bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MULTIMODAL INTEGRATION OF MICRO-DOPPLER SONAR AND AUDITORY SIGNALS FOR BEHAVIOR CLASSIFICATION WITH CONVOLUTIONAL NETWORKS
Authors: DURA-BERNAL SALVADOR , GARREAU GUILLAUME , GEORGIOU JULIUS , ANDREOU ANDREAS G. , DENHAM SUSAN L. , WENNEKERS THOMAS
Published: June 2013

The ability to recognize the behavior of individuals is of great interest in the general field of safety (e.g. building security, crowd control, transport analysis, independent living for the elderly). Here we report a new real-time acoustic system for human action and behavior recognition that integrates passive audio and active micro-Doppler sonar signatures over multiple time scales. The system architecture is based on a six-layer convolutional neural network, trained and evaluated using a dataset of 10 subjects performing seven different behaviors. Probabilistic combination of system output through time for each modality separately yields 94% (passive audio) and 91% (micro-Doppler sonar) correct behavior classification; probabilistic multimodal integration increases classification performance to 98%. This study supports the efficacy of micro-Doppler sonar systems in characterizing human actions, which can then be efficiently classified using ConvNets. It also demonstrates that the integration of multiple sources of acoustic information can significantly improve the system's performance.
INTEGRATING ACTION-BASED DEFECT PREDICTION TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEFECT ACTION CORRECTION
Authors: CHANG CHING-PAO
Published: June 2013

Reducing software defects is an essential activity for Software Process Improvement. The Action-Based Defect Prediction (ABDP) approach fragments the software process into actions, and builds software defect prediction models using data collected from the execution of actions and reported defects. Though the ABDP approach can be applied to predict possible defects in subsequent actions, the efficiency of corrections is dependent on the skill and knowledge of the stakeholders. To address this problem, this study proposes the Action Correction Recommendation (ACR) model to provide recommendations for action correction, using the Negative Association Rule mining technique. In addition to applying the association rule mining technique to build a High Defect Prediction Model (HDPM) to identify high defect action, the ACR builds a Low Defect Prediction Model (LDPM). For a submitted action, each HDPM rule used to predict the action as a high defect action and the LDPM rules are analyzed using negative association rule mining to spot the rule items with different characteristics in HDPM and LDPM rules. This information not only identifies the attributes required for corrections, but also provides a range (or a value) to facilitate the high defect action corrections. This study applies the ACR approach to a business software project to validate the efficiency of the proposed approach. The results show that the recommendations obtained can be applied to decrease software defect removal efforts.
A NEW BICLUSTERING ALGORITHM BASED ON ASSOCIATION RULE MINING
Authors: BOUTSINAS BASILIS
Published: June 2013

Clustering has been applied in a wide variety of disciplines and has also been utilized in many scientific areas. Usually, clustering algorithms construct either clusters of rows or clusters of columns of the input data matrix. Biclustering is a methodology where biclusters are formed by both a subset of rows and a subset of columns, such that objects represented by the first are the most similar to each other when compared over the latter. In this paper, we introduce a new biclustering technique, based on association rule mining, which can support different well-known biclustering models proposed in the literature. Experimental tests demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed technique with respect to well known related ones.
CAUSAL DYNAMICAL TRIANGULATIONS AND THE SEARCH FOR A THEORY OF QUANTUM GRAVITY
Authors: AMBJORN JAN , GÖRLICH ANDRZEJ , JURKIEWICZ JERZY , LOLL RENATE
Published: June 2013

Causal dynamical triangulations provide a nonperturbative regularization of a theory of quantum gravity. We describe how it connects to the asymptotic safety program and to the Hořava–Lifshitz gravity theory and present the most recent results from computer simulations.
POSSIBILISTIC EVALUATION OF SETS
Authors: BRONSELAER ANTOON , PONS JOSÉ ENRIQUE , DE TRÉ GUY , PONS OLGA
Published: June 2013

In the past decades, the theory of possibility has been developed as a theory of uncertainty that is compatible with the theory of probability. Whereas probability theory tries to quantify uncertainty that is caused by variability (or equivalently randomness), possibility theory tries to quantify uncertainty that is caused by incomplete information. A specific case of incomplete information is that of ill-known sets, which is of particular interest in the study of temporal databases. However, the construction of possibility distributions in the case of ill-known sets is known to be overly complex. This paper contributes to the study of ill-known sets by investigating the inference of uncertainty when constraints are specified over ill-known values. More specific, in this paper it is investigated how the knowledge about constraint satisfaction can be inferred if the constraints themselves are defined by means of ill-known values. It is shown how such reasoning can contribute to the study of (fuzzy) temporal databases.
INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY ORDERED INFORMATION SYSTEM
Authors: XU WEIHUA , LIU YUFENG , LI TONGJUN
Published: June 2013

In this paper, we aim to study intuitionistic fuzzy ordered information systems. Firstly, the concept of intuitionistic fuzzy ordered information systems is proposed by introducing an intuitionistic fuzzy relation to ordered information systems. Meanwhile, two approximation operators are defined and a rough set approach is established in intuitionistic fuzzy ordered information systems. Secondly, a ranking approach for all objects is constructed in this system. Thirdly, approximation reduction is addressed in intuitionistic fuzzy ordered decision information system. These results will be helpful for decision-making analysis in intuitionistic fuzzy ordered information systems.
A DELAY-DEPENDENT APPROACH TO ROBUST PASSIVITY ANALYSIS FOR TAKAGI-SUGENO FUZZY UNCERTAIN RECURRENT NEURAL NETWORKS WITH MIXED INTERVAL TIME-VARYING DELAYS
Authors: TSENG K. H. , TSAI J. S. H. , LU C. Y.
Published: June 2013

This paper deals with the passivity analysis problem for Takagu-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy neural networks with mixed interval time-varying delays and uncertain parameters. The time delays comprise discrete and distributed interval time-varying delays and the uncertain parameters are norm-bounded. Delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the passivity problem are obtained by using Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional approach and linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique. The important feature of the results lies in that it does not make use of upper bounds to introduce some degree of conservativeness. Two illustrative examples are exploited in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design procedures.
Fair Synthesis for Asynchronous Distributed Systems
Authors: Gastin Paul , Sznajder Nathalie
Published: June 2013

We study the synthesis problem in an asynchronous distributed setting: a finite set of processes interact locally with an uncontrollable environment and communicate with each other by sending signals -- actions controlled by a sender process and that are immediately received by the target process. The fair synthesis problem is to come up with a local strategy for each process such that the resulting fair behaviors of the system meet a given specification. We consider external specifications satisfying some natural closure properties related to the architecture. We present this new setting for studying the fair synthesis problem for distributed systems, and give decidability results for the subclass of networks where communications happen through a strongly connected graph. We claim that this framework for distributed synthesis is natural, convenient and avoids most of the usual sources of undecidability for the synthesis problem. Hence, it may open the way to a decidable theory of distributed synthesis.
Topological Logics with Connectedness over Euclidean Spaces
Authors: Kontchakov Roman , Nenov Yavor , Pratt-Hartmann Ian , Zakharyaschev Michael
Published: June 2013

We consider the quantifier-free languages,
Bc
and
Bc
°, obtained by augmenting the signature of Boolean algebras with a unary predicate representing, respectively, the property of being connected, and the property of having a connected interior. These languages are interpreted over the regular closed sets of R
n
(
n
≥ 2) and, additionally, over the regular closed semilinear sets of R
n
. The resulting logics are examples of formalisms that have recently been proposed in the Artificial Intelligence literature under the rubric Qualitative Spatial Reasoning. We prove that the satisfiability problem for
Bc
is undecidable over the regular closed semilinear sets in all dimensions greater than 1, and that the satisfiability problem for
Bc
and
Bc
° is undecidable over both the regular closed sets and the regular closed semilinear sets in the Euclidean plane. However, we also prove that the satisfiability problem for
Bc
° is NP-complete over the regular closed sets in all dimensions greater than 2, while the corresponding problem for the regular closed semilinear sets is
ExpTime
-complete. Our results show, in particular, that spatial reasoning is much harder over Euclidean spaces than over arbitrary topological spaces.
A Model-Theoretic Approach to Belief Change in Answer Set Programming
Authors: Delgrande James , Schaub Torsten , Tompits Hans , Woltran Stefan
Published: June 2013

We address the problem of belief change in (nonmonotonic) logic programming under answer set semantics. Our formal techniques are analogous to those of distance-based belief revision in propositional logic. In particular, we build upon the model theory of logic programs furnished by SE interpretations, where an SE interpretation is a model of a logic program in the same way that a classical interpretation is a model of a propositional formula. Hence we extend techniques from the area of belief revision based on distance between models to belief change in logic programs.

We first consider belief revision: for logic programs
P
and
Q
, the goal is to determine a program
R
that corresponds to the revision of
P
by
Q
, denoted
P
*
Q
. We investigate several operators, including (logic program) expansion and two revision operators based on the distance between the SE models of logic programs. It proves to be the case that expansion is an interesting operator in its own right, unlike in classical belief revision where it is relatively uninteresting. Expansion and revision are shown to satisfy a suite of interesting properties; in particular, our revision operators satisfy all or nearly all of the AGM postulates for revision.

We next consider approaches for merging a set of logic programs,
P
1
, ...,
P
n
. Again, our formal techniques are based on notions of relative distance between the SE models of the logic programs. Two approaches are examined. The first informally selects for each program
P
i
those models of
P
i
that vary the least from models of the other programs. The second approach informally selects those models of a program
P
0
that are closest to the models of programs
P
1
, ...,
P
n
. In this case,
P
0
can be thought of as a set of database integrity constraints. We examine these operators with regards to how they satisfy relevant postulate sets.

Last, we present encodings for computing the revision as well as the merging of logic programs within the same logic programming framework. This gives rise to a direct implementation of our approach in terms of off-the-shelf answer set solvers. These encodings also reflect the fact that our change operators do not increase the complexity of the base formalism.
Tableau Calculi for Logic Programs under Answer Set Semantics
Authors: Gebser Martin , Schaub Torsten
Published: June 2013

We introduce formal proof systems based on tableau methods for analyzing computations in Answer Set Programming (ASP). Our approach furnishes fine-grained instruments for characterizing operations as well as strategies of ASP solvers. The granularity is detailed enough to capture a variety of propagation and choice methods of algorithms used for ASP solving, also incorporating SAT-based and conflict-driven learning approaches to some extent. This provides us with a uniform setting for identifying and comparing fundamental properties of ASP solving approaches. In particular, we investigate their proof complexities and show that the run-times of best-case computations can vary exponentially between different existing ASP solvers. Apart from providing a framework for comparing ASP solving approaches, our characterizations also contribute to their understanding by pinning down the constitutive atomic operations. Furthermore, our framework is flexible enough to integrate new inference patterns, and so to study their relation to existing ones. To this end, we generalize our approach and provide an extensible basis aiming at a modular incorporation of additional language constructs. This is exemplified by augmenting our basic tableau methods with cardinality constraints and disjunctions.
The great robotics debate
Authors: Vardi Moshe Y.
Published: June 2013

Are robots and automation destroying more jobs than they are creating?
Keeping computers cool from the inside
Authors: Shein Esther
Published: June 2013

New techniques could cut the power required to avoid overheating.
Information and communication technology for managing supply chain risks
Authors: Tang Christopher S. , Zimmerman Joshua
Published: June 2013

How to encourage ethical behavior among all links in a global supply chain.
Could artificial intelligence create an unemployment crisis?
Authors: Ford Martin
Published: June 2013

Advances in artificial intelligence and robotics will have significant implications for evolving economic systems.
Nonblocking algorithms and scalable multicore programming
Authors: Al Bahra Samy
Published: June 2013

Exploring an alternative to lock-based synchronization.
Structured deferral
Authors: McKenney Paul E.
Published: June 2013

We simply do not have a synchronization mechanism that can enforce mutual exclusion.
Proving the correctness of nonblocking data structures
Authors: Desnoyers Mathieu
Published: June 2013

Nonblocking synchronization can yield astonishing results in terms of scalability and real-time response, but at the expense of verification state space.
Diffusion curves
Authors: Orzan Alexandrina , Bousseau Adrien , Barla Pascal , Winnemöller Holger , Thollot Joëlle , Salesin David
Published: June 2013

We describe a new vector-based primitive for creating smooth-shaded images, called the
diffusion curve
. A diffusion curve partitions the space through which it is drawn, defining different colors on either side. These colors may vary smoothly along the curve. In addition, the sharpness of the color transition from one side of the curve to the other can be controlled. Given a set of diffusion curves, the final image is constructed by solving a Poisson equation whose constraints are specified by the set of gradients across all diffusion curves. Like all vector-based primitives, diffusion curves conveniently support a variety of operations, including geometry-based editing, keyframe animation, and ready stylization. Moreover, their representation is compact and inherently resolution independent. We describe a GPU-based implementation for rendering images defined by a set of diffusion curves in real time. We then demonstrate an interactive drawing system for allowing artists to create artworks using diffusion curves, either by drawing the curves in a freehand style, or by tracing existing imagery. Furthermore, we describe a completely automatic conversion process for taking an image and turning it into a set of diffusion curves that closely approximate the original image content.
CPM
Authors: Philippaerts Pieter , Younan Yves , Muylle Stijn , Piessens Frank , Lachmund Sven , Walter Thomas
Published: June 2013

Code Pointer Masking (CPM) is a novel countermeasure against code injection attacks on native code. By enforcing the correct semantics of code pointers, CPM thwarts attacks that modify code pointers to divert the application’s control flow. It does not rely on secret values such as stack canaries and protects against attacks that are not addressed by state-of-the-art countermeasures of similar performance. This article reports on two prototype implementations on very distinct processor architectures, showing that the idea behind CPM is portable. The evaluation also shows that the overhead of using our countermeasure is very small and the security benefits are substantial.
Leakage Mapping
Authors: Cobb William E. , Baldwin Rusty O. , Laspe Eric D.
Published: June 2013

We propose a generalized framework to evaluate the side-channel information leakage of symmetric block ciphers. The leakage mapping methodology enables the systematic and efficient identification and mitigation of problematic information leakages by exhaustively considering relevant leakage models. The evaluation procedure bounds the anticipated resistance of an implementation to the general class of univariate differential side-channel analysis techniques. Typical applications are demonstrated using the well-known Hamming weight and Hamming distance leakage models, with recommendations for the incorporation of more accurate models. The evaluation results are empirically validated against correlation-based differential side-channel analysis attacks on two typical unprotected implementations of the Advanced Encryption Standard.
Enforceable Security Policies Revisited
Authors: Basin David , Jugé Vincent , Klaedtke Felix , Zălinescu Eugen
Published: June 2013

We revisit Schneider’s work on policy enforcement by execution monitoring. We overcome limitations of Schneider’s setting by distinguishing between system actions that are controllable by an enforcement mechanism and those actions that are only observable, that is, the enforcement mechanism sees them but cannot prevent their execution. For this refined setting, we give necessary and sufficient conditions on when a security policy is enforceable. To state these conditions, we generalize the standard notion of safety properties. Our classification of system actions also allows one, for example, to reason about the enforceability of policies that involve timing constraints. Furthermore, for different specification languages, we investigate the decision problem of whether a given policy is enforceable. We provide complexity results and show how to synthesize an enforcement mechanism from an enforceable policy.
On the Parameterized Complexity and Kernelization of the Workflow Satisfiability Problem
Authors: Crampton Jason , Gutin Gregory , Yeo Anders
Published: June 2013

A workflow specification defines a set of steps and the order in which these steps must be executed. Security requirements may impose constraints on which groups of users are permitted to perform subsets of these steps. A workflow specification is said to be satisfiable if there exists an assignment of users to workflow steps that satisfies all the constraints. An algorithm for determining whether such an assignment exists is important, both as a static analysis tool for workflow specifications and for the construction of runtime reference monitors for workflow management systems. Finding such an assignment is a hard problem in general, but work by Wang and Li [2010] using the theory of parameterized complexity suggests that efficient algorithms exist under reasonable assumptions about workflow specifications. In this article, we improve the complexity bounds for the workflow satisfiability problem. We also generalize and extend the types of constraints that may be defined in a workflow specification and prove that the satisfiability problem remains fixed-parameter tractable for such constraints. Finally, we consider preprocessing for the problem and prove that in an important special case, in polynomial time, we can reduce the given input into an equivalent one where the number of users is at most the number of steps. We also show that no such reduction exists for two natural extensions of this case, which bounds the number of users by a polynomial in the number of steps, provided a widely accepted complexity-theoretical assumption holds.
An embedded computer controlled four fingered robot hand
Authors: Rao M. Venkateswara , Ramaiah P. S. , Narayana G. V. Satya
Published: June 2013

When people interact with intelligent agents, they likely rely upon a wide range of existing knowledge about machines, minds, and intelligence. This knowledge not only guides these interactions, but it can be challenged and potentially changed by interaction experiences. The science of computation has systematically abstracted away the physical world. Embedded software systems, however engage the physical world. Human beings interact physically with environment using their hands. Robotic hand systems can be used in hazardous environments such as those encountered in nuclear, military, chemical, underwater, and space applications. Robots have the potential to play a large role in our world. However, as the potential use for robots grows, so does their need to interact with objects in their environment. An embedded computer controlled four fingered robotic hand is designed and developed with a simple and minimal control strategy to pick and place applications. The approach is based on anthropomorphic design with three fingers and an opposing thumb. Each finger has three links and three double revolute joints. Each finger is actuated by a single antagonistic pair of tendons. The robot hand system is interfaced to embedded computer with software control by means of 14 independent commands for the movement of fingers. Reliable grasping and releasing is achieved with simple control mechanism and IR sensors/push-button switches. The hand can pick a variety of objects with different surface characteristics and shapes without having to reconstruct its surface description. Picking of the object is successfully completed as long as the object is within the workspace of the hand and placed the object at the desired position within the workspace by relevant software control using keyboard commands. Details of hand control hardware and software for mainly pick and place applications are presented in this paper. Results of the experimental work for pick and place applications of different objects are enumerated.
Towards dependable autonomous driving vehicles
Authors: Kim Junsung , Rajkumar Ragunathan (Raj) , Jochim Markus
Published: June 2013

Autonomous driving technologies have been emerging over the past few years, and semi-autonomous driving functionalities have been deployed to vehicles available in the market. Since autonomous driving is realized by the intelligent processing of data from various types of sensors such as LIDAR, radar, camera, etc., the complexity of designing a dependable real-time autonomous driving system is rather high. Although there has been much research on building a reliable real-time system using hardware replication, the resulting systems tend to add significant extra cost due to hardware replication. Therefore, an alternative solution would be helpful in building an autonomous vehicle in a cost-effective way. An autonomous driving system is different from the conventional reliable real-time system because it requires (1) flexible design, (2) adaptive graceful degradation and (3) effective use of different modalities of sensors and actuators. To address these characteristics, we summarize SAFER (System-level Architecture for Failure Evasion in Real-time applications) our previous work on flexible system design. We then present a conceptual framework for autonomous vehicles to provide adaptive graceful degradation and support for using different types of sensors/actuators when a failure happens. We motivate our proposed framework with various scenarios, and we describe how SAFER can be extended to support the proposed conceptual framework.
Provisioning within a
WSAN cloud
concept
Authors: Aslam Muhammad Sohaib , Rea Susan , Pesch Dirk
Published: June 2013

Traditionally, Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks or (
WSANs
) have been used as a standalone technology for a specific application purpose such as heating control. The current growth in embedded ICT infrastructure is leading to the deployment of a wide range of embedded systems in our environment, which motivates
System of Systems
[5] architectures and ultimately, with deployment of IP technologies into this space, the
Internet of Things
[10] paradigm. However, to simplify system operation and maintenance as well as to reduce costs, WSANs must become an infrastructure that is capable of providing services to multiple end users concurrently rather than requiring a new infrastructure for a new purpose. Here, we present the concept of a WSAN infrastructure as a
WSAN Cloud
, which provides services to multiple application and data collection systems following the cloud computing paradigm. Each instance of the WSAN cloud (i.e. a specific set of services configured by a particular end user/system) utilises the WSAN infrastructure as if it was a unique network provisioned for specific requirements. A realisation of the WSAN Cloud in the form of
Network as a Service or NaaS
requires a WSAN to support a service orientated software architecture allowing other systems to provision the WSAN infrastructure for their specific needs and allowing multiple systems to use the WSAN uniquely and concurrently. The WSAN-Service Orchestration Architecture "
WSAN-SOrA
" presented here, is a novel approach to service provisioning of embedded networked systems and enables WSANs to act as cloud ready infrastructures that facilitate on-demand provisioning for potentially multiple individual backend systems.
The Use of Synchrotron Radiation for the Characterization of Artists' Pigments and Paintings
Authors: Janssens Koen , Alfeld Matthias , Van der Snickt Geert , De Nolf Wout , Vanmeert Frederik , Radepont Marie , Monico Letizia , Dik Joris , Cotte Marine , Falkenberg Gerald , Miliani Costanza , Brunetti Brunetto G.
Published: June 2013

We review methods and recent studies in which macroscopic to (sub)microscopic X-ray beams were used for nondestructive analysis and characterization of pigments, paint microsamples, and/or entire paintings. We discuss the use of portable laboratory- and synchrotron-based instrumentation and describe several variants of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis used for elemental analysis and imaging and combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Macroscopic and microscopic (μ-)XRF variants of this method are suitable for visualizing the elemental distribution of key elements in paint multilayers. Technical innovations such as multielement, large-area XRF detectors have enabled such developments. The use of methods limited to elemental analysis or imaging usually is not sufficient to elucidate the chemical transformations that take place during natural pigment alteration processes. However, synchrotron-based combinations of μ-XRF, μ-XAS, and μ-XRD are suitable for such studies.
Phosphotyrosine‐Protein‐Phosphatase and Diabetic Disorders. Further Studies on the Relationship between Low Molecular Weight Acid Phosphatase Genotype and Degree of Glycemic Control
Authors: Lucarini N. , Antonacci E. , Bottini N. , Borgiani P. , Faggioni G. , Gloria-Bottini F.
Published: June 2013

We have studied a new sample of 276 NIDDM patients from the population of Penne (Italy). Comparison of the new data with those of 214 diabetic pregnant women from the population of Rome reported in a previous paper has shown that the pattern of association between low molecular weight acid phosphatase genotype and degree of glycemic control is similar in the two classes of diabetic patients.

Among nonobese subjects the proportion of ACP1*A (the allele showing the lowest enzymatic activity) is lower in diabetic patients with high glycemic levels (mean value greater than 8.9 mmol/l) than in diabetic patients with a low glycemic level (mean value less than 8.9 mmol/l). Among obese subjects no significant association is observed between glycemic levels and ACP1. Among nonobese subjects the concentration of f isoform of ACP1 is higher in patients showing a high glycemic level than in patients showing a low glycemic level. No significant difference is observed for s isoform.
Time‐Resolved Fluorometry Based Sandwich Hybridisation Assay for HLA‐DQA1 Typing
Authors: Sjöroos Minna , Ilonen Jorma , Reijonen Helena , Lövgren Timo
Published: June 2013

A microtitration plate based time‐resolved fluorescence (TRF) hybridisation assay was developed for HLA typing utilising biotinylated sequence‐specific catching probes and europium (Eu) labelled gene locus‐specific detection probe to allow time‐resolved fluorometer reading of the reaction. In an application for HLA‐DQA typing a 228 base pair long region of the polymorphic exon 2 of DQA1 gene was amplified and the denatured PCR product distributed into streptavidin‐coated microtitration wells together with the detection probe and one of the catching probes. After incubation and washes, the enhancement solution was added and specific hybridisation signal detected by measuring the emitted light. A series of 100 isolated genomic DNA samples were studied using biotinylated probes specific for DQA1*01, *0101/0104, *0103/0201/0601, *0201, *03, *0401/0601, *05 and *0502 alleles with results demonstrating the capacity of the test to detect aimed alleles. A series of whole blood spot samples were also studied and the results confirmed the applicability of this modification of the test.
Salivary Nitrate, Nitrite and Nitrate Reductase Activity in Relation to Risk of Oral Cancer in Egypt
Authors: Badawi Alaa F. , Hosny Gehan , El-Hadary Mohamed , Mostafa Mostafa H.
Published: June 2013

It has been suggested that nitrate and nitrite may play a role in the etiology of human oral cancer. We investigated whether salivary nitrate and nitrite and the activity of nitrate reductase (NRase) may affect the risk of oral cancer in Egypt, an area with high levels of environmental nitrosating agents. Levels of salivary nitrite (8.3 ± 1.0 μg/ml) and nitrate (44 ± 3.7 μg/ml) and activity of NRase (74 ± 10 nmol/ml/min) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in oral cancer patients (n = 42) compared to control Egyptian healthy individuals (n = 40, nitrite = 5.3 ± 0.3 μg/ml, nitrate = 27 ± 1.2 μg/ml, and NRase activity = 46 ± 4 nmol/ml/min). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence intervals (C.I.) for risk of oral cancer, categorized by the levels of salivary nitrate and nitrite and NRase activity, showed a higher cancer risk associated with nitrite > 7.5 μg/ml (OR: 3.0, C.I.: 1.0–9.3), nitrite > 40 μg/ml (OR: 4.3, C.I.: 1.4–13.3) and NRase activity > 50 nmol/ml/min (OR: 2.9, C.I.: 1.1–7.4). Our findings suggest that increased consumption of dietary nitrate and nitrite is associated with elevated levels of salivary nitrite. Together with the increased activity of salivary NRase, these observations may explain, at least in part, the role of nitrate and nitrite in the development of oral cancer in individuals from an area with a high burden of N‐nitroso precursors.
Monoclonal Antibody Recognizing a Core Epitope on Mucin
Authors: Devine Peter L. , Quin Rachel J. , Shield Paul W. , Liew Yew Wah , Sheehan John K. , Thornton David J.
Published: June 2013

Monoclonal antibody TH1 (IgM) was prepared by immunizing mice with deglycosylated (TFMSA‐treated) cystic fibrosis mucin. TH1 reacted strongly with TFMSA treated cystic fibrosis mucin but not with the fully glycosylated mucin, indicating reactivity with a core mucin epitope. TH1 showed no reactivity with ovine mucin (98% of glycans as sialyl‐Tn) but reacted strongly with desialylated ovine mucin, indicating the epitope for this mab was the Tn‐antigen (O‐linked GalNAc). However, TH1 showed no reactivity with Tn‐positive red blood cells, and the binding of TH1 was not inhibited by GalNAc at 2.5 mg/ml, illustrating the importance of the peptide sequence to which the GalNAc is attached. TH1 stained the majority of cancers of the colon, lung, stomach, ovary, breast, and cervix, and the cellular distribution of this antigen in normal tissue suggested reactivity with immature mucin. This antibody appears to be a useful reagent for the detection of immature mucin.
Large Number of Polymorphic Nucleotides and a Termination Codon in the env Gene of the Endogenous Human Retrovirus ERV3
Authors: Rasmussen H. B. , Clausen J.
Published: June 2013

The terminal portion of the pol gene and the entire env gene of the human endogenous retrovirus ERV3 was screened for polymorphic nucleotides. For this purpose fragments amplified from the desired regions of ERV3 were subjected to single strand conformational analysis (SSCP analysis). Using this approach, we detected 13 polymorphic nucleotides, namely four in the pol gene and nine in the env gene. Three of the nucleotide substitutions were synonymous (not affecting the amino acid code). One of the non‐synonymous nucleotide substitutions changed an arginine codon to a termination codon. The alleles at the different polymorphic sites could be arranged into five ERV3 haplotypes, two of which were new.

To evaluate the possible significance of the termination codon, which precludes expression of a putative immunoregulatory factor, we examined samples of DNA from patients with multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating disease of presumed autoimmune etiology. We did not find an association between the ERV3 allele with the termination codon and this disease.

Perhaps the presence of a stop codon combined with the high number of non‐synonymous nucleotide substitutions in the reading frame of the env gene reflects absence of selective constraints during evolution. Obviously, our findings contradict the assumption that the reading frame of the ERV3 env gene has been conserved throughout evolution.
Screening of Dystrophin Gene Deletions in Egyptian Patients with DMD/BMD Muscular Dystrophies
Authors: Effat Laila K. , El-Harouni Ashraf A. , Amr Khalda S. , El-Minisi Tarik I. , Abdel Meguid Nagwa , El-Awady Mostafa
Published: June 2013

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) are allelic disorders caused by mutations within the dystrophin gene. Our study has identified 100 Egyptian families collected from the Human Genetics Clinic, National Research Center, Cairo. All cases were subjected to complete clinical evaluation pedigree analysis, electromyography studies, estimation of serum creatine phosphokinase enzyme (CPK) levels and DNA analysis. Multiplex PCR using 18 pairs of specific primers were used for screening of deletion mutations within the dystrophin gene. A frequency of 55% among the families. Sixty per cent of detected deletions involved multiple exons spanning the major or the minor hot spot of the dystrophin gene. The remainder 40% which mainly involved exon 45. Comparing these findings with frequencies of other countries it was found that our figures fall within the reported range of 40%– for deletions. The distribution of deletions in our study and other different studies was variable and specific ethnic differences do not apparently account for specific deletions. In addition this study concluded that employment of the 18 exon analysis is a cost effective and a highly accurate (97% to launch a nationwide program.
Comparison between Hybridoma and Fab/phage Anti‐RhD: Their V Gene Usage and Pairings
Authors: Perera W. S. , Moss M. T. , Urbaniak S. J.
Published: June 2013

Our 11 anti‐RhD′s in conjunction with 37 previously published RhD antibodies, produced by hybridoma technology were analysed for germline gene usage and restriction in VH and VL pairings. The 17 VH germline genes used by the hybridoma anti‐RhD IgG were derived from 4 VH families (VH1, VH2, VH3 and VH4). Eighteen kappa chains were restricted to only 5 germline genes from only 2 Vκ families (Vκ1 and κ3). However, the 13 lambda chains were not as restricted, using 10 Vλ germline genes from 4 families (Vλ1, Vλ2, Vλ3 and Vλ8). Fifty six unique Fab/phage anti‐RhD were also analysed. In all cases the Fab/phage VH germline genes were derived from the VH3 family (41/41). The 29 kappa chains were restricted to 4 germline genes primarily from Vκ1 (97%) germline genes from 5 families (Vλ1, Vλ2, Vλ3, Vλ4 and Vλ7). The VH germline genes of the Fab/phage were restricted to 4 of the 17 used by the hybridoma anti‐RhD IgG (DP46, DP49, DP50 and DP77). Ninety percent of the Fab/phage were restricted to 1 of the 5 Vκ germline genes used by the IgG (DPK9). However, the repertoire of the Vλ germline genes used in these two systems is different, with analysis showing greater diversity in Vλ gene usage with 8 unique germline genes used by 76% Fab/phage compared to 4 unique genes used by 46% hybriboma anti‐RhD.
Evidence for an Association between the SRD5A2 (Type II Steroid 5α‐Reductase) Locus and Prostate Cancer in Italian Patients
Authors: Margiotti K. , Sangiuolo F. , De Luca A. , Froio F. , Pearce C. L. , Ricci-Barbini V. , Micali F. , Bonafè M. , Franceschi C. , Dallapiccola B. , Novelli G. , Reichardt J. K. V.
Published: June 2013

We have investigated the contributions of three polymorphic markers in the SRD5A2 gene to prostate cancer in a group of Italian patients. We have genotyped cases and controls for a polymorphic (TA)n dinucleotide repeat and two functional substitutions, A49T and V89L, substituting respectively alanine with threonine at codon 49, and valine to leucine at codon 89. We found a substantially increased but not significant risk associated with the 49T mutation and a reduction of risk for the V89L substitution. In conclusion, we report on preliminary evidence for both increased and decreased risk associated with separate markers at this locus.
Virus Strain Discrimination Using Recombinant Antibodies
Authors: Boonham N. , Barker I.
Published: June 2013

Most routine testing for plant viruses is currently carried out using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Traditional methods of antibody production however can be time consuming and require the use of expensive cell culture facilities. Recombinant antibody technology however is starting to make an impact in this area, enabling the selection of antibody fragments in a few weeks compared with the many months associated with traditional methods and requires only basic microbiological facilities. Single chain Fv antibody fragments (scFv) have been selected from a synthetic phage‐antibody library by affinity selection with purified Potato virus Y, ordinary strain (PVYO). The scFv selected was specific for PVY and detected 7 out of 9 isolates of PVYO whilst it did not detect 15 isolates from the closely related necrotic strains PVYN and PVYNTN. In ELISA the scFv could be used to detect virus at concentrations of 50 ng/ml in plant sap and was shown to have similar limits of detection as commercially available PVY monoclonal antibodies. These results highlight the potential of the technology for the selection of strain specific antibodies with an affinity and assay sensitivity similar to traditional monoclonal antibodies and their use in viral diagnostics.
Proteomics and the Inner Ear
Authors: Thalmann Isolde
Published: June 2013

The inner ear, one of the most complex organs, contains within its bony shell three sensory systems, the evolutionary oldest gravity receptor system, the three semicircular canals for the detection of angular acceleration, and the auditory system ‐ unrivaled in sensitivity and frequency discrimination. All three systems are susceptible to a host of afflictions affecting the quality of life for all of us. In the first part of this review we present an introduction to the milestones of inner ear research to pave the way for understanding the complexities of a proteomics approach to the ear. Minute sensory structures, surrounded by large fluid spaces and a hard bony shell, pose extreme challenges to the ear researcher. In spite of these obstacles, a powerful preparatory technique was developed, whereby precisely defined microscopic tissue elements can be isolated and analyzed, while maintaining the biochemical state representative of the in vivo conditions. The second part consists of a discussion of proteomics as a tool in the elucidation of basic and pathologic mechanisms, diagnosis of disease, as well as treatment. Examples are the organ of Corti proteins OCP1 and OCP2, oncomodulin, a highly specific calcium‐binding protein, and several disease entities, Meniere′s disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and perilymphatic fistula.
Cone Monotonicity: Structure Theorem, Properties, and Comparisons to Other Notions of Monotonicity
Authors: Van Dyke Heather A. , Vixie Kevin R. , Asaki Thomas J.
Published: June 2013

In search of a meaningful 2-dimensional analog to monotonicity, we introduce two new definitions and give examples of and discuss the relationship between these definitions and others that we found in the literature.
Limitations of the Use of Pressure Waves to Verify Correct Epidural Needle Position in Dogs
Authors: Adami Chiara , Bergadano Alessandra , Spadavecchia Claudia
Published: June 2013

The use of pressure waves to confirm the correct position of the epidural needle has been described in several domestic species and proposed as a valid alternative to standard methods, namely, control radiographic exam and fluoroscopy. The object of this retrospective clinical study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the epidural pressure waves as a test to verify the correct needle placement in the epidural space in dogs, in order to determine whether this technique could be useful not only in the clinical setting but also when certain knowledge of needle’s tip position is required, for instance when performing clinical research focusing on epidural anaesthesia. Of the 54 client-owned dogs undergoing elective surgeries and enrolled in this retrospective study, only 45% showed epidural pressure waves before and after epidural injection. Twenty-six percent of the animals showed epidural pressure waves only after the injection, whereas 29% of the dogs showed epidural pressure waves neither before nor after injection and were defined as false negatives. Our results show that the epidural pressure wave technique to verify epidural needle position lacks sensitivity, resulting in many false negatives. As a consequence, the applicability of this technique is limited to situations in which precise, exact knowledge of the needle's tip position is not mandatory.
Improved Computing-Efficiency Least-Squares Algorithm with Application to All-Pass Filter Design
Authors: Su Lo-Chyuan , Jou Yue-Dar , Chen Fu-Kun
Published: June 2013

All-pass filter design can be generally achieved by solving a system of linear equations. The associated matrices involved in the set of linear equations can be further formulated as a Toeplitz-plus-Hankel form such that a matrix inversion is avoided. Consequently, the optimal filter coefficients can be solved by using computationally efficient Levinson algorithms or Cholesky decomposition technique. In this paper, based on trigonometric identities and sampling the frequency band of interest uniformly, the authors proposed closed-form expressions to compute the elements of the Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrix required in the least-squares design of IIR all-pass filters. Simulation results confirm that the proposed method achieves good performance as well as effectiveness.
Virtual Reality Method of Portal Slewing Crane Based on WPF
Authors: Li Jingsong , Liu Quan , Su Hang
Published: June 2013

With the development of virtual reality technology, portal slewing crane monitoring system is also gradually moving towards virtualization; virtual simulation laboratory software appeared in large numbers. After a comprehensive analysis of the domestic and foreign construction of virtual reality technology development status, this paper proposes a virtual reality method based on WPF technology. The specific content of this method is summarized as follows. Firstly, the portal slewing crane model was built by 3ds Max, which includes the undercarriage, cab, and main hook. Secondly, the scenes of the port are added, which includes the sea, the sky, and the port. Finally, we use WPF to create the virtual reality module of the portal slewing crane monitoring system. According to a group of performance tests, we can get the performance tests show that the WPF system could improve the CPU utilization and reduce the memory usage during simulating the 3D model of the portal slewing crane.
Low Back Pain-Complex Approach of Treatment by Different CAM Modalities (Acupuncture and Other Types of Dry Needling, “Targeted RF Noninvasive Physiotherapy” for Low Back Pain)
Authors: Gabriella Hegyi , Jian Li
Published: June 2013

For at least 2,500 years, acupuncture has been an integral part of the traditional Chinese medicine. Recently, more people are diagnosed with chronic disease, and many of them are poorly treated with conventional therapies. Those frequently prefer other forms of complementary medical treatments. Based on the theory of homeostatic equilibrium being the basis of health, acupuncture focuses on restoring the homeostasis by manipulation of the complementary and opposing elements of yin and yang. It is possible that by affecting
afferent nerve signaling, acupuncture may influence the release of endogenous opioids to promote pain relief. Our objective is giving western trained physicians clinical applications together with acupuncture and modern physiotherapeutic equipment (booster) to accommodate accelerating interests in acupuncture and related techniques in modern complex treatment of chronic low back pain. In recent prospective phase I/II study, statistical data verified the relevant end points of the study: the safety, the quality of life (QoL), the rest time, duration of painless state, and cost/benefit ratio.
Output Tracking Control of Switched Hybrid Systems: A Fliess Functional Expansion Approach
Authors: He Fenghua , Zhang Peng , Chen Yong , Wang Long , Yao Yu , Chen Weishan
Published: June 2013

The output tracking problem is investigated for a nonlinear affine system with multiple modes of continuous control inputs. We convert the family of nonlinear affine systems under consideration into a switched hybrid system by introducing a multiple-valued logic variable. The Fliess functional expansion is adopted to express the input and output relationship of the switched hybrid system. The optimal switching control is determined for a multiple-step output tracking performance index. The proposed approach is applied to a multitarget tracking problem for a flight vehicle aiming for one real target with several decoys flying around it in the terminal guidance course. These decoys appear as apparent targets and have to be distinguished with the approaching of the flight vehicle. The guidance problem of one flight vehicle versus multiple apparent targets should be considered if no large miss distance might be caused due to the limitation of the flight vehicle maneuverability. The target orientation at each time interval is determined. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.