bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical Therapists' Use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Older Adults With Chronic Pain: A Nationwide Survey
Authors: Beissner Katherine , Henderson Charles R , Papaleontiou Maria , Olkhovskaya Yelena , Wigglesworth Janet , Reid MC
Published: March 2009

Background

Increasing evidence supports the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with chronic pain.

Objective

This study determined whether physical therapists incorporate CBT techniques (eg, relaxation, activity pacing) when treating older patients with chronic pain, ascertained their interest in and barriers to using CBT, and identified participant-related factors associated with interest in CBT.

Design

This cross-sectional study used a telephone survey.

Methods

One hundred fifty-two members of the Geriatrics and Orthopaedics sections of the American Physical Therapy Association completed the survey. Associations between participant-related factors and interest in CBT were assessed in statistical general linear models.

Results

Commonly used CBT interventions included activity pacing and pleasurable activity scheduling, frequently used by 81% and 30% of the respondents, respectively. Non-CBT treatments included exercises focusing on joint stability (94%) and mobility (94%), and strengthening and stretching programs (91%). Respondents' overall interest in CBT techniques was 12.70 (SD=3.4, scale range=5–20). Barriers to use of CBT included lack of knowledge of and skill in the techniques, reimbursement concerns, and time constraints. Practice type and the interaction of percentage of patients with pain and educational degree of the physical therapist were independently associated with provider interest in CBT in a general linear model that also included 6 other variables specified a priori.

Limitations

Data are based on self-report without regard to treatment emphasis.

Conclusions

Although only a minority of physical therapists reported use of some CBT techniques when treating older patients with chronic pain, their interest in incorporating these techniques into practice is substantial. Concerns with their skill level using the techniques, time constraints, and reimbursement constitute barriers to use of the interventions.
Interventions Associated With an Increased or Decreased Likelihood of Pain Reduction and Improved Function in Patients With Adhesive Capsulitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Jewell Dianne V , Riddle Daniel L , Thacker Leroy R
Published: March 2009

Background and Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine whether physical therapy interventions predicted meaningful short-term improvement in 4 measures of physical health, pain, and function for patients diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis.

Participants

Data were examined from 2,370 patients (mean age=55.3 years, SD=12.4; 65% female, 35% male) classified into ICD-9 code 726.0 who had completed an episode of outpatient physical therapy.

Methods

Principal components factor analysis was used to define intervention categories from specific treatments applied during the episode of care. A nested logistic regression model was used to identify intervention categories that predicted a 50% or greater change in Physical Component Summary-12 (PCS-12), physical function (PF), bodily pain (BP), and hybrid function (HF) scores.

Results

None of the patients achieved a 50% or greater improvement in PCS-12 scores. Improvement in BP scores was more likely in patients who received joint mobility interventions (odds ratio=1.35, 95% confidence interval=1.10–1.65). Improvement in HF scores was more likely in patients who received exercise interventions (odds ratio=1.50, 95% confidence interval=1.03–2.17). Use of iontophoresis, phonophoresis, ultrasound, or massage reduced the likelihood of improvement in these 3 outcome measures by 19% to 32%.

Limitations

The authors relied on clinician-identified ICD-9 coding for the diagnosis. Impairment measures were not available to support the diagnosis, and some interventions were excluded because of infrequent use by participating therapists.

Discussion and Conclusions

These results are consistent with findings from randomized clinical trials that demonstrated the effectiveness of joint mobilization and exercise for patients with adhesive capsulitis. Ultrasound, massage, iontophoresis, and phonophoresis reduced the likelihood of a favorable outcome, which suggests that use of these modalities should be discouraged.
Effects of Formal Instruction and a Stay Abroad on the Acquisition of Native-Like Oral Fluency
Authors: Trenchs-Parera Mireia
Published: March 2009

The study describes the effects of formal instruction (FI) and a stay abroad (SA) on the fluency displayed by 19 bilingual EFL undergraduate non-native speakers (NNSs). It includes data from 10 native speakers (NSs). The relative frequencies of seven dysfluency phenomena at three data-collection points are compared statistically, and a linear regression analysis is performed between NS and NNS data. A strategic change is revealed. After FI, learners adjust their speech to an NS pattern, but disruptions – especially self-repetitions, pauses, and non-lexical fillers – are still frequent. The SA serves to correct this somewhat while maintaining the NS-like tendency. There is a decrease in the number of phenomena that may be perceived as signs of insecurity, producing the impression of more fluent speech. These phenomena are replaced by increases in lexical fillers that may make NNS speech appear lexically richer. Both FI and SA, therefore, are shown to be positive contexts of acquisition.
Perceptions of L2 Fluency by Native and Non-native Speakers of English
Authors: Rossiter Marian J.
Published: March 2009

This article explores perceptions of the speaking fluency of 24 adult ESL learners (11 men, 13 women) who narrated picture stories at Time 1 and again 10 weeks later at Time 2. One-minute excerpts from each rendition were randomized and played to 15 novice and six expert native speakers of English (undergraduate education students and experienced ESL teachers holding graduate degrees, respectively). Because of the increasingly frequent use of English among non-native speakers (NNSs) throughout the world, 15 advanced NNSs of English were also included in the study. All three groups of listeners rated and recorded their impressions of the fluency of the stimuli. The ratings of all three groups were highly inter-correlated at Times 1 and 2. Fluency ratings correlated with the temporal measures of total pause per second and pruned syllables per second. Pausing, self-repetition, speech rate, and fillers accounted for three-quarters of the negative temporal impressions recorded by listeners; salient non-temporal impressions included pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
Variable Omission ofnein Real-Time French Chat: A Corpus-Driven Comparison of Educational and Non-Educational Contexts
Authors: van Compernolle Rémi A. , Williams Lawrence
Published: March 2009

This article reports on the variable omission of the French negative particle ne (the first marker of verbal negation) in synchronous (i.e., real-time) electronic communication environments. Patterns of variation in a corpus of non-educational chat (i.e., free, public-access Internet chat) are analyzed and compared to data produced by first-, second-, and third-year American university students of French in an educational setting. First- and second-year students retained ne nearly categorically; third-year students used ne five times more often than participants in the non-educational context. Considerable inter-individual variation was observed in the third-year student data, although only one student exhibited native-like patterns of variation. The results are discussed within the broader context of teaching and learning sociolinguistic variation in French as a second or foreign language, with a specific focus on using authentic electronic discourse as one way of sensitizing students to sociolinguistic variation.
The Effects of Pre-learning Vocabulary on Reading Comprehension and Writing
Authors: Webb Stuart A.
Published: March 2009

This study investigates the effects of pre-learning vocabulary on reading comprehension and writing. Japanese students studying English as a foreign language (EFL) learned word pairs receptively and productively; four tests were used to measure reading comprehension, writing, and receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. The findings suggest that pre-learning FL vocabulary may be an effective method of improving reading comprehension and writing, with the direction of learning having a significant effect on a learner's ability to use or understand a word. Participants who completed the productive learning task had higher scores on the writing test and on the test of productive vocabulary knowledge, while participants who completed the receptive learning task had higher scores on the comprehension test. The study highlights the importance of the direction of learning in attaining communicative skills.
A la recherche des clitiques perdus: The dictogloss as a measure of the comprehension ofyandenby L2 learners of French
Authors: Wust Valerie A.
Published: March 2009

In an effort to ascertain whether the paucity of object clitics in L2 production documented in the extant research may reflect comprehension difficulties, this article reports on the use of a dictogloss task to determine the degree to which intermediate-level L2 learners of French (N = 110) were able to process and reproduce the meaning of the clitics y and en. An analysis of the reconstructed texts revealed the presence of competing interlanguage forms. Overall, deleted objects, strong pronouns, and lexical noun phrases were used with greater frequency than the target forms. Errors related to animacy, argument structure, and referent constituted the primary source of non-target-like usage. Given the learners' frequent use of animate forms in lieu of y and en, it is suggested that teachers might do well to provide explicit instruction on the animacy distinction in prescriptive French.
Digital Scholarship in the University Tenure and Promotion Process: A Report on the Sixth Scholarly Communication Symposium at Georgetown University Library
Authors: CHEVERIE JOAN F. , BOETTCHER JENNIFER , BUSCHMAN JOHN
Published: March 2009

Four notable scholars who have done significant work in digital scholarly projects were invited to speak on the theme of ‘digital scholarship in the university tenure and promotion process’ at Georgetown University Library to explore the scholarship and the continuing problems with evaluating it – particularly for promotion and tenure. There were significant similarities in the critiques (promotion and tenure committees are hidebound and/or lack the expertise to understand and evaluate these scholarly products), but there were also differences in the assessment of the current situation on the role and importance of technological tools, the nature of scholarship among the disciplines, and the variety of models available for academe to adapt to address these issues. The discussion explored aspects such as the role of trade publishing, reinstating the canon, and the nature of credit and reward for such projects.
Scholarly Publishing: Reforms for User Friendliness and System Efficiency
Authors: SHAW VICTOR N.
Published: March 2009

In academic publishing, editors and publishers may think they give too much leeway to authors and scholars in terms of content, quality control, and scheduling of production, while academic contributors grumble that they are cold-shouldered, pushed around, manipulated, and even abused by the publisher and the printing establishment. There is obviously room for reform and change. This paper proposes ten different ideas or measures for institutional reform in scholarly publishing. The underlying intent is to make academic publishing a user-friendly operation and an efficient system that serves individual scholars for a productive, successful, and satisfactory academic career.
A Benevolent Conspiracy: Conrad Richter, Paul Reynolds, Jr., and Alfred A. Knopf
Authors: COTUGNO MARIANNE
Published: March 2009

This article looks at the relationship between Conrad Richter, his agent, Paul Reynolds, Jr., and his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf.
The Editorial Boards of Spanish Scholarly Journals: What Are They Like? What Should They Be Like?
Authors: GIMÉNEZ-TOLEDO ELEA , ROMÁN-ROMÁN, ADELAIDA , PERDIGUERO PABLO , PALENCIA IRENE
Published: March 2009

This article studies the functions and structures of editorial boards for Spanish scholarly journals. A survey was sent to a significant set of Spanish social sciences and humanities executive editors to determine the features of the management bodies of these journals, mainly the editorial boards. The final aim was to reflect on the bodies to which indicators of endogamy/exogamy and internationalization should be applied. The article also compares the way in which Spanish editorial boards function and the way in which they should function, following the guidelines established in the scholarly literature.
Experimental Study on Forced Convective Heat Transfer with Low Volume Fraction of CuO/Water Nanofluid
Authors: Asirvatham Lazarus Godson , Vishal Nandigana , Gangatharan Senthil Kumar , Lal Dhasan Mohan
Published: March 2009

The present work is an experimental study of steady state convective heat transfer of de-ionized water with a low volume fraction (0.003% by volume) of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles dispersed to form a nanofluid that flows through a copper tube. The effect of mass flow rate ranging from (0.0113 kg/s to 0.0139 kg/s) and the effect of inlet temperatures at 100C and 17 0C on the heat transfer coefficient are studied on the entry region under laminar flow condition. The results have shown 8% enhancement of the convective heat transfer coefficient of the nanofluid even with a low volume concentration of CuO nanoparticles. The heat transfer enhancement was increased considerably as the Reynolds number increased. Possible reasons for the enhancement are discussed. Nanofluid thermo-physical properties and chaotic movement of ultrafine particles which accelerate the energy exchange process are proposed to be the main reasons for the observed heat transfer enhancement. A correlation for convective heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids, based on transport property and D/x for 8 mm tube has been evolved. The correlation predicts variation in the local Nusselt number along the flow direction of the nanofluid. A good agreement (±10%) is seen between the experimental and predicted results.
Association between a Polymorphism of Aminolevulinate Dehydrogenase (ALAD) Gene and Blood Lead Levels in Japanese Subjects
Authors: Miyaki Koichi , Lwin Htay , Masaki Katsunori , Song Yixuan , Takahashi Yoshimitsu , Muramatsu Masaaki , Nakayama Takeo
Published: March 2009

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between the aminolevulinate dehydrogenase (ALAD) genotype and blood lead levels among 101 Japanese workers. Blood lead concentration measurement, biomarkers, and genotyping were performed. The minor allele frequency (MAF) for ALAD (ALAD2) was 0.08. Although the blood lead level in the subjects with heterozygous GC genotype was significantly higher than those with homozygous GG genotype, there were no significant differences for hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum and urinary ALA levels among genotypes. ALAD2 genotype was significantly associated with the blood lead concentration, even in the environmental lead exposed subjects. Further confirmation with a large sample size is needed.
Taiwanese Native Plants Inhibit Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Activity after Ultraviolet B Irradiation
Authors: Lee Yueh-Lun , Lee Mei-Hsien , Chang Hsiu-Ju , Huang Po-Yuan , Huang I-Jen , Cheng Kur-Ta , Leu Sy-Jye
Published: March 2009

Medicinal plants have long been used as a source of therapeutic agents. They are thought to be important anti-aging ingredients in prophylactic medicines. The aim of this study was to screen extracts from Taiwanese plant materials for phenolic contents and measure the corresponding matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity. We extracted biological ingredients from eight plants native to Taiwan (Alnus formosana, Diospyros discolor, Eriobotrya deflex, Machilus japonica, Pyrrosia polydactylis, Pyrus taiwanensis, Vitis adstricta, Vitis thunbergii). Total phenolic content was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. MMP-9 activities were measured by gelatin zymography. The extracted yields of plants ranged from 3.7 % to 16.9 %. The total phenolic contents ranged from 25.4 to 36.8 mg GAE/g dry material. All of these extracts (except Vitis adstricta Hance) were shown to inhibit MMP-9 activity of WS-1 cell after ultraviolet B irradiation. These findings suggest that total phenolic content may influence MMP-9 activity and that some of the plants with higher phenolic content exhibited various biological activities that could serve as potent inhibitors of the ageing process in the skin. This property might be useful in the production of cosmetics.
Using a LIDAR Vegetation Model to Predict UHF SAR Attenuation in Coniferous Forests
Authors: Swanson Alan , Huang Shengli , Crabtree Robert
Published: March 2009

Attenuation of radar signals by vegetation can be a problem for target detection and GPS reception, and is an important parameter in models describing vegetation backscatter. Here we first present a model describing the 3D distribution of stem and foliage structure based on small footprint scanning LIDAR data. Secondly we present a model that uses ray-tracing methodology to record detailed interactions between simulated radar beams and vegetation components. These interactions are combined over the SAR aperture and used to predict two-way attenuation of the SAR signal. Accuracy of the model is demonstrated using UHF SAR observations of large trihedral corner reflectors in coniferous forest stands. Our study showed that the model explains between 66% and 81% of the variability in observed attenuation.
Metal-Organic Frameworks for Sensing Applications in the Gas Phase
Authors: Achmann Sabine , Hagen Gunter , Kita Jaroslaw , Malkowsky Itamar M. , Kiener Christoph , Moos Ralf
Published: March 2009

Several metal-organic framework (MOF) materials were under investigated to test their applicability as sensor materials for impedimetric gas sensors. The materials were tested in a temperature range of 120 °C - 240 °C with varying concentrations of O2, CO2, C3H8, NO, H2, ethanol and methanol in the gas atmosphere and under different test gas humidity conditions. Different sensor configurations were studied in a frequency range of 1 Hz -1 MHz and time-continuous measurements were performed at 1 Hz. The materials did not show any impedance response to O2, CO2, C3H8, NO, or H2 in the gas atmospheres, although for some materials a significant impedance decrease was induced by a change of the ethanol or methanol concentration in the gas phase. Moreover, pronounced promising and reversible changes in the electric properties of a special MOF material were monitored under varying humidity, with a linear response curve at 120 °C. Further investigations were carried out with differently doped MOF materials of this class, to evaluate the influence of special dopants on the sensor effect.
Wrapping Our Brains around Sustainability
Authors: Curran Mary Ann
Published: March 2009

As many of us begin to embrace the concept of sustainability, we realize that it is not simply something that we ‘do.’ Rather, sustainability is a destination that we aspire to reach with the selection of the sustainable pathways that we choose as we proceed along the journey. We are embarking on a new journey with the creation of Sustainability, an on-line, open access journal. As stated on the journal’s website, Sustainability is an international and cross-disciplinary scholarly journal of environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability of human beings, which provides an advanced forum for studies that are related to sustainability and sustainable development. To genuinely wrap our brains around the impact that our actions have on the sustainability of our planet, we must first understand something of the big picture and have a firm grasp of the terminology. To help further clarify the elusive term ‘sustainability,’ without attempting to provide an exact definition, this paper outlines various, inter-related concepts and basic practices and approaches that are being used in the name of sustainability, including: traditional end-of-pipe control strategies, life cycle, environmental sustainability, urban sustainability, industrial ecology, business sustainability, sustainable supply chain systems, sustainability indicators and metrics, green chemistry and green engineering, design for the environment, sustainable buildings, eco-tourism, and renewable and sustainable energy and fuels.
Searching the Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) Resources for Information on Mouse Biology from Genotype to Phenotype
Authors: Shaw David R.
Published: March 2009

The Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) resource provides the research community with access to information on the genetics, genomics, and biology of the laboratory mouse. Core data in MGI include gene characterization and function, phenotype and disease model descriptions, DNA and protein sequence data, gene expression data, mammalian orthologies, SNPs and PCR polymorphisms, mapping data, and links to other bioinformatics databases. Data integration is supported through the use of standardized nomenclature, and through the use of controlled vocabularies such as the mouse Anatomical Dictionary, the Mammalian Phenotype Ontology, and the Gene Ontologies. MGI extracts and organizes data from primary literature. MGI data are shared with and widely displayed from other bioinformatics resources. The database is updated nightly with curated annotations, and regularly adds new datasets. This unit provides a guide to using the MGI bioinformatics resource. Curr. Protoc. Bioinform. 25:1.7.1‐1.7.14. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
De Novo Interpretation of Tandem Mass Spectra
Authors: Ma Bin , Lajoie Gilles
Published: March 2009

De novo sequencing is an effective method for identifying unknown peptide sequences from their tandem mass spectra. This unit briefly introduces how this can be done manually. A protocol for using the PEAKS online software for automated de novo sequencing is described. Finally, we show how to use the PEAKS scores to validate the de novo sequencing results. Curr. Protoc. Bioinform. 25:13.10.1‐13.10.8. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Exploring Human Metabolites Using the Human Metabolome Database
Authors: Forsythe Ian J. , Wishart David S.
Published: March 2009

The Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) is a Web‐based bioinformatic/cheminformatic resource with detailed information about human metabolites and metabolic enzymes. It can be used for fields of study including metabolomics, biochemistry, clinical chemistry, biomarker discovery, medicine, nutrition, and general education. In addition to its comprehensive literature‐derived data, the HMDB contains an extensive collection of experimental metabolite concentration data for plasma, urine, CSF, and/or other biofluids The HMDB is fully searchable, with many tools for viewing, sorting and extracting metabolite names, chemical structures, biofluid concentrations, enzymes, genes, NMR or MS spectra, and disease information. Each metabolite entry in the HMDB contains an average of 90 separate data fields including a comprehensive compound description, names and synonyms, chemical structure information, physico‐chemical data, reference NMR and MS spectra, normal and abnormal biofluid concentrations, tissue locations, disease associations, pathway information, enzyme data, gene sequence data, and SNP and mutation data, as well as extensive links to images, references and other public databases. Curr. Protoc. Bioinform. 25:14.8.1‐14.8.45. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Approximation Theory
Authors: Cuyt Annie
Published: March 2009

In approximation theory, one distinguishes between interpolation and so‐called least‐squares problems. In the former, one wants the approximate model to take exactly the same values as prescribed by given data at some argument values. In the latter, a set of data is regarded as a trend and is approximated by a simple model in the best sense. The difference will be formalized in the next section.

In the sequel of the presentation, we limit ourselves to a description of one‐dimensional approximation problems. Although the growth in computer power allows for the study of more and more complex models and simulations, the theory of several more‐dimensional approximation problems is still not sufficiently complete. We will indicate where up‐to‐date literature on the more‐dimensional generalizations can be found.
Backtracking
Authors: Lynce Inês , Manquinho Vasco , Marques‐Silva João
Published: March 2009

Backtracking search algorithms are commonly used to solve a wide range of decision and optimization problems. Backtracking has the advantage of potentially requiring a search tree with less nodes, when compared with a brute force algorithm. For further reducing the search tree size, constraint propagation can be used to remove inconsistent assignments. In addition, when solving optimization problems, backtracking may be adapted to take into account the value of the objective function. As soon as a partial assignment cannot be extended to a solution that is better than the best solution found so far, the algorithm backtracks. Another technique used to improve backtracking performance is learning. Learning is performed whenever a conflict is found, and it serves to prevent similar conflicts in the future. Learning may also be used to backtrack nonchronologically, thus not exploring irrelevant parts of the search tree.
Logic Testing
Authors: Wang Laung‐Terng (L.‐T.) , Stroud Charles E. , Cheng Kwang‐Ting (Tim)
Published: March 2009

Logic testing involves the process of testing the digital logic portion of a circuit under test (CUT). The digital logic can be reconfigured in test mode to includetest logicto improve the testability and test quality of the circuit. Logic testing typically consists of applying a set of test stimuli to the inputs of the digital logic while analyzing the output responses. Depending on needs, both input test stimuli and output response analysis can be generated and performed inside the chip. Circuits that produce the correct output responses for all input stimuli pass the test and are considered to be fault free. Those circuits that fail to produce a correct response at any point during the test sequence are assumed to be faulty.
Wireless Networks
Authors: Samaka Mohammed , Khan Khaled MD.
Published: March 2009

Wireless communication is the fastest‐growing field in the telecommunication industry. Wireless networks have grown significantly as an important segment of the communications industry. They have become popular networks with the potential to provide high‐speed, high‐quality information exchange between two or more portable devices without any wire or conductors. Wireless networks can simply be characterized as the technology that provides seamless access to information, anywhere, anyplace, and anytime without being wired. This emerging technology builds on existing technologies such as radio engineering, data communications, computer networks, distributed systems, information management, and applications. The technology is based on radio and infrared transmission mechanisms and uses technologies such as cellular telephony, personal communications systems, wireless private branch exchanges, and wireless local area networks.

The wireless radio network system facilitates mobility in communication. Systems achieve mobility by transmitting data via radio waves over the air. In a wireless network, the signal has no wire on which to travel in any particular direction, whereas in wired networks, signals only travel along the wire. In addition, the benefits of wireless networking include things such as increased mobility, simple and flexible installation, and easy scalability. Applications of this emerging technology are many, which range from the multimedia internet‐enabled cell phones to smart homes and appliances to automated highway systems, video teleconferencing and distance learning, and autonomous sensor networks.

This article discusses the history, present state, and future of wireless networks. It also describes the fundamentals of wireless communication and explains the basic concepts at a level accessible to an audience with a basic background in digital communication.
Cerebellar Model Arithmetic Computer
Authors: Horváth Gábor
Published: March 2009

Cerebellar Model Arithmetic Computer (CMAC) is a special neural network architecture that was proposed as a functional model of a certain part of the mammalian brain, which is called the cerebellum.

Cerebellum (from the Latin word “little brain”) is a fist‐sized structure located at the lower back of the brain. It is believed that its main function is to coordinate movements of muscles and joints, but recent evidence suggests that the cerebellum is partially responsible for speech, learning, emotions, and attention.

CMAC as an artificial neural network architecture was introduced by Albus in 1975. This architecture is based on a theory developed independently by D. Marr and J. Albus around 1970. As it was developed as a simple model of the cerebellum, its main task was to control manipulators. Its original name Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller also comes from this first application.
Digital Sound Synthesis for Multimedia Audio
Authors: Miranda Eduardo R.
Published: March 2009

A great variety of software and techniques for generating audio for multimedia applications have been developed. They can be grouped into two broad approaches, referred to in this article as sampling manipulation and software synthesis, respectively. This article begins with an introduction to the basics of digital representation of sound, including the notions of sampling and storage. Then, it presents the fundamentals of sound processing and analysis by means of the short‐time Fourier transform method, followed by an introduction to sampling manipulation techniques. Next, it introduces the basics of frequency modulation, a powerful software synthesis technique that is relatively easy to implement and is capable of producing various musical tones and unusual sound effects.
FPGAPALDesign Tools
Authors: Sterpone Luca
Published: March 2009

Reconfigurable logic devices such as field programmable logic arrays (FPGAs) or programmable array logics are nowadays introducing a new design paradigm over the possible techniques an electronic or computing designer may choose to make the desired hardware chip running. Thanks to the higher design flexibility and the increasing performances supported by these devices on several aspects such as power, frequency, and dependability, programmable logic devices design tools play a central rule among the computer aided design (CAD) tools available. The basic concept behind this success is the possibility of defining the logic functionality of an electronic circuits without having a direct interface with the silicon layout mask of the chip itself. FPGA CAD tools have an increasing impact on the performances offered by current programmable devices. state‐of‐the‐art CAD tools support both the synthesis of optimized logic functions and the implementation of design referring to the manner in which programmable switches and hard‐wired interconnections are placed between logic functions. In this article survey of the CAD tools for the programmable devices design phases is presented exploring the variety and particularity offered and analyzing the most influcnt results achieved on this area.
Fuzzy Logic Control Systems
Authors: Kamalasadan Sukumar , Al‐Olimat Khalid S.
Published: March 2009

This article explains fuzzy controllers and general fuzzy systems. It emphasizes the basic idea of fuzzy control and the mathematics behind the concept. The article is divided into two sections. In the first part, the mathematics of fuzzy systems is discussed, which includes the definitions and basics of fuzzy expert systems, general fuzzy systems, and their properties. In the second part, the concept of fuzzy control are detailed which include the selection of inputs and outputs, enhancing control knowledge as a rule base, determining which rules to use, determining conclusions, converting decisions into actions, and graphical visual representation of fuzzy control operation. Then, various fuzzy control techniques and the essence of how fuzzy systems can be used for a wide range of control architectures are explained. The article concludes with the summary and future prospects of fuzzy logic systems.
Computational Materials Physics
Authors: Colombo Luciano
Published: March 2009

Materials physics greatly benefits computer simulations when addressing its ultimate goal, namely: the atomic‐scale understanding and the predictive modeling of materials behavior in whatsoever state of chemical composition, microstructure complexity, or aggregation.

In this framework, computer simulations have firmly established themselves as a valuable partner methodology to the more traditional experimental and theoretical paradigms because: (1) it is possible to measure a theory numerically as much in the same sense as experiments measure phenomena and (2) atomistic simulations provide predictive atomic‐scale physical insight on materials behavior, even in conditions that can hardly be reached or controlled in a real experiment. Furthermore, computer modeling underlines the concept of material by design, that is, the development of the rational design of materials with tailored properties for demanding and advanced applications. Interesting enough, the material by design approach is ubiquously present in modern nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Although the atomic scale represents in any case the lower level at which the computer modeling must operate, the new scenario of multiscale modeling has been recognized recently by the materials science community as a significant challenge. According to this standpoint, the different phenomena—which occur at diverse length and time scales—should be modeled by individually appropriate theoretical tools, which eventually must be linked together so as to provide a unique theoretical device that can pass physical information across different scales. The multiscale paradigm requires that different methods are coupled effectively into a numerical tool relatively undemanding of computing resources.
Methods for Acceleration of Convergence (Extrapolation) of Vector Sequences
Authors: Sidi Avram
Published: March 2009

An important problem that develops in different areas of science and engineering is that of computing limits of sequences of vectors, whereandNis very large. Such sequences develop, for example, in the solution of systems of linear or nonlinear equations by fixed‐point iterative methods, andare simply the required solutions. In most cases, however, these sequences converge to their limits extremely slowly. One practical way to make the sequencesconverge more quickly is to apply to themvector extrapolation methods.In this article, we present a somewhat detailed review of two polynomial‐type vector extrapolation methods that have proved to be very efficient convergence accelerators; namely, theminimal polynomial extrapolation(MPE) and thereduced rank extrapolation(RRE). We discuss the derivation of these methods, describe the most accurate and stable algorithms for their implementation along with the effective modes of usage in solving systems of equations, nonlinear as well as linear, and present their convergence and stability theory. We also discuss their close connection with knownKrylov subspace methodsfor linear systems. In addition to being used in solving large sparse systems of equations, MPE and RRE can be applied in other problems: We review the use of MPE in deriving vector‐valued rational approximations from vector‐valued power series and their connection with Krylov subspace methods for eigenvalue problems. We also show that MPE and RRE can be used very effectively to obtain the dominant eigenvectors of large sparse matrices when the corresponding eigenvalues are known, and provide the relevant theory as well. One such problem that has been of interest recently is that of computing thePageRankof the Google matrix. For completeness, we also discuss briefly the scalar, vector, and topological epsilon algorithms.
Optical Disk Data Storage, Distribution and Retrieval
Authors: McLeod Robert R.
Published: March 2009

Optical data storage provides a remarkably inexpensive yet high‐quality platform for the distribution of large amounts of digital data. This article describes the end‐to‐end process of this distribution. Detailed information on each major generation of optical storage including compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and BluRay disk (BD) is presented and the variations within each family are described. Finally, a summary of current research on fourth‐generation optical storage is given.
OSfor Graphics and Multimedia
Authors: Yau David K. Y.
Published: March 2009

Multimedia and graphics data, which includes video, audio, and realistic animations, are entertaining, informative, and intuitive. The information is continuously updated, in which the timing of the data is part of their semantics, and it must be maintained both within a data stream and between related data streams. Operating system (OS) support for the soft real‐time needs of multimedia applications is crucial and challenging. In this article, we discuss OS support for multimedia quality of service in a general‐purpose and multiuser computing environment. We address the issues of (1) resource abstraction and accounting, (2) resource scheduling, and (3) solutions to priority inversion problems that develop from interactions between OS components.
Operating Systems for Wireless Embedded Devices
Authors: Dunkels Adam
Published: March 2009

Wireless embedded devices are one of the fastest growing computer technologies today. Of the total amount of microprocessors sold today, 98% are used in embedded systems. Wireless embedded systems range from wireless car keys to security systems for freighter containers. Wireless embedded devices meet challenges in terms of cost, physical size, and energy consumption, which has implications for the operating systems running in the devices. This article discusses energy consumption and energy conservation, communication protocols and their implementation, programming models, and software updates and run‐time reprogramming for operating systems for wireless embedded devices.
Program Assemblers
Authors: Burgstaller Bernd , Scholz Bernhard
Published: March 2009

The central processing unit (CPU) of a computer executes instructions encoded as a sequence of binary numbers. This program representation is commonly referred to as machine code. Assembly languages provide mnemonic abbreviations for the instructions of a computer. Program assemblers translate assembly language programs into machine code and binary data. Program assemblers allow the use of symbolic addresses (labels) to save the assembly language programmer from the tedious task of computing memory addresses manually. Macros provide textual substitution facilities. Pseudoinstructions, code optimizations, and just‐in‐time assembly complicate the task of program assemblers even more.
Software Dependability
Authors: Roshandel Roshanak
Published: March 2009

Software systems today control every aspect of our daily lives from banking and airline reservation systems, to power grids and air traffic control systems, to online shopping. Proliferation of complex software systems around the world, connected via networks, creates the expectations that these systems must be trusted; that they must be available when needed; that they must perform their duties correctly; that they must be safe to use; and that they must protect sensitive information embedded within them. Simply put, these software systems must be dependable.
Software Reliability
Authors: Gokhale Swapna S.
Published: March 2009

The influence of computer systems on our day‐to‐day lives has increased dramatically since their advent almost 60 years ago. The ever‐increasing power and reliability of hardware has encouraged the development of novel and innovative software applications. However, as the reliability of hardware continues to improve steadily, software reliability is becoming a major stumbling block in achieving desired levels of system dependability. The literature is replete with numerous software failures in the case of mission‐critical and medical systems, which result in a loss of life and reliable software operation is undoubtedly important for these systems. However, as economies of industrialized nations become increasingly dependent on software, its reliable operation becomes crucial for the success of business critical systems as well. A NIST study estimates that the U.S. economy loses $59.5 billion per year or 0.6% of the GDP that result because of failures resulting from software faults. As computer software permeates our society, expectations about its reliability will increase rapidly.
Great Principles of Computing
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: March 2009

The Great Principles of Computing is a framework for understanding computing as a field of science.
Data Compression
Authors: Ansari Rashid , Chang Chang , Reynolds William D.
Published: March 2009

Data compressionrefers to the process of transforming a given format of representing information (audio, image, video, or text) into a more compact format that consumes significantly reduced amounts of resources for storage and transmission. The term data compression is sometimes used to refer to the algorithms used for transforming the data.Data compression technologycommonly refers to the software or hardware that is used in implementing the compression algorithms. Often the termcodingis employed to convey the same meaning as compression, and the descriptions audio, image, and video coding are commonly used to describe compression of these media data.
File Organizations
Authors: Zezula Pavel , Dohnal Vlastislav , Batko Michal
Published: March 2009

Organizing files of records has always been an important part of data processing technology, because it influences the efficiency of operations that query or manipulate data collections. We define a notion of a file and classify existing file organizations in three broad categories: simple key, multidimensional key, and distance‐based key file organizations. For each of the categories, we explain the basic principles, survey main representatives, and outline major application areas. We also show how limitations of structures in one category can be addressed by methods in other categories by means of a specific transformation. Finally, future directions are outlined.
Chomsky Hierarchy
Authors: Paun Gheorghe
Published: March 2009

We introduce Chomsky hierarchy in a formal manner, considering first the basic classes (regular, linear, context‐free, context‐sensitive, and general grammars), then also introducing a sample intermediate level placed in between context‐free and context‐sensitive levels, the one defined by the matrix grammars and their “relatives,” the programmed and the random context grammars. A series of properties of the corresponding families of languages are also presented: characterizations and necessary conditions, closure and decidability properties, automata characterizations, and so forth.
Image Segmentation by Region Based and Watershed Algorithms
Authors: Hanbury Allan
Published: March 2009

The segmentation of an image is defined as its partition into regions, in which the regions satisfy some specified criteria. First, two region‐based image segmentation techniques are described: region growing and split and merge. Second, the watershed transform, which combines aspects of both edge‐based and region‐based segmentation approaches, is described. In general, the basic watershed transform leads to an over‐segmentation of an image. Methods to reduce this over‐segmentation are discussed: preprocessing and filtering the input image, the marker‐based watershed algorithm, and hierarchical watershed algorithms.
Shape from Shading
Authors: Tankus Ariel , Sochen Nir , Yeshurun Yehezkel
Published: March 2009

Shape‐from‐shading (SfS) is a fundamental problem in computer vision. Its goal is reconstruction of surface depth (i.e., distance from camera plane) based on a single image of the surface. The problem was introduced in the early 1970s by Horn. A very common assumption in this field is that image projection is orthographic. We will present the orthographic shape‐from‐shading problem and an algorithm for its solution: the fast marching method of Kimmel and Sethian. We shall than reexamine the basis of SfS, which is the image irradiance equation, under a perspective projection assumption. The resultant equation does not depend on the depth function directly, but on its natural logarithm, and as such it is invariant to scale changes of the depth function. A reconstruction method based on the perspective formula is then described; it is a modification of the aforementioned orthographic fast marching method. Then, a comparison of the orthographic fast marching, perspective fast marching, and the perspective algorithm of Prados and Faugeras on synthetic images is are presented. The two perspective methods equate with each other and show better reconstruction results than the orthographic. We then compare the orthographic and perspective versions of the fast marching method on endoscopic images. The perspective algorithm outperformed the orthographic one. These findings suggest that the more realistic set of assumptions of perspective SfS improves reconstruction significantly with respect to orthographic SfS. The findings also provide evidence that perspective SfS can be used for real‐life applications in fields such as endoscopy.
Mesh Deformation
Authors: Zhang Hongxin , Liu Xinguo , Bao Hujun
Published: March 2009

Generating and manipulating surfaces is one of the central issues in various applications of computer graphics and digital entertainment. As one of these operations for surface generating, deformations allow the user to treat an object as if it were constructed from a special type of topological putty or clay, which may be bent, twisted, tapered, compressed, expanded, and otherwise transformed repeatedly into a final shape. They are highly intuitive and easily visualized operations that simulate some important manufacturing processes for fabricating objects, such as the bending of bar stock and sheet metal.

Recent progress of deformation techniques focus on mesh deformation. Although for different computing tasks, different surface representations are employed to reveal different geometric, physical, plausible, or perceptual properties of the shape to be handled. The polygonal meshes become fundamental digital media through the whole geometric processing pipeline because of its convenience of acquisition and rendering. However, a pure mesh representation with its vertex positions defined in global coordinate system is challenging for deforming shapes while caring details. Hence researchers have developed several efficient ways to deform mesh surfaces.
Computer Music Composition/Analysis
Authors: Cope David
Published: March 2009

Computers are used in music for composition, analysis, sound synthesis, performance, notation, recording, and so on, wherever benefits result from enhanced speed and accuracy. Of these possible uses, computer music composition and computer music analysis have the most serious philosophical implications, because computers can be used to replace what many feel are activities more rightfully the domain of humans: principally the freedom of choice, but including more ephemeral concepts such as imagination, inspiration, and intuition. In this article, we will investigate many aspects of computer music composition and analysis as well as their philosophical implications.