bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional data mining of Salvia miltiorrhiza in response to methyl jasmonate to examine the mechanism of bioactive compound biosynthesis and regulation
Authors: Luo Hongmei , Zhu Yingjie , Song Jingyuan , Xu Lijia , Sun Chao , Zhang Xin , Xu Yanhong , He Liu , Sun Wei , Xu Haibin , Wang Bo , Li Xian'en , Li Chuyuan , Liu Juyan , Chen Shilin
Published: March 2014

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a Chinese herb with significant pharmacologic effects because of the bioactive compounds of tanshinones and phenolic acids. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) has been used as an effective elicitor to enhance the production of these compounds. However, the molecular mechanism of MeJA‐mediated tanshinone and salvianolic acid biosynthesis remains unclear. The transcriptional profiles of S. miltiorrhiza leaves at 12 h (T12) after MeJA elicitation and mock‐treated leaves (T0) were generated using the Illumina deep RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) strategy to detect the changes in gene expression in response to MeJA. In total, 37 647 unique sequences were obtained from about 21 million reads, and 25 641 (71.53%) of these sequences were annotated based on the blast searches against the public databases. A total of 5287 unique sequences were expressed differentially between the samples of T0 and T12, which covered almost all the known genes involved in tanshinone and phenolic acid biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza. Many of the transcription factors (e.g. MYB, bHLH and WRKY) and genes involved in plant hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction were expressed differentially in response to the MeJA induction. Importantly, three and four candidate cytochrome P450s (P450s) that could be involved in the tanshinone and phenolic acid biosynthesis, respectively, were selected from the RNA‐seq data based on co‐expressed pattern analysis with SmCPS1/SmKSL1 and SmRAS, which are the key genes responsible for biosynthesis. This comprehensive investigation of MeJA‐induced gene expression profiles can shed light on the molecular mechanisms of the MeJA‐mediated bioactive compound biosynthesis and regulation in S. miltiorrhiza.
The FACIT‐Sp spiritual well‐being scale: an investigation of the dimensionality, reliability and construct validity in a cognitively intact nursing home population
Authors: Haugan Gørill
Published: March 2014

Background

Spiritual well‐being has been found to be a strong individual predictor of overall nursing home satisfaction and a fundamental dimension of global as well as health‐related quality‐in‐life among nursing home patients. Therefore, access to a valid and reliable measure of spiritual well‐being among nursing home patients is highly warranted.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the dimensionality, reliability and construct validity of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Wellbeing scale in a cognitively intact nursing home population.

Design and method

A cross‐sectional design was applied, selecting two counties in central Norway from which 20 municipalities representing 44 different nursing homes took part in this study. Long‐term care was defined as 24‐hour care with duration of 6 months or longer. Participants were 202 cognitively intact long‐term nursing home patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Approval by all regulatory institutions dealing with research issues in Norway and the Management Unit at the 44 nursing homes was obtained. Explorative and confirmative factor analyses as well as correlation with selected construct were used.

Results

Though three items loaded very low (λ = 0.22, 0.26, 0.32) indicating low reliability, the three‐factor model for the FACIT‐Sp spiritual well‐being scale provided an acceptable fit (χ2 = 101.15 (df = 50), p‐value <0.001, RMSEA = 0.075 p = 0.030, NFI = 0.90, GFI = 0.91, AGFI = 0.85) for older nursing home patients, demonstrating acceptable measurement reliability. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations in the hypothesised direction with the selected constructs.

Conclusion

The three‐factor model is an improvement over the original two‐factor construct, based on these nursing home data. The measure yielded significantly factor loadings, good composite reliability and construct validity.
Absolute and Conditional Convergence in Both Zones of Cyprus: Statistical Convergence and Insitutional Divergence
Authors: Yorucu Vedat , Mehmet Ozay
Published: March 2014

This paper implements a time series econometric model to determine the timing of full convergence of incomes and output per capita and total factor productivity in the North and South of Cyprus, regardless of whether there is a political settlement or not. A significant dimension of the paper is its emphasis on institutional convergence, going beyond econometric or statistical convergence. Our results reveal that North Cyprus needs 17 years to catch up to full per capita income convergence, 16 years for per capita output convergence and 17 years for full total factor productivity (technological) convergence. The time‐series findings demonstrate that statistical convergence is occurring quite rapidly as the North is catching up to the average income and productivity levels of the South, which may confirm evidence of unconditional (beta) or absolute convergence, but there are significant differences between North and South in savings, tastes, population growth and technology. Most significantly, there are institutional differences highlighted in the study with a Two‐sector model of gate‐keeping and rent‐seeking which validates the premises of conditional convergence. Put differently, there are strong forces of divergence hidden behind our statistical findings.
Synaptic and paracrine mechanisms at carotid body arterial chemoreceptors
Authors: Nurse Colin A.
Published: March 2014

Mammalian carotid bodies are the main peripheral arterial chemoreceptors, strategically located at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. When stimulated these receptors initiate compensatory respiratory and cardiovascular reflexes to maintain homeostasis. Thus, in response to low oxygen (hypoxia) or increased CO2/H+ (acid hypercapnia), chemoreceptor type I cells depolarize and release excitatory neurotransmitters, such as ATP, which stimulate postsynaptic P2X2/3 receptors on afferent nerve terminals. The afferent discharge is shaped by autocrine and paracrine mechanisms involving both excitatory and inhibitory neuromodulators such as adenosine, serotonin (5‐HT), GABA and dopamine. Recent evidence suggests that paracrine activation of P2Y2 receptors on adjacent glia‐like type II cells may help boost the ATP signal via the opening of pannexin‐1 channels. The presence of an inhibitory efferent innervation, mediated by release of nitric oxide, provides additional control of the afferent discharge. The broad array of neuromodulators and their receptors appears to endow the carotid body with a remarkable plasticity, most apparent during natural and pathophysiological conditions associated with chronic sustained and intermittent hypoxia.
Synaptic communication and signal processing among sensory cells in taste buds
Authors: Chaudhari Nirupa
Published: March 2014

Taste buds (sensory structures embedded in oral epithelium) show a remarkable diversity of transmitters synthesized and secreted locally. The known transmitters accumulate in a cell type selective manner, with 5‐HT and noradrenaline being limited to presynaptic cells, GABA being synthesized in both presynaptic and glial‐like cells, and acetylcholine and ATP used for signalling by receptor cells. Each of these transmitters participates in local negative or positive feedback circuits that target particular cell types. Overall, the role of ATP is the best elucidated. ATP serves as a principal afferent transmitter, and also is the key trigger for autocrine positive feedback and paracrine circuits that result in potentiation (via adenosine) or inhibition (via GABA or 5‐HT). While many of the cellular receptors and mechanisms for these circuits are known, their impact on sensory detection and perception remains to be elaborated in most instances. This brief review examines what is known, and some of the open questions and controversies surrounding the transmitters and circuits of the taste periphery.
Combined Glucose Ingestion and Mouth Rinsing Improves Sprint Cycling Performance
Authors: Chong Edwin , Guelfi Kym J. , Fournier Paul A.
Published: March 2014

This study investigated whether combined ingestion and mouth rinsing with a carbohydrate solution could improve maximal sprint cycling performance. Twelve competitive male cyclists ingested 100 ml of one of the following solutions 20 min before exercise in a randomized double-blinded counterbalanced order (a) 10% glucose solution, (b) 0.05% aspartame solution, (c) 9.0% maltodextrin solution, or (d) water as a control. Fifteen min after ingestion, repeated mouth rinsing was carried out with 11 × 15 ml bolus doses of the same solution at 30-s intervals. Each participant then performed a 45-s maximal sprint effort on a cycle ergometer. Peak power output was significantly higher in response to the glucose trial (1188 ± 166 W) compared with the water (1036 ± 177 W), aspartame (1088 ± 128 W) and maltodextrin (1024 ± 202W) trials by 14.7 ± 10.6, 9.2 ± 4.6 and 16.0 ± 6.0% respectively (p < .05). Mean power output during the sprint was significantly higher in the glucose trial compared with maltodextrin (p < .05) and also tended to be higher than the water trial (p = .075). Glucose and maltodextrin resulted in a similar increase in blood glucose, and the responses of blood lactate and pH to sprinting did not differ significantly between treatments (p > .05). These findings suggest that combining the ingestion of glucose with glucose mouth rinsing improves maximal sprint performance. This ergogenic effect is unlikely to be related to changes in blood glucose, sweetness, or energy sensing mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract.
Acute Hypoxia and Exercise-Induced Blood Oxidative Stress
Authors: McGinnis Graham , Kliszczewiscz Brian , Barberio Matthew , Ballmann Christopher , Peters Bridget , Slivka Dustin , Dumke Charles , Cuddy John , Hailes Walter , Ruby Brent , Quindry John
Published: March 2014

Hypoxic exercise is characterized by workloads decrements. Because exercise and high altitude independently elicit redox perturbations, the study purpose was to examine hypoxic and normoxic steady-state exercise on blood oxidative stress. Active males (n = 11) completed graded cycle ergometry in normoxic (975 m) and hypoxic (3,000 m) simulated environments before programing subsequent matched intensity or workload steady-state trials. In a randomized counterbalanced crossover design, participants completed three 60-min exercise bouts to investigate the effects of hypoxia and exercise intensity on blood oxidative stress. Exercise conditions were paired as such; 60% normoxic VO2peak performed in a normoxic environment (normoxic intensity-normoxic environment, NI-NE), 60% hypoxic VO2peak performed in a normoxic environment (HI-NE), and 60% hypoxic VO2peak performed in a hypoxic environment (HI-HE). Blood plasma samples drawn pre (Pre), 0 (Post), 2 (2HR) and 4 (4HR) hr post exercise were analyzed for oxidative stress biomarkers including ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and protein carbonyls (PCs). Repeated-measures ANOVA were performed, a priori significance of p ≤ .05. Oxygen saturation during the HI-HE trial was lower than NI-NE and HI-NE (p < .05). A Time × Trial interaction was present for LOOH (p = .013). In the HI-HE trial, LOOH were elevated for all time points post while PC (time; p = .001) decreased post exercise. As evidenced by the decrease in absolute workload during hypoxic VO2peak and LOOH increased during HI-HE versus normoxic exercise of equal absolute (HI-NE) and relative (NI-NE) intensities. Results suggest acute hypoxia elicits work decrements associated with post exercise oxidative stress.
Sports Dietitians Australia Position Statement: Sports Nutrition for the Adolescent Athlete
Authors: Desbrow Ben , McCormack Joanna , Burke Louise M. , Cox Gregory R. , Fallon Kieran , Hislop Matthew , Logan Ruth , Marino Nello , Sawyer Susan M. , Shaw Greg , Star Anita , Vidgen Helen , Leveritt Michael
Published: March 2014

It is the position of Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA) that adolescent athletes have unique nutritional requirements as a consequence of undertaking daily training and competition in addition to the demands of growth and development. As such, SDA established an expert multidisciplinary panel to undertake an independent review of the relevant scientific evidence and consulted with its professional members to develop sports nutrition recommendations for active and competitive adolescent athletes. The position of SDA is that dietary education and recommendations for these adolescent athletes should reinforce eating for long term health. More specifically, the adolescent athlete should be encouraged to moderate eating patterns to reflect daily exercise demands and provide a regular spread of high quality carbohydrate and protein sources over the day, especially in the period immediately after training. SDA recommends that consideration also be given to the dietary calcium, Vitamin D and iron intake of adolescent athletes due to the elevated risk of deficiency of these nutrients. To maintain optimal hydration, adolescent athletes should have access to fluids that are clean, cool and supplied in sufficient quantities before, during and after participation in sport. Finally, it is the position of SDA that nutrient needs should be met by core foods rather than supplements, as the recommendation of dietary supplements to developing athletes over-emphasizes their ability to manipulate performance in comparison with other training and dietary strategies.
Discovery of Brainwide Neural-Behavioral Maps via Multiscale Unsupervised Structure Learning
Authors: Vogelstein Joshua T. , Park Youngser , Ohyama Tomoko , Kerr Rex A. , Truman James W. , Priebe Carey E. , Zlatic Marta
Published: March 2014

Optogenetic Insights

Mapping functional neural circuits for many behaviors has been almost impossible, so

Vogelstein
et al.

(p.
386
, published online 27 March; see the Perspective by

O'Leary and Marder

) developed a broadly applicable optogenetic method for neuron-behavior mapping and used it to phenotype larval
Drosophila
and thus developed a reference atlas. As optogenetic experiments become routine in certain fields of neuroscience research, creating even more specialized tools is imperative (see the Perspective by

Hayashi

). By engineering channelrhodopsin,

Wietek
et al.

(p.
409
, published online 27 March) and

Berndt
et al.

(p.
420
) created two different light-gated anion channels to block action potential generation during synaptic stimulation or depolarizing current injections. These new tools not only improve understanding of channelrhodopsins but also provide a way to silence cells.
Preclinical Profile of BI 224436, a Novel HIV-1 Non-Catalytic-Site Integrase Inhibitor
Authors: Fenwick Craig , Amad Ma'an , Bailey Murray D. , Bethell Richard , Bös Michael , Bonneau Pierre , Cordingley Michael , Coulombe René , Duan Jianmin , Edwards Paul , Fader Lee D. , Faucher Anne-Marie , Garneau Michel , Jakalian Araz , Kawai Stephen , Lamorte Louie , LaPlante Steven , Luo Laibin , Mason Steve , Poupart Marc-André , Rioux Nathalie , Schroeder Patricia , Simoneau Bruno , Tremblay Sonia , Tsantrizos Youla , Witvrouw Myriam , Yoakim Christiane
Published: March 2014

BI 224436 is an HIV-1 integrase inhibitor with effective antiviral activity that acts through a mechanism that is distinct from that of integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). This 3-quinolineacetic acid derivative series was identified using an enzymatic integrase long terminal repeat (LTR) DNA 3′-processing assay. A combination of medicinal chemistry, parallel synthesis, and structure-guided drug design led to the identification of BI 224436 as a candidate for preclinical profiling. It has antiviral 50% effective concentrations (EC
50
s) of <15 nM against different HIV-1 laboratory strains and cellular cytotoxicity of >90 μM. BI 224436 also has a low, ∼2.1-fold decrease in antiviral potency in the presence of 50% human serum and, by virtue of a steep dose-response curve slope, exhibits serum-shifted EC
95
values ranging between 22 and 75 nM. Passage of virus in the presence of inhibitor selected for either A128T, A128N, or L102F primary resistance substitutions, all mapping to a conserved allosteric pocket on the catalytic core of integrase. BI 224436 also retains full antiviral activity against recombinant viruses encoding INSTI resistance substitutions N155S, Q148H, and E92Q. In drug combination studies performed in cellular antiviral assays, BI 224436 displays an additive effect in combination with most approved antiretrovirals, including INSTIs. BI 224436 has drug-like
in vitro
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties, including Caco-2 cell permeability, solubility, and low cytochrome P450 inhibition. It exhibited excellent pharmacokinetic profiles in rat (clearance as a percentage of hepatic flow [CL], 0.7%; bioavailability [
F
], 54%), monkey (CL, 23%;
F
, 82%), and dog (CL, 8%;
F
, 81%). Based on the excellent biological and pharmacokinetic profile, BI 224436 was advanced into phase 1 clinical trials.
Genome Sequence of a Complex HIV-1 Unique Recombinant Form Involving CRF01_AE, Subtype B, and Subtype B′ Identified in Malaysia
Authors: Chow Wei Zhen , Nizam Sarimie , Ong Lai Yee , Ng Kim Tien , Chan Kok Gan , Takebe Yutaka , Koh Clayton , Kamarulzaman Adeeba , Tee Kok Keng
Published: March 2014

A complex HIV-1 unique recombinant form involving subtypes CRF01_AE, B, and B′ was recently identified from an injecting drug user in Malaysia. A total of 13 recombination breakpoints were mapped across the near-full-length genome of isolate 10MYPR226, indicating the increasingly diverse molecular epidemiology and frequent linkage among various high-risk groups.
Draft Genome Sequence of a New Homofermentative, Lactic Acid-Producing Enterococcus faecalis Isolate, CBRD01
Authors: Christopher Lew P. , Kapatral Vinayak , Vaisvil Benjamin , Emel Ginger , DeVeaux Linda C.
Published: March 2014

We report here the draft genome sequence of the novel homofermentative
Enterococcus faecalis
isolate CBRD01, which is capable of high lactic acid productivity and yields, with minimal nutritional requirements. The genome is 2.8 Mbp, with 37% G+C, and contains genes for two lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzymes found in related organisms.
Genome Sequence of Yersinia similis Y228
T
, a Member of the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Complex
Authors: Sprague Lisa D. , Neubauer Heinrich
Published: March 2014

We report here on the genome sequence of
Yersinia similis
228
T
isolated in Germany. The genome has a size of 4.9 Mb and a G+C content of 47% and is predicted to contain 4,135 coding sequences. Annotation of the 60,687-bp extrachromosomal element predicted 67 coding sequences and a G+C content of 47.8%.
Identification of a Triple-Reassortant H1N1 Swine Influenza Virus in a Southern China Pig
Authors: Xie Zhixun , Zhang Minxiu , Xie Liji , Luo Sisi , Liu Jiabo , Deng Xianwen , Xie Zhiqin , Pang Yaoshan , Fan Qing
Published: March 2014

We report here the complete genome sequence of a triple-reassortant H1N1 swine influenza virus strain, A/swine/Guangxi/BB1/2013 (H1N1) (GXBB1), isolated from a swine in the Guangxi Province of southern China in 2013. We obtained the complete genome sequence of the GXBB1 virus. Sequence analysis demonstrated that this H1N1 virus was a triple-reassortant swine influenza virus (SIV) whose genes originated from avian, human, and swine, respectively. Knowledge regarding the complete genome sequence of the GXBB1 virus will be useful for epidemiological surveillance.
Tennis in hot and cool conditions decreases the rapid muscle torque production capacity of the knee extensors but not of the plantar flexors
Authors: Girard Olivier , Racinais Sébastien , Périard Julien D
Published: March 2014

Objectives

To assess the time course of changes in rapid muscle force/torque production capacity and neuromuscular activity of lower limb muscles in response to prolonged (∼2 h) match-play tennis under heat stress.

Methods

The rates of torque development (RTD) and electromyographic activity (EMG; ie, root mean square) rise were recorded from 0 to 30, –50, –100 and –200 ms during brief (3–5 s) explosive maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVC) of the knee extensors (KE) and plantar flexors (PF), along with the peak RTD within the entirety of the torque-time curve. These values were recorded in 12 male tennis players before (prematch) and after (postmatch, 24 and 48 h) match-play in HOT (∼37°C) and COOL (∼22°C) conditions.

Results

The postmatch core temperature was greater in the HOT (∼39.4°C) vs COOL (∼38.7°C) condition (p<0.05). Reductions in KE RTD occurred within the 0–200 ms epoch after contraction onset postmatch and at 24 h, compared with prematch, independent of environmental conditions (p<0.05). A similar reduction in the KE peak RTD was also observed postmatch relative to prematch (p<0.05). No differences in KE RTD values were observed after normalisation to MVC torque. Furthermore, the rate of KE EMG activity rise remained unchanged. Conversely, the PF contractile RTD and rate of EMG activity rise were unaffected by the exercise or environmental conditions.

Conclusions

In the KE, a reduction in maximal torque production capacity following prolonged match-play tennis appears to account for the decrease in the rate of torque development, independent of environmental conditions, while remaining unchanged in the PF.
Television viewing over the life course and the metabolic syndrome in mid-adulthood: a longitudinal population-based study
Authors: Wennberg Patrik , Gustafsson Per E , Howard Bethany , Wennberg Maria , Hammarström Anne
Published: March 2014

Background

Accumulating evidence suggests that television (TV) viewing is associated with cardio-metabolic risk, but little is known about how this relationship unfolds over the life course. This study employs a life course epidemiological framework by examining the potential cumulative effect of frequent TV viewing during adolescence and young adulthood on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in mid-adulthood; and whether TV viewing during adolescence constitutes a sensitive period for the development of the metabolic syndrome in mid-adulthood.

Methods

We used data from the Northern Swedish Cohort, a nationally representative cohort comprising 855 participants (80% of the baseline sample). Data were collected during 1981–2008 and analysed in 2013. Logistic regression was applied to examine the associations between TV viewing at ages 16, 21 and 30 years, and the metabolic syndrome at age 43 years.

Results

Cumulative frequent TV viewing was associated with subsequent prevalence of the metabolic syndrome after adjustment for potential confounders (p for trend=0.026). Watching ‘several shows a day’ compared with ‘one show/week’ or less at age 16 years was associated with the metabolic syndrome at age 43 years after adjustment for later exposure (TV viewing at ages 21 and 30 years) and potential confounders (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.27).

Conclusions

The number of life periods of frequent TV viewing during adolescence and early adulthood influenced cardio-metabolic risk in mid-adulthood in a dose-dependent manner, corresponding to a cumulative risk life course model. Additionally, TV viewing in adolescence may constitute a sensitive period for the metabolic syndrome in mid-adulthood.
Systematic review: Carbohydrate supplementation on exercise performance or capacity of varying durations
Authors: Stellingwerff Trent , Cox Gregory R.
Published: March 2014

This systematic review examines the efficacy of carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation on exercise performance of varying durations. Included studies utilized an all-out or endurance-based exercise protocol (no team-based performance studies) and featured randomized interventions and placebo (water-only) trial for comparison against exclusively CHO trials (no other ingredients). Of the 61 included published performance studies (n = 679 subjects), 82% showed statistically significant performance benefits (n = 50 studies), with 18% showing no change compared with placebo. There was a significant (p = 0.0036) correlative relationship between increasing total exercise time and the subsequent percent increase in performance with CHO intake versus placebo. While not mutually exclusive, the primary mechanism(s) for performance enhancement likely differs depending on the duration of the exercise. In short duration exercise situations (∼1 h), oral receptor exposure to CHO, via either mouthwash or oral consumption (with enough oral contact time), which then stimulates the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, provide a central nervous system-based mechanism for enhanced performance. Thus, the type and (or) amount of CHO and its ability to be absorbed and oxidized appear completely irrelevant to enhancing performance in short duration exercise situations. For longer duration exercise (>2 h), where muscle glycogen stores are stressed, the primary mechanism by which carbohydrate supplementation enhances performance is via high rates of CHO delivery (>90 g/h), resulting in high rates of CHO oxidation. Use of multiple transportable carbohydrates (glucose:fructose) are beneficial in prolonged exercise, although individual recommendations for athletes should be tailored according to each athlete’s individual tolerance.
Perfectly Load-Balanced, Stable, Synchronization-Free Parallel Merge
Authors: Siebert Christian , Träff Jesper Larsson
Published: March 2014

We present a simple, work-optimal and synchronization-free solution to the problem of stably merging in parallel two given, ordered arrays of m and n elements into an ordered array of m+n elements. The main contribution is a new, simple, fast and direct algorithm that determines, for any prefix of the stably merged output array, the exact prefixes of each of the two input arrays needed to produce this output prefix. More precisely, for any given index in the resulting, but not yet constructed output array, representing the desired output prefix, the algorithm computes the indices (called co-ranks) in each of the two input arrays representing the required input prefixes without having to merge the input arrays. The co-ranking algorithm takes [Formula: see text] time steps, and uses O(1) space. Co-ranking is used in parallel to partition the input arrays into a collection of as many pairs as desired, each pair with exactly the same number of elements. Any stable, sequential merge algorithm can be used to merge pairs independently. The result is a perfectly load-balanced, stable, parallel merge algorithm. Co-ranking and sequential merging of pairs can be done without synchronization. Compared to other, linear speed-up approaches to the parallel merge problem, the algorithm is considerably simpler and can be up to a factor of two faster. Compared to previous algorithms for solving the co-ranking problem, the new algorithm works for arbitrary output array indices and maintains stability in the presence of repeated elements at no extra space or time cost. When the number of processing elements p does not exceed (m + n)/ log min(m, n), the parallel merge algorithm has perfect, linear speedup p. Furthermore, it is easy to implement on both shared and distributed memory systems.
ON MULTISERVER RETRIAL QUEUES: HISTORY, OKUBO-TYPE HYPERGEOMETRIC SYSTEMS AND MATRIX CONTINUED-FRACTIONS
Authors: AVRAM F. , MATEI D. , ZHAO Y. Q.
Published: March 2014

In this paper, we study two families of QBD processes with linear rates: (a) the multiserver retrial queue and its easier relative; and (b) the multiserver M/M/∞ Markov modulated queue. The linear rates imply that the stationary probabilities satisfy a recurrence with linear coefficients; as known from previous work, they yield a"minimal/nondominant" solution of this recurrence, which may be computed numerically by matrix continued-fraction methods. Furthermore, the generating function of the stationary probabilities satisfies a linear differential system with polynomial coefficients, which calls for the venerable but still developing theory of holonomic (or D-finite) linear differential systems. We provide a differential system for our generating function that unifies problems (a) and (b), and we also include some additional features and observe that in at least one particular case we get a special "Okubo-type hypergeometric system", a family that recently spurred considerable interest.

The differential system should allow further study of the Taylor coefficients of the expansion of the generating function at three points of interest: (i) the irregular singularity at 0; (ii) the dominant regular singularity, which yields asymptotic series via classic methods like the Frobenius vector expansion; and (iii) the point 1, whose Taylor series coefficients are the factorial moments.
Satellite Recognition via Sparse Coding Based Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis
Authors: Zhao Danpei , Lu Ming , Zhang Xuguang , Shi Jun , Jiang Zhiguo
Published: March 2014

Traditional satellite recognition usually applies low-level features (e.g., invariant moment) to describe the global information of satellites. Therefore, the local property and the latent high-level semantic concepts of satellites are likely to be ignored. Recently, the topic model has been given more attention in object recognition field, which generally supposes that the local feature can be modeled as words and images are regarded as documents. Based on this assumption, it aims to discover the latent topics existed between words and documents and then utilizes the topics to represent the images. However, topic model often uses bag-of-words (BoW) strategy that each local feature descriptor is represented by only one word. In this paper, we propose a novel method called sparse coding (SC) based probabilistic latent semantic analysis (SC-pLSA) for satellite recognition. Compared with conventional topic models, our method performs sparse coding to explore the potential correlation between the descriptor and multiple words. Consequently, the descriptor can be described by a small set of words. Based on this word-level representation, probabilistic latent semantic analysis (pLSA) model with simplicity and low computational cost is employed for learning the latent topics. Experimental results on the BUAA-SID 1.0 multi-view satellite dataset validate the effectiveness of our proposed method, and especially under the interference of noise, it outperforms the traditional recognition methods: Hu invariant moment, BoW, SC, locality-constrained linear coding (LLC), conventional pLSA and latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) with three different classifiers: nearest neighbor (NN) classifier, linear SVM classifier, and sparse representation classifier (SRC).
ForEVeR
Authors: Parikh Ritesh , Bertacco Valeria
Published: March 2014

As silicon technology scales, modern processor and embedded systems are rapidly shifting towards complex chip multi-processor (CMP) and system-on-chip (SoC) designs. As a side effect of complexity of these designs, ensuring their correctness has become increasingly problematic. Within these domains, Network-on-Chips (NoCs) are a de-facto choice to implement on-chip interconnect; their design is quickly becoming extremely complex in order to keep up with communication performance demands. As a result, design errors in the NoC may go undetected and escape into the final silicon.

In this work, we propose ForEVeR, a solution that complements the use of formal methods and runtime verification to ensure functional correctness in NoCs. Formal verification, due to its scalability limitations, is used to verify smaller modules, such as individual router components. To deliver correctness guarantees for the complete network, we propose a network-level detection and recovery solution that monitors the traffic in the NoC and protects it against escaped functional bugs. To this end, ForEVeR augments the baseline NoC with a lightweight checker network that alerts destination nodes of incoming packets ahead of time. If a bug is detected, flagged by missed packet arrivals, our recovery mechanism delivers the in-flight data safely to the intended destination via the checker network. ForEVeR's experimental evaluation shows that it can recover from NoC design errors at only 4.9% area cost for an 8x8 mesh interconnect, over a time interval ranging from 0.5K to 30K cycles per recovery event, and it incurs no performance overhead in the absence of errors. ForEVeR can also protect NoC operations against soft-errors: a growing concern with the scaling of silicon. ForEVeR leverages the same monitoring hardware to detect soft-error manifestations, in addition to design-errors. Recovery of the soft-error affected packets is guaranteed by building resiliency features into our checker network. ForEVeR incurs minimal performance penalty up to a flit error rate of 0.01% in lightly loaded networks.
UWB microwave imaging for breast cancer detection
Authors: Casu Mario R. , Colonna Francesco , Crepaldi Marco , Demarchi Danilo , Graziano Mariagrazia , Zamboni Maurizio
Published: March 2014

An UWB microwave imaging system for breast cancer detection consists of antennas, transceivers, and a high-performance embedded system for elaborating the received signals and reconstructing breast images. In this article we focus on this embedded system. To accelerate the image reconstruction, the
Beamforming
phase has to be implemented in a parallel fashion. We assess its implementation in three currently available high-end platforms based on a multicore CPU, a GPU, and an FPGA, respectively. We then project the results applying technology scaling rules to future many-core CPUs, many-thread GPUs, and advanced FPGAs. We consider an optimistic case in which available resources increase according to Moore's law only, and a pessimistic case in which only a fraction of those resources are available due to a limited power budget. In both scenarios, an implementation that includes a high-end FPGA outperforms the other alternatives. Since the number of effectively usable cores in future many-cores will be power-limited, and there is a trend toward the integration of power-efficient accelerators, we conjecture that a chip consisting of a many-core section and a reconfigurable logic section will be the perfect platform for this application.
Yield-enhancement schemes for multicore processor and memory stacked 3D ICs
Authors: Huang Yu-Jen , Li Jin-Fu
Published: March 2014

A three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) with multiple dies vertically connected by through-silicon-via (TSV) offers many benefits over current 2D ICs. Multicore logic-memory die stacking has been considered as one candidate for 3D ICs by utilizing the TSV to provide high data bandwidth between logic and memory. However, 3D ICs suffer from the low-yield issue. This article proposes effective yield-enhancement techniques for multicore die-stacked 3D ICs. Two reconfiguration schemes are proposed to logically swap the positions of cores in the dies of 3D ICs such that the yield of 3D ICs is increased. Two algorithms also are proposed to determine the reconfiguration effectively. Simulation results show that the proposed reconfiguration schemes can achieve a yield gain ranging from 1% to 11%.
PAIS
Authors: Jin Yuho , Pinkston Timothy Mark
Published: March 2014

Multicore processors have the potential to deliver scalable performance by distributing computation across multiple cores. However, the communication cost of parallel application thread execution may significantly limit the performance achievable due to latency and contention on shared resources in the on-chip network of multicores experienced by packets from critical threads. We present PAIS, Parallelism-Aware Interconnect Scheduling, that bolsters performance and energy efficiency of parallel applications. PAIS dynamically detects thread execution progress based on communication latency and scheduling, and it accelerates communication for slowly executing threads by prioritizing packets from those threads with flow control and priority-based arbitration.
Post-silicon platform for the functional diagnosis and debug of networks-on-chip
Authors: Abdel-Khalek Rawan , Bertacco Valeria
Published: March 2014

The increasing number of units in today's systems-on-chip and multicore processors has led to complex intra-chip communication solutions. Specifically, Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) have emerged as a favorable fabric to provide high bandwidth and low latency in connecting many units in a same chip. To achieve these goals, the NoC often includes complex components and advanced features, leading to the development of large and highly complex interconnect subsystems. One of the biggest challenges in these designs is to ensure the correct functionality of this communication infrastructure. To support this goal, an increasing fraction of the validation effort has shifted to post-silicon validation, because it permits exercising network activities that are too complex to be validated in pre-silicon. However, post-silicon validation is hindered by the lack of observability of the network's internal operations and thus, diagnosing functional errors during this phase is very difficult.

In this work, we propose a post-silicon validation platform that improves observability of network operations by taking periodic snapshots of the traffic traversing the network. Each node's local cache is configured to temporarily store the snapshot logs in a designated area reserved for post-silicon validation and relinquished after product release. Each snapshot log is analyzed locally by a software algorithm running on its corresponding core, in order to detect functional errors. Upon error detection, all snapshot logs are aggregated at a central location to extract additional debug data, including an overview of network traffic surrounding the error event, as well as a partial reconstruction of the routes followed by packets in flight at the time. In our experiments, we found that this approach allows us to detect several types of functional errors, as well as observe, on average, over 50% of the network's traffic and reconstruct at least half of each of their routes through the network.
Cervical Cytology and Human Papillomavirus Testing in Adolescent Women: Implications in Management of a Positive HPV Test
Authors: Rosa Marilin , Mohammadi Amir
Published: March 2014

Objectives. Consensus guidelines establish that HPV testing should not be used to manage adolescents with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). This study aimed to estimate the impact on follow-up of HPV testing after the first-time ASC-US diagnosis. Methods. From January 2009 to December 2010, all ASC-US diagnoses in adolescents were retrieved. Results. 1950 cervical cytologies were received from this population and 335 cases (17.1%) were reported as ASC-US. A total of 287 cases were included in the study. Cases were divided into control group (no HPV test; 46 cases) and case group (HPV test performed; 241 cases). On follow-up, in the control group, 43.4% patients had cytology, and 56.6% patients had no follow-up. The case group was divided into negative HPV (60 cases) and positive HPV (181 cases). In the negative-HPV group, 41.7% had cytology and 58.3% had no follow-up. In the positive-HPV group, 41% had cytology, 22% underwent colposcopy, and 37% had no follow-up. Patients with positive-HPV results were more likely to have follow-up than patients in the control and negative-HPV groups (63% versus 43.4% versus 41.7%, resp.). Conclusions. HPV infections are common in adolescents. A positive HPV test cannot predict which women will develop carcinoma. Adherence to current guidelines is recommended in this population.
Response of Soil Respiration to Grazing in an Alpine Meadow at Three Elevations in Tibet
Authors: Fu Gang , Zhang Xianzhou , Yu Chengqun , Shi Peili , Zhou Yuting , Li Yunlong , Yang Pengwan , Shen Zhenxi
Published: March 2014

Alpine meadows are one major type of pastureland on the Tibetan Plateau. However, few studies have evaluated the response of soil respiration (Rs) to grazing along an elevation gradient in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Here three fenced enclosures were established in an alpine meadow at three elevations (i.e., 4313 m, 4513 m, and 4693 m) in July 2008. We measuredRsinside and outside the three fenced enclosures in July–September, 2010-2011. Topsoil (0–20 cm) samples were gathered in July, August, and September, 2011. There were no significant differences forRs, dissolved organic C (DOC), and belowground root biomass (BGB) between the grazed and ungrazed soils. Soil respiration was positively correlated with soil organic C (SOC), microbial biomass (MBC), DOC, and BGB. In addition, bothRsand BGB increased with total N (TN), the ratio of SOC to TN, ammonium N (NH4+-N), and the ratio ofNH4+-N to nitrate N. Our findings suggested that the negligible response ofRsto grazing could be directly attributed to that of respiration substrate and that soil N may indirectly affectRsby its effect on BGB.
New Results on Passivity Analysis for Uncertain Neural Networks with Time-Varying Delay
Authors: Shao Xueying , Lu Qing , Karimi Hamid Reza , Zhu Jin
Published: March 2014

The paper investigates the stability and passivity analysis problems for a class of uncertain neural networks with time-delay via delta operator approach. Both the parameter uncertainty and the generalized activation functions are considered in this paper. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, some new stability and passivity conditions are obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The main characteristic of this paper is to obtain novel stability and passivity analysis criteria for uncertain neural networks with time-delay in the delta operator system framework. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.
Simulation and Measurement of Solar Harvesting Enhancement of Silver Plasmonic Nanoparticles on GaSb Nanodots
Authors: Rosa Lorenzo , Ranjan Mukesh , Bhatnagar Mukul , Mortazavi Daryoush , Mukherjee Subroto , Juodkazis Saulius
Published: March 2014

The performance of a plasmonic antireflection layer which can be utilized for deep-space radiationresistant GaSb solar cells is investigated numerically and experimentally. The layer consists of nanodots made by plasma etching of a GaSb substrate and subsequent physical vapor deposition of Ag nanoparticles on the nanodot tips, in a partially ordered configuration determined by the plasma energy level. This technique is readily applicable to patterning of silicon. We measure the substrate reflectivity and model the reflection and absorption of the substrates using the 3D finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, which are realistically imported as 3D layers from the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The variation of the height of the Ag nanoparticles on top of the GaSb pillars shows that the plasmonic effect remarkably enhances the absorption. The presence of GaSb pillars enhances absorption and tunes the maximum absorption wavelength peak.
The Association between theLPAGene Polymorphism and Coronary Artery Disease in Chinese Han Population
Authors: Song Zi-Kai , Wu Hai-Di , Cao Hong-Yan , Qin Ling
Published: March 2014

Lp(a) has been well known as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). TheLPAgene, as it encodes apo(a) of the Lp(a) lipoprotein particle, was associated with increased risk of CAD. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between the polymorphisms ofLPAgene and CAD in Chinese Han population. Five SNPs (rs1367211, rs3127596, rs6415085, rs9347438, and rs9364559) in theLPAgene were genotyped using Sequenom MassARRAY time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF) in 560 CAD patients as case group and 531 non-CAD subjects as control group. The numbers of these two groups were from Chinese Han ancestry. The results showed that allele (P=0.046) and genotype (P=0.026) of rs9364559 in theLPAgene was associated with CAD. The frequency of rs9364559 minor allele (G) in case group was obviously higher than that in control group. Results of haplotype analysis showed that 4 haplotypes which contained rs9364559-G were associated with increased risk of CAD in this population. This study explored rs9364559 in theLPAgene may be associated with the pathogenesis of CAD; and the risk of CAD might be higher in the population carrying 4 haplotypes of different blocks in theLPAgene.
Taxonomies Support Preschoolers’ Knowledge Acquisition from Storybooks
Authors: Pinkham Ashley M. , Kaefer Tanya , Neuman Susan B.
Published: March 2014

For young children, storybooks may serve as especially valuable sources of new knowledge. While most research focuses on how extratextual comments influence knowledge acquisition, we propose that children’s learning may also be supported by the specific features of storybooks. More specifically, we propose that texts that invoke children’s knowledge of familiar taxonomic categories may support learning by providing a conceptual framework through which prior knowledge and new knowledge can be readily integrated. In this study, 60 5-year olds were read a storybook that either invoked their knowledge of a familiar taxonomic category (taxonomic storybook) or focused on a common thematic grouping (traditional storybook). Following the book-reading, children’s vocabulary acquisition, literal comprehension, and inferential comprehension were assessed. Children who were read the taxonomic storybook demonstrated greater acquisition of target vocabulary and comprehension of factual content than children who were read the traditional storybook. Inferential comprehension, however, did not differ across the two conditions. We argue for the importance of careful consideration of book features and storybook selection in order to provide children with every opportunity to gain the knowledge foundational for successful literacy development.
Ultrastructural Localization of Polygalacturonase in Ethylene-Stimulated Abscission of Tomato Pedicel Explants
Authors: Qi Ming-Fang , Xu Tao , Chen Wei-Zhi , Li Tian-lai
Published: March 2014

Polygalacturonase (PG) is crucial in plant organ abscission process. This paper investigated the cellular and subcellular localization of PG in ethylene-stimulated abscission of tomato pedicel explants. Confocal laser scanning microscopy of abscission zone sections with the fluorescent probe Cy3 revealed that PG was initially accumulated in parenchyma cells in cortical and vascular tissues after 8 h of ethylene treatment and then extended throughout the abscission zone when the abscission zone separated at 24 h after ethylene treatment. At the subcellular level, transmission electron microscopy with immunogold staining showed that PG showed abundant accumulation in the cortical and vascular tissues at 8 h after ethylene treatment, and the distribution area extended to the central parenchyma cells at 16 h after ethylene treatment. In addition, PGs were observed in the distal and proximal parts of the tomato pedicel explants throughout the abscission process. The results provided a visualized distribution of PG in the pedicel abscission zone and proved that PG was closely related to abscission.