bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Features of a new full length HLA allele: A*02:455
Authors: Crijns V. B. G. , Groeneweg M. , Schouten H. C. , Voorter C. E. M. , Tilanus M. G. J.
Published: May 2015

The full length sequence of HLA‐A*02:455 differs from HLA‐A*02:01:01:01 by one amino acid substitution: A245E.
A new HLA‐B*15 allele, HLA‐B*15:263, identified in a Korean individual
Authors: Park B. G. , Park Y. , Yoon C. E. , Kwon O.‐J. , Kim H.‐S.
Published: May 2015

HLA‐B*15:263 differs from HLA‐B*15:18:01 by a single nucleotide exchange at position 824, C>G (codon 251 TCT>TGT).
HLA‐A allele dropout in sequence‐specific oligonucleotide probe typing due to intronic polymorphism in the novel A*31:01:02:02 allele
Authors: Balas A. , García‐Sánchez F. , Vicario J. L.
Published: May 2015

HLA‐A*31:01:02:02 differs from A*31:01:02 in a single nucleotide mutation at intron 3, nucleotide position 1000 (G > A).
Evaluation of three different point‐of‐care tests for quantitative measurement of canine C‐reactive protein
Authors: Jasensky Anne‐Katherine , Klenner Stefanie , Einspanier Ralf , Kohn Barbara
Published: May 2015

Background

C‐reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute phase protein in both people and dogs.

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the precision and accuracy of 3 different point‐of‐care tests (POCT) for canine CRP (cCRP) in comparison to a standard ELISA test, and to assess storage stability.

Material and Methods

Blood samples were collected from 125 dogs (23 healthy and 102 diseased). Serum cCRP measurements were performed using the TECOmedical AG, the EUROLyser Diagnostica, and the LifeAssays POCT. The TECOmedical AG ELISA validated for canine serum was used as a reference method. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, inter assay variance for each POCT, comparison of results from each POCT with the ELISA using Spearman's correlation and Bland–Altman plots, and a t‐test to evaluate sample stability.

Results

ELISA cCRP values ranged from 0.1–4.7 mg/L (median 1.3) in healthy dogs and from 0–282 mg/L (median 17.3) in diseased dogs. Spearman's correlation coefficient between ELISA and the respective POCT measurements for cCRP concentration was 0.89 for TECOmedical, 0.85 for EUROLyser, and 0.97 for LifeAssays. Bias calculated from Bland–Altman difference plots was 27.6% for TECOmedical, −14.2% for EUROLyser, and −15.7% for LifeAssays. Inter assay reliability was > 0.9 for all POCT. Total observed error of the EUROLyser was 28.2% and therefore met the acceptable total error of 29.6%.

Conclusions

All POCTs were able to measure cCRP, but precision, accuracy, and correlation coefficients varied among the 3 systems. Therefore, serial measurements for monitoring of cCRP in dogs should always be performed using the same POCT system.
Establishing an Early Discharge Protocol After Cardiac Surgery in Korea
Authors: Kwak Changyeong , Ko Young
Published: May 2015

This column shares the best evidence‐based strategies and innovative ideas on how to facilitate the learning of EBP principles and processes by clinicians as well as nursing and interprofessional students. Guidelines for submission are available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1741‐6787
Renal protective effects of induction of haem oxygenase‐1 combined with increased adiponectin on the glomerular vascular endothelial growth factor–nitric oxide axis in obese rats
Authors: Liu Xue , Zang Ping , Han Fang , Hou Ningning , Sun Xiaodong
Published: May 2015

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

This study aimed to investigate whether induction of haem oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) can protect the kidneys of obese rats by regulating the glomerular vascular endothelial growth factor–nitric oxide (VEGF–NO) axis by increasing the adiponectin concentrations.

What is the main finding and its importance?

Induction of HO‐1 reduces the degree of microalbuminuria and has renal protective effects by improving endothelial function and regulating the uncoupled glomerular VEGF–NO axis in diet‐induced obese rats. The mechanism may be related to increased activation of the HO‐1–adiponectin axis.

The glomerular vascular endothelial growth factor–nitric oxide (VEGF–NO) axis plays a critical role in maintenance of normal kidney function in obesity. Induction of haem oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) may result in a parallel increase in adiponectin secretion. The aim of this study was to investigate whether induction of HO‐1 could protect the kidneys of obese rats by regulating the glomerular VEGF–NO axis by increasing adiponectin levels. Rats received high‐fat diets and were injected with either cobalt protoporphyrin to induce HO‐1 or stannous protoporphyrin to inhibit HO‐1. Blood and urine samples were collected. Endothelial function was determined by measuring the endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation of the aorta. Renal tissues were collected for CD34 immunohistochemistry. The glomerular VEGF–NO axis and the AMP kinase–phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt–endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway were measured. Induction of HO‐1 by cobalt protoporphyrin decreased microalbuminuria, plasma free fatty acids, serum high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein and malondialdehyde levels and increased serum adiponectin levels compared with the untreated obese rats. Severe impairment of endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation was observed in the obese rats, which was improved to some extent by HO‐1 induction. Induction of HO‐1 reduced glomerular CD34 expression and production of reactive oxygen species in obese rats. Obese rats showed increased glomerular VEGF expression and reduced NO levels. This uncoupling of the glomerular VEGF–NO axis was improved to some extent by induction of HO‐1, with enhancement of p‐AMP kinase, p‐Akt and phospho‐endothelial nitric oxide synthase in obese rats. These results indicate that induction of HO‐1 with cobalt protoporphyrin reduces the degree of microalbuminuria and has renal protective effects by improving endothelial dysfunction and regulating the glomerular VEGF–NO axis in diet‐induced obese rats by increasing adiponectin levels.
Synthesis of PbS/Cu2S/ZnS nanoparticles and their optical properties
Authors: Serrano Thelma , Gómez Idalia
Published: May 2015

The use of simple stabilizers, such as trisodium citrate and 3-mercaptopropionic acid, with the colloidal solution-phase growth method is successful in synthesizing PbS/Cu2S core/shell nanoparticles with emission in the visible range and with improved luminescence properties. The core/shell arrangement for particles with different crystalline structures is achieved, and, in addition, the first reported synthesis of the PbS/Cu2S/ZnS core/shell/shell system. The absorption and photoluminescence spectra and scanning electron microscopy images provide direct proof of the formation of PbS/Cu2S cores with sizes around 20 nm and a ZnS secondary shell 8 nm thick. According to the ultraviolet–visible absorption and photoluminescence spectra, the optical characteristics observed in the synthesized material correspond to a PbS/Cu2S/ZnS system with higher confinement than the PbS/Cu2S nanoparticles. The quantum yield improves by 14% from the PbS/Cu2S to the PbS/Cu2S/ZnS nanoparticles.
Stem cell therapy for cardiac regeneration: hits and misses
Authors: Padda Jagjit , Sequiera Glen Lester , Sareen Niketa , Dhingra Sanjiv
Published: May 2015

Cardiac injury and loss of cardiomyocytes is a causative as well as a resultant condition of cardiovascular disorders, which are the leading cause of death throughout the world. This loss of cardiomyocytes cannot be completely addressed through the currently available drugs being administered, which mainly function only in relieving the symptoms. There is a huge potential being investigated for regenerative and cell replacement therapies through recruiting stem cells of various origins namely embryonic, reprogramming/induction, and adult tissue. These sources are being actively studied for translation to clinical scenarios. In this review, we attempt to discuss some of these promising scenarios, including the clinical trials and the obstacles that need to be overcome, and hope to address the direction in which stem cell therapy is heading.
Asymptotic analysis of Vlasov-type equations under strong local alignment regime
Authors: Kang Moon-Jin , Vasseur Alexis F.
Published: May 2015

We consider the hydrodynamic limit of a collisionless and non-diffusive kinetic equation under strong local alignment regime. The local alignment is first considered by Karper, Mellet and Trivisa in [On strong local alignment in the kinetic Cucker–Smale model, in Hyperbolic Conservation Laws and Related Analysis with Applications, Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics, Vol. 49 (Springer, 2014), pp. 227–242], as a singular limit of an alignment force proposed by Motsch and Tadmor in [A new model for self-organized dynamics and its flocking behavior, J. Statist. Phys. 141 (2011) 923–947]. As the local alignment strongly dominates, a weak solution to the kinetic equation under consideration converges to the local equilibrium, which has the form of mono-kinetic distribution. We use the relative entropy method and weak compactness to rigorously justify the weak convergence of our kinetic equation to the pressureless Euler system.
Behavior and Modeling of CFRP-Strengthened Rectangular Steel Tubes Subjected to a Transverse End Bearing Load
Authors: Fernando Dilum , Yu Tao , Teng J. G.
Published: May 2015

The end bearing capacity of a rectangular hollow section (RHS) steel tube can be substantially increased through local strengthening using bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates. This paper presents a combined experimental and numerical study into the behavior of such CFRP-strengthened RHS steel tubes with particular attention to debonding failure in such tubes. The results of an experimental study are first presented, which showed that debonding failure occurred in all the CFRP-strengthened steel tubes and the effectiveness of strengthening depended significantly on the slenderness of the webs. A finite element approach for modeling the behavior of such CFRP-strengthened steel tubes is next presented, in which a coupled cohesive zone model is employed to depict the response of FRP-to-steel bonded interfaces with a linear or a nonlinear adhesive. The finite element approach, which is shown to provide close predictions for CFRP-strengthened RHS steel tubes under an end bearing load, offers a valuable tool for understanding the behavior of these CFRP-strengthened steel tubes.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF TRIPLE LAYER SKIN TISSUE FREEZING USING NON-FOURIER HEAT CONDUCTION
Authors: SINGH SONALIKA , KUMAR SUSHIL
Published: May 2015

The classical Fourier’s law assumes that the propagation speed of thermal disturbance is infinite, which is contradictory to physical reality. The living tissues are highly non-homogeneous and need a relaxation time to accumulate enough energy to transfer to the nearest element. This study proposes hyperbolic bio-heat model to study the freezing process in triple layer skin tissue with non-ideal property of skin tissue, metabolism and blood perfusion. The enthalpy formulation and finite difference method are used to solve the hyperbolic bio-heat model for triple layer skin tissue freezing. The effects of relaxation time for heat flux on temperature profile, liquidus and solidus interfaces are studied during the freezing of skin tissue. It is observed that the different values of relaxation time for heat flux have significant effect on temperature distribution, liquidus and solidus interfaces within the skin tissue.
WHY VALUES MATTER FOR IDEAS: EXAMINING THE DETERMINANTS OF READINESS TO CO-CREATE
Authors: SHANMUGAM ANISHA , DURUGBO CHRISTOPHER
Published: May 2015

Co-creation is a special type of collaboration that co-opts individuals in an innovative way for creating value. Engaging in co-creation can result in mutual benefit for the participants as they obtain favourable end results or exchange knowledge and skills but may be challenging when an individual may not be ready or willing to co-create. This makes it imperative that an individual's readiness to co-create (RTCC) is understood and factored into the management of co-creative processes. Drawing from research on readiness to collaborate, factors that determine RTCC are examined in this article. Specifically, the relationship between constructs of individual value system (IVS), organisational value system (OVS), contextual-environmental conditions (EC), intrapersonal characteristics (IntraCharac), interpersonal characteristics (InterCharac), and RTCC are examined. Post confirmatory factor analysis indicated that most of the variables of the six constructs had loaded on a particular factor except for IntraCharac that loaded only 2 variables. Based on these results, multiple regressions were performed, which indicated that environmental conditions and InterCharac did have significant influence on RTCC whereas IntraCharac did not have a strong effect. Managerial implications and potential future research directions are also highlighted.
Monitoring Metric First-Order Temporal Properties
Authors: Basin David , Klaedtke Felix , Müller Samuel , Zălinescu Eugen
Published: May 2015

Runtime monitoring is a general approach to verifying system properties at runtime by comparing system events against a specification formalizing which event sequences are allowed. We present a runtime monitoring algorithm for a safety fragment of metric first-order temporal logic that overcomes the limitations of prior monitoring algorithms with respect to the expressiveness of their property specification languages. Our approach, based on automatic structures, allows the unrestricted use of negation, universal and existential quantification over infinite domains, and the arbitrary nesting of both past and bounded future operators. Furthermore, we show how to use and optimize our approach for the common case where structures consist of only finite relations, over possibly infinite domains. We also report on case studies from the domain of security and compliance in which we empirically evaluate the presented algorithms. Taken together, our results show that metric first-order temporal logic can serve as an effective specification language for expressing and monitoring a wide variety of practically relevant system properties.
A Total Variation Approach for Customizing Imagery to Improve Visual Acuity
Authors: Montalto Carlos , Garcia-Dorado Ignacio , Aliaga Daniel , Oliveira Manuel M. , Meng Feng
Published: May 2015

We describe a technique to generate imagery with improved sharpness for individuals having refractive vision problems. Our method can reduce their dependence on corrective eyewear. It also benefits individuals with normal vision by improving visual acuity at a distance and of small details. Our approach does not require custom hardware. Instead, the calculated images can be shown on a standard computer display, on printed paper, or superimposed on a physical scene using a projector. Our technique uses a constrained total variation method to produce a deconvolution result which, upon observation, appears sharp at the edges. We introduce a novel relative total variation term that enables controlling ringing reduction, contrast gain, and sharpness. The end result is the ability to generate sharper appearing images, even for individuals with refractive vision problems including myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and astigmatism. Our approach has been validated in simulation, in camera-screen experiments, and in a study with human observers.
Accounting and Accountability in Content Distribution Architectures
Authors: Coileáin Diarmuid Ó , O'mahony Donal
Published: May 2015

Many content distribution architectures offer desirable elements that lead to less bandwidth usage, reduced network congestion, higher content availability, and reduced costs. However, their level of adoption and utilization in commercial environments depends on the level of content
accounting
and
accountability
they offer. Content accounting refers to any information that a content distributor needs to track relating to the delivery of content to its intended consumers. In contrast, content accountability refers to the willingness of the communicating infrastructure to produce accurate and verifiable information about the content distribution process. This article surveys existing and proposed future content delivery architectures detailing their methodologies for providing efficient low-cost content distribution, content accounting, and accountability across trustworthy and untrustworthy infrastructures. We use two methods to help identify the drawbacks and merits of these architectures. The first is a taxonomy for accounting information based on our analysis of logging information gathered from the surveyed systems. The second is a generic model for content distribution based on a synthesis of desirable elements from the surveyed architectures. These methods help highlight key architectural elements required for efficient low-cost content distribution. Finally, we identify outstanding challenges related to establishing accountability in accounting information produced for content distributed across trusted and untrusted infrastructures.
A Joint SW/HW Approach for Reducing Register File Vulnerability
Authors: Tabkhi Hamed , Schirner Gunar
Published: May 2015

The Register File (RF) is a particularly vulnerable component within processor core and at the same time a hotspot with high power density. To reduce RF vulnerability, conventional HW-only approaches such as Error Correction Codes (ECCs) or modular redundancies are not suitable due to their significant power overhead. Conversely, SW-only approaches either have limited improvement on RF reliability or require considerable performance overhead. As a result, new approaches are needed that reduce RF vulnerability with minimal power and performance overhead.

This article introduces Application-guided Reliability-enhanced Register file Architecture (ARRA), a novel approach to reduce RF vulnerability of embedded processors. Taking advantage of uneven register utilization, ARRA mirrors, guided by a SW instrumentation, frequently used active registers into passive registers. ARRA is particularly suitable for control applications, as they have a high reliability demand with fairly low (uneven) RF utilization. ARRA is a cross-layer joint HW/SW approach based on an ARRA-extended RF microarchitecture, an ISA extension, as well as static binary analysis and instrumentation. We evaluate ARRA benefits using an ARRA-enhanced Blackfin processor executing a set of DSPBench and MiBench benchmarks. We quantify the benefits using RF Vulnerability Factor (RFVF) and Mean Work To Failure (MWTF). ARRA significantly reduces RFVF from 35% to 6.9% in cost of 0.5% performance lost for control applications. With ARRA’s register mirroring, it can also correct Multiple Bit Upsets (MBUs) errors, achieving an 8x increase in MWTF. Compared to a partially ECC-protected RF approach, ARRA demonstrates higher efficiency by achieving comparable vulnerability reduction at much lower power consumption.
RingIt
Authors: Averbuch-Elor Hadar , Cohen-Or Daniel
Published: May 2015

The multitude of cameras constantly present nowadays redefines the meaning of capturing an event and the meaning of sharing this event with others. The images are frequently uploaded to a common platform, and the image navigation challenge naturally arises. We introduce
RingIt
: a spectral technique for recovering the spatial order of a set of still images capturing an event taken by a group of people situated around the event. We assume a nearly instantaneous event, such as an interesting moment in a performance captured by the digital cameras and smartphones of the surrounding crowd. The ordering method extracts the
K-nearest neighbors
(KNN) of each image from a rough all-pairs dissimilarity estimate. The KNN dissimilarities are refined to form a sparse weighted Laplacian, and a spectral analysis then yields a ring angle for each image. The spatial order is recovered by sorting the obtained ring angles. The ordering of the unorganized set of images allows for a sequential display of the captured object. We demonstrate our technique on a number of sets capturing momentary events, where the images were acquired with low-quality consumer cameras by a group of people positioned around the event.
Individuality-Preserving Voice Conversion for Articulation Disorders Using Phoneme-Categorized Exemplars
Authors: Aihara Ryo , Takiguchi Tetsuya , Ariki Yasuo
Published: May 2015

We present a voice conversion (VC) method for a person with an articulation disorder resulting from athetoid cerebral palsy. The movements of such speakers are limited by their athetoid symptoms and their consonants are often unstable or unclear, which makes it difficult for them to communicate. Exemplar-based spectral conversion using Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) is applied to a voice from a speaker with an articulation disorder. In our conventional work, we used a combined dictionary that was constructed from the source speaker’s vowels and the consonants from a target speaker without articulation disorders in order to preserve the speaker’s individuality. However, this conventional exemplar-based approach needs to use all the training exemplars (frames), and it may cause mismatching of phonemes between input signals and selected exemplars. In order to reduce the mismatching of phoneme alignment, we propose a phoneme-categorized subdictionary and a dictionary selection method using NMF. The effectiveness of this method was confirmed by comparing its effectiveness with that of a conventional Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM)-based and a conventional exemplar-based method.
Accreditation Standards and Best Practice for Distance Education
Authors: Easom Colin
Published: May 2015

While some may perceive accreditation standards to be an unconquerable mountain of red tape, this article presents the alternate viewpoint that standards for online education are thoughtfully designed to assist in establishing best practices, thereby enhancing both the quality and delivery of online programs. Highlighting the collaborative process by which the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) establishes and reviews its standards for allied health schools, the author suggests that accreditation agencies are there to support educators, and not to be feared by them.
Political Theory as Both Philosophy and History: A Defense Against Methodological Militancy
Authors: Green Jeffrey Edward
Published: May 2015

This essay defends a broad, eclectic, and inclusive kind of political theory against methodological militants who would restrict political theory's permissible purview. It rejects the idea—frequently voiced by exponents of both analytic-philosophic and historicist methodologies—that philosophical and historical analyses are necessarily two separate enterprises that ought to be kept distinct, not just conceptually but as a matter of scholarly practice. Against the methodological militants, this essay explains the value of those forms of political theory that combine philosophy (the study of what should be done) with history (the study of what past authors thought about politics). It concludes by raising one further objection to the methodological militants: They fail to acknowledge the reality and importance of the “classic” work within the study of political thought.
The Conventional Non‐Articulated SACH or a Multiaxial Prosthetic Foot for Hypomobile Transtibial Amputees? A Clinical Comparison on Mobility, Balance, and Quality of Life
Authors: Paradisi Francesco , Delussu Anna Sofia , Brunelli Stefano , Iosa Marco , Pellegrini Roberto , Zenardi Daniele , Traballesi Marco
Published: May 2015

The effects of a non‐articulated SACH and a multiaxial foot‐ankle mechanism on the performance of low‐activity users are of great interest for practitioners in amputee rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to compare these two prosthetic feet and assess possible improvements introduced by the increased degrees of freedom provided by the multiaxial foot. For this purpose, a group of 20 hypomobile transtibial amputees (TTAs) had their usual SACH replaced with a multiaxial foot. Participants’ functional mobility, involving ambulatory skills in overground level walking, ramps, and stairs, was evaluated by performing Six‐Minute Walking Test (6MWT), Locomotor Capability Index‐5 (LCI‐5), Hill Assessment Index (HAI), and Stair Assessment Index (SAI). Balance performances were assessed using Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and analysing upper body accelerations during gait. Moreover, the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ) was performed to indicate the prosthesis‐related quality of life. Results showed that participants walked faster using the multiaxial foot (p < 0.05) maintaining the same upright gait stability. Significant improvements with the multiaxial foot were also observed in BBS, LCI‐5, and SAI times and 4 of 9 subscales of the PEQ. Our findings demonstrate that a multiaxial foot represents a considerable alternative solution with respect to the conventional SACH in the prosthetic prescription for hypomobile TTAs.
A Sensitivity Analysis of fMRI Balloon Model
Authors: Zayane Chadia , Laleg-Kirati Taous Meriem
Published: May 2015

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows the mapping of the brain activation through measurements of the Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) contrast. The characterization of the pathway from the input stimulus to the output BOLD signal requires the selection of an adequate hemodynamic model and the satisfaction of some specific conditions while conducting the experiment and calibrating the model. This paper, focuses on the identifiability of the Balloon hemodynamic model. By identifiability, we mean the ability to estimate accurately the model parameters given the input and the output measurement. Previous studies of the Balloon model have somehow added knowledge either by choosing prior distributions for the parameters, freezing some of them, or looking for the solution as a projection on a natural basis of some vector space. In these studies, the identification was generally assessed using event-related paradigms. This paper justifies the reasons behind the need of adding knowledge, choosing certain paradigms, and completing the few existing identifiability studies through a global sensitivity analysis of the Balloon model in the case of blocked design experiment.
Supply Chain Bilateral Coordination with Option Contracts under Inflation Scenarios
Authors: Wan Nana , Chen Xu
Published: May 2015

There exist obvious changes in price and demand during the inflationary period, both of which are regarded as the key factors leading to supply chain uncertainty. In this paper, we focus our discussion on price increase and demand contraction caused by inflation, integrate the effect of inflation and option contracts within the model framework, and analyze how to use option contracts to achieve supply chain coordination under inflation scenarios. We consider a one-period two-stage supply chain consisting of one supplier and one retailer and explore the effect of inflation on the optimal ordering and production decisions under three different types of contracts: wholesale price contracts, option contracts, and portfolio contracts. Moreover, we explore the impact of option contracts on the supply chain through using wholesale price contracts model as the benchmark. We find that the retailer prefers adopting portfolio contracts, but the supplier prefers providing option contracts under inflation scenarios. Ultimately, option contracts will be implemented owing to the supplier’s market dominant position. In addition, we discuss the supply chain bilateral coordination mechanism with option contracts from the perspectives of two members and derive that option contracts can coordinate the supply chain and achieve Pareto improvement under inflation scenarios.
Osteoprotegerin in Cardiometabolic Disorders
Authors: Pérez de Ciriza C. , Lawrie A. , Varo N.
Published: May 2015

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a glycoprotein traditionally implicated in bone remodelling, has been recently related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Human studies show a positive relationship between circulating OPG, vascular damage, and CVD, and as such OPG has emerged as a potential biomarker for CVD. This review focuses on the relationship between circulating OPG and different endocrine cardiometabolic alterations such as type 1 and 2 diabetes. The association of OPG with diabetic complications (neuropathy, nephropathy, or retinopathy) as well as with atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification, morbidity, and mortality is pointed out. Moreover, OPG modulation by different treatments is also established. Besides, other associated diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, which are known cardiovascular risk factors, are also considered.
Organizational Gameplay: The Player as Designer of Character Organizations
Authors: Coutinho Luciano R. , Galvão Victor M. , Batista Antônio de Abreu , Moraes Bruno Roberto S. , Fraga Márcio Regis M.
Published: May 2015

Looking at the ways in which players interact with computer games (thegameplays), we perceive predominance of character-centered and/or microcontrolled modes of interaction. Despite being well established, these gameplays tend to structure the games in terms of challenges to be fulfilled on an individual basis, or by thinking collectively but having to microcontrol several characters at the same time. From this observation, the paper presents a complementary gameplay in which the player is urged to face collective challenges by designingcharacter organizations. The basic idea is to make the player structure and control group of characters by definingorganizational specifications(i.e., definitions of roles, collective strategies, and social norms). During the game, commanded by the player, artificial agents are then instantiated to play the roles and to follow the strategies and norms as defined in the organizational specification. To turn the idea into practice, the paper proposes an abstract architecture comprising three components or layers. This architecture is materialized in a proof of concept prototype that combines the Minecraft game server, JADE agent platform, and MOISE+ organizational model. Variations and possibilities are discussed and the proposal is compared to related work in the literature.
Quantitative Estimates for Positive Linear Operators in terms of the Usual Second Modulus
Authors: Adell José A. , Lekuona A.
Published: May 2015

We give accurate estimates of the constantsCn(A(I),x)appearing in direct inequalities of the form|Lnf(x)-f(x)|≤Cn(A(I),x)ω2  f;σ(x)/n,f∈A(I),x∈I,  and  n=1,2,…,whereLnis a positive linear operator reproducing linear functions and acting on real functionsfdefined on the intervalI,A(I)is a certain subset of such functions,ω2(f;·)is the usual second modulus off, andσ(x)is an appropriate weight function. We show that the size of the constantsCn(A(I),x)mainly depends on the degree of smoothness of the functions in the setA(I)and on the distance from the pointxto the boundary ofI. We give a closed form expression for the best constant whenA(I)is a certain set of continuous piecewise linear functions. As illustrative examples, the Szàsz-Mirakyan operators and the Bernstein polynomials are discussed.
Predictive Levels of CD24 in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes for the Early Detection of Colorectal Adenomas and Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Kraus Sarah , Shapira Shiran , Kazanov Dina , Naumov Inna , Moshkowitz Menachem , Santo Erwin , Galazan Lior , Geva Ravit , Shmueli Einat , Hallack Aharon , Arber Nadir
Published: May 2015

CD24 is expressed in 90% of colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas. Colorectal cancer (CRC) can be mostly prevented but average risk population screening by stool testing or colonoscopy faces many hurdles. Blood testing is clinically needed. We aimed to evaluate the utility of CD24 expression in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs). Two independent case studies were conducted in eligible individuals undergoing colonoscopy. Protein extracted from PBLs was subjected to immunoblotting using anti-CD24 monoclonal antibodies. CD24 sensitivity and specificity were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Initially, 150 subjects were examined: 63 had CRC, 19 had adenomas, and 68 had normal colonoscopies. The sensitivity and specificity of CD24 for distinguishing CRC from normal subjects were 70.5% (95% CI, 54.8–83.2%) and 83.8% (95% CI, 74.6–92.7%) and for adenomas 84.2% (95% CI, 60.4–96.4%) and 73.5% (95% CI, 61.4–83.5%), respectively. In the second trial (n= 149), a similar specificity but higher sensitivity was achieved: 80.0% (95% CI, 63.1–91.6%) for CRC and 89.2% (95% CI, 74.6–97%) for adenomas. A simple noninvasive blood test evaluating CD24 levels has high sensitivity and specificity for detecting colorectal adenomas and cancer in patients undergoing colonoscopy at an urban medical center. Larger multicenter studies are warranted to establish the potential of this promising test.
Role of N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide, High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, and Inteleukin-6 in Predicting a Poor Outcome after a Stroke
Authors: Bunevicius Adomas , Kazlauskas Henrikas , Raskauskiene Nijole , Mickuviene Narseta , Ndreu Rudina , Corsano Elena , Bunevicius Robertas
Published: May 2015

Objective: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations can be important biomarkers in the acute stroke setting. In acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients, we investigated the association of NT-proBNP, hsCRP, and IL-6 serum concentrations with stroke severity and functional and cognitive outcomes at discharge. Methods: Seventy-eight patients (53 men; median age 72 years) admitted with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke within 48 h of symptom onset were evaluated for clinical stroke severity (Scandinavian stroke scale; SSS), functional status before the stroke (modified Rankin scale; mRS), and cerebrovascular disease risk factors. Cognitive (Mini Mental State Examination) and functional (mRS) outcomes were evaluated at hospital discharge. Blood samples were drawn for the assessment of NT-proBNP, hsCRP, and IL-6 concentrations within 24 h of admission. Results: Greater NT-proBNP and hsCRP serum concentrations were associated with greater clinical stroke severity, adjusting for the patients' gender, age, stroke type, mRS score on admission, and presence of heart failure (β = -0.292, p = 0.012; β = -0.303, p = 0.009). In multivariate adjusted regression models with IL-6, hsCRP, and NT-proBNP considered together, IL-6 and hsCRP remained associated with worse functional (β = 0.210, p = 0.022) and cognitive (β = -0.269, p = 0.014) outcomes at discharge, respectively. In receiver operating characteristic analyses, the investigated blood biomarkers produced a minimal increase in predictive values for outcomes at discharge above the SSS score, age, and gender. Conclusions: In acute stroke patients, greater NT-proBNP and hsCRP serum concentrations are independently associated with greater clinical stroke severity. Elevated concentrations of IL-6 and hsCRP are associated with worse functional and cognitive outcomes at discharge, respectively.
Aldosterone Signals the Onset of Depressive Behaviour in a Female Rat Model of Depression along with SSRI Treatment Resistance
Authors: Franklin Michael , Hlavacova Natasa , Babic Stanislav , Pokusa Michal , Bermudez Isabel , Jezova Daniela
Published: May 2015

Depression is a serious condition that occurs more frequently in women and is often associated with treatment resistance. The main hypotheses of this study are that (a) aldosterone is an early marker of depression onset and (b) a tryptophan (TRP) depletion model of depression previously validated in male rats is treatment resistant in females. To explore possible underlying mechanisms, we have focused on factors shown to be altered in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with a control or low-TRP-containing diet for various time periods up to 21 days. The results show that aldosterone secretion increased after 4 days of TRP depletion and prior to corticosterone. Optimal effects of TRP depletion occurred at 14 days. In addition to neurochemical and behavioural changes observed previously in males, TRP depletion in females was associated with a significant decline in serum magnesium concentrations, increased serum interleukin-6, enhanced gene expression of orexin A in the frontal cortex and induced a rise in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor Bmax in the amygdala. Depression-like behaviour, NMDA receptor upregulation, enhancement of the kynurenine-to-kynurenic acid ratio and magnesium were resistant to paroxetine treatment (10 mg/kg/day in drinking water for 14 days). In conclusion, aldosterone may represent an important early marker for the onset of depression-like behaviour. With respect to treatment resistance, the underlying mechanisms may involve pro-inflammatory cytokines, the kynurenine pathway, magnesium, glutamate neurotransmission and the orexin pathway. This model of treatment-resistant depression may be useful for the future development of new compounds with novel antidepressant properties.
Electrophysiological Correlates of Refreshing: Event-related Potentials Associated with Directing Reflective Attention to Face, Scene, or Word Representations
Authors: Johnson Matthew R. , McCarthy Gregory , Muller Kathleen A. , Brudner Samuel N. , Johnson Marcia K.
Published: May 2015

Refreshing is the component cognitive process of directing reflective attention to one of several active mental representations. Previous studies using fMRI suggested that refresh tasks involve a component process of initiating refreshing as well as the top–down modulation of representational regions central to refreshing. However, those studies were limited by fMRI's low temporal resolution. In this study, we used EEG to examine the time course of refreshing on the scale of milliseconds rather than seconds. ERP analyses showed that a typical refresh task does have a distinct electrophysiological response as compared to a control condition and includes at least two main temporal components: an earlier (∼400 msec) positive peak reminiscent of a P3 response and a later (∼800–1400 msec) sustained positivity over several sites reminiscent of the late directing attention positivity. Overall, the evoked potentials for refreshing representations from three different visual categories (faces, scenes, words) were similar, but multivariate pattern analysis showed that some category information was nonetheless present in the EEG signal. When related to previous fMRI studies, these results are consistent with a two-phase model, with the first phase dominated by frontal control signals involved in initiating refreshing and the second by the top–down modulation of posterior perceptual cortical areas that constitutes refreshing a representation. This study also lays the foundation for future studies of the neural correlates of reflective attention at a finer temporal resolution than is possible using fMRI.
Functional Connectivity under Anticipation of Shock: Correlates of Trait Anxious Affect versus Induced Anxiety
Authors: Bijsterbosch Janine , Smith Stephen , Bishop Sonia J.
Published: May 2015

Sustained anxiety about potential future negative events is an important feature of anxiety disorders. In this study, we used a novel anticipation of shock paradigm to investigate individual differences in functional connectivity during prolonged threat of shock. We examined the correlates of between-participant differences in trait anxious affect and induced anxiety, where the latter reflects changes in self-reported anxiety resulting from the shock manipulation. Dissociable effects of trait anxious affect and induced anxiety were observed. Participants with high scores on a latent dimension of anxious affect showed less increase in ventromedial pFC–amygdala connectivity between periods of safety and shock anticipation. Meanwhile, lower levels of induced anxiety were linked to greater augmentation of dorsolateral pFC–anterior insula connectivity during shock anticipation. These findings suggest that ventromedial pFC–amygdala and dorsolateral pFC–insula networks might both contribute to regulation of sustained fear responses, with their recruitment varying independently across participants. The former might reflect an evolutionarily old mechanism for reducing fear or anxiety, whereas the latter might reflect a complementary mechanism by which cognitive control can be implemented to diminish fear responses generated due to anticipation of aversive stimuli or events. These two circuits might provide complementary, alternate targets for exploration in future pharmacological and cognitive intervention studies.
Models of Feminism: Tunisia’s Opportunity to Overcome the Secular/Islamist Binary
Authors: Feldman Jan
Published: May 2015

As Tunisians publicly debate the roles of Islam, democracy and feminism in the post-revolutionary period, an opportunity has arisen for the historically fractured women’s movement to overcome the religious/secular “binary” that has crippled both Tunisian politics and the women’s movement for nearly six decades. For religious women, particularly those who are not members of their nation’s privileged elite, religion provides a vehicle for emerging from civil society and achieving political voice. The electoral showing of the Islamist Ennahdha party brought religious women into the constitutional debates and, therefore, into public conflict with secular women activists. While occasionally acrimonious, nonetheless, the public airing of mutual suspicions and grievances under the rubric of “Transitional Justice” is ripe with possibilities for reconciliation between the religious and secular factions of Tunisia’s women’s rights movement and perhaps society at large.
Towards the Ideal Revolutionary Shi’i Woman: The Howzevi (Seminarian), the Requisites of Marriage and Islamic Education in Iran
Authors: Tawasil Amina
Published: May 2015

The ethnographic fieldwork I conducted in Iran reveals how some religious conservative howzevi (seminarian) women understand marriage and motherhood as constitutive of idealized womanhood. For them, the pursuit of marriage and motherhood simultaneously enables their participation in the highest levels of Islamic education and their religious and political authority in Iran. Such aspirations imposed both regulatory and emancipatory effects on the howzevi’s life. Two self-imposed practices I observed from women were the practice of asking permission from the husband, and having the desire to marry a man whom she expected would want to be asked for permission. I underline the hidden yet enabling aspects of these practices. I show what a system of mutual exchange of responsibilities between nafaqeh (full financial provision) and eta’at (obedience) look like as features of a howzevi marriage. I argue that it was precisely the howzevi’s observances of this mutual exchange and other constraints that facilitated her educational, social and political mobility.
Marginal Discourses on Arabic Poetry: A Case Study of the Baku Manuscript of Tāj al-lughah wa-ṣiḥāḥ al-ʿarabiyyah by Abū Naṣr Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād al-Fārābī al-Jawharī
Authors: Gasimova Aida
Published: May 2015

Shortly after the revelation of the Qur’an, Arabic poetry acquired special importance as explanatory material for the gharīb (alien, unfamiliar) lexicon of Muslim exegetics; subsequently, not only Qur’an commentaries but also sīrah literature, grammar works, and lexicographic dictionaries abounded with poetic proofs (shawāhid) presented as authoritative sources. Such supporting poetic material comprises an important part of the famous dictionary Tāj al-lughah wa-ṣiḥāḥ al-ʿarabiyyah by Abū Naṣr Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād al-Fārābī al-Jawharī (d.400/1009). The present paper explores the scholarly value of marginal notes discussing Arabic poetry in an important Baku manuscript of al-Ṣiḥāḥ preserved in the Azerbaijani Institute of Manuscripts Library (call number M389). The manuscript, dated 510-511/1116, appears to have been copied from a manuscript written by Ismāʿīl al-Jawharī’s student, Abū Sahl al-Harawī (d.433/1041), and preserves the original notes, marginalia, and addendums of al-Harawī’s codex. The Baku manuscript of al-Ṣiḥāḥ seems to have been copied within the walls of the Niẓāmiyyah madrasah. This manuscript is therefore valuable not only for its antiquity but also for being connected to great scholars of the Medieval Islamic world, including al-Khaṭīb al-Tibrīzī (d.502/1109) and Mawhūb al-Jawālīqī (d.539/1145), whose discourses, commentaries, and critical remarks on illustrative poetic examples can be found throughout multiple dictionaries and relevant literature.
The Story of Abū al-Ḥasan the Wag in the Tübingen Manuscript of the Romance of ʿUmar ibn al-Nuʿmān and Related Texts
Authors: Marzolph Ulrich
Published: May 2015

First published in the ninth volume (1712) of Antoine Galland’s French translation as “Le dormeur éveillé,” the Story of Abū al-Ḥasan the Wag—better known in English as “The Sleeper Awakened” (Lane) or “The Sleeper and the Waker” (Burton)—is one of the somewhat spurious tales in the repertoire of the Thousand and One Nights. The present essay discusses the tale’s textual history. Combining the results of a variety of previous studies with new findings, the questions guiding my considerations are the following: (1) In which sources is the story of Abū al-Ḥasan the Wag attested?; (2) How can the various attestations of the tale be analyzed in relation to each other?; and (3) To what extent do the results of this study contribute to the dating of the Tübingen manuscript of the romance of ʿUmar ibn al-Nuʿmān, where we find one of the tale’s oldest attestations known to date?
Islamic Religious Education in Cyprus
Authors: Hendrich Béatrice
Published: May 2015

This article discusses Islamic Religious Education (re) in present day Cyprus on both the southern and northern sides the dividing line established in 1974.reis understood in its broadest sense to includereclasses in formal education, Qur’an teaching in a mosque-like environment or summer school instruction. First an introductory description of the political background of current Cyprus laws is depicted, followed by an illustration of the actors, past events and options for the future. Case studies on recent conflicts in north Cyprus highlight the political aspect of providing or rejectingre. Lastly, the article raises the question as to how the differing approaches torein north and south Cyprus could be integrated once the Cyprus Conflict has been settled.
Omeriye: A Mosque in Nicosia
Authors: Strohmeier Martin
Published: May 2015

The article deals with the Omeriye Mosque which was erected as a church in the 14th century and transformed into a mosque by the Ottomans in the 16th century. It was used exclusively by Turkish-Cypriot Muslims until the mid-1950s. Since the 1980s it has become a multinational place of worship. The mosque, located in the southern (“Greek”) part of divided Nicosia, is today a meeting place for hundreds of Muslims mainly from Syria, Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh; they include migrant workers, students, and asylum-seekers. After a short historical introduction, the article examines the spatial characteristics of the mosque, the ethnic and social composition of the mosque-goers, particulars of worship and teachings as well as the running of the mosque.