or Twitter messages. In this article, we extend this work by analysing to what extent probabilistic language models trained on Flickr and Twitter can be used to assign coordinates to Wikipedia articles. Our results show that exploiting these language models substantially outperforms both (i) classical gazetteer-based methods (in particular, using Yahoo! Placemaker and Geonames) and (ii) language modelling approaches trained on Wikipedia alone. This supports the hypothesis that social media are important sources of geographic information, which are valuable beyond the scope of individual applications.
A Certified Reduction Strategy for Homological Image Processing
Authors: Poza María , Domínguez César , Heras Jónathan , Rubio Julio
Published: July 2014

The
analysis of digital images
using homological procedures is an outstanding topic in the area of Computational Algebraic Topology. In this article, we describe a
certified
reduction strategy to deal with digital images, but one preserving their homological properties. We stress both the advantages of our approach (mainly, the formalization of the mathematics allowing us to verify the correctness of algorithms) and some limitations (related to the performance of the running systems inside proof assistants). The drawbacks are overcome using techniques that provide an integration of computation and deduction. Our driving application is a problem in bioinformatics, where the accuracy and reliability of computations are specially requested.
Distributed Optimal Lexicographic Max-Min Rate Allocation in Solar-Powered Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Yang Shusen , Mccann Julie A.
Published: July 2014

Understanding the optimal usage of fluctuating renewable energy in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is complex. Lexicographic max-min (LM) rate allocation is a good solution but is nontrivial for multihop WSNs, as both fairness and sensing rates have to be optimized through the exploration of all possible forwarding routes in the network. All current optimal approaches to this problem are centralized and offline, suffering from low scalability and large computational complexity—typically solving O(N2) linear programming problems forN-node WSNs. This article presents the first optimal distributed solution to this problem with much lower complexity. We apply it to solar-powered wireless sensor networks (SP-WSNs) to achieve both LM optimality and sustainable operation. Based on realistic models of both time-varying solar power and photovoltaic-battery hardware, we propose an optimization framework that integrates a local power management algorithm with a global distributed LM rate allocation scheme. The optimality, convergence, and efficiency of our approaches are formally proven. We also evaluate our algorithms via experiments on both solar-powered MICAz motes and extensive simulations using real solar energy data and practical power parameter settings. The results verify our theoretical analysis and demonstrate how our approach outperforms both the state-of-the-art centralized optimal and distributed heuristic solutions.
Beyond features
Authors: Pfeiffer Andreas
Published: July 2014

This article looks at the constantly evolving landscape of digital devices, and analyzes the growing inefficiency of hardware specifications to properly represent the overall value perceived by the user. Increasingly disruptions in the technology space are carried not so much by hardware aspects, but by intangible value propositions that combine a wide variety of hardware and software specifications.
Dynamical Models of Interactions between Herds Forage and Water Resources in Sahelian Region
Authors: Tewa Jean Jules , Bah Alassane , Oukouomi Noutchie Suares Clovis
Published: July 2014

Optimal foraging is one of the capital topics nowadays in Sahelian region. The vast majority of feed consumed by ruminants in Sahelian region is still formed by natural pastures. Pastoral constraints are the high variability of available forage and drinking water in space and especially in time (highly seasonal, interannual variability) and the scarcity of water resources. The mobility is the main functional and opportunistic adaptation to these constraints. Our goal in this paper is to formalize two dynamical models for interactions between a herd of domesticate animals, forage resources, and water resources inside a given Sahelian area, in order to confirm, explain, and predict by mathematical models some observations about pastoralism in Sahelian region. These models in some contexts can be similar to predator-prey models as forage and water resources can be considered as preys and herd’s animals as predators. These models exhibit very rich dynamics, since it predicts abrupt changes in consumer behaviour and disponibility of forage or water resources. The dynamics exhibits a possible coexistence between herd, resources, and water with alternative peaks in their trajectories.
Airborne Biogenic Particles in the Snow of the Cities of the Russian Far East as Potential Allergic Compounds
Authors: Golokhvast Kirill S.
Published: July 2014

This paper presents an analysis of airborne biogenic particles (1 mkm–1 mm) found in the snow in several cities of the Russian Far East during 2010–2013. The most common was vegetational terraneous detritus (fragments of tree and grass leaves) followed by animal hair, small insects and their fragments, microorganisms of aeroplankton, and equivocal biological garbage. Specific components were found in samples from locations close to bodies of water such as fragments of algae and mollusc shells and, marine invertebrates (needles of sea urchins and shell debris of arthropods). In most locations across the Far East (Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Blagoveshchensk, and Ussuriysk), the content of biogenic particles collected in the winter did not exceed 10% of the total particulate matter, with the exception of Birobidzhan and the nature reserve Bastak, where it made up to 20%. Most of all biogenic compounds should be allergic: hair, fragments of tree and grass leaves, insects, and microorganisms.
Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophages Infecting Nocardioforms in Wastewater Treatment Plant
Authors: Khairnar Krishna , Pal Preeti , Chandekar Rajshree H. , Paunikar Waman N.
Published: July 2014

Activated sludge plants (ASP) are associated with the stable foaming problem worldwide. Apart from the physical and chemical treatment methods, biological treatment method has been least explored and may prove to be a novel and ecofriendly approach to tackle the problem of stable foam formation. In ASPNocardiaspecies are commonly found and are one of the major causes for forming sticky and stable foam. This study describes the isolation and characterization of threeNocardiabacteriophages NOC1, NOC2, and NOC3 for the control ofNocardiaspecies. The bacteriophages isolated in this study have shown promising results in controlling foam producing bacterial growth under laboratory conditions, suggesting that it may prove useful in the field as an alternative biocontrol agent to reduce the foaming problem. To the best of our knowledge to date no work has been published from India related to biological approach for the control of foaming.
Estimates of Intrinsic Square Functions on Generalized Weighted Morrey Spaces
Authors: Gao Guilian , Wu Xiaomei
Published: July 2014

We prove the boundedness of the intrinsic functions on generalized weighted Morrey spacesMp,φ(w), including the strong type estimates and weak type estimates. Moreover, we define thekth-order commutators generated byBMORnfunctions and intrinsic functions, and obtain their strong type estimates onMp,φ(w). In some cases, we improve previous results.
Real Life Cancer Comorbidity in Greek Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Followed Up at a Single Diabetes Center: An Unappreciated New Diabetes Complication
Authors: Thanopoulou Anastasia , Pectasides Demetrios
Published: July 2014

We determined cancer comorbidity in patients with diabetes followed up at a single Greek academic clinic and investigated the potential related factors. Cancer comorbidity was prospectively recorded for all patients with type 2 (T2DM,n=759) or type 1 (T1DM,n=134) diabetes of at least 10-year duration examined during one year. Patient characteristics, diabetes age of onset, duration, treatment, control, and complication rates were compared between subjects with and without cancer. Moreover, a retrospective collection of data from similar patients examined for the first time during the last 25 years, but lost to follow-up, after at least one-year’s regular visits, was performed. In regularly followed-up T2DM patients cancer comorbidity was 12.6%. Patients with cancer were older and more frequently smokers. Prostate cancer was the most frequent (24.0%) type. In T1DM cancer comorbidity was 3.0%. Similar rates of comorbidity and types of cancer were observed in lost to follow-up patients. In conclusion, our patients with T2DM of at least 10-year’ duration show high cancer comorbidity. No specific characteristics discriminate patients with cancer. Therefore presymptomatic cancer detection and prevention strategies may have to be incorporated into the annual systematic evaluation of our patients.
Huge Trombus including Left Renal Vein, Ovarian Vein, and Inferior Vena Cava Mimicking Renal Colic
Authors: Ongun Sakir , Coban Sermin , Katgi Abdullah , Obuz Funda , Kefi Aykut
Published: July 2014

A 31-year-old female presented with acute left flank pain; she had a C/S at the postpartum day 24. Ureteral stone was suspected but ultrasound examination was normal. Then Doppler ultrasound revealed a trombus in left renal vein and inferior vena cava. Contrast enhanced MDCT scan showed swelled and nonfunctional left kidney, a trombus including distal part of left ovarian vein, left renal vein, and inferior vena cava. We started anticoagulation treatment. Further examination revealed diagnosis of chronic myeloproliferative disease. The trombus was completely recanalized at 3-month followup.
Testing for the Endogenous Nature between Women’s Empowerment and Antenatal Health Care Utilization: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study in Egypt
Authors: Zaky Hassan H. M. , Armanious Dina M. , Hussein Mohamed Ali
Published: July 2014

Women’s relative lack of decision-making power and their unequal access to employment, finances, education, basic health care, and other resources are considered to be the root causes of their ill-health and that of their children. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the interactive relation between women’s empowerment and the use of maternal health care. Two model specifications are tested. One assumes no correlation between empowerment and antenatal care while the second specification allows for correlation. Both the univariate and the recursive bivariate probit models are tested. The data used in this study is EDHS 2008. Factor Analysis Technique is also used to construct some of the explanatory variables such as the availability and quality of health services indicators. The findings show that women’s empowerment and receiving regular antenatal care are simultaneously determined and the recursive bivariate probit is a better approximation to the relationship between them. Women’s empowerment has significant and positive impact on receiving regular antenatal care. The availability and quality of health services do significantly increase the likelihood of receiving regular antenatal care.
Dynamic of Plant Composition and Regeneration following Windthrow in a Temperate Beech Forest
Authors: Mollaei Darabi Sakineh , Kooch Yahya , Hosseini Seyed Mohsen
Published: July 2014

The effects of soil pedoturbation (i.e., pit and mound microtopography, PM) on development of herbaceous plant species and woody species regeneration were examined in a temperate beech forest (Fagus orientalisLipsky) in northern Iran. We recorded the vegetation in 20 pairs of disturbed and adjacent undisturbed plots and established a chronosequence of PM ages to study the effect of time since microsite formation on cover percent of herbaceous plants and woody regeneration status. According to our findings,Carex acutiformisL.,Sambucus ebulusL.,Brachypodium pinnatumL., andCyclamen coumL. are found only in the PM microsites, whereas theEquisetum ramosissimumL. is recorded only under closed canopy. The coverage percent ofRubus caesiusL. increased in PM microsites compared to closed canopy intensively. In addition,Albizia julibrissinDurazz. is detected in PM microsite, whereas theAcer cappadocicumB. andPrunus persicaL. species were recorded only under closed canopy. We found significant differences in understory species diversity between different ages of PM, and disturbed and adjacent undisturbed plots. Our study supports that the PM complex will create a mosaic of environmental conditions. This environmental heterogeneity could be responsible for the diversity of herbaceous plant species and regeneration of woody species.
Cytokines as Biomarkers of Treatment Response to IFNβin Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Dimisianos Nikolaos , Rodi Maria , Kalavrizioti Dimitra , Georgiou Vasileios , Papathanasopoulos Panagiotis , Mouzaki Athanasia
Published: July 2014

Background. MS patients show a remarkable heterogeneity in their response to disease modifying treatments. Given the need for early treatment initiation and the diversity of available options, a predictive marker that indicates good or poor response to treatment is highly desirable.Objective. To find a biomarker for treatment response to IFNβamong pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.Materials and Methods. IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, and TGF-β1 levels were measured in serum and CSF of 43 patients with RR-MS who were followed up for a mean period of 5.3 years. Thirty-five patients received IFNβtreatment and were divided into good responders (GR,n= 19) and poor responders (PR,n= 16). The remaining 8 patients showed a very favorable outcome and remained untreated (noRx).Results. GR had significantly higher serum baseline levels of IL-17A than PR and significantly higher serum levels of IL-17A, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 than noRx. PR had significantly higher IFN-γserum levels than noRx. No significant differences were observed in serum levels of IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β1 or the levels of all cytokines measured in CSF between the 3 groups of patients.Conclusions. Baseline serum levels of IL-17A can be used as a biomarker of IFNβtreatment response.
Acute Rhabdomyolysis Associated with Coadministration of Levofloxacin and Simvastatin in a Patient with Normal Renal Function
Authors: Paparoupa Maria , Pietrzak Sebastian , Gillissen Adrian
Published: July 2014

We report a rare case of severe acute rhabdomyolysis in association with coadministration of levofloxacin and simvastatin in a patient with normal renal function. A 70-year-old Caucasian male was treated due to community acquired pneumonia with levofloxacin in a dosage of 500 mg once and then twice a day. On the 8th day of hospitalization the patient presented with acute severe rhabdomyolysis requiring an intensive care support. After discontinuation of levofloxacin and concomitant medication with simvastatin 80 mg/day, clinical and laboratory effects were totally reversible. Up to now, levofloxacin has been reported to induce rhabdomyolysis mainly in patients with impaired renal function, as the medication has a predominant renal elimination. In our case renal function remained normal during the severe clinical course. According to a recent case report rhabdomyolysis was observed due to interaction of simvastatin and ciprofloxacin. To our best knowledge this is the first case of interaction between simvastatin and levofloxacin to be reported. This case emphasizes the need of close monitoring of creatine kinase in patients under more than one potentially myotoxic medication especially when patients develop muscle weakness.
Assessing the Effectiveness of an Educational Program on Compliance with Hand Hygiene in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Nteli Charalampia , Galanis Petros , Koumpagioti Despoina , Poursanidis Georgios , Panagiotopoulou Eleni , Matziou Vasiliki
Published: July 2014

Objective. To identify the impact of an educational intervention on compliance of health professionals with hand hygiene. Method. The survey involved nurses, doctors, and physiotherapists who work in pediatric intensive care unit of a pediatric hospital. A multifaceted hand hygiene educational program was introduced with compliance assessed during successive observational surveys. Results. The total healthcare professionals’ compliance increased from 31.8% in the baseline period to 51.5% immediately after the first educational intervention, and it remained at improved levels (45.9%) six months later, while after the completion of the second educational intervention it increased to 67.7%. The nurses’ and doctors’ compliance increased from 30.4% and 28.3% at baseline period to 71.5% and 60.2%, respectively, during the study phases. Finally, physiotherapists’ compliance increased from 37.5% at baseline period to 73.9% after the completion of the second educational intervention. Conclusion. The degree of the staff’s compliance with hand hygiene in the pediatric intensive care unit after the educational program increased substantially. The continuing education and training of health professionals contribute to increasing the degree of compliance with the international recommendations for hand hygiene.
Natural Allelic Variations in Glutathione Peroxidase-1 Affect Its Subcellular Localization and Function
Authors: Bera Soumen , Weinberg Frank , Ekoue Dede N. , Ansenberger-Fricano Kristine , Mao Mao , Bonini Marcelo G. , Diamond Alan M.
Published: July 2014

Glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx-1) has been implicated in the etiology of several common diseases due to the association between specific allelic variations and cancer risk. The most common among these variations are the codon 198 polymorphism that results in either a leucine or proline and the number of alanine repeat codons in the coding sequence. The molecular and biologic consequences of these variations remain to be characterized. Toward achieving this goal, we have examined the cellular location of GPx-1 encoded by allelic variants by ectopically expressing these genes in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells that produce undetectable levels of GPx-1, thus achieving exclusive expression in the same cellular environment. A differential distribution between the cytoplasm and mitochondria was observed, with the allele expressing the leucine-198 polymorphism and 7 alanine repeats being more cytoplasmically located than the other alleles examined. To assess whether the distribution of GPx-1 between the cytoplasm and mitochondria had a biologic consequence, we engineered derivative GPx-1 proteins that were targeted to the mitochondria by the addition of a mitochondria targeting sequence and expressed these proteins in MCF-7 cells. These cells were examined for their response to oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and impact on cancer-associated signaling molecules. The results obtained indicated that both primary GPx-1 sequence and cellular location have a profound impact on cellular biology and offer feasible hypotheses about how expression of distinct GPx-1 alleles can affect cancer risk. Cancer Res; 74(18); 5118–26. ©2014 AACR.
TLR9 Is Critical for Glioma Stem Cell Maintenance and Targeting
Authors: Herrmann Andreas , Cherryholmes Gregory , Schroeder Anne , Phallen Jillian , Alizadeh Darya , Xin Hong , Wang Tianyi , Lee Heehyoung , Lahtz Christoph , Swiderski Piotr , Armstrong Brian , Kowolik Claudia , Gallia Gary L. , Lim Michael , Brown Christine , Badie Behnam , Forman Stephen , Kortylewski Marcin , Jove Richard , Yu Hua
Published: July 2014

Understanding supports for cancer stem–like cells in malignant glioma may suggest therapeutic strategies for their elimination. Here, we show that the Toll-like receptor TLR9 is elevated in glioma stem–like cells (GSC) in which it contributes to glioma growth. TLR9 overexpression is regulated by STAT3, which is required for GSC maintenance. Stimulation of TLR9 with a CpG ligand (CpG ODN) promoted GSC growth, whereas silencing TLR9 expression abrogated GSC development. CpG-ODN treatment induced Frizzled4-dependent activation of JAK2, thereby activating STAT3. Targeted delivery of siRNA into GSC was achieved via TLR9 using CpG–siRNA conjugates. Through local or systemic treatment, administration of CpG-Stat3 siRNA to silence STAT3 in vivo reduced GSC along with glioma growth. Our findings identify TLR9 as a functional marker for GSC and a target for the delivery of efficacious therapeutics for glioma treatment. Cancer Res; 74(18); 5218–28. ©2014 AACR.
Breast Cancer Risk in Young Women in the National Breast Screening Programme: Implications for Applying NICE Guidelines for Additional Screening and Chemoprevention
Authors: Evans D. Gareth , Brentnall Adam R. , Harvie Michelle , Dawe Sarah , Sergeant Jamie C. , Stavrinos Paula , Astley Susan , Wilson Mary , Ainsworth John , Cuzick Jack , Buchan Iain , Donnelly Louise S. , Howell Anthony
Published: July 2014

In the United Kingdom, women at moderate and high risk of breast cancer between the ages of 40 and 49 years are eligible for annual mammographic screening and preventive therapy with tamoxifen. Here, we estimate the numbers of women in a population eligible for this service and the proportion of breast cancers detected in this group compared with the whole population. Women <50 attending for mammographic screening in the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) completed a risk questionnaire. The proportion at moderate and high risk according to National Institute of Health Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines was estimated. An estimate was also made using a different model of risk estimation (Tyrer–Cuzick). The numbers of cancers detected in the moderate/high risk groups were compared with numbers detected in the whole population. Completed questionnaires were available for 4,360 women between ages 46 and 49 years. Thirty women [0.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.5–1.0%] were at high risk and 130 (3.0%, 2.5–3.5%) were at moderate risk according to NICE guidelines. Thirty-seven cancers were detected by mammography in the whole group. Five of these were found in the moderate-/high-risk group giving a 3.2-fold increase in detection compared with the standard risk group. More women were assigned to the moderate- or high-risk group using the Tyrer–Cuzick model (N = 384), but the numbers of cancers in this group were not appreciably increased (N = 8). Systematic assessment of family history in primary care or through population-based screening will identify appreciable numbers of women in their forties, eligible for additional surveillance and chemoprevention Cancer Prev Res; 7(10); 993–1001. ©2014 AACR.
G Protein–Coupled Receptor Kinase 5 Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated With Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients Receiving β-Blockers
Authors: Kertai Miklos D. , Li Yen-Wei , Li Yi-Ju , Shah Svati H. , Kraus William E. , Fontes Manuel L. , Stafford-Smith Mark , Newman Mark F. , Podgoreanu Mihai V. , Mathew Joseph P.
Published: July 2014

Background—

We hypothesized that genetic variations in the adrenergic signaling pathway and cytochrome P450 2D6 enzyme are associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and were treated with perioperative β-blockers (BBs).

Methods and Results—

Two cohorts of patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and received perioperative BBs at Duke University Medical Center were studied. In a discovery cohort of 563 individuals from the Perioperative Genetics and Safety Outcomes Study (PEGASUS), using a covariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis, we tested 492 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 10 candidate genes of the adrenergic signaling pathway and cytochrome P450 2D6 for association with postoperative AF despite perioperative BB therapy. SNPs meeting a false discovery rate ≤0.20 (
P
<0.002) were then tested in the replication cohort of 245 individuals from the Catheterization Genetics biorepository. Of the 492 SNPs examined, 4 intronic SNPs of the G protein–coupled kinase 5 (
GRK5
) gene were significantly associated with postoperative AF despite perioperative BB therapy in the discovery cohort with additive odds ratios between 1.72 and 2.75 (
P
=4.78×10
−5
to 0.0015). Three of these SNPs met nominal significance levels in the replication cohort with odds ratios between 2.07 and 2.60 (
P
=0.007 to 0.016). However, meta-analysis of the 2 data sets cohorts suggested strong association with postoperative AF despite perioperative BB therapy in all 4 SNPs (meta-
P
values from 1.66×10
–6
to 3.39×10
–5
).

Conclusions—

In patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, genetic variation in
GRK5
is associated with postoperative AF despite perioperative BB therapy.
Pulmonary Hypertension Is Related to Peripheral Endothelial Dysfunction in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Farrero Marta , Blanco Isabel , Batlle Montserrat , Santiago Evelyn , Cardona Montserrat , Vidal Barbara , Castel M. Angeles , Sitges Marta , Barbera Joan Albert , Perez-Villa Felix
Published: July 2014

Background—

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) and collagen metabolism abnormalities are prevalent in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Peripheral endothelial dysfunction (PED) has been described in HF and in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Our aim is to determine whether PH is associated with PED and impaired collagen metabolism in patients with HFpEF.;

Methods and Results—

Flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9, tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor 1, and C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen were determined in 28 patients with HFpEF and 42 hypertensive controls. Patients with systolic pulmonary artery pressure >35 mm Hg on echocardiogram underwent a right heart catheterization. Patients with HFpEF had more severe PED than controls: flow-mediated dilation 1.95% (−0.81 to 4.92) versus 5.02% (3.90 to 10.12),
P
=0.002. Twenty patients with PH underwent right heart catheterization: mean pulmonary artery pressure 38 (27–52) mm Hg, wedge capillary pressure 18 (16–22) mm Hg, pulmonary vascular resistance 362 (235–603) dyn s cm
-5
. There was a significant inverse correlation between flow-mediated dilation and pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with HFpEF and PH (
r
=−0.679;
P
=0.002). Patients with HFpEF showed higher matrix metalloproteinase-2 and C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen values than hypertensive controls. Patients with HFpEF and higher C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen values also had higher mean pulmonary artery pressure (
r
=0.553;
P
=0.014), transpulmonary gradient (
r
=0.560;
P
=0.013), and pulmonary vascular resistance (
r
=0.626;
P
=0.004).

Conclusions—

In patients with HFpEF, there is a significant correlation between PED and pulmonary vascular resistance. Collagen metabolism was more impaired in patients with HFpEF and PH. PED and collagen metabolism assessment could be useful tools to identify patients with HFpEF at risk of developing PH.
Effect of Probiotics on Blood Pressure
Authors: Khalesi Saman , Sun Jing , Buys Nicholas , Jayasinghe Rohan
Published: July 2014

Previous human clinical trials have shown that probiotic consumption may improve blood pressure (BP) control. The aim of the present systematic review was to clarify the effects of probiotics on BP using a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library (Central), Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Clinicaltrial.gov databases were searched until January 2014 to identify eligible articles. Meta-analysis using a random-effects model was chosen to analyze the impact of combined trials. Nine trials were included. Probiotic consumption significantly changed systolic BP by −3.56 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, −6.46 to −0.66) and diastolic BP by −2.38 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, −2.38 to −0.93) compared with control groups. A greater reduction was found with multiple as compared with single species of probiotics, for both systolic and diastolic BP. Subgroup analysis of trials with baseline BP ≥130/85 mm Hg compared with <130/85 mm Hg found a more significant improvement in diastolic BP. Duration of intervention <8 weeks did not result in a significant reduction in systolic or diastolic BP. Furthermore, subgroup analysis of trials with daily dose of probiotics <10
11
colony-forming units did not result in a significant meta-analysis effect. The present meta-analysis suggests that consuming probiotics may improve BP by a modest degree, with a potentially greater effect when baseline BP is elevated, multiple species of probiotics are consumed, the duration of intervention is ≥8 weeks, or daily consumption dose is ≥10
11
colony-forming units.
Part-time work, women’s work–life conflict, and job satisfaction: A cross-national comparison of Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom
Authors: Roeters Anne , Craig Lyn
Published: July 2014

This study uses the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) 2013 ‘Family and Changing Gender Roles’ module ( N = 1773) to examine cross-country differences in the relationship between women’s part-time work and work–life conflict and job satisfaction. We hypothesize that part-time work will lead to less favorable outcomes in countries with employment policies that are less protective of part-time employees because the effects of occupational downgrading counteract the benefits of increased time availability. Our comparison focuses on the Netherlands and Australia while using Germany, the United Kingdom, and Sweden as benchmarks. Part-time employment is prevalent in all five countries, but has the most support and protection in the Dutch labor market. We find little evidence that country of residence conditions the effects of part-time work. Overall, the results suggest that part-time work reduces work–life conflict to a similar extent in all countries except Sweden. The effects on job satisfaction are negligible. We discuss the implications for social policies meant to stimulate female labor force participation.