bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anomaly Detection in Healthcare: Detecting Erroneous Treatment Plans in Time Series Radiotherapy Data
Authors: Sipes Tamara , Jiang Steve , Moore Kevin , Li Nan , Karimabadi Homa , Barr Joseph R.
Published: February 2015

Adverse events in healthcare and medical errors result in thousands of accidental deaths and over one million excess injuries each year. Anomaly detection in medicine is an important task, especially in the area of radiation oncology where errors are very rare, but can be extremely dangerous, and even deadly. To avoid medical errors in radiation cancer treatment, careful attention needs to be made to ensure accurate implementation of the intended treatment plan. In this paper, we describe the work that resulted in a valuable predictive analytics tool for automatic detection of catastrophic errors in cancer radiotherapy, adding an important safeguard for patient safety. We designed a method for Dynamic Modeling and Prediction of Radiotherapy Treatment Deviations from Intended Plans (SmartTool) to automatically detect and highlight potential errors in a radiotherapy treatment plan, based on the data from several thousand prostate cancer treatments that were used to build the model. SmartTool determines if the treatment parameters are valid, against a previously built Predictive Model of a Medical Error (PMME). SmartTool communicates with a radiotherapy treatment management system, checking all the treatment parameters in the background prior to execution, and after the human expert QA is completed. Any anomalous treatment parameters are detected using an innovative intelligent algorithm in a completely automatic and unsupervised manner, and it flags the operator by highlighting the suspect parameter(s) for human intervention. Furthermore, the system is self-learning and constantly evolving, and the model is dynamically updated with the new treatment data.
Analysis of Facebook Users' Relationships Through Sentiment Classification: A Case Study of Italian Politicians
Authors: Terrana Diego , Augello Agnese , Pilato Giovanni
Published: February 2015

We illustrate a system that analyzes the homepage of a Facebook user or group in order to automatically detect who has discussed what and how it has been discussed. We have focused the analysis on three main actors of Italian politics. The goal is to find people who agree or disagree about given topics with the owner of the Facebook page under analysis. All public posts shared by a user are retrieved by an ad hoc built crawler. Information such as 'posts', 'comments', 'likes', are extracted from the Facebook page. Each post is classified as belonging to a set of predefined categories and its sentiment is also detected as being positive, negative or neutral. All the comments to that post are therefore analyzed and categorized together with its sentiment polarity. For each Facebook user under analysis a statistics of the topics dealt with is made, and for each category a graph is created where the concordance of sentiment is highlighted between the posts belonging to a given class and the related comments of the people interacting with the user or group under analysis. The graph can therefore be used to profile the user relationships according to sentiment classification.
Big Data: A Strategic Perspective
Authors: Ostrowski David Alfred
Published: February 2015

Big Data has become ubiquitous across all areas of research allowing for new applications that were not possible earlier. Unlike software development relying on traditional data sources, Big Data applications present their own unique challenges to appropriately harness the utility of the Apache Hadoop architecture. In this paper, we introduce fundamental concepts of Hadoop and explore its usage as well as future direction. We also present our strategy for exploring the Hadoop architecture including addressing issues of scalability, customization of code and utilization of programming techniques.
Electron–Positron Circular Colliders
Authors: Oide Katsunobu
Published: February 2015

This article describes the fundamental limitations on the performance of electron–positron circular colliders. After introducing the subject from its end use parameter, the luminosity, we discuss in detail the various accelerator physics limitations and the evolution of several ingenious frontier ideas to ever increase the luminosity of these colliders.
Linear Colliders
Authors: Yamamoto Akira , Yokoya Kaoru
Published: February 2015

An overview of linear collider programs is given. The history and technical challenges are described and the pioneering electron–positron linear collider, the SLC, is first introduced. For future energy frontier linear collider projects, the International Linear Collider (ILC) and the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) are introduced and their technical features are discussed. The ILC is based on superconducting RF technology and the CLIC is based on two-beam acceleration technology. The ILC collaboration completed the Technical Design Report in 2013, and has come to the stage of "Design to Reality." The CLIC collaboration published the Conceptual Design Report in 2012, and the key technology demonstration is in progress. The prospects for further advanced acceleration technology are briefly discussed for possible long-term future linear colliders.
The Photon Collider
Authors: Gronberg Jeffrey
Published: February 2015

The idea of converting an electron linear collider into a photon–photon collider through the addition of high power lasers was put forward in the early 1980s. Progress in the field of high average power, short pulse lasers has brought the state of the art within striking range of what would be required to realize a photon collider. In parallel, the necessary modifications to the detector and accelerator to enable a photon collider have been laid out. The basic concept of the photon collider, the requirements for the laser, and the detector and accelerator impact are reviewed in this article.
On the Error of Computing
ab
+
cd
using Cornea, Harrison and Tang's Method
Authors: Muller Jean-Michel
Published: February 2015

In their book,
Scientific Computing on the Itanium
, Cornea et al. [2002] introduce an accurate algorithm for evaluating expressions of the form
ab
+
cd
in binary floating-point arithmetic, assuming an FMA instruction is available. They show that if
p
is the precision of the floating-point format and if

u = 2
-p

, the relative error of the result is of order
u
. We improve their proof to show that the relative error is bounded by 2
u
+7
u
2
+6
u
3
. Furthermore, by building an example for which the relative error is asymptotically (as
p
→ ∞ or, equivalently, as
u
→ 0) equivalent to 2
u
, we show that our error bound is asymptotically optimal.
Automata-based Pattern Mining from Imperfect Traces
Authors: Reger Giles , Barringer Howard , Rydeheard David
Published: February 2015

This paper considers automata-based pattern mining techniques for extracting specifications from runtime traces and suggests a novel extension that allows these techniques to work with so-called imperfect traces i.e. traces that do not exactly satisfy the intended specification of the system that produced them. We show that by taking a so-called edit-distance between an input trace and the language of a pattern we can extract specifications from imperfect traces and identify the parts of an input trace that do not satisfy the mined specification, thus aiding the identification and location of errors in programs.
Comparing Incremental Latent Semantic Analysis Algorithms for Efficient Retrieval from Software Libraries for Bug Localization
Authors: Rao Shivani , Medeiros Henry , Kak Avinash
Published: February 2015

The problem of bug localization is to identify the source files related to a bug in a software repository. Information Retrieval (IR) based approaches create an index of the source files and learn a model which is then queried with a bug for the relevant files. In spite of the advances in these tools, the current approaches do not take into consideration the dynamic nature of software repositories. With the traditional IR based approaches to bug localization, the model parameters must be recalculated for each change to a repository. In contrast, this paper presents an incremental framework to update the model parameters of the Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) model as the data evolves. We compare two state-of-the-art incremental SVD update techniques for LSA with respect to the retrieval accuracy and the time performance. The dataset we used in our validation experiments was created from mining 10 years of version history of AspectJ and JodaTime software libraries.
Calling Network
Authors: Qu Yu , Guan Xiaohong , Zheng Qinghua , Liu Ting , Zhou Jianliang , Li Jian
Published: February 2015

Modern software systems' structures and behaviors are becoming very complicated. Existing models either lack systematic considerations on the whole system's behavior patterns or are inefficient in runtime monitoring. In this paper, the Calling Network (CN) model is proposed to provide new perspectives to analyze the dynamic execution process of a software system. CN is consisted of one or a series of Calling Graph (CG), which is a dynamic version of Call Graph and encodes method call frequencies. Some new perspectives such as Growing Network and Network (Graph) Sequence are also embodied in CN model. Based on a data set of 10 real-world Java programs, we show that CN presents several interesting features, such as Power-law degree distribution, Densification Power Law, and the stability of an entropy value -- Local Entropy. Experiments have been conducted to show the applications of CN in software significant module identification and runtime failure diagnosis.
Towards a Model-based Software Mining Infrastructure
Authors: Makedonski Philip , Sudau Fabian , Grabowski Jens
Published: February 2015

Software mining is concerned with two primary goals: the extraction of basic facts from software repositories and the derivation of knowledge resulting from the assessment of the basic facts. Facts extraction approaches rely on custom and task-specific infrastructures and tools. The resulting facts assets are usually represented in heterogeneous formats at a low level of abstraction. Due to this, facts extracted from different sources are also not well integrated, even if they are related. To manage this, existing infrastructures often aim at supporting an all-in-one information meta-structures which try to integrate all facts in one connected whole. We propose a generic infrastructure that translates extracted facts to homogeneous high-level representations conforming to domain-specific metamodels, and then transforms these high-level model instances to instances of domain-specific models related to a particular assessment task, which can be incrementally enriched with additional facts as these become available or necessary. This allows researchers and practitioners to focus on the assessment task at hand, without being concerned with low-level representation details or complex data models containing large amounts of often irrelevant data. We present an example scenario with a concrete instantiation of the proposed infrastructure targeting the assessment of developer behaviour.
Modern Enterprises in the Bubble
Authors: Caldarola Enrico Giacinto , Picariello Antonio , Castelluccia Daniela
Published: February 2015

In the past few years, a massive amount of data has been delivered by an increased and ubiquitous use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in human activities and a propagation of smart devices or smart sensors, which continuously connect people and things in cyberspace. This huge bubble of data is a gold mine: it is an unlimited source of knowledge and insights about habits and preferences of people and has captured the attention of modern enterprises. Companies look at this data with interest and purpose to gain competitive advantage by applying analytics tools over them. In this context, a new approach is required for mastering data without the risk of ending up in the bubble and collecting a huge meaningless pile of junk data. Starting from a definition of new approaches, this work outlines Big Data strategies for modern enterprises and highlights challenges, emergent solutions and open issues.
Incorporating Security Features in Service-Oriented Architecture using Security Patterns
Authors: Dwivedi Ashish Kumar , Rath Santanu Kumar
Published: February 2015

Service-Oriented Architecture is an architectural style where different heterogeneous components share information with each other by using special types of messages based on the protocol known as Simple Object Access Protocol. Various technologies, such as Common Object Request Broker Architecture, Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition, Java Message Service etc. are applied to realize Service-Oriented Architecture for different applications. Besides these approaches, two other techniques, REpresentational State Transfer, and web services are applied for the realization of Service-Oriented Architecture. Web services provide a platform independent communication scheme between applications. The security preservation among the composition of services is an important task for Service-Oriented Architecture. In this study, an attempt is made to incorporate security features in Service- Oriented Architecture with the help of software security patterns. This scheme is described by developing an architectural model integrated with security goals and security patterns. The structural and behavioral aspects of composition of web services incorporated with security features are presented using a Unified Modeling Language class diagram and a sequence diagram respectively. At the end of this study, an evaluation is performed between identified security patterns and critical security properties along with Service-Oriented Architecture design principles. A case study of an online banking system is considered to explain the use of security patterns.
Empirical Study of Agile Software Development Methodologies
Authors: Matharu Gurpreet Singh , Mishra Anju , Singh Harmeet , Upadhyay Priyanka
Published: February 2015

In today's software industry, technological prowess and ever-evolving customer requirements have led to more complex software demands. Agile based software development is increasingly being adopted by the software practitioners as it assures early software development and high quality software products. Also, it offers responsiveness to changes in user requirements, providing for their quick absorption during software development. In this paper, we elaborate the significance, benefits and increasing adoption of Agile methodologies in context of today's complex and evolving software demands. The main objective of this paper is to conduct an empirical study into the choice among the most popular Agile methodologies, Scrum, Extreme Programming and Kanban. Further, this paper provides for a comparative analysis among various agile software development methodologies. Our survey results reveal higher adoption of Scrum based development in present-day software industry as compared to Extreme Programming and Kanban methodologies.
Development of a Multi-Agent Framework for Software Quality
Authors: Öztürk Muhammed Maruf , CİL İbrahim , Zengin Ahmet
Published: February 2015

Software test tools has been growing increasingly in terms of popularity. These testing tools are used by developers according to the their development platforms. Selection of a software test tool is a fundamental step for software testing. This paper presents a multi-agent framework facilitating the software test tool selection process. The framework has been designed for the Windows platform using the .NET architecture. The main design goals are to develop an effective and exible framework that enables a user to select different types of web-based testing tools. Also a UML model has been generated to build a multi-agent system. Thanks to the designed framework, a user is able to decide which tool should be used for detecting database, web-based and static code faults. Testing results of our framework are seen in Table 2. According to the obtained results, software test procedures can be instantly and efficiently managed based on multi-agent systems.
Design of a Component Interface Complexity Measurement Tool for Component-Based Systems
Authors: Shareef Jawwad Wasat , Pandey R. K.
Published: February 2015

Component-based systems encompass software systems that are built by assembling different components procured from different sources. These components work together in a component assembly to achieve the defined task. The component interfaces are the only means for determining the complexity of the component, when the source code is not available. The complexities of the interfaces of these components depend on the structures of the interfaces, the constraints that are imposed and the interactions of these components through their interfaces. As such, the complexities of these components can be measured by way of their interfaces, at an early stage of the system design phase. Traditional complexity metrics are not capable of capturing all the essential characteristics of component-based systems. Therefore, new metrics suitable for component-based development have been proposed in the literature. This paper proposes an upgraded version of a tool, which was developed and is capable of extracting structural complexity metrics for component interfaces directly from Unified Modeling Language design specifications. The tool measures three essential characteristics of a component-based system, e.g. interfaces, constraints and interactions, which are the primary contributors to the complexity of component-based systems. We demonstrate the extraction of structural complexity metrics through a case study of a University Case Registration System.
A Literature Review of the Reliability of Composite Web Service in Service-Oriented Architecture
Authors: Singh Neha , Tyagi Kirti
Published: February 2015

The demands of clients in context of business application have always been high in distributed environments. With these ever increasing demands there comes the requirement for change. Service-Oriented Architecture is an architecture style that is used for the development and integration of functionality of services provided by different stakeholders. To provide refined solutions for designing business enterprise, Service-Oriented Architecture approach is adopted without affecting overall functionality of organization. For designing a Service-Oriented Architecture, there are many quality attributes like reliability, flexibility, reusability and maintainability. Among of all these, reliability is a primary concern. This survey explains three important reliability models: state-base, path-based and additive model. This paper discusses some literature for composite reliability of Service-Oriented Architecture. For this literature we have selected research articles on Service-Oriented Architecture from 2005 to 2013.
Generation of Library Models for Verification of Android Applications
Authors: van der Merwe Heila , Tkachuk Oksana , van der Merwe Brink , Visser Willem
Published: February 2015

Android applications are difficult to verify and test since they have many external dependencies. To overcome this problem, environment generation can be used to create a model of the environment to simulate the behavior of these external dependencies. Creating this environment model manually is a tedious process and although there are many techniques available to generate models, the key lies in identifying how these techniques can be applied to a specific domain. In this paper we discuss two static analysis tools OCSEGen [3] and Modgen [1] and how they can be applied to the Android domain to generate models for specific parts of the environment.
Devising the Future of the Models@run.time Workshop
Authors: Götz Sebastian , Bencomo Nelly , France Robert
Published: February 2015

The 9th edition of the workshop Models@run.time was held at the 17th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS). The workshop took place in the city of Valencia, Spain, on the 30th of September 2014. The workshop was organised by Sebastian Götz, Nelly Bencomo and Robert France. Despite the high number of concurrent workshops, it was attended by 27 people as it is still one of the most popular workshops in MODELS. The major focus of this year's edition of the workshop was to identify future directions for the workshop, which currently faces a matured community. Hence, in this report we first present a synopsis of the workshop sessions, which included a separate session on introducing the current body of knowledge of models@run.time. Moreover, we show and discuss a survey on new topics of interest we conducted with the workshop participants and program committee. In addition, to further explore the evolution and effects of the workshop and research area models@run.time, we have conducted an interview of three young researchers who work in the area of models@run.time. They tell us about how models@run.time has influenced their own research and how they envision the evolution of the topic.
SEES Summary
Authors: Xu Chang , Dillon Laura
Published: February 2015

This report summarizes our experience organizing and holding the Software Engineering Educators' Symposium (SEES) in Hong Kong, China in 2014. We describe the event, feedback received from SEES attendees, and lessons learned holding SEES outside the United States of America (USA) for the first time in its history. We hope that future organizers will find this report useful to improving future offerings of SEES.
Content vs. Context
Authors: Yin Yifang , Seo Beomjoo , Zimmermann Roger
Published: February 2015

Due to the ubiquity of sensor-equipped smartphones, it has become increasingly feasible for users to capture videos together with associated geographic metadata, for example the location and the orientation of the camera. Such contextual information creates new opportunities for the organization and retrieval of geo-referenced videos. In this study we explore the task of landmark retrieval through the analysis of two types of state-of-the-art techniques, namely
media-content-based
and
geocontext-based
retrievals. For the content-based method, we choose the
Spatial Pyramid Matching
(SPM) approach combined with two advanced coding methods:
Sparse Coding
(SC) and
Locality-Constrained Linear Coding
(LLC). For the geo-based method, we present the
Geo Landmark Visibility Determination
(GeoLVD) approach which computes the visibility of a landmark based on intersections of a camera's
field-of-view
(FOV) and the landmark's geometric information available from
Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) and services. We first compare the retrieval results of the two methods, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each approach in terms of precision, recall and execution time. Next we analyze the factors that affect the effectiveness for the content-based and the geo-based methods, respectively. Finally we propose a hybrid retrieval method based on the integration of the visual (content) and geographic (context) information, which is shown to achieve significant improvements in our experiments. We believe that the results and observations in this work will enlighten the design of future geo-referenced video retrieval systems, improve our understanding of selecting the most appropriate visual features for indexing and searching, and help in selecting between the most suitable methods for retrieval based on different conditions.
Double Verification Secret Sharing Mechanism Based on Adaptive Pixel Pair Matching
Authors: Lin Pei-Yu
Published: February 2015

Verifiability is essential for the secret sharing approach, which allows the involved participants to detect cheaters during the secret retrieval process. In this article, we propose a double verification secret sharing (DVSS) mechanism that can not only prevent fraudulent participants but also satisfy the requirements of secret payload, camouflage, image fidelity and lossless revealed secret. DVSS offers double verification process to enhance the cheater detectability; experimental results reveal that the designed scheme can share larger secret capacity and retain superior image quality than the related secret sharing methods.
Learning Technologies Then and Now
Authors: Notess Mark
Published: February 2015

Bill Ferster's latest book, Teaching Machines: Learning from the Intersection of Education and Technology, explores the history of self-directed learning, from correspondence courses to MOOCs. If you're new to the educational technology landscape, this book is a thought-provoking introduction.
Computing Bases of Twisted Cohomology Groups for Sparse Polynomials
Authors: Hibi Takayuki , Nishiyama Kenta , Takayama Nobuki
Published: February 2015

We present an algorithm to construct bases of twisted cohomology groups for the complement of a generic sparse polynomial over a generic local system of rank 1. The algorithm is based on the theory given in a recent preprint [1].
Fake Shares Detection on a Visual Secret Sharing Scheme by Rational Interpolation
Authors: Kai Hiroshi , Ueda Keita
Published: February 2015

In the visual secret sharing scheme based on polynomial interpolation, e.g. Lin and Tsai's scheme, fake share images may give incorrect secret information. We propose a method to identify or detect them using a technique by rational interpolation.
On Solution Spaces of Products of Linear Differential or Difference Operators
Authors: Abramov Sergei A. , Barkatou Moulay A.
Published: February 2015

We consider linear ordinary differential or difference systems of the form L(y) = 0 where L is an operator with matrix coefficients, the unknown vector y has m components y1, . . . , ym, m > 1. The matrix coefficients are of size m x m, their entries belong to a differential or difference field K of characteristic 0. For any such a system the solution space VL is considered, and the components of each solution are in a fixed appropriate differential or difference extension of K (e.g., in the universal Picard-Vessiot extension). We prove that dim VLM = dim VL+dim VM for arbitrary operators L and M of the considered form, and discuss some algorithms based on this property of operators. In particular, we propose an algorithm to compute dim VL, as well as a new algorithm having a low complexity for recognizing unimodular operators and constructing the inverse of a unimodular operator.
Abstracts of recent doctoral dissertations in computer algebra
Authors: CCA editors
Published: February 2015

Each month we are pleased to present abstracts of recent doctoral dissertations in Computer Algebra and Symbolic Computation. We encourage all recent Ph.D. graduates (and their supervisors), who have defended in the past two years, to submit their abstracts for publication in CCA. Please send abstracts to the CCA editors editors_SIGSAM@acm.org for consideration.
Transcriptional Regulation of Innate and Adaptive Lymphocyte Lineages
Authors: De Obaldia Maria Elena , Bhandoola Avinash
Published: February 2015

The lymphocyte family has expanded significantly in recent years to include not only the adaptive lymphocytes (T cells, B cells) and NK cells, but also several additional innate lymphoid cell (ILC) types. ILCs lack clonally distributed antigen receptors characteristic of adaptive lymphocytes and instead respond exclusively to signaling via germline-encoded receptors. ILCs resemble T cells more closely than any other leukocyte lineage at the transcriptome level and express many elements of the core T cell transcriptional program, including Notch, Gata3, Tcf7, and Bcl11b. We present our current understanding of the shared and distinct transcriptional regulatory mechanisms involved in the development of adaptive T lymphocytes and closely related ILCs. We discuss the possibility that a core set of transcriptional regulators common to ILCs and T cells establish enhancers that enable implementation of closely aligned effector pathways. Studies of the transcriptional regulation of lymphopoiesis will support the development of novel therapeutic approaches to correct early lymphoid developmental defects and aberrant lymphocyte function.
Experimental Implementations of Two-Dimensional Fourier Transform Electronic Spectroscopy
Authors: Fuller Franklin D. , Ogilvie Jennifer P.
Published: February 2015

Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) reveals connections between an optical excitation at a given frequency and the signals it creates over a wide range of frequencies. These connections, manifested as cross-peak locations and their lineshapes, reflect the underlying electronic and vibrational structure of the system under study. How these spectroscopic signatures evolve in time reveals the system dynamics and provides a detailed picture of coherent and incoherent processes. 2DES is rapidly maturing and has already found numerous applications, including studies of photosynthetic energy transfer and photochemical reactions and many-body interactions in nanostructured materials. Many systems of interest contain electronic transitions spanning the ultraviolet to the near infrared and beyond. Most 2DES measurements to date have explored a relatively small frequency range. We discuss the challenges of implementing 2DES and compare and contrast different approaches in terms of their information content, ease of implementation, and potential for broadband measurements.
A Conversation with Oliver Smithies
Authors: Smithies Oliver , Coffman Tom
Published: February 2015

Professor Oliver Smithies is the Weatherspoon Eminent Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Along with Mario Capecchi and Martin Evans, Oliver was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in Physiology or Medicine in 2007 for his contributions to the development of gene targeting using homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. This technique has had an immense impact on biomedical research over the past two decades. Professor Smithies has had a long and distinguished career as a researcher and mentor. Here, he provides an entertaining and enlightening discussion of his life in science.
Concurrent Activation of Multiple Vasoactive Signaling Pathways in Vasoconstriction Caused by Tubuloglomerular Feedback: A Quantitative Assessment
Authors: Schnermann Jurgen
Published: February 2015

Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) describes the negative relationship between (a) NaCl concentration at the macula densa and (b) glomerular filtration rate or glomerular capillary pressure. TGF-induced vasoconstriction of the afferent arteriole results from the enhanced effect of several vasoconstrictors with an effect size sequence of adenosine = 20-HETE > angiotensin II > thromboxane = superoxide > renal nerves > ATP. TGF-mediated vasoconstriction is limited by the simultaneous release of several vasodilators with an effect size sequence of nitric oxide > carbon monoxide = kinins > adenosine. The sum of the constrictor effects exceeds that of the dilator effects by the magnitude of the TGF response. The validity of the additive model used in this analysis can be tested by determining the effect of combined inhibition of some or all agents contributing to TGF. Multiple independent contributors to TGF are consistent with the variability of TGF and of the factors contributing to TGF resetting.
Cellular Homeostasis and Repair in the Mammalian Liver
Authors: Stanger Ben Z.
Published: February 2015

The mammalian liver is one of the most regenerative tissues in the body, capable of fully recovering mass and function after a variety of injuries. This factor alone makes the liver unusual among mammalian tissues, but even more atypical is the widely held notion that the method of repair depends on the manner of injury. Specifically, the liver is believed to regenerate via replication of existing cells under certain conditions and via differentiation from specialized cells—so-called facultative stem cells—under others. Nevertheless, despite the liver's dramatic and unique regenerative response, the cellular and molecular features of liver homeostasis and regeneration are only now starting to come into relief. This review provides an overview of normal liver function and development and focuses on the evidence for and against various models of liver homeostasis and regeneration.
Nitrogen Chemistry and Lung Physiology
Authors: Marozkina Nadzeya V. , Gaston Benjamin
Published: February 2015

The versatile chemistry of nitrogen is important to pulmonary physiology. Indeed, almost all redox forms of nitrogen are relevant to pulmonary physiology and to pathophysiology. Here we review the relevance to pulmonary biology of (a) elemental nitrogen; (b) reduced forms of nitrogen such as amines, ammonia, and hydroxylamine; and (c) oxidized forms of nitrogen such as the nitroxyl anion, the nitric oxide free radical, and S-nitrosothiols. Our focus is on oxidized nitrogen in the form of S-nitrosothiol bond–containing species, which are now appreciated to be important to every type of cell-signaling process in the lung. We also review potential clinical applications of nitrogen oxide biochemistry. These principles are being translated into clinical practice as diagnostic techniques and therapies for a range of pulmonary diseases including asthma, cystic fibrosis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and pulmonary hypertension.
Comparative Analysis of Quinolone Resistance in Clinical Isolates ofKlebsiella pneumoniaeandEscherichia colifrom Chinese Children and Adults
Authors: Huang Ying , Ogutu James O. , Gu Jiarui , Ding Fengshu , You Yuhong , Huo Yan , Zhao Hong , Li Wenjing , Zhang Zhiwei , Zhang Wenli , Chen Xiaobei , Fu Yingmei , Zhang Fengmin
Published: February 2015

The objective of this study was to compare quinolone resistance andgyrAmutations in clinical isolates ofKlebsiella pneumoniaeandEscherichia colifrom Chinese adults who used quinolone in the preceding month and children without any known history of quinolone administration. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of 61 isolates from children and 79 isolates from adults were determined. The mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions ingyrAgene were detected by PCR and DNA sequencing. Fluoroquinolone resistance and types ofgyrAmutations in isolates from children and adults were compared and statistically analyzed. No significant differences were detected in the resistance rates of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin between children and adults among isolates of the two species (allP>0.05). The double mutation Ser83→Leu + Asp87→Asn in the ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates occurred in 73.7% isolates from the children and 67.9% from the adults, respectively (P=0.5444). Children with no known history of quinolone administration were found to carry fluoroquinolone-resistantEnterobacteriaceaeisolates. The occurrence of ciprofloxacin resistance and the major types ofgyrAmutations in the isolates from the children were similar to those from adults. The results indicate that precautions should be taken on environmental issues resulting from widespread transmission of quinolone resistance.
Ethnogynaecological Assessment of Medicinal Plants in Pashtun’s Tribal Society
Authors: Adnan Muhammad , Tariq Akash , Mussarat Sakina , Begum Shaheen , AbdEIsalam Naser M. , Ullah Riaz
Published: February 2015

The present study was designed to document detailed ethnogynaecological knowledge of selected remote regions of Pashtun’s tribe in northwest Pakistan. Semistructured questionnaires were designed to collect ethnogynaecological and ethnographic data. Total of 51 medicinal plants belonging to 36 families were documented that were used by the women of studied regions for the treatment of 9 types of gynaecological complaints. Majority of the plants (19) were found used against menses followed by 11 plants each for gonorrhea and pregnancy. Bannu region has high number of gynaecological plants (22) followed by Karak (15). Women of the regions mostly used whole plants (33%) and leaves (31%) for various ethnomedicinal preparation of gynae. Fic results showed that all ailments in different areas scored high consensus ranges between 0.6 and 1.00. Majority of the female respondents (44%) were aged between 61 and 70 years, of which most were illiterate. Women in the remote regions of Pakistan have tremendous traditional knowledge in utilizing medicinal plants for their reproductive health. Plants with high Fic values should be cross-checked for theirin vitroandin vivovalidation. Young girls should be educated on the importance of ethnogynaecological practices to conserve this valuable knowledge.
A Sustainable Manufacturing Strategy from Different Strategic Responses under Uncertainty
Authors: Ocampo Lanndon , Clark Eppie , Tanudtanud Kae Vines
Published: February 2015

This paper presents a decision framework that highlights the integration of manufacturing strategy (MS) and sustainability along with strategic responses as a significant component. This integration raises complexity and uncertainty in decision-making following the number of subjective components with their inherent relationships that must be brought into context and the huge amount of required information in eliciting judgments. Thus, a proposed hybrid multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) approach in the form of an integrated probabilistic fuzzy analytic network process (PROFUZANP) is adopted in this work. In this method, analytic network process (ANP) serves as the main framework in identifying policy options of manufacturing strategy. Fuzzy set theory (FST) is used to describe vagueness in decision-making which is carried out by eliciting judgments in pairwise comparisons using linguistic variables with corresponding triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs). Probability theory is used to handle randomness in aggregating judgments of multiple decision-makers. Results show that a stakeholder-oriented approach is considered the most relevant strategic response in developing a sustainable manufacturing strategy. The contribution of this work lies in identifying the policies which constitute a sustainable manufacturing strategy using an integrated MCDM approach under uncertainty.
Differentiation between Acute Skin Rejection in Allotransplantation and T-Cell Mediated Skin Inflammation Based on Gene Expression Analysis
Authors: Wolfram Dolores , Morandi Evi M. , Eberhart Nadine , Hautz Theresa , Hackl Hubert , Zelger Bettina , Riede Gregor , Wachter Tanja , Dubrac Sandrine , Ploner Christian , Pierer Gerhard , Schneeberger Stefan
Published: February 2015

Advances in microsurgical techniques and immunosuppressive medication have rendered transplantation of vascularized composite allografts possible, when autologous tissue is neither available nor sufficient for reconstruction. However, skin rejection and side effects of long-term immunosuppression still remain a major hurdle for wide adoption of this excellent reconstructive technique. Histopathologic changes during acute skin rejection in vascular composite allotransplantation often mimic inflammatory skin disorders and are hard to distinguish. Hence, the identification of diagnostic and therapeutic markers specific for skin rejection is of particular clinical need. Here we present novel markers allowing for early differentiation between rejection in hind limb allotransplantation and contact hypersensitivity. Assessment of Ccl7, Il18, and Il1b expression is most indicative of distinguishing skin rejection from skin inflammatory disorders. Gene expression levels varied significantly across skin types and regions, indicating localization specific mechanism of leukocyte migration and infiltration. Expression of Il12b, Il17a, and Il1b gene expression levels differed significantly between rejection and inflammation, independent of the skin type. In synopsis of the RNA expression profile and previously assessed protein expression, the Il1 family appears as a promising option for accurate skin rejection diagnosis and, as a following step, for development of novel rejection treatments.
Preventive Maintenance Scheduling for Multicogeneration Plants with Production Constraints Using Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Alhamad Khaled , Alardhi Mohsen , Almazrouee Abdulla
Published: February 2015

This paper describes a method developed to schedule the preventive maintenance tasks of the generation and desalination units in separate and linked cogeneration plants provided that all the necessary maintenance and production constraints are satisfied. The proposed methodology is used to generate two preventing maintenance schedules, one for electricity and the other for distiller. Two types of crossover operators were adopted, 2-point and 4-point. The objective function of the model is to maximize the available number of operational units in each plant. The results obtained were satisfying the problem parameters. However, 4-point slightly produce better solution than 2-point ones for both electricity and water distiller. The performance as well as the effectiveness of the genetic algorithm in solving preventive maintenance scheduling is applied and tested on a real system of 21 units for electricity and 21 units for water. The results presented here show a great potential for utility applications for effective energy management over a time horizon of 52 weeks. The model presented is an effective decision tool that optimizes the solution of the maintenance scheduling problem for cogeneration plants under maintenance and production constraints.
Bilateral Psoas Muscle Abscess Associated with Emphysematous Cystitis
Authors: Choi Jae-Ki , Kwon Jae-Cheol
Published: February 2015

Psoas muscle abscess associated with emphysematous urinary tract infection is very rare. There were very few reports about urinary tract infections such as renal abscess, perinephric abscess, and emphysematous pyelonephritis complicated with psoas muscle abscess; however, psoas muscle abscess associated with emphysematous cystitis has not yet been reported. Here, we report a case of bilateral posas muscle abscess following emphysematous cystitis in an 81-year-old nondiabetic man, who was treated successfully with prolonged antibiotic therapy and supportive care. Early recognition of psoas muscle abscess can prevent aggressive interventional procedure and warrant good prognosis.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Intestinal Epithelial Cell Function and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Luo Katherine , Cao Stewart Siyan
Published: February 2015

In eukaryotic cells, perturbation of protein folding homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes accumulation of unfolded and misfolded proteins in the ER lumen, which activates intracellular signaling pathways termed the unfolded protein response (UPR). Recent studies have linked ER stress and the UPR to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The microenvironment of the ER is affected by a myriad of intestinal luminal molecules, implicating ER stress and the UPR in proper maintenance of intestinal homeostasis. Several intestinal cell populations, including Paneth and goblet cells, require robust ER function for protein folding, maturation, and secretion. Prolonged ER stress and impaired UPR signaling may cause IBD through: (1) induction of intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis, (2) disruption of mucosal barrier function, and (3) induction of the proinflammatory response in the gut. Based on our increased understanding of ER stress in IBD, new pharmacological approaches can be developed to improve intestinal homeostasis by targeting ER protein-folding in the intestinal epithelial cells (IECs).
Hyperhomocysteinemia and MTHFR Polymorphisms as Antenatal Risk Factors of White Matter Abnormalities in Two Cohorts of Late Preterm and Full Term Newborns
Authors: Marseglia Lucia M. , Nicotera Antonio , Salpietro Vincenzo , Giaimo Elisa , Cardile Giovanna , Bonsignore Maria , Alibrandi Angela , Caccamo Daniela , Manti Sara , D’Angelo Gabriella , Mamì Carmelo , Di Rosa Gabriella
Published: February 2015

Higher total homocysteine (tHcy) levels, and C677T and A1298C methylenetetrahydrofolate (MTHFR) polymorphisms, have been reported in preterm or full term newborns with neonatal encephalopathy following perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult. This study investigated the causal role of tHcy and MTHFR polymorphisms together with other acquired risk factors on the occurrence of brain white matter abnormalities (WMA) detected by cranial ultrasound scans (cUS) in a population of late preterm and full term infants. A total of 171 newborns (81 M, 47.4%), 45 (26.3%) born <37 wks, and 126 (73.7%) born ≥37 wks were recruited in the study. cUS detected predominant WMA pattern in 36/171 newborns (21.1%) mainly characterized by abnormal periventricular white matter signal and mild-to-moderate periventricular white matter volume loss with ventricular dilatation (6/36, 16.6%). WMA resulted in being depending on tHcy levels(P<0.014), lower GA(P<0.000), lower Apgar score at 1 minutes(P<0.000)and 5 minutes(P<0.000), and 1298AC and 677CT/1298AC genotypes (P<0.000andP<0.000). In conclusion, both acquired and genetic predisposing antenatal factors were significantly associated with adverse neonatal outcome and WMA. The role of A1298C polymorphism may be taken into account for prenatal assessment and treatment counseling.
Analysis of Circulating Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Its Soluble Receptors in Patients with Different Forms of Chronic Urticaria
Authors: Jagodzinska Julia , Polaniak Renata , Birkner Ewa , Kasperska-Zajac Alicja
Published: February 2015

Background. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a powerful enhancer of vascular permeability and inflammatory response; however its significance in chronic urticaria is poorly recognised.Aim. To compare free circulating levels of VEGF and its soluble receptors (sVEGFR1 and VEGFR2) in patients with different forms of chronic urticaria.Methods. The concentrations of VEGF and its receptors in plateletpoor plasma (PPP)/plasma were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in chronic urticaria: (1) chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) with positive autologous serum skin test (ASST), (2) CSU with negative response to ASST, (3) CSU with concomitant euthyroid Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (CSU/Hashimoto), (4) delayed pressure urticaria (DPU), and the healthy subjects.Results. There were no significant differences in VEGF concentration in PPP between CSU groups and the healthy subjects. Contrary, VEGF concentration was significantly higher in DPU and CSU/Hashimoto patients as compared with the healthy subjects and CSU groups. Furthermore, VEGF value in CSU/Hashimoto patients during the remission was similar to that of the active period and significantly higher than the healthy subjects; VEGF concentration was significantly correlated with TSH. Plasma concentrations of sVEGF1 and sVEGF2 were similar in chronic urticaria patients and the healthy subjects.Conclusions. Increased free circulating VEGF concentration may result from the urticarial process itself as well as concomitant Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.