bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complexity Classifications for Logic-Based Argumentation
Authors: Creignou Nadia , Egly Uwe , Schmidt Johannes
Published: August 2014

We consider logic-based argumentation in which an argument is a pair (Φ, α), where the support Φ is a minimal consistent set of formulae taken from a given knowledge base (usually denoted by Δ) that entails the claim α (a formula). We study the complexity of three central problems in argumentation: the existence of a support Φ⊆Δ, the verification of a support, and the relevance problem (given ψ, is there a support Φ such that ψ ∈ Φ?). When arguments are given in the full language of propositional logic, these problems are computationally costly tasks: the verification problem is DP-complete; the others are Σ
p
2
-complete. We study these problems in Schaefer's famous framework where the considered propositional formulae are in generalized conjunctive normal form. This means that formulae are conjunctions of constraints built upon a fixed finite set of Boolean relations Γ (the constraint language). We show that according to the properties of this language Γ, deciding whether there exists a support for a claim in a given knowledge base is either polynomial, NP-complete, coNP-complete, or Σ
p
2
-complete. We present a dichotomous classification, P or DP-complete, for the verification problem and a trichotomous classification for the relevance problem into either polynomial, NP-complete, or Σ
p
2
-complete. These last two classifications are obtained by means of algebraic tools.
Smart Blueprints: How Simple Sensors Can Collaboratively Map Out Their Own Locations in the Home
Authors: Lu Jiakang , Shams Yamina Taskin , Whitehouse Kamin
Published: August 2014

Off-the-shelf home automation technology is making it easier than ever for people to convert their own homes into smart homes. However, manual configuration is tedious and error-prone. In this article, we present and compare a family of solutions that automatically generate a map of the home and the devices within it using data from the smart home sensors themselves (e.g., light and motion sensors). These solutions can be used to automatically configure home automation systems or to automatically produce an intuitive map-like interface for visualizing sensor data and interacting with controllers. We call our approach Smart Blueprints because it automatically maps out the unique configuration of each smart home. We demonstrate the Smart Blueprints using a variety of sensor combinations, including light sensors, motion sensors, and magnetometers deployed on the doors and/or windows of the home. For evaluation of each combination on sensor-map generation, we deployed more than 200 sensors in seven different houses at different locations and compared the ability to use a variety of techniques to map out the configuration. We show that, in almost all houses, our system can automatically narrow the configuration down to 1--5 candidates per home using only one week of collected data.
Extending UML/MARTE to Support Discrete Controller Synthesis, Application to Reconfigurable Systems-on-Chip Modeling
Authors: Guillet Sébastien , Lamotte Florent de , Griguer Nicolas le , Rutten Éric , Gogniat Guy , Diguet Jean-Philippe
Published: August 2014

This article presents the first framework to design and synthesize a formal controller managing dynamic reconfiguration, using a model-driven engineering methodology based on an extension of UML/MARTE. The implementation technique highlights the combination of hard configuration constraints using weights (
control part
)—ensured statically and fulfilled by the system at runtime—and soft constraints (
decision part
) that, given a set of correct and accessible configurations, choose one of them. An application model of an image processing application is presented, then transformed and synthesized to be executed on a Xilinx platform to show how the controller, executed on a Microblaze, manages the hardware reconfigurations.
On the One-Way Function Candidate Proposed by Goldreich
Authors: Cook James , Etesami Omid , Miller Rachel , Trevisan Luca
Published: August 2014

Goldreich [2000] proposed a candidate one-way function based on a bipartite graph of small right-degree
d
, where the vertices on the left (resp. right) represent input (resp. output) bits of the function. Each output bit is computed by evaluating a fixed
d
-ary binary predicate on the input bits adjacent to that output bit. We study this function when the predicate is random or depends linearly on many of its input bits. We assume that the graph is a random balanced bipartite graph with right-degree
d
.

Inverting this function as a one-way function by definition means finding an element in the preimage of output of this function for a random input. We bound the expected size of this preimage.

Next, using the preceding bound, we prove that two restricted types of backtracking algorithms called
myopic
and
drunk
backtracking algorithms with high probability take exponential time to invert the function, even if we allow the algorithms to use DPLL elimination rules. (For drunk algorithms, a similar result was proved by Itsykson [2010].)

We also ran a SAT solver on the satisfiability problem equivalent to the problem of inverting the function, and experimentally observed an exponential increase in running time as a function of the input length.
RIVER
Authors: Brugger Christian , Hillenbrand Dominic , Balzer Matthias
Published: August 2014

For high-performance embedded hard-real-time systems, ASICs and FPGAs hold advantages over general-purpose processors and graphics accelerators (GPUs). However, developing signal processing architectures from scratch requires significant resources. Our design methodology is based on sets of configurable building blocks that provide storage, dataflow, computation, and control. Based on our building blocks, we generate hundreds of thousands of our dynamic streaming engine processors that we call DSEs. We store our DSEs in a repository that can be queried for (online) design space exploration. From this repository, DSEs can be downloaded and instantiated within milliseconds on FPGAs. If a loss of flexibility can be tolerated then ASIC implementations are feasible as well. In this article we focus on FPGA implementations. Our DSEs vary in cores, computational lanes, bitwidths, power consumption, and frequency. To the best of our knowledge we are the first to propose online design space exploration based on repositories of precompiled cores that are assembled of common building blocks. For demonstration purposes we map algorithms for image processing and financial mathematics to DSEs and compare the performance to existing highly optimized signal and graphics accelerators.
Knockout of histidine decarboxylase decreases bile duct ligation-induced biliary hyperplasia via downregulation of the histidine decarboxylase/VEGF axis through PKA-ERK1/2 signaling
Authors: Graf Allyson , Meng Fanyin , Hargrove Laura , Kennedy Lindsey , Han Yuyan , Francis Taylor , Hodges Kyle , Ueno Yoshiyuki , Nguyen Quy , Greene John F. , Francis Heather
Published: August 2014

Histidine is converted to histamine by histidine decarboxylase (HDC). We have shown that cholangiocytes 1) express HDC, 2) secrete histamine, and 3) proliferate after histamine treatment via ERK1/2 signaling. In bile duct-ligated (BDL) rodents, there is enhanced biliary hyperplasia, HDC expression, and histamine secretion. This studied aimed to demonstrate that knockdown of HDC inhibits biliary proliferation via downregulation of PKA/ERK1/2 signaling. HDC−/− mice and matching wild-type (WT) were subjected to sham or BDL. After 1 wk, serum, liver blocks, and cholangiocytes were collected. Immunohistochemistry was performed for 1) hematoxylin and eosin, 2) intrahepatic bile duct mass (IBDM) by cytokeratin-19, and 3) HDC biliary expression. We measured serum and cholangiocyte histamine levels by enzyme immunoassay. In total liver or cholangiocytes, we studied: 1) HDC and VEGF/HIF-1α expression and 2) PCNA and PKA/ERK1/2 protein expression. In vitro, cholangiocytes were stably transfected with shRNA-HDC plasmids (or control). After transfection we evaluated pPKA, pERK1/2, and cholangiocyte proliferation by immunoblots and MTT assay. In BDL HDC−/− mice, there was decreased IBDM, PCNA, VEGF, and HDC expression compared with BDL WT mice. Histamine levels were decreased in BDL HDC−/−. BDL HDC−/− livers were void of necrosis and inflammation compared with BDL WT. PKA/ERK1/2 protein expression (increased in WT BDL) was lower in BDL HDC−/− cholangiocytes. In vitro, knockdown of HDC decreased proliferation and protein expression of PKA/ERK1/2 compared with control. In conclusion, loss of HDC decreases BDL-induced biliary mass and VEGF/HIF-1α expression via PKA/ERK1/2 signaling. Our data suggest that HDC is a key regulator of biliary proliferation.
α1- and α2-Adrenergic responsiveness in human skeletal muscle feed arteries: the role of TRPV ion channels in heat-induced sympatholysis
Authors: Gifford Jayson R. , Ives Stephen J. , Park Song-Young , Andtbacka Robert H. I. , Hyngstrom John R. , Mueller Michelle T. , Treiman Gerald S. , Ward Christopher , Trinity Joel D. , Richardson Russell S.
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine if heat inhibits α2-adrenergic vasocontraction, similarly to α1-adrenergic contraction, in isolated human skeletal muscle feed arteries (SMFA) and elucidate the role of the temperature-sensitive vanilloid-type transient receptor potential (TRPV) ion channels in this response. Isolated SMFA from 37 subjects were studied using wire myography. α1 [Phenylephrine (PE)]- and α2 [dexmedetomidine (DEX)]-contractions were induced at 37 and 39°C with and without TRPV family and TRPV4-specific inhibition [ruthenium red (RR) and RN-1734, respectively]. Endothelial function [acetylcholine (ACh)] and smooth muscle function [sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and potassium chloride (KCl)] were also assessed under these conditions. Heat and TRPV inhibition was further examined in endothelium-denuded arteries. Contraction data are reported as a percentage of maximal contraction elicited by 100 mM KCl (LTmax). DEX elicited a small and variable contractile response, one-fifth the magnitude of PE, which was not as clearly attenuated when heated from 37 to 39°C (12 ± 4 to 6 ± 2% LTmax; P = 0.18) as were PE-induced contractions (59 ± 5 to 24 ± 4% LTmax; P < 0.05). Both forms of TRPV inhibition restored PE-induced contraction at 39°C (P < 0.05) implicating these channels, particularly the TRPV4 channels, in the heat-induced attenuation of α1-adrenergic vasocontraction. TRPV inhibition significantly blunted ACh relaxation while denudation prevented heat-induced sympatholysis without having an additive effect when combined with TRPV inhibition. In conclusion, physiological increases in temperature elicit a sympatholysis-like inhibition of α1-adrenergic vasocontraction in human SMFA that appears to be mediated by endothelial TRPV4 ion channels.
An association study between epicardial fat thickness and cognitive impairment in the elderly
Authors: Mazzoccoli Gianluigi , Dagostino Mariangela Pia , Vinciguerra Manlio , Ciccone Filomena , Paroni Giulia , Seripa Davide , Addante Filomena , Montella Rosa Chiara , De Cosmo Salvatore , Sera Francesco , Greco Antonio
Published: August 2014

The amount of fat surrounding the heart, called epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), is a marker of cardiometabolic risk and correlates with the quantity of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). The amount of VAT is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and with cognitive impairment. We aimed to evaluate the association between EAT thickness as a measure of VAT and cognitive function. In 71 elderly subjects (mean age 72.7 ± 7.1 yr) we measured EAT thickness through transthoracic echocardiography, assessed the metabolic profile through evaluation of biochemical parameters, and estimated the cognitive function via the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). We found that greater EAT thickness was associated with lower cognitive performance evaluated by MMSE ( P < 0.01) independently of the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome or obesity. Lower MMSE results were also associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome ( P < 0.01), elevated HOMA index ( P < 0.01), and high BMI values ( P < 0.01). The results of mediation analysis confirmed that the total effect of metabolic syndrome, HOMA, and BMI on MMSE is mainly explained by an indirect effect through EAT thickness. In conclusion, increased EAT thickness assessed by transthoracic echocardiography is associated with deficient results of psychometric tests assessing cognitive performance and may consistently foresee impairment of cognition in the elderly.
A near-infrared fluorescent voltage-sensitive dye allows for moderate-throughput electrophysiological analyses of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes
Authors: Lopez-Izquierdo Angelica , Warren Mark , Riedel Michael , Cho Scott , Lai Shuping , Lux Robert L. , Spitzer Kenneth W. , Benjamin Ivor J. , Tristani-Firouzi Martin , Jou Chuanchau J.
Published: August 2014

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (iPSC-CM)-based assays are emerging as a promising tool for the in vitro preclinical screening of QT interval-prolonging side effects of drugs in development. A major impediment to the widespread use of human iPSC-CM assays is the low throughput of the currently available electrophysiological tools. To test the precision and applicability of the near-infrared fluorescent voltage-sensitive dye 1-(4-sulfanatobutyl)-4-{β[2-(di- n-butylamino)-6-naphthyl]butadienyl}quinolinium betaine (di-4-ANBDQBS) for moderate-throughput electrophysiological analyses, we compared simultaneous transmembrane voltage and optical action potential (AP) recordings in human iPSC-CM loaded with di-4-ANBDQBS. Optical AP recordings tracked transmembrane voltage with high precision, generating nearly identical values for AP duration (AP durations at 10%, 50%, and 90% repolarization). Human iPSC-CMs tolerated repeated laser exposure, with stable optical AP parameters recorded over a 30-min study period. Optical AP recordings appropriately tracked changes in repolarization induced by pharmacological manipulation. Finally, di-4-ANBDQBS allowed for moderate-throughput analyses, increasing throughput >10-fold over the traditional patch-clamp technique. We conclude that the voltage-sensitive dye di-4-ANBDQBS allows for high-precision optical AP measurements that markedly increase the throughput for electrophysiological characterization of human iPSC-CMs.
Impact of increased hematocrit on right ventricular afterload in response to chronic hypoxia
Authors: Schreier David A. , Hacker Timothy A. , Hunter Kendall , Eickoff Jens , Liu Aiping , Song Gouqing , Chesler Naomi
Published: August 2014

Chronic hypoxia causes chronic mountain sickness through hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) and increased hematocrit. Here, we investigated the impact of increased hematocrit and HPH on right ventricular (RV) afterload via pulmonary vascular impedance. Mice were exposed to chronic normobaric hypoxia (10% oxygen) for 10 (10H) or 21 days (21H). After baseline hemodynamic measurements, ∼500 μl of blood were extracted and replaced with an equal volume of hydroxyethylstarch to normalize hematocrit and all hemodynamic measurements were repeated. In addition, ∼500 μl of blood were extracted and replaced in control mice with an equal volume of 90% hematocrit blood. Chronic hypoxia increased input resistance (Z0 increased 82% in 10H and 138% in 21H vs. CTL; P < 0.05) and characteristic impedance (ZC increased 76% in 10H and 109% in 21H vs. CTL; P < 0.05). Hematocrit normalization did not decrease mean pulmonary artery pressure but did increase cardiac output such that both Z0 and ZC decreased toward control levels. Increased hematocrit in control mice did not increase pressure but did decrease cardiac output such that Z0 increased. The paradoxical decrease in ZC with an acute drop in hematocrit and no change in pressure are likely due to inertial effects secondary to the increase in cardiac output. A novel finding of this study is that an increase in hematocrit affects the pulsatile RV afterload in addition to the steady RV afterload (Z0). Furthermore, our results highlight that the conventional interpretation of ZC as a measure of proximal artery stiffness is not valid in all physiological and pathological states.
Increase in relative deposition of fine particles in the rat lung periphery in the absence of gravity
Authors: Darquenne Chantal , Borja Maria G. , Oakes Jessica M. , Breen Ellen C. , Olfert I. Mark , Scadeng Miriam , Prisk G. Kim
Published: August 2014

While it is well recognized that pulmonary deposition of inhaled particles is lowered in microgravity (μG) compared with gravity on the ground (1G), the absence of sedimentation causes fine particles to penetrate deeper in the lung in μG. Using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we determined the effect of gravity on peripheral deposition (DEPperipheral) of fine particles. Aerosolized 0.95-μm-diameter ferric oxide particles were delivered to spontaneously breathing rats placed in plethysmographic chambers both in μG aboard the NASA Microgravity Research Aircraft and at 1G. Following exposure, lungs were perfusion fixed, fluid filled, and imaged in a 3T MR scanner. The MR signal decay rate, R2*, was measured in each voxel of the left lung from which particle deposition (DEP) was determined based on a calibration curve. Regional deposition was assessed by comparing DEP between the outer (DEPperipheral) and inner (DEPcentral) areas on each slice, and expressed as the central-to-peripheral ratio. Total lung deposition tended to be lower in μG compared with 1G (1.01 ± 0.52 vs. 1.43 ± 0.52 μg/ml, P = 0.1). In μG, DEPperipheral was larger than DEPcentral ( P < 0.03), while, in 1G, DEPperipheral was not significantly different from DEPcentral. Finally, central-to-peripheral ratio was significantly less in μG than in 1G ( P ≤ 0.05). These data show a larger fraction of fine particles depositing peripherally in μG than in 1G, likely beyond the large- and medium-sized airways. Although not measured, the difference in the spatial distribution of deposited particles between μG and 1G could also affect particle retention rates, with an increase in retention for particles deposited more peripherally.
HPV Seroconversion Following Anal and Penile HPV Infection in HIV-Negative and HIV-Infected MSM
Authors: Mooij Sofie H. , Landén Olivia , van der Klis Fiona R.M. , van der Sande Marianne A.B. , de Melker Hester E. , Xiridou Maria , van Eeden Arne , Heijman Titia , Speksnijder Arjen G.C.L. , Snijders Peter J.F. , Schim van der Loeff Maarten F.
Published: August 2014

Background: We assessed human papillomavirus (HPV) seroconversion following anal and penile HPV infection in HIV-negative and HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM).

Methods: MSM aged ≥18 years were recruited in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2010–2011), and followed up semiannually. Antibodies against 7 high-risk HPV types in baseline and 12-month serum samples were tested using a multiplex immunoassay. Baseline, 6-, and 12-month anal and penile samples were tested for HPV DNA using the SPF10-PCR DEIA/LiPA25 system. Statistical analyses were performed using logistic regression with generalized estimating equations.

Results: Of 644 MSM included in the analysis, 245 (38%) were HIV-infected. Median age was 38 years for HIV-negative and 47 years for HIV-infected MSM (P < 0.001). Seroconversion against ≥1 of the 7 HPV types was observed in 74 of 396 (19%) HIV-negative and 52 of 223 (23%) HIV-infected MSM at risk (P = 0.2). Incident [adjusted OR (aOR) 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1–3.4] and persistent (aOR 3.7; 95% CI, 1.5–9.5) anal HPV infections were independently associated with type-specific seroconversion in HIV-negative MSM. In HIV-infected MSM, there was a nonsignificant positive association between penile HPV infection at any time point and seroconversion (aOR 1.7; 95% CI, 0.9–3.2).

Conclusions: Incident or persistent anal HPV infection was an independent determinant of seroconversion in HIV-negative MSM.

Impact: Our data support that seroresponse may vary per anatomic site and that persistent HPV infections are more likely to elicit a detectable humoral immune response. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(11); 2455–61. ©2014 AACR.
Notch3 Overexpression Promotes Anoikis Resistance in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer via Upregulation of COL4A2
Authors: Brown Caitlin W. , Brodsky Alexander S. , Freiman Richard N.
Published: August 2014

Ovarian cancer is a lethal disease with the majority of diagnosed women having distant metastases. Interestingly, although Notch3 overexpression has been correlated with poor survival in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), little is known about its mechanism of action. Data show that Notch3 specifically promotes anoikis resistance. In addition, data indicate a positive role for focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as well as downstream signaling kinases such as Akt and Erk 1/2 in promoting anchorage-independent growth. Mechanistically, both mRNA transcript and protein levels of type IV collagen (COL4A2) are reduced when Notch3 levels are decreased and exogenous collagen IV supplementation reverses the anoikis sensitivity. Reduction of COL4A2 expression by RNAI-mediated knockdown induces cell death. Finally, elevated Notch3 expression levels correlate with higher COL4A2 expression in human ovarian tumor specimens.

Implications: These data highlight type IV collagen as a novel therapeutic target for metastatic EOC.

Visual Overview: http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2014/11/25/1541-7786.MCR-14-0334/F1.large.jpg

Mol Cancer Res; 13(1); 78–85. ©2014 AACR.
Cross-Sectional Relations of Arterial Stiffness, Pressure Pulsatility, Wave Reflection, and Arterial Calcification
Authors: Tsao Connie W. , Pencina Karol M. , Massaro Joseph M. , Benjamin Emelia J. , Levy Daniel , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Hoffmann Udo , O’Donnell Christopher J. , Mitchell Gary F.
Published: August 2014

Objective—

Arterial hemodynamics and vascular calcification are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but their inter-relations remain unclear. We sought to examine the associations of arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, and wave reflection with arterial calcification in individuals free of prevalent cardiovascular disease.

Approach and Results—

Framingham Heart Study Third Generation and Offspring Cohort participants free of cardiovascular disease underwent applanation tonometry to measure arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, and wave reflection, including carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, central pulse pressure, forward wave amplitude, and augmentation index. Participants in each cohort (n=1905, 45±6 years and n=1015, 65±9 years, respectively) underwent multidetector computed tomography to assess the presence and quantity of thoracic aortic calcification, abdominal aortic calcification, and coronary artery calcification. In multivariable-adjusted models, both higher carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and central pulse pressure were associated with greater thoracic aortic calcification and abdominal aortic calcification, whereas higher augmentation index was associated with abdominal aortic calcification. Among the tonometry measures, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was the strongest correlate of all calcification measures in multivariable-adjusted models (odds ratio per SD for thoracic aortic calcification, 2.69 [95% confidence interval, 2.17–3.35]; abdominal aortic calcification, 1.47 [95% confidence interval, 1.26–1.73]; and coronary artery calcification, 1.48 [95% confidence interval, 1.28–1.72]; all
P
<0.001, respectively). We observed stronger relations of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, central pulse pressure, and forward wave amplitude with nearly all continuous calcification measures in the younger Third Generation Cohort as compared with the Offspring Cohort.

Conclusions—

In community-dwelling individuals without prevalent cardiovascular disease, abnormal central arterial hemodynamics were positively associated with vascular calcification and were observed at younger ages than previously recognized. The mechanisms of these associations may be bidirectional and deserve further study.
Increased Microvascularization and Vessel Permeability Associate With Active Inflammation in Human Atheromata
Authors: Taqueti Viviany R. , Di Carli Marcelo F. , Jerosch-Herold Michael , Sukhova Galina K. , Murthy Venkatesh L. , Folco Eduardo J. , Kwong Raymond Y. , Ozaki C. Keith , Belkin Michael , Nahrendorf Matthias , Weissleder Ralph , Libby Peter
Published: August 2014

Background—

Studies have shown the feasibility of imaging plaques with 2-deoxy-2-[
18
F]fluoroglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography and dynamic contrast–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with inconsistent results. We sought to investigate the relationship between markers of inflammatory activation, plaque microvascularization, and vessel wall permeability in subjects with carotid plaques using a multimodality approach combining FDG positron emission tomography, dynamic contrast–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathology.

Methods and Results—

Thirty-two subjects with carotid stenoses underwent noninvasive imaging with FDG positron emission tomography and dynamic contrast–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, 46.9% (n=15) before carotid endarterectomy. We measured FDG uptake (target:background ratio [TBR]) by positron emission tomography and K
trans
(reflecting microvascular permeability and perfusion) by magnetic resonance imaging and correlated imaging with immunohistochemical markers of macrophage content (CD68), activated inflammatory cells (major histocompatibility complex class II), and microvessels (CD31) in plaque and control regions. TBR and K
trans
correlated significantly with tertiles of CD68
+
(
P
=0.009 and
P
=0.008, respectively), major histocompatibility complex class II
+
(
P
=0.003 and
P
<0.001, respectively), and CD31
+
(
P
=0.004 and
P
=0.008, respectively). Regions of plaques were associated with increased CD68
+
(
P
=0.002), major histocompatibility complex class II
+
(
P
=0.002), CD31
+
(
P
=0.02), TBR (
P
<0.0001), and K
trans
(
P
<0.0001), as compared with those without plaques. Microvascularization correlated with macrophage content (
r
s
=0.52;
P
=0.007) and inflammatory activity (
r
s
=0.68;
P
=0.0001) and TBR correlated with K
trans
(
r
s
=0.53;
P
<0.0001). In multivariable mixed linear regression modeling, TBR remained independently associated with K
trans
(β[SE], 2.68[0.47];
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions—

Plaque regions with active inflammation, as determined by macrophage content and major histocompatibility complex class II expression, showed increased FDG uptake, which correlated with increased K
trans
and microvascularization. The correlation between K
trans
and TBR was moderate, direct, highly significant, and independent of clinical symptoms and plaque luminal severity.
Copeptin for the Prediction of Recurrent Cerebrovascular Events After Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: De Marchis Gian Marco , Weck Anja , Audebert Heinrich , Benik Steffen , Foerch Christian , Buhl Daniela , Schuetz Philipp , Jung Simon , Seiler Marleen , Morgenthaler Nils G. , Mattle Heinrich P. , Mueller Beat , Christ-Crain Mirjam , Arnold Marcel , Katan Mira
Published: August 2014

Background and Purpose—

Copeptin has been associated with recurrent cerebrovascular events after transient ischemic attack (TIA). In an independent cohort, we evaluated copeptin for the prediction of recurrent cerebrovascular events within 3 months after TIA and assessed the incremental value of copeptin compared with the ABCD2 (age, blood, clinical features of TIA, duration of symptoms, presence of diabetes mellitus) and ABCD3-I (ABCD2, dual TIA [the presence of ≥2 TIA symptoms within 7 days], imaging [the presence of abnormal findings on neuroimaging]) scores.

Methods—

This prospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted at 3 tertiary Stroke Centers in Switzerland and Germany.

Results—

From March 2009 through April 2011, we included 302 patients with TIA admitted within 24 hours from symptom onset. Of 28 patients with a recurrent cerebrovascular event within 3 months (stroke or TIA), 11 patients had a stroke. Although the association of copeptin with recurrent cerebrovascular events was not significant, the association with stroke alone as end point was significant. After adjusting for the ABCD2 score, a 10-fold increase in copeptin levels was associated with an odds ratio for stroke of 3.39 (95% confidence interval, 1.28–8.96;
P
=0.01). After addition of copeptin to the ABCD2 score, the area under the curve of the ABCD2 score improved from 0.60 (95% confidence interval, 0.46–0.74) to 0.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.60–0.88,
P
=0.02). In patients with MRI (n=223), the area under the curve of the ABCD3-I score increased in similar magnitude, although not significantly. Based on copeptin, 31.2% of patients were correctly reclassified across the risk categories of the ABCD2 score (net reclassification improvement;
P
=0.17).

Conclusions—

Copeptin improved the prognostic value of the ABCD2 score for the prediction of stroke but not TIA, and it may help clinicians in refining risk stratification for patients with TIA.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00878813.
Cognitive Control Predicts Use of Model-based Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Otto A. Ross , Skatova Anya , Madlon-Kay Seth , Daw Nathaniel D.
Published: August 2014

Accounts of decision-making and its neural substrates have long posited the operation of separate, competing valuation systems in the control of choice behavior. Recent theoretical and experimental work suggest that this classic distinction between behaviorally and neurally dissociable systems for habitual and goal-directed (or more generally, automatic and controlled) choice may arise from two computational strategies for reinforcement learning (RL), called model-free and model-based RL, but the cognitive or computational processes by which one system may dominate over the other in the control of behavior is a matter of ongoing investigation. To elucidate this question, we leverage the theoretical framework of cognitive control, demonstrating that individual differences in utilization of goal-related contextual information—in the service of overcoming habitual, stimulus-driven responses—in established cognitive control paradigms predict model-based behavior in a separate, sequential choice task. The behavioral correspondence between cognitive control and model-based RL compellingly suggests that a common set of processes may underpin the two behaviors. In particular, computational mechanisms originally proposed to underlie controlled behavior may be applicable to understanding the interactions between model-based and model-free choice behavior.
Retching on Rome
Authors: Moore Stephen D.
Published: August 2014

The Apocalypse of John is an affect-intensive text. What Revelation reveals above all is an immense loathing for Rome, and it aims to infect its audiences in turn with disgust for that intimate Other. Impelled by Sara Ahmed’s work on the cultural politics of emotion, this article reconceives Revelation’s “great whore” as a circulating (sex) object that is supremely “sticky” or saturated with affect. It explores how Revelation’s affective economy works by sticking “figures of hate” together like Jezebel, the whore, and the beast. It argues that Revelation’s impossible project is the vomitous ejection of a loathsome alien entity (Rome as Jezebel) that has somehow gotten inside, but in whose monstrous body (Rome as Babylon) one is also somehow contained. It explains why the expulsion or annihilation of the intolerable Other is contradictorily combined with its incorporation or ingestion: the devouring of the whore; the ghastly “great supper of God.” It also ponders why nauseous food (“sacrificed to idols”) taken into the (social) body figures the fear of contamination in this book, and why the intimately encroaching empire is figured in intensely sexualized terms: the intolerable cultural closeness of Rome requires representation in ways that evoke intimate contact felt on the surface of the skin.
Tracing the Cretan Labyrinth: Mythology, Archaeology, Topology, Phenomenology
Authors: Harris Paul A.
Published: August 2014

This essay discusses the Cretan labyrinth in relation to J.T. Fraser’s concept of eotemporality. The Cretan labyrinth is treated in diverse contexts, including its depiction in mythology and the archaeological attempts to locate it. The topology of the ‘Cretan’ or ‘classical’ labyrinth is analyzed, and a phenomenological account of the temporal experience facilitated by walking the labyrinth is provided.
Visual, Aural, and Temporal Traces in Lorna Simpson’s Phototexts and Installations
Authors: Armand Claudine
Published: August 2014

Drawing on visual and linguistic theories, this article examines the interplay of time and trace in contemporary artist Lorna Simpson’s handling of the portrait genre in her phototexts and video installations. I examine first the concept of trace in relation to the photographic medium and to the artist’s conceptual approach and study the way text and image interact in a contrapuntal and often dissonant way. Then I focus on two video installations to highlight the fragmentary, repetitive, and elliptical quality of Simpson’s multimedia practices and to put forward the fluctuating status of the concept of trace understood as transient, unstable, and indeterminate.
A Bayesian and Emergent View of the Brain
Authors: Lestienne Rémy
Published: August 2014

Very simple psychophysiological visual tests suggest that the brain, instead of processing visual information in a passive way as was classically thought, in fact actively evaluates probabilities of the causes of visual data and continuously proposes to the mind the ones that are more likely to account for sensory inputs. In the past few years, Karl Friston, a researcher from University College of London, and his group have proposed a mechanism by which the brain successfully performs with great precision the inversion of probability densities necessary for this Bayesian computation. This mechanism would account for several anatomic structures of the cortex, explaining in particular the abundance of backwards interneuronal connections. The proposed picture of brain functioning is that of a dynamical process, far from the static image of a photographic plate. The result is an emergence, for the final picture of the world is a coherent vision where the more likely causes are proposed in a coherent manner. Although the theory accounts for the automatic, infraconscious side of the processing of information in the brain, it is in good accord with Roger Sperry’s theory of consciousness as a theory of strong emergence. It is too soon to evaluate the solidity of the law of “minimization of free energy” proposed by Friston not only as ruling the automatisms of the brain but as a general law of biology. This law is similar (although in contradistinction) to the second law of thermodynamics of increase of entropy (insofar as it explains the tendency of living beings for self-organization), and it is already looked at by some neuroscientists as a big step forward in deciphering the mysteries of the brain.
Enfleshed in Cosmos and Earth
Authors: Eaton Matthew
Published: August 2014

Since Niels Gregersen used the term “deep incarnation” in 2001, it has been taken up by numerous ecotheologians in an effort to re-think the depth of the incarnation. Deep incarnation suggests that the incarnation demonstrates a divine embrace of not only the suffering of human bodies, but also of the pain and suffering of all creatures on Earth. While the framework of deep incarnation provides a foundation for a solid eco-Christology and ecological ethics, I suggest that the doctrine as it now stands continues to harbor hints of human exceptionalism that ecotheologies seek to eschew. I offer a critique of the metaphysical anthropocentrism contained within theologies of deep incarnation, suggesting that the doctrine does not go “deep” enough. Following this, I offer a non-anthropocentric understanding of the incarnation that frees the doctrine of the pitfalls of human exceptionalism. I do this by using a deconstructionist framework that posits that the vulnerability of Jesus allows us to view the incarnation as the divine embrace of all material vulnerability apart from the trappings of any normative epistemological framework based on a human horizon of understanding.
Two Nations under God: Religion and Public in Canada and the United States
Authors: Toulouse Mark G.
Published: August 2014

This article explores relationships between religion and public life in Canada and the United States. Attention is given to historical and contemporary situations in Canada, especially regarding cultural and political developments leading to the growing privatization of religion in the nation. Through an examination of the vestiges of church establishment in Upper Canada, the varieties of federal and provincial funding of religious activities, the history of the social gospel, the Quiet Revolution in Quebec, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Quebec’s recently proposed Charter of Values, the article analyses the complicated nature represented by the mixing of religion and public life in Canada. The Canadian developments are compared, where appropriate, to the public expressions of religion found in North American civil religion. The article concludes with reflections about whether Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism is inconsistent with the privatization of religion and should lead to a cultural shift towards the deprivatization of religion.
Three Kinds of Publicness in Public Theology
Authors: Tracy David
Published: August 2014

Across the different publics to which theology speaks, there are three forms of publicness that mark theological discourse: first, dialectical or argumentative reason; secondly, dialogical or hermeneutical reason with the Christian classics; thirdly, meditative reason as the final expression of our desire to know. This article provides a short exploration of each of these three forms of publicness.
Engaging Multiculturalism as Public Theologians
Authors: Sebastian J. Jayakiran
Published: August 2014

This article explores notions of multiculturalism, and how the term is to be understood practically within theological education, mission and ministry. By taking the author’s Indian heritage as a context, the article traces social and political usage of multiculturalism as an ideology and questions how multiculturalism should effectively be employed by public theologians, within theological seminary programmes in a western context.
Public Theology and Evidence for God
Authors: Newman Robert C.
Published: August 2014

In a pair of previous articles, it was suggested that a ‘public theology’ approach to the text of the Bible and events of history pointed to a mind behind history that brought about the fulfilment of events predicted in Scripture. This article examines various phenomena of the physical and life sciences which similarly indicate a mind behind nature: first, fine-tuning of nature’s basic forces; secondly, the fitness of Earth’s cosmic environment; thirdly, the fitness of biochemistry for life; fourthly, the origin of life and finally, apparent design in living things.
Shaping Shiʿa Identities in Contemporary Indonesia between Local Tradition and Foreign Orthodoxy
Authors: Formichi Chiara
Published: August 2014

This article reflects on the impact of transnational flows of students, pilgrims, and literature from Iran to Indonesia on the shaping of Shiʿa Islam in Indonesia since 1979, with a focus on the post-Suharto era (1998–2012) and the performance of ʿ Āshūrāʾ commemorative rituals. Since the early days of its Islamization, Southeast Asia has featured several literary and ritual practices rooted in a combination of Islamic and local traditions; most notable are those expressing patterns of pre-sectarian devotion towards the ahl al-bayt – drawing a parallel with Marshall Hodgson’s framework of ʿAlid piety (1955). Based on ethnographic and archival research, the author suggests that in the decades following the Iranian revolution some of these practices were abandoned in favour of a paradigm of devotion promoted by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The polarization of practices, and the relationship between organizations representative of these two approaches, is illustrated through an analysis of the performative means used to represent the tragedy of Karbala during ʿĀshūrāʾ events in Bandung, Bengkulu (West Sumatra), and Jakarta in 2011. In Bandung the play “Tragedi Karbala” was performed by a Sundanese theatrical group staging a local text; in Bengkulu the traditional Festival Tabot took place following a pattern determined by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture in the early 1970s but now under the sponsorship of the Iranian Embassy; the  Jakarta event featured a taʿziya troupe brought from Iran by the Embassy’s cultural office.
The Origins and Development of the Office of the “Chief Sufi” in Egypt, 1173–1325
Authors: Hofer Nathan
Published: August 2014

In 969/1173, Saladin endowed a khānqāh in Cairo for the use of foreign Sufis arriving in that city. This khānqāh, known as the Saʿīd al-Suʿadāʾ, also included a stipendiary position for a “Chief Sufi” (shaykh al-shuyūkh), who would direct the day-to-day operations of the khānqāh and guide the Sufis who lived there. However, virtually nothing is known about the origins and development of this elite position. In this article I reconstruct the roster of individuals who held the office of Chief Sufi in Egypt between 969/1173 and 724/1325, when the office of Chief Sufi was moved to a new khānqāh outside Cairo. I trace the origins of the office in Seljuk Baghdad and its subsequent development in Syria and Egypt. These findings show that the Chief Sufi was almost always from the East, typically Iraq or Khurasan. He was nominally a Sufi, but was known primarily for being a jurist, having trained in Shāfiʿi jurisprudence and Ashʿari theology. Perhaps most interestingly, the position was ineluctably tied to the politics of the Ayyubid and Mamluk states. The position was thus often unstable and the object of fierce competition among other elites.
Pseudosymblepharis perlongifolia (Bryophyta, Pottiaceae), a neglected species from Malaysia new for America
Authors: Alonso Marta , Cano María Jesús , Jiménez Juan Antonio
Published: August 2014

The Asian moss Pseudosymblepharis perlongifolia, previously known only from Malaysia, is reported for the first time for America on the basis of several collections from Maricao (Puerto Rico). The principal distinctive characters that separate it from the nearest species of Pseudosymblepharis and related genera are discussed. The species is described and illustrated.
A new species of Cascabela (Apocynaceae; Rauvolfioideae, Plumerieae) from Michoacán, Mexico
Authors: Alvarado-Cardenas Leonardo Osvaldo , SOTO NÚÑEZ José CARMEN
Published: August 2014

A new species of Cascabela endemic to the Balsas Basin from Michoacán, Mexico is described and illustrated. Cascabela balsaensis can be separated from all known species of the genus because of its elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate and subcoriaceous leaves with dense pubescence, very small calycine colleters, and shorter corollas. In addition, we provide an evaluation of conservation, a map of distribution, and a species key.
Upping their number, addressing their risk. Viola singularis (Violaceae) revisited, and an evaluation of sect. Andinium, its higher taxonomic group
Authors: Watson John Michael , FLORES ANA ROSA
Published: August 2014

An important amendment is made to the type locality given for Viola singularis. We analyse the precarious rarity of many Viola sect Andinium taxa, including this particular species. It is only known as a solitary specimen from a single site. The combined effect of rarity and geographical remoteness on the numerical content of the section is also discussed.
New species of Cheiracanthium (Araneae: Eutichuridae) from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands
Authors: LOTZ L. N.
Published: August 2014

The Afrotropical representatives of the spider genus Cheiracanthium C.L. Koch, 1839 from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands are revised, and new species are described. Five described species are recognized: C. africanum Lessert, 1921, C. furculatum Karsch, 1879, C. insulare (Vinson, 1863), C. leucophaeum Simon, 1896, and C. ludovici Lessert, 1921. The internal genitalia of the female of C. insulare, and the female of C. ludovici, are described for the first time. Thirteen new species, C. ambrense sp. nov. (♂♀), C. ampijoroa sp. nov. (♀), C. andranomay sp. nov. (♀), C. anjozorobe sp. nov. (♂♀), C. ashleyi sp. nov. (♂♀), C. fisheri sp. nov. (♂♀), C. foulpointense sp. nov. (♂♀), C. griswoldi sp. nov. (♂♀), C. jocquei sp. nov. (♂♀), C. madagascarense sp. nov. (♂♀), C. mahajanga sp. nov. (♀), C. ransoni sp. nov. (♂♀) and C. rothi sp. nov. (♂♀), are described. In most of the endemic Madagascan species the female genital depression is divided by a central septum and the male cymbial apophysis is bent distally.
Review of the Oriental genus Neoclarkinella Rema and Narendran, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) with the description of two new species from India
Authors: VEENA T. , RANJITH A. P. , SANTHOSH S. , KISHORE LAMBERT
Published: August 2014

The rarely collected Oriental genus Neoclarkinella Rema and Narendran, 1996 is reviewed. Four species, all from India, are recognized of which two are described as new, namely Neoclarkinella janakikkadensis sp. nov., and N.narendrani sp. nov. from Kerala, India. A key to the oriental species of the genus is provided along with a character state matrix.
The tension between choice and need in the housing of newcomers: A theoretical framework and an application on Scandinavian settlement policies
Authors: Borevi Karin , Bengtsson Bo
Published: August 2014

The settlement and housing of refugees is high on the agenda in most European countries. This article develops a theoretical perspective on the housing provision of newly arrived migrants and applies it on the national discourses on settlement policies in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The theoretical discussion focuses on the ambivalence between choice and need in housing policy, and between promoting demos and ethnos in integration policy. The empirical analysis takes its departure in these tensions and investigates the national discourses in terms of three potential arguments for restricting autonomy in the housing market precisely for newly arrived migrants: the legal status, resource and neighbourhood arguments. This frame of analysis makes it possible to interpret and understand the surprisingly strong differences in settlement policies between the three countries. We argue that our theoretical approach and analytical framework should be relevant for understanding national political discourses on settlement policy more generally.
Citizen Language and Administrative Response
Authors: Eckerd Adam
Published: August 2014

Despite more than 40 years of experience with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the United States, little is known about who participates, how they participate, and whether agencies are responsive. This study explores the role of public participation in the American federal government EIA context, focusing on the different languages used by residents and administrators. Residents of affected geographic areas use nontechnical language to address concern over individual impacts, whereas administrators use technical language about aggregate impacts and focus on justification of decisions, rather than altering decisions based on public feedback.