bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Citizenship and Consumption: Mobilisation in Alternative Food Systems in France
Authors: Dubuisson‐Quellier Sophie , Lamine Claire , Le Velly Ronan
Published: June 2011

Contemporary alternative food movement implement various means of action, which were previously developed by movements that were striving to construct citizenship through consumption. Drawing on the results of in‐depth ethnographic studies, this article analyses the main fields of action of three French organisations: consumer education, implementation of alternative forms of trade and consumer mobilisation in protest campaigns. It shows that these actions require the movement to build representations of consumers, highlight their potential power within the framework of regulations and provide them with various tools to make the right choice. The article also presents the difficulties these organisations face in articulating political action and economic engagement. Consumption remains an important means for recruiting and mobilising individuals. Yet neither individuals nor movements can entirely overlook certain consumerist modes of functioning that stem from the current features of the agro‐food system and the irreducible nature of the freedom of choice.
Survey in Shanghai communities: the public awareness of and attitude towards dementia
Authors: LI Xia , FANG Wenli , SU Ning , LIU Yuanyuan , XIAO Shifu , XIAO Zeping
Published: June 2011

Objective:  To assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards dementia among Shanghai residents.

Methods:  A 10‐item optional questionnaire relating to dementia was developed for the project. Questionnaires were randomly distributed to 1806 families, each family had one respondent.

Results:  A total of 1531 questionnaires were available. Among them, 45% considered ‘dementia is a normal part of ageing’ and 29–41% correctly identified the symptoms of mild dementia. Of the respondents, 43% indicated that they would not be ashamed of having a demented relative, and 45% did not think that medical care benefited those with dementia. Subgroups analyses showed there was a wider agreement on the concept ‘dementia is a normal part of ageing’ in the elderly or the females with primary school education background than the counterpart. According to the educational level, the sequence (from the highest to the lowest) of the proportion of respondents who considered a demented relative to be shameful was as follows: middle school group (60.5%) > primary school group (41.3%) > university group (25.2%); according to age group: adult group (59.8%) > elderly group (37.3%) > youth group (30.2%). There was a higher identification rate of the symptoms of mild dementia in women than in men (P < 0.01). According to the educational level, the sequence (from the highest to the lowest) of identification rate was: university group > primary school group > middle school group; according to age group: elderly group > youth group > adult group. There was a significant difference among groups (P < 0.01). Multivariate regression results suggested that the sex, educational level and age had an influence on the concept of ‘dementia is part of normal ageing’; the feeling of shame of having demented relatives was influenced by the educational level and age.

Conclusion:  Lack of correct knowledge about dementia and discrimination of dementia are highly prevalent among urban residents in Shanghai.
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria from Bench to Bedside
Authors: Pu Jeffrey J. , Brodsky Robert A.
Published: June 2011

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare hematologic disease that presents with protean manifestations. Clinical and laboratory investigation over the past 25 years has uncovered most of the basic science underpinnings of PNH and has led to the development of a highly effective targeted therapy. PNH originates from a multipotent hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) that acquires a somatic mutation in a gene called phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class A (PIG‐A). ThePIG‐Agene is required for the first step in glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor biosynthesis. Failure to synthesize GPI anchors leads to an absence of all proteins that utilize GPI to attach to the plasma membrane. Two GPI‐anchor proteins, CD55 and CD59, are complement regulatory proteins; their absence on the surface of PNH cells leads to complement‐mediated hemolysis. The release of free hemoglobin leads to scavenging of nitric oxide and contributes to many clinical manifestations, including esophageal spasm, fatigue, and possibly thrombosis. Aerolysin is a pore‐forming toxin that binds GPI‐anchored proteins and kills normal cells, but not PNH cells. A fluorescinated aerolysin variant (FLAER) binds GPI‐anchor and serves as a novel reagent diagnosing PNH. Eculizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against C5, is the first effective drug therapy for PNH. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 219–224
Bile Acids Regulate Cardiovascular Function
Authors: Khurana Sandeep , Raufman Jean‐Pierre , Pallone Thomas L.
Published: June 2011

Research over the last decade has uncovered roles for bile acids (BAs) that extend beyond their traditional functions in regulating lipid digestion and cholesterol metabolism. BAs are now recognized as signaling molecules that interact with both plasma membrane and nuclear receptors. Emerging evidence indicates that by interacting with these receptors, BAs regulate their own synthesis, glucose and energy homeostasis, and other important physiological events. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the actions of BAs on cardiovascular function. In the heart and the systemic circulation, BAs interact with plasma membrane G‐protein‐coupled receptors, for example, TGR5 and muscarinic receptors, and nuclear receptors, for example, the farnesoid (FXR) and pregnane (PXR) xenobiotic receptors. BA receptors are expressed in cardiovascular tissue, however, the mechanisms underlying BA‐mediated regulation of cardiovascular function remain poorly understood. BAs reduce heart rate by regulating channel conductance and calcium dynamics in sino‐atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes and regulate vascular tone via both endothelium‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms. End‐stage liver disease, obstructive jaundice, and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy are prominent conditions in which elevated serum BAs alter vascular dynamics. This review focuses on BAs as newly recognized signaling molecules that modulate cardiovascular function. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 210–218
Mentoring K Scholars: Strategies to Support Research Mentors
Authors: Burnham Ellen L. , Schiro Stephanie , Fleming Michael
Published: June 2011

The goal of this paper is to present strategies utilized to support K scholar research mentors. K scholars are generally assistant professors who are close to developing independent research programs. Of all the various types of mentees, K scholars offer the greatest challenges, as well as the greatest rewards, for research mentors. To see one’s mentee achieve independent PI status and become an established investigator is one of the great joys of being a research mentor. Research mentors for K scholars, however, may not directly benefit from their mentoring relationship, neither in terms of obtaining data to support their research program or laboratory, nor in assistance with grants or scientific papers. There is a pressing need for the research community to address the workload, institutional expectations, and reward system for research mentors. The dearth of research mentors and role models in clinical translational science parallels the decreasing number of physicians choosing careers in clinical research. While there is limited empirical information on the effectiveness of mentor support mechanisms, this white paper concludes that providing mentor support is critical to expanding the available pool of mentors, as well as providing training opportunities for K scholars. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 199–203
Numerical Investigation of the Influence of Real World Blade Profile Variations on the Aerodynamic Performance of Transonic Nozzle Guide Vanes
Authors: Edwards R. , Asghar A. , Woodason R. , LaViolette M. , Boulama K. Goni , Allan W. D. E.
Published: June 2011

This paper addresses the issue of aerodynamic consequences of small variations in airfoil profile. A numerical comparison of flow field and cascade pressure losses for two representative repaired profiles and a reference new vane were made. Coordinates for the three airfoil profiles were obtained from the nozzle guide vanes of refurbished turboshaft engines using 3D optical scanning and digital modeling. The repaired profiles showed differences in geometry in comparison with the new vane, particularly near the leading and trailing edges. A numerical simulation was conducted using a commercial CFD code, which uses the finite volume approach for solving the governing equations. The computational predictions of the aerodynamic performance were compared with experimental results obtained from a cascade consisting of blades with the same airfoil profiles. The CFD analysis was performed for the cascade at subsonic inlet and transonic exit conditions. Boundary layer growth, wake formation, and shock boundary layer interactions were observed in the two-dimensional computations. The flow field showed the presence of shock waves downstream of the passage throat and near the trailing edges of the blades. A conspicuous change in flow pattern due to subtle variation in airfoil profile was observed. The calculated flow field was compared with the flow pattern visualized in the experimental test rig using the schlieren method. The total pressure calculation for the cascade exit showed an increase in pressure loss for one of the off-design profiles. The pressure loss calculations were also compared with the multihole total pressure probe measurement in the transonic cascade rig.
Distribution of Sand Particles in Horizontal and Vertical Annular Multiphase Flow in Pipes and the Effects on Sand Erosion
Authors: McLaury Brenton S. , Shirazi Siamack A. , Viswanathan Vinod , Mazumder Quamrul H. , Santos Gerardo
Published: June 2011

Predicting erosion resulting from the impact of solid particles such as sand is a difficult task, since it is dependent on so many factors. The difficulty is compounded if the particles are entrained in multiphase flow. Researchers have developed models to predict erosion resulting from solid particles in multiphase flow that account for a variety of factors. However, no model currently accounts for the flow orientation on the severity of erosion. This work provides three sets of experimental results that demonstrate pipe orientation can have a significant impact on the amount of erosion for annular flow. A semimechanistic model to predict erosion in annular flow is also outlined that accounts for the upstream flow orientation.
Zone‐based analysis for automated detection of abnormalities in chest radiographs
Authors: Kao E‐Fong , Kuo Yu‐Ting , Hsu Jui‐Sheng , Chou Ming‐Chung , Liu Gin‐Chung
Published: June 2011

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to develop an automated method for detection of local texture‐based and density‐based abnormalities in chest radiographs.

Methods:

The method was based on profile analysis to detect abnormalities in chest radiographs. In the method, one density‐based feature, Density Symmetry Index, and two texture‐based features, Roughness Maximum Index and Roughness Symmetry Index, were used to detect abnormalities in the lung fields. In each chest radiograph, the lung fields were divided into four zones initially and then the method was applied to each zone separately. For each zone, Density Symmetry Index was obtained from the projection profile of each zone, and Roughness Maximum Index and Roughness Symmetry Index were obtained by measuring the roughness of the horizontal profiles via moving average technique. Linear discriminant analysis was used to classify normal and abnormal cases based on the three indices. The discriminant performance of the method was evaluated using ROC analysis.

Results:

The method was evaluated on a database of 250 normal and 250 abnormal chest images. In the optimized conditions, the zone‐based performance Az of the method for zones 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 0.917, 0.897, 0.892, and 0.814, respectively, and the case‐based performance Az of the method was 0.842. Our previous method for detection of gross abnormalities was also evaluated on the same database. The case‐based performance of our previous method was 0.689.

Conclusions:

In comparing the previous method and the new method proposed in this study, there was a great improvement by the new method for detection of local texture‐based and density‐based abnormalities. The new method combined with the previous one has potential for screening abnormalities in chest radiographs .
A Bayesian approach to real‐time 3D tumor localization via monoscopic x‐ray imaging during treatment delivery
Authors: Li Ruijiang , Fahimian Benjamin P. , Xing Lei
Published: June 2011

Purpose:

Monoscopic x‐ray imaging with on‐board kV devices is an attractive approach for real‐time image guidance in modern radiation therapy such as VMAT or IMRT, but it falls short in providing reliable information along the direction of imaging x‐ray. By effectively taking consideration of projection data at prior times and/or angles through a Bayesian formalism, the authors develop an algorithm for real‐time and full 3D tumor localization with a single x‐ray imager during treatment delivery.

Methods:

First, a prior probability density function is constructed using the 2D tumor locations on the projection images acquired during patient setup. Whenever an x‐ray image is acquired during the treatment delivery, the corresponding 2D tumor location on the imager is used to update the likelihood function. The unresolved third dimension is obtained by maximizing the posterior probability distribution. The algorithm can also be used in a retrospective fashion when all the projection images during the treatment delivery are used for 3D localization purposes. The algorithm does not involve complex optimization of any model parameter and therefore can be used in a “plug‐and‐play” fashion. The authors validated the algorithm using (1) simulated 3D linear and elliptic motion and (2) 3D tumor motion trajectories of a lung and a pancreas patient reproduced by a physical phantom. Continuous kV images were acquired over a full gantry rotation with the Varian TrueBeam™ on‐board imaging system. Three scenarios were considered: fluoroscopic setup, cone beam CT setup, and retrospective analysis.

Results:

For the simulation study, the RMS 3D localization error is 1.2 and 2.4 mm for the linear and elliptic motions, respectively. For the phantom experiments, the 3D localization error is < 1 mm on average and < 1.5 mm at 95th percentile in the lung and pancreas cases for all three scenarios. The difference in 3D localization error for different scenarios is small and is not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

The proposed algorithm eliminates the need for any population based model parameters in monoscopic image guided radiotherapy and allows accurate and real‐time 3D tumor localization on current standard LINACs with a single x‐ray imager.
Dual‐slot antennas for microwave tissue heating: Parametric design analysis and experimental validation
Authors: Brace Christopher L.
Published: June 2011

Purpose: Design and validate an efficient dual‐slot coaxial microwave ablation antenna that produces an approximately spherical heating pattern to match the shape of most abdominal and pulmonary tumor targets.Methods: A dual‐slot antenna geometry was utilized for this study. Permutations of the antenna geometry using proximal and distal slot widths from 1 to 10 mm separated by 1–20 mm were analyzed using finite‐element electromagnetic simulations. From this series, the most optimal antenna geometry was selected using a two‐term sigmoidal objective function to minimize antenna reflection coefficient and maximize the diameter‐to‐length aspect ratio of heat generation. Sensitivities to variations in tissue properties and insertion depth were also evaluated in numerical models. The most optimal dual‐slot geometry of the parametric analysis was then fabricated from semirigid coaxial cable. Antenna reflection coefficients at various insertion depths were recorded in ex vivo bovine livers and compared to numerical results. Ablation zones were then created by applying 50 W for 2–10 min in simulations and ex vivo livers. Mean zone diameter, length, aspect ratio, and reflection coefficients before and after heating were then compared to a conventional monopole antenna using ANOVA with post‐hoc t‐tests. Statistical significance was indicated for P < 0.05.Results: Antenna performance was highly sensitive to dual‐slot geometry. The best‐performing designs utilized a proximal slot width of 1 mm, distal slot width of 4 mm ± 1 mm and separation of 8 mm ± 1 mm. These designs were characterized by an active choking mechanism that focused heating to the distal tip of the antenna. A dual‐band resonance was observed in the most optimal design, with a minimum reflection coefficient of −20.9 dB at 2.45 and 1.25 GHz. Total operating bandwidth was greater than 1 GHz, but the desired heating pattern was achieved only near 2.45 GHz. As a result, antenna performance was robust to changes in insertion depth and variations in relative permittivity of the surrounding tissue medium. In both simulations and ex vivo liver, the dual‐slot antenna created ablations greater in diameter than a coaxial monopole (35 mm ± 2 mm versus 31 mm ± 2 mm; P < 0.05), while also shorter in length (49 mm ± 2 mm versus 60 mm ± 6 mm; P < 0.001) after 10 min. Similar results were obtained after 2 and 5 min as well.Conclusions: Dual‐slot antennas can produce more spherical ablation zones while retaining low reflection coefficients. These benefits are obtained without adding to the antenna diameter. Further evaluation for clinical microwave ablation appears warranted.
Mitotic Substrates of the Kinase Aurora with Roles in Chromatin Regulation Identified Through Quantitative Phosphoproteomics of Fission Yeast
Authors: Koch André , Krug Karsten , Pengelley Stuart , Macek Boris , Hauf Silke
Published: June 2011

System-wide analysis of proteins phosphorylated by the mitotic kinase Aurora in fission yeast suggests widespread functions for this kinase in regulating chromatin dynamics.
Spatial Exclusivity Combined with Positive and Negative Selection of Phosphorylation Motifs Is the Basis for Context-Dependent Mitotic Signaling
Authors: Alexander Jes , Lim Daniel , Joughin Brian A. , Hegemann Björn , Hutchins James R. A. , Ehrenberger Tobias , Ivins Frank , Sessa Fabio , Hudecz Otto , Nigg Erich A. , Fry Andrew M. , Musacchio Andrea , Stukenberg P. Todd , Mechtler Karl , Peters Jan-Michael , Smerdon Stephen J. , Yaffe Michael B.
Published: June 2011

Mitotic kinases that localize to the same compartment show negative selectivity for residues in each other’s recognition motifs.
Sorting Out the Centrosome
Authors: Ray L. Bryan
Published: June 2011

Phosphorylation of the yeast centrosome reveals sites of regulation and predicts complex regulation of mammalian centrosomes.
Preventing Runaway Inflammation
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: June 2011

NLRX1 attenuates inflammatory signaling in response to infection by dampening signals from both TLR4 and RIG-1 receptors for pathogen-associated molecules.
In Vitro
Cross-Resistance to Daptomycin and Host Defense Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides in Clinical Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates
Authors: Mishra Nagendra N. , McKinnell James , Yeaman Michael R. , Rubio Aileen , Nast Cynthia C. , Chen Liang , Kreiswirth Barry N. , Bayer Arnold S.
Published: June 2011

We investigated the hypothesis that methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) isolates developing reduced susceptibilities to daptomycin (DAP; a calcium-dependent molecule acting as a cationic antimicrobial peptide [CAP]) may also coevolve reduced
in vitro
susceptibilities to host defense cationic antimicrobial peptides (HDPs). Ten isogenic pairs of clinical MRSA DAP-susceptible/DAP-resistant (DAP
s
/DAP
r
) strains were tested against two distinct HDPs differing in structure, mechanism of action, and origin (thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal proteins [tPMPs] and human neutrophil peptide-1 [hNP-1]) and one bacterium-derived CAP, polymyxin B (PMB). Seven of 10 DAP
r
strains had point mutations in the
mprF
locus (with or without
yyc
operon mutations), while three DAP
r
strains had neither mutation. Several phenotypic parameters previously associated with DAP
r
were also examined: cell membrane order (fluidity), surface charge, and cell wall thickness profiles. Compared to the 10 DAP
s
parental strains, their respective DAP
r
strains exhibited (i) significantly reduced susceptibility to killing by all three peptides (
P
< 0.05), (ii) increased cell membrane fluidity, and (iii) significantly thicker cell walls (
P
< 0.0001). There was no consistent pattern of surface charge profiles distinguishing DAP
s
and DAP
r
strain pairs. Reduced
in vitro
susceptibility to two HDPs and one bacterium-derived CAP tracked closely with DAP
r
in these 10 recent MRSA clinical isolates. These results suggest that adaptive mechanisms involved in the evolution of DAP
r
also provide MRSA with enhanced survivability against HDPs. Such adaptations appear to correlate with MRSA variations in cell membrane order and cell wall structure. DAP
r
strains with or without mutations in the
mprF
locus demonstrated significant cross-resistance profiles to these unrelated CAPs.
Comparative Study of the Genetic Barriers and Pathways towards Resistance of Selective Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Authors: Delang Leen , Vliegen Inge , Froeyen Mathy , Neyts Johan
Published: June 2011

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) inhibitors include direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) such as NS3 serine protease inhibitors, nucleoside and nonnucleoside polymerase inhibitors, and host-targeting antivirals (HTAs) such as cyclophilin inhibitors that have been developed in recent years. Drug-resistant HCV variants have been reported both
in vitro
and in the clinical setting for most classes of drugs. We report a comparative study in which the genetic barrier to drug resistance of a representative selection of these inhibitors is evaluated employing a number of resistance selection protocols. The NS3 protease inhibitors VX-950 and BILN 2061, the nucleoside polymerase inhibitor 2′-
C
-methylcytidine, three nonnucleoside polymerase inhibitors (thiophene carboxylic acid, benzimidazole, and benzothiadiazine), and DEB025 were included. For each drug and passage in the selection process, the phenotype and genotype of the drug-resistant replicon were determined. For a number of molecules (BILN 2061 and nonnucleoside inhibitors), drug-resistant variants were readily selected when wild-type replicon-containing cells were directly cultured in the presence of high concentrations of the inhibitor. Resistance to DEB025 could be selected only following a lengthy stepwise selection procedure. For some DAAs, the signature mutations that emerged under inhibitor pressure differed depending on the selection protocol that was employed. Replication fitness of resistant mutants revealed that the C445F mutation in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase can restore loss of fitness caused by a number of unfit resistance mutations. These data provide important insights into the various pathways leading to drug resistance and allow a direct comparison of the genetic barriers of various HCV drugs.
Human Pharmacokinetics and Safety Profile of Finafloxacin, a New Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic, in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Patel Heena , Andresen Arne , Vente Andreas , Heilmann Hans-Dietrich , Stubbings Will , Seiberling Michael , Lopez-Lazaro Luis , Pokorny Rolf , Labischinski Harald
Published: June 2011

Finafloxacin is a new fluoroquinolone antibiotic with the unique property of increasing antibacterial activity at pH values lower than neutral. Whereas its antibacterial activity at neutral pH matches that of other quinolones in clinical use, it is expected to surpass this activity in tissues and body fluids acidified by the infection or inflammation processes. Pharmacokinetic parameters of oral single and multiple doses of up to 800 mg of finafloxacin and safety/tolerability observations were assessed in a phase I study including 95 healthy volunteers. Finafloxacin is well absorbed after oral administration, generating maximum concentrations (
C
max
s) in plasma at least comparable to those of other fluoroquinolones, with a half-life of around 10 h. About one-third of the dose is excreted unchanged in the urine. Renal elimination appears to be a saturable process leading to slight increases of the area under the concentration-time curve extrapolated to infinity and dose normalized (AUC
∞,norm
) at dosages of 400 mg and above. Safety and tolerability data characterize finafloxacin as a drug with a favorable safety profile. In particular, adverse reactions regarded as class-typical of fluoroquinolones, such as, e.g., electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, neurotoxic effects, or hypoglycemia, were not observed in the study population.
Characterization of Treatment Failure in Efficacy Trials of Drugs against Plasmodium vivax by Genotyping Neutral and Drug Resistance-Associated Markers
Authors: Barnadas Celine , Koepfli Cristian , Karunajeewa Harin A. , Siba Peter M. , Davis Timothy M. E. , Mueller Ivo
Published: June 2011

Plasmodium vivax
intervention trials customarily report uncorrected treatment failure rates. Application of recrudescence-reinfection genotyping and drug resistance single-nucleotide polymorphism typing to a 4-arm comparative efficacy trial illustrated that molecular approaches can assist in understanding the relative contributions of true drug resistance (recurrent with same genotype) and new infections to treatment failure. The PCR-corrected adequate clinical and parasitologic response may constitute an informative secondary endpoint in future
P. vivax
drug trials.
Unintentional paediatric ingestion poisonings and the role of imitative behaviour
Authors: Rodgers Gregory B , Franklin Robert L , Midgett Jonathan D
Published: June 2011

Objective

To quantify the relationship between imitative behaviour and poisonings in children.

Setting

USA.

Methods

This study is based on the evaluation of a large national database of unintentional oral ingestion poisonings involving children aged <5 years treated in US hospital emergency departments during 2004 and 2005. It begins with the premise that, among other factors, oral drug poisonings can result from children observing and imitating adult behaviour, but that non-oral drug and non-drug poisonings (to be referred to as non-drug poisonings) generally do not, because children do not see adults ingesting non-drug products. The study then compares and contrasts the child poisonings between the two poisoning categories. Differences in the poisoning rate between the oral drug and non-drug categories are estimated by the age and sex of the children. A binary logistic regression analysis is also conducted using non-drug poisonings as a control group to compare against oral drug poisonings.

Results

There was a significant increase in the relative likelihood of oral drug poisonings beginning at age 20–23 months that is consistent with the expected onset of complicated imitative behaviours in children. Based upon our analysis, imitative behaviour may have contributed to about 17 300 child poisonings treated annually in the emergency department, possibly accounting for about 20% of poisonings involving children aged <5 years and 30% of the poisoning injuries involving children aged 20–59 months.

Conclusions

Comprehensive efforts to prevent poisoning need to address the problem of imitative behaviour in children. Caregivers should never ingest medications in the presence of children.
Privacy, confidentiality and abortion statistics: a question of public interest?
Authors: McHale Jean V , Jones June
Published: June 2011

The precise nature and scope of healthcare confidentiality has long been the subject of debate. While the obligation of confidentiality is integral to professional ethical codes and is also safeguarded under English law through the equitable remedy of breach of confidence, underpinned by the right to privacy enshrined in Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998, it has never been regarded as absolute. But when can and should personal information be made available for statistical and research purposes and what if the information in question is highly sensitive information, such as that relating to the termination of pregnancy after 24 weeks? This article explores the case ofIn the Matter of an Appeal to the Information Tribunal under section 57 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, concerning the decision of the Department of Health to withhold some statistical data from the publication of its annual abortion statistics. The specific data being withheld concerned the termination for serious fetal handicap under section 1(1)d of the Abortion Act 1967. The paper explores the implications of this case, which relate both to the nature and scope of personal privacy. It suggests that lessons can be drawn from this case about public interest and use of statistical information and also about general policy issues concerning the legal regulation of confidentiality and privacy in the future.
Undulating microcatheter tip motion with respiratory cycle during intracranial aneurysm embolization: description of a case and strategy for its mitigation
Authors: Chen James X , Gottschalk Allan , Kathuria Sudhir , Gandhi Dheeraj
Published: June 2011

The present report describes a technique for mitigating respiration-related microcatheter motion during endovascular aneurysm treatment by modulating ventilator settings. A rare phenomenon of microcatheter tip movement related to respiration is demonstrated. An adjustment of tidal volume and respiratory rate reduced the degree of inspiratory vessel elongation and stabilized the microcatheter position, allowing for safer, more precise coil deployment. This maneuver can easily be applied to other endovascular procedures for which aberrant microcatheter motion must be minimized.
Geographic access to cancer care: a disparity and a solution
Authors: Ahamad Anesa
Published: June 2011

Background

The rising cancer incidence in developing countries outpaces easy access to care. Time and effort spent on travel for care is a burden to patients and detracts from patient centredness, efficiency, and equitability. In Trinidad and Tobago, significant distress was observed among patients who made long journeys to the single public cancer clinic. The journey time among non-radiotherapy patients was measured.

Methods

Over 19 weekdays in June 2007, the study assessed estimated travel time per visit (ETT), reason for visit for care, and number of visits per patient during their treatment course up to the time of study, and compared the findings with ETT to nearest centres for the US population.

Results

1447 episodes of care utilised 5296 h of patient travel time. Median ETT was 3.75 h (IQR 2–5 h, range 0.5–9 h). 74.1% of patients spent 2.25–9 h ETT. 44% of patients spent >4 h ETT. Median number of visits per patient was 34 (IQR 23–43; range 13–62). Median total ETT per patient was 127.5 h. Median ETT to the centre (1.75 h) was eight times greater than in the USA (13 min). More than 70% of patients attended for reasons other than chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Cancer patients endured a burden of long travel times in 2007. The prevailing policy of the Ministry of Health to build a single centralised modern centre would not have alleviated this burden. Based on these findings, three outlying cancer clinics were created which now provide non-radiotherapy oncology management of patients nearer their homes.
ELASTIC AND THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF NiAl AND Ni3Al FROM FIRST-PRINCIPLES CALCULATIONS
Authors: WANG CHUNLEI , XU JUNQI , HU XUEHUI , CHEN DONG , SUN HAIBIN , YU BENHAI
Published: June 2011

The elastic and thermodynamic characteristics of NiAl and Ni 3 Al crystals have been investigated by using a method of density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation. The three independent elastic constants are C11 = 229.8 GPa , C12 = 124.7 GPa , C44 = 115.7 GPa for NiAl and C11 = 239.6 GPa , C12 = 151.7 GPa , C44 = 123.4 GPa for Ni 3 Al . The bulk moduli, shear moduli, Young's moduli, Poisson's ratios and ratios of B/G of NiAl and Ni 3 Al are also calculated. In addition, the dependences of the bulk moduli on temperatures and pressures as well as the linear thermal expansion coefficients (α L ) versus temperatures are evaluated and discussed. Both NiAl and Ni 3 Al crystals are elastically anisotropic. Especially for NiAl crystal, which should be much brittler than Ni 3 Al , lies at the critical point of brittle behavior. In addition, the present results are well in line with experimental and other theoretical results.
APPROXIMATE NEAREST NEIGHBOR SEARCH UNDER TRANSLATION INVARIANT HAUSDORFF DISTANCE
Authors: KNAUER CHRISTIAN , SCHERFENBERG MARC
Published: June 2011

We present an embedding and search reduction which allow us to build the first data structure for the nearest neighbor search among small point sets with respect to the directed Hausdorff distance under translation. The search structure is non-heuristic in the sense that the quality of the results, the performance, and the space bound are guaranteed.

Let n denote the number of point sets in the data base, s the maximal size of a point set, and d the dimension of the points. The nearest neighbor of a query point set under the translation invariant directed Hausdorff distance can be approximated by one or several nearest neighbor searches for single points in the Euclidean embedding space ℝd(s-1). The approximation factor is [Formula: see text] in case of even s and [Formula: see text] when s is odd. Depending on the direction of the Hausdorff distance either the number of queries or the space requirements are exponential in s.

Furthermore it is shown how to find the exact nearest neighbor under the directed Hausdorff distance without transformation of the point sets within some weaker time and space bounds.
NOTE ON MTTF OF A PARALLEL SYSTEM
Authors: NAKAGAWA TOSHIO , YUN WON YOUNG
Published: June 2011

A parallel system with n identical units is considered, and its mean time to system failure (MTTF) is obtained when the failure time is exponential. A simple asymptotic method of computing MTTF is proposed and its approximal values are compared with the exact MTTFs when the failure time has a Weibull distribution. It is of great interest that such asymptotic methods give good approximations to exact MTTFs. Furthermore, when the number of units is random, the MTTF and an optimal number of units to minimize the expected cost rate are derived.
DISTRIBUTED ON-LINE MULTI-AGENT OPTIMIZATION UNDER UNCERTAINTY: BALANCING EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION
Authors: TAYLOR MATTHEW E. , JAIN MANISH , TANDON PRATEEK , YOKOO MAKOTO , TAMBE MILIND
Published: June 2011

A significant body of work exists on effectively allowing multiple agents to coordinate to achieve a shared goal. In particular, a growing body of work in the Distributed Constraint Optimization (DCOP) framework enables such coordination with different amounts of teamwork. Such algorithms can implicitly or explicitly trade-off improved solution quality with increased communication and computation requirements. However, the DCOP framework is limited to planning problems; DCOP agents must have complete and accurate knowledge about the reward function at plan time.

We extend the DCOP framework, defining the Distributed Coordination of Exploration and Exploitation (DCEE) problem class to address real-world problems, such as ad-hoc wireless network optimization, via multiple novel algorithms. DCEE algorithms differ from DCOP algorithms in that they (1) are limited to a finite number of actions in a single trial, (2) attempt to maximize the on-line, rather than final, reward, (3) are unable to exhaustively explore all possible actions, and (4) may have knowledge about the distribution of rewards in the environment, but not the rewards themselves. Thus, a DCEE problem is not a type of planning problem, as DCEE algorithms must carefully balance and coordinate multiple agents' exploration and exploitation.

Two classes of algorithms are introduced: static estimation algorithms perform simple calculations that allow agents to either stay or explore, and balanced exploration algorithms use knowledge about the distribution of the rewards and the time remaining in an experiment to decide whether to stay, explore, or (in some algorithms) backtrack to a previous location. These two classes of DCEE algorithms are compared in simulation and on physical robots in a complex mobile ad-hoc wireless network setting. Contrary to our expectations, we found that increasing teamwork in DCEE algorithms may lower team performance. In contrast, agents running DCOP algorithms improve their reward as teamwork increases. We term this previously unknown phenomenon the team uncertainty penalty, analyze it in both simulation and on robots, and present techniques to ameliorate the penalty.
Indonesian Throughflow variability during the last 140 ka: the Timor Sea outflow
Authors: Holbourn Ann , Kuhnt Wolfgang , Xu Jian
Published: June 2011

The transfer of surface and intermediate water from the Pacific to Indian Ocean through the Indonesian passages (Indonesian Throughflow: ITF) strongly influences the heat and freshwater budgets of tropical water masses, in turn affecting global climate. Here, we use combined δ
18
O and Mg/Ca analyses of surface and thermocline planktonic foraminifers to estimate variations in sea surface temperature, salinity and mixed layer thickness over the last 140 ka. Comparison of water mass properties reveals a steeper thermocline temperature gradient in the Timor Strait than in the eastern Indian Ocean during glacials, implying a decrease in ITF cool thermocline outflow. A major freshening and cooling of thermocline waters occurred at
c
. 9.5 ka, when sea level rose above a critical threshold, allowing establishment of a shallow marine connection from the South China Sea to the Java Sea. Comparison of benthic δ
13
C profiles (
c
. 1800 to 3000 m water depth) suggests vigorous mixing of Indian Ocean and ITF outflow intermediate waters during interglacials. In contrast, deep and intermediate water masses became more stratified during glacials. Lower δ
13
C values at
c
. 3000 m water depth reflect a decrease in deepwater ventilation, probably related to slowdown of the global thermohaline circulation during glacials.
SE Asian carbonates: tools for evaluating environmental and climatic change in equatorial tropics over the last 50 million years
Authors: Wilson Moyra E. J.
Published: June 2011

This study reviews how shallow water carbonates are revealing environmental and climatic changes on all scales through the last 50 million years in SE Asia. Marine biodiversity reaches a global maximum in the region, yet the environmental conditions are at odds with the traditional view of ‘blue-water’ reefal development. The region is characterized by complex tectonics, major volcanism, high terrestrial runoff, nutrient influx, everwet and monsoonal climates, low salinities, major currents and ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) fluctuations. Terrestrial runoff, nutrient upwelling, tectonics, volcanism and recent human activities are major influences on the modern development of carbonate systems. Coral sclerochronology is revealing how these factors vary locally over annual and decadal scales. The strong impact of vertical tectonic movements and the interplay with eustasy is evaluated from Quaternary and Pleistocene coral reef terraces. Isotopic data from terrace deposits indicates that interglacials may have been up to 3–6 °C warmer than glacials, consistent with the region's record from terrestrial and deep marine deposits. Study of outcrop and subsurface carbonate deposits reveals the impact of tectonics, siliciclastic, nutrient influx, eustasy and oceanography on individual systems over millennial timescales. Major changes in oceanography, plate tectonics, climate change and perhaps fluctuating CO
2
levels impacted Cenozoic regional carbonate development. Results of studies from terrestrial and deep marine realms are comparable with those from the carbonates, but have yielded higher resolution records of changing currents, precipitation and the monsoons. There is considerable scope for further research, however, SE Asian carbonates are powerful tools in evaluating past environmental change in the equatorial tropics.
Australia–SE Asia collision: plate tectonics and crustal flow
Authors: Hall Robert
Published: June 2011

The Sundaland core of SE Asia is a heterogeneous assemblage of Tethyan sutures and Gondwana fragments. Its complex basement structure was one major influence on Cenozoic tectonics; the rifting history of the north Australian margin was another. Fragments that rifted from Australia in the Jurassic collided with Sundaland in the Cretaceous and terminated subduction. From 90 to 45 Ma Sundaland was largely surrounded by inactive margins with localized strike-slip deformation, extension and subduction. At 45 Ma Australia began to move north, and subduction resumed beneath Sundaland. At 23 Ma the Sula Spur promontory collided with the Sundaland margin. From 15 Ma there was subduction hinge rollback into the Banda oceanic embayment, major extension, and later collision of the Banda volcanic arc with the southern margin of the embayment. However, this plate tectonic framework cannot be reduced to a microplate scale to explain Cenozoic deformation. Sundaland has a weak thin lithosphere, highly responsive to plate boundary forces and a hot weak deep crust has flowed in response to tectonic and topographic forces, and sedimentary loading. Gravity-driven movements of the upper crust, unusually rapid vertical motions, exceptionally high rates of erosion, and massive movements of sediment have characterized this region.
In the Virtual Extension
Authors: CACM Staff
Published: June 2011

To ensure the timely publication of articles,
Communications
created the Virtual Extension (VE) to expand the page limitations of the print edition by bringing readers the same high-quality articles in an online-only format. VE articles undergo the same rigorous review process as those in the print edition and are accepted for publication on merit. The following synopses are from articles now available in their entirety to ACM members via the Digital Library.
Weighing Watson's impact
Authors: Kroeker Kirk L.
Published: June 2011

Does IBM's Watson represent a distinct breakthrough in machine learning and natural language processing or is the 2,880-core wunderkind merely a solid feat of engineering?
ACM award recipients
Authors: CACM Staff
Published: June 2011

Craig Gentry, Kurt Mehlhorn, and other computer scientists are honored for their research and service.
Driving power in global supply chains
Authors: Sako Mari
Published: June 2011

How global and local influences affect product manufacturers.
Too many copyrights?
Authors: Samuelson Pamela
Published: June 2011

Reinstituting formalities---notice of copyright claims and registration requirements---could help address problems related to too many copyrights that last for too many years.
Cellular telephony and the question of privacy
Authors: Wicker Stephen B.
Published: June 2011

A private overlay may ease concerns over surveillance tools supported by cellular networks.
The case for RAMCloud
Authors: Ousterhout John , Agrawal Parag , Erickson David , Kozyrakis Christos , Leverich Jacob , Mazières David , Mitra Subhasish , Narayanan Aravind , Ongaro Diego , Parulkar Guru , Rosenblum Mendel , Rumble Stephen M. , Stratmann Eric , Stutsman Ryan
Published: June 2011

With scalable high-performance storage entirely in DRAM, RAMCloud will enable a new breed of data-intensive applications.
Workload management for power efficiency in virtualized data centers
Authors: Dasgupta Gargi , Sharma Amit , Verma Akshat , Neogi Anindya , Kothari Ravi
Published: June 2011

Power-aware dynamic application placement can address underutilization of servers as well as the rising energy costs in a data center.
A driver-layer caching policy for removable storage devices
Authors: Chang Yuan-Hao , Hsu Ping-Yi , Lu Yung-Feng , Kuo Tei-Wei
Published: June 2011

The growing popularity of flash memory is expected to draw attention to the limitations of file-system performance over flash memory. This work was motivated by the modular designs of operating system components such as bus and device drivers. A filter-driver-layered caching design is proposed to resolve the performance gap among file systems and to improve their performance with the considerations of flash memory characteristics. An efficient hybrid tree structure is presented to organize and manipulate the intervals of cached writes. Algorithms are proposed in the merging, padding, and removing of the data of writes. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated with some analysis study of FAT-formatted and NTFS-formatted USB flash disks. The proposed cohesive caching policy was implemented as a filter driver in Windows XP/Vista for performance evaluation. In the experiments, a ten-fold or larger performance improvement was usually achieved when the cache size was only 64KB. Other substantial improvements were also observed in the experiments. For example, the proposed design enabled FAT-formatted and NTFS-formatted flash-memory devices to copy Linux image files 93% and 14% faster than conventional flash drives, respectively.
Design and evaluation of a command recommendation system for software applications
Authors: Li Wei , Matejka Justin , Grossman Tovi , Konstan Joseph A. , Fitzmaurice George
Published: June 2011

We examine the use of modern recommender system technology to aid command awareness in complex software applications. We first describe our adaptation of traditional recommender system algorithms to meet the unique requirements presented by the domain of software commands. A user study showed that our item-based collaborative filtering algorithm generates 2.1 times as many good suggestions as existing techniques. Motivated by these positive results, we propose a design space framework and its associated algorithms to support both global and contextual recommendations. To evaluate the algorithms, we developed the CommunityCommands plug-in for AutoCAD. This plug-in enabled us to perform a 6-week user study of real-time, within-application command recommendations in actual working environments. We report and visualize command usage behaviors during the study, and discuss how the recommendations affected users behaviors. In particular, we found that the plug-in successfully exposed users to new commands, as unique commands issued significantly increased.
The organization of home media
Authors: Sease Robin , McDonald David W.
Published: June 2011

The growing volume of digital music, photos and video challenges media management software and organizing schemes alike. Through 20 in situ, two hour interviews we explored the when, why and how of our participants' organizational schemes. We sought and studied significantly larger media collections than in previous studies. For these larger media collections some common assumptions like the distinction between popular and classical music collectors do not hold. Our analysis identifies organizing schemes commonly used on a day-to-day basis. We found that participants often rely on overrides or exceptions to their organizational schemes that they consider idiosyncrasies. However, our findings illustrate that those idiosyncratic behaviors are more common than participants believe. Our analysis reflects upon prior research and on the relationship between physical and digital artifacts, relating computer supported cooperative work systems to contemporary media management applications. Our findings can inform the design of media management and media player software.