bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A DISTRIBUTIONAL PRODUCT APPROACH TO δ-SHOCK WAVE SOLUTIONS FOR A GENERALIZED PRESSURELESS GAS DYNAMICS SYSTEM
Authors: SARRICO C. O. R.
Published: January 2014

In the setting of a product of distributions which is not defined by approximation processes, we are able to consider a Riemann problem for the system ut+ [ϕ(u)]x= 0, vt+ [ψ(u)v]x= 0, with the unknown states u, v in convenient spaces of distributions and ϕ, ψ : ℝ → ℝ continuous. A consistent extension of the classical solution concept will show the possible arising of a δ-shock wave solution. This procedure affords a simpler and more general framework to construct singular solutions and can surely be applied to other equations or systems.
Disorder–order transitions in diluted and nondiluted direct transmission lines with asymmetric dichotomous noise
Authors: Lazo E. , Humire F. R. , Saavedra E.
Published: January 2014

In this work we study the localization properties of diluted and nondiluted disordered direct transmission lines (TLs), when we distribute two values of inductances, LA and LB, according to an asymmetric dichotomous sequence. Using the scaling properties of the participation number D we study the localization properties in the thermodynamic limit. For certain τ and β parameter specific values, which characterize the dichotomous noise, we have found the following limit conditions: lim β→∞m(ω,τ,β) → 1.0 or lim τ→∞m(ω,τ,β) → 1.0, for the appearing of the disorder–order transitions. Here m(ω,τ,β) are the slopes of the linear relationships between ln (D) and ln (N). In addition, in each ωc resonance frequency generated by the dilution process we demonstrate the existence of extended intermediate states in the thermodynamic limit.
A FAST ESTIMATION ALGORITHM OF COMMUNITY NUMBER IN LARGE SCALE-FREE COMPLEX NETWORKS
Authors: FU PEIHUA , ZHU SHAN'AN , ZHU ANDING , DONG XIAO
Published: January 2014

In conventional community detecting algorithms, the community number is always a bypass product and cannot be estimated before partitioning. Since partitioning large scale and dynamic complex networks takes exhausting computation, the community number sometimes can be a terminal condition of iterations or a preset optimal parameter for speeding up partitioning algorithms. This paper assumes that communities are organized around the center of core nodes in a scale-free network. A separability function is built to dichotomize nodes into two classes and the class of large degree nodes is selected as the core node candidate set. An improved shortest path seeking algorithm is applied to remove the closest neighbors of a specific core node. The number of remaining core nodes is then the estimated number of communities. Experiments of real world scale-free networks and computer generated networks show that the results are very close to the well-proven results.
PAUSING-TIME DISTRIBUTION OF ANOMALOUS DIFFUSION OF HYDROGEN WITH RANDOM ENERGY
Authors: HIKITA HARUMI , MORIGAKI KAZUO
Published: January 2014

It has been empirically known that the disordered system exhibits a power-law behavior. We show from calculation the power law t-1-α for the pausing-time distribution of thermal diffusion of hydrogen in the exponential density of states. This power law of the pausing-time distribution is examined by the Monte Carlo simulation. The results agree with those obtained by analytical calculation. We discuss the power law in terms of random walk in fractal structure (Cantor ensemble).
CHARACTERIZATION OF NANOCRYSTALLINE NICKEL–COBALT ALLOYS SYNTHESIZED BY DIRECT AND PULSE ELECTRODEPOSITION
Authors: SALEHI M. , SAIDI A. , AHMADIAN M. , RAEISSI K.
Published: January 2014

Nanocrystalline Ni – Co alloys are electrodeposited by direct (DC) and pulse current (PC) in an electrolyte solution which consisted of nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate and boric acid. Electrodeposition parameters including current density, electrolyte pH and pulse times in a single electrolyte bath were changed. XRD pattern showed that the structure of the alloys depends on Co content and the synthesis parameter and changed from single phase structure (fcc) to dual phase structure (fcc + hcp). The Co content in the deposited alloys declined from 70 at.% to 50 at.% by increasing in direct current from 70 mA/cm2 to 115 mA/cm2 and also decreased from 75 at.% to 33 at.% with decrease in pH values from 4 to 2. By applying PC the Co content changed from 76 at.% to 41 at.%. Magnetic properties measurements showed the saturation magnetization (Ms) increased with increasing the Co content. There was no significant effect on coercivity values (Hc) with change in Co content and about 40 Oe was obtained for all samples. The grain size of deposited alloys obtained between 24–58 nm and 15–21 nm by applying DC and PC, respectively.
CYCLIC SEGREGATION STATE IN VERTICALLY VIBRATED BINARY GRANULAR MIXTURES
Authors: SHI QINGFAN , PAN BEICHENG , LU CHANGHONG , SUN GANG
Published: January 2014

In this paper, the vertically vibrated binary granular mixtures at atmospheric pressure are studied experimentally. We find a nonstationary segregation state, of which the structure changes with time cyclically. The period of the cyclic segregation is measured and its variation with the vibration conditions is shown. The transition between the segregation states is also discussed, and a phase diagram on the plot of frequency against acceleration amplitude is given. In order to observe the effect of air flow in the segregation process, an alternative container with ventilated bottom is designed. Our experiments show that both regions of the Brazil nut segregation state and the cyclic segregation state shrink obviously by use of the latter container and disappear completely if the whole system is placed in vacuum. These results testify that the air pressure plays a positive role in both the Brazil nut effect and cyclic segregation.
Modeling and Analysis of Monostatic Seafloor Reverberation from Bottom Consisting of Two Slopes
Authors: Choo Youngmin , Seong Woojae , Hong Wooyoung
Published: January 2014

An incoherent reverberation from a continental shelf was simulated using a propagation model based on ray theory combined with several scattering strength formulas. The concept of an N × 2D reverberation model is used to consider azimuthal and radial dependent bottom. For verification of the reverberation model, the result is compared to consensus solutions of problem XI in Reverberation Modeling Workshop I (RMW I). Subsequently, the model is applied to one of data-inspired problems in Reverberation Modeling Workshop II (RMW II). Scattering strength formulas based on the Kirchhoff approximation (KA) and small slope approximation (SSA) are adapted to be applicable to a von Karman roughness spectral form. The monostatic reverberations on the continental shelf are observed at 200 Hz and 1600 Hz for various scattering cross-sections. The results with SSA scattering cross-section are examined to analyze the features of continental shelf reverberation depending on the sound speed profile and bottom slope, and they are found to affect both the pattern and level of reverberations.
Lattice
BLEU
oracles in machine translation
Authors: Sokolov Artem , Wisniewski Guillaume , Yvon Franccois
Published: January 2014

The search space of Phrase-Based Statistical Machine Translation (PBSMT) systems can be represented as a directed acyclic graph (lattice). By exploring this search space, it is possible to analyze and understand the failures of PBSMT systems. Indeed, useful diagnoses can be obtained by computing the so-called
oracle
hypotheses, which are hypotheses in the search space that have the highest quality score. For standard SMT metrics, this problem is, however, NP-hard and can only be solved approximately. In this work, we present two new methods for efficiently computing oracles on lattices: the first one is based on a linear approximation of the corpus bleu score and is solved using generic shortest distance algorithms; the second one relies on an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulation of the oracle decoding that incorporates count clipping constraints. It can either be solved directly using a standard ILP solver or using Lagrangian relaxation techniques. These new decoders are evaluated and compared with several alternatives from the literature for three language pairs, using lattices produced by two PBSMT systems.
Documenting and sharing comparative analyses of 3D digital museum artifacts through semantic web annotations
Authors: Yu Chih-Hao , Hunter Jane
Published: January 2014

Understanding the similarities, differences, and relationships between cultural heritage artifacts is critical for determining their significance and their provenance. It also provides valuable information for ensuring the long-term preservation of cultural heritage artifacts. Consequently, as more museums develop online three-dimensional (3D) collections, curators and scholars are demanding online tools that enable them to document and interpret variances and similarities between related 3D digital objects. This article describes a system that was developed to enable museum curators and/or scholars to document relationships between multiple 3D digital representations of museum objects using web-based annotation tools. The 3D Semantic Association (3DSA) system enables users to annotate relationships between multiple whole objects, parts of objects, or features on objects (surface features or volumetric segments). The annotations are stored on a server in an interoperable format that can be shared, discovered, browsed, and retrieved through a web browser interface. This approach not only improves scholars’ capabilities to undertake cultural heritage research but also enables researchers to document, share, discuss, and compare alternative hypotheses about the relationships between artifacts.
Thermobooth
Authors: Radford Talia , Bohatsch Jonas , Gold Lena
Published: January 2014

Interactive photography adds a new take on the old photo booth experience.
Sharing data while protecting privacy in citizen science
Authors: Bowser Anne , Wiggins Andrea , Shanley Lea , Preece Jennifer , Henderson Sandra
Published: January 2014

Public policy plays an influential role in the work we do as HCI researchers, interaction designers, and practitioners. "Public policy," a broad term, includes both government policy and policy within non-governmental organizations. This forum focuses on topics at the intersection of human-computer interaction and public policy.
---Jonathan Lazar, Editor
Demo hour
Authors: Tahiroğlu Koray , Wikström Valtteri , Overstall Simon , Svedström Thomas , Kildal Johan , Ahmaniemi Teemu , Long Kiel , Vines John , Nakamura Hiromi , Miyashita Home , Kim Eunjin , Achituv Romy
Published: January 2014

The four projects shown here are from CHI 2013 Interactivity in Paris, France, selected to reflect the diversity of approaches to embodied interaction. HCI research commonly features contributions more keenly experienced through embodied engagement rather than via a presentation or video. CHI Interactivity provides the venue for such work, allowing attendees to touch, squeeze, hear, or even taste interactive visions for the future, be they research, invention, the arts, or design.---
Florian Mueller, Steve Benford, Danielle Wilde and Atau Tanaka
, CHI 2013 Interactivity Chairs
Managing health with mobile technology
Authors: Klasnja Predrag , Pratt Wanda
Published: January 2014

This forum is dedicated to personal health in all its many facets: decision-making, goal setting, celebration, discovery, reflection, and coordination, among others. We look at innovations in interactive technologies and how they help address current critical healthcare challenges.
---Gillian R. Hayes, Editor
Introducing the business of UX
Authors: Rosenberg Daniel
Published: January 2014

This forum is dedicated to maximizing the success of HCI practitioners within the frenetic world of product and service design. It focuses on UX strategy approaches, leadership, management techniques, and above all the challenge of bringing HCI to peer-level status with longstanding business disciplines such as marketing and engineering.
---Daniel Rosenberg, Editor
Stories from my thanatosensitive design process
Authors: Massimi Michael
Published: January 2014

Reflections on working with the bereaved
XL peer-to-peer pub/sub systems
Authors: Kermarrec Anne-Marie , Triantafillou Peter
Published: January 2014

Increasingly, one of the most prominent ways to disseminate information on the Web is through “notifications” (also known as alerts), and as such they are at the core of many large-scale applications. For instance, users are notified of articles in which they are interested through RSS feeds, of posts from their friends through social networks, or of recommendation generated by various sites. Event notification usually relies on the so-called Publish-Subscribe (P
ub
/S
ub
) communication paradigm. In P
ub
/S
ub
systems, subscribers sign up for events or classes of events in order to be asynchronously notified afterward by the system. The size of such systems (with respect to events and subscriptions) keeps growing, and providing scalable implementations of P
ub
/S
ub
systems is extremely challenging. Although there exist popular examples of centralized P
ub
/S
ub
systems that currently support a large number of subscribers, such as online social networks, they periodically face formidable challenges due to peak loads and do not always offer a support for fine-grain subscriptions. In fact, providing scalability along with expressiveness in the subscription patterns calls for distributed implementations of P
ub
/S
ub
systems. In parallel, peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay networks have emerged, providing a sound and highly scalable network foundation upon which to build distributed applications including P
ub
/S
ub
systems.

In this article, we focus on fully decentralized (P2P), highly scalable, P
ub
/S
ub
systems. More specifically, we investigate how P
ub
/S
ub
and P2P research can be integrated. We define the design space and explore it in a systematic way. We expose an understanding of available design choices; provide a comprehensive classification and understanding of prominent P2P P
ub
/S
ub
systems, positioning them against the design dimensions; and highlight correlations between and implications, benefits, and shortcomings of design alternatives.
A decoupled non-SSA global register allocation using bipartite liveness graphs
Authors: Barik Rajkishore , Zhao Jisheng , Sarkar Vivek
Published: January 2014

Register allocation is an essential optimization for all compilers. A number of sophisticated register allocation algorithms have been developed over the years. The two fundamental classes of register allocation algorithms used in modern compilers are based on Graph Coloring (GC) and Linear Scan (LS). However, these two algorithms have fundamental limitations in terms of precision. For example, the key data structure used in GC-based algorithms, the interference graph, lacks information on the program points at which two variables may interfere. The LS-based algorithms make local decisions regarding spilling, and thereby trade off global optimization for reduced compile-time and space overheads. Recently, researchers have proposed Static Single Assignment (SSA)-based decoupled register allocation algorithms that exploit the live-range split points of the SSA representation to optimally solve the spilling problem. However, SSA-based register allocation often requires extra complexity in repairing register assignments during SSA elimination and in addressing architectural constraints such as aliasing and ABI encoding; this extra overhead can be prohibitively expensive in dynamic compilation contexts.

This article proposes a decoupled non-SSA--based global register allocation algorithm for dynamic compilation. It addresses the limitations in current algorithms by introducing a Bipartite Liveness Graph (BLG)-based register allocation algorithm that models the spilling phase as an optimization problem on the BLG itself and the assignment phase as a separate optimization problem. Advanced register allocation optimizations such as move coalescing, live-range splitting, and register class handling are also performed along with the spilling and assignment phases. In the presence of register classes, we propose a bucket-based greedy heuristic for assignment that strikes a balance between spill-cost and register class constraints. We present experimental evaluation of our BLG-based register allocation algorithm and compare it with production-quality register allocators in Jikes RVM and LLVM.
High efficiency MAC unit used in digital signal processing and elliptic curve cryptography
Authors: Maitra Subhashis , Sinha Amitabha
Published: January 2014

Computational complexities of different Algorithms to enhance the speed of response of digital signal processor and different cryptographic analysis are the important issues for the current researcher. Computational complexities means hardware complexities and timing complexities. Both the complexities depend on the design of the software and hardware. Arithmetic computation like addition and multiplication are the major parts in designing processor that helps to improve the efficiency and to reduce complexities. Hence the design of a multiplier unit is the major issue to the current researchers. There are different multiplication algorithms discussed in different research materials. In this paper, a new algorithm for multiplication has been proposed to enhance the speed of operation and to reduce hardware complexities. Also a comparative study of the proposed algorithm over different existing algorithms has been explained here along with VHDL model of the proposed architecture.
Nanocarriers for Vascular Delivery of Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Authors: Howard Melissa D. , Hood Elizabeth D. , Zern Blaine , Shuvaev Vladimir V. , Grosser Tilo , Muzykantov Vladimir R.
Published: January 2014

There is a need for improved treatment of acute vascular inflammation in conditions such as ischemia-reperfusion injury, acute lung injury, sepsis, and stroke. The vascular endothelium represents an important therapeutic target in these conditions. Furthermore, some anti-inflammatory agents (AIAs) (e.g., biotherapeutics) require precise delivery into subcellular compartments. In theory, optimized delivery to the desired site of action may improve the effects and enable new mechanisms of action of these AIAs. Diverse nanocarriers (NCs) and strategies for targeting them to endothelial cells have been designed and explored for this purpose. Studies in animal models suggest that delivery of AIAs using NCs may provide potent and specific molecular interventions in inflammatory pathways. However, the industrial development and clinical translation of complex NC-AIA formulations are challenging. Rigorous analysis of therapeutic/side effect and benefit/cost ratios is necessary to identify and optimize the approaches that may find clinical utility in the management of acute inflammation.
Transparency in Resource Governance: The Pitfalls and Potential of “New Oil” in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Van Alstine James
Published: January 2014

An international agenda has evolved over the past decade to establish hard and soft rules to govern the impacts of the extractive industries. The international community and some resource-rich states have increasingly embraced norms such as transparency in resource governance. This paper explores how multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) campaign have sought to institutionalize transparency in resource governance. By exploring how, why, and to what effect transparency in resource governance has taken hold in a new petro-economy such as Ghana, I highlight two key findings: the interaction between voluntary and mandatory governance mechanisms and rescaling of authority, and the multi-scalar dimensions of resource governance and subsequent lack of focus on sub-national issues. In concluding, I question the transformative potential of transparency in resource governance, which has significant global implications as the demand for energy and non-energy minerals continues to rise.
Neural Substrates of Social Status Inference: Roles of Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Superior Temporal Sulcus
Authors: Mason Malia , Magee Joe C. , Fiske Susan T.
Published: January 2014

The negotiation of social order is intimately connected to the capacity to infer and track status relationships. Despite the foundational role of status in social cognition, we know little about how the brain constructs status from social interactions that display it. Although emerging cognitive neuroscience reveals that status judgments depend on the intraparietal sulcus, a brain region that supports the comparison of targets along a quantitative continuum, we present evidence that status judgments do not necessarily reduce to ranking targets along a quantitative continuum. The process of judging status also fits a social interdependence analysis. Consistent with third-party perceivers judging status by inferring whose goals are dictating the terms of the interaction and who is subordinating their desires to whom, status judgments were associated with increased recruitment of medial pFC and STS, brain regions implicated in mental state inference.
Quantitative Characterization of Functional Anatomical Contributions to Cognitive Control under Uncertainty
Authors: Fan Jin , Van Dam Nicholas T. , Gu Xiaosi , Liu Xun , Wang Hongbin , Tang Cheuk Y. , Hof Patrick R.
Published: January 2014

Although much evidence indicates that RT increases as a function of computational load in many cognitive tasks, quantification of changes in neural activity related to increasing demand of cognitive control has rarely been attempted. In this fMRI study, we used a majority function task to quantify the effect of computational load on brain activation, reflecting the mental processes instantiated by cognitive control under conditions of uncertainty. We found that the activation of the frontoparieto-cingulate system as well as the deactivation of the anticorrelated default mode network varied parametrically as a function of information uncertainty, estimated as entropy with an information theoretic model. The current findings suggest that activity changes in the dynamic networks of the brain (especially the frontoparieto-cingulate system) track with information uncertainty, rather than only conflict or other commonly proposed targets of cognitive control.
Distributed and Dynamic Storage of Working Memory Stimulus Information in Extrastriate Cortex
Authors: Sreenivasan Kartik K. , Vytlacil Jason , D'Esposito Mark
Published: January 2014

The predominant neurobiological model of working memory (WM) posits that stimulus information is stored via stable, elevated activity within highly selective neurons. On the basis of this model, which we refer to as the canonical model, the storage of stimulus information is largely associated with lateral PFC (lPFC). A growing number of studies describe results that cannot be fully explained by the canonical model, suggesting that it is in need of revision. In this study, we directly tested key elements of the canonical model. We analyzed fMRI data collected as participants performed a task requiring WM for faces and scenes. Multivariate decoding procedures identified patterns of activity containing information about the items maintained in WM (faces, scenes, or both). Although information about WM items was identified in extrastriate visual cortex (EC) and lPFC, only EC exhibited a pattern of results consistent with a sensory representation. Information in both regions persisted even in the absence of elevated activity, suggesting that elevated population activity may not represent the storage of information in WM. Additionally, we observed that WM information was distributed across EC neural populations that exhibited a broad range of selectivity for the WM items rather than restricted to highly selective EC populations. Finally, we determined that activity patterns coding for WM information were not stable, but instead varied over the course of a trial, indicating that the neural code for WM information is dynamic rather than static. Together, these findings challenge the canonical model of WM.
The Timing and Neuroanatomy of Conscious Vision as Revealed by TMS-induced Blindsight
Authors: Allen Christopher P. G. , Sumner Petroc , Chambers Christopher D.
Published: January 2014

Following damage to the primary visual cortex, some patients exhibit “blindsight,” where they report a loss of awareness while retaining the ability to discriminate visual stimuli above chance. Transient disruption of occipital regions with TMS can produce a similar dissociation, known as TMS-induced blindsight. The neural basis of this residual vision is controversial, with some studies attributing it to the retinotectal pathway via the superior colliculus whereas others implicate spared projections that originate predominantly from the LGN. Here we contrasted these accounts by combining TMS with visual stimuli that either activate or bypass the retinotectal and magnocellular (R/M) pathways. We found that the residual capacity of TMS-induced blindsight occurs for stimuli that bypass the R/M pathways, indicating that such pathways, which include those to the superior colliculus, are not critical. We also found that the modulation of conscious vision was time and pathway dependent. TMS applied either early (0–40 msec) or late (280–320 msec) after stimulus onset modulated detection of stimuli that did not bypass R/M pathways, whereas during an intermediate period (90–130 msec) the effect was pathway independent. Our findings thus suggest a prominent role for the R/M pathways in supporting both the preparatory and later stages of conscious vision. This may help resolve apparent conflict in previous literature by demonstrating that the roles of the retinotectal and geniculate pathways are likely to be more nuanced than simply corresponding to the unconscious/conscious dichotomy.
Producing Speech with a Newly Learned Morphosyntax and Vocabulary: An Magnetoencephalography Study
Authors: Hultén Annika , Karvonen Leena , Laine Matti , Salmelin Riitta
Published: January 2014

Ten participants learned a miniature language (Anigram), which they later employed to verbally describe a pictured event. Using magnetoencephalography, the cortical dynamics of sentence production in Anigram was compared with that in the native tongue from the preparation phase up to the production of the final word. At the preparation phase, a cartoon image with two animals prompted the participants to plan either the corresponding simple sentence (e.g., “the bear hits the lion”) or a grammar-free list of the two nouns (“the bear, the lion”). For the newly learned language, this stage induced stronger left angular and adjacent inferior parietal activations than for the native language, likely reflecting a higher load on lexical retrieval and STM storage. The preparation phase was followed by a cloze task where the participants were prompted to produce the last word of the sentence or word sequence. Production of the sentence-final word required retrieval of rule-based inflectional morphology and was accompanied by increased activation of the left middle superior temporal cortex that did not differ between the two languages. Activation of the right temporal cortex during the cloze task suggested that this area plays a role in integrating word meanings into the sentence frame. The present results indicate that, after just a few days of exposure, the newly learned language harnesses the neural resources for multiword production much the same way as the native tongue and that the left and right temporal cortices seem to have functionally different roles in this processing.
Action Sentences Activate Sensory Motor Regions in the Brain Independently of Their Status of Reality
Authors: de Vega Manuel , León Inmaculada , Hernández Juan A. , Valdés Mitchell , Padrón Iván , Ferstl Evelyn C.
Published: January 2014

Some studies have reported that understanding concrete action-related words and sentences elicits activations of motor areas in the brain. The present fMRI study goes one step further by testing whether this is also the case for comprehension of nonfactual statements. Three linguistic structures were used (factuals, counterfactuals, and negations), referring either to actions or, as a control condition, to visual events. The results showed that action sentences elicited stronger activations than visual sentences in the SMA, extending to the primary motor area, as well as in regions generally associated with the planning and understanding of actions (left superior temporal gyrus, left and right supramarginal gyri). Also, we found stronger activations for action sentences than for visual sentences in the extrastriate body area, a region involved in the visual processing of human body movements. These action-related effects occurred not only in factuals but also in negations and counterfactuals, suggesting that brain regions involved in action understanding and planning are activated by default even when the actions are described as hypothetical or as not happening. Moreover, some of these regions overlapped with those activated during the observation of action videos, indicating that the act of understanding action language and that of observing real actions share neural networks. These results support the claim that embodied representations of linguistic meaning are important even in abstract linguistic contexts.
Neural Systems Underlying the Reappraisal of Personally Craved Foods
Authors: Giuliani Nicole R. , Mann Traci , Tomiyama A. Janet , Berkman Elliot T.
Published: January 2014

Craving of unhealthy food is a common target of self-regulation, but the neural systems underlying this process are understudied. In this study, participants used cognitive reappraisal to regulate their desire to consume idiosyncratically craved or not craved energy-dense foods, and neural activity during regulation was compared with each other and with the activity during passive viewing of energy-dense foods. Regulation of both food types elicited activation in classic top–down self-regulation regions including the dorsolateral prefrontal, inferior frontal, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortices. This main effect of regulation was qualified by an interaction, such that activation in these regions was significantly greater during reappraisal of craved (versus not craved) foods and several regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal, inferior frontal, medial frontal, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortices, were uniquely active during regulation of personally craved foods. Body mass index significantly negatively correlated with regulation-related activation in the right dorsolateral PFC, thalamus, and bilateral dorsal ACC and with activity in nucleus accumbens during passive viewing of craved (vs. neutral, low-energy density) foods. These results suggest that several of the brain regions involved in the self-regulation of food craving are similar to other kinds of affective self-regulation and that others are sensitive to the self-relevance of the regulation target.
Saving Original Sin from the Secularists
Authors: Coleman Richard J.
Published: January 2014

Nearly five hundred years ago Martin Luther countered Erasmus’ rather optimistic understanding of human nature with his strong language of “bondage of the will.” The landscape, though, has been radically changed by a new science of human nature. Building on a decade or more of basic research, four heavyweights in the secular world, Peter Singer, Steven Pinker, Jeremy Rifkin, and Matt Ridley, have explanations for why we are becoming less violent and more empathetic. Emanating from P. Ricoeur, R. Niebuhr, K. Barth, and St. Paul is a counter-truth that asserts the very desire to transcend our essential self is the one thing we cannot change without making us something other than human.
Re-imagining School Health in Education and Health Programmes
Authors: Deshpande Mita , Baru Rama V. , Nundy Madhurima
Published: January 2014

The idea of school health is re-imagined with an emphasis on the need for children’s health programmes to be rooted in an understanding of the social context. Such programmes must address health, nutrition and education in a comprehensive manner. The article details findings and insights emerging from a qualitative study conducted in municipal schools in Delhi, located in contexts of poverty. The study identifies areas requiring changes in teacher education and health programmes. A creative methodology was utilised to record children’s perceptions and teachers’ views on health, which found that an approach that privileges the voices of the child and the school in public health planning can be very meaningful.
An Evaluation of Hyperkalemia and Serum Creatinine Elevation Associated With Different Dosage Levels of Outpatient Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole With and Without Concomitant Medications
Authors: Gentry Chris A. , Nguyen Ann T.
Published: January 2014

Background: Adverse events associated with high-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) for outpatient infections, particularly those likely caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, have not been adequately characterized. Objective: Describe hyperkalemia and acute renal injury associated with high-dose TMP-SMX. Methods: An electronic medical record database retrospective study was conducted of outpatients receiving high-dose or low-dose TMP-SMX, comparing the incidences of hyperkalemia and acute renal injury. Results: Of 6162 patients, more developed hyperkalemia (3.06% vs 1.05%, P < .0001) or acute renal injury (1.99% vs 0.700%, P = .0001) in the high-dose TMP-SMX group. Variables independently associated with hyperkalemia included age >58 years (odds ratio [OR] = 3.44; 95% CI = 1.86-7.0; P < .0001), concomitant receipt of an NSAID (OR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.02-2.79; P = .044) or an ACE inhibitor (OR = 3.27; 95% CI = 2.06-5.14; P < .0001), high-dose TMP-SMX prescribed (OR = 2.92; 95% CI = 1.85-4.60; P < .0001), and baseline elevated serum creatinine (OR = 45.1; 95% CI = 21.7-93.2; P < .0001). Variables independently associated with acute renal injury included concomitant receipt of an ACE inhibitor (OR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.01-5.24; P = .048) or a potassium supplement (OR = 4.10; 95% CI = 1.45-10.1; P = .010), high-dose TMP-SMX prescribed (OR = 3.70; 95% CI = 1.70-8.12; P = .0012), and baseline elevated serum creatinine (OR = 2110; 95% CI = 724-7980; P < .0001). Conclusions: Serum creatinine and potassium concentrations should be monitored in outpatients receiving high-dose TMP-SMX.
Genomic, regulatory and epigenetic mechanisms underlying duplicated gene evolution in the natural allotetraploid Oryza minuta
Authors: Sui Yi , Li Bo , Shi Jinfeng , Chen Mingsheng
Published: January 2014

Background

Polyploid species contribute to Oryza diversity. However, the mechanisms underlying gene and genome evolution in Oryza polyploids remain largely unknown. The allotetraploid Oryza minuta, which is estimated to have formed less than one million years ago, along with its putative diploid progenitors (O. punctata and O. officinalis), are quite suitable for the study of polyploid genome evolution using a comparative genomics approach.

Results

Here, we performed a comparative study of a large genomic region surrounding the Shattering4 locus in O. minuta, as well as in O. punctata and O. officinalis. Duplicated genomes in O. minuta have maintained the diploid genome organization, except for several structural variations mediated by transposon movement. Tandem duplicated gene clusters are prevalent in the Sh4 region, and segmental duplication followed by random deletion is illustrated to explain the gene gain-and-loss process. Both copies of most duplicated genes still persist in O. minuta. Molecular evolution analysis suggested that these duplicated genes are equally evolved and mostly manipulated by purifying selection. However, cDNA-SSCP analysis revealed that the expression patterns were dramatically altered between duplicated genes: nine of 29 duplicated genes exhibited expression divergence in O. minuta. We further detected one gene silencing event that was attributed to gene structural variation, but most gene silencing could not be related to sequence changes. We identified one case in which DNA methylation differences within promoter regions that were associated with the insertion of one hAT element were probably responsible for gene silencing, suggesting a potential epigenetic gene silencing pathway triggered by TE movement.

Conclusions

Our study revealed both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms involved in duplicated gene silencing in the allotetraploid O. minuta.
Polyploidy and the petal transcriptome of Gossypium
Authors: Rambani Aditi , Page Justin T , Udall Joshua A
Published: January 2014

Background

Genes duplicated by polyploidy (homoeologs) may be differentially expressed in plant tissues. Recent research using DNA microarrays and RNAseq data have described a cacophony of complex expression patterns during development of cotton fibers, petals, and leaves. Because of its highly canalized development, petal tissue has been used as a model tissue for gene expression in cotton. Recent advances in cotton genome annotation and assembly now permit an enhanced analysis of duplicate gene deployment in petals from allopolyploid cotton.

Results

Homoeologous gene expression levels were quantified in diploid and tetraploid flower petals of Gossypium using the Gossypium raimondii genome sequence as a reference. In the polyploid, most homoeologous genes were expressed at equal levels, though a subset had an expression bias of AT and DT copies. The direction of gene expression bias was conserved in natural and recent polyploids of cotton. Conservation of direction of bias and additional comparisons between the diploids and tetraploids suggested different regulation mechanisms of gene expression. We described three phases in the evolution of cotton genomes that contribute to gene expression in the polyploid nucleus.

Conclusions

Compared to previous studies, a surprising level of expression homeostasis was observed in the expression patterns of polyploid genomes. Conserved expression bias in polyploid petals may have resulted from cis-acting modifications that occurred prior to polyploidization. Some duplicated genes were intriguing exceptions to general trends. Mechanisms of gene regulation for these and other genes in the cotton genome warrants further investigation.
Factors affecting quantity of pollen dispersal of spray cut chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
Authors: Wang Xiao-Guang , Wang Hai-Bin , Chen Fa-Di , Jiang Jia-Fu , Fang Wei-Min , Liao Yuan , Teng Nian-Jun
Published: January 2014

Background

Spray cut chrysanthemum is a vital flower with high ornamental value and popularity in the world. However, the excessive quantity of pollen dispersal of most spray cut chrysanthemum is an adverse factor during its flowering stage, and can significantly reduce its ornamental value and quickly shorten its vase life. More seriously, excessive pollen grains in the air are usually harmful to people, especially for those with pollen allergies. Therefore, in order to obtain some valuable information for developing spray cut chrysanthemum with less-dispersed or non-dispersed pollen in the future breeding programs, we here investigated the factors affecting quantity of pollen dispersal of spray cut chrysanthemum with four cultivars, i.e. ‘Qx-097’, ‘Noa’, ‘Qx-115’, and ‘Kingfisher’, that have different quantity of pollen dispersal.

Results

‘Qx-097’ with high quantity of pollen dispersal has 819 pollen grains per anther, 196.4 disk florets per inflorescence and over 800,000 pollen grains per inflorescence. The corresponding data for ‘Noa’ with low quantity of pollen dispersal are 406, 175.4 and over 350,000, respectively; and 219, 144.2 and nearly 160,000 for ‘Qx-115’ without pollen dispersal, respectively. ‘Kingfisher’ without pollen dispersal has 202.8 disk florets per inflorescence, but its anther has no pollen grains. In addition, ‘Qx-097’ has a very high degree of anther cracking that nearly causes a complete dispersal of pollen grains from its anthers. ‘Noa’ has a moderate degree of anther cracking, and pollen grains in its anthers are not completely dispersed. However, the anthers of ‘Qx-115’ and ‘Kingfisher’ do not crack at all. Furthermore, microsporogenesis and pollen development are normal in ‘Qx-097’, whereas many microspores or pollen degenerate in ‘Noa’, most of them abort in ‘Qx-115’, and all of them degrade in ‘Kingfisher’.

Conclusions

These results suggest that quantity of pollen dispersal in spray cut chrysanthemum are mainly determined by pollen quantity per anther, and capacity of pollen dispersal. Abnormality during microsporogenesis and pollen development significantly affects pollen quantity per anther. Capacity of pollen dispersal is closely related to the degree of anther dehiscence. The entire degeneration of microspore or pollen, or the complete failure of anther dehiscence can cause the complete failure of pollen dispersal.
Laser in situ keratomileusis for astigmatism ≤ 0.75 Diopter combined with low myopia: a retrospective data analysis
Authors: Katz Toam , Frings Andreas , Linke Stephan J , Richard Gisbert , Druchkiv Vasyl , Steinberg Johannes
Published: January 2014

Background

This study examined the refractive and visual outcome of wavefront-optimized laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in eyes with low myopia and compound myopic astigmatism ≤ 0.75 diopter (D).

Methods

153 eyes from 153 consecutive myopic patients (74 male, 79 female; mean age at surgery 40.4 ± 10.4 years) who had a preoperative refractive cylinder ≤ 0.75 D and a manifest sphere between -0.25 D and -2.75 D, and who had completed 4-month follow-up. Three subgroups defined by the magnitude of preoperative manifest refractive cylinder (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 D) were formed. Manifest refraction, uncorrected and corrected visual acuity were assessed pre- and postoperatively. The astigmatic changes achieved were determined using the Alpins vector analysis.

Results

After 4 months (120.0 ± 27.6 days) of follow-up, a mean uncorrected distant visual acuity of 0.07 ± 0.11 logMAR and a mean manifest refraction spherical equivalent of -0.06 ± 0.56 D were found. There was no statistically significant difference in efficacy and safety between the preoperative cylinder groups. Astigmatic overcorrection for preoperative cylinder of ≤ 0.50 D was suggested by the correction index, the magnitude of error, the index of success, and the flattening index.

Conclusions

Low myopic eyes with a preoperative cylinder of ≤ 0.50 D were significantly overcorrected with regard to cylinder correction when combined with low myopic LASIK. Accordingly, we are cautious in recommending full astigmatic correction for eyes with low myopia and manifest cylinder of ≤ 0.50 D.
A rare thyroid hormone receptor beta (THRβ) gene mutation in a 15-year-old girl with thyroid hormone resistance syndrome: a case report
Authors: El Shafie Kawther , Ouhtit Allal , Al Farsi Yousuf , Al Sayegh Abeer , Al Shafaee Mohammed
Published: January 2014

Introduction

Resistance to thyroid hormone is a rare syndrome, where although the level of thyroid hormone is elevated, the level of thyroid stimulating hormone is not suppressed. The patient in our case report is, to the best of our knowledge, the first with this syndrome identified in Oman.

Case presentation

In one Omani family, a 15-year-old girl of Arabian origin was pre-diagnosed with resistance to thyroid hormone. Blood sample was collected and deoxyribonucleic acid was isolated for molecular genetic testing. The results revealed a rare mutation A268G in the gene for thyroid hormone receptor beta. We believe that this mutation is the cause of the pathology in our patient.

Conclusion

We report the presence of a rare mutation in the thyroid hormone receptor beta gene for the first time in the Omani population. Due to the rates of consanguinity being high among the Omani population, we are aiming to screen our patient’s family members and provide genetic counseling.
A study on the extracts of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. in treatment of cyclophosphamide induced alopecia
Authors: Patel Satish , Sharma Vikas , Chauhan Nagendra S , Dixit Vinod K
Published: January 2014

Background

Alopecia is a dermatological disorder with psychosocial implications on patients with hair loss. Hair loss is one of the most feared side effects of chemotherapy. Plants have been widely used for hair growth promotion since ancient times in Ayurveda, Chinese and Unani systems of medicine. The effect of extracts of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. in testosterone induced alopecia was reported.

Objective

In the present study, the efficacies of the extracts of Cuscuta reflexa in promoting hair growth in cyclophosphamide-induced hair loss have been determined.

Materials and methods

The study was performed by treated with petroleum ether and ethanolic extract of Cuscuta reflexa at the dose 250 mg/kg in male swiss albino rats. Cyclophosphamide (125 mg/kg) was used to induce alopecia.

Results

Groups treated with extracts of plant showed hair regrowth. Histopathology and gross morphologic observations for hair regrowth at shaved sites revealed active follicular proliferation.

Conclusions

It concluded that extracts of Cuscuta reflexa shown to be capable of promoting follicular proliferation or preventing hair loss in cyclophosphamide-induced hair fall.
Changes in the forest ecosystems in areas impacted by aridization in south-western Romania
Authors: Pravalie Remus , Sîrodoev Igor , Peptenatu Daniel
Published: January 2014

Background

In the past few decades, global climate change has accentuated the intensification of aridization in South-Western Romania, with direct and indirect consequences on the quality of forest ecosystems. In addition to qualitative deterioration, the quantitative changes brought about by intensive anthropic deforestation have created the conditions for a decline in the size of forest areas on vast tracts of land. The paper aims to analyze the qualitative and quantitative changes in the forest ecosystems in South-Western Romania, changes due to the synergic context of the global climate changes and the anthropic pressures of the past three decades. In order to capture the evolution of aridization in the study area, specific aridization indexes have been calculated, such as the De Martonne index and the UNEP aridity index. 1990 and 2011 satellite images have been used in order to quantify the qualitative changes.

Results

The results obtained indicated that, in the past two decades, the quality of the biomass declined as a result of the increase in the climatic aridity conditions (De Martonne si UNEP aridity index, indicating in the last decades, annual values under 15 mm/°C, and under 0.5 mm/mm, that means that the values situated under these thresholds, describe arid and semi-arid climate conditions). Also, the uncontrolled logging across vast surfaces caused the loss of forest ecosystems by 7% in the overall study area, during the last three decades.

Conclusions

The severe effects of aridization meant, first of all, a significant decline in the quality of the ecosystem services supplied by forests. In the absence of viable actions to correct the present situation, the extremely undesirable consequences of an ecological and social nature will arise in the near future.