bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Verbal Cues and Attentional Focus: A Simulated Target-Shooting Experiment
Authors: Raisbeck Louisa D. , Diekfuss Jed A.
Published: October 2016

Performance benefits exist for an external focus of attention compared with an internal focus of attention for performance and learning (Wulf, 2013). It is unknown, however, if varying the number of verbal cues affects learning and performance. Focus of attention and the number of verbal cues were manipulated during a simulated handgun-shooting task. For the internal focus conditions, participants were told to focus on their hand, arm, and wrist, whereas the external focus instructions were to focus on the gun, gun barrel, and gun stock. To manipulate the number of verbal cues, participants received instruction to focus on a single verbal cue or multiple verbal cues. Shooting performance was assessed at baseline, acquisition, and at two separate retention phases (immediate, delayed) that included transfer tests. Participants completed the NASA—Task Load Index to assess workload following all trials. Participants who received one verbal cue performed significantly better during immediate retention than those who received three verbal cues. Participants who used external focus of attention instructions had higher performance and reported less workload at delayed retention compared to those who used internal focus instructions. This research provides further support for the benefits of an external focus and highlights the importance of minimizing the number of verbal cues.
The Applicability of a Short Form of the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder for Measuring Motor Competence in Children Aged 6 to 11 Years
Authors: Novak Andrew R. , Bennett Kyle J.M. , Beavan Adam , Pion Johan , Spiteri Tania , Fransen Job , Lenoir Matthieu
Published: October 2016

This study aimed to determine if the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) remained a valid assessment of motor competence following the removal of the hopping for height subtest (KTK3). Children (n = 2479) aged 6–11 years completed all KTK subtests (KTK4) and motor quotient sum scores (MQS) were determined for the KTK3 and KTK4. Classifications were established as MQS below percentile 5 (P5), MQS between percentile 5–15 (P15), MQS between percentile 15–50 (P15–50), MQS between percentile 50–85 (P50–85), MQS between percentile 85–95 (P85), and MQS higher than percentile 95 (P95). Pearson’s correlation (r = .97) and cross-tabs (Chi2 = 6822.53, p < .001; Kappa = 0.72) identified substantial agreement overall between the KTK3 and KTK4. However, when classified into separate age and gender categories, poor agreement (< 60%) was found in girls: P15 at 8–11 years and P85 at 6–7 years; and in boys: P5 and P15 at 6 years, P85 at 8 years, and P15 at 10 years. Researchers should consider these findings when selecting which KTK protocol to use.
Service Learning For Social Change: Raising Social Consciousness Among Sport Management Students
Authors: Bush Kimberly A. , Edwards Michael B. , Jones Gareth J. , Hook Jessica L. , Armstrong Michael L.
Published: October 2016

Recently, scholars of sport management have called for more research aimed at understanding how sport can be leveraged for social change. This interest has contributed to a burgeoning paradigm of sport management research and practice developed around using sport as a catalyst for broader human and community development. In order for sport practitioners to successfully develop, implement, and sustain these programs, integration of development-based theory and concepts are needed in sport management curricula. Service learning is one pedagogical approach for achieving this objective, and is well suited for promoting social change practices among students. This study assesses how participation in a sport-for-development (SFD) service learning project impacted the social consciousness and critical perspectives of sport management students. Results suggest the experience raised student’s awareness of community issues, developed a more holistic perspective on the role of service, and influenced their future careers.
Internship Characteristics, Critical Events, and Intent to Enter the Vocation
Authors: Odio Michael , Kerwin Shannon
Published: October 2016

The senior internship is a critical developmental experience for sport management students transitioning into their careers. Despite the internship’s role as a career development tool, previous research has suggested that the experience may deter students from continuing to pursue a career in the sports industry (Cunningham, Sagas, Dixon, Turner, & Kent, 2005). The present study uses decision-making theory and a longitudinal approach to improve on previous efforts to examine changes in students’ affective commitment to the vocation and intent to pursue a career in the vocation as a result of the internship experience. Results of the structural model show that challenge, supervisor support, and role conflict significantly influence students’ career decision making.
Laying a trap to kill cancer cells: PARP inhibitors and their mechanisms of action
Authors: Pommier Yves , O’Connor Mark J. , de Bono Johann
Published: October 2016

Understanding the mechanism of action of PARP inhibitors is key to optimizing their clinical use and effectiveness.
A replication-defective human cytomegalovirus vaccine for prevention of congenital infection
Authors: Wang Dai , Freed Daniel C. , He Xi , Li Fengsheng , Tang Aimin , Cox Kara S. , Dubey Sheri A. , Cole Suzanne , Medi Muneeswara Babu , Liu Yaping , Xu Jingyuan , Zhang Zhi-Qiang , Finnefrock Adam C. , Song Liping , Espeseth Amy S. , Shiver John W. , Casimiro Danilo R. , Fu Tong-Ming
Published: October 2016

A new replication-defective human cytomegalovirus vaccine shows promise in protecting against this dangerous virus that can cause severe neurodevelopmental defects in babies.
Senescence-associated secretory phenotype contributes to pathological angiogenesis in retinopathy
Authors: Oubaha Malika , Miloudi Khalil , Dejda Agnieszka , Guber Vera , Mawambo Gaëlle , Germain Marie-Anne , Bourdel Guillaume , Popovic Natalija , Rezende Flavio A. , Kaufman Randal J. , Mallette Frédérick A. , Sapieha Przemyslaw
Published: October 2016

Senescent cells encourage abnormal blood vessels and retinal disease.
Dual-Reporter Mycobacteriophages (Φ
2
DRMs) Reveal Preexisting Mycobacterium tuberculosis Persistent Cells in Human Sputum
Authors: Jain Paras , Weinrick Brian C. , Kalivoda Eric J. , Yang Hui , Munsamy Vanisha , Vilcheze Catherine , Weisbrod Torin R. , Larsen Michelle H. , O’Donnell Max R. , Pym Alexander , Jacobs William R.
Published: October 2016

Persisters are the minor subpopulation of bacterial cells that lack alleles conferring resistance to a specific bactericidal antibiotic but can survive otherwise lethal concentrations of that antibiotic. In infections with
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, such persisters underlie the need for long-term antibiotic therapy and contribute to treatment failure in tuberculosis cases. Here, we demonstrate the value of
d
ual-
r
eporter
m
ycobacteriophages (Φ
2
DRMs) for characterizing
M. tuberculosis
persisters. The addition of isoniazid (INH) to exponentially growing
M. tuberculosis
cells consistently resulted in a 2- to 3-log decrease in CFU within 4 days, and the remaining ≤1% of cells, which survived despite being INH sensitive, were INH-tolerant persisters with a distinct transcriptional profile. We fused the promoters of several genes upregulated in persisters to the red fluorescent protein tdTomato gene in Φ
2
GFP10, a mycobacteriophage constitutively expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), thus generating Φ
2
DRMs. A population enriched in INH persisters exhibited strong red fluorescence, by microscopy and flow cytometry, using a Φ
2
DRM with tdTomato controlled from the
dnaK
promoter. Interestingly, we demonstrated that, prior to INH exposure, a population primed for persistence existed in
M. tuberculosis
cells from both cultures and human sputa and that this population was highly enriched following INH exposure. We conclude that Φ
2
DRMs provide a new tool to identify and quantitate
M. tuberculosis
persister cells.

IMPORTANCE
Tuberculosis (TB) is again the leading cause of death from a single infectious disease, having surpassed HIV. The recalcitrance of the TB pandemic is largely due to the ability of the pathogen
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
to enter a persistent state in which it is less susceptible to antibiotics and immune effectors, necessitating lengthy treatment. It has been difficult to study persister cells, as we have lacked tools to isolate these rare cells. In this article, we describe the development of dual-reporter mycobacteriophages that encode a green fluorescent marker of viability and in which the promoters of genes we have identified as induced in the persister state are fused to a gene encoding a red fluorescent protein. We show that these tools can identify heterogeneity in a cell population that correlates with propensity to survive antibiotic treatment and that the proportions of these subpopulations change in
M. tuberculosis
cells within human sputum during the course of treatment.
Mechanical Strength and Inhibition of the Staphylococcus aureus Collagen-Binding Protein Cna
Authors: Herman-Bausier Philippe , Valotteau Claire , Pietrocola Giampiero , Rindi Simonetta , Alsteens David , Foster Timothy J. , Speziale Pietro , Dufrêne Yves F.
Published: October 2016

The bacterial pathogen
Staphylococcus aureus
expresses a variety of cell surface adhesion proteins that bind to host extracellular matrix proteins. Among these, the collagen (Cn)-binding protein Cna plays important roles in bacterium-host adherence and in immune evasion. While it is well established that the A region of Cna mediates ligand binding, whether the repetitive B region has a dedicated function is not known. Here, we report the direct measurement of the mechanical strength of Cna-Cn bonds on living bacteria, and we quantify the antiadhesion activity of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeting this interaction. We demonstrate that the strength of Cna-Cn bonds
in vivo
is very strong (~1.2 nN), consistent with the high-affinity “collagen hug” mechanism. The B region is required for strong ligand binding and has been found to function as a spring capable of sustaining high forces. This previously undescribed mechanical response of the B region is of biological significance as it provides a means to project the A region away from the bacterial surface and to maintain bacterial adhesion under conditions of high forces. We further quantified the antiadhesion activity of MAbs raised against the A region of Cna directly on living bacteria without the need for labeling or purification. Some MAbs are more efficient in blocking single-cell adhesion, suggesting that they act as competitive inhibitors that bind Cna residues directly involved in ligand binding. This report highlights the role of protein mechanics in activating the function of staphylococcal adhesion proteins and emphasizes the potential of antibodies to prevent staphylococcal adhesion and biofilm formation.

IMPORTANCE
Cna is a collagen (Cn)-binding protein from
Staphylococcus aureus
that is involved in pathogenesis. Currently, we know little about the functional role of the repetitive B region of the protein. Here, we unravel the mechanical strength of Cna in living bacteria. We show that single Cna-Cn bonds are very strong, reflecting high-affinity binding by the collagen hug mechanism. We discovered that the B region behaves as a nanospring capable of sustaining high forces. This unanticipated mechanical response, not previously described for any staphylococcal adhesin, favors a model in which the B region has a mechanical function that is essential for strong ligand binding. Finally, we assess the antiadhesion activity of monoclonal antibodies against Cna, suggesting that they could be used to inhibit
S. aureus
adhesion.
Antibody-Based Therapy for Enterococcal Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections
Authors: Flores-Mireles Ana L. , Walker Jennifer N. , Potretzke Aaron , Schreiber Henry L. , Pinkner Jerome S. , Bauman Tyler M. , Park Alyssa M. , Desai Alana , Hultgren Scott J. , Caparon Michael G.
Published: October 2016

Gram-positive bacteria in the genus
Enterococcus
are a frequent cause of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), a disease whose treatment is increasingly challenged by multiantibiotic-resistant strains. We have recently shown that
E. faecalis
uses the Ebp pilus, a heteropolymeric surface fiber, to bind the host protein fibrinogen as a critical step in CAUTI pathogenesis. Fibrinogen is deposited on catheters due to catheter-induced inflammation and is recognized by the N-terminal domain of EbpA (EbpA
NTD
), the Ebp pilus’s adhesin. In a murine model, vaccination with EbpA
NTD
confers significant protection against CAUTI. Here, we explored the mechanism of protection using passive transfer of immune sera to show that antisera blocking EbpA
NTD
-fibrinogen interactions not only is prophylactic but also can act therapeutically to reduce bacterial titers of an existing infection. Analysis of 55 clinical CAUTI, bloodstream, and gastrointestinal isolates, including
E. faecalis
,
E. faecium
, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), revealed a diversity of levels of EbpA expression and fibrinogen-binding efficiency
in vitro
. Strikingly, analysis of 10 strains representative of fibrinogen-binding diversity demonstrated that, irrespective of EbpA levels, EbpA
NTD
antibodies were universally protective. The results indicate that, despite diversity in levels of fibrinogen binding, strategies that target the disruption of EbpA
NTD
-fibrinogen interactions have considerable promise for treatment of CAUTI.

IMPORTANCE
Urinary catheterization is a routine medical procedure, and it has been estimated that 30 million Foley catheters are used annually in the United States. Importantly, placement of a urinary catheter renders the patient susceptible to developing a catheter-associated urinary tract infection, accounting for 1 million cases per year. Additionally, these infections can lead to serious complications, including bloodstream infection and death.
Enterococcus
strains are a common cause of these infections, and management of enterococcal infections has been more difficult in recent years due to the development of antibiotic resistance and the ability of strains to disseminate, resulting in a major threat in hospital settings. In this study, we developed an antibiotic-sparing treatment that is effective against diverse enterococcal isolates, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci, during catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
The Andes Virus Nucleocapsid Protein Directs Basal Endothelial Cell Permeability by Activating RhoA
Authors: Gorbunova Elena E. , Simons Matthew J. , Gavrilovskaya Irina N. , Mackow Erich R.
Published: October 2016

Andes virus (ANDV) predominantly infects microvascular endothelial cells (MECs) and nonlytically causes an acute pulmonary edema termed hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). In HPS patients, virtually every pulmonary MEC is infected, MECs are enlarged, and infection results in vascular leakage and highly lethal pulmonary edema. We observed that MECs infected with the ANDV hantavirus or expressing the ANDV nucleocapsid (N) protein showed increased size and permeability by activating the Rheb and RhoA GTPases. Expression of ANDV N in MECs increased cell size by preventing tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) repression of Rheb-mTOR-pS6K. N selectively bound the TSC2 N terminus (1 to 1403) within a complex containing TSC2/TSC1/TBC1D7, and endogenous TSC2 reciprocally coprecipitated N protein from ANDV-infected MECs. TSCs normally restrict RhoA-induced MEC permeability, and we found that ANDV infection or N protein expression constitutively activated RhoA. This suggests that the ANDV N protein alone is sufficient to activate signaling pathways that control MEC size and permeability. Further, RhoA small interfering RNA, dominant-negative RhoA(N19), and the RhoA/Rho kinase inhibitors fasudil and Y27632 dramatically reduced the permeability of ANDV-infected MECs by 80 to 90%. Fasudil also reduced the bradykinin-directed permeability of ANDV and Hantaan virus-infected MECs to control levels. These findings demonstrate that ANDV activation of RhoA causes MEC permeability and reveal a potential edemagenic mechanism for ANDV to constitutively inhibit the basal barrier integrity of infected MECs. The central importance of RhoA activation in MEC permeability further suggests therapeutically targeting RhoA, TSCs, and Rac1 as potential means of resolving capillary leakage during hantavirus infections.

IMPORTANCE
HPS is hallmarked by acute pulmonary edema, hypoxia, respiratory distress, and the ubiquitous infection of pulmonary MECs that occurs without disrupting the endothelium. Mechanisms of MEC permeability and targets for resolving lethal pulmonary edema during HPS remain enigmatic. Our findings suggest a novel underlying mechanism of MEC dysfunction resulting from ANDV activation of the Rheb and RhoA GTPases that, respectively, control MEC size and permeability. Our studies show that inhibition of RhoA blocks ANDV-directed permeability and implicate RhoA as a potential therapeutic target for restoring capillary barrier function to the ANDV-infected endothelium. Since RhoA activation forms a downstream nexus for factors that cause capillary leakage, blocking RhoA activation is liable to restore basal capillary integrity and prevent edema amplified by tissue hypoxia and respiratory distress. Targeting the endothelium has the potential to resolve disease during symptomatic stages, when replication inhibitors lack efficacy, and to be broadly applicable to other hemorrhagic and edematous viral diseases.
Young man with sudden severe hip pain secondary to femoral neck stress fracture
Authors: Petrin Ziva , Sinha Anupam , Gupta Sunny , Patel Mitesh K
Published: October 2016

Femoral neck stress fractures have been described in military recruits and athletes. Early recognition and aggressive treatment are important, as femoral neck stress fractures have a high potential for complications and even uncomplicated fractures require an extensive course of rehabilitation. Tension-side (superolateral) stress fractures of the femoral neck are at high risk for complications such as displacement, non-union and avascular necrosis, and need to be treated surgically, while compression-side (inferomedial) fractures can be treated conservatively. We describe a case illustrating a typical presentation of insidious hip pain culminating in sudden onset of severe hip pain in a healthy young man. We perform a literature review of studies showing epidemiology, treatment algorithms and rehabilitation.
Resolution of left ventricular postinfarction thrombi in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention using rivaroxaban in addition to dual antiplatelet therapy
Authors: Makrides Constantinos Andreas
Published: October 2016

Left ventricular (LV) thrombus is usually seen in situations with reduced LV function, and is mostly seen in patients with large anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI). Most embolic events, in patients with LV thrombus formation, occur within the first 3–4 months, thus the recommendations regarding the duration of anticoagulant therapy. According to guidelines, an oral vitamin K antagonist, warfarin, is being used as an anticoagulant for this period. Novel oral anticoagulants were found to be either non-inferior or superior compared with warfarin in prevention of thromboembolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. However, the data about their role in the management of LV thrombus are limited to case reports. Here, we report on the dissolution of LV apical thrombus in 3 patients with anterior ST-elevation MI receiving dual antiplatelet therapy and rivaroxaban on a reduced dose for 3 months.
Multi-stakeholder perspectives of locally commissioned enhanced optometric services
Authors: Baker H , Harper R A , Edgar D F , Lawrenson J G
Published: October 2016

Objectives

To explore views of all stakeholders (patients, optometrists, general practitioners (GPs), commissioners and ophthalmologists) regarding the operation of community-based enhanced optometric services.

Design

Qualitative study using mixed methods (patient satisfaction surveys, semi-structured telephone interviews and optometrist focus groups).

Setting

A minor eye conditions scheme (MECS) and glaucoma referral refinement scheme (GRRS) provided by accredited community optometrists.

Participants

189 patients, 25 community optometrists, 4 glaucoma specialist hospital optometrists (GRRS), 5 ophthalmologists, 6 GPs (MECS), 4 commissioners.

Results

Overall, 99% (GRRS) and 100% (MECS) patients were satisfied with their optometrists’ examination. The vast majority rated the following as ‘very good’; examination duration, optometrists’ listening skills, explanations of tests and management, patient involvement in decision-making, treating the patient with care and concern. 99% of MECS patients would recommend the service. Manchester optometrists were enthusiastic about GRRS, feeling fortunate to practise in a ‘pro-optometry’ area. No major negatives were reported, although both schemes were limited to patients resident within certain postcode areas, and some inappropriate GP referrals occurred (MECS). Communication with hospitals was praised in GRRS but was variable, depending on hospital (MECS). Training for both schemes was valuable and appropriate but should be ongoing. MECS GPs were very supportive, reporting the scheme would reduce secondary care referral numbers, although some MECS patients were referred back to GPs for medication. Ophthalmologists (MECS and GRRS) expressed very positive views and widely acknowledged that these new care pathways would reduce unnecessary referrals and shorten patient waiting times. Commissioners felt both schemes met or exceeded expectations in terms of quality of care, allowing patients to be seen quicker and more efficiently.

Conclusions

Locally commissioned schemes can be a positive experience for all involved. With appropriate training, clear referral pathways and good communication, community optometrists can offer high-quality services that are highly acceptable to patients, health professionals and commissioners.
Improving the accuracy of electronic prescribing in West Bay Health Center in Qatar
Authors: Yousuf Wafaa , Elkomy Sheren , Soliman Mona , Al-Mansouri Noof , Salem Mohamed , Al-Ali Amal , H Mahmoud Mohamed , Elmahdi Hisham
Published: October 2016

Primary healthcare in Qatar uses electronic prescribing to reduce the risk of medication errors. Electronic prescribing is supported by computerized Physician Order Entry systems through Cerner (electronic medical record system). There are still prescription errors, despite electronic prescribing being in place for one year at West Bay Health Center. West Bay Health Center is a famous primary healthcare center in Qatar. It is a training center for the family medicine residency program, which is accredited by the accreditation council of general medical education international (ACGME-I). It serves a population of about 98,000 in Qatar with 35 physicians and 12 pharmacists.

The aim of this project was to decrease medication errors by 30% from baseline measurement (according to type of error) from October 2015 to March 2016. It was found that there was a discrepancy between the pharmacy medication list and the list within Cerner. A master drug index was created to eliminate the discrepancy. Training on the use of this index was provided through lectures and one to one education, with material also sent through email.

We found that there was some resistance from the physician side and therefore introduced a second intervention. We sent out a survey to find out more about these difficulties and provided more training and education.

Our results showed an decrease in the proportion of wrong dose errors from 11.8% to 10.6%, wrong name from 6.9% to 6.2%, wrong duration from 11.7% to 10.3%, and non-formulary drug errors from 2.6% to 1.6%.
A project to improve the management of patients on warfarin in a primary care setting through the introduction of a POC analysis
Authors: Karlsson Thore
Published: October 2016

When noticed that patients commonly misunderstood their warfarin prescriptions when they were given by telephone. We found that the average TIR (time in range) (the relative time period the patients PT-INR value was in the therapeutic range) for patients decreased, and we noticed that the numbers of incidents increased. We made several interventions over a period of close to three years (2010-2012) to improve the quality of care, increase patients' TIRs, and decrease incidents.

The interventions included; taking extra care when speaking to patients about their warfarin prescriptions on the phone and using an express mail delivery system to make sure patients got their letters in time. However, these changes made little difference to the measured results.

In 2012, we introduced a point of care analysis. Through these simple actions TIR figures increased from 55 % to 75-80 % and fewer non-conformance reports were filed. Medical incidents, leading to costly hospitalizations, after the introduction of POC (point of care analysis) fell from six to two to three instances a year. The number of patients undergoing treatment and included in the study increased from 200 in 2008 to 250 in 2015.

We found that these changes improved the quality of the care given without causing extra work for the staff. Patients were satisfied and the method has spread to other primary care centres.
Barriers and myths that limit the use of intrauterine contraception in nulliparous women: a survey of Brazilian gynaecologists
Authors: da Silva-Filho Agnaldo Lopes , Lira Josefina , Rocha Ana Luiza Lunardi , Carneiro Márcia Mendonça
Published: October 2016

Objective

To understand the extent to which barriers and misperceptions about intrauterine contraception (IUC) remain among Brazilian gynaecologists, particularly for nulliparous women.

Methods

An online survey was developed to assess Brazilian gynaecologists’ knowledge and attitudes towards IUC. Data collected included demographic and professional data, main barriers when considering IUC for women in general and/or nulliparous women, attitudes towards inclusion of IUC in contraceptive counselling, and opinions on what could increase IUC prescription for nulliparous women. A question regarding knowledge about WHO medical eligibility criteria (WHO MEC) was also included in the survey.

Results

101 gynaecologists completed the survey. The insertion rate in nulliparous women was 79.2%. Brazilian gynaecologists were more likely to consider IUC in counselling or provide it on request for parous than for nulliparous women (p<0.05) and perceived more complications in nulliparous women. 74.2% of gynaecologists recognised a higher risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)/infertility associated with IUC use in nulliparous women than in parous women. Difficult and painful insertion were also relevant for 83.2% and 77.3% of the gynaecologists, respectively. Respondents showed a high level of awareness of the WHO MEC classification.

Conclusions

The three most commonly reported barriers to considering IUC as a contraceptive option for nulliparous woman were concerns about PID and difficult or painful insertion. The challenge is to ensure that gynaecologists understand the evidence and do not disregard IUC as a potential option for nulliparous women.
Lessons learned from oak cluster planting trials in central Europe
Authors: Saha Somidh , Kuehne Christian , Bauhus Jürgen
Published: October 2016

Oaks (Quercus spp.) are becoming increasingly important for future forest management as the climate in central Europe warms. Owing to the high costs of conventional row planting, artificial oak stand establishment in the form of “clusters” became popular in central Europe beginning in the 1970s. In cluster plantings, oaks are planted either in groups of ca. 20–25 at 1 m spacing between trees (i.e., group planting) or in denser groups with 20–30 oaks·m−2 (i.e., nest planting). In both cases, the clusters are spaced apart at a distance that represents the target density of future crop trees. A comprehensive review of the history, growth, tree quality development, and economic aspects of oak cluster plantings suggests that initial growing space was the most important factor influencing development of oaks in clusters. Consequently, survival, growth, quality, and biomass production were comparable in group and row plantings but lower in nest plantings. In addition, group plantings resulted in greater stand-level tree species diversity than nest or row plantings. We conclude that oak group planting is a comparatively inexpensive option for the artificial regeneration of oak-dominated broadleaved forests for a range of situations such as reforestation of disturbed areas or the afforestation of abandoned agricultural land. Future research needs regarding development and tending of forests established by oak group planting are highlighted.
Magnetic quadrupole (M2) X-ray laser transitions from neon-like arsenic As+23
Authors: Mansour Mohammad Z. , Abdelaziz Wessameldin S. , El Sherbini Tharwat M.
Published: October 2016

Neon-like arsenic As+23 are studied theoretically where 457 energy levels are calculated. Highly energetic electrons are considered as the main pumping source for the population of the energy levels. Relativistic calculations are considered through calculations, and the possible X-ray laser transitions are determined with their gain coefficients. The soft X-ray laser transitions (λ ≈ 17–27 nm) are dominated by the magnetic quadrupole M2. The results show good agreement with the observed data and, moreover, new transitions that are not given in the literature are calculated together with their gain values.
A Novel Real-Time Fall Detection System Based on Real-Time Video and Mobile Phones
Authors: Tong Chao , Lian Yu , Zhang Yang , Xie Zhongyu , Long Xiang , Niu Jianwei
Published: October 2016

In recent years, due to the growing population of the elderly, falls of elderly people have aroused wide public concern. Detecting timely falls of the elderly is significant to their safety. Numerous challenges exist in real-time fall detection systems because some features of normal human activities are greatly similar to the characteristics of falls. To address these problems, we propose a novel fall detection scheme and build a health-care system to detect falls of the elderly based on a real-time video surveillance system and a smart phone. The system contains two major modules. The first module is a feature extraction module. We adopt the Gaussian mixture model, tracking learning detecting algorithm and logpolar histogram to extract the characteristics of falls from the video surveillance system and the sensors embedded in mobile phones. The main purpose of the second module is to detect a fall-based on the features obtained in the first module. The experimental results show that every module is significant. Besides, our system is effective to separate falls from other similar actions such as bend down with an accuracy rate of more than 98% and performs better than other state-of-the-art fall detection systems.
Identifying Mode Shapes of Girder Bridges Using Dynamic Responses Extracted from a Moving Vehicle Under Impact Excitation
Authors: Qi Z. Q. , Au F. T. K.
Published: October 2016

The mode shapes of a bridge are important modal properties for many purposes, such as damage detection and model updating. Traditional methods for constructing mode shapes often require installation of instruments on the bridge for collection of dynamic responses. However, these methods are not only costly but also inconvenient. Therefore, a method is developed for constructing the mode shapes of girder bridges using the dynamic responses extracted from a moving vehicle under impact excitation. This paper reports some numerical simulations based on finite element modeling. First, the dynamic responses of a moving vehicle under impact excitation are generated for simulation. Then the component response associated with each natural frequency of the bridge is extracted by using a suitable filter. Finally, the mode shape associated with each natural frequency identified is constructed from the extracted component response and its Hilbert transform pair. The proposed method uses only the information measured from the moving vehicle, which acts both as a sensor and an exciter. Moreover, the additional impact excitation on the vehicle helps to excite the bridge. This helps to improve the accuracy by overcoming the adverse effects of measurement noise and road surface roughness. The effects of measurement noise, road surface roughness and vehicle speed on the accuracy of results are evaluated. A numerical study is presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed method.
The Role of Effective Chief Knowledge Officer in Facilitating Knowledge Management
Authors: Migdadi Mahmoud M.
Published: October 2016

This paper addresses the need to appoint a chief knowledge officer (CKO) in an organisation and where that position be placed within the organisation structure. It also presents a comprehensive review of the literature in an attempt to answer the question regarding the elements: attributes and responsibilities of the CKO, and organisational conditions that contribute to the CKO success. Moreover, this paper highlights the role of the effective CKO in facilitating knowledge management (KM). Finally, this paper addresses the challenges that the CKO may encounter and forecasts what will be tomorrow's CKO. The approach of this paper is based on an intensive and comprehensive literature review that aim to study the CKO position and address different aspects related to the real potential of the CKO's role that is, transforming intellectual capital into profit. An integrative conceptual research model is adopted and modified to encompass the CKO attributes, responsibilities, and organisational conditions that contribute to the CKO success and his/her role in facilitating KM. Both quantitative and qualitative studies that addressed related aspect to CKO have been reviewed. From these studies it can be concluded that the primary role of the CKO is to convert knowledge into profit by leveraging the organisation's intellectual assets through facilitating KM. This study is probably one of the first studies to introduce a research model that delineates and integrates multiple issues that contribute to the success of the CKO and comprehensively present a detailed literature about this position. The findings of this paper have implications for both academicians and organisational executives.
Numerical Simulations of Gaseous Detonation Propagation Using Different Supercomputing Architechtures
Authors: Smirnov N. N. , Nikitin V. F. , Stamov L. I. , Nerchenko V. A. , Tyrenkova V. V.
Published: October 2016

The aim of the present study is to calculate the process of detonation combustion of gas mixtures in engines. Development and verification of 3D transient mathematical model of chemically reacting gas mixture flows incorporating hydrogen was performed. Development of a computational model based on the mathematical one for parallel computing on supercomputers incorporating CPU and GPU units was carried out. Investigation of the influence of computational grid size on simulation precision and computational speed was performed. Investigation of calculation runtime acceleration was carried out subject to variable number of parallel threads on different architectures and implying different strategies of parallel computation.
The Natural Neighbor Radial Point Interpolation Method in Computational Fracture Mechanics: A 2D Preliminary Study
Authors: Belinha J. , Azevedo J. M. C. , Dinis L. M. J. S. , Natal Jorge R. M.
Published: October 2016

In this work, the natural neighbor radial point interpolation method (NNRPIM) is extended to the numeric analysis of crack propagation problems. Here, the advanced discretization meshless technique is combined with a linear elastic crack growth algorithm. The algorithm simulates the crack propagation by displacing iteratively the crack tip, which consequently requires a local remeshing. In each iteration, it is estimated the stress state in the crack tip and afterwards the direction of the crack propagation is obtained considering the maximum circumferential stress criterion.

The required local remeshing does not represent a numeric difficulty for the NNRPIM. The main advantage of the NNRPIM is its capability to fully discretize the problem domain using only an unstructured nodal distribution. Being a truly meshless method, the NNRPIM is able to define autonomously the nodal connectivity and the background integration mesh.

The classic NNRPIM formulation permits to enforce the nodal connectivity by means of two kind of influence-cells: first degree influence-cells or second degree influence-cells. This work investigates the influence of the nodal connectivity on the simulated crack propagation path. Thus, demanding benchmark crack propagation examples are studied and the obtained results are compared with reference solutions available in the literature.
Risk Sensitivity of Price of Anarchy under Uncertainty
Authors: Piliouras Georgios , Nikolova Evdokia , Shamma Jeff S.
Published: October 2016

In game theory, the price of anarchy framework studies efficiency loss in decentralized environments. Optimization and decision theory, on the other hand, explore tradeoffs between optimality and robustness in the case of single-agent decision making under uncertainty. What happens when we combine both approaches?

We examine connections between the efficiency loss due to decentralization and the efficiency loss due to uncertainty and establish tight performance guarantees for distributed systems in uncertain environments. We present applications based on novel variants of atomic congestion games with uncertain costs, for which we provide tight performance bounds under a wide range of risk attitudes. Our results establish that the individual’s attitude toward uncertainty has a critical effect on system performance and therefore should be a subject of close and systematic investigation.
Joint Structured Sparsity Regularized Multiview Dimension Reduction for Video-Based Facial Expression Recognition
Authors: Xie Liping , Tao Dacheng , Wei Haikun
Published: October 2016

Video-based facial expression recognition (FER) has recently received increased attention as a result of its widespread application. Using only one type of feature to describe facial expression in video sequences is often inadequate, because the information available is very complex. With the emergence of different features to represent different properties of facial expressions in videos, an appropriate combination of these features becomes an important, yet challenging, problem. Considering that the dimensionality of these features is usually high, we thus introduce multiview dimension reduction (MVDR) into video-based FER. In MVDR, it is critical to explore the relationships between and within different feature views. To achieve this goal, we propose a novel framework of MVDR by enforcing joint structured sparsity at both inter- and intraview levels. In this way, correlations on and between the feature spaces of different views tend to be well-exploited. In addition, a transformation matrix is learned for each view to discover the patterns contained in the original features, so that the different views are comparable in finding a common representation. The model can be not only performed in an unsupervised manner, but also easily extended to a semisupervised setting by incorporating some domain knowledge. An alternating algorithm is developed for problem optimization, and each subproblem can be efficiently solved. Experiments on two challenging video-based FER datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Approximate Asymmetric Search for Binary Embedding Codes
Authors: Chiu Chih-Yi , Liou Yu-Cyuan , Prayoonwong Amorntip
Published: October 2016

In this article, we propose a method of approximate asymmetric nearest-neighbor search for binary embedding codes. The asymmetric distance takes advantage of less information loss at the query side. However, calculating asymmetric distances through exhaustive search is prohibitive in a large-scale dataset. We present a novel method, called multi-index voting, that integrates the multi-index hashing technique with a voting mechanism to select appropriate candidates and calculate their asymmetric distances. We show that the candidate selection scheme can be formulated as the tail of the binomial distribution function. In addition, a binary feature selection method based on minimal quantization error is proposed to address the memory insufficiency issue and improve the search accuracy. Substantial experimental evaluations were made to demonstrate that the proposed method can yield an approximate accuracy to the exhaustive search method while significantly accelerating the runtime. For example, one result shows that in a dataset of one billion 256-bit binary codes, examining only 0.5% of the dataset, can reach 95--99% close accuracy to the exhaustive search method and accelerate the search by 73--128 times. It also demonstrates an excellent tradeoff between the search accuracy and time efficiency compared to the state-of-the-art nearest-neighbor search methods. Moreover, the proposed feature selection method shows its effectiveness and improves the accuracy up to 8.35% compared with other feature selection methods.
QoE-Based Low-Delay Live Streaming Using Throughput Predictions
Authors: Miller Konstantin , Al-Tamimi Abdel-Karim , Wolisz Adam
Published: October 2016

Recently, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based adaptive streaming has become the de facto standard for video streaming over the Internet. It allows clients to dynamically adapt media characteristics to the varying network conditions to ensure a high quality of experience (QoE)—that is, minimize playback interruptions while maximizing video quality at a reasonable level of quality changes. In the case of live streaming, this task becomes particularly challenging due to the latency constraints. The challenge further increases if a client uses a wireless access network, where the throughput is subject to considerable fluctuations. Consequently, live streams often exhibit latencies of up to 20 to 30 seconds. In the present work, we introduce an adaptation algorithm for HTTP-based live streaming called
LOLYPOP
(short for low-latency prediction-based adaptation), which is designed to operate with a transport latency of a few seconds. To reach this goal, LOLYPOP leverages Transmission Control Protocol throughput predictions on multiple time scales, from 1 to 10 seconds, along with estimations of the relative prediction error distributions. In addition to satisfying the latency constraint, the algorithm heuristically maximizes the QoE by maximizing the average video quality as a function of the number of skipped segments and quality transitions. To select an efficient prediction method, we studied the performance of several time series prediction methods in IEEE 802.11 wireless access networks. We evaluated LOLYPOP under a large set of experimental conditions, limiting the transport latency to 3 seconds, against a state-of-the-art adaptation algorithm called
FESTIVE
. We observed that the average selected video representation index is by up to a factor of 3 higher than with the baseline approach. We also observed that LOLYPOP is able to reach points from a broader region in the QoE space, and thus it is better adjustable to the user profile or service provider requirements.
Synergistic Analysis of Evolving Graphs
Authors: Vora Keval , Gupta Rajiv , Xu Guoqing
Published: October 2016

Evolving graph processing involves repeating analyses, which are often iterative, over multiple snapshots of the graph corresponding to different points in time. Since the snapshots of an evolving graph share a great number of vertices and edges, traditional approaches that process these snapshots one at a time without exploiting this overlap contain much wasted effort on both data loading and computation, making them extremely inefficient. In this article, we identify major sources of inefficiencies and present two optimization techniques to address them. First, we propose a technique for
amortizing the fetch cost
by merging fetching of values for different snapshots of the same vertex. Second, we propose a technique for
amortizing the processing cost
by feeding values computed by earlier snapshots into later snapshots. We have implemented these optimizations in two distributed graph processing systems, namely, GraphLab and ASPIRE. Our experiments with multiple real evolving graphs and algorithms show that, on average fetch amortization speeds up execution of GraphLab and ASPIRE by 5.2× and 4.1× , respectively. Amortizing the processing cost yields additional average speedups of 2× and 7.9×, respectively.
BayesWipe
Authors: De Sushovan , Hu Yuheng , Meduri Venkata Vamsikrishna , Chen Yi , Kambhampati Subbarao
Published: October 2016

Recent efforts in data cleaning of structured data have focused exclusively on problems like data deduplication, record matching, and data standardization; none of the approaches addressing these problems focus on fixing incorrect attribute values in tuples. Correcting values in tuples is typically performed by a minimum cost repair of tuples that violate static constraints like Conditional Functional Dependencies (which have to be provided by domain experts or learned from a clean sample of the database). In this article, we provide a method for correcting individual attribute values in a structured database using a Bayesian generative model and a statistical error model learned from the noisy database directly. We thus avoid the necessity for a domain expert or clean master data. We also show how to efficiently perform consistent query answering using this model over a dirty database, in case write permissions to the database are unavailable. We evaluate our methods over both synthetic and real data.
Hardware-Accelerated Cross-Architecture Full-System Virtualization
Authors: Spink Tom , Wagstaff Harry , Franke Björn
Published: October 2016

Hardware virtualization solutions provide users with benefits ranging from application isolation through server consolidation to improved disaster recovery and faster server provisioning. While hardware assistance for virtualization is supported by all major processor architectures, including Intel, ARM, PowerPC, and MIPS, these extensions are targeted at virtualization of the same architecture, for example, an x86 guest on an x86 host system. Existing techniques for cross-architecture virtualization, for example, an ARM guest on an x86 host, still incur a substantial overhead for CPU, memory, and I/O virtualization due to the necessity for software emulation of these mismatched system components. In this article, we present a new hardware-accelerated hypervisor called C
aptive
, employing a range of novel techniques that exploit existing hardware virtualization extensions for improving the performance of full-system cross-platform virtualization. We illustrate how (1) guest memory management unit (MMU) events and operations can be mapped onto host memory virtualization extensions, eliminating the need for costly software MMU emulation, (2) a block-based dynamic binary translation engine inside the virtual machine can improve CPU virtualization performance, (3) memory-mapped guest I/O can be efficiently translated to fast I/O specific calls to emulated devices, and (4) the cost for asynchronous guest interrupts can be reduced. For an ARM-based Linux guest system running on an x86 host with Intel VT support, we demonstrate application performance levels, based on SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks, of up to 5.88× over state-of-the-art Q
emu
and 2.5× on average, achieving a guest dynamic instruction throughput of up to 1280 MIPS (million instructions per second) and 915.52 MIPS, on average.