bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Framework for Assessment for Learning: Implications for Feedback Practices within and beyond the Gap
Authors: Tan Kelvin
Published: April 2013

Three recurring emphases in the literature on formative assessment are (a) the importance of assessment design in prompting and sustaining students' learning, (b) giving students feedback that enables them to improve their work, and (c) clarity of standards to articulate the gap between past and desired performances. Much has been written on how each of these is important in designing and using assessment for learning. But there is considerably less attention (if any) on how these emphases should confluence each other. In this paper, I propose a framework for assessment for learning (AfL) wherein assessment standards (vertical axis), task design (horizontal axis) and feedback practices (incline) form a “triangle of practices” that construct the “space” for enhancing learning. Implications for formative assessment to extend learning beyond its triangulated frame are discussed.
A Hybrid Authenticated Group Key Agreement Protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Li Yue , Chen Dehua , Li Wei , Wang Gaoli , Smith Paul
Published: April 2013

Wireless sensor networks are a modern and advanced technology whose applications are fast developing in recent years. Despite being a fascinating topic with various visions of a more intelligent world, there still exist security issues to be resolved in order to make WSNs fully adoptable. Due to the resource constraints of sensor nodes, it is infeasible to use traditional key establishment techniques that find use in fixed communication systems. In this paper, the design of a new hybrid Authenticated Group Key Agreement (AGKA) protocol is described for WSNs. The AGKA protocol reduces the high cost public-key operations at the sensor side and replaces them with efficient symmetric-key based operations. The proposed AGKA protocol is not only efficient but also meets strong security requirements. In order to demonstrate the protocol is verifiably secure and trustworthy, a formal verification of the AGKA protocol is carried out. Furthermore, several experiments are conducted on MICAz and TelosB platforms in order to evaluate the performance of the proposed protocol. The evaluation results show that the AGKA protocol is well suited for use with resource-constrained sensor nodes.
Acupressure Improves the Weaning Indices of Tidal Volumes and Rapid Shallow Breathing Index in Stable Coma Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Maa Suh-Hwa , Wang Chiu-Hua , Hsu Kuang-Hung , Lin Horng-Chyuan , Yee Brian , MacDonald Karen , Abraham Ivo
Published: April 2013

Background. Acupressure has been shown to improve respiratory parameters. We investigated the effects of acupressure on weaning indices in stable coma patients receiving mechanical ventilation.Methods. Patients were randomly allocated to one of three treatments: standard care with adjunctive acupressure on one (n=32) or two days (n=31) and standard care (n=31). Acupressure in the form of 10 minutes of bilateral stimulation at five acupoints was administered per treatment session. Weaning indices were collected on two days before, right after, and at 0.5 hrs, 1 hr, 1.5 hrs, 2 hrs, 2.5 hrs, 3 hrs, 3.5 hrs, and 4 hrs after the start of treatment.Results. There were statistically significant improvements in tidal volumes and index of rapid shallow breathing in the one-day and two-day adjunctive acupressure study arms compared to the standard care arm immediately after acupressure and persisting until 0.5, 1 hr, and 2 hrs after adjustment for covariates.Conclusions. In the stable ventilated coma patient, adjunctive acupressure contributes to improvements in tidal volumes and the index of rapid shallow breathing, the two indices most critical for weaning patients from mechanical ventilation. These effects tend to be immediate and likely to be sustained for 1 to 2 hours.
Optimal Mobile Sensor Scheduling for a Guaranteed Coverage Ratio in Hybrid Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Fu Zhixin , You Keyou
Published: April 2013

This paper proposes an optimal mobile sensor-scheduling algorithm for recovering the failure sensors in hybrid wireless sensor networks (WSNs). To maintain a guaranteed coverage over the area of interest, spare mobile sensors in WSNs will be activated to replace the failure sensors. The optimal scheduling problem is formulated into two optimization problems, one of which precisely determines the minimum value of the largest distance required to travel for mobile sensors, while the other one gives the optimal dispatch for mobile sensors to minimize the total travel distance. Furthermore, a distributed suboptimal scheduling, which only requires the local matching information of mobile sensors, is developed as well. Both regular and random network topologies are provided to illustrate the proposed algorithms in the simulation.
Empirically Based Psychosocial Therapies for Schizophrenia: The Disconnection between Science and Practice
Authors: Shean Glenn D.
Published: April 2013

Empirically validated psychosocial therapies for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia were described in the report of the Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT, 2009). The PORT team identified eight psychosocial treatments: assertive community treatment, supported employment, cognitive behavioral therapy, family-based services, token economy, skills training, psychosocial interventions for alcohol and substance use disorders, and psychosocial interventions for weight management. PORT listings of empirically validated psychosocial therapies provide a useful template for the design of effective recovery-oriented mental health care systems. Unfortunately, surveys indicate that PORT listings have not been implemented in clinical settings. Obstacles to the implementation of PORT psychosocial therapy listings and suggestions for changes needed to foster implementation are discussed. Limitations of PORT therapy listings that are based on therapy outcome efficacy studies are discussed, and cross-cultural and course and outcome studies of correlates of recovery are summarized.
Phenol Photocatalytic Degradation by Advanced Oxidation Process under Ultraviolet Radiation Using Titanium Dioxide
Authors: Nickheslat Ali , Amin Mohammad Mehdi , Izanloo Hassan , Fatehizadeh Ali , Mousavi Seyed Mohammad
Published: April 2013

Background. The main objective of this study was to examine the photocatalytic degradation of phenol from laboratory samples and petrochemical industries wastewater under UV radiation by using nanoparticles of titanium dioxide coated on the inner and outer quartz glass tubes.Method. The first stage of this study was conducted to stabilize the titanium dioxide nanoparticles in anatase crystal phase, using dip-coating sol-gel method on the inner and outer surfaces of quartz glass tubes. The effect of important parameters including initial phenol concentration, TiO2catalyst dose, duration of UV radiation, pH of solution, and contact time was investigated.Results. In the dip-coat lining stage, the produced nanoparticles with anatase crystalline structure have the average particle size of 30 nm and are uniformly distributed over the tube surface. The removal efficiency of phenol was increased with the descending of the solution pH and initial phenol concentration and rising of the contact time.Conclusion. Results showed that the light easily passes through four layers of coating (about 105 nm). The highest removal efficiency of phenol with photocatalytic UV/TiO2process was 50% at initial phenol concentration of 30 mg/L, solution pH of 3, and 300 min contact time. The comparison of synthetic solution and petrochemical wastewater showed that at same conditions the phenol removal efficiency was equal.
Approximated Slack Scaling for Structural Support Vector Machines in Scene Depth Analysis
Authors: Liu Sheng , Zhai Binbin , Chan Sixian , Li Feng , Zhan Ye
Published: April 2013

Based upon the framework of the structural support vector machines, this paper proposes two approaches to the depth restoration towards different scenes, that is, margin rescaling and the slack rescaling. The results show that both approaches achieve high convergence, while the slack approach yields better performance in prediction accuracy. However, due to its nondecomposability nature, the application of the slack approach is limited. This paper therefore introduces a novel approximation slack method to solve this problem, in which we propose a modified way of defining the loss functions to ensure the decomposability of the object function. During the training process, a bundle method is used to improve the computing efficiency. The results on Middlebury datasets show that proposed depth inference method solves the nondecomposability of slack scaling method and achieves relative acceptable accuracy. Our approximation approach can be an alternative for the slack scaling method to ensure efficient computation.
Ketosis-Onset Diabetes and Ketosis-Prone Diabetes: Same or Not?
Authors: Liu Beiyan , Yu Changhua , Li Qiang , Li Lin
Published: April 2013

Objective. To compare clinical characteristics, immunological markers, andβ-cell functions of 4 subgroups (“Aβ” classification system) of ketosis-onset diabetes and ketosis prone diabetes patients without known diabetes, presenting with ketosis or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and admitted to our department from March 2011 to December 2011 in China, with 50 healthy persons as control group.Results.β-cell functional reserve was preserved in 63.52% of patients. In almost each subgroup (except A−  β− subgroup of ketosis prone group), male patients were more than female ones. The age of the majority of patients in ketosis prone group was older than that of ketosis-onset group, except A−  β− subgroup of ketosis prone group. The durations from the patient first time ketosis or DKA onset to admitting to the hospital have significant difference, which were much longer for the ketosis prone group except the A+β+ subgroup. BMI has no significant difference among subgroups. FPG of ketosis prone group was lower than that of A−  β+ subgroup and A+β+ subgroup in ketosis-onset group. A−  β− subgroup and A+β+ subgroup of ketosis prone group have lower HbA1c than ketosis-onset group.Conclusions. Ketosis-onset diabetes and ketosis prone diabetes do not absolutely have the same clinical characteristics. Each subgroup shows different specialty.
Fatal Blastoid Variant Mantle Cell Lymphoma in a Patient with Sjögren's Syndrome
Authors: Bonilla-Abadía Fabio , Pérez Manuel A. , Muñoz-Buitrón Evelyn , Rosales Joaquín D. , Cañas Carlos A. , Tobón Gabriel J.
Published: April 2013

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disorder of the exocrine glands presenting with progressive ocular and oral dryness, parotid gland enlargement, and often with extraglandular manifestations. In this group of patients the risk of development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is 16-fold compared to healthy population, mainly of the MALT lymphoma type. This case reports a 52-year-old woman with pSS developing a progressively growing mass at face and neck compatible with blastoid variant mantle cell lymphoma and a fatal outcome.
HBV Perinatal Transmission
Authors: Umar Muhammad , Hamama-tul-Bushra  , Umar Shifa , Khan Haider Ali
Published: April 2013

Hepatitis B is a serious public health problem all around the world. It is a blood-borne and sexually transmitted DNA virus in adults, but mother to child transmission of hepatitis B virus also occurs in infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen positive mothers.
Depletion of Regulatory T Cells in a Mouse Experimental Glioma Model through Anti-CD25 Treatment Results in the Infiltration of Non-Immunosuppressive Myeloid Cells in the Brain
Authors: Maes Wim , Verschuere Tina , Van Hoylandt Anaïs , Boon Louis , Van Gool Stefaan
Published: April 2013

The recruitment and activation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the micro-environment of malignant brain tumors has detrimental effects on antitumoral immune responses. Hence, local elimination of Tregs within the tumor micro-environment represents a highly valuable tool from both a fundamental and clinical perspective. In the syngeneic experimental GL261 murine glioma model, Tregs were prophylactically eliminated through treatment with PC61, an anti-CD25 mAb. This resulted in specific elimination of CD4+CD25hiFoxp3+ Treg within brain-infiltrating lymphocytes and complete protection against subsequent orthotopic GL261 tumor challenge. Interestingly, PC61-treated mice also showed a pronounced infiltration of CD11b+ myeloid cells in the brain. Phenotypically, these cells could not be considered as Gr-1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) but were identified as F4/80+ macrophages and granulocytes.
Unicystic Mural Ameloblastoma: An Unusual Case Report
Authors: Nagalaxmi V. , Sangmesh Mithare , Maloth Kotya Naik , Kodangal Srikanth , Chappidi Vani , Goyal Stuti
Published: April 2013

Ameloblastoma is a benign odontogenic neoplasm which frequently affects the mandible. The term ameloblastoma includes several clinicoradiological and histological types. Apart from the most commonly encountered clinicopathologic models, there are few variants, whose biological profile is unknown or not elicited. Among these types, unicystic ameloblastoma is the least encountered variant of the ameloblastoma. Unicystic ameloblastoma refers to those cystic lesions that show clinical, radiographic, or gross features of a jaw cyst but on histologic examination show a typical ameloblastomatous epithelium lining the cyst cavity, with or without luminal and/or mural tumor proliferation. Unicystic ameloblastoma is a less encountered variant of the ameloblastoma and is believed to be less aggressive. As this tumor shows considerable similarities with dentigerous cysts, both clinically and radiographically, the biologic behaviour of this tumor group was reviewed. Moreover, recurrence of unicystic ameloblastoma may be long delayed, and a long-term postoperative followup is essential for proper management of these patients. Here we are presenting a case of unicystic ameloblastoma in an 18-year-old female patient.
Sensor Protocol for Roaming Bluetooth Multiagent Systems
Authors: Park Neungsoo , Mandal Bijoy Kumar , Park Young-Ho
Published: April 2013

Bluetooth is a low-cost, short-range wireless technology capable of providing many communication functionalities. However, Bluetooth does not support any sensor protocol which is related to a roaming and in which handoff occurs dynamically when a Bluetooth device is moving away from coverage of the network. If a device is losing its connection to the master device, there is no provision which transfers it to another master. Handoff is not possible in a piconet, as in order to stay within the network, a slave would have to keep the same master. Thus, by definition intrahandoff is not possible within a piconet. This research mainly focuses on Bluetooth roaming sensor technology and designs a sensor protocol which works in a roaming for Bluetooth multiagent system technology. The advantage of designing a roaming protocol is to ensure the Bluetooth enabled roaming devices can freely move inside the network coverage without losing its connection or break of service, in case of changing the base stations.
Haptoglobin Genotype-Dependent Anti-Inflammatory Signaling in CD163+Macrophages
Authors: Landis R. Clive , Philippidis Pandelis , Domin Jan , Boyle Joseph J. , Haskard Dorian O.
Published: April 2013

Intraplaque hemorrhage causes adaptive remodelling of macrophages towards a protective phenotype specialized towards handling iron and lipid overload, denoted Mhem. The Mhem phenotype expresses elevated levels of hemoglobin (Hb) scavenger receptor, CD163, capable of endocytosing pro-oxidant free Hb complexed to acute phase protein haptoglobin (Hp). It is notable that individuals homozygous for the Hp 2 allele (a poorer antioxidant) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to the Hp 1 allele. In this study, we examined whether scavenging of polymorphic Hp:Hb complexes differentially generated downstream anti-inflammatory signals in cultured human macrophages culminating in interleukin (IL)-10 secretion. We describe an anti-inflammatory signalling pathway involving phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase activation upstream of Akt phosphorylation (pSer473Akt) and IL-10 secretion. The pathway is mediated specifically through CD163 and is blocked by anti-CD163 antibody or phagocytosis inhibitor. However, levels of pSer473Akt and IL-10 were significantly diminished when scavenging polymorphic Hp2-2:Hb complexes compared to Hp1-1:Hb complexes(P<0.05). Impaired anti-inflammatory macrophage signaling through a CD163/pAkt/IL-10 axis may thus represent a possible Hp2-2 disease mechanism in atherosclerosis.
A Study of Changes in Morphology of Osteoarthritic Articular Cartilage Using Computerized Image Analysis
Authors: Goyal Neeru , Gupta Madhur
Published: April 2013

Histological studies on articular cartilage have been traditionally based on individual observations but this approach is limited by its subjectivity and bias, yielding considerable variability. So the present study was conducted to observe the various changes in the morphology of osteoarthritic femoral articular cartilage using computerized image analysis. The cartilage specimens were divided into two groups: group 1 (n=23) (46–81 years) consisted of OA specimens. Group 2 (n=12) (41–86 years) consisted of non-OA specimens. A 5 μm thick paraffin sections were stained with H&E staining and analyzed using Image-Pro Express image analysis software for quantitative analysis of articular cartilage. Various parameters, namely, total thickness of the cartilage, area of lacunae in each zone, area of subchondral cavities, and number of chondrocytes per 10,000 μm2 area in each zone, were measured. Microscopic appearance of OA cartilage was much different as compared to control. Various changes seen were different in all specimens and they were not related to age. Lacunar size in all four zones was found to differ significantly in the OA (group 1) and control (group 2) (P<0.05). The results suggest that OA should be considered as a specific process and not simply as an inevitable feature of ageing.
Nrf2 Prevents Initiation but Accelerates Progression through the Kras Signaling Pathway during Lung Carcinogenesis
Authors: Satoh Hironori , Moriguchi Takashi , Takai Jun , Ebina Masahito , Yamamoto Masayuki
Published: April 2013

Nrf2 (Nfe2l2) governs cellular defenses against oxidative and electrophilic stresses and protects against chemical carcinogenesis. However, many cancers have been found to accumulate NRF2 protein, raising questions of precisely how Nrf2 contributes to carcinogenesis. In this report, we explored such questions in an established urethane-induced multistep model of lung carcinogenesis. Consistent with earlier observations, Nrf2-deficient (Nrf2−/−) mice exhibited a relative increase in tumor foci by 8 weeks after urethane administration. However, after 16 weeks, we observed a relative reduction in the number of tumors with more malignant characteristics in Nrf2−/− mice. Furthermore, all Nrf2+/+ tumors harbored activated mutations in Kras, whereas Nrf2−/− tumors were rarely associated with similar Kras mutations. Overall, our results established that Nrf2 has two roles during carcinogenesis, one of which is preventive during tumor initiation and the second that promotes malignant progression. These findings establish Nrf2 inhibitors as rational tools to prevent malignant progression in lung cancer, whereas Nrf2 activators are more suited for lung cancer prevention. Cancer Res; 73(13); 4158–68. ©2013 AACR.
Psychosocial Stress Related to the Loss of a Close Relative the Year Before or During Pregnancy and Risk of Preeclampsia
Authors: László Krisztina D. , Liu Xiao Qin , Svensson Tobias , Wikström Anna-Karin , Li Jiong , Olsen Jørn , Obel Carsten , Vestergaard Mogens , Cnattingius Sven
Published: April 2013

The role of stress in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia has only been investigated in a few studies, and the findings are not conclusive. We analyzed whether maternal bereavement shortly before or during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia. We conducted a cohort study of singleton births in Denmark during 1978–2008 and in Sweden during 1973–2006 (n=4 122 490) by linking national population-based registers. Mothers were considered exposed to bereavement if they lost a parent, a sibling, a partner, or a child the year before or during pregnancy (n=124 553). The risk of preeclampsia was slightly increased for women who lost a close relative during the 6 months before conception (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–1.23) or during the first trimester of pregnancy (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03–1.29). Exposure during these periods tended to be more closely related to early preeclampsia (delivery before 34 weeks of gestation; OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.12–1.67) than to late preeclampsia (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.06–1.20). The strongest association was observed between loss of a child and early preeclampsia when the exposure window was from 6 months before pregnancy until start of second trimester (OR, 4.03; 95% CI, 2.46–6.61). Our results related to timing of exposure suggest that severe stress may influence early placentation. However, the public health implications of our findings are limited in populations with a low prevalence of severe stress exposures.
Estrogen Receptor-β in the Paraventricular Nucleus and Rostroventrolateral Medulla Plays an Essential Protective Role in Aldosterone/Salt-Induced Hypertension in Female Rats
Authors: Xue Baojian , Zhang Zhongming , Beltz Terry G. , Johnson Ralph F. , Guo Fang , Hay Meredith , Johnson Alan Kim
Published: April 2013

The identification of the specific estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes that are involved in estrogen protection from hypertension and their specific locations in the central nervous system is critical to our understanding and design of effective estrogen replacement therapies in women. Using selective ER agonists and recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying small interference (si) RNA to silence either ERα (AAV-siRNA-ERα) or ERβ (AAV-siRNA-ERβ), the present study investigated regional specificity of different ER subtypes in the protective actions of estrogen in aldosterone (Aldo)-induced hypertension. Intracerebroventricular infusions of either diarylpropionitrile, a selective ERβ agonist, or propyl-pyrazole-triol, a selective ERα agonist, attenuated Aldo/NaCl-induced hypertension in ovariectomized rats. In contrast, intracerebroventricular injections of siRNA-ERα or siRNA-ERβ augmented Aldo-induced hypertension in intact females. Site-specific paraventricular nucleus (PVN) or rostroventrolateral medulla (RVLM) injections of siRNA-ERβ augmented Aldo-induced hypertension. However, rats with PVN or RVLM injections of siRNA-ERα did not significantly increase blood pressure induced by Aldo. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses of the PVN and RVLM of siRNA-injected rat confirmed a marked reduction in the expression of ERα and ERβ. In cultured PVN neurons, silencing either ERα or ERβ by culturing PVN neurons with siRNA-ERα or siRNA-ERβ enhanced Aldo-induced reactive oxygen species production. Ganglionic blockade after Aldo infusion showed an increase in sympathetic activity in ERβ knockdown rats. These results indicate that both PVN and RVLM ERβ, but not ERα in these nuclei, contribute to the protective effects of estrogen against Aldo-induced hypertension. The brain regions responsible for the protective effects of estrogen interaction with ERα in Aldo-induced hypertension still need to be determined.
Renal Collecting Duct NOS1 Maintains Fluid–Electrolyte Homeostasis and Blood Pressure
Authors: Hyndman Kelly A. , Boesen Erika I. , Elmarakby Ahmed A. , Brands Michael W. , Huang Paul , Kohan Donald E. , Pollock David M. , Pollock Jennifer S.
Published: April 2013

Nitric oxide is a pronatriuretic and prodiuretic factor. The highest renal NO synthase (NOS) activity is found in the inner medullary collecting duct. The collecting duct (CD) is the site of daily fine-tune regulation of sodium balance, and led us to hypothesize that a CD-specific deletion of NOS1 would result in an impaired ability to excrete a sodium load leading to a salt-sensitive blood pressure phenotype. We bred AQP2-CRE mice with NOS1 floxed mice to produce flox control and CD-specific NOS1 knockout (CDNOS1KO) littermates. CDs from CDNOS1KO mice produced 75% less nitrite, and urinary nitrite+nitrate (NOx) excretion was significantly blunted in the knockout genotype. When challenged with high dietary sodium, CDNOS1KO mice showed significantly reduced urine output, sodium, chloride, and NOx excretion, and increased mean arterial pressure relative to flox control mice. In humans, urinary NOx is a newly identified biomarker for the progression of hypertension. These findings reveal that NOS1 in the CD is critical in the regulation of fluid–electrolyte balance, and this new genetic model of CD NOS1 gene deletion will be a valuable tool to study salt-dependent blood pressure mechanisms.
Generation of Compound Words in Statistical Machine Translation into Compounding Languages
Authors: Stymne Sara , Cancedda Nicola , Ahrenberg Lars
Published: April 2013

In this article we investigate statistical machine translation (SMT) into Germanic languages, with a focus on compound processing. Our main goal is to enable the generation of novel compounds that have not been seen in the training data. We adopt a split-merge strategy, where compounds are split before training the SMT system, and merged after the translation step. This approach reduces sparsity in the training data, but runs the risk of placing translations of compound parts in non-consecutive positions. It also requires a postprocessing step of compound merging, where compounds are reconstructed in the translation output. We present a method for increasing the chances that components that should be merged are translated into contiguous positions and in the right order and show that it can lead to improvements both by direct inspection and in terms of standard translation evaluation metrics. We also propose several new methods for compound merging, based on heuristics and machine learning, which outperform previously suggested algorithms. These methods can produce novel compounds and a translation with at least the same overall quality as the baseline. For all subtasks we show that it is useful to include part-of-speech based information in the translation process, in order to handle compounds.
Multiple Spectral Kernel Learning and a Gaussian Complexity Computation
Authors: Reyhani Nima
Published: April 2013

Multiple kernel learning (MKL) partially solves the kernel selection problem in support vector machines and similar classifiers by minimizing the empirical risk over a subset of the linear combination of given kernel matrices. For large sample sets, the size of the kernel matrices becomes a numerical issue. In many cases, the kernel matrix is of low-efficient rank. However, the low-rank property is not efficiently utilized in MKL algorithms. Here, we suggest multiple spectral kernel learning that efficiently uses the low-rank property by finding a kernel matrix from a set of Gram matrices of a few eigenvectors from all given kernel matrices, called a spectral kernel set. We provide a new bound for the gaussian complexity of the proposed kernel set, which depends on both the geometry of the kernel set and the number of Gram matrices. This characterization of the complexity implies that in an MKL setting, adding more kernels may not monotonically increase the complexity, while previous bounds show otherwise.
Design and Analysis of Closed-Loop Decoder Adaptation Algorithms for Brain-Machine Interfaces
Authors: Dangi Siddharth , Orsborn Amy L. , Moorman Helene G. , Carmena Jose M.
Published: April 2013

Closed-loop decoder adaptation (CLDA) is an emerging paradigm for achieving rapid performance improvements in online brain-machine interface (BMI) operation. Designing an effective CLDA algorithm requires making multiple important decisions, including choosing the timescale of adaptation, selecting which decoder parameters to adapt, crafting the corresponding update rules, and designing CLDA parameters. These design choices, combined with the specific settings of CLDA parameters, will directly affect the algorithm's ability to make decoder parameters converge to values that optimize performance. In this article, we present a general framework for the design and analysis of CLDA algorithms and support our results with experimental data of two monkeys performing a BMI task. First, we analyze and compare existing CLDA algorithms to highlight the importance of four critical design elements: the adaptation timescale, selective parameter adaptation, smooth decoder updates, and intuitive CLDA parameters. Second, we introduce mathematical convergence analysis using measures such as mean-squared error and KL divergence as a useful paradigm for evaluating the convergence properties of a prototype CLDA algorithm before experimental testing. By applying these measures to an existing CLDA algorithm, we demonstrate that our convergence analysis is an effective analytical tool that can ultimately inform and improve the design of CLDA algorithms.
Learning Quadratic Receptive Fields from Neural Responses to Natural Stimuli
Authors: Rajan Kanaka , Marre Olivier , Tkačik Gašper
Published: April 2013

Models of neural responses to stimuli with complex spatiotemporal correlation structure often assume that neurons are selective for only a small number of linear projections of a potentially high-dimensional input. In this review, we explore recent modeling approaches where the neural response depends on the quadratic form of the input rather than on its linear projection, that is, the neuron is sensitive to the local covariance structure of the signal preceding the spike. To infer this quadratic dependence in the presence of arbitrary (e.g., naturalistic) stimulus distribution, we review several inference methods, focusing in particular on two information theory–based approaches (maximization of stimulus energy and of noise entropy) and two likelihood-based approaches (Bayesian spike-triggered covariance and extensions of generalized linear models). We analyze the formal relationship between the likelihood-based and information-based approaches to demonstrate how they lead to consistent inference. We demonstrate the practical feasibility of these procedures by using model neurons responding to a flickering variance stimulus.
Encoding Through Patterns: Regression Tree–Based Neuronal Population Models
Authors: Haslinger Robert , Pipa Gordon , Lewis Laura D. , Nikolić Danko , Williams Ziv , Brown Emery
Published: April 2013

Although the existence of correlated spiking between neurons in a population is well known, the role such correlations play in encoding stimuli is not. We address this question by constructing pattern-based encoding models that describe how time-varying stimulus drive modulates the expression probabilities of population-wide spike patterns. The challenge is that large populations may express an astronomical number of unique patterns, and so fitting a unique encoding model for each individual pattern is not feasible. We avoid this combinatorial problem using a dimensionality-reduction approach based on regression trees. Using the insight that some patterns may, from the perspective of encoding, be statistically indistinguishable, the tree divisively clusters the observed patterns into groups whose member patterns possess similar encoding properties. These groups, corresponding to the leaves of the tree, are much smaller in number than the original patterns, and the tree itself constitutes a tractable encoding model for each pattern. Our formalism can detect an extremely weak stimulus-driven pattern structure and is based on maximizing the data likelihood, not making a priori assumptions as to how patterns should be grouped. Most important, by comparing pattern encodings with independent neuron encodings, one can determine if neurons in the population are driven independently or collectively. We demonstrate this method using multiple unit recordings from area 17 of anesthetized cat in response to a sinusoidal grating and show that pattern-based encodings are superior to those of independent neuron models. The agnostic nature of our clustering approach allows us to investigate encoding by the collective statistics that are actually present rather than those (such as pairwise) that might be presumed.
Alchemy Revisited by the Mid-Eighteenth Century Chemists in France: An Unpublished Manuscript by Pierre-Joseph Macquer
Authors: Lehman Christine
Published: April 2013

As early as the middle of the seventeenth-century burning mirrors and glasses were used for chemical operations such as calcination of antimony. Later, concave mirrors and convex lenses of about one metre in diameter, able to reach temperatures from 1400 to 2000°C at their focus, allowed a decisive progress in the knowledge of the nature of metals. This breakthrough led the mid-eighteenth century chemists, especially Rouelle and Macquer, to reconsider the Philosophers’ Stone and the alchemical dream of recomposing gold and silver. Macquer’s personal thoughts on the Philosophers’ Stone are reproduced here in full. Moreover, the behaviour of gold and ferruginous earths exposed at the focus of Tschirnhaus’ lens led Macquer to a hypothesis about the nature of solar rays that came surprisingly close to Homberg’s Principle Sulphur at the beginning of the century.
Revision of the Subgenus Coprochara Mulsant & Rey of the Genus Aleochara Gravenhorst from Japan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)
Authors: YAMAMOTO SHÛHEI , MARUYAMA MUNETOSHI
Published: April 2013

A taxonomic revision of the subgenus Coprochara Mulsant & Rey, 1874 of the genus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 in Japan is presented. The following three species are recognized: Aleochara (C.) verna Say, 1833, A. (C.) binotata Kraatz, 1856 and A. (C.) squalithorax Sharp, 1888, of which A. binotata is new to Japan. All previous records of “A. (C.) bipus-tulata (Linnaeus, 1760)” should be regarded as misidentifications of either A. verna or A. binotata. New records are added for, A. squalithorax, a littoral species. All species are redescribed, figured, keyed and mapped.
Lymnastis of Ukraine with the redescription of Lymnastis novikovi (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Authors: KIRICHENKO MARINA B. , GONTARENKO ANDREJ V.
Published: April 2013

The rare species Lymnastis novikovi Michailov, 1998, described from the single female specimen collected in Ukraine, is redescribed on the basis of new material. We provide the illustrations of the general habitus, the median lobe and its in-ternal sac and describe the habitat of L. novikovi, to increase information about this species. A key to European Lymnastis species is given. The current distribution of Lymnastis galilaeus Piochard de la Brûlerie, 1876 and L. novikovi in Ukraine is described.
What Makes Couples Happy? Marital and Life Satisfaction Among Ethnic Groups in the Netherlands
Authors: Celenk Ozgur , van de Vijver Fons J. R.
Published: April 2013

This study examines predictors of life satisfaction that are more distal (spousal normative beliefs and attitudes) and more proximal (marital satisfaction) in 404 mainstreamers, 375 Western, and 195 non-Western immigrants living in the Netherlands. In the immigrant groups, we used ethnic and mainstream identity and perceived discrimination as distal predictors. Results revealed that path models in which proximal variables mediated the relation between distal variables and outcomes were valid in all groups. Significant, yet small group differences were found between the non-Western immigrants and Western immigrants on all scales (to a lesser extent between non-Western immigrants and mainstreamers). Traditional marital types and perceived discrimination were more prevailing in the non-Western group, whereas a harmonious marital type, mainstream identity, and marital satisfaction were more salient in the Western group. The mainstream Dutch group was similar to the Western group in all marriage-related aspects. Validity of marriage models were discussed in light of a bottom-up approach to life satisfaction. Group differences and similarities were discussed in terms of differences in family formation and structure as well as adjustment to the Dutch society.
VEGFR2-dependent Angiogenic Capacity of Pericyte-like Dental Pulp Stem Cells
Authors: Janebodin K. , Zeng Y. , Buranaphatthana W. , Ieronimakis N. , Reyes M.
Published: April 2013

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have previously demonstrated potential pericyte-like topography and function. However, the mechanisms regulating their pericyte function are still unknown. In this study, murine DPSC angiogenic and pericyte function were investigated. Tie2-GFP mouse DPSCs were negative for GFP, indicating the absence of endothelial cells in DPSC cultures. Endothelial cells co-cultured with DPSCs formed more mature in vitro tube-like structures as compared with those co-cultured with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Many DPSCs were located adjacent to vascular tubes, assuming a pericyte location. Subcutaneous DPSC transplants in mice with matrigel (MG) (DPSC-MG) induced more vessel formation than BMSC-MG. Soluble Flt (sFlt), an angiogenic inhibitor that binds VEGF-A, significantly decreased the amount of blood vessels in DPSC-MG, but not in BMSC-MG. sFlt inhibited VEGFR2 and downstream ERK signaling in DPSCs. Similar to sFlt inhibition, VEGFR2 knockdown in DPSCs resulted in down-regulation of Vegfa, Vegf receptors, and EphrinB2 and decreased angiogenic induction of DPSCs in vivo. Therefore, the capacity of DPSCs to induce angiogenesis is VEGFR2-dependent. DPSCs enhance angiogenesis by secreting VEGF ligands and associating with vessels resembling pericyte-like cells. This study provides first insights into the mechanism(s) of DPSC angiogenic induction and their function as pericytes, crucial aspects for DPSC use in tissue regeneration.
Keratin sponge/hydrogel: I. Fabrication and characterization
Authors: Cardamone Jeanette M , Tunick Michael H , Onwulata Charles
Published: April 2013

Keratin sponge/hydrogels formed by oxidation and reduction hydrolysis of US domestic fine- or coarse-grade wool exhibited distinctively different topologies, each with unique porous structure. These materials retained amino acids and microstructure as protein homologues of intact keratin. Amphoteric character was confirmed by differential dyeing with anionic and cationic dyes. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) provided evidence of molecular organization and the behavior of occluded moisture through measurements of glass transition, peak temperature, thermal degradation temperature, enthalpy of water removal, and degradation (Tg, Tw, ΔHw, Tt, and ΔHt). The absence of denaturation peaks indicated highly crosslinked molecular association. Low ΔHw indicated high plasticity and the ability to absorb and retain moisture. Small amplitude strain analysis rheology to measure storage or elastic modulus, G′, and shear loss or viscous modulus, G′′, as a function of applied strain characterized the sponge/hydrogels as covalently crosslinked networks. With viscoelastic properties typical of both liquids and solids, they maintained their structural integrity under strain.
“We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For”
Authors: Motta Sara C.
Published: April 2013

An autonomist Marxist feminist analysis of the narratives of three women participants in Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution—women linked by their participation in the urban land committees of La Vega, a Caracas shantytown—stresses the fundamental significance of women’s struggles in this revolutionary process. By focusing on the realities of women in movement we can begin to grasp the complexity of the feminized political subjectivities being formed and the contradictions and tensions in this process. This reading seeks to rewrite, in solidarity with women in movement, the dominant patriarchal script of politics by placing their agency and rationality at the center of Venezuela’s revolution. There is an urgent need to recognize a feminization of resistance that is historically distinctive and challenges masculinist conceptualizations of political and social transformation.

Un análisis marxista feminista autonomista de los relatos de tres mujeres que participaron en la Revolución Bolivariana de Venezuela—las mujeres unidas por su participación en los comités de tierras urbanas de La Vega, un rancho de Caracas—destaca la importancia fundamental de las luchas de las mujeres en este proceso revolucionario. Al centrarse en las realidades de las mujeres en movimiento, podemos empezar a comprender la complejidad de las subjetividades políticas feminizadas que se están formando y las contradicciones y tensiones en este proceso. Esta lectura pretende reescribir, en solidaridad con las mujeres en el movimiento, el texto patriarcal dominante de la política mediante la colocación de su agencia y racionalidad en el centro de la revolución de Venezuela. Hay una necesidad urgente de reconocer una feminización de la resistencia que es históricamente distintivo y desafía conceptualizaciones masculinistas de transformación política y social.
Parenteral Fish Oil Lipid Emulsions in the Critically Ill
Authors: Manzanares William , Dhaliwal Rupinder , Jurewitsch Brian , Stapleton Renee D. , Jeejeebhoy Khursheed N. , Heyland Daren K.
Published: April 2013

Introduction: ω‐3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids contained in fish oils (FO) possess major anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunologic properties that could be beneficial during critical illness. We hypothesized that parenteral FO‐containing emulsions may improve clinical outcomes in the critically ill. Methods: We searched computerized databases from 1980–2012. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in critically ill adult patients that evaluated FO‐containing emulsions, either in the context of parenteral nutrition (PN) or enteral nutrition (EN). Results: A total of 6 RCTs (n = 390 patients) were included; the mean methodological score of all trials was 10 (range, 6–13). When the results of these studies were aggregated, FO‐containing emulsions were associated with a trend toward a reduction in mortality (risk ratio [RR], 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49–1.04; P = .08; heterogeneity I2 = 0%) and a reduction in the duration of mechanical ventilation (weighted mean difference in days [WMD], −1.41; 95% CI, −3.43 to 0.61; P = .17). However, this strategy had no effect on infections (RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.42–1.36; P = .35) and intensive care unit length of stay (WMD, −0.46; 95% CI, −4.87 to 3.95; P = .84, heterogeneity I2 = 75%). Conclusion: FO‐containing lipid emulsions may be able to decrease mortality and ventilation days in the critically ill. However, because of the paucity of clinical data, there is inadequate evidence to recommend the routine use of parenteral FO. Large, rigorously designed RCTs are required to elucidate the efficacy of parenteral FO in the critically ill.
Handgrip Strength at Admission and Time to Discharge in Medical and Surgical Inpatients
Authors: Mendes Joana , Azevedo Ana , Amaral Teresa F.
Published: April 2013

Background and Objective: Handgrip strength is a relevant marker of functional status and is also a component of nutrition assessment. The simplicity of this measurement supports its usefulness as a tool to predict who will likely take longer to hospital discharge. The aim of this study was to quantify the association between sex‐specific handgrip strength at hospital admission and time to discharge alive. We intended to include a group of diverse diagnoses and to compare medical and surgical wards, taking into account the potential confounders’ effect of patients’ characteristics and severity of disease. Subjects and Methods: Prospective study in 2 public acute‐care general hospitals in Porto, Portugal, in 2004. Handgrip strength was evaluated using a handgrip dynamometer in a probability sample of 425 patients from medical and surgical wards. The association between baseline handgrip strength and time to discharge was evaluated using survival analysis with discharge alive as the outcome and deaths and transfers being censored. Results: In medical wards, women with high admission handgrip strength had a very short hospital stay (all had been discharged by the sixth day), and among men, patients with low handgrip strength had a particularly longer stay (approximately 50% were discharged after 15 days of hospitalization). In surgical wards, an increasing length of stay with decreasing handgrip strength quartiles was also observed in both sexes. Conclusions: Lower handgrip strength at hospital admission was associated with a longer time in the hospital, in patients of both sexes, in medical and surgical wards. Although this association was explained in part by age, height, education level, cognitive status, and disease severity, its direction remained unchanged regardless of the aforementioned factors.
Anatomic Double-Bundle Reconstruction Techniques Result in Graft Obliquities That Closely Mimic the Native Anterior Cruciate Ligament Anatomy
Authors: Kyung Bong Soo , Kim Jae Gyoon , Chang Minho , Jang Ki-Mo , Lee Sung Sahn , Ahn Jin Hwan , Wang Joon Ho
Published: April 2013

Background:

It has been reported previously that single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with more accurate restoration of the footprint of the native ACL fails to restore the graft obliquity of the native ACL in the coronal plane. Whether double-bundle ACL reconstruction restores the graft obliquity of each bundle of the native ACL has not yet been determined.

Hypothesis:

Anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction using transportal (TP) and outside-in (OI) techniques can restore the graft obliquities of both anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bundles in the native ACL in both sagittal and coronal planes.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Seventy-six patients underwent anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction. Patients were randomized to 2 groups to undergo either TP or OI tibial tunnel–independent anatomic ACL reconstruction. All participants underwent postoperative magnetic resonance imaging of both knees, and the native ACL obliquity was determined using the participant’s contralateral knee. Graft obliquities were determined by measuring the angles between the center line of the graft and the surface line of the tibial plateau, and the obliquities of paired knees were compared. Graft obliquities were analyzed in each group.

Results:

In the sagittal plane, the mean AM graft obliquity was 54.2° on the operated side and 54.6° on the nonoperated side, and the difference between sides was not statistically significant ( P = .352). The mean PL graft obliquity in the sagittal plane was 54.1° on the operated side and 53.0° on the nonoperated side, and the difference between sides was also not statistically significant ( P = .228). In the coronal plane, the mean AM graft obliquity was 73.8° on the operated side and 73.4° on the nonoperated side, and the mean PL graft obliquity was 65.5° on the operated side and 66.4° on the nonoperated side. There were no statistically significant differences between sides ( P = .418 for AM graft; P = .328 for PL graft). Differences in the paired graft obliquities in each group were also statistically insignificant between the TP and OI groups.

Conclusion:

Both TP and OI anatomic double-bundle reconstruction techniques can result in graft obliquities in both bundles that resemble the native ACL in both sagittal and coronal planes.

Clinical Relevance:

Double-bundle ACL reconstruction techniques might more closely restore the normal kinematics of the native ACL by restoring the normal obliquity of both ACL bundles.