bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma cell‐rich acute rejection after renal transplantation in a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum: a case report
Authors: Horie Katsunori , Fujita Takashi , Tsuyuki Mikito , Nishio Fumitoshi , Watanabe Tatsuaki , Kanou Yasuko , Kuzuya Akihiko , Sato Motoyoshi , Kinukawa Tsuneo
Published: June 2010

Horie K, Fujita T, Tsuyuki M, Nishio F, Watanabe T, Kanou Y, Kuzuya A, Sato M, Kinukawa T. Plasma cell‐rich acute rejection after renal transplantation in a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum: a case report. Clin Transplant 2010: 24 (Suppl. 22): 39–43. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  A 40‐yr‐old female received a living‐related renal transplantation on January 29, 2008. She had type I diabetes mellitus and pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). Induction immunosuppressive therapy consisted of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, basiliximab, and prednisolone. Intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy was administered to prevent ulceration at the surgical site. The postoperative outcome was almost uneventful, and renal graft function was well preserved for 11 months. Her graft function deteriorated on December 24, 2008 and thus an episode biopsy was performed. The histopathological findings were consistent with plasma cell‐rich acute rejection (PCAR). During hospitalization, it was noted that the patient was non‐compliant. We then performed steroid pulse therapy, and her graft function and histological findings improved. This is the first report of PCAR in a patient with PG who received a renal allograft. It was thought that PCAR was triggered because of her non‐compliance. Thus, we should recognize the importance of enhancing compliance in transplant recipients.
Progressive interstitial fibrosis of kidney allograft early after transplantation from a non‐heart beating donor: possible role of persistent ischemic injury
Authors: Masutani Kohsuke , Kitada Hidehisa , Yamada Shunsuke , Tsuchimoto Akihiro , Noguchi Hideko , Tsuruya Kazuhiko , Katafuchi Ritsuko , Tanaka Masao , Iida Mitsuo
Published: June 2010

Masutani K, Kitada H, Yamada S, Tsuchimoto A, Noguchi H, Tsuruya K, Katafuchi R, Tanaka M, Iida M. Progressive interstitial fibrosis of kidney allograft early after transplantation from a non‐heart beating donor: Possible role of persistent ischemic injury. Clin Transplant 2010: 24 (Suppl. 22): 70–74. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  The donor was 63‐yr‐old woman with subarachnoid hemorrhage. As she developed severe hypotension for more than four h before cardiac arrest, we biopsied the grafts and decided to transplant those kidneys. Recipient 1 was a 23‐yr‐old man on 13‐yr dialysis program. After 19 d of delayed graft function (DGF), we discontinued hemodialysis (HD). However, the decrease in serum creatinine (sCr) was poor. The minimum sCr was 4.3 mg/dL on post‐operative day (POD) 40, and increased to 6.5 mg/dL. The contralateral graft was transplanted to a 61‐yr‐old man (recipient 2) with 18‐yr HD. After 15 d of DGF period, sCr decreased gradually and has been stable at 1.9 mg/dL. In recipient 1, graft biopsies performed on POD 15, 69, and 110, revealed progressive interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA) without evidences of acute rejection, tacrolimus associated injury, reflux nephropathy, or viral nephropathy. The second biopsy on POD 69 showed typical findings of acute tubular necrosis. We compared the clinical courses of the two recipients because certain features of recipient 1, such as age, duration of HD, total ischemic time, and body size were advantageous, whereas graft function was poorer than that in recipient 2. Recipient 1 developed severe anemia following the dissociation of graft function from recipient 2. In this case, posttransplant anemia and lower blood pressure might promote IF/TA through persistent ischemic tubular damage, and positive CMV antigenemia and its treatment could promote anemia. Especially in the kidney allograft from a marginal donor, we should consider various factors to obtain a better graft outcome.
A case report of recurrence of mixed cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis in a renal transplant recipient
Authors: Takeda Asami , Ootsuka Yasuhiro , Suzuki Taisei , Yamauchi Yukako , Tsujita Makoto , Kawaguchi Takehiko , Horike Keiji , Oikawa Tadashi , Goto Norihiko , Nagasaka Takaharu , Watarai Yoshihiko , Uchida Kazuharu , Morozumi Kunio
Published: June 2010

Takeda A, Ootsuka Y, Suzuki T, Yamauchi Y, Tsujita M, Kawaguchi T, Horike K, Oikawa T, Goto N, Nagasaka T, Watarai Y, Uchida K, Morozumi K. A case report of recurrence of mixed cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis in a renal transplant recipient. Clin Transplant 2010: 24 (Suppl. 22): 44–47. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  Recurrence of glomerulonephritis (GN) is one of the major risk factors of long‐surviving renal graft dysfunction. Cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis of hepatitis‐C virus (HCV)‐negative patient is a rare cause of end‐stage renal disease. There is little case report of recurrent cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis in negative HCV recipients after renal transplantation. We represent a renal allograft recipient of an interesting recurrent cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis. The patient was diagnosed with mixed cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis by kidney biopsy at the age of 32 . He had no HCV, HBV nor liver dysfunction. He received immunosuppressive therapy, however, was introduced to hemodialysis treatment after 13 yr. He received a cadaveric renal transplantation at the age of 50, and immunosuppressive treatment was started with ciclosporin, prednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Four yr after transplantation, he developed fever and purpura of lower limbs. His serum creatinine level did not increase, however, proteinuria, hematuria, hypocomplementemia, positive rheumatoid factor and mixed cryoglobulinemia were noted. Detailed analysis failed to reveal the composition of mixed cryoglobulinemia. The renal allograft biopsy showed membranoproliferative‐type GN with monocyte and polynuclear leukocyte accumulation of capillary loops and small cellular crescent. Immunofluorescent study showed C3, IgG and IgM deposition of mesangial and capillary pattern. Regardless of steroid pulse therapy, hypocomplementemia and positive rheumatoid factor did not improve. Ten yr after transplantation, he was affected by cellulitis and sepsis. Afterward, rising of serum creatinine and nephrotic range proteinuria developed. The allograft biopsy revealed advanced cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis with characteristic vascular lesions. Electron microscopy showed organized subendothelial deposits compatible with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis and proteinaceous thrombus in arteriole.
Pseudogene rescue: an adaptive mechanism of codon reassignment
Authors: JOHNSON L. J.
Published: June 2010

Alterations to the genetic code – codon reassignments – have occurred many times in life’s history, despite the fact that genomes are coadapted to their genetic codes and therefore alterations are likely to be maladaptive. A potential mechanism for adaptive codon reassignment, which could trigger either a temporary period of codon ambiguity or a permanent genetic code change, is the reactivation of a pseudogene by a nonsense suppressor mutant transfer RNA. I examine the population genetics of each stage of this process and find that pseudogene rescue is plausible and also readily explains some features of extant variability in genetic codes.
Bimodal pollination system of the bromeliad Aechmea nudicaulis involving hummingbirds and bees
Authors: Schmid S. , Schmid V. S. , Zillikens A. , Harter‐Marques B. , Steiner J.
Published: June 2010

In order to compare the effectiveness of birds and insects as pollinators, we studied the floral biology of the bromeliad Aechmea nudicaulis (L.) Grisebach in the biome of the Atlantic rain forest, southern Brazil. On Santa Catarina Island, flowering extends from mid‐September to the end of December, with diurnal anthesis. The reproductive system is obligatory xenogamy, thus pollinator‐dependent. Flowers secrete 31.84 μl of nectar per day, with a mean sugar concentration of 23.2%. Highest nectar volume and sugar concentration occur at the beginning of anthesis. Most floral traits are characteristic for ornithophily, and nectar production appears to be adapted to the energy demand of hummingbirds. Continued secretion of the sucrose‐dominated nectar attracts and binds visitors to inflorescences, strengthening trapline foraging behaviour. Experiments assessing seed set after single flower visits were performed with the most frequent visitors, revealing the hummingbird Thalurania glaucopis as the most effective pollen vector. In addition, bees are also functional pollinators, as substantiated by their high visitation frequency. We conclude that this pollination system is bimodal. Thus, there is redundancy in the pollination service provided by birds and bees, granting a high probability of successful reproduction in Ae. nudicaulis.
Effect of abandonment and plant classification on carbohydrate reserves of meadow plants
Authors: Janeček Š. , Lanta V. , Klimešová J. , Doležal J.
Published: June 2010

We studied the effect of cessation of management on carbohydrate reserves of plants in meadows with different environmental characteristics and plant composition. We recorded storage carbohydrates and seasonal changes for 40 plant species. We asked whether there are differences in responses of carbohydrate reserves in forbs versus graminoids and in plants storing starch versus plants storing osmotically active carbohydrates. We analysed belowground organs before the meadows were mown and at the end of the vegetation season in mown versus recently abandoned plots. Whereas starch and fructans were widely distributed, raffinose family oligosaccharides were the main carbohydrate reserves of the Lamiaceae and Plantago lanceolata. Properties of carbohydrate reserves differed between forbs and graminoids but no difference was found between plants storing starch versus osmotically active carbohydrates. Graminoids had lower carbohydrate concentrations than forbs. We observed a positive effect of mowing on carbohydrate concentrations of graminoids in the dry, calcium‐rich meadow and higher seasonal fluctuations of these values in the acid, wet meadow, suggesting that local factors and/or the species pool affect carbohydrate reserves. Despite local conditions, graminoids represent a distinct functional group in meadows from the point of view of their storage economy. We suggest that as well as growth, storage processes should also be considered for understanding the functioning of meadow plant communities.
Review: Serum and urine biomarkers of kidney disease: A pathophysiological perspective
Authors: TESCH GREG H
Published: June 2010

The use of reliable biomarkers is becoming increasingly important for the improved management of patients with acute and chronic kidney diseases. Recent developments have identified a number of novel biomarkers in serum or urine that can determine the potential risk of kidney damage, distinguish different types of renal injury, predict the progression of disease and have the potential to assess the efficacy of therapeutic intervention. Some of these biomarkers can be used independently while others are more beneficial when used in combination with knowledge of other clinical risk factors. Advances in gene expression analysis, chromatography, mass spectrometry and the development of sensitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays have facilitated accurate quantification of many biomarkers. This review primarily focuses on describing new and established biomarkers, which identify and measure the various pathophysiological processes that promote kidney disease. It provides an overview of some of the different classes of renal biomarkers that can be assessed in serum/plasma and urine, including markers of renal function, oxidative stress, structural and cellular injury, immune responses and fibrosis. However, it does not explore the current status of these biomarkers in terms of their clinical validation.
Increasing liver transplantation waiting list mortality: a report from the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Sydney
Authors: Prakoso E. , Verran D. , Dilworth P. , Kyd G. , Tang P. , Tse C. , Koorey D. J. , Strasser S. I. , Stormon M. , Shun A. , Thomas G. , Joseph D. , Pleass H. , Gallagher J. , Allen R. , Crawford M. , McCaughan G. W. , Shackel N. A.
Published: June 2010

Background:  We aimed to describe the demand for liver transplantation (LTx) and patient outcomes on the waiting list at the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Sydney over the last 20 years.

Methods:  We performed a retrospective analysis with the data divided into three eras: 1985–1993, 1994–2000 and 2001–2008.

Results:  The number of patients accepted for LTx increased from 320 to 372 and 548 (P < 0.001) with the number of LTx being performed increasing from 262 to 312 and 452 respectively (P < 0.001). The median adult recipient age increased from 45 to 48 and 52 years (P < 0.001) while it decreased in children from 4 to 2 and 1 years respectively (P= 0.001). In parallel, the deceased donor offers decreased from 1003 to 720 and 717 (P < 0.001). Methods to improve access to donor livers have been used with the use of split livers, extended criteria and non‐heart beating donors, resulting in increased acceptance of deceased donor offers by 65% and 115% in the second and third eras when compared with the first era (P < 0.001). However, the adult median waiting time has increased from 23 to 41 and 120 days respectively (P < 0.001). This was associated with increased adult mortality on the waiting list from 23 to 40 and 122 respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:  Despite the increasing proportion of donor offers being used, the waiting list mortality is increasing. A solution to this problem is an increase in organ donation to keep pace with the escalating demand for LTx.
Metropolitan–rural divide for stroke outcomes: do stroke units make a difference?
Authors: Cadilhac D. A. , Kilkenny M. F. , Longworth M. , Pollack M. R. P. , Levi C. R. ,   on behalf of Greater Metropolitan Clinical Taskforce and Stroke Services New South Wales Coordinating Committee
Published: June 2010

Background:  Stroke care across Australian hospitals is variable. The impact on health outcomes, in particular levels of disability for patients in rural areas, is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether geographic location and access to stroke units are associated with differences in health outcomes in patients with acute stroke.

Methods:  Retrospective cohort study of consecutive eligible admissions from 32 hospitals (12 rural) in New South Wales between 2003 and 2007. Health status measured at discharge included level of independence (modified Rankin score: mRS) and frequency of severe complications during hospitalization. Multivariable analyses included adjustment for patient casemix and clustering.

Results:  Among 2254 eligible patients, 55% were treated in metropolitan hospitals. Stroke unit treatment varied significantly (rural 3%; metropolitan 77%). Age, gender and stroke type did not differ by location (mean age 74, 50% female). After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, important risk factors and validated stroke prognostic variables, patients treated in rural hospitals had a greater odds of dying during hospitalization compared with those treated in metropolitan hospitals (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–2.05). There were no differences in mortality or frequency of severe complications between patients treated in rural and metropolitan hospitals when we adjusted for access to stroke units (aOR 1.00, 95% CI 0.62–1.61). Nevertheless, patients treated in rural hospitals were more dependent (mRS 3–5) at discharge (aOR 1.82, 95% CI 1.23–2.70) despite adjusting for stroke unit status.

Conclusion:  Patients with stroke treated in rural hospitals have poorer health outcomes, especially if not managed in stroke units.
Increased central adiposity in morbidly obese patients with obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Soriano‐Co M. , Vanhecke T. E. , Franklin B. A. , Sangal R. B. , Hakmeh B. , McCullough P. A.
Published: June 2010

Background:  With the growing epidemic of obesity, few data are available regarding adipose distribution and the severity of sleep apnoea. Our aim was to measure precisely adipose distribution with dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) in a morbidly obese population with and without obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

Methods:  Morbidly obese female subjects without a history of OSA underwent overnight polysomnography and DXA analysis. Subject demographics, DXA variables, serum laboratory markers and physical exam characteristics were compared between individuals with and without OSA.

Results:  For the study population (n= 26), mean body mass index (BMI) was 45.9 ± 7.8 kg/m2; mean age was 47.5 ± 10.2 years and all were female. The central adiposity ratio (CAR) was higher in individuals with OSA (apnoea–hypopnoea index > 5) than those without OSA (1.1 ± 0.05 vs 1.0 ± 0.04; P= 0.004). No difference was observed in Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores, body mass index (BMI) or neck circumference between groups.

Conclusions:  OSA is associated with increased central adipose deposition in patients with a BMI of >40 kg/m2. These data may be helpful in designing future studies regarding the pathophysiology of OSA, and potential treatment options.
A genetic analysis of the response of Escherichia coli to cobalt stress
Authors: Fantino Jean‐Raphaël , Py Béatrice , Fontecave Marc , Barras Frédéric
Published: June 2010

Cobalt can be toxic and the way cells adapt to its presence is largely unknown. Here we carried out a transcriptomic analysis of Escherichia coli exposed to cobalt. A limited number of genes were either up‐ or downregulated. Upregulated genes include the isc and the nfuA genes encoding Fe/S biogenesis assisting factors, and the rcnA gene encoding a cobalt efflux system. Downregulated genes are implicated in anaerobic metabolism (narK, nirB, hybO, grcA), metal transport (feoB, nikA), sulfate/thiosulfate import (cysP), and one is of unknown function (yeeE). Cobalt regulation of isc, nfuA, hybO, cysP and yeeE genes was found to involve IscR, a Fe/S transcriptional regulator. Previously, the Suf Fe/S biogenesis machinery was found to be important for cobalt stress adaptation, but suf genes did not show up in the microarray analysis. Therefore, we used qRT‐PCR analysis and found that cobalt induced the suf operon expression. Moreover, kinetic analysis of the cobalt‐mediated induction of the suf operon expression allowed us to propose that cobalt toxicity is caused first by impaired Fe/S biogenesis, followed by decreased iron bioavailability and eventually oxidative stress.
Control of biofilm formation and colonization in Vibrio fischeri: a role for partner switching?
Authors: Morris Andrew R. , Visick Karen L.
Published: June 2010

Bacteria employ a variety of mechanisms to promote and control colonization of their respective hosts, including restricting the expression of genes necessary for colonization to distinct situations (i.e. encounter with a prospective host). In the symbiosis between the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri and its host squid, Euprymna scolopes, colonization proceeds via a transient biofilm formed by the bacterium. The production of this bacterial biofilm depends on a complex regulatory network that controls transcription of the symbiosis polysaccharide (syp) gene locus. In addition to this transcriptional control, biofilm formation is regulated by two proteins, SypA and SypE, which may function in an unusual regulatory mechanism known as partner switching. Best characterized in Bacillus subtilis and other Gram‐positive bacteria, partner switching is a signalling mechanism that provides dynamic regulatory control over bacterial gene expression. The involvement of putative partner‐switching components within V. fischeri suggests that tight regulatory control over biofilm formation may be important for the lifestyle of this organism.
Neoadjuvant systemic therapy for urological malignancies
Authors: Sonpavde Guru , Sternberg Cora N.
Published: June 2010

Neoadjuvant cisplatin‐based combined chemotherapy is an established standard for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer and pathological complete remission is an excellent intermediate surrogate endpoint for survival. Phase III trials are ongoing to elucidate the role of neoadjuvant combined androgen deprivation and docetaxel‐based chemotherapy for localized high‐risk prostate cancer. Neoadjuvant therapy with biological agents targeting angiogenesis preceding cytoreductive nephrectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma is a novel approach, although ongoing randomized trials are validating this paradigm and attempting to establish the timing and necessity of cytoreductive nephrectomy. Neoadjuvant trials provide a window of opportunity to evaluate and screen novel agents for biological activity by using brief therapy preceding surgery and provide a rationale to further develop the most promising agents in larger trials. The neoadjuvant therapy approach followed by surgery is acceptable and feasible with a wide array of agents in urological cancers and provides a paradigm for evaluating the activity, mechanism of action and resistance to new treatments. Urological cancers are initially characterized by localized presentation in the vast majority of cases, coupled with a substantial risk of distant relapses following surgical resection. Therefore, the paradigm of neoadjuvant therapy preceding surgery may expedite the development of novel systemic agents and improve outcomes.
Glycaemic variability using continuous glucose monitoring and endothelial function in the metabolic syndrome and in Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Buscemi S. , Re A. , Batsis J. A. , Arnone M. , Mattina A. , Cerasola G. , Verga S.
Published: June 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 872–878 (2010)

Aims  Subjects who are at increased risk of developing diabetes may have increased glycaemic variability associated with endothelial dysfunction and possibly subclinical atherosclerosis, which may lead to increased cardiovascular risk observed at the time of diabetes diagnosis. To investigate this hypothesis, we measured endothelial function, carotid intima‐media thickness and glycaemic variability using 48‐h continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring in 3 groups of overweight or obese subjects – those without the metabolic syndrome, and those with the metabolic syndrome with or without newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes.

Methods  Consecutive subjects, aged 30–65 years with a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 were recruited. Patients were classified as with or without the metabolic syndrome,or as metabolic syndrome with newly diagnosed Type 2 DM. Glycaemic variability was calculated in terms of the coefficient of variation. Endothelial function was measured using brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation.

Results  We identified 75 subjects. Mean flow mediated dilation decreased (P < 0.001) and carotid intima‐media thickness increased (P < 0.05) across groups. Flow mediated dilation predictors included mean 48‐h continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring values (β = –0.022; P < 0.005) and the coefficient of variation (β = –0.10; P = 0.01). Carotid intima‐media thickness predictors included age (β = 0.009; P < 0.001) and flow mediated dilation (β = –0.014; P = 0.076). Patients re‐stratified according to cut‐offs for mean 48‐h glycaemia and variability demonstrated that subjects with high mean glycaemia but low coefficient of variability had similar flow mediated dilation and carotid intima‐media thickness to subjects with low mean glycaemia but high coefficient of variation.

Conclusions  This study suggests that glycaemic variability influences endothelial function even in non‐diabetic subjects. Such variability may explain the increased cardiovascular risk observed in patients prior to developing overt Type 2 diabetes
Prescription Drug Labeling and “Over‐Warning”: The Disturbing Case of Diana Levine and Wyeth Pharmaceutical
Authors: ADAMS RONALD J.
Published: June 2010

In April of 2000, Diana Levine went to a clinic in Vermont suffering from a migraine headache. She was given the drug Demerol for the migraine symptoms and Phenergan for nausea. Complications with the administration of Phenergan ultimately resulted in Ms. Levine contracting gangrene, necessitating the amputation of her right arm. Ms. Levine sued the drug maker, Wyeth Pharmaceutical, in state court and prevailed. The lower court's decision was appealed by Wyeth to the state supreme court where the ruling was confirmed. Wyeth next appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court which, to the surprise of many observers, affirmed the judgment of the state supreme court. At issue was the fundamental question of the ability of consumers to obtain redress against negligent manufacturers in state courts. Wyeth's arguments to the Court were based upon preemption: Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a drug (and its labeling) preempts the ability of injured consumers like Ms. Levine to recover in state courts despite years of precedent to the contrary. Ability to recover damages in state courts represents, perhaps, the most important safety net available to consumers injured by defective products. A ruling by the Supreme Court that FDA‐approved labeling of pharmaceuticals preempts the reach of the state courts would have severely compromised the balance of power between consumers and producers.
TouchTone: Interactive Local Image Adjustment Using Point‐and‐Swipe
Authors: Liang Chia‐Kai , Chen Wei‐Chao , Gelfand Natasha
Published: June 2010

Recent proliferation of camera phones, photo sharing and social network services has significantly changed how we process our photos. Instead of going through the traditional download‐edit‐share cycle using desktop editors, an increasing number of photos are taken with camera phones and published through cellular networks. The immediacy of the sharing process means that on‐device image editing, if needed, should be quick and intuitive. However, due to the limited computational resources and vastly different user interaction model on small screens, most traditional local selection methods can not be directly adapted to mobile devices. To address this issue, we present TouchTone, a new method for edge‐aware image adjustment using simple finger gestures. Our method enables users to select regions within the image and adjust their corresponding photographic attributes simultaneously through a simple point‐and‐swipe interaction. To enable fast interaction, we develop a memory‐ and computation‐efficient algorithm which samples a collection of 1D paths from the image, computes the adjustment solution along these paths, and interpolates the solutions to entire image through bilateral filtering. Our system is intuitive to use, and can support several local editing tasks, such as brightness, contrast, and color balance adjustments, within a minute on a mobile device.
Fast Ray Sorting and Breadth‐First Packet Traversal for GPU Ray Tracing
Authors: Garanzha Kirill , Loop Charles
Published: June 2010

We present a novel approach to ray tracing execution on commodity graphics hardware using CUDA. We decompose a standard ray tracing algorithm into several data‐parallel stages that are mapped efficiently to the massively parallel architecture of modern GPUs. These stages include: ray sorting into coherent packets, creation of frustums for packets, breadth‐first frustum traversal through a bounding volume hierarchy for the scene, and localized ray‐primitive intersections. We utilize the well known parallel primitives scan and segmented scan in order to process irregular data structures, to remove the need for a stack, and to minimize branch divergence in all stages. Our ray sorting stage is based on applying hash values to individual rays, ray stream compression, sorting and decompression. Our breadth‐first BVH traversal is based on parallel frustum‐bounding box intersection tests and parallel scan per each BVH level.

We demonstrate our algorithm with area light sources to get a soft shadow effect and show that our concept is reasonable for GPU implementation. For the same data sets and ray‐primitive intersection routines our pipeline is ∼3x faster than an optimized standard depth first ray tracing implemented in one kernel.
Isosurfaces Over Simplicial Partitions of Multiresolution Grids
Authors: Manson Josiah , Schaefer Scott
Published: June 2010

We provide a simple method that extracts an isosurface that is manifold and intersection‐free from a function over an arbitrary octree. Our method samples the function dual to minimal edges, faces, and cells, and we show how to position those samples to reconstruct sharp and thin features of the surface. Moreover, we describe an error metric designed to guide octree expansion such that flat regions of the function are tiled with fewer polygons than curved regions to create an adaptive polygonalization of the isosurface. We then show how to improve the quality of the triangulation by moving dual vertices to the isosurface and provide a topological test that guarantees we maintain the topology of the surface. While we describe our algorithm in terms of extracting surfaces from volumetric functions, we also show that our algorithm extends to generating manifold level sets of co‐dimension 1 of functions of arbitrary dimension.
Heat Transfer Simulation for Modeling Realistic Winter Sceneries
Authors: Maréchal N. , Guérin E. , Galin E. , Mérillou S. , Mérillou N.
Published: June 2010

This paper presents a physically based method for simulating the heat transfers between the different environmental elements to synthesize realistic winter sceneries. We simulate the snow fall over the ground, as well as the conductive, convective and radiative thermal transfers using a finite volume method according to the variations of air and dew point temperatures, the amount of snow, cloud cover and day‐night cycles. Our approach takes into account phase changes such as snow melting into water or water freezing into ice.
Seamless Montage for Texturing Models
Authors: Gal Ran , Wexler Yonatan , Ofek Eyal , Hoppe Hugues , Cohen‐Or Daniel
Published: June 2010

We present an automatic method to recover high‐resolution texture over an object by mapping detailed photographs onto its surface. Such high‐resolution detail often reveals inaccuracies in geometry and registration, as well as lighting variations and surface reflections. Simple image projection results in visible seams on the surface. We minimize such seams using a global optimization that assigns compatible texture to adjacent triangles. The key idea is to search not only combinatorially over the source images, but also over a set of local image transformations that compensate for geometric misalignment. This broad search space is traversed using a discrete labeling algorithm, aided by a coarse‐to‐fine strategy. Our approach significantly improves resilience to acquisition errors, thereby allowing simple and easy creation of textured models for use in computer graphics.
Real‐time Rendering of Heterogeneous Translucent Objects with Arbitrary Shapes
Authors: Wang Yajun , Wang Jiaping , Holzschuch Nicolas , Subr Kartic , Yong Jun‐Hai , Guo Baining
Published: June 2010

We present a real‐time algorithm for rendering translucent objects of arbitrary shapes. We approximate the scattering of light inside the objects using the diffusion equation, which we solve on‐the‐fly using the GPU. Our algorithm is general enough to handle arbitrary geometry, heterogeneous materials, deformable objects and modifications of lighting, all in real‐time. In a pre‐processing step, we discretize the object into a regular 4‐connected structure (QuadGraph). Due to its regular connectivity, this structure is easily packed into a texture and stored on the GPU. At runtime, we use the QuadGraph stored on the GPU to solve the diffusion equation, in real‐time, taking into account the varying input conditions: Incoming light, object material and geometry. We handle deformable objects, provided the deformation does not change the topological structure of the objects.
A Data‐driven Segmentation for the Shoulder Complex
Authors: Hong Q Youn , Park Sang Il , Hodgins Jessica K.
Published: June 2010

The human shoulder complex is perhaps the most complicated joint in the human body being comprised of a set of three bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Despite this anatomical complexity, computer graphics models for motion capture most often represent this joint as a simple ball and socket. In this paper, we present a method to determine a shoulder skeletal model that, when combined with standard skinning algorithms, generates a more visually pleasing animation that is a closer approximation to the actual skin deformations of the human body. We use a data‐driven approach and collect ground truth skin deformation data with an optical motion capture system with a large number of markers (200 markers on the shoulder complex alone). We cluster these markers during movement sequences and discover that adding one extra joint around the shoulder improves the resulting animation qualitatively and quantitatively yielding a marker set of approximately 70 markers for the complete skeleton. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our skeletal model by comparing it with ground truth data as well as with recorded video. We show its practicality by integrating it with the conventional rendering/animation pipeline.
Bidirectional Search for Interactive Motion Synthesis
Authors: Lo Wan‐Yen , Zwicker Matthias
Published: June 2010

We present an approach to improve the search efficiency for near‐optimal motion synthesis using motion graphs. An optimal or near‐optimal path through a motion graph often leads to the most intuitive result. However, finding such a path can be computationally expensive. Our main contribution is a bidirectional search algorithm. We dynamically divide the search space evenly and merge two search trees to obtain the final solution. This cuts the maximum search depth almost in half and leads to significant speedup. To illustrate the benefits of our approach, we present an interactive sketching interface that allows users to specify complex motions quickly and intuitively.
Adding Depth to Cartoons Using Sparse Depth (In)equalities
Authors: Sýkora D. , Sedlacek D. , Jinchao S. , Dingliana J. , Collins S.
Published: June 2010

This paper presents a novel interactive approach for adding depth information into hand‐drawn cartoon images and animations. In comparison to previous depth assignment techniques our solution requires minimal user effort and enables creation of consistent pop‐ups in a matter of seconds. Inspired by perceptual studies we formulate a custom tailored optimization framework that tries to mimic the way that a human reconstructs depth information from a single image. Its key advantage is that it completely avoids inputs requiring knowledge of absolute depth and instead uses a set of sparse depth (in)equalities that are much easier to specify. Since these constraints lead to a solution based on quadratic programming that is time consuming to evaluate we propose a simple approximative algorithm yielding similar results with much lower computational overhead. We demonstrate its usefulness in the context of a cartoon animation production pipeline including applications such as enhancement, registration, composition, 3D modelling and stereoscopic display.
Inverse Procedural Modeling by Automatic Generation of L‐systems
Authors: Št'ava O. , Beneš B. , Měch R. , Aliaga D. G. , Krištof P.
Published: June 2010

We present an important step towards the solution of the problem of inverse procedural modeling by generating parametric context‐free L‐systems that represent an input 2D model. The L‐system rules efficiently code the regular structures and the parameters represent the properties of the structure transformations. The algorithm takes as input a 2D vector image that is composed of atomic elements, such as curves and poly‐lines. Similar elements are recognized and assigned terminal symbols of an L‐system alphabet. The terminal symbols' position and orientation are pair‐wise compared and the transformations are stored as points in multiple 4D transformation spaces. By careful analysis of the clusters in the transformation spaces, we detect sequences of elements and code them as L‐system rules. The coded elements are then removed from the clusters, the clusters are updated, and then the analysis attempts to code groups of elements in (hierarchies) the same way. The analysis ends with a single group of elements that is coded as an L‐system axiom. We recognize and code branching sequences of linearly translated, scaled, and rotated elements and their hierarchies. The L‐system not only represents the input image, but it can also be used for various editing operations. By changing the L‐system parameters, the image can be randomized, symmetrized, and groups of elements and regular structures can be edited. By changing the terminal and non‐terminal symbols, elements or groups of elements can be replaced.
Perceptually‐motivated Real‐time Temporal Upsampling of 3D Content for High‐refresh‐rate Displays
Authors: Didyk Piotr , Eisemann Elmar , Ritschel Tobias , Myszkowski Karol , Seidel Hans‐Peter
Published: June 2010

High‐refresh‐rate displays (e. g., 120 Hz) have recently become available on the consumer market and quickly gain on popularity. One of their aims is to reduce the perceived blur created by moving objects that are tracked by the human eye. However, an improvement is only achieved if the video stream is produced at the same high refresh rate (i. e. 120 Hz). Some devices, such as LCD TVs, solve this problem by converting low‐refresh‐rate content (i. e. 50 Hz PAL) into a higher temporal resolution (i. e. 200 Hz) based on two‐dimensional optical flow.

In our approach, we will show how rendered three‐dimensional images produced by recent graphics hardware can be up‐sampled more efficiently resulting in higher quality at the same time. Our algorithm relies on several perceptual findings and preserves the naturalness of the original sequence. A psychophysical study validates our approach and illustrates that temporally up‐sampled video streams are preferred over the standard low‐rate input by the majority of users. We show that our solution improves task performance on high‐refresh‐rate displays.
Scalable Height Field Self‐Shadowing
Authors: Timonen Ville , Westerholm Jan
Published: June 2010

We present a new method suitable for general purpose graphics processing units to render self‐shadows on dynamic height fields under dynamic light environments in real‐time. Visibility for each point in the height field is determined as the exact horizon for a set of azimuthal directions in time linear in height field size and the number of directions. The surface is shaded using the horizon information and a high‐resolution light environment extracted on‐line from a high dynamic range cube map, allowing for detailed extended shadows. The desired accuracy for any geometric content and lighting complexity can be matched by choosing a suitable number of azimuthal directions. Our method is able to represent arbitrary features of both high‐ and low‐frequency, unifying hard and soft shadowing. We achieve 23 fps on 1024×1024 height fields with 64 azimuthal directions under a 256×64 environment lighting on an Nvidia GTX 280 GPU.
Reinterpretable Imager: Towards Variable Post‐Capture Space, Angle and Time Resolution in Photography
Authors: Agrawal Amit , Veeraraghavan Ashok , Raskar Ramesh
Published: June 2010

We describe a novel multiplexing approach to achieve tradeoffs in space, angle and time resolution in photography. We explore the problem of mapping useful subsets of time‐varying 4D lightfields in a single snapshot. Our design is based on using a dynamic mask in the aperture and a static mask close to the sensor. The key idea is to exploit scene‐specific redundancy along spatial, angular and temporal dimensions and to provide a programmable or variable resolution tradeoff among these dimensions. This allows a user to reinterpret the single captured photo as either a high spatial resolution image, a refocusable image stack or a video for different parts of the scene in post‐processing.

A lightfield camera or a video camera forces a‐priori choice in space‐angle‐time resolution. We demonstrate a single prototype which provides flexible post‐capture abilities not possible using either a single‐shot lightfield camera or a multi‐frame video camera. We show several novel results including digital refocusing on objects moving in depth and capturing multiple facial expressions in a single photo.
The Investment Opportunity Set and Earnings Management: Evidence from the Role of Controlling Shareholders
Authors: Chen Ken Y. , Elder Randal J. , Hung Shengmin
Published: June 2010

Manuscript Type: Empirical

Research Question/Issue: We examine the incentive and entrenchment effects of controlling shareholders on the association between the investment opportunity set and earnings management in Taiwan.

Research Findings/Results: We find that firms with more investment opportunities are more likely to engage in earnings management. We also find incentive effects of controlling shareholders on firm's financial reporting behavior in that cash flow rights are negatively associated with absolute abnormal accruals under a growth opportunity setting. Our results further indicate that high‐growth firms with a high deviation between cash flow rights and control rights are more likely to engage in earnings management. Further analyses indicate that as the controlling shareholders have effective control of a firm, the effect of controlling shareholder deviation between control and cash flow rights on earnings management becomes stronger.

Theoretical/Academic Implications: This study extends existing agency and contracting literature on the incentive and entrenchment effects of controlling shareholders in East Asia on firm value to the quality of financial reporting, which has been a consistent concern of regulators, practitioners, and academia. Our findings provide empirical evidence on the impact of controlling shareholders on the quality of financial reporting in a growth opportunity setting.

Practitioner/Policy Implications: Our findings suggest that the institutional environment, such as the growth opportunity setting in Taiwan, matters to the firm's financial reporting behavior in an emerging market, where a corporate governance code has been enacted to protect minority shareholders. This study offers insights to policy makers interested in enhancing the mechanism of corporate governance in emerging markets, which have more potential conflict of interests between controlling shareholders and minority shareholders.
National Adoption of International Accounting Standards: An Institutional Perspective
Authors: Judge William , Li Shaomin , Pinsker Robert
Published: June 2010

Manuscript Type: Empirical

Research Question/Issue: Effective corporate governance requires accurate and reliable financial information. Historically, each nation has developed and pursued its own financial standards; however, as financial markets consolidate into a global market, there is a need for a common set of financial standards. As a result, there is a movement towards harmonization of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) throughout the global economy. While there has been considerable research on the effects of IFRS adoption, there has been relatively little systematic study as to the antecedents of IFRS adoption. Consequently, this study seeks to understand why some economies have quickly embraced IFRS standards while others partially adopt IFRS and still others continue to resist.

Research Findings/Results: After controlling for market capitalization and GDP growth, we find that foreign aid, import penetration, and level of education achieved within a national economy are all predictive of the degree to which IFRS standards are adopted across 132 developing, transitional and developed economies.

Theoretical/Academic Implications: We found that all three forms of isomorphic pressures (i.e., coercive, mimetic, and normative) are predictive of IFRS adoption. Consequently, institutional theory with its emphasis on legitimacy‐seeking by social actors was relatively well supported by our data. This suggests that the IFRS adoption process is driven more by social legitimization pressures, than it is by economic logic.

Practitioner/Policy Implications: For policy makers, our findings suggest that the institutional pressures within an economy are the key drivers of IFRS adoption. Consequently, policy makers should seek to influence institutional pressures that thwart and/or enhance adoption of IFRS. For executives of multinational firms, our findings provide insights that can help to explain and predict future IFRS adoption within economies where their foreign subsidiaries operate. This ability could be useful for creating competitive advantages for foreign subsidiaries where IFRS adoption was resisted, or avoiding competitive disadvantages for foreign subsidiaries unfamiliar with IFRS standards.
The Challenge of the All-Affected Principle
Authors: Näsström Sofia
Published: June 2010

This article examines the recent turn to the all-affected principle as a means to determine the proper boundaries of the people. The popularity of the principle notwithstanding, it argues that many of its proponents are prone to underestimating the challenge it raises to contemporary political theory. More specifically, two claims are made. Firstly, it argues that we must distinguish between two principles which, while both relating to the question of people-making, do so under radically different conditions: the all-subjected principle and the all-affected principle. Secondly, it argues that while the all-affected principle is a popular device in debates on cosmopolitan democracy it does not have a singular meaning. The all-affected principle in fact has three distinct roles to play, those of diagnosing, generating and justifying the boundaries of the people. The latter is the most difficult to account for in so far as it draws proponents of the all-affected principle into the very conflict that they set out to assess. It is concluded that this circumstance calls for a reorientation of the current debate, both with regard to the characterisation of the conflict under consideration and the challenge it raises to contemporary political theory.
Non‐parametric estimation for pure jump irregularly sampled or noisy Lévy processes
Authors: Comte Fabienne , Genon‐Catalot Valentine
Published: June 2010

In this paper, we study non‐parametric estimation of the Lévy density for pure jump Lévy processes. We consider n discrete time observations that may be irregularly sampled or possibly corrupted by a small noise independent of the main process. The case of non‐noisy observations with regular sampling interval has been studied by the authors in previous works which are the benchmark for the extensions proposed here. We study first the case of a regular sampling interval and noisy data, then the case of irregular sampling for non‐noisy data. In each case, non adaptive and adaptive estimators are proposed and risk bounds are derived.